If there’s one complaint that comes with seeing so many films every year, it’s that you will inevitably end up seeing more turkeys than the average Joe. It’s certainly a spoilt qualm to have, and it’s an easy price to pay when we see some of the gems mentioned in our Top Ten Movies of 2014.
So, here we are at the other side of the spectrum. Contrary to what many may believe, critics aren’t sitting in cinemas with the intention of crucifying the work of a filmmaker. But not all films are great, and, after much deliberating, swearing, laughing and crying, we’ve decided on which ten films will be the ones to land in this particular list. Without further ado, here are The Reel Word’s TEN WORST MOVIES OF 2014.
10. Fading Gigolo
What we said:
Fading Gigolo is an arthouse comedy that desperately wants to be liked, but it is neither funny nor insightful enough to provide anything more than a tired chuckle. The issue lies with Turturro’s screenplay. An awkward mishmash of tones and points of view, the film tells an unlikely story in a series of clumsily staged sequences.
Click here for the full review–
9. My Old Lady
What we said:
The actors do their best with the material they’re given, with Kevin Kline and Maggie Smith giving some commendable performances. It’s just hard to engage with characters so blandly written and a story so implausibly crafted, along with jokes that are often hit-and-miss.
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8. A Million Ways to Die in the West
What we said:
One of the major problems with A Million Ways to Die in the West is that it is far too long. The film appears to finally be coming to an end, only to have the plot continuously develop. The movie is unbelievably repetitive. You should expect to hear the same jokes again and again. And again.
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7. Pompeii
What we said:
The screenplay, by Lee and Janet Scott Batchler (Batman Forever), developed along with Michael Robert Johnson (Sherlock Holmes), seems to be the source of the films failings. With a narrative and a group of characters so painfully underdeveloped, it is up to cringe-worthy clichés to progress the story.
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6. Deliver Us from Evil
What we said:
This isn’t a horrifyingly awful film, with the potential of becoming an oh-so-bad-it’s-good flick, it’s just mind-numbingly tiresome. Deliver Us from Evil won’t scare you or intrigue you, but it will have you thinking about all films that have done it better. So, in that sense, this film works as a way of appreciating great horror films. Thanks, Deliver Us from Evil.
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5. Sex Tape
What we said:
‘Forced’ seems to be the word that comes to mind when looking back at the overall film, with scenes trying so hard to be funny and edgy while managing to accomplish neither. Basically, this is a comedy for adults that seems to have been written by adolescents. You’re better off finding laughs in some poor celeb’s actual sex tape.
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4. Transcendence
What we said:
A screenwriter with his first produced screenplay and a cinematographer with his first film as director; the result doesn’t bode well for either party. Scenes are poorly staged and blandly executed, while the screenplay scatters about somewhat interesting ideas amongst a nonsensical plot.
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3. Transformers: Age of Extinction
What we said:
To sum up, the story is a mess, the robots are a bore and the action is devoid of clarity or suspense. The thing is, while it may not make for the best film, I’m actually ok with all that– But I draw the line when a movie sells itself to the public as a piece of entertainment, only to spend its needlessly draining 2+ hour runtime blatantly shoving consumer goods and brand names down the audience’s throats.
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2. I, Frankenstein
What we said:
It’s just so hard to find anything to care about in I, Frankenstein when it feels like no one involved in making it did either. There’s just no excuse in not putting in at least a little effort to make a movie that a paying audience deserves, it’s kind of their job as film-makers.
Click here for the full review–
1. Grace of Monaco
What we said:
There’s not a shred of subtlety to be found here, as Dahan rams his ham-fisted account with an irritating air of self-importance. Those ham-fisted punches could have carried some weight had they been gutsy enough to bring some depth, as opposed to lightly covering the many issues that took place in Kelly’s life.
