10 Fantastic Ensemble Casts Wasted in Bad Movies

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10 Fantastic Ensemble Casts Wasted in Bad Movies

High-profile movies tend to stack their casts with as many A-listers as possible, resulting in some that have amazing ensemble casts and completely waste them. In contrast to movies that handle ensembles well, the Fewer movies act like the presence of so many stars is enough to make it a success and ensure its longevity. However, the screen time is poorly divided between the stars, individual characters are not complex enough to deserve such an actor to play them, or the movie is just below the people who are in it.

The best ensemble TV shows of all time at least have the luxury of enough screen time to get to everyone eventually, while ensemble movies have to be more strategic about it. Screen Rants Borderlands Review, similar to other assessments, claims that the actors make a huge effort, but the movie is not that great. That's the problem with bad movies starring too many great actors, Not giving any of them the material they need to truly shine.

10

Borderlands (2024)

Biggest stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, & Jack Black

It's no secret that the video game adaptation is a genre that has blown up in movies and television, mostly giving rise to acclaimed TV shows like Arcane And The last of us. Movies like Borderlands are the outliers of the genre, Trying to do something different with this cultural trend and not living up to its potential. Borderlands And Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Both demonstrate more comedic tones, but the inherent goofiness of the premise doesn't sit well with the star-studded cast in the case of the more recent release.

Based on the video game franchise, Borderlands is a sci-fi action-comedy film that follows Cate Blanchett as Lilith, a treasure hunter who returns to her home planet, Pandora, to find a tycoon's missing daughter. Along with a group of unlikely allies, such as a soldier, a teenage demolitions expert, a smart-cracking robot, and an eccentric scientist, the group will work together to save the girl - all while learning to deal with each other. 's unyielding quirks.

Director

Eli Ruth

Release date

August 9, 2024

runtime

102 minutes

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Borderlands Does not take the time to properly delve into the video game study, Which could have resulted in a better blend of comedy and action. Cate Blanchett's performance is the glue holding it together when it doesn't have much else going for it. Critics are tearing the movie apart while the cast signed on either out of admiration for the play or a potential co-star, rather than the script giving them good arcs. Another 20 minutes left in the movie could have flavored both the world and the characters.

9

Amsterdam (2022)

Biggest stars: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, & Robert De Niro

Most of the people who got involved with Amsterdam Probably thought they were in for another David O. Russell hit. The acclaimed director earlier took his movies Silver Linings Playbook And American hassle To the Oscars, in both cases working with a cast of four to eight main stars. It is possible that he simply recruited too many people to do what he is good at when it came to Amsterdam. Russell's previous collaborators Christian Bale and Robert De Niro returned, Along with about a dozen other people.

Many bad reviews agreed that the movie was a confused mess, which seems like an inevitable result with a cast this big (via Rotten tomatoes). Trying to justify the inclusion of each actor in a relatively equal runtime is difficult, even if the people all give decent performances. Even Taylor Swift's cameo in Amsterdam Is serviceable, however Russell didn't have enough experience with the whodunit story to pull off this ambitious take on the genre.

8

Movie 43 (2013)

Biggest stars: Emma Stone, Richard Gere, Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet and Halle Berry

James Gunn's notoriously bad and moderately meta movie of many individual but connected short movies shocked all of Hollywood when it first came out. It's not a good sign when The Guardian Published an article named: "Movie 43: Why Did So Many Hollywood Stars Sign Up for the Humiliation?" Journalist Catherine Shard attributes it to a "Domino Effect" From a couple of familiar collaborators who joined together, attracting more of their past co-stars and other fans from inside Hollywood, with no one realizing how bad the movie was until it was too late.

Maybe some may enjoy Movie 43 as a "so bad it's good" watch, but it has few redeeming qualities.

The 2013 anthology comedy movie 43 collects 14 comedy shorts with a list of actors such as Hugh Jackman, Emma Stone, Kristen Bell, Uma Thurman, Halle Berry, Naomi Watts and Richard Gere. All segments, connected by an overarching plot revolving around a frustrated screenwriter who comes up with ideas for a film, were also directed by various directors, including Bob Odenkirk, Elizabeth Banks and James Gunn.

Release date

January 25, 2013

runtime

90 minutes

Movie 43 is an hour and a half rough, Not particularly clever jokes that are embarrassing for the actors delivering them and the audience watching it. Maybe some can enjoy Movie 43 As a "So Bad It's Good" Watch, but it has few redeeming qualities. It is one of the strange events that happen in movies when there was certainly such an impressive cast when it did not deserve a single star, because of its lazy and uncomfortable writing.

