Movie lovers hate wasting their time on a bad film, especially one that starts with so much promise. Clever filmmakers will know that the start of a movie is vital to hooking the audience, but sustaining this interest isn’t always easy, and an exciting movie can quickly turn into a dud.
Whether it’s a choppy narrative or some poor character choices, movies can lose their way as the story continues. In some cases though, the problem is simply that the movie puts a lot of the best stuff in the first few scenes, but the premise isn’t as exciting as it seems once things really get moving.
10
Trap (2024)
Shyamalan’s Thriller Makes Some Odd Moves
Trap is just as divisive as any movie that M. Night Shyamalan has directed in the last decade or so. He certainly has his admirers, but Trap suffers from the same problems that his detractors often point to. While it starts off strongly, Trap‘s plot shoots off in some unexpected directions, with mixed results.
Trap is just as divisive as any movie that M. Night Shyamalan has directed in the last decade or so.
When Trap is just a thriller about a serial killer surrounded by the police in a crowded music venue, it feels intense and unique. As soon as Cooper leaves the arena, Trap loses the big thing that makes it special, as if Shyamalan releases the tension too quickly.
9
Spectre (2015)
The Mexico City Scene Is The Highlight Of The Movie
James Bond movies are famous for their action-packed cold opens. Although the franchise is set to enter an uncertain new era with the next James Bond movie, it’s a safe bet that this tradition will be kept alive. Spectre delivers one of the most exciting opening scenes of all, but the rest of the movie doesn’t live up to these high standards.
The Day of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ sequence unfolds in one long take, creating an immersive scene that stands out from most other Bond movies. There are a few other great moments sprinkled throughout Spectre, but it’s largely seen as a lowpoint in Daniel Craig’s run as 007, marred by the infamous Blofeld twist.
8
Mission: Impossible III (2006)
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Villain Stands Out In A Mediocre Mission: Impossible Movie
The Mission: Impossible franchise has generally gone from strength to strength, hitting its stride with Ghost Protocol. Mission: Impossible III is often seen as one of the weakest entries, although Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance as Owen Davian is always compelling.
Mission: Impossible III starts with a lot of promise, flashing forward to show Davian interrogating Ethan Hunt for the location of the mysterious “rabbit’s foot“. If the rest of the movie could be as captivating as the villain, Mission: Impossible III could have a better reputation. Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning could end the franchise, meaning that Davian could reign supreme as the best villain.
7
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
The Kingsman Sequel Doesn’t Recapture The Magic
Kingsman: The Golden Circle starts with Eggsy as a more senior agent, taking over from Harry in the previous movie. There’s a thrilling car chase through central London that stands up to any of the imaginative action sequences from The Secret Service to get things going, but The Golden Circle loses its way.
Once Harry is dragged back from death, The Golden Circle loses its stakes completely. He even gets another sH๏τ to the head later, but he’s brought back using questionable sci-fi tech once more. This problem, coupled with the fact that The Golden Circle doesn’t have as many memorable action scenes, means that the sequel falls flat.
6
Now You See Me (2013)
The Magical Heist Thriller Is A Mixed Bag
Now You See Me puts a unique twist on the heist movie formula, as a group of flamboyant stage magicians use their skills to rob from the rich and give to the poor. This creates some unusual and inventive heist scenes, with the added excitement of police pursuing them across the globe.
Although Now You See Me makes a strong start, the movie’s notoriously unpopular ending ruins a lot of the good faith that it builds up. The twist ending makes very little sense, and it seems to contradict most of the action. Now You See Me 3 is finally set to continue the franchise, hopefully with a more waterтιԍнт narrative.
5
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
The Comedy Sequel Has A Lot Of Its Best Jokes Early On
Comedy sequels are notoriously difficult to pull off, especially when there’s a long gap between the first and second movies. Anchorman 2 had a tough act to follow, but it makes a promising start with its first few scenes. Harrison Ford makes a brilliant cameo showing off his comedy chops, and Brick’s funeral is also hilarious.
Unfortunately, Anchorman 2 can’t keep up its rate of fire. Perhaps Ford should have been given more than one scene, and perhaps the plot shouldn’t have strayed into political satire. Regardless of the exact cause, it’s clear that Anchorman 2 doesn’t live up to the first movie in the end.
4
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
The Good Dinosaur Had Potential, But It Ended Up Being A Rare Pixar Flop
A lot of the best Pixar movies manage to tap into the way that children see the world, like how Toy Story plays on childhood fantasies and Monsters, Inc. deconstructs fears about monsters lurking under the bed. The Good Dinosaur could have been just as interesting, since plenty of kids love dinosaurs, but it’s widely regarded as one of the studio’s weakest efforts.
The Good Dinosaur starts with an interesting “what if” scenario that imagines humans and dinosaurs living side-by-side. There are also some exquisite landscape sH๏τs early on to paint a vivid picture of the world. However, the plot doesn’t deliver the kind of fun that such a premise suggests. It begins to drag after a while.
3
Scream 3 (2000)
Scream 3 Ends The Original Trilogy With A Whimper
Ever since Drew Barrymore’s one scene at the start of the first Scream movie, it’s been a franchise tradition to start each movie off with a shocking Ghostface kill. Scream 3 puts a twist on this familiar idea by killing off Cotton Weary, an established character in the franchise. This sets the tone for a more personal story featuring Sidney and her friends.
While Scream 3 has a few great moments, and the Hollywood setting adds another layer to the horror genre satire, it’s not quite as sharp as the franchise’s best movies. The mystery element isn’t quite as gripping as it is in the first two movies, and the divisive twist ruins the ending for a lot of people.
2
Indiana Jones & The Dial Of Destiny (2023)
Indy’s Last Adventure Falters After An Exciting Start
The Dial of Destiny starts with a scene that shows a much younger Indy fighting the Nazis once again. With an exciting train chase and some explosive fight scenes all strung together in the first few minutes, The Dial of Destiny has a brief callback to the franchise’s early days. There are a couple more thrilling action scenes, but overall the movie seems too obsessed with the past.
There’s no real reason that Indy should still be fighting the Nazis in the late 1960s. This choice of villain underlines the core reason why The Dial of Destiny feels like a missed opportunity. There’s a death of new ideas, and only a few action scenes which justify resorting to old habits.
1
Hancock (2008)
Will Smith’s Superhero Comedy Wastes Its Potential
Hancock is almost like two distinct movies which have been spliced together to create a strange kind of Frankenstein’s monster. It starts off as a cynical superhero satire, with Will Smith’s charisma in full flow as the most irresponsible hero possible. With an unexpected midpoint twist, everything changes.
Hancock is almost like two distinct movies which have been spliced together.
After the big twist, Hancock becomes more and more like the kind of overblown superhero melodrama that it’s supposed to be making fun of. It’s a grating tonal shift that’s made even worse due to the fact that it seems to betray the spirit of Hancock. Sure, there are some hard-hitting superhero fight scenes, but this comes at a huge cost.
