Oscar season is behind us, so now we can focus on the worst films in 2011. The Golden Raspberry Awards (or The Razzies) nominate the absolute worst mainstream films every year, and The Razzies gives everyone a chance to bash Hollywood's trash. Sometimes, The Razzie Awards do select the absolute worst in Hollywood, and they make some good choices for the garbage in that particular year. But The Razzies also have this bad habit of catering to the fanboys, and they make my eyes roll, when they jump on any popular hate bandwagon (Nicolas Cage, Transformers, etc.). This can be so annoying, because it feels like theyre going out of their way to be cool and popular.
Anyway, picking apart The Razzie nominations can be fun, and most of the time, you cant take these awards too seriously, because some of the categories can be one big joke. Still, The Razzies can give you a chance to vent your frustrations, because Im sure weve all seen a few really bad films, and these films left us with a painful and unfortunate memorable experience. The award ceremony will take place on April 1st, and here's the list of nominees for most of the awful films in 2011:
The Transformers franchise will always get a lot of hate, but Dark Of The Moon shouldn't be on this list. Revenge Of The Fallen was horrendous, but Dark Of The Moon was an upgrade. Shia LaBeouf delivered another enjoyable performance as the loveable hero, who you want to root for, and this was a pretty solid Transformers film.
I didn't watch Breaking Dawn, Part I, but New Year's Eve was a good choice for this category. Jack & Jill highlighted the embarrassing low point in Adam Sandler's career, but my pick is going to Bucky Larson. I love Christiana Ricci, but this was one of the most annoying comedies I've ever seen. This film didn't feature any funny moments, and Nick Swardson was awful as the lead man. Bucky was supposed to be the sort of loser, who wanted to feel for. He couldn't get a woman, if his life depended on it, and he wasn't too bright, but Swardon's performance was so obnoxious and over the top, and I just felt like punching this character in the face. Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star is inept, clumsy, and the writing for this film was atrocious.
Bucky Larson would be a fine choice for worst film of the year, but Creature should've made this list. Creature is easily one the worst horror movies I've ever seen in my entire life, and the solid acting wasn't enough to save this one. Too many gaping plot holes, obnoxious and stupid characters, creepy incest scenes, that involved way too much physical contact, and the story was a total mess. Oh, and the Creature wasn't intimidating or scary at all. Creature tried to be one of those, awfully good movies, that are fun to watch, but they failed miserably.
Also, Sucker Punch could've made the cut, and this film will probably ruin Zack Snyder's career.
Nicolas Cage shouldnt be in this category. First of all, Season Of The Witch and Drive Angry were NOT bad films. Season Of The Witch wasnt anything to brag about it, but it was decent enough, and Drive Angry could be an enjoyable and mindless action flick. As far as Trespass goes, yeah, it wasnt a good film, but Cage really did give a good effort here. Cage did deliver solid performances in all three films, so he really doesnt deserve a spot on this list.
Also, I'll admit, Russell Brand can be annoying, but he wasn't that bad in Arthur.
Nick Swardson was terrible in Bucky Larson, but NOTHING could've saved that film. I'm going to have to go with Taylor Lautner here. Abduction had some real potential, but Lautner's awful performance really dragged this film down. Lautner was supposed to be this bad ass rebellious teenager, who had some serious anger issues, but Lautner was not believable at all in this film. He wasn't convincing, and the entire story revolves around him, so you really don't get a chance to catch a break from his horrific performance in this one. Lautner was the leading actor in this film, but the best scenes don't involve him. Thats a big problem.
I've given up on Martin Lawrence. Another Bad Boys film might resurrect his career, and another on-screen partnership with Will Smith could be his last shot at redemption. Big Momma's House 2 was bad enough, and the third film sounds like it could be worse, if that's even possible.
I want to go with Sandler.....but he is a MAN. Yeah, he dressed up like a woman, but he isn't a female. I despise Sarah Palin for a lot of reasons, but I didn't watch The Undefeated. I also didn't see Breaking Dawn, Part I or I don't Know How She Does It.
As far as New Year's Eve goes, they picked the right movie, but they selected the wrong actress. How in the fuck did Katherine Heigl not get nominated for this ?!?!? Jessica Parker wasn't bad at all in New Year's Eve, but Heigl was dreadful as always.
Al Pacino shouldn't be on this list. His very solid and enjoyable performance couldn't save Jack and Jill, but Pacino's performance was the lone highlight in this film.