7

Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore's Secret (2022)

Biggest stars: Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Mads Mikkelson and Katherine Waterston

The Fantastic animals The series was on a decline in quality, the effect on the reception of each new installment was compounded by controversies surrounding Johnny Depp and JK Rowling. The first movie is right by its core group of four characters and supporting cast; The second movie mostly maintains this, but there's a clear divide between which new supporting characters are given their due and which are ignored. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Thought it was a good idea to add more supporting characters When none of them have substantial arcs.

In the third and final installment of the Fantastic Beasts trilogy, the threat of Grindelwald grows ever greater. To defeat him, Albus Dumbledore recruits Newt Scamander, along with other talented witches and wizards, to fight Grindelwald and his acolytes before their plans to destroy the non-magical world come to pass.

Director

David Yates

Release date

April 8, 2022

runtime

142 minutes

The stories of the main characters, including Newt, Jacob, Tine, Queenie, Credence and Dumbledore, become increasingly convoluted and redundant, Disrupting the Harry Potter Canon. Meanwhile, Newt's brother Theseus returns as the events of the last movie did not affect him, while Eulalie should be an interesting character but has no development. Yusuf, Bunty, and others are also not used. It doesn't seem like it's coming back from that, though Fantastic Beasts 4 is still in development.

6

cat (2019)

Biggest stars: James Corden, Judi Dench, Francesca Hayward, & Idris Elba

Another infamous event in cinema, the Cat Movie is so bad almost exclusively because of the CGI. When the show is performed on stage, the practical cat costumes have an almost bohemian quality that makes them very interesting and beautiful. Cat Made the fateful, doomed decision that because it's a live-action movie, it should have real "cat" who are also people, resulting in the nightmarish final product of many amazingly talented actors cast as humanoid cats.

An adaptation of the stage musical of the same name, Cats boasts a star-studded cast playing the Jellicles, a tribe of street cats who make a choice once a year about which one of them will ascend to what they call the Heavenside layer and be Reborn to a new life. The original musical is based on a book by famous poet TS Eliot, and remains one of the longest-running Broadway shows.

Director

Tom Hooper

Release date

December 20, 2019

Figure

Rebel Wilson, Jennifer Hudson, Robbie Fairchild, Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Laurie Davidson, Zizzi Strallen, Ray Winstone, Ian McKellen, Jason Derulo, Judi Dench, James Corden, Matt Tooley

runtime

110 minutes

Cat Also doesn't have much of a story To begin with. On stage it is a surreal experience that works by immersing the audience in music and aesthetics. The movie tried to achieve something similar, but because its visuals are so terrible, it didn't happen. The most disappointing part of it is that there are a lot of talented actors and singers in this movie, including some up-and-coming stars who could have used a hit, but his performance distracts from everything else.

5

Valentine's Day (2010)

Biggest stars: Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Kathy Bates, and Bradley Cooper

Valentine's Day is a less impressive and misguided attempt at being an American Love actuallyWhat is not so clever is how it divides its time and connects all the characters. The individual storylines of Valentine's Day They are not as meaningful, failing to convey anything substantial About making marriages or relationships work. It's basically a mash-up of a bunch of the most bland, basic rom-com storylines ever, while some characters serve no purpose other than adding another big name to the billing.

Valentine's Day is a 2010 comedy and romance film by director Garry Marshall. The movie stars Bradley Cooper, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel and Kathy Bates. The premise revolves around multiple couples during Valentine's Day.

Release date

February 12, 2010

runtime

125 minutes

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Garry Marshall directs a great rom-com in Beautiful woman And a big ensemble movie in A league of their ownAnd try to bring them together Valentine's Day. Each of the movie's stars has the potential to carry a solid rom-com if they are the only main character with a bigger story. Julia Roberts worked with Marshall before and did just that. as it is Valentine's Day Flattens most of the stories so it can squeeze in as many of them as possible.

4

Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)

Biggest stars: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Elizabeth Banks and John Lithgow

like fantastic animals, Pitch perfect is a franchise that did remarkably well with its ensemble cast but bungled it with the latest installment. The first two movies managed to showcase strange interactions between the Bellas, giving all their personalities a chance to shine, while also spending an appropriate amount of time on the treblemakers. The characters who essentially fill the role of ​​the treblemakers in the final installment go from completely unlikable to begrudgingly recognizing their competitors' talent in an instant and having no story of their own.

Pitch Perfect 3 is the final installment in a musical comedy trilogy. It features a final performance by the Barden Bellas on a USO tour right before graduation. Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfield, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Chrissie Fit, Alexis Knapp, and others reprise their roles, with Elizabeth Banks both acting and directing.

