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The Great Underperforming Movies of 2007

slashfilm.com — With critics and sofa kings churning out their lists for best and worst films of 2007 like Jonah Hill drawing dicks, let ’s take a look at the movies that failed to reach general expectations, whether at the box office, creatively, or both.

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  • jupaneanu, on 01/05/2008, -11/+27Good list, but I actually kinda liked The Number 23, I mean it didn't suck that bad
    • chonuts, on 01/05/2008, -1/+11I think people in general have an aversion to comedians who turn into actors and take themselves waaaaay too seriously. I remember seeing the preview for it and laughing heartily despite the fact that the movie was not a comedy. I mean c'mon. It's the guy who played Ace Ventura in two separate movies.
      • MadHarvey, on 01/05/2008, -0/+2I was skeptical of Carrey taking on serious roles at first. But after: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, Truman Show, and the Magestic, its hard to deny that he can handle it. I think roles that mix drama and comedy like spotless actually suit him best. I had alot of hopes for The Number 23, and was disappointed when the bad reviews started coming out.
    • Marijuana, on 01/05/2008, -2/+3There's 2 types of people. Those who like 23 and those who don't.
    • brentinkc, on 01/05/2008, -4/+4It's not about whether your like Jim Carrey or not.
      I like Jim Carrey. A lot. I was 11 when the first Ace Ventura movie came out, and I still consider it to be comic genius.
      Howver, I've seen that movie, and I'm here to tell you that it sucks balls. One of the worst storylines I've ever seen. I don't know why anyone would associate themselves with that story.
      It and Grindhouse (which I had to walk out of) are the worst films I've seen since Brendan Fraser offered up a vomitous performance as everyone's favorite Canadian-cop-on-horseback, Dudley Do Right.
      The Number 23 sucked, and if you disagree, you have bad taste in film.
    • evilestoreo, on 01/06/2008, -1/+2I saw the number 23. It was *****. Like the entire time you're watching it you want to gouge out your eyeballs and ingest arsenic.
  • simplistics06, on 01/05/2008, -6/+91Spiderman 3 sucked. I don't know how they ***** up a movie with venom in it but they did.
    • 0crabby0, on 01/05/2008, -2/+31You didn't like "Spiderman - The Musical"?
    • adml_shake, on 01/05/2008, -1/+6They ***** it with Peter turning into a complete tool. There wasn't the struggle we saw him deal with in the first two. And the fact that they pussified Sandman (or the fact he was in it at all) didn't help matters either. And I think Topher Grace could have BEEN a good venom, the just ***** up the whole introduction.
      • blindmelon1, on 01/06/2008, -0/+3True, the emo kid sub-plot was plain embarrassing.
    • joegibes, on 01/05/2008, -2/+4I saw it in IMAX, which partially made up for the crappiness of the movie.
    • GOVStooge, on 01/05/2008, -1/+4Not enough Venom... that's how they ***** it up. Oh and Topher Grace? as a villian?!?? W T F? Fez would have been better.
    • DigDugDude, on 01/05/2008, -0/+5They F___ed it up because Sam Raimi doesnt like and doesn't "get" the Venom character. So he didn't put the effort in to make Venom awesome. Instead he set out to show us just how stupid he thinks Venom is.
      • DigDugDude, on 01/08/2008, -0/+0This is the only comment I've ever made that hasn't been dugg down to negative. Thanks
    • ohgr, on 01/05/2008, -0/+2In my opinion, the franchise is over. I no longer have interest.
    • drakken33, on 01/06/2008, -0/+0I thought it sucked when I saw it at the cinema but bought the DVD anyway. I enjoyed it a lot more on DVD for some unknown reason.
  • CloseTheCode, on 01/05/2008, -13/+37The Golden Compass was, despite the hype, rubbish.
    • goblindegook, on 01/05/2008, -3/+12Why is CloseTheCode being dugg down? He's right. The book series is fantastic, but the movie adaptation was nothing short of a perplexing disaster.
    • BrewBeau, on 01/05/2008, -0/+2Yeah, it's really too bad that film wasn't as good as the book. The casting and screen adaptation killed it. Lyra was too old, Daniel Craig too young, and Kidman didn't fit the description of Coulter. The one silver lining was the daemons. They did a really good job of making it seem natural that daemons would be following everyone around and how they interacted.
    • pathy, on 01/05/2008, -1/+3They ***** up the Golden Compass.

      They wanted it to be an Epic like Lord of the Rings - but they didn't make it like LotR. They cut and chopped it. The story was so compressed, so chopped up and moved around, and down right changed in some parts that it ruined the entire movie.

