Directors Who Have Ruined Potentially Good Movies

[TMC1982]

Can you think of any directors who had a great script idea in their hands but ultimately delivered a very disappointing end result?

Arguments that I've heard (while scaveging the Sitcoms Online message boards) so far:
*"Natural Born Killers" - Oliver Stone

*"Halloween" - Rob Zombie

*"Superman Returns" - Bryan Singer

*"Star Trek: Nemesis" - Stuart Baird

*"Heaven's Gate" - Michael Cimino

*"X-Men: The Last Stand" - Brett Ratner

*"A.I." - Steven Speilberg

 

[Carmine Falcone]

*"X-Men: The Last Stand" - Brett Ratner

Dude, next to the complete lack of imagination in the directing, the writing was the very worst thing about this flick.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Dude, next to the complete lack of imagination in the directing, the writing was the very worst thing about this flick.

Yep.

"It's not what I want. It's what you want."

Christ, I could see that a mile away.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Fantastic Four (though I haven't seen the films, I can just tell they're as bad as everybody says they are, though I've never been a fan of FF)

 

[Evil Twin]

Yeah, it's really not fair to cite X3. Especially since Ratner came in at the last minute and basically was just asked to play traffic cop on set. Now, Red Dragon otoh....

There's really no excuse for the American Godzilla to be as awful as it is. That's totally on Emmerich.

Kenneth Branagh's version of Frankenstein should be at the top of this list.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

Can you think of any directors who had a great script idea in their hands but ultimately delivered a very disappointing end result?

Arguments that I've heard (while scaveging the Sitcoms Online message boards) so far:
*"Natural Born Killers" - Oliver Stone

*"Halloween" - Rob Zombie

*"Superman Returns" - Bryan Singer

*"Star Trek: Nemesis" - Stuart Baird

*"Heaven's Gate" - Michael Cimino

*"X-Men: The Last Stand" - Brett Ratner

*"A.I." - Steven Speilberg

I wouldn't blame Ratner for that mess. That movie was doomed before he came along. Descions where made before Matt V. left. He picked up the pieces and did a grand job at it in my opinion.

Agree with Singer on Superman, they shouldn't have taken him on.

Anything that Roland Emmerich or Paul W.S. Anderson touch, turns to ****.

 

[Gold Samurai]

Die Another Day- Matrix like moves, ice palace, CGI freakin bond the list goes on

 

[StrainedEyes]

Die Another Day- Matrix like moves, ice palace, CGI freakin bond the list goes on

Was Die Another Day ever a "potentially good movie"?

 

[cerealkiller182]

Halloween remake wasnt that bad. It wasnt groundbreaking or even necessary (NO MORE REMAKES OF GOOD MOVIES!!!), but i think Zombie actually has a pretty good eye for directing but his writing is what really needs work.

Uwe Boll and Paul WS Anderson come to mind. They ruin scifi/horror properties like no bodies business.

Michael Steven Johnson for Ghost Rider. DD Directors Cut was pretty good and warranted a second chance but he blew it with Ghost Rider. And its not the producers fault because they actually gave him more money to add scenes (as opposed to cut)

 

[Apollo]

I liked A.I, as for the rest, yea.

 

[xwolverine2]

most of tim burtons movies were ruined by his own overstylization...

 

[The Jester]

What would have Hulk (2003) been like without Ang Lee?

 

[Matt]

Paul Anderson - Resident Evil

 

[The Chris]

I wouldn't blame Ratner for that mess. That movie was doomed before he came along. Descions where made before Matt V. left. He picked up the pieces and did a grand job at it in my opinion.

Agree with Singer on Superman, they shouldn't have taken him on.

Anything that Roland Emmerich or Paul W.S. Anderson touch, turns to ****.

I put Ratner to blame for it too. If you have the dvd, Listen to the commentary during the deleted scenes. Some of those scenes would have made X3 passable. But his commentary on certain scenes puts my bullseye partially on him.

 

[Asteroid-Man]

X3, SR, SM, SM2, SM3 (I don't care what you guys say about the director's not writing it, but the director's can change things and can also tell the writers to change some things, like Brian Singer did with X-Men and X2), Rush Hour 3, I Am Legend, FF, FF2, Harry Potter 4 & 5, SW I-II

 

[SatEL]

Oliver Stone/Colin Farrel- Alexander.

 

[scifiwolf]

I agree with Star Trek: Nemesis. While the script is also to blame, a better director would have been able to elevate the film. I kind of agree with Superman Returns. I don't think Singer ruined the movie, but I think he should have been overridden on some of the choices he made.

One thing I'm going to throw out there is Batman Forever. The movie wasn't that bad, but everything that keeps it from being better is all Joel Schumacher. I realize, too, that WB shares some of the blame.

 

[Carmine Falcone]

most of tim burtons movies were ruined by his own overstylization...

'Overstylization', is there such a thing?

 

[Project862006]

i agree about x3 the majority of the deleted scenes would of made the movie much better

specifically extended fight at jeans house and extended final battle where jean blows up alot more **** still cant believe they cut the scene where wolverine talks to iceman/kitty/colossus it showed the young x men's maturity and unity

 

[Sawyer]

Tim Story
Tim Story
Tim Story

 

[The Chris]

i agree about x3 the majority of the deleted scenes would of made the movie much better

specifically extended fight at jeans house and extended final battle where jean blows up alot more **** still cant believe they cut the scene where wolverine talks to iceman/kitty/colossus it showed the young x men's maturity and unity

Also Wolverine was more in character, and it was just better written.

 

[8wid]

War of the Worlds - Steven Spielberg

 

[cerealkiller182]

Mission: Impossible 2- John Woo

Woos good but his trademark style just didnt fit right. Plus he really overused those life masks

 

[WeaponXProject]

Paul Anderson - Resident Evil

That's the best example I can think of. Of course Ratner, too.


I know someone has put this but I guess I will do it too...George Lucas for Ep. 1, 2 and 3. I like ep. 2 and 3 but I know someone else could have done them better.

Anakin's super quick turn to the darkside and all the characters dialogue are so terrible. I make myself love those movies.

 

[Asteroid-Man]

Oliver Stone/Colin Farrel- Alexander.

The whole script sucked. It jumps months/years at a time. It's so annoying and there was no excitement in the battles. I turned it off about 40mins into the film.