CATEGORIES Movie News
The weekend has come and gone, and the buddy action-comedy "The Watch," landed with a thud in third place. How could a movie starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill bring in such disappointing returns? Maybe it has something to do with the aliens. Yes, "The Watch" wasn't just a comedy about an inept neighborhood watch, it was also a violent alien blockbuster. However, if you weren't expecting that plot turn, don't feel left out: the movie's advertising campaign played down the aliens big time, even though it was a central part of the story. Like we said in our review, it's obviously possible for a film to incorporate various elements -- and conflicting emotions -- but here, it just felt confusing and off-putting.
In the past, there have been plenty of movies that made you think you were getting one kind of story, only to reveal the plot was going in an entirely different direction. When done well, they are refreshingly surprising twists; when done poorly, they lead the movie down a wrong turn that could potentially sour everything.
Moviefone looks back at a few movies that took unexpected plot turns, including ones that did it right, and ones did it wrong. After you're finished, let us know what you thought of the alien plot twist in "The Watch."
PHOTOS:
Gallery | Unexpected Plot Turns
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Did It Wrong - 'Funny People'
It looked like Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen were going to star in a surprisingly mature comedy-drama about cancer, friendship and dealing with regret. Then Judd Apatow decided to cure Sandler's character halfway through the film and it became an excruciatingly long mess where everyone acts selfish and unlikeable. -
Did It Right - 'From Dusk Till Dawn'
It's B-movie pulp for sure, but Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez take what appears to be a gritty crime thriller and turn it on a dime with the addition of over-the-top vampire strippers. -
Did It Wrong - 'Stripes'
We love "Stripes," but they really didn't need to devote the last third of the movie to a Cold War caper involving a new prototype vehicle. Watching Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and John Candy struggle through boot camp was hilarious enough. (But it doesn't mean we hate the movie, honest!) -
Did It Right - 'Lost Highway'
Everyone thought "Lost Highway" was going to be about a hip couple (played Bill Pullman and Patricia Arquette) who get terrorized by creepy videos left on their doorstep. But about 40 minutes in it stops being that; Pullman disappears and Balthazar Getty takes his place. Then after another 40 minutes, Getty disappears and Pullman comes back. It's a head-scratching creepy mystery that's worth multiple viewings. -
Did It Wrong - 'Office Space'
Don't get us wrong, "Office Space" remains funny the entire movie, but the addition of the heist conflict feels like something added by Fox executives who didn't understand that dealing with office drudgery was a funny enough premise. -
Did It Right - 'Death Proof'
Audiences were divided on the bait-and-switch Tarantino pulled with this one when -- SPOILER ALERT -- the main characters get brutally murdered by Kurt Russell's Stuntman Mike. Then "Death Proof" becomes a talkie about car movies featuring a whole new group of girls, capped off by a mind-blowing action finale. -
Did It ??? - 'Napoleon Dynamite'
It's not really a plot turn if there's no plot to begin with. The first half of the movie is just observations of Napoleon's daily life, while the second half finally introduces a conflict: Pedro's high school election campaign.
