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News & Current Events Mar 24, 2026 at 4:31 PM

When has a talented actor fully committed to a movie they know is bad?

Posted by finallyoneisnttaken

A post in the Oscars sub made me want to ask this, I love when an actor can obviously tell a movie isn’t good but they don’t phone in their performance and make it fun to watch. My two to get started: Matthew McConaughey in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. His full commitment to his over the top performance makes a bad movie a really fun watch. Nic Cage in pretty much everything he’s in. The man never half asses an assignment and it’s always entertaining. EDIT: Honorary mention to Surviving Christmas (2004). Ben Affleck knows it’s bad and doesn’t take his role seriously at all but somehow gives it just the right amount of ridiculous overacting, and he’s next to James Gandolfini who seems like he wants to punch him for real. 10/10.
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ShamelessSpiff Mar 24, 2026 +2484
As Christopher Lee once said. All actors must occasionally be in terrible movies. The secret is to never be terrible in them.
2484
StillStanding_96 Mar 24, 2026 +375
He was one of the greats
375
gotthelowdown Mar 24, 2026 +156
Another great British actor had a similar message: [Why is it important for an actor to keep working - even if it's a crappy film - Actor Michael Caine](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LZ8Th9qvDr4) Sharing these just for fun: [This Is How Michael Caine Speaks - The Trip - BBC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFIQIpC5_wY) [The Trip to Italy \(Clip\) Michael Caine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vukpjl44Yo0) [A Night Out with Michael Caine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeC0-tj_IMA&t=12s)
156
LeftSky828 Mar 24, 2026 +57
Spoken like someone who made $1M for starring in Jaws 4.
57
gotthelowdown Mar 24, 2026 +131
Ha ha, that was a great moment. He's said it on earlier occasions, but this was the video I was able to find: [Michael Caine talks about Jaws The Revenge](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P4CLrC2xLw) > Denton: “When you bought [your mom] her first house, what was that like for you?” > > Caine: “Oh, that was incredible for me, for my mother to have a house. ‘Cause we grew up in council houses, you know.” > > Denton: “She was worried you couldn’t afford it.” > > Caine: “What I did is…one of the worst pictures I did, it was a picture…I think it was called *Jaws 4*.” > > Denton: “*The Revenge*.” > > Caine: “*The Revenge*, yeah. I had a little part in that. And I was paid a million dollars for two weeks’ work. And with that money, I bought her the house. Someone said to me, ‘I saw that Jaws 4. It stinks.’ I said, ‘I haven’t seen it, but I’ve seen the house it bought my mother, and it’s marvelous [laughs].”
131
Drunk_Pilgrim Mar 25, 2026 +50
I have never seen the full quote. Always thought it was a vacation home he bought for himself. The fact he bought it for his mom makes this ten times better.
50
No_Manager_4344 Mar 24, 2026 +18
“Don’t make great spaces in your life where you don’t do what you do.” -Michael Caine
18
Brock_Hard_Canuck Mar 24, 2026 +306
I feel like Nicolas Cage is the patron saint of this LOL I remember reading a thread on r/movies about Nicolas Cage a while back, and one of the top comments said something to the effect of "There are no bad Nicolas Cage performances, only bad Nicolas Cage movies".
306
nowhereman136 Mar 24, 2026 +201
Nicolas Cage is one of the few mainstream actors that still treats acting as an art form. He's willing to experiment and do stuff unconventional. He makes creative choices and commits to those choices, for better or worse.
201
Brock_Hard_Canuck Mar 24, 2026 +141
One of my favourite movies is The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, where Cage plays a highly fictionalized version of himself. The main plot of the movie is that Pedro Pascal plays a billionaire playboy who is a Cage superfan, and offers Cage a lot of money to make a special appearance at his birthday party... but Pascal's character may or may not be involved in international weapons and drug deals, and the CIA asks Cage to spy on him as part of a mission to observe Pascal's character. Wacky hijinks ensue. I'm not sure how many other actors other than Cage would be willing to take on (and absolutely nail) a role that is, yeah... experimental and unconventional like that.
141
nowhereman136 Mar 24, 2026 +107
I would argue that John Malkovich took on a similar job in Being John Malkovich. Again he played a fictionalized version of himself that would only work with someone like him in the role. It was bizzare and daring but he accepted the challenge. Charlie Kaufman wrote the script with Malkovich in mind before Malkovich was even approached. Had Malkovich said no, they likely wouldn't have pivoted to another actor and the script would've just died.
