10 Sci-Fi Movies That Wasted Incredible Premises

When it comes to great movie premises, science-fiction films are often very over-represented in that field. Sci-fi is a genre that really brings out the best in writers and allows them to develop some amazingly unique and high-concept ideas.

When these brilliant premises come together into great films, it's always hugely satisfying but when a great idea is wasted in an entirely underwhelming film it's... to be honest, it's the kind of thing that might make you want to throw something. It really is that infuriating. After all, there are few things in movies that are more frustrating than wasted potential.

As such, these following ten sci-fi films and their waste of brilliant ideas were bitterly disappointing movies. They should've been awesome, but instead they provoked sad thoughts of what they could've been...

Premise: In the Wild West, a frontier town's inhabitants, led by an outlaw (Daniel Craig) and the town's sheriff (Harrison Ford) face off against invading aliens.

That title alone is pretty irresistible and this seemed destined to be a complete blast, especially since it was directed by Jon Favreau and had Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig in leading roles. Alas, Cowboys & Aliens sucks.

The fatal blow here was the tone. Cowboys & Aliens takes itself very seriously and plays everything completely straight rather than embracing the campy fun the title initially suggested. The clash between this serious tone and the inherent ridiculousness of the concept sucked any fun or joy out of the movie and torpedoed the entire thing.

This is possibly the worst recent example of a film ruined by taking itself too seriously and, unsurprisingly, this bombed at the box office.