Director

Trish Cie

Release date

December 22, 2017

Figure

John Lithgow, Anna Camp, Matt Lanter, Brittany Snow, Ester Dean, Rebel Wilson, Ruby Rose, Hana Mae Lee, Elizabeth Banks, Kelley Jakle, Anna Kendrick, Alexis Knapp, Hailee Steinfeld, Shelley Regner.

runtime

93 minutes

At this point, the gimmick of Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins' characters has grown old, while The addition of John Lithgow as Amy's father might have worked if it hadn't also led to a genre-inappropriate hostage scenario. Every other new character, like the Bellas' competition in the new story, only takes up space on the screen. Pitch Perfect 3 is actually a serviceable conclusion when you look at Bella's story alone, but everything else is a pointless mess.

3

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Biggest stars: Kenneth Branagh, Penélope Cruz, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, & Judi Dench

All the recent movie adaptations of Agatha Christie's novels follow the same format of lots of impressive names but sloppy writing that doesn't do justice to the source material. Murder on the Orient Express Establishes the decidedly new status quo for the franchise, Where Hercule Poirot is nothing like he is in the novels or previous adaptations, completely missing the point of his character. Meanwhile, industry legends like Judi Dench and Penélope Cruz and promising newcomers like Daisy Ridley are making the most of what they're given.

Based on Agatha Christie's novel and series, Murder on the Orient Express is a mystery-drama film that follows a legendary detective known as Hercule Poirot as he finds himself in the middle of a major mystery. A magnificent train ride unfolds in a stylish and suspenseful mystery; The film tells the story of thirteen stranded strangers forced to confront one another amid rising tensions. In a whodunit that will force Poirot to race to solve the puzzle before the killer strikes again.

Release date

November 10, 2017

runtime

114 minutes

Poirot's adaptation wants to adjust the story to cater to today's tastes, but lacks the carefully crafted intrigue of the source material. Meanwhile, Knives Out Arriving a few years later to show what could be done to revive an overthrown genre, While more Kenneth Branagh-led movies stuck to the same old formula. Murder on the Orient Express Is also essential of a whodunit that could be transformed by giving the supporting cast more original material.

2

Men, Women and Children (2014)

Biggest stars: Jennifer Garner, Dean Norris, Judy Greer and Emma Thompson

Men, women and children is a cringe-worthy movie that wants to say something meaningful about the advent of the Internet, But the result is just funny. It also tries to copy these Love actually Format of a bunch of normal, loosely connected families all simultaneously coming to emotional epiphanies about their lives. However, most of the parents are so objectively terrible that it is difficult to sympathize with their fears about how their children use the Internet. Meanwhile, the teenage characters are all over the place.

Most of the parents are so objectively terrible that it is difficult to sympathize with their fears about how their children use the Internet.

Men, Women and Children is a drama directed by Jason Reitman that explores the effects of the internet and social media on the lives of high school teenagers and their parents. With an ensemble cast led by Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner and Ansel Elgort, the film delves into the challenges of communication, self-esteem and privacy in the digital age. The narrative interweaves multiple storylines to highlight the complexities of modern relationships.

Director

Jason Reitman

Release date

October 17, 2014

runtime

116 minutes

Kaitlyn Dever and Ansel Elgort lead a wholesome teen romance storyline, constantly interrupted by the frankly disturbing scrutiny of Dever's character's mother. Two of the children's stories are tragic, with their resolutions failing to make up for what they went through. Most of the letters in Men, women and children are very nasty, And as people in real life have become more accustomed to the Internet and adept at finding a middle ground in how it is used, the actors are completely wasted on a meaningless story.

1

Ocean's Twelve (2004)

Biggest stars: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones

Ocean's Twelve is generally regarded as the worst of these Ocean's Eleven Movies, at least from the George Clooney era. The first sequel after the smash hit of Ocean's Eleven It lacks the innovation of the first. moreover, It is far less satisfying to have to steal money to pay back the money they stole In the first movie. The heist itself doesn't work as well in execution because it's spread out: rather than a single, contained adventure, the group travels across Europe over two weeks.

Ocean's Twelve is the sequel to Steven Soderbergh's 2001 heist film Ocean's Eleven. Released in 2004, the film reunites the ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, as they undertake a series of heists across Europe. The plot centers on the group trying to repay a large debt to a vindictive casino owner. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Vincent Cassel join the star-studded cast, adding new dimensions to the intricate heist narrative.

Release date

December 10, 2004

runtime

125 minutes

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This does not allow the audience to appreciate the individual tasks and skills, translating into less emphasis on the characters and the people who play them. Catherine Zeta-Jones is a worthy addition to the cast, but being a love interest to Brad Pitt only pads the runtime. Ocean's Twelve is not the worst offender when it comes to misusing a large ensemble cast, But his mistakes still stand out where the franchise is concerned.

Source: Rotten tomatoes, The Guardian