So how many times have you watched a movie and thought, "wow, this could be so amazing if they only did X or Y"? Here is a list of movies I thought had so much incredible potential but they just did not deliver:
- War of the Dead (2011): At one point in time, this was the most expensive movie ever made in Lithuania, and folks, it is, a zombie flick! Set in World War II and wrought with whimsical historical inaccuracies, this movie has so much potential to be a decent zombie flick but something just did not add up. I do not think it is the bad acting, poor SFX or set design; many a decent zombie movie have prevailed despite these shortfalls. There is something just really off with this movie. I am going to chalk it up to poor dialogue and the lack of a coherent storyline -- maybe even lack of proper character development. If you like zombie movies and you have seen all the ones I recommended but want more, I would not completely discount this one. Although, that being said, this is one of those movies you rip apart while you are watching it but find yourself slip in and out of it's world every now and then.
- Ferocious Planet (2011): If you are a fan of monster flicks, you might not actually hate this movie. So much about it is dead on; the monsters are great, the dimensional shift idea is amazing, even the monsters look awesome. Lots of great ideas peppered with lots of fun monster-chase scenes (e.g. stealing the monster's egg scene, yikes!). Not sure why but something held this movie back, way back. It could be the poor acting or stereotypical exchange of dialogue between stereotypical characters. Whatever it was, this movie definitely had the potential to be an incredible monster flick.
- Perfect Sense (2011): Not sure why all the movies I have listed so far are from the same year? Anyway, again, this movie has a pretty neat idea/ storyline: Humans become infected with this disease that attacks our senses rendering us to lose one sense at a time. I enjoyed the filmmaker's take on how human beings might adapt and find ways to cope with these losses. For instance, when people in the movie begin to lose their senses of smell and taste, the chefs start preparing meals that appeal more to the tactile abilities. Still, something was just stupid about how this movie was made. It felt like they were trying really hard to force the romantic storyline to the forefront of this very powerful apocalyptic drama, to the point where the entire strength of the movie was compromised. It was like letting the air out of a balloon; they built something strong and then just allowed it to fizzle out.
- Primer (2004): This movie is a massive pain in the ass. It is so slow paced and painful to watch but what a great storyline underneath. Spoiler Alert! This movie is about some friends who get together and accidentally build a time machine. The nice thing about this movie is that they really, really, REALLY construct a realistic scenario for time-travel. Actually, that is the greatest strength of this movie. Any movie about time-travel you come across will always bypass that aspect of realism and take you straight to the realm of sci-fi/ fantasy. This movie does not wuss out like that. Still, there is something to be said about a movie being "too real" that it bores you to death. The first 45mins or so of this movie is so boring and slow. The payoff only comes to those who wait till the end but to be sure, the road to the end is a struggle.
- The Prometheus Project (2010): I guess this is kind of a zombie flick? Scientists develop a serum that reanimates the dead and infuses them with superhuman powers.. but then they go crazy and start killing folks. Definitely a B-rated movie in terms of production values, and the acting was not that great either. Although, I like that they tried to provide a back story on how the zombie was created. Even though it is a pretty cheesey movie, the chase scenes are pretty good so you still get the desired effect.
- The Perfect Host (2010): It is very frustrating to see a movie with so much potential bomb so hard. David Hyde Pierce is the lead actor, he plays a deranged serial killer who throws these elaborate parties for imaginary guests. Oh, there is a bit of a reveal near the end which is a nice cherry on the top but still, something is holding this movie back. I think it is either the choice of actors, the dialogue, or the acting. I am not sure David Hyde Pierce was right for the part, I found that he really over-acted many of the scenes, it felt awkward and silly.
I know there is a lot more to add to this post
but I am completely drawing a blank right now. Maybe I am tired of feeling so disappointed? ha ha Also, how is it possible I have not done a Sci-Fi post yet? ETA
soon.
