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:
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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 -- <strong>SPOILER ALERT</strong> -- 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.
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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 disappoint...
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 disappoint...
I remember seeing a particular movie with an infamous plot twist, the very first night of release and before word got out as to the nature of the twist. The audience reaction (especially the guys) was just amazing. The movie? The Crying Game".
liberaldawg: I remember seeing a particular movie with an infamous plot
Face it. An awful lot of movies start out great and then fall to pieces in the second half. They start with a good premise, but the writer seldom know how to finish.
Mochilero: Face it. An awful lot of movies start out great
Excuse me but feature-legnth movies have been around since around 1914, sound since 1927. So how can this be considered a true best/worst list if it only goes back to the 1980s (decade of the writer's birth, perhaps?)?
Please go back and look at the classics. I'd recommend The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920), Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1947), 2001 A Space Oddessy (1968), and the greatly underrated The Stunt Man (1980) for movies with great plot twists.
scriibe: Excuse me but feature-legnth movies have been around since around
That was a pretty sad list you put together... 7 films? Did you write this on your way out the door? Did you lose power and just post what you had when it came back on?
Honestly..
derekc06: That was a pretty sad list you put together... 7
Posted: 07/30/2012 11:33 am Updated: 07/30/2012 4:43 pm