Terrible movies redeemed by a single scene or actor

A little while back, I saw the 2013 remake of 'the Lone Ranger' with Arnie Hammer and Johnny Depp. For those who have not seen it...don't. By all accounts, it is a terrible, horrible film. For me, however, all of the stupid lines, bad acting, and cheesy motivations are forgiven due to a single scene; the 15-minute climax which is a massive train/horse chase/gunbattle all set and choreographed to the William Tell Overture. It is campy and over-the-top, but holy crap is it fun!

I thought it would be interesting to hear any movies (or books, or shows, or games) all of you thought would be irredeemable if not for the presence of a single scene or actor.

Have at!

Comments

  • edited January 2016
    Hellboy was terrible until the scene with Hellboy and the kid throwing rocks at the Special agent his girlfriend was taking a shine to. Hellboy getting chewed out for losing subordinates in the museum was a very good real humanizing scene too.
  • The freeway action sequence saved the Matrix 2 from being total crap.
  • Han solo and his comedy hour with Chewie and Finn on the not Death Star saved the Force Awakens from being totally bad. Also all the action squences were well done. But the writing and the mary sues and Finn's acting ehhharggggich.
  • SylandraSylandra Join Queue for Mafia Games The Last Mafia Game
    Reign is redeemed by Meagan Follows and Adelaide Kane. But that's about it.
    Daraius said:
    "Oh yeah, you're a naughty mayor, aren't you? Misfile that Form MA631-D. Comptroller Shevat's got a nice gemstone disc for you, but yer gonna have to beg for it."
  • SilvanusSilvanus The Sparrowhawk
    Raul Julia in Street Fighter as Bison.

    Of course I am a huge JCVD fan so a bit biased.
    2014/04/19 01:38:01 - Leolamins drained 2000000 power to raise Silvanus as a Vernal Ascendant.
    2014/07/23 05:01:29 - Silvanus drained 2000000 power to raise Munsia as a Vernal Ascendant.
    2015/05/24 06:03:07 - Silvanus drained 2000000 power to raise Arimisia as a Vernal Ascendant.
    2015/05/24 06:03:58 - Silvanus drained 2000000 power to raise Lavinya as a Vernal Ascendant.
  • LuceLuce Fox Populi
    The second MLP movie was 'alright' until the showdown scene at the end, which was, to use a relevant turn of phrase, so. Awesome!
  • Silvanus said:
    Raul Julia in Street Fighter as Bison.

    Of course I am a huge JCVD fan so a bit biased.
    Wow. I have never spoken to someone who has actually watched that movie. Wow. 
  • Kaalak said:
    Han solo and his comedy hour with Chewie and Finn on the not Death Star saved the Force Awakens from being totally bad. Also all the action squences were well done. But the writing and the mary sues and Finn's acting ehhharggggich.
    I think the movie did well what it was supposed to do: make folks who were burned by the Prequels interested in the Sequels. And to do that, the producers basically copied the plot from A New Hope (more or less).

    IMO, the Bridge Scene is what saved that movie. You could see it coming from a mile away, but I was still thoroughly entertained by what happened. (Also, Kylo Ren is an excellent villain, I don't care what anyone says).

    However, you're right: Rey is definitely a Mary Sue. There is NO GODDAMN WAY she'd be that powerful, even if she was previously being trained as a young girl. NO WAY.

  • Anyway, to ACTUALLY contribute to this thread...

    Avengers: Age Of Ultron was saved by James Spader. The entire movie was simply a lead-up for Stage 3 with nothing really to stand upon on its own. Except Ultron himself. I thought Spader knocked that role out of the park.

  • I disagree, because Kylo Ren is *actually* a loser teenager with little actual training, who got shot with a bowcaster before the fight. Rey isn't strong, he just had to fight...you know...with a giant-ass blaster wound.
  • EveriineEveriine Wise Old Swordsbird / Brontaur Indianapolis, IN, USA
    As much as I am huge fan of the books, the LotR trilogy, and the Hobbit movies, the last Hobbit movie was so lackluster compared to the LotR movies. However, it may be my favorite of the three Hobbit movies. Why? Dol-fucking-Guldur.