107
whereitsat23 Mar 24, 2026 +37
Nic Cage was my first thought, as he just melts into whatever role and delivers 110%
37
Brock_Hard_Canuck Mar 24, 2026 +56
I love the Community episode where we get to see the students in a film class about Nicolas Cage movies, and Abed goes crazy trying to properly analyze Cage's acting style and performances. "Abed, how much Nicolas Cage did you watch..." **"ENOUGH!!"**
56
mephnick Mar 24, 2026 +15
"...that was brilliant."
15
jmmccarley Mar 24, 2026 +11
That terrible southern accent in Con Air says otherwise, at least about bad performances.
11
chadowan Mar 24, 2026 +59
Man With the Golden Gun is definitely a below average Bond movie, but Lee is still an all time great Bond villain as Francisco Scaramanga.
59
Inhocooks Mar 24, 2026 +60
Reminds me of when I played sports as a kid. The coaches would always say, you play to your level of talent, you dont play to the other teams level of talent. Basically saying that if you are playing a shitty team, don't take the win for granted and give the game the same amount of attention and energy that you would in a championship level game.
60
Deranged_Kitsune Mar 24, 2026 +16
Given his presence in Howling 2, that tracks.
16
mattr1198 Mar 24, 2026 +438
Sir Anthony Hopkins in Transformers 5. Dude knows he’s in a Transformers movie, hams it up, and is fully down to be blown up by a Decepticon in slow motion
438
rwbdanr Mar 24, 2026 +63
Came here for this one. Him flipping off the camera had me howling
63
mollybeesknees Mar 24, 2026 +22
Every time I see it I am blown away that HANNIBAL LECTER is some cameo in one of the worst Transformers movies
22
loves_grapefruit Mar 24, 2026 +299
Adam Driver in Megalopolis. I love how straight he plays it, his performance was great. Aubrey Plaza’s performance was also great but in the opposite way.
299
Affectionate_Bet_288 Mar 24, 2026 +119
Yeah, Aubrey Plaza is amazing just LEANING IN to the insanity. She's also fascinating in Megadoc, the behind-the scenes documentary.
119
Davegrave Mar 24, 2026 +85
Adam Driver in Career Day on SNL. He should have won an Oscar for that 3 minute sketch.
85
battlecat136 Mar 24, 2026 +42
"Now what does an oil barron do? The answer…crush your enemies! Grind their bones into dirt! Make them regret that they were ever born!" Straight faced. Stabbing a stuffed crow with a cane. No notes.
42
Devil25_Apollo25 Mar 24, 2026 +70
Also Adam Driver in any movie that wasn't a hit with broader audiences - *65*, *House of Gucci*, and the *Star Wars* sequels, as examples. No matter the project, Driver seems to be determined that should a project fail, it will not do so *because of him*.
70
magus-21 Mar 24, 2026 +1144
Jeremy Irons in Dungeons and Dragons. [Dude was just *having fun*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyr2JBUkJbs)
1144
TheGlen Mar 24, 2026 +337
He was also the only one that understood what movie he was in
337
finallyoneisnttaken Mar 24, 2026 +115
That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for
115
tco_OG Mar 24, 2026 +62
Uma Thurman in Batman & Robin
62
Charlaquin Mar 24, 2026 +47
Well, he was the only one who both understood what movie he was in, and was there for it. Thora Birch understood the assignment and said “no.” Richard O’Brian was also having fun, but his part was pretty small.
47
myblackmirror Mar 24, 2026 +68
Also Jeremy Irons in House of Gucci. There’s a strange transition where he starts the film giving a good performance but when he shares his first scene with Jared Leto, he suddenly becomes hammy and OTT, like that was his first clue of what this movie really was
68
Dirty_Bird_RDS Mar 24, 2026 +39
Also Jeremy Irons in Eragon. That movie was such a mess but JI played his character flawlessly
39
kloiberin_time Mar 24, 2026 +144
I will die on the hill that if Jeremy Irons was pickier in his roles he'd be talked about by the mainstream like Gary Oldman and Michael Caine as one of the best actors of his generation. Instead I think the dude just loves to act and will be in anything. Like Nicholas Cage, there are no bad Jeremy Irons performances, just bad moves that feature a Jeremy Irons.
144
worklaw Mar 24, 2026 +79
That same Michael Caine also said "I have never seen the film [Jaws 4], but by all accounts it was terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific."
79
finallyoneisnttaken Mar 24, 2026 +227
I didn’t realize they made a DnD movie in 2000 I thought I had to defend the Chris Pine one for a second
227
Lightwander Mar 24, 2026 +200
You will never defend the chris pine one alone as long as I still breathe.
200
finallyoneisnttaken Mar 24, 2026 +206
Yeah no problem I’m ready to start defending it I just really think we should wait for Jarnathan
206
chucklesthepaul88 Mar 24, 2026 +67
JARNATHAN!!!!!
