The 2010s saw rapid and sweeping changes in the landscape of cinema. Westerns were back in style with films likeTrue GritandDjango Unchained, young adult fiction was being mined for all its worth with franchises such asTwilightandThe Hunger Games, and superhero movies were about to become one of the dominant forces. Hollywood shifted throughout the decade, focusingon franchise tentpoles and sequelswhile eliminating mid-budget films and stratifying the movie landscape between 200-million dollar blockbusters and smaller indies.
All of this change brought along some of thehighest-grossing and most popular moviesof all time, as well as some instant classics with quality that will likely hold up forever. Of course, every phase of experimentation comes with some negatives, andthe 2010s also saw its fair share of stinkers. At least they can live on in infamy; indeed, a much worse fate for art is to be unimpactful and ultimately forgotten.This list will highlight the most forgettable blockbusters released throughout the 2010s, ranking them by their quality (or lack thereof) and how big of a failure they were. These films have failed to even leave a dent in the entertainment landscape, to the point where many may have forgotten their existence altogether.
10’Narnia: The Voyage of The Dawn Treader' (2010)
Directed by Michael Apted
The Chronicles of NarniabyC.S. Lewisis one of fiction’s most fantastical and endearing classics, especially when it comes to enrapturing the minds of young readers. The first big-budget live-action adaptations of these stories, 2005’sThe Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, translated the magical world of Narnia and its fairy tail-like energy enthusiastically and accurately onto the big screen. The wonder of seeing Narnia in all its glory was somewhat lost the second time around in 2008’sPrince Caspianbut was all gone by the time of the third film.
The Voyage of The Dawn Treaderis one of the mostfondly remembered and inspired Narnia novels, quickly flipping through countless fantastical ideas, inspired setpieces, and interesting locales. Unfortunately, it is this variety that made the filmthe least successful and most often overlooked entryin the franchise. On the big screen,Dawn Traderis frantic and unfocused, failing to really nail a single of its many ideas and leave a solid impression on the audience. The third Narnia movie lacks the instant iconography of the first and second films, and while it’s better than the poorly receivedPrince Caspian, audiences outside novel fans wouldn’t be blamed forthinking the film series stopped at the second entry.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
9’The Bourne Legacy' (2012)
Directed by Tony Gilroy
The originalBournetrilogyfeaturingMatt Damonis an action classic. The films showcased grounded spycraft and helped usher in the era of shaky cam by utilizing a unique visual style as gritty and hard-hitting as the action it portrayed. The trilogy peaked with its finale, ending Jason Bourne’s story on its highest note and letting the character and franchise disappear into the sunset. It was a satisfying ending for everyone but Hollywood, who attempted to recapture the magic with 2011’sThe Bourne Legacy, starringJeremy Renneras the decidedly not Jason Bourne, Aaron Cross.
The Bourne Legacyis actually shockingly competent at delivering exactly what its title promises. Renner’s Aaron Cross delivers swift Bourne-esque action while being different enough from Damon’s character to set things in a new direction. The film highlights a different government black-ops outfit than the original trilogy’s Treadstone and allows for a familiar feeling cast of assassins and covert agents. It is perhapsin this familiarity and safety thatThe Bourne Legacybecomes forgettable, as in presenting itself as Bourne without Bourne, it also effectively bills itself as a watered-down diet version of the franchise.
The Bourne Legacy
8’Super 8' (2011)
Directed by JJ Abrams
Long beforeStranger ThingsturnedSteven Spielberg-style nostalgia into a massive franchise,JJ Abramsattempted a homage to the famous director with one of 2010’s most hyped films.Super 8tells the story of a collection of small-town child filmmakers who become embroiled in an alien conspiracy theory. The film’s aesthetic lighting and plot structure are an intentional throwback to Spielberg classics likeE.T.andClose Encounters of the Third Kind,but Abrams brings his signature sense of mystery and intrigue.
