Top 10 Worst Fan Service Moments in Movies

Cool it Hollywood, nobody likes a try-hard! Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the Top 10 Worst Fan Service Moments in Franchise Movies.



For this list, we’re looking at the worst attempts at fan service or Easter eggs in film. As needlessly sexualized characters will be ignored, Slave Leia and gratuitous shots of Megan Fox in "Transformers" are out of the running.

“Terminator Genisys” (2015)



A bit of fan service is perfectly fine and can be a ton of fun, but a film should not be shoving callbacks into every other scene! Rather than feeling like a logical continuation to the legendary franchise,"Terminator Genisys" comes across as more of a greatest hits package, just with the tracks being replaced by inferior remixes. Old Man Arnold taking on the T-800 was entertaining enough to watch, but there was no need for a non-Robert Patrick version of the T-1000 to show up for a battle with Kyle Reese.

“Transformers” (2007)



Michael Bay has perfected the art of gratuitous fan service, but this entry has nothing to do with motorcycles or low-cut shorts. Arguably the best of the franchise, the first "Transformers" pays tribute to the cartoon's Soundwave by introducing a new miniature Decepticon called Frenzy, who breaks into Air Force One and transforms into a stereo. Ignoring the improbability of having a random boombox lying around in 2007, a significantly different Soundwave shows up in the later movies, so what was even the point of this reference? Was this inclusion simply done to prove that the creators actually watched the cartoons?

“X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009)

Spending years in development, David Benioff’s script for this first “Wolverine” trilogy spin-of would eventually incorporate contributions by Hugh Jackman himself, Skip Woods, and David Ayer. During this time, the character of Deadpool was written in. Deadpool had been Ryan Reynolds’ pet project for years, and once he was cast, the role grew - but not in a good way. While we understand taking liberties can sometimes lead to great success, this was NOT the character to try this with. Not only did the Merc with a MOUTH look little like his comic book counterpart, but also the infamous wisecracker’s jaw was SEWN SHUT. We won’t even get into his “superpowers” here. Luckily, the later standalone Deadpool films would do the character justice.

“Batman Forever” (1995)

After Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" pushed the Dark Knight into heavier territory, Joel Schumacher and Jim Carrey were brought in to lighten things up. While "Batman & Robin" feels like a straight-up goofball comedy, "Batman Forever" has a couple of head-slapping moments that foreshadow the Caped Crusader's impending silliness. Despite maintaining the gothic aesthetic of Burton's films, Schumacher seemed inspired by the 1960s "Batman" series, including a line that only Burt Ward's Robin should’ve dared to utter. Out of place and way too on the nose, "Batman Forever"’s throwaway joke is a testament to the film's identity crisis.

“Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” (1999)

As the destination is already known, prequels exist to fill gaps in the mythos. The temptation to tie everything together can be overwhelming, but certain things are better left to the audience's imagination. Besides serving as the first chapter in Darth Vader's origin story, "The Phantom Menace" seemingly couldn’t resist the urge to expand upon C-3PO's backstory. In it, we learn that C-3PO was reconstructed by none other than a prepubescent Anakin Skywalker. In the grand scheme of things, this addition is the least of "The Phantom Menace's" worries, but the universe feels rather puny when the main characters seem to always run into each other.

“Planet of the Apes” (2001)



In a rare twist, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" demonstrated the proper way to pay tribute to this particular line. Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes'" callback, by contrast, comes across as forced instead of endearing. Switching things around by having Michael Clarke Duncan's ape deliver an updated version of Charlton Heston's iconic quote, the film should have just gone ahead and winked at the audience. Trying to recapture the magic of the original's cliffhanger, "Planet of the Apes" ends on a truly bizarre final note that is memorable for all the wrong reasons.

“Solo: A Star Wars Story” (2018)

Here’s a lesson on how to completely kill a character's mystique. "Star Wars" hardly lacks for beloved personas, but few compare to Harrison Ford's Han Solo. With Disney turning "Star Wars" into an annual event, everyone's favorite smuggler earned a spin-off movie that answered questions never even pondered by fans. Among the dozens of Easter eggs, "Solo" cleared up any confusion surrounding the hero's name, but the explanation was totally unnecessary and did little to further Han's mythos. Apparently, "Solo" is a reference to Han being an orphan. Honestly… we liked it better when it was just a name.

“Star Trek: Into Darkness” (2013)

There is nothing wrong with learning a thing or two from a masterpiece, but some new ideas need to be brought to the plate to warrant revisiting a classic story. Wearing its inspiration on its sleeve, "Star Trek: Into Darkness" wants so desperately to be the modern-day equivalent of "Wrath of Khan," that J.J. Abrams' film ends up simply aping the original. Besides reintroducing characters like Benedict Cumberbatch's Khan and Alice Eve's Carol Marcus, "Into Darkness'" predictability hit new lows by going as far as to copy "Wrath of Khan's" iconic ending, just with Kirk and Spock switching roles.

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008)

Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones" series is an insanely high standard to expect any film to reach. With that in mind, it may have been more prudent to avoid including any obvious reminders. Easter eggs are generally harmless, but a poorly timed one can drag the audience out of the experience, especially when the reference adds nothing to the story. During the Hangar 51 chase scene, Indy smacks into the Ark's crate but moves on without giving it a second notice. This could easily have been a random box, but crate "9906753" was chosen to get a cheap rise out of fans. Sadly "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" had not earned this cameo.

“Ghostbusters” (2016)

We love 1984's "Ghostbusters" as much as the next person, but there is no reason to bring everyone back for a cameo! Paul Feig's "Ghostbusters" reboot stops dead in its tracks whenever a Bill Murray or a Dan Aykroyd show up. With the exception of the subtle tribute to Harold Ramis, none of the cameos manage to actually be funny or respectful, with some being downright mean-spirited. Considering the plot rarely treads new ground, these endless callbacks only intensified the sentiment that 2016's "Ghostbusters" was kind-of redundant.