Top 10 Worst Films of 2016!

Yesterday I posted my '15 Best Movies of 2016' list (check that out if you haven't already) as I celebrated the best that 2016 had to offer. However, 2016 was not completely great as there were many awful films that came out last year. In saying that, here are the 10 films that I really despised in 2016. These films are just awful and not worth your time at all. *SPOILER ALERT* There will be a lot of comedies on this list.

Before we got onto the list, we have some honourable mentions. There were many awful films this year but these are the ones that were lucky enough to just miss out on my list:

Inferno

Warcraft

Bad Moms

Why Him?

Alice: Through The Looking Glass

Ice Age: Collision Course

& The Angry Birds Movie

10. Keeping Up With The Joneses

With the cast that this film had, it should have at least been entertaining. Unfortunately, each of the four main cast members were phoning it in, in what was a very poor "action-comedy". The story was handled very poorly as an interesting concept was not used to its full capacity. The results of this was a very bland, boring film that nobody should ever see,

9. Collateral Beauty

A perfect example of how you can have all the talent in the world within your cast but if you have a terrible story and script, it will fall apart easily. This was the case with 'Collateral Beauty' that tried so hard to be an Oscar type movie, instead it became one of 2016's biggest jokes in film. Most of the performances don't do the film justice either as this one flopped big time. One of 2016's last films, 'Collateral Beauty' certainly isn't beautiful.

8. Independence Day: Resurgence

20 years after the original, 'Independence Day' finally got a sequel. Unfortunately, we wish we never got that sequel. 'Resurgence' lacked the character, impressive effects, great action and most importantly, the fun of the original. This was a depressing watch as this was one of the worst sequels in 2016. The cheek to try and set up a third film after this was laughable and hopefully we never get that film.

7. Rock The Kasbah

This film didn't get much advertising with not many people seeing it and that isn't really a surprise. Again, the cast within this film was very solid so the film should have at least been somewhat entertaining. Unfortunately, we got yet another terrible "comedy" that even Bill Murray could not save. A very dull film that failed on all levels, particularly the entertainment side.

6. Gods Of Egypt

Despite what director Alex Proyas wants you to think, 'Gods of Egypt' is a truly terrible film. Gerard Butler leads a terrible cast of non Egyptians in this CGI fest that looks awful. The CGI in this film looks incredibly bad that it is fairly embarassing. The story is dull and the action isn't exciting as 'Gods of Egypt' flopped. This attempt to create a larger than life epic could not have ended up worse than it did. It's hard to believe that there were 5 worse movies than this.

5. Zoolander 2

Well done 'Zoolander 2', you were the worst sequel of 2016! Boy, was this an absolutely atrocious film. Everything wrong with modern comedy was in this film, especially the over saturation of celebrity cameos. This film was so incredibly lazy that the return of previously funny characters couldn't gloss over it at all. Nobody asked for this sequel and the world would have been a better place without it. A shambolic comedic display from Ben Stiller.

4. Absolutely Fabulous

Maybe I shouldn't have went to see a film based off of a TV show I hadn't seen before but 'Absolutely Fabulous' was painfully bad. I was the only person in my screening for this film and I can see why. Yet another "comedy" failed to do anything remotely funny, as the awful characters talked nonsense and didn't do anything entertaining for the full film. It took everything I had to not walk out of the cinema with this one and looking back, I wish I did.

3. The Boss

Surprise surprise, it's another comedy! Looking back at the year, 2016 had some pretty awful comedies and you'll struggle to find many worse than 'The Boss'. Another terrible film in the inconsistent filmography of Melissa McCarthy which had Peter Dinklage providing one of the year's worst performances- that's how bad it is! Again, this film is simply not funny and the most enraging. There is plenty of talent in this film but it is so lazy that it was infuriating to watch. I remember being agitated whilst watching this as my mind completely rejected this terrible film.

2. Monster Trucks

Seperating these last two is probably the hardest decision I've had to make on this list but at number is 'Monster Trucks'. 'Monster Trucks' has one of the most stupid ideas for a film and that transcends into the film. The combination of pratical and CGI effects for the monsters work attrociously in this film as the cast bring some of the worst performances of the year. It baffles me to how this idea got turned into a movie. 2016 ended terribly as I saw this movie that somehow got a huge budget. The only thing that stops this from being the number 1 worst movie is that it had some so bad it's funny moments. Unlike my number 1.....

