10 Mistakes That Hurt Great Movie Franchises
Movie franchises constantly try new things to keep their material fresh, and some huge mistakes have backfired on them. Here are 10 major mistakes that have hurt some of the greatest movie franchises of all time.
The Hobbit: Stretching a Small Book into a Trilogy
Since J.R.R. Tolkien's novels are considered classical literature on top of being the inspiration for modern fantasy, Hollywood is held to a stricter standard when adapting his work. Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films are beloved epics that faithfully capture the essence of Tolkien's novels. The story behind The Hobbit is that Jackson was forced to turn the short book into an epic movie trilogy. Without material to adapt, the films had to shoehorn in cheesy action sequences and a poorly received love triangle. With that being said, The Hobbit movies did get some things from the book right.
The cast of The Hobbit
The Hobbit films stretched a small book into a trilogy.
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Quantity Over Quality in Phase 4
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the most profitable film franchise ever, and the Infinity Saga is beloved by many for its mix of individual character development and overarching narrative. However, Phase 4 prioritized quantity over quality, resulting in movies like Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which are some of the worst MCU movies. The excess of new content on Disney+ and several films released yearly detracted from the event quality of previous phases, ultimately making Phase 4 feel sloppy compared to the carefully planned Infinity Saga.
MCU Characters in Phase 4 Large
The Marvel Cinematic Universe prioritized quantity over quality in Phase 4.
The Mummy: Rebooting as a Cinematic Universe
Universal Pictures monster films are well-known, and in 1999, Universal rebooted The Mummy as a family-friendly adventure series. However, in 2017, they again rebooted the series, hoping to develop a monster cinematic universe while completely contradicting everything that previously worked. The film was needlessly dark, dull, and action-focused, lacking the charm of the previous series.
Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella in 2017's The Mummy
Universal tried to reboot The Mummy as a cinematic universe.
James Bond: Attempting a Larger Narrative
James Bond films have had a working formula for decades, releasing thrilling, standalone action movies. However, Spectre attempted to form a larger narrative by connecting all of Daniel Craig's Bond movies, feeling pressure from the MCU. This move didn't work, and the film fell short of expectations.
James Bond (Daniel Craig) talking to Q (Ben Whishaw) in an art museum in Skyfall
Daniel Craig's Bond movies tried to form a larger narrative.