67
nocolon Mar 24, 2026 +8
I love the way her voice kind of warbles as she shouts his name.
8
Kaldricus Mar 24, 2026 +48
We are capable of discussing DADHAT without Jarnathan
48
GravSlingshot Mar 24, 2026 +47
Are you sure? I just think that should wait until Jarnathan gets here.
47
Freakjob_003 Mar 24, 2026 +23
Amazing film. I've been playing D&D and other TTRPGs for 15+ years, and this was the closest and best adaptation ever of a tabletop experience. For example, one small detail that may be overlooked by the average viewers; the moment where the Intellict Devourers pass by the party without attacking and Pine's character says, "well that's disappointing," it's because none of them are an Int-based class, and thus not a target. I was the VP of my university's D&D club, and the producers sent us free tickets and a bunch of merch. Deeply sad it didn't perform at the box office, though it does seem to have gained a cult following. The funniest thing they could do was make a sequel with the exact same actors playing different classes in a different campaign. Give it to us!
23
donorcycle Mar 24, 2026 +36
I don't know squat about D&D but I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. Was a pleasant surprise.
36
malphonso Mar 24, 2026 +7
It did a really good job of giving the feeling of playing a session with friends.
7
Dagmar_Overbye Mar 24, 2026 +8
I can imagine attacking that movie on reddit would have you buried in hours. It's a well made movie about nerdy stuff that both owned the cheesiness and nailed several aspects of DnD that people who actually play notice and appreciate. It's like the Trifecta of internet love for a movie. Respects the niche audience, appeals to the mainstream, and stand in its own as a good film.
8
Twoheaven Mar 24, 2026 +38
The new Pine/Rodriguez one is awesome. But I've always loved the 2000 one with Irons, its so campy and fun and Irons just rocks.
38
FisherKelTath00 Mar 24, 2026 +30
What’s there to defend on the Pine one? It was great.
30
magus-21 Mar 24, 2026 +21
He thought I was saying the Chris Pine one was a "bad movie" (as per the thread title), and so was about to defend it until he realized I was talking about the first DnD movie.
21
KB_Sez Mar 24, 2026 +33
Dude was just paying for a new roof for his home. Seriously, he totally admits this in interviews at the time
33
EmpPaulpatine Mar 24, 2026 +30
Not just a normal home but a castle he refurbished in Ireland
30
_BindersFullOfWomen_ Mar 24, 2026 +23
An he earned every shingle.
23
CharlieParkour Mar 24, 2026 +28
Jeremy's iron.
28
outerspaceNH Mar 24, 2026 +23
I have a ball.. Perhaps you'd like to bounce it
23
film_bro_35 Mar 24, 2026 +605
Gerard Butler fully commits the every movie he’s in. 90% of the movies he makes are dog shit and I think he knows it too but regardless, you can always tell he’s giving it his all which I have to admire him for.
605
TheLateThagSimmons Mar 24, 2026 +272
Gerard Butler is up there with Jason Statham. There's a very high chance that whatever he's leading is absolute shit. But those movies dumb fun. I appreciate how both leads are used in movies that are completely self aware.
272
GlassjawXVIII Mar 24, 2026 +40
Love Jason Statham. You know what you’re getting and it’s always fantastic
40
epicfail1994 Mar 24, 2026 +99
I usually dislike Melissa McCarthy movies as it’s just not my type of humor But Statham was hilarious in Spy
99
EmmitSan Mar 24, 2026 +67
I watched the woman I love get tossed from a plane and hit by another plane in midair. I drove a car off a freeway from a train while it was on fire. Not the car. *I* was on fire. - Rick Ford
67
gotthelowdown Mar 24, 2026 +29
> But Statham was hilarious in Spy. Yes! He was so funny. That's why I'm curious about his upcoming movie that looks to tap into that side of him: [Big-Budget Jason Statham-David Leitch Action-Comedy ‘Jason Statham Stole My Bike’ Arrives To Heat Up Berlin Market](https://deadline.com/2026/02/jason-statham-david-letich-big-budget-comedy-stole-my-bike-1236719048/) >Plot details are being kept under wraps, but we’re told it’ll see Statham “in the role of a lifetime, playing global action superstar Jason Statham.“ >We hear the budget is being set north of $80M — an increasingly rare proposition in the indie marketplace — and the project includes a number of major action set pieces. It’s being conceived as a PG-13 with tongue in cheek, per the movie’s meta title. Sounds like this could be for Statham what *The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent* was for Nicholas Cage. I imagine the setup playing out like this scene from *The Transporter 2*: ['Transporter 2' review clip 5: Jet Ski Chase](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpIcaHiKB1s) ~~Fun fact: Statham was dating Kelly Brook at the time, the girl on the jet ski.~~ Update: that was incorrect.