This is a tough choice for me, because I am a fan of this guy, but I'm going to have to go with James Franco. His lazy and lifeless performance in Your Highness was pretty embarrassing. Franco just mailed it in for this one, but Danny McBride, Zooey Deschanel, and Natalie Portman did give their best effort, and they were able to provide some entertainment for this bizarre stoner flick.
Also, Ken Jeong would be a VERY close second for me. This guy always annoys the fuck out of me. His usual hyper and obnoxious on-screen persona almost killed The Hangover II for me, and I can still remember his terrible appearance as one of the guest hosts on Raw with Jeremy Piven.
I have to disagree with Nicole Kidman's nomination. Unlike the rest of the cast in Just Go With It, Kidman was actually funny, and she really did nail the rich and pompous wife character.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wins this for me, easily. Huntington-Whiteley is a very attractive woman, and she was gorgeous in Dark Of The Moon, but man she can't act to save her life. She actually makes Megan Fox look good, and that's saying something. Fox is one of the worst actresses in Hollywood, but Mikaela Banes (Fox's character in the first two Transformers' films) did have a spark. Fox did bring some energy to this character, and she did have that bold edge, but Huntington-Whiteley was just eye candy. That's it. Her performance was clumsy, and she sounded incredibly rigid, as she tried to deliver her dialogue. The opening scene in this film gives you a VERY clear and up close view of Huntington-Whitley's ass. This is her best scene in the entire film. Yeah, I'm not kidding.
New Year's Eve.
Robert De Niro
Hillary Swank
Halle Berry
That's three former Oscar winners in one film. Also, New Year's Eve did have a few solid veterans (Cary Elwes and Michelle Pfeiffer). Jessica Biel really isn't as bad as most people make her out to be, and Abigail Breslin is one the best child actresses in Hollywood. Yes. New Year's Eve was too sappy, shallow, and this film was painfully boring the entire time. Still, this cast was loaded with some real talent, but New Year's Eve wasted their ensemble cast in the worst way. With the talent they had, they should've been able to produce something that was worth watching, but New Year's Eve was an unbelievable failure.
Michael Bay is shit. There's no doubt about it. Action is supposed to be his specialty, but he hasn't directed one truly memorable or great action film (The Rock comes close, but I wouldn't put it on the same level as other action classics). Bay has produced a lot of stinkers, but Dark Of The Moon did have its entertaining moments.
Dennis Dugan wins this for me. His style is incredibly bland and dull, and he was the director of two of the most horrendous films in 2011, but he's best buddies with Adam Sandler, so he'll always have a job in Hollywood, unfortunately. Dugan might succeed in directing TV commercials, because he doesn't belong behind the camera for movies.
Tough category. Really this could go any way, but I'm leaning towards The Hangover II. The first film was an enjoyable raunchy, R-Rated comedy, but Part II just felt so average. As far as the story goes, they played it very safe, and they went through the same motions all over again. Sure, the setting changed, but Part II just felt like a carbon copy of the first film, and this was one of the most disappointing sequels I've ever seen. Also, I had to see more of Ken Jeong in this film, and his extra screen time drove me nuts.
So were just going to randomly nominate any one of Cages films in 2011? Look, Ill admit, Im not the biggest Nicolas Cage fan, but this blind hate stuff is starting to get a little ridiculous.
Im going with Adam Sandler and Brooklyn Decker.
Just Go With It was one of the worst romantic comedies in 2011, and the relationship between Danny (Sandler) and Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) was so ridiculous. Decker is this incredibly hot blonde, and Sandler looks like this carefree Average Joe/douchebag as usual. Decker's character is supposed to be a smart woman, and despite her good looks, she isn't suppose to remind you of the dumb hot blonde. This is what the story wants you to believe. But Decker's character is stupid enough to trust Sandler's character, and she continuously buys into his wild lies. Also, Dugan's directing didn't help the "I'm not a dumb blonde" stuff. Showcasing Decker's body (most notably her slow motion scene, that features her rise from the water on the beach) was Dugan's main priority for this film, because he sure as hell wasn't focused on storytelling. Oh, and Decker is a horrible actress, and her terrible performance didn't do her any favors.
And then you have Danny. Sandler's character orchestrates this elaborate plan to capture Palmer's heart (lying about the relationship with Jennifer Aniston, lying about having kids, booking a trip to Hawaii, etc.), and then he realizes his in love with Katherine (Aniston)? Of course, Sandler's character knew this along, but he had to fake a former relationship with Aniston's character, lie about having kids, and take Palmer to Hawaii to figure all of this out
Danny puts him self through torture during his pursuit of Palmer, but he tosses all of his hard work out of the window at the end. "I've loved Katherine all along! I already knew this, but I felt the need to stage a pointless scheme, because I needed to know for sure!"