Lauded at the time for its throwback nature,Super 8has since become overshadowed byStranger Things, which madeSpielberg-esque ’80s nostalgiaa massive cultural force and the original Spielberg films themselves, which have never faded and continue to outclassSuper 8. While Abrams' unique flair allowsSuper 8to be somewhat different from the films it homages,it is ultimatelystill heavily indebted to what came before, making it difficult to create a lasting legacy in the fifteen years since its release.
7’The Divergent Series: Insurgent' (2015)
Directed by Robert Schwentke
Among the young adult adaptation craze of the early 2010s, the creatively dubbedDivergent Seriesis the forgotten siblinglost in the shuffle of the massively successfulHunger Gamesand the moderately successfulMaze Runner. Planned as a four-picture franchise, theDivergentfilms ended withAllegiant: Part 1, as interest in the franchise proved so low not only to audiences but cast members that the planned part 2 was scrapped.The most forgotten of these forgotten filmsisThe Divergent Series: Insurgent, an adaptation of the second film in the series starring franchise regulars such asShailene Woodley,Miles Teller,Theo James, andZoë Kravitz, plus a shocking number of other big names.
As the middle of an unfinished story,Insurgenthas little reason to be remembered or watched. Taking place in an uninspired dystopia where society is divided by seemingly hard-to-define and arbitrary character traits, the world ofDivergentfailed to capture the minds of audiences whowere already growing weary of theheavy-handed commentary present in YA films. WhileDivergentshowcased some energy and was undeniably well-cast with talented actors,Insurgentplods along, builds towards nothing, and wastes its talented cast on trite material.
The Divergent Series: Insurgent
6’Jack Reacher' (2012)
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Thoughthe recent hit television seriesReacherand its accompanyingAlan Ritchsonperformance madeLee Child’s Special Investigator a household name, there was a time whenJack Reacherwas best knownas a satisfying yet run-of-the-mill Tom Cruise outing. Part of a string of early 2010s hits for the famous movie star,Jack ReachersawTom Cruiseteam up with directorChristopher McQuarrieand showcased the pair’s immediate chemistry and aligned sensibilities that would go on to make films likeMission: Impossible - Rogue NationandFalloutmassively enjoyable and memorable experiences.
Unfortunately, whileJack Reacheris a competent and even compelling crime film, itlacks the sense of awe and memorabilitythat would define theM: Ifilms. Part of this lack of novelty is a byproduct of Cruise’s status as the film’s lead.TheJack Reachernovelsseparate themselves from similar crime fiction largely due to their protagonist. As exemplified in the current TV series, Reacher is a force of nature defined by inflexible morals, ironclad will, and sheer brute force. Tom Cruise’s Reacher is…Tom Cruise. The actor’s mix of charm, efficiency, and sheer charisma make the film an enjoyable watch but also change Jack Reacher from a singularly memorable force to oneindistinguishable fromany number of Cruise’s other action roles.
Jack Reacher
5’Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' (2019)
Directed by Joachim Rønning
The firstMaleficentwas a surprise hit that remains one of the strongest and most memorableDisney’s live-action retellingsto date.Angelina Joliebrought a surprisingly compelling performance to the iconic Disney villain, and the film took similarly shocking risks in re-imagining and altering the story on which it was based. It is regrettable, then, that instead of the takeaway for Maleficent being that people responded to novelty and quality in live-action remakes, Disney instead decided people simply wanted more Maleficent.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evilstrips away nearly every aspect that made the first film compelling or interesting and replaces it witha bare-bones plot and performances that lag far behindthe previous entry. While the 2014 film attempted to humanize Maleficent and explain how a misunderstood character could fall to the dark side,Mistress of Evilshowcases Maleficent as pretty unambiguously in the right despite surface-level remarks and scowls from Jolie. Without her villainous perspective, Maleficent becomes a pretty generic protagonist, and in a market over-saturated with high-spectacle, CGI fantasy films, removing the evil fromMistress of Evilmade foran extremely unremarkable release.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
4’Ben Hur' (2016)
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov
Ben-Huris one of the most famous, influential, and often homaged films in the history of cinema.The 1959 classic has stayed popular, acclaimed, and evenmodernin many ways for nearly 70 years. Thus, it’s logical that the 2016 remake is one of the rare films to be instantly forgotten.While actually the5th adaptation of the titular story, this blockbuster was clearly marketed as a remake of the 1959 Best Picture winner, thus setting itself up for high expectations and inevitable failure.