    "Are you in need of assistance, my lady?" *commence badassery*
    Everiine is a man, and is very manly. This MAN before you is so manly you might as well just gender bend right now, cause he's the manliest man that you ever did see. His manly shape has spurned many women and girlyer men to boughs of fainting. He stands before you in a manly manerific typical man-like outfit which is covered in his manly motto: "I am a man!"

    Daraius said: You gotta risk it for the biscuit.

    Pony power all the way, yo. The more Brontaurs the better.
  • EnyalidaEnyalida Nasty Woman, Sockpuppeteer to the Gods
    edited January 2016
    The addition of the Gol Guldur scene was a really dumb idea, that did no favors for that movie - which was overall a paceless meandering. It was cool though. Too bad the best climax of the movie happened so early on and was so disconnected from all the other stuff. 
  • This is a weird question. There are a lot of movies where I think "If this role was not being played by this particular actor, this entire thing could not work." Off the top of my head, J.K. Simmons in Whiplash.

    Going in I was predisposed to like it, but I think Pitch Perfect II would have been unwatchable if not for Das Sound Machine.

    The Julianne Moore death scene in Children of Men was great - not for its substance, but for its mere presence. It was so surprising that people were then willing to suffer through the bleak drudgery of the next hour+ of the movie because they'd been lured into believing that exciting things can happen at any time.


    #NoWireHangersEver

    Vive l'apostrophe!
  • EnyalidaEnyalida Nasty Woman, Sockpuppeteer to the Gods
    edited January 2016
    I don't agree with the Whiplash thing. Whiplash over all is a great movie. J.K. Simmons definitely plays his role very well, but I don't think his performance alone carried the movie. 
  • I feel that without the intensity of J.K. Simmons in particular, that would have been a dull movie about a pretentious dickhead who takes drumming way too seriously for no justifiable reason. It would have been another forgettable "Art School Challenge" movie instead of the riveting thing it was.
    #NoWireHangersEver

    Vive l'apostrophe!
  • edited January 2016
    I'd have to say the 'birth' of the Sandman in Spiderman 3.  That scene doesn't have a single word in it, yet the way it is portrayed, the music, everything comes together to make one HECK of a memorable scene.  (Ok ok, so it wasn't a TERRIBLE movie, but it was DEFINITELY 'meh' in every sense of the word)
    Kaalak said:
    The freeway action sequence saved the Matrix 2 from being total crap.

    Personally I thought that particular scene was a little lacklustre. I got more enjoyment out of the scene with Neo (Keanu) fighting the army of Agent Smith replicas. >_>
    Kiss of the Enchantress hisses eerily, "Let them fear, and despair."
  • Sakaki said:
    Kaalak said:
    The freeway action sequence saved the Matrix 2 from being total crap.

    Personally I thought that particular scene was a little lacklustre. I got more enjoyment out of the scene with Neo (Keanu) fighting the army of Agent Smith replicas. >_>
    I don't disagree with that assessment.  I recall while watching the freeway scene I really enjoyed it but it sort of lacked the *awesome* of the previous movie.   To be frank I forgot about the Neo vs Agent Smith scene.  


    To continue the movie discussion. Haywire is not a good movie but it is redeemed by it's fight scenes. The best is this with Gina Caranno and Fassbender. Even after watching this several times, the movie is not spoiled.   Also note, Gina's character knows she will have to try to kill Fassbender's character at this point.  Removing her shoes is a sign of this. 




    Notice how immediate, quiet and vicious this scene is.  No over the top music or sound effects for emphasis or unnecessary edits or over emotional acting. Just the primal brutality of necessity with two pros who value the economy of every breath. 

    Closest I've seen on screen to actual fights. 
  • EnyalidaEnyalida Nasty Woman, Sockpuppeteer to the Gods
    The best scenes in the second Matrix movie are the Merovingian scenes, for lots of reasons. 
  • CyndarinCyndarin used Flamethrower! It was super effective.
    Meryl Streep in everything ever.

    image
  • Celina said:
    Meryl Streep in everything ever.

    She couldn't save Into the Woods...
    #NoWireHangersEver

    Vive l'apostrophe!
  • SylandraSylandra Join Queue for Mafia Games The Last Mafia Game
    But, but! Bernadette Peters could. :x
    Daraius said:
    "Oh yeah, you're a naughty mayor, aren't you? Misfile that Form MA631-D. Comptroller Shevat's got a nice gemstone disc for you, but yer gonna have to beg for it."
Sign In or Register to comment.