2. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Jon Favreau's high-concept blockbuster was a box office disappointment, grossing less than $175m against a budget of $163m despite boasting a unique premise and an abundance of star power. Based on the title alone, the project had the potential to be a hugely entertaining event movie but Favreau fails to strike the right balance between the story's Western and sci-fi elements (which is hardly surprising given that Cowboys & Aliens has no less than five credited writers), with the end result a tonally-confused and humorless genre mash-up that takes itself far too seriously given the inherent ridiculousness of the central concept. Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford occupy the two main roles, yet outside of the novelty of seeing James Bond and Indiana Jones teaming up on the big screen the two actors are awfully one-note in their performances, failing to expand their characters beyond the genre archetypes of 'brooding, mysterious loner' and 'grizzled veteran' respectively. The supporting cast are also burdened with one-dimensional roles that get increasingly lost in the shuffle of the convoluted narrative; which is a waste of an immensely talented ensemble that features Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, Clancy Brown and Walton Goggins to name but a few.