Top 10 Disappointing Movies of 2019

Script written by Michael Wynands

Top 10 Disappointing Movies of 2019

With great expectations … comes serious disappointment. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Disappointing Movies of 2019. For this list, we’re looking at movies released in 2019 that fell woefully short of their own potential. To be clear, these movies aren’t necessarily the worst of the year. Rather, they’re the ones that were highly anticipated, but which failed to meet expectations.

#10: “The Lion King” (2019)

2019’s “The Lion King” is by no means a bad film; it’s just a mediocre one. And considering the fact that the 1994 original is one of the most moving, timeless and widely cherished films Disney has ever released, expectations were understandably high. Now, there’s no denying that the visual effects are groundbreaking; Jon Favreau and his team did the seemingly impossible by raising the incredibly high bar they’d set with 2016’s “The Jungle Book”. Unfortunately, as this film proves, photorealistic CGI is no substitute for a beating heart. The voice cast gives it their all, but at the end of the day, it feels hollow. Sadly, it’s a problem shared by 2019’s “Aladdin”, which also failed to measure up to the original.

#9: “The Goldfinch” (2019)

A two and a half hour epic directed by the man behind Brooklyn and starring the likes of Ansel Elgort, Finn Wolfhard and SarahPaulson. Oh how we wish this one were better. Add in the fact that it’s based on the Puilitzer Prize winning novel of the same name, and we’re still scratching our heads wondering what went wrong. “The Goldfinch tells the story of a young boy who loses his mother in a devastating terrorist attack, only to grow a strange attachment to one of the paintings in the museum where the tragedy takes place. Reviews were quick to criticize the film, calling it dulland accusing it of mishandling the much better subject matter. Won’t someone think of poor Ansel!

#8: “The Kitchen” (2019)

This is a perfect example of how a movie’s trailers can be far more successful than the film itself. Based on the compelling marketing and a great premise, filmmaker Andrea Berloff seemed poised to deliver the next great female-led crime drama in the vein of “Widows”. And with talents like Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish and Elisabeth Moss getting top billing, we had every reason to believe that it would live up to its potential. The talented leads give it their all, but the recipe of cheesy dialogue, muddled storytelling and unrealistic character development is all wrong. There’s a great film somewhere in here, but as is… “The Kitchen” feels half-baked. Its talent - not to mention its comic book source material - deserved better.

#7: “Rambo: Last Blood” (2019)

As “Creed” and “Creed II” proved beyond the shadow of a doubt, there’s still room for Sylvester Stallone’s most iconic characters on the big screen - it’s just a matter of finding the right fit. Whereas Rocky Balboa has aged and matured, Rambo seems just as lost as when we first met him. Except now, rather than a sympathetic vet suffering from the toll of war, Rambo is just . . . an aging killing machine. This could’ve been a return to Rambo’s roots and a thoughtful reflection on his bloody legacy, but the film instead revels in gratuitous carnage, trying to maintain an impossible balance of making Rambo sympathetic while he murders people with the excesses of a slasher villain.

#6: "Where'd You Go, Bernadette” (2019)

If you went into this film knowing nothing about it, you might have an enjoyable time. Cate Blanchette can do no wrong, and there are a number of fun moments throughout. BUT… considering the source material and the director’s filmography, people went into this with very high hopes. The film is based on a novel by the same name, in which the story is told almost exclusively through emails, memos, and other such documents. This gives the story a sense of mystery - one that’s totally lost due to the film adaptation taking a more straightforward approach to the narrative. And considering the incredible work that director Richard Linklater has done with films like “Boyhood” and his “Before” trilogy, fans expected something far less conventional.

#5: “Glass” (2019)

Does anyone feel duped? With the release of “Split”, it seemed as if filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan was officially back. It’s a great, compelling film boasting incredible performances and a tightly focused narrative, reminiscent of his earlier and best work. And so when it was announced that “Glass” would be a follow-up to both “Split” AND his film “Unbreakable”, many fans felt that Shyamalan was on-track to complete a truly phenomenal trilogy of films. What we got, however, felt far more reminiscent of Shyamalan’s misfires. “Glass” is a film made up of big ideas that don’t fit together as neatly as the filmmaker might like, and when they do, it’s at the expense of the film’s pacing - especially the anticlimactic ending.

#4: “Gemini Man” (2019)

This is one of those scripts that’s been kicking around Hollywood for decades, seeing numerous directors and stars come and go along the way. With Ang Lee at the helm and the ever-reliable Will Smith playing not one, but two leading roles, however, “Gemini Man” finally seemed poised to make good on its long development. The digital de-aging is pretty incredible, and Smith delivers two solid performances, further bolstered by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Benedict Wong, who are both consistently charming and convincing. Unfortunately, the script feels like that of a sci-fi action film from 20 years ago, complete with major plot holes, cringeworthy dialogue and a complete failure to do anything interesting with the big themes it touches upon.

#3: “X-Men: Dark Phoenix” (2019)

It’s a franchise that spanned nearly two full decades and played a major role in defining the comic book movie landscape as we know it today. The X-Men weathered their fair share of ups and downs over the years, but when Fox announced its intention to revisit the Phoenix Saga, which it had previously fumbled in 2006 with “X-Men: The Last Stand”, it seemed as if the studio was committed to making up for past mistakes. Sadly, “Dark Phoenix” was deemed by many to be a low note for the franchise. The production was a notably troubled one, and not even extensive reshoots could save this fundamentally flawed film from itself. Bad dialogue, questionable character motivations and an uneven plot ensured that this film was DOA.

#2: “Men in Black: International” (2019)

The original Men In Black trilogy is far from perfect, but the first film is a classic and the third made for a surprisingly emotional time travel adventure. As for the second instalment, yeah… it’s not great, but it’s very watchable in the context of a MIB marathon. When it was announced that the organization was going international and that Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thomspon would be starring in the spin-off, it seemed like a sure thing. “Thor: Ragnarok” was proof of their chemistry! Unfortunately chemistry was literally the only thing that the film had going for it. “MIB: International” is a thoroughly uninspired sci-fi adventure that has little to offer in the way of fun and relies way too heavily on its stars.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions

“Shaft” (2019)

“Pet Semetary” (2019)

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” (2019)

“The Curse of La Llorona” (2019)

#1: “Hellboy” (2019)

Mike Mignola’s big red demonic hero might not have the same name recognition as some of his fellow comic book characters, but his fanbase is an extremely devoted one. People who like Hellboy… love Hellboy. And most of those fans wanted a third film from director Guillermo del Toro. This wasn’t a reboot that many people were asking for, but the R-rating, and the casting of David Harbour from “Stranger Things” was reason enough to give it a shot. The filmmakers claimed to be sticking close to the source material, which also seemed promising... until people actually saw footage. It had a lot of Hellboy elements, but lacked the style, imagination, and soul that makes the property so compelling. So close… yet SO far.