10 Brilliant Characters Trapped In Terrible Movies

The best characters let down by awful movies.

Gangster Squad Robert Patrick
Warner Bros.

Amongst other things, movies simply wouldn't succeed without compelling characters guiding their stories.

Think of iconic cinematic landmarks like the Star Wars franchise, The Godfather, Psycho, and everything Marvel and DC, and chances are you're picturing the characters that populated the screen throughout their run.

But not all films are as successful as the ones listed above, even if their characters are more than compelling enough to carry the story. Whether the script is lacking that necessary spark, the direction is nonsensical or the overall tone of the picture is inconsistent beyond repair, these ten brilliant characters prove that films need more than a few strong personalities to make them work.

The following films are all terrible, disappointing projects which squandered their potential and left their stars stranded without a paddle, despite their characters being such strong and intriguing additions to the narrative.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

10. Joe Brody - Godzilla (2014)

Gangster Squad Robert Patrick
Legendary Pictures

2014's somehow underwhelming thriller Godzilla watches like nothing more than a desperate attempt to justify the existence of a franchise which hadn't been born yet. It's all build-up and exposition, a story which leads nowhere but looks pretty doing it.

Narratively, the film is thin, told from the perspective of a number of human characters who are both underdeveloped and abysmally performed, and it does very little to justify the fact that Godzilla - the title character! - is barely around.

But there is one saving grace in Bryan Cranston, fresh off the success of Breaking Bad and happy to sink his teeth into the role of short-lived protagonist Joe Brody. Brody not only guides the first half of the movie, but he's also the only character in the film who feels in any way authentic.

Unfortunately, despite the talent involved, Brody doesn't last long, and is replaced in the main role by Aaron Taylor-Johnson's infamously bland protagonist, a character who perfectly symbolises just how dull and unengaging the film actually is. What a shame.

Contributor

I get to write about what I love, so that's pretty cool. Be excellent to each other. You can catch my other work here: https://halfwaydown.substack.com/