      The imagery was fantastic, but the pacing was way off. They left out far, far too much characterisation and a lot of the plot. They should have done what Peter Jackson did with LotR. A good adapation of the book, and attempting to stay as true to it as possible - Even if it means making your films really ***** long.

      The book has a fantastic, frantic pace and it would have been great if they made it in to a movie and kept it true to the book. Sadly, they didn't.
      • joshuabowers, on 01/05/2008, -1/+2"They cut and chopped it. The story was so compressed, so chopped up and moved around, and down right changed in some parts that it ruined the entire movie."

        Funny, that sounds like a perfect description of Jackson's LotR to me. At the very least, that sounds like a perfect description of Return of the King.
    • DigDugDude, on 01/05/2008, -4/+0Amen. The movie made no sense unless you have read the (athiest propaganda but sometimes entertaining) books.
    • nshady, on 01/06/2008, -0/+1I liked it.

      Apart from the fact that they cut off the ending - even though bits of it were shown in the trailers.
  • Shakermaker, on 01/05/2008, -12/+20He bashed Grindhouse and Walk Hard? That makes the list entirely specious and false.
    • alexforcefive, on 01/05/2008, -2/+9He didn't bash anything except the number 23. He just pointed out that they performed poorly at the box office
      • mikelieman, on 01/05/2008, -1/+2The Number 23 (2007) -- Directed by Joel Schumacher.

        History's Greatest Monster -- Bash away... It's all the excuse anyone needs...
      • MadHarvey, on 01/05/2008, -0/+1Did you read the Grindhouse paragraph? It was definitely bashed.
    • doctordbx, on 01/05/2008, -4/+3The Grindhouse fell short of expectations by a long way. RR did OK, but QT ***** up completely.
    • brentinkc, on 01/05/2008, -8/+4Haven't seen Walk Hard, but Grindhouse sucked so bad that I walked out during the intermission.
      • SuperWinner, on 01/05/2008, -3/+4Give it up, fanboys are blind. If Quinton Tarantino filmed himself taking a ***** they'd all love it, they'd say its "brilliant film making".
        • offspring06, on 01/05/2008, -1/+6Where can I find this brilliant "having a ***** movie" that QT made? I don't see it on any torrent sites.
  • Enfecktion, on 01/05/2008, -2/+6i liked 'Walk Hard' :-
    Grind House was kinda silly though.
    • dark2025, on 01/05/2008, -0/+9I think that was the point of Grindhouse. I love movies that don't take themselves seriously, like Crank and Shoot 'Em Up. Quite entertaining if you just switch off that brain.
      • Enfecktion, on 01/05/2008, -1/+4i suppose you're right; i guess i just didn't have that mindest when i went into watch it.
    • adraft, on 01/05/2008, -0/+1I laughed as much in Walk Hard as I did when I saw Walk the Line. It fits easily in one of my least favorite movies of all time, I don't get why critics gave it good reviews.
      • craigm01, on 01/05/2008, -0/+2I agree, My wife and myself thought Walk Hard was easily the worst movie we have seen all year.
  • xdvx, on 01/05/2008, -15/+4***** this article, I liked "The Number 23".
    • brentinkc, on 01/05/2008, -2/+8No ***** you, that movie was ***** awful.
      • xdvx, on 01/05/2008, -7/+2No you're awful, go watch spiderman *****.
  • havokdu, on 01/05/2008, -1/+14Some info is innacurate.
    It's gonna be a sequel to "28 weeks later":
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/28_Months_Later#Seque ...
    In March 2007, Boyle announced plans to create a third chapter of the film franchise, which will be given the title 28 Months Later with a 2009 release date, thus creating a trilogy. Boyle has stated that his thoughts are to set the movie in Russia.
    In June 2007, it was announced that if DVD sales of the film did well Fox Atomic would consider producing the third film.
    In July 2007, while promoting the film Sunshine, Boyle revealed that he has a story formulating for the next film "There is an idea for the next one, something which would move [the story] on. I've got to think about it, whether it's right or not." Boyle also revealed that he would return as the director. Alex Garland might be considered in writing the story with Boyle, but no announcements have been made.
  • kidcodea, on 01/05/2008, -5/+30zodiac ruled
    • SuperWinner, on 01/05/2008, -1/+1Not compared to Se7en it didn't.
      • evilestoreo, on 01/06/2008, -1/+2Se7en's a fantastic movie. Zodiac was too long, and complex.
  • Vanor, on 01/05/2008, -5/+20Grindhouse kicked ass. Even if there were only like 20 other people in the theater with us, there was more enthusiasm in there than the entire theater packed with people watching 300. The end of Grindhouse is the first time I've ever applauded a movie in a long long long time.
    • CoolHandLuke, on 01/05/2008, -4/+17You applauded a film? Um... you do realize that the actors can't hear you, right?
    • estacado, on 01/05/2008, -4/+1Yeah, I don't understand why people do that. Do they applaud themselves after they "released" a really huge turd that hurt like hell in the "releasing" process? These people need to take some laxatives.
    • Tyrghast, on 01/05/2008, -2/+3Quiet fanboy, overuse of the word '*****' + over-the-top action + nudity does not equal brilliant filmmaking. Quentin Tarantino is a washed up has-been, the only two movies he made that we're worth watching for longer than five minutes were Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs
    • volacide, on 01/05/2008, -2/+2Grindhouse was a massive disappointment. Only cool in concept, the actual movies were terrible, and that seemed near impossible with Kurt Russel involved.
    • nutsackorama, on 01/05/2008, -0/+0Actually, you have it backwards - the movie was good and Kurt Russell usually sucks.
  • knodi, on 01/05/2008, -11/+4All of those movie but the Number 23 where good.
  • AUGTRON, on 01/05/2008, -0/+37Guys, read the article. This is a list of films that were overhyped yet failed to meet studio expectations (ie $$$). The author actually likes a lot of those movies.
    • flag654, on 01/05/2008, -1/+2True, rtfa, sofa king or not, he's sofa king right
  • omnithought, on 01/05/2008, -0/+3I was really wishing The Golden Compass would be better than it was. It has so much potential, and it's sad that it didn't nearly live up to it.
  • KillaJazzBass, on 01/05/2008, -0/+6No love for Southland Tales, that movie basically dropped off the face of the earth and I really wanted to see it. Did it even exist or was it my imagination?
  • Aidanjalali, on 01/05/2008, -0/+8I completely agree with the decision of The Golden Compass, but not the explanation. His Dark Materials (the Golden Compass Trilogy) were intended for teenagers, with subtle adult undertones. The movie completely ignored that - it attempted to appeal to kids with the pretty lights and talking polar bears, and actually contained far too much explaining. It aimed for one extreme, and addressed another. It was all over the place, and made a complete mockery of such a wonderfully written book.