Just Go With It was a horrible romantic comedy. Danny and Palmer were two stupid characters in a stupid film, and they easily win this category for me.
Bucky Larson, and this isn't a close call for me, because Sandler, Covert, and Swardson must've been high on cocaine, when they wrote this screenplay.
As I said before, they wanted Bucky to be the loveable loser, who you could root for, and he had the worst luck with women. You were supposed to feel for Bucky, but I hated this character with a passion. Bucky was an obnoxious goofball, and Swardsons over the top performance made everything worse. The main character drags this one down, and this is a serious problem for any film. Bucky was HIGHLY annoying, and the constant barrage of jokes that involved his buck teeth almost gave me a headache. I didnt want to feel any sympathy for this idiot, as he tried to fulfill his dreams of becoming a porn star.
Bucky Larson tries to succeeded as a mindless and whacky comedy, but they really dropped the ball here. This was supposed to be a comedy, but I couldnt laugh. Born To Be A Star is inept, unfunny, and I really couldnt laugh at any of the corny porno jokes in this film. They tried to deliver some cheap laughs with a handful of gross-out moments, and Buckys porn talent wasnt funny. I cant go into detail about Buckys porn talent. It was gross and creepy, but not funny.
The story is incredibly misguided, and the plot really didnt make any sense. Born To Be A Star just feels like this long and painful sketch comedy, that wont end. Hey! Were going to use porn for our subject matter, so this has to be funny, right? I guess Sandler, Covert, and Swardson felt this way, as they wrote the screenplay, but this is one idea, that shouldve stayed in their heads.
Adam Sandler really did have a TERRIBLE year in 2011, so I dont have a problem with most of his nominations, and Sandler will probably pull off a clean sweep this year. Although, The Razzies could remove him from the Best Actress category, because as I said before, he really isnt a woman. He was just a man in drag for Jack & Jill. I have the same feelings about Brandon T. Jacksons nomination for Big Mommas House 3, and David Spade as well. But this this is The Razzies, so I guess I had to expect something like this.
Sucker Punch deserved a spot in the Worst Picture category, and a nomination for Worst Screenplay wouldve been well deserved. Sucker Punch was atrocious, but this film didnt receive at least one nomination?
As usual, I dont fully agree with The Razzie nominations. Trespass might have been a piece of trash, but Cages performance was one of the very few highlights in that film. And Dark Of The Moon wasnt as bad as Revenge Of The Fallen, and a lot of people are just jumping on the Transformers hate train.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree with The Razzie nominations?
Anyway, picking apart The Razzie nominations can be fun, and most of the time, you cant take these awards too seriously, because some of the categories can be one big joke. Still, The Razzies can give you a chance to vent your frustrations, because Im sure weve all seen a few really bad films, and these films left us with a painful and unfortunate memorable experience. The award ceremony will take place on April 1st, and here's the list of nominees for most of the awful films in 2011:
The Transformers franchise will always get a lot of hate, but Dark Of The Moon shouldn't be on this list. Revenge Of The Fallen was horrendous, but Dark Of The Moon was an upgrade. Shia LaBeouf delivered another enjoyable performance as the loveable hero, who you want to root for, and this was a pretty solid Transformers film.
I didn't watch Breaking Dawn, Part I, but New Year's Eve was a good choice for this category. Jack & Jill highlighted the embarrassing low point in Adam Sandler's career, but my pick is going to Bucky Larson. I love Christiana Ricci, but this was one of the most annoying comedies I've ever seen. This film didn't feature any funny moments, and Nick Swardson was awful as the lead man. Bucky was supposed to be the sort of loser, who wanted to feel for. He couldn't get a woman, if his life depended on it, and he wasn't too bright, but Swardon's performance was so obnoxious and over the top, and I just felt like punching this character in the face. Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star is inept, clumsy, and the writing for this film was atrocious.
Bucky Larson would be a fine choice for worst film of the year, but Creature should've made this list. Creature is easily one the worst horror movies I've ever seen in my entire life, and the solid acting wasn't enough to save this one. Too many gaping plot holes, obnoxious and stupid characters, creepy incest scenes, that involved way too much physical contact, and the story was a total mess. Oh, and the Creature wasn't intimidating or scary at all. Creature tried to be one of those, awfully good movies, that are fun to watch, but they failed miserably.
Also, Sucker Punch could've made the cut, and this film will probably ruin Zack Snyder's career.
