Big names carry a lot of weight in Hollywood, and over time a filmmaker's reputation begins to precede them. Though some directors age like fine wine, getting better as their resumes grow larger, others age like vinegar. They somehow lose the initial spark that made them so successful in the first place, either because they grow lazy in their careers, learn all of the wrong lessons from their breakout hits, or simply just don't make 'em like they used to. It's easy for us to dismiss filmmakers who release one bad film after another, of course, casting them aside whilst refusing to buy any more tickets to their movies. But sometimes, a strange phenomenon begins to seep in with filmmakers we like. We get blindsided by their initial success, and - quite frankly - fail to notice when they begin to lose a little bit of the magic. Here are 9 directors who have lost their touch as their careers have gone on, though - for some reason - we keep pretending we still love them anyway...
9. John Lasseter
I'm sure to get a lot of flack for this choice, and to those who are quick to defend the legend that is John Lasseter, please hear me out. I'm not criticising this man's contribution to animation or the immense impact he's had on cinema as a whole. The man is extraordinary, loves what he does, and is one of the reasons Pixar is the animation juggernaut that it is. Regardless of this man's contributions on an executive producer and chief creative officer level, the focus of this article is on directorial efforts. And frankly, Lasseter has lost his touch. We have him to thank for Toy Story, which is not only one of the greatest animated films of all time but one of the greatest movies ever made, period. Its impact on the cinematic landscape has been extraordinary, and paved the way for 3D animation that we're still enjoying today. His two next projects, A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2, were also home runs, and will always hold a special place in our hearts. His last two films, Cars and Cars 2, however, will not. When Cars was released the opinion that it was one of Pixar's weakest films was pretty much unanimous. However, it led to astronomical toy sales which garnered it a derivative, obvious cash-cow of a sequel, Cars 2. Cars 2 was universally hated and many claimed that it was the first foot in the grave for Pixar, who - until then -had enjoyed a near perfect track record.