Time to look back at some of the worst films to hit the movie theaters this year

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By Manuel Fernandez

1/12/18

Overall, the year has been a triumph for the majority of independent films and a few notable blockbusters. However, there were definitely films that came out this year that brought us down, made us want to walk out of the theater, or worse.

Whether they were big budget disappointments, unfunny comedies, horror that wasn’t scary, or simply a boring time at the theater, these were some of the worst movie-going experiences of the year.

Some dishonorable mentions worth noting include:

“The Mummy”: One of the biggest wastes of potential of the year, further downgraded by little scares and a needless focus on a cinematic universe.

“Wish Upon”: An uninspiring horror flick with few scares and an unlikable lead who deserves everything that happens to her.

“Unforgettable”: An unintentionally funny Lifetime film with little stakes and plot holes big enough to fit through.

5. “Baywatch”

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Where 2012’s “21 Jump Street” succeeded, “Baywatch” failed. It ultimately wastes the talents and skill sets of a stellar cast that includes Zac Efron and Dwayne Johnson in favor of incredibly unfunny fart and sexual jokes and an overuse of sexual innuendos and slow-motion shots, even though they were staples of the original series from the 90s.

The movie had many things going for it, including the aforementioned stellar cast and plenty of source material for parody and satire. However, none of it ever comes to fruition and instead we’re left with unlikable characters, over-the-top action sequences, and a crime mystery that’s left out of place in the end. “Baywatch” is no doubt one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

4. “Transformers: The Last Knight”
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It’s really hard to believe that they’re still making these, but director Michael Bay still manages to continuously bring in the money from the international box office. However, there may be a glimmer of hope because this film grossed nearly $500 million less worldwide than the previous installment. Maybe sometime soon they’ll stop making these repetitive, disjointed, sloppy pieces of filmmaking entirely.

It’s amazing that we continue to see the exact same thing over and over again. In this installment, we get the usual: bland characters, poor acting, poorly directed action, terrible attempts at comedy, and incredibly convoluted storytelling. Let’s hope director Travis Knight does something special with 2018’s “Bumblebee.”

3. “CHIPS”

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Before “Baywatch,” we saw another attempt at revitalizing an old 80s television series for

the silver screen in “CHIPS.” But not only was it another failure in every conceivable way, it was somehow worse than “Baywatch.”

Director and lead actor Dax Shepherd gives the audience an unfunny, sloppy mess of a film filled with so many predictable punchlines and fart/sexual jokes you can see coming from a mile away. With a story containing little to no stakes and characters that are incredibly unlikable, “CHIPS” was a failed attempt at creating the next “21 Jump Street” and ended up being the leftovers from the “21 Jump Street” script, recycled by Dax Shepherd.

2. “Fifty Shades Darker”

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In some regards, “Fifty Shades Darker” actually achieved something more than 2016’s “Fifty Shades of Grey”: It’s a whole lot worse. Every single aspect that went against the first film is elevated to another level in this film.

Whether it’s worse chemistry between the leads, dialogue that’ll make you cringe harder than in the first film, or even more ludicrously insane scenarios and moments of conflict both in quantity and quality, “Fifty Shades Darker” attempts to bring the audience into its supposedly sexy, kinky narrative and characters but in the end feels a lot more like pure torture in one moment and hilarious comedy in another.

 

 

1. “The Emoji Movie”
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What else can be said? The title alone explains exactly what is wholeheartedly wrong with this film. “The Emoji Movie” is the prime example of what happens when a studio attempts to “connect” with the audience by utilizing whatever is “popular” in the young demographic.

What we get in the end is a messy, boring, uninspiring, soulless, uninteresting cash grab of a film. The characters are lifeless cutouts and the story is a blended mixture of “Wreck-It-Ralph,” “Inside Out,” and “The LEGO Movie.” Studios need to understand that what brings audiences in is neither what’s popular nor what “the kids are doing these day,” but, simply put, a good movie. “The Emoji Movie” lacks any sort of style, heart, humor, or anything else that would make it worth your time and money.

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