The originalBen-Hurstarred some of the biggest stars of its day, notablyCharlton Heston, highlighted large-scale cinematography on a scope rarely seen before, and featured groundbreaking effects and stunt work. The 2010s revival washeadlined by mid-level starsand featured cinematography and effects thatwerecompelling but had not only been done several times before but had been improved upon in superior films such asGladiator. While its attempts to modernize the effects and visual style of the 1959 film are commendable (the VFX are particularly good), 2016’sBen Hurlacks the sense of spectacle and grandeurthat defined its predecessor.
3’Wrath of the Titans' (2012)
Directed by Jonathan Lieberman
LikeBen-Hur,the campy effects classicClash of The Titanswas given the forgettable remake treatment in 2010. Unlike the former film, however, Hollywood decided that not only did they want a sequel, but they would also like it to be even more forgettable. Thus, 2012 saw the release of theSam WorthingtonandRosamund Pike-ledWrath of the Titans, an original story focusing on Worthington’s Perseus saving the Greek gods from the titan Kronos.
WhileClash of the Titanswas based upon a classic myth,Wrath of the Titansgoes for a more modern pace and plot thattakes away the charm and goodwill its predecessor might have earned. Oscar nomineesLiam NeesonandRalph Fiennesreturn to their roles as Zeus and Hades, and while they attempt to instill the film with some gravitas,Wrath’s overly edgy art design and early 2010s omnipresent desaturated color grade prevent them from being taken seriously. Ad in murky special effects, which add even more dark colors and muddy textures,Wrath of the Titansbecomesan uncharismatic and uninspired adventure forgotten outside of DVD 2 packs.
Wrath of the Titans
2’Cowboys & Aliens' (2011)
Directed by Jon Favreau
Landing dead center in the Venn diagram of the early 2010s Western revival craze and the ever-increasing science fiction genre,Cowboys & Aliensshould have been a slam dunk. Helmed by one of the early 2010s hottest directors,Jon Favreau, and starring one of thebest James Bonds of all time,Daniel Craigand sci-fi veteranHarrison Ford, this action film seemed to have all the ingredients necessary to be a hit at the time but was insteada massive forgettable dud with both critics and at the box office.
Cowboys & Aliensis as generic and nondescript as its title. After a promising and intriguing opening in which Craig’s Jake Lonergan awakens with amnesia and a mysterious device strapped to his arm,the film quickly loses steam and enthusiasmand devolves intoa string of Western and sci-fi clichés.Cowboys & Aliensdoesn’t even have the spark to combine its well-worn tropes, instead choosing to seemingly alternate between stock science fiction scene and stock western scene, never truly delivering upon the promise of merging the two genres. If the film is brought up nowadays,it is often in theso bad its goodlight, though even its poor quality may not be notable enough for many.
Cowboys & Aliens
1’Tomorrowland' (2015)
TheGeorge Clooneyled film tells the story of Frank, an inventor who seeks to return to Tomorrowland, a fantastical city wherethe world’s greatest inventorscan innovate to their hearts' content. True to this spirit, the film tries to fill itself with quirky technology and setpieces, such as a bathtub escape pod, a rocket ship hidden in the Eiffel Tower, and a genuinely impressive entrance to the city itself. Unfortunately, despite being based on a theme park locale, the film decidedlylacks the heart and wonder that typically makes a Disney movie resonatewith audiences.Tomorrowland’s story is plodding and never gives the audience a reason to care about its various technical innovations. Vapid and meaningless,Tomorrowlandis best left in oblivion.
