5 Angelina Jolie Movies That Bombed Against All Odds
The former queen of Hollywood has many successful roles behind her, but even she missed the mark entirely a few times, like with these five movies no one cared for.
5. Playing God (1997)
When a talented surgeon loses his license, he finds himself hopeless and addicted to drugs, and a crime boss offers him protection and illegal practice. The pay is great, so the offer is hard to refuse — even more so since the new boss has a charming wife. Situation spirals out of control when the two get involved — and then the FBI joins in.
Despite a great plot design, Playing God didn’t find too much appeal from the audience: the average critics score on Rotten Tomatoes is 16% even despite Angeline Jolie’s stellar performance as the crime boss’s wife. The movie lost its chance at becoming a cult-classic due to poor execution, and frankly, that’s a shame.
4. Original Sin (2001)
What is a tale of love without some drama? A beautiful con artist and her lover plan to rob a rich Cuban trader through marriage as the artist herself presents herself as a mail order bride for the man. Everything goes swimmingly until she falls for her new husband’s charm and feels trapped between her new feelings and the original plan.
Original Sin was supposed to be a compelling and melodramatic love story, but it tried too hard. The audience found the movie comically bad in terms of plot, dialogue, and acting, and even the presence of Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas as lead stars didn’t help. The critics on Rotten Tomatoes rated Original Sin at 12%.
3. Beyond Borders (2003)
A young American woman finds herself enchanted with a passionate charitable speech by a renowned doctor and decides to dedicate her life to helping others. Across many years, she and the charming doctor travel the world helping others as their love flourishes despite the tough challenges and dangers they must overcome.
Beyond Borders admittedly had its heart in the right place but forgot about the matter of presentation. Viewers and critics alike found the usage of human suffering as a backdrop for a love story delusional at best and cynical at worst. Another Angelina Jolie’s romantic outing that failed the expectations, Beyond Border has a 14% score.
2. Alexander (2004)
Alexander the Great was, as the title suggests, one of the greatest conquerors of the ancient world. His vast empire included much of the known world, and Alexander was unstoppable in his ambition to become the ruler of all. After his death, Alexander’s close associate Ptolemey retells the legendary warlord’s life story.
For a movie that aimed to be historical, Alexander managed to mess up on every step of the way. From blatantly changing known facts about the warlord to being ponderous and plotless, the film fails to capture the essence of Alexander the Great’s life. Critics unanimously hated the movie which has a 16% score on RT.
1. The Tourist (2010)
When an unsuspecting American tourist comes to Italy to mend his broken heart, he doesn’t expect to dive deep into an intrigue-fueled relationship with a femme fatale who believes he must be key to her schemes. The involvement of a mafia boss who thinks the same doesn’t help stir the tourist’s vacation in the right direction, either.
Though visually stunning and filled with spectacular shots, The Tourist wasn’t saved even by the iconic duo of Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. The two of them famously had conflicts on-set, and their distinct lack of chemistry only added to the disappointment of the pretentious and slow plot. The Tourist earned a 21% RT score.