10 Movies That Had No Chance Of Living Up To The Hype
1. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
To put it simply, the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was the single biggest event in cinematic history when it was released in May 1999. The most highly-anticipated movie ever made, fans were ecstatic at the prospect of returning to the world that had kept Star Wars at the forefront of popular culture for over 20 years.
Until they saw it, anyway.
Sure, some of the action sequences are thrilling and the visual effects were groundbreaking at the time, but the rest of the movie showcased some of George Lucas' worst tendencies. Uninteresting characters, dialogue that bordered on painful, wooden acting, mind-numbing exposition about trade embargoes and Midichlorians and of course, Jar Jar F**king Binks.
The Phantom Menace missed so many marks and left so many fans disappointed, but still managed to earn $924.3m at the global box office during its initial theatrical run based solely on the sixteen years of anticipation that had been building, becoming the second highest-grossing movie in history in the process.
The 3D re-release brought its tally over the billion dollar mark, despite its reputation as one of the most over-hyped and underwhelming blockbusters of all time.