    And they tried to be Lord of the Rings. Fools...
    • MikeFallopian, on 01/05/2008, -0/+0I think the worst part was how characters just popped in and out with no explanation or backstory. Like the witches - who the hell were they, and why did they join the battle at the end?
  • Phernoree, on 01/05/2008, -0/+5I saw Grindhouse in a very packed house with a very enthusiastic and cheerful crowd... so I was sort of surprised to hear of the extreme lackluster response it got from the box office.
  • brstilson, on 01/05/2008, -3/+8Those sofa kings are just sofa king retarded.
  • estacado, on 01/05/2008, -2/+3I've only watched 2 of them, Grindhouse and 28 weeks. Planet Terror was great, one of the best flicks of 2007. Death Proof sucked ass. 28 Weeks was okay. My best movie of 2007 is Stardust, another underperformer.
  • Mrxerox, on 01/05/2008, -4/+1How come I never see Stardust on these lists? One of my favs from this year and it gets no love.
    • evilestoreo, on 01/06/2008, -0/+1It was in the list of runner ups
  • brentinkc, on 01/05/2008, -5/+4I will never get back the time nor money that I wasted seeing the #23.
    It was an awful, awful film. If Grindhouse hadn't been so god damn terrible, #23 would have been the going-away favorite for worst film of 2007.
    • evilestoreo, on 01/06/2008, -0/+2I rented it on DVD. So at least I didnt pay cinema prices...
  • Raerth, on 01/05/2008, -0/+4Please people, RTFA before you say "but I liked that film..". This is an examination of why films underperformed. It may be because the films was *****, but this is not why the author has listed them.
  • Phernoree, on 01/05/2008, -0/+2Combining both foreign and domestic totals, Golden Compass actually made money, and we haven't gotten to DVD sales yet... However, yes, it was still a pretty bad failure by studio standards.
  • brstilson, on 01/05/2008, -0/+8My brother had an old woman come into his place of employment and she had just seen Walk Hard. The funny thing is, she didn't understand that it's a parody of Walk The Line. She thought it was real. She was saying stuff like "Well I never heard of that Dewey Cox fellow but I guess he had a few hits" and was talking like the things in the movie were real historical events. I wouldn't be surprised if she thought the Beatles in the movie were the actual Beatles.
    • offspring06, on 01/05/2008, -0/+2An episode of "That 70's show" had Midge asking if Star Wars was based on a true story.
  • WindyT, on 01/05/2008, -0/+5The article isn't about "which movies sucked so hard they didn't make money".
    The article is about "which movies didn't make enough money to justify the director/producer/studio making more of the same".
    I went to showing of "Snake On A Plane" where the theater was packed and everyone was screaming with joy. But if you don't have that for every performance, you won't exactly get a sequel. The reason "Snakes" wasn't on that list, however, is because it cost four dollars and ninety-five cents to make, and you can crank out one of those in two weeks.
  • SaxxonPike, on 01/05/2008, -0/+3I haven't read the Dark Materials novels, but I honestly thought that The Golden Compass was decent. Well, decent *enough*. No one I know actually ever saw the movie. I guess it just didn't catch people on a mental level.
    • billyoneal, on 01/05/2008, -1/+2Read the book and you wont think it so decent...
    • grakker, on 01/05/2008, -0/+3I did read the books. That was many years ago. Long enough that I didn't get caught up on the minute differences that all the fanboys seemed to have. I thought the movie was beautiful, visually. Not a great movie by any chance, but I didn't walk out thinking I got ripped off.
  • seantubridy, on 01/05/2008, -1/+2Dugg for not throwing in 3 more and titling this article "The Top 10 Underperforming Movies of 2007"
  • ultraJesus, on 01/05/2008, -0/+2I blame my crap ass local theater.
  • exomni, on 01/05/2008, -2/+4Too bad about Zodiac. Good movie.
  • GOVStooge, on 01/05/2008, -0/+3$10/ seat... couple that with a history of dishing out a loads of over marketed ***** over the last few years and you get lackluster boxoffice take.
  • Sidzilla, on 01/05/2008, -3/+1I think the casting choices made Walk Hard a flop. I enjoyed John C. Reilly in Taladega Nights, but he isn't funny enough to carry a feature by himself.
  • Hostile17, on 01/05/2008, -4/+1Piss off brentinkc. You consider Ace Ventura to be "comic genius", and you tell us about bad taste in films? Yeah buddy, you should know. The Number 23 was entertaining. It was a 5/10 movie, or a three-star. It didn't "suck".

