Sign in to your Collider account
Custom Image by Zanda Rice
Movies with no plot can be great, but unfortunately, this is not the case for blockbuster movies. These movies are supposed to be exciting, with a story full of action or a good plot twist, and totally entertaining. But sometimes, they just don’t live up to the hype. Even with huge budgets, famous actors, and big stories, some end up being surprisingly boring. Maybe the pacing drags, the direction feels flat, or the story just doesn’t work.
Instead of thrilling audiences, these films left them checking their watches and wondering if they can leave the theater already. From major superhero flops to uninspired sequels, here’s a list of ten blockbusters that fell flat, proving that even massive productions can miss the mark when they forget to truly engage viewers.
10 'Wonder Woman 1984' (2020)
Directed by Patty Jenkins
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
The first Wonder Woman (2017) was a huge hit, giving us Gal Gadot’s bold and charismatic take on Diana Prince. It had everything—action, heart, humor—and Patty Jenkins’ direction made it shine. Naturally, expectations were high for the sequel, and audiences were craving this movie, which was re-scheduled way too many times because of the pandemic. In Wonder Woman 1984, Diana faces two new enemies: Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), a slick entrepreneur, and Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), a friend who turns against her. She also reconnects with Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), the love she thought she’d lost forever.
Wonder Woman 1984 struggled with a messy story about a wish-granting stone and over-the-top moments like Diana lassoing lightning bolts. Wiig’s Minerva felt unnecessary, and even Pascal’s fun performance couldn’t save the slow pacing and corny humor.
Wonder Woman 1984
Diana must contend with a work colleague, and with a businessman whose desire for extreme wealth sends the world down a path of destruction, after an ancient artifact that grants wishes goes missing.
Release Date December 25, 2020
Runtime 115 Minutes
9 'Fantastic Four' (2015)
Directed by Josh Trank
Fantastic Four from 2015 attempts to retell the origin of Marvel's first superhero family in a very boring way. Reed Richards (Miles Teller), a young genius, builds a teleportation device that leads him, Sue Storm (Kate Mara), Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan), Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), and Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell) to another dimension. An accident grants them strange powers, and they must navigate their transformations while facing Victor, who becomes an unremarkable villain intent on Earth's destruction.
Fantastic Four's biggest flaw is its lifeless pacing and lack of excitement, which made this movie a huge flop for Marvel. With a dull plot, minimal action, odd casting, and a bland finale, the film feels dragged out despite its short runtime. It wastes talented actors and delivers nothing memorable. Not even Stan Lee wanted to make a cameo in this movie.
Fantastic Four
A group of astronauts gain superpowers after a cosmic radiation exposure and must use them to oppose the plans of their enemy, Doctor Victor Von Doom.
Release Date August 5, 2015
Director Josh Trank
Runtime 100 minutes
8 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales' (2017)
Directed by Gore Verbinski
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales delivers just that: no tales. The Pirates of the Caribbean series started strong with The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), a fun and exciting adventure that brought pirates back to the big screen. Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow became iconic, and the film balanced humor, action, and heart perfectly. But by the time Dead Men Tell No Tales came out, the franchise just got worse and worse. This fifth movie followed Sparrow, Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), and Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario) as they search for the Trident of Poseidon while dodging the vengeful Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem). It had potential, but boring writing and flat performances made it feel empty.
As the sequels went on, the series lost its charm. What started as fresh and entertaining became repetitive and bloated, with forgettable villains and overly complicated plots. Dead Men Tell No Tales felt like a tired attempt to relive past success but only highlighted how far the franchise had fallen. While there are talks of a reboot, it’s clear the franchise lost its spark and perhaps it’s best to leave this one anchored in the past.
Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Capt. Jack Sparrow feels the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost sailors led by his old nemesis, the evil Capt. Salazar, escape from the Devil's Triangle. Jack's only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it, he must forge an uneasy alliance with a brilliant and beautiful astronomer and a headstrong young man in the British navy.
Release Date May 26, 2017
Runtime 2h 9m
7 'The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn - Part 1' (2011)
Directed by Bill Condon
Image via Summit Entertainment
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 covers Bella and Edward’s wedding, their honeymoon, and the surprising news of Bella’s dangerously fast pregnancy. The unborn baby puts Bella’s life at risk, creating tension between the Cullens and Jacob’s wolf pack. The movie hints at a bigger conflict... But it never really gets there.
It’s a slow and uneventful ride, almost bizarre how little happens in this movie. Bella and Edward’s wedding feels awkward, and their honeymoon drags on. The talking wolf scene, with its fake-looking CGI and over-the-top voices, is hard to take seriously. And audiences are so tired of Bella-Edward-Jacob love triangle. Overall, it’s more of a setup for the sequel than a movie worth watching on its own.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
At last, Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) are getting married. When Jacob (Taylor Lautner) finds out that Bella wants to spend her honeymoon as a human, he is horrified -- for Edward's passion could accidentally kill her. Bella does indeed survive her honeymoon, but a new complication arises when she discovers that she's pregnant -- and the child is growing at an alarming rate. The pregnancy sets the wolves against Bella and Edward, but Jacob vows to protect his friend.