1. Nine Lives

Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey is turned into a cat. This film has Christopher Walken as some sort of pet shop, voodoo magician. This film is incredibly stupid, painfully unfunny and a real travesty of a film. There is literally nothing good about this film. The story is stupid, the performances are awful, the effects are awful, everything is just terrible. I want to know who greenlight this film as well as who was able to convince these talented actors to be in this film. This film should be used in torture camps as that is what it was like when watching Kevin Spacey provide the voice to the cat in this stupid movie. The biggest waste of time I've ever had in the cinema, 'Nine Lives' isn't just the worst film on 2016, it's one of the worst films of all time.

So that concludes my list of the worst movies in 2016. Lets hope that we don't get anything as bad in 2017, although that is probably inevitable. I now want to know what movies you thought really put a downer on 2016. 2016 was quite a mixed year with some great and terrible films. Here's hoping that 2017 can improve on that. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my blog, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor

'Collateral Beauty' Review

Will Smith is still on the hunt for an Oscar and with his latest film 'Collateral Beauty' looks to help him do so. But would this finally be the film that earn Smith that illustrious award? To be blunt, the answer is no.

When succesful advertising excecutive Howard (Will Smith) suffers a great tragedy, he becomes disconnected with life. To help cope, he writes letters, not to people but the entities of Love, Death and Time. It comes as a shock to Howard when the entities come to visit him in real life.

'Collateral Beauty' is perhaps the most Oscar-baity film of recent times that has completely fallen flat. The cast within this film most definitely has the capability to be an Oscar winning ensemble cast as it features past nominees Will Smith, Keira Knightley and Ed Norton as well as winners Kate Winslet and Helen Mirren. The cast is incredible to say the least and in all honesty, they aren't the problem. The film's biggest problem is due to how terrible the story is. 

The trailer for this film doesn't show the real story so let me fill that in for you. The trailer shows Smith's character Howard write letters to Love, Death and Time who seemingly visit him in real life, much to his disbelief. The film would like you to think that it is actually Love, Death and Time that come and visit Howard. However, in the film the three entities are played by three theatre actors. The actors are hired in order for Winslet, Norton and Michael Pena's characters to prove that Howard is incapable of making decisions for the advertising company. Basically, this sets up that all 6 of these people are awful humans who are exploiting a mans depression for their own gain. This would be fine if the film was setting them up to be characters who you were to dislike but instead, they make side stories for them where you are made to feel sorry for them. How do you possibly expect that to happen when the main story is about them conspiring against someone who is mentally ill? Astonishing.

The character of Howard is a very strange one too. We've all tragically lost people and of course it is very hard to deal with that. The film however jumps years after the tragedy where you'd expect Howard to have became a bit better, definitely not in the state he is in the film. Howard refuses to do absolutely anything but yet still goes into work everyday. It's set up very weirdly as if someone was struggling that badly, they wouldn't even bother at all. All it's added for is to make more drama but it just doesn't really help. If they had made these events happen soon after the tragedy, then you could understand why he's struggling so badly but his work commitment that the film is based around is very odd.

The film is painfully obvious at times with its symbolism and not clear enough when trying to be deep. The opening of the film showcases how Howard's life is going well at work then cuts to a couple of years later where Howard knocks down a whole table full of dominoes. This signals how his life as came crashing down, just a bit too obviously as it tries to be deep. It backs this up though by showing how messed up Howard is as he cycles directly into oncoming traffic. It was melodrama at its finest as the film strives to be something deep but it really isn't. The film's title 'Collateral Beauty' comes from a line used in the film. At time a character will be talking to another, helping them out when they are down and will try to explain to them that there is 'Collateral Beauty'. The problem is, the film treats this as if it is a common phrase that everyone knows and doesn't explain it at all. There are a few moments where they say the term and you expect them to continue by explaining it. However, it is used as the main point of the advice and isn't continued at all that leaves you a bit puzzled. The film also pulls a twist at the end that is even more ridiculous than everything previous. I won't spoil it but it involves one of the awful 'Collateral Beauty' moments.

For what it is worth, the film's cast does have some OK moments. Helen Mirren is entertaining to watch throughout the film as she brings some charm to the film. Naomie Harris also does well as Madeleine as well who seems to be the only decent person in the film besides Howard. Smith does do fairly well in his role but he won't be up for that Oscar yet again. The rest of the cast is fairly disposable with Ed Norton trying to pursue an awkward love angle with Keira Knightley that just seems creepy rather than endeering. Nobody is particularly bad in the film, it's just that they don't have much to actually work with.

There is so much talent within this movie which is a real shame as this is a truly awful movie. The story is so ridiculously stupid as this film tries to be an Oscar type movie, whilst failing miserably at doing so. This is a truly awful film that you should avoid at all costs.

Final Verdict = 

So have you seen 'Collateral Beauty'? If so, what did you think of it? I hope that this review was helpful for if you were planning on seeing the film or not. I urge you to stay away from this one. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my review, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor