10 Terrible Third Acts That Ruined Recent Movies

Gareth Edwards' recent sci-fi epic The Creator is a gorgeously crafted movie that's desperately in pursuit of something, anything close to an actual, original idea. And this is most overpoweringly felt during its chaotic sprint of a third act, which largely tosses aside the evocative world-building and characterisation of the preceding hour-plus for a generic sci-fi blockbuster climax.

The third reel's predictably instigating act is the inevitable kidnapping of simulant Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) by U.S. forces, compelling Sgt. Taylor (John David Washington) to launch a suicidal rescue mission. It's all very pretty, of course, but the action nevertheless feels totally stock - especially a laughable "throw everything at the wall" tussle between Taylor and a tentacled robot, prior to Taylor sacrificing himself to ensure Alphie's safety.

There's not an unpredictable bone in the movie's body, and that's especially true in the rushed, messy final act, which plays things so shockingly safe and generic as to almost entirely undermine The Creator's incredibly impressive technical execution - especially for a mere $80 million budget.