Thanksgiving is upon us and you know what that means: it's turkey time. And by that, we don't mean delicious dinner with your family: we mean a look back at the biggest cinematic stinkers of the year. These are the films you hated...and the films you just plain skipped.
By Jacob Hall
The ridiculously expensive ($215 million!) The Lone Rangerwas supposed to capture that Pirates of the Caribbean magic, but audiences stayed away in droves while critics decried its morbid tone and screenplay that seemed ashamed of its lead character's legendary iconography. The only people who didn't realize this was a doomed project were the people making it.
Did you know that a thriller starring Harrison Ford came out this year? You know, the one with Gary Oldman and the lesser Hemsworth? Don't worry -- you're not alone. This derivative flick was savaged by critics and rejected by audiences, leading to a total gross of only $7 million. The silver lining for everyone involved is that no one (except for Wal-mart DVD bargain bin regulars) will remember that it ever existed.
It looked like a dream team, the kind of collaboration that would snag all of the Oscars and attract a small but tasteful audience. Ridley Scott. Cormac McCarthy. Michael Fassbender. Brad Pitt. You know, only some of the most popular, talented and respected people in the entertainment business. But this slam-dunk transformed into an air ball overnight. Too weird to win over audiences and too scattered to win over most critics, The Counselor grossed only $16 million before vanishing into thin air.
Runner-Up: Gangster Squad
On the surface, its $112 million gross doesn't look that bad...until you realize that the first film made $277 million and the second $254 million. Blame audience fatigue. Blame lingering resentment from the utterly rotten first sequel. Blame the reviews, which were harsh. Blame the film itself, which insulted its audience by embracing scope over comedy. There's no getting around it: even with that gross, the Hangover trilogy fizzled out with a whimper.
At some point, someone decided it was a good idea to make an epic, Lord of the Rings- style take on the story of Jack and the beanstalk. Someone then decided to funnel $195 million into its production. With its $65 million gross and critical trashing, it's not hard to see why director Bryan Singer retreated back to the safety of the X-Men franchise.
Runner-Up: Runner Runner
Are audiences finally getting tired of geriatric stars? 2013 saw the sudden stalling of Sylvester Stallone's career, with Bullet to the Head grossing a lousy $9 million. His professional rival Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't fare much better, with The Last Stand making only $12 million. Heck, even their combined might couldn't bring them in: Escape Plan stalled out at $24 million. For two guys who used to be two of the biggest movie stars on the planet, it's been a rough year.
Runner-Up: Machete Kills
Not all turkeys perform poorly at the box office. Despite an abysmal 7% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Grown Ups 2 did very well with audiences, making a very strong $133 million. It may have fallen short of the original film's final gross, but you really can't argue with those numbers. It may be one of the worst-reviewed films of the year, but hey, it found an audience. Adam Sandler will work again.
Once upon a time, the fast-talking, snarky antics of Vince Vaughn were a genuine box office draw, but sometime between Wedding Crashers and 2013, his appeal dried up. The numbers speak for themselves. The Internship made a very poor $44 million and Delivery Man opened to a cringe-worthy $7 million this past weekend. Is Vaughn's career beyond saving? As an actor, no. As a leading man whose name and face should lead to significant box office openings, the answer may be yes.
When it comes to picking the second biggest turkey of 2013, we couldn't pick between the gloriously unfunny sketch comedy flick Movie 43 and the disastrous Men in Black rip-off R.I.P.D. So we're just giving it to both of them. R.I.P.D. was the bigger financial failure with a $33 million gross against a $130 million budget, but it's tough to beat the wrongheaded (and inexplicably star-studded) Movie 43.
With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 3% and a box office haul of $10 million, this Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez Fast and Furious knock-off is the worst of both worlds. A critical and financial disaster, it was rightfully rejected by everyone with access to a movie theater, making it truly the turkey of 2013.
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Limited time offer, and limited quantities available. To redeem the offer, purchase one or more movie tickets on Wednesday 11/19, to see any film through Fandango.com or the Fandango iOS mobile app and use Apple Pay® as the payment method, and must enter the Fandango Promotional Code APPLEPAYWED (“Code”) in order to get the $5 off the entire purchase. There is a limited quantity of Code redemptions allowed in this promotion and therefore the offer is only available first come first served while supplies last. Code expires, and can no longer be used, upon earlier of Wednesday 11/19, or after the limit of Code redemptions have been reached. Only valid for purchase of movie tickets made at Fandango.com or via the Fandango iOS app and cannot be redeemed directly at any theater box office. If lost or stolen, cannot be replaced. No cash value, except as required by law. Void where prohibited. Not valid with any other offer. Offer valid in U.S. One-time use only per email address, for a maximum of one transaction, receiving a maximum of one $5 discount on the purchase total regardless of how many tickets were purchased in that one transaction. Not for resale; void if sold or exchanged. Limit 1 Code per email address. Fandango reserves the right to modify or cancel this offer at any time and without notice. The redemption of the Code is subject to Fandango’s Terms and Policies at www.fandango.com/terms-and-policies. Apple Pay is a service provided by Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services is a bank. Any card used in Apple Pay is offered by the card issuer. Apple Pay is a registered mark of Apple Inc.
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NO PURCHASE OR APP NECESSARY. Purchase does not increase chances of winning. Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., 18 years of age and older, provided, however, that Grand Prize winner must be 21+, or 18+ and accompanied by a guest that is 21+. Void where prohibited. Ends December 21, 2025, visit https://www.fandangomovietickets.com/tokyosweepstakes. Sponsor: Fandango Media, LLC, 10 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608.
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