    Zodiac was a great movie, although the lack of convention might make some movie-goers slightly uncomfortable. Certainly it's not like any other film you've seen this year.
    • nutsackorama, on 01/05/2008, -0/+05/10? Statistically isn't that an F+? I think that means you really think it sucks?
  • rowlodge, on 01/05/2008, -0/+1i don't know if their underperforming ,i watch everything, just that you can rent them a few months later now.
  • Tyrghast, on 01/05/2008, -4/+1Yep. Grindhouse was pretty much one of the worst movies ever. Zodiac and Walk Hard however, were great.
  • Jack9, on 01/05/2008, -0/+1most of these movies were terrible and shouldnt have been made, others shouldnt have been made they way they were.

    23
    walk hard
    golden compass
  • sirmadog, on 01/05/2008, -2/+1Grindhouse
    Zodiac
    Lions for Lambs
    Walk Hard
    28 Weeks Later
    The Golden Compass
    The Number 23
  • stanleyford, on 01/05/2008, -0/+4FTA: "The Golden Compass: Calling this film an underperformer is like calling Zac Efron for advice on being a badass." -- What? Can anyone explain how that analogy makes any sense?
  • bmystry, on 01/05/2008, -0/+2Most of those movie are really bad so I think they deserved the poor turnout. Take Lions for Lambs that movie was actually painful to watch it almost seemed like a propaganda film
  • iamnotbill, on 01/05/2008, -0/+5in reference to From Dusk Till Dawn:"A scantly clad, one-legged Rose McGowan does not equal Salma Hayek’s fully exposed stripper-vampire fun bags."

    those are ***** lies. i rewound that part so many goddamn times i am fully certain her funbags were not FULLY EXPOSED.
    • nutsackorama, on 01/05/2008, -0/+1My thoughts exactly. This foolish bastard is thinking about Desperado, perhaps?
  • blindmelon1, on 01/06/2008, -0/+2I actually wish they would make that "Machete" movie...

    Turn that fake trailer into a full length feature film...

    I'd pay to see that! :)
  • alexra, on 01/06/2008, -0/+1i though dewy cox was pretty funny
  • chaos7, on 01/06/2008, -0/+1a lot of these movies aren't good
  • electrifried, on 01/07/2008, -0/+0Man 28 weeks later was excellent. That and its predecessor is probably some of the best made zombie films in recent years. Instead people choose to watch the overhyped and craptastic I Am Legend.....
  •  

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