Top 10 Failed Movie Franchises

Top 10 Failed Movie Franchises

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Come on, you seriously thought that was going to get a sequel? Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 failed movie franchises. For this list, we're taking a look at big-budget movies that were supposed to inspire multiple installments, but couldn't even get past one entry due to poor box office returns, critical reviews, and viewer response.

#10: “Battle: Los Angeles” (2011)

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Of all the commercial products solely designed to manipulate the male gender, “Battle: Los Angeles” is one of the most blatant. The film is overstuffed with everything macho, including the American military, lethal aliens, explosions, video game action sequences, and Michelle Rodriguez as a tough soldier. Maybe this would be cool if there was something of substance backing it all up, but “Battle: Los Angeles” has about as much nutritional value as a certain Michael Bay franchise. Unlike “Transformers,” though, this film lost the battle and the war with audiences.

#9: “Super Mario Bros.” (1993)

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If you're a diehard Nintendo fan, there's plenty to be furious about when watching “Super Mario Bros.” The fact that neither Mario nor Luigi have Italian accents, the fact that their last name is “Mario,” the fact the movie barely resembled the video games they were based on, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. What's insulting above all else is that the filmmakers left matters on a cliffhanger, assuming that people would actually want to see a sequel to this mess. A more appropriate ending would have been a “Game Over” screen.

#8: “The A-Team” (2010)

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An “A-Team” movie had been in development since the mid '90s. By the time the film finally came out in 2010, it was too little too late. While not a colossal flop, modern moviegoers were borderline uninterested in seeing a screen adaptation of an '80s series starring Oskar Schindler, Phil from “The Hangover,” that one guy from “District 9,” and Not Mr. T. It's fitting that the A-Team never has a Plan B since director Joe Carnahan announced that a sequel won't be happening.

After winning multiple Razzies for the “Star Wars” prequels, Hayden Christensen was given one more chance to prove to mainstream audiences that he could carry a film with “Jumper.” As high as Christensen jumped, he fell hard with this instantly forgettable turkey. Like Christensen's performance, everything about the movie is bombastically bland, from the effects, to the premise, to the action sequences. Even the name “Jumper” sounds like a half-assed working title. No wonder a sequel failed to get off the ground.

#6: “I Am Number Four” (2011)

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One of several teen romance films that desperately wanted to be the next “Twilight,” “I Am Number Four” tells another story of an attractive outsider who falls for an ordinary girl in a quiet town. The only difference is that the protagonist is a sexy, brooding alien with no personality instead of a sexy, brooding vampire with no personality. Granted, “I Am Number Four” is a little less chick-oriented with the occasional action set piece to keep the guys amused. In the end, however, the film didn't attract either gender.

To be fair, “A Series of Unfortunate Events” was a fun adaptation. It captured the darkly whimsical spirit of Lemony Snicket's books and Jim Carrey was born to play Count Olaf. With thirteen novels in the series, though, there was simply too much material to squeeze into one or even several films. As a result, “A Series of Unfortunate Events” felt a bit rushed, while failing to attract an enduring audience. Hopefully the TV series being developed by Netflix will have better luck.

#4: “The Golden Compass” (2007)

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From a technical standpoint, “The Golden Compass” had all the right tools to bring Philip Pullman's celebrated novel to life. The film even won an Oscar for its jaw-dropping special effects. But, as beautiful as the film looked, the story's complex themes regarding religion and freewill were lost in the midst of all the visual eye candy. Fans of the books were disappointed, those who never read the book were just confused, and director Chris Weitz has practically disowned the film, which he claimed was ruined due to the studio's involvement.

#3: “John Carter” (2012)

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Disney's lucky that they've produced some of the biggest franchises of all time because the company has also gambled away countless millions on some of the biggest bombs - like “John Carter.” This space adventure tried nothing new, borrowing elements from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Avatar,” “Thor,” and every other popular blockbuster in recent memory. It's kind of ironic that a film based on a revolutionary sci-fi novel and directed by the brilliant Andrew Stanton would amount to such a mundane and uninspired waste of time, not to mention money.

#2: “Green Lantern” (2011)

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In an age of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Green Lantern” came off like a multi-million dollar afterschool special. Although the cast was blameless for the most part, the effects were CGI overkill, the villains were literally cartoon characters, and the plot never took off. Fortunately, it at least looks like DC is trying to get their act together with their new lineup of upcoming movies. Fanboys are going to have to wait several more years, however, to see if they'll finally do Green Lantern justice. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable, or in this case dishonorable, mentions: - “Eragon” (2006) - “The Lone Ranger” (2013) - “Sahara” (2005) - “Jonah Hex” (2010)

#1: “The Last Airbender” (2010)

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Seeing how “Avatar: The Last Airbender” was pretty much perfect to begin with, M. Night Shyamalan had no reason to make a live-action cliff notes film adaptation. Given how phenomenal the animated series remains, though, shouldn't some of that greatness have worked its way into “The Last Airbender”? Nope! Instead, Shyamalan messed with core elements, while stripping the story of any humor, heart, or magic and said, “Isn't my version so much better, you guys?” Fans around the world responded with a resounding, “no,” bringing this new Avatar Cycle to an end before it even started. Do you agree with our list? What other movies deservedly failed to spawn a franchise? For more entertaining Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.