Nicolas Cage shouldnt be in this category. First of all, Season Of The Witch and Drive Angry were NOT bad films. Season Of The Witch wasnt anything to brag about it, but it was decent enough, and Drive Angry could be an enjoyable and mindless action flick. As far as Trespass goes, yeah, it wasnt a good film, but Cage really did give a good effort here. Cage did deliver solid performances in all three films, so he really doesnt deserve a spot on this list.
Also, I'll admit, Russell Brand can be annoying, but he wasn't that bad in Arthur.
Nick Swardson was terrible in Bucky Larson, but NOTHING could've saved that film. I'm going to have to go with Taylor Lautner here. Abduction had some real potential, but Lautner's awful performance really dragged this film down. Lautner was supposed to be this bad ass rebellious teenager, who had some serious anger issues, but Lautner was not believable at all in this film. He wasn't convincing, and the entire story revolves around him, so you really don't get a chance to catch a break from his horrific performance in this one. Lautner was the leading actor in this film, but the best scenes don't involve him. Thats a big problem.
I've given up on Martin Lawrence. Another Bad Boys film might resurrect his career, and another on-screen partnership with Will Smith could be his last shot at redemption. Big Momma's House 2 was bad enough, and the third film sounds like it could be worse, if that's even possible.
I want to go with Sandler.....but he is a MAN. Yeah, he dressed up like a woman, but he isn't a female. I despise Sarah Palin for a lot of reasons, but I didn't watch The Undefeated. I also didn't see Breaking Dawn, Part I or I don't Know How She Does It.
As far as New Year's Eve goes, they picked the right movie, but they selected the wrong actress. How in the fuck did Katherine Heigl not get nominated for this ?!?!? Jessica Parker wasn't bad at all in New Year's Eve, but Heigl was dreadful as always.
Al Pacino shouldn't be on this list. His very solid and enjoyable performance couldn't save Jack and Jill, but Pacino's performance was the lone highlight in this film.
This is a tough choice for me, because I am a fan of this guy, but I'm going to have to go with James Franco. His lazy and lifeless performance in Your Highness was pretty embarrassing. Franco just mailed it in for this one, but Danny McBride, Zooey Deschanel, and Natalie Portman did give their best effort, and they were able to provide some entertainment for this bizarre stoner flick.
Also, Ken Jeong would be a VERY close second for me. This guy always annoys the fuck out of me. His usual hyper and obnoxious on-screen persona almost killed The Hangover II for me, and I can still remember his terrible appearance as one of the guest hosts on Raw with Jeremy Piven.
I have to disagree with Nicole Kidman's nomination. Unlike the rest of the cast in Just Go With It, Kidman was actually funny, and she really did nail the rich and pompous wife character.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wins this for me, easily. Huntington-Whiteley is a very attractive woman, and she was gorgeous in Dark Of The Moon, but man she can't act to save her life. She actually makes Megan Fox look good, and that's saying something. Fox is one of the worst actresses in Hollywood, but Mikaela Banes (Fox's character in the first two Transformers' films) did have a spark. Fox did bring some energy to this character, and she did have that bold edge, but Huntington-Whiteley was just eye candy. That's it. Her performance was clumsy, and she sounded incredibly rigid, as she tried to deliver her dialogue. The opening scene in this film gives you a VERY clear and up close view of Huntington-Whitley's ass. This is her best scene in the entire film. Yeah, I'm not kidding.
New Year's Eve.
Robert De Niro
Hillary Swank
Halle Berry
That's three former Oscar winners in one film. Also, New Year's Eve did have a few solid veterans (Cary Elwes and Michelle Pfeiffer). Jessica Biel really isn't as bad as most people make her out to be, and Abigail Breslin is one the best child actresses in Hollywood. Yes. New Year's Eve was too sappy, shallow, and this film was painfully boring the entire time. Still, this cast was loaded with some real talent, but New Year's Eve wasted their ensemble cast in the worst way. With the talent they had, they should've been able to produce something that was worth watching, but New Year's Eve was an unbelievable failure.
Michael Bay is shit. There's no doubt about it. Action is supposed to be his specialty, but he hasn't directed one truly memorable or great action film (The Rock comes close, but I wouldn't put it on the same level as other action classics). Bay has produced a lot of stinkers, but Dark Of The Moon did have its entertaining moments.
Dennis Dugan wins this for me. His style is incredibly bland and dull, and he was the director of two of the most horrendous films in 2011, but he's best buddies with Adam Sandler, so he'll always have a job in Hollywood, unfortunately. Dugan might succeed in directing TV commercials, because he doesn't belong behind the camera for movies.
