10 Movies That Didn't Deserve the Hype But Got It Anyway

But when the curtain lifted, all we got was a cinematic facepalm.

1. "The Last Airbender" (2010)

"The Last Airbender" was a disgrace to the beloved Nickelodeon animated series, "Avatar: The Last Airbender." Director M. Night Shyamalan somehow turned a complex, emotionally rich, and beautifully animated series into a 3D muddle of exposition and underwhelming effects. The film's gross whitewashing of the ethnically diverse characters was the scandalous cherry on top. Despite all this, it managed to garner $319 million at the box office, leaving fans of the original series baffled and disappointed – yes, some of us are still bitter even 13 years later.

2. "The Happening" (2008)

M. Night Shyamalan again, folks. This time he gave us "The Happening," a movie that promised a chilling thriller about an unseen, apocalyptic event. Instead, audiences were treated to Mark Wahlberg running from the wind and talking to a plastic plant. The film's hype turned out to be as empty as its plot, and despite making $163 million worldwide, it left a bad taste in many viewers' mouths.

3. "Suicide Squad " (2016)

Everyone had high hopes for this DC film about a crew of supervillains saving the world. The trailers promised a dark, edgy, comic book romp and the cast boasted big names like Margot Robbie and Will Smith. But what we got was a jumbled mess of a plot, poor character development, and a villain that looked like it was borrowed from a Power Rangers episode. Notably, despite the overwhelming negative reviews, the movie raked in a whopping $746 million worldwide.

4. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009)

While the first "Transformers" movie was entertaining enough, its sequel took all the wrong lessons from its success. "Revenge of the Fallen" doubled down on the explosions and CGI, but forgot to include a coherent plot or engaging characters. Not to mention the pair of racially insensitive Autobots that sparked a controversy.

5. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2" (2012)

The final installment of the "Twilight" franchise had fans hyped for an epic conclusion. Instead, it delivered a finale with a twist so ridiculous that it felt like a cheap trick rather than a thrilling climax. Despite the tepid critical reception, the film pulled in a staggering $829 million worldwide, proving that teen vampire love truly does conquer all, even common sense.

6. "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace" (1999)

Ever wanted to watch a space opera that spends an inordinate amount of time discussing galactic trade disputes? Neither did we, but that's exactly what George Lucas served up with "The Phantom Menace". Fans who had waited 16 years for a new Star Wars movie were greeted with a convoluted plot, stilted dialogue, and a character so universally reviled that it became a pop culture punchline: Jar Jar Binks. Despite all of this, the Force was strong with the box office, which hit over $1 billion worldwide, reminding us that a Star Wars logo can sell almost anything.

7. "50 Shades of Grey" (2015)

Adapted from the scandalously popular erotic novel, "50 Shades of Grey" promised a boundary-pushing exploration of a BDSM relationship. Instead, audiences were subjected to a series of monotonous, uninspired sex scenes strung together by a plot as thin as one of Christian Grey's ties. Lead characters Christian and Anastasia lacked chemistry, and the dialogue was cringe-inducing at best. Despite these shortcomings, it whipped up over $570 million globally, proving that a little controversy goes a long way in selling tickets.

8. "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" (2018)

The hype for "Fallen Kingdom" was built on the nostalgia of the original "Jurassic Park" and the moderate success of its predecessor "Jurassic World". However, the movie took a sharp, questionable turn into horror territory with a plot about dinosaur trafficking and a mansion-set climax straight out of a B-horror film. Add in a 'dinosaur auction' and a 'genetically engineered super-raptor' for good measure, and you've got a film that lost the charm of the original.

9. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008)

19 years after we last saw Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford picked up the whip and hat again for "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". The film ditches the historical and archaeological intrigue for alien conspiracy theories and a plot that felt like a rejected "X-Files" episode. The most memorable (and meme-worthy) scene involved Indy surviving a nuclear explosion by hiding in a fridge – yes, you read that right. Despite all this, the film still managed to dig up over $786 million worldwide, proving that nostalgia is a powerful force. Well, now in 2023 we know that even Indy can't exactly pull off the same trick twice: The Dial of Destiny, released recently, is already considered a box office flop – and a futile attempt to milk that nostalgia again.

10. "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016)

Two of the most iconic superheroes in a gladiator match, what could go wrong? Quite a lot, as it turns out. The film's plot is overstuffed, trying to juggle a Batman-Superman feud, the introduction of Wonder Woman, a Frankenstein- esque monster, and setting up the Justice League. Instead of an epic showdown, we got a confusing mess that culminates in the now infamous "Martha" scene. Nevertheless, the film scored a hefty $873 million at the box office, demonstrating the draw of seeing iconic heroes clash, even if it's just in a verbal argument about their mothers' shared name.