Release Date November 18, 2011
Director Bill Condon
Runtime 117 Minutes
6 'Pitch Perfect 3' (2017)
Directed by Trish Sie
Image via Universal
Pitch Perfect 3 follows the Barden Bellas as they reunite for a USO tour to entertain troops overseas. This time, the stakes include a chance to open for DJ Khaled, competing against bands with actual instruments. The Bellas face personal challenges and Fat Amy’s unexpected reunion with her estranged father adds an awkward subplot. Despite familiar faces and upbeat songs, the film struggles to recapture the charm of its predecessors and the worst part is that Pitch Perfect 4 may happen in the future.
The movie suffers from a lack of a cohesive plot, relying on forced humor and nonsense subplots. The singing sequences feel disconnected and less engaging, with the group’s magic overshadowed by lazy storytelling. It’s a disappointing and boring finale to an otherwise fun saga about college life and music.
Release Date December 22, 2017
Runtime 93minutes
5 'The Divergent Series: Insurgent' (2015)
Directed by Robert Schwentke
Image from Lionsgate
The era of dystopian teen films may be over, and for sure, the Divergent series did not leave a mark here. After Divergent (2014), the sequel Insurgent follows Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) as fugitives navigating the ruins of Chicago, hunted by the manipulative Jeanine (Kate Winslet). Tris seeks to uncover secrets about her family’s sacrifice while grappling with guilt and loss. Along the way, she faces challenges, shifting alliances, and overblown action sequences that attempt to carry the story forward.
Despite the good premise, Insurgent is a mess of subplots and melodrama. The narrative feels unfocused, with flat character arcs and forced chemistry between Tris and Four. The visually striking effects can’t save the lackluster storytelling. It's a formulaic sequel that loses the (little) spark of its predecessor, leaving audiences bored and disengaged.
The Divergent Series: Insurgent
Release Date March 20, 2015
Runtime 119minutes
4 'Morbius' (2022)
Directed by Daniel Espinosa
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
One of Marvel's worst superhero movies is Morbius, where Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto), a scientist, battles a rare blood disorder (and a bad script). Desperate for a cure, he experiments with vampire bat DNA, which grants him superhuman abilities and a thirst for blood. As he grapples with his monstrous transformation, Morbius must navigate his dark urges while facing off against Milo (Matt Smith), a friend-turned-foe with similar powers.
Despite its intriguing premise, Morbius falls flat with a lifeless story and uninspired execution. Leto’s performance is bizarre, and the film relies heavily on clunky exposition. Poor CGI, chaotic action sequences, and hollow characters make Morbius a chore to watch. It’s a missed opportunity weighed down by dull storytelling and over-the-top absurdity.
Release Date April 1, 2022
Runtime 108 minutes
3 'Madame Web' (2024)
Directed by S. J. Clarkson
Image via Sony
Madame Web follows Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson), a paramedic who gains clairvoyant powers after a near-death experience and uses them to protect three young women destined for heroic futures from Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim). While the premise holds promise, the film's lack of urgency, awkward script, and poorly executed astral-plane sequences make it a slog to watch and one of the lamest movies ever.
Just like Morbius, Madame Web is a chaotic mess, a so-bad-it's-good movie. Clunky dialogue, confusing editing, and uninspired character arcs make it feel like a meme-worthy misfire rather than a cohesive film. The plot lacks urgency, and the action sequences fall flat. While it aimed for an empowering female origin story, the execution leaves it laughably unwatchable.
Cassandra Webb is a New York City paramedic who starts to show signs of clairvoyance. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she must protect three young women from a mysterious adversary who wants them dead.
Release Date February 14, 2024
Runtime 116 Minutes
2 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1' (2014)
Directed by Francis Lawrence
Image via Lionsgate.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 is a prime example of how splitting a final book into two films can drain a story of its impact (well, except for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). The movie is plagued by a painfully slow pace and long stretches where very little happens. The movie shifts from the intense Hunger Games arena to a political and psychological battlefield, showcasing propaganda, moral dilemmas, and Katniss's growing role as a leader.
Action sequences and thrilling moments are nearly absent, leaving viewers with a drawn-out narrative that feels like filler. Even the emotional weight of Katniss's struggle is undermined by repetitive scenes of her distress and despair. The decision to stretch the runtime results in a frustrating, half-baked film that lacks the energy and excitement fans had come to expect from the franchise. It feels more like a prologue than a standalone movie, but it made a nice homage to Philip Seymor Hoffman, who portrayed Plutarch.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1
Release Date November 19, 2014
Director Francis Lawrence
Runtime 123 minutes
1 'Fifty Shades Darker' (2017)
Directed by James Foley
Image via Universal Pictures
Fifty Shades Darker is a frustratingly bad erotic thriller. The central romance between Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) remains lifeless, with zero chemistry between the leads. Christian’s controlling and emotionally abusive behavior makes their relationship feel toxic rather than romantic, leaving viewers disconnected from the story. Instead of building meaningful tension, the film relies on shallow subplots like a stalking ex and a random antagonist, neither of which add any excitement.
The pacing is sluggish, bogged down by repetitive scenes and cringe-worthy dialogue. Attempts to inject drama feel forced, while the supposed steamy moments lack passion or creativity. Ultimately, Fifty Shades Darker is a bland, hollow film that drags from start to finish, and one of the worst book-to-movie adaptations.
Fifty Shades Darker
Release Date February 10, 2017
Runtime 118 Minutes
English (US) ·