Tough category. Really this could go any way, but I'm leaning towards The Hangover II. The first film was an enjoyable raunchy, R-Rated comedy, but Part II just felt so average. As far as the story goes, they played it very safe, and they went through the same motions all over again. Sure, the setting changed, but Part II just felt like a carbon copy of the first film, and this was one of the most disappointing sequels I've ever seen. Also, I had to see more of Ken Jeong in this film, and his extra screen time drove me nuts.
So were just going to randomly nominate any one of Cages films in 2011? Look, Ill admit, Im not the biggest Nicolas Cage fan, but this blind hate stuff is starting to get a little ridiculous.
Im going with Adam Sandler and Brooklyn Decker.
Just Go With It was one of the worst romantic comedies in 2011, and the relationship between Danny (Sandler) and Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) was so ridiculous. Decker is this incredibly hot blonde, and Sandler looks like this carefree Average Joe/douchebag as usual. Decker's character is supposed to be a smart woman, and despite her good looks, she isn't suppose to remind you of the dumb hot blonde. This is what the story wants you to believe. But Decker's character is stupid enough to trust Sandler's character, and she continuously buys into his wild lies. Also, Dugan's directing didn't help the "I'm not a dumb blonde" stuff. Showcasing Decker's body (most notably her slow motion scene, that features her rise from the water on the beach) was Dugan's main priority for this film, because he sure as hell wasn't focused on storytelling. Oh, and Decker is a horrible actress, and her terrible performance didn't do her any favors.
And then you have Danny. Sandler's character orchestrates this elaborate plan to capture Palmer's heart (lying about the relationship with Jennifer Aniston, lying about having kids, booking a trip to Hawaii, etc.), and then he realizes his in love with Katherine (Aniston)? Of course, Sandler's character knew this along, but he had to fake a former relationship with Aniston's character, lie about having kids, and take Palmer to Hawaii to figure all of this out
Danny puts him self through torture during his pursuit of Palmer, but he tosses all of his hard work out of the window at the end. "I've loved Katherine all along! I already knew this, but I felt the need to stage a pointless scheme, because I needed to know for sure!"Just Go With It was a horrible romantic comedy. Danny and Palmer were two stupid characters in a stupid film, and they easily win this category for me.
Bucky Larson, and this isn't a close call for me, because Sandler, Covert, and Swardson must've been high on cocaine, when they wrote this screenplay.
As I said before, they wanted Bucky to be the loveable loser, who you could root for, and he had the worst luck with women. You were supposed to feel for Bucky, but I hated this character with a passion. Bucky was an obnoxious goofball, and Swardsons over the top performance made everything worse. The main character drags this one down, and this is a serious problem for any film. Bucky was HIGHLY annoying, and the constant barrage of jokes that involved his buck teeth almost gave me a headache. I didnt want to feel any sympathy for this idiot, as he tried to fulfill his dreams of becoming a porn star.
Bucky Larson tries to succeeded as a mindless and whacky comedy, but they really dropped the ball here. This was supposed to be a comedy, but I couldnt laugh. Born To Be A Star is inept, unfunny, and I really couldnt laugh at any of the corny porno jokes in this film. They tried to deliver some cheap laughs with a handful of gross-out moments, and Buckys porn talent wasnt funny. I cant go into detail about Buckys porn talent. It was gross and creepy, but not funny.
The story is incredibly misguided, and the plot really didnt make any sense. Born To Be A Star just feels like this long and painful sketch comedy, that wont end. Hey! Were going to use porn for our subject matter, so this has to be funny, right? I guess Sandler, Covert, and Swardson felt this way, as they wrote the screenplay, but this is one idea, that shouldve stayed in their heads.
Adam Sandler really did have a TERRIBLE year in 2011, so I dont have a problem with most of his nominations, and Sandler will probably pull off a clean sweep this year. Although, The Razzies could remove him from the Best Actress category, because as I said before, he really isnt a woman. He was just a man in drag for Jack & Jill. I have the same feelings about Brandon T. Jacksons nomination for Big Mommas House 3, and David Spade as well. But this this is The Razzies, so I guess I had to expect something like this.
Sucker Punch deserved a spot in the Worst Picture category, and a nomination for Worst Screenplay wouldve been well deserved. Sucker Punch was atrocious, but this film didnt receive at least one nomination?
As usual, I dont fully agree with The Razzie nominations. Trespass might have been a piece of trash, but Cages performance was one of the very few highlights in that film. And Dark Of The Moon wasnt as bad as Revenge Of The Fallen, and a lot of people are just jumping on the Transformers hate train.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree with The Razzie nominations?