29
ahorrribledrummer Mar 24, 2026 +44
Gerard Butler *Dadcore* movies are so satisfying. Just food dumb fun.
44
FX114 Mar 24, 2026 +16
He's an actor who is consistently better than just about every movie he's in.
16
Diseman81 Mar 24, 2026 +464
Gary Oldman in Tiptoes. It is his role of a lifetime;)
464
LongKnight115 Mar 24, 2026 +295
I love Peter Dinklage’s take on it. “And I have my own opinions about political correctness, but I was just like, ‘It's Gary Oldman. He can do whatever he wants’”
295
The_Gil_Galad Mar 24, 2026 +86
Dinklage's character quotes Mao Zedong during a dinner party scene. His role was just as wild.
86
Walkupandout Mar 24, 2026 +47
Honestly, that’s the healthiest take one could have
47
nigevellie Mar 24, 2026 +124
Gary Oldman doesn't phone it in ever.
124
IceFrogger1313 Mar 24, 2026 +87
When Gary Oldman dies his family will look at the head stone and say, "Holy c***, I had no idea he was played by Gary Oldman!".
87
Rakim_Allah777 Mar 25, 2026 +8
Fifth Element is a great example. He hated making it but you'd never know
8
SmokingCryptid Mar 24, 2026 +881
[Raul Julia immortalized this in his final film role as M. Bison](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjZ5I8l32CI) in the 1994 Street Fighter movie. He did the role for his kids while dying of stomach cancer.
881
Funandgeeky Mar 24, 2026 +97
This is always my answer. He understood the assignment and every scene with him is spectacular. And the classic "Tuesday" scene is legitimately good moviemaking. His co-star in the scene, Ming-Na Wen, would go on to voice Mulan. And she's probably the second best performer in the movie. (She's also fantastic in Agents of SHIELD and made that silly show well worth watching.)
97
granadesnhorseshoes Mar 24, 2026 +30
She's good enough that I don't connect her to her various roles. It never occurred to me watching SHIELD that she was Chun Li.
30
zalurker Mar 24, 2026 +202
For me, it was Tuesday.
202
Hank_Scorpio_ObGyn Mar 24, 2026 +55
Today is Tuesday for all of us!
55
FX114 Mar 24, 2026 +21
Not those in Australia or Japan!
21
Hank_Scorpio_ObGyn Mar 24, 2026 +16
Good point. F*** you, time zones.
16
PresJamesGarfield Mar 24, 2026 +38
For real. Raul Julia's performance deserved a much better movie.
38
snrup1 Mar 24, 2026 +42
Best answer. He put on an awesome performance for a garbage movie.
42
thebigeverybody Mar 24, 2026 +286
Dennis Hopper in Super Mario Brothers and Waterworld.
286
EdmundTheInsulter Mar 24, 2026 +71
Waterworld wasn't that bad, or was it?
71
SimoneNonvelodico Mar 24, 2026 +94
People seem to dislike it for some reason. Personally I think for what it's trying to be (a dumb Mad Max ripoff with boats) it's plenty fun.
94
FX114 Mar 24, 2026 +34
It has a reputation as being a famous box office failure, and people assume that means it was a bad movie.
34
ankercrank Mar 24, 2026 +12
When the movie came out it was very poorly received. I remember people going crazy over the “massive” $60m budget…
12
kloiberin_time Mar 24, 2026 +18
Check out Space Truckers for a great performance by Hopper in just the worst movie ever.
18
Pale_Plenty_1913 Mar 24, 2026 +163
Frank Langella in Masters of the Universe, was great as Skeletor. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ek2ArdQM4c](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ek2ArdQM4c)
163
True_to_you Mar 24, 2026 +32
He says that it's one of his favorite roles too. He clearly has fun with it. 
32
iamasatellite Mar 24, 2026 +13
*I... am... a GOD! KNEEEL*  It's so good. I wish there was a sequel like they teased at the end.
13
CursedSnowman5000 Mar 24, 2026 +27
Dude chewed that role up and spoke as though he was in a Shakespeare production.
27
badhamster89 Mar 24, 2026 +140
Samuel L Jackson - snakes on a plane
140
bluejester12 Mar 24, 2026 +90
He knew what he was getting into. When the studio tried to change the title he fought them on it.
90
FX114 Mar 24, 2026 +66
I believe it was a working title, and he accepted the role on the specific condition they made it the real title.
66
Slaphappydap Mar 24, 2026 +63
My memory isn't so good. He liked the snakes, right? He was happy they were on the plane? He embraced the situation and was calm throughout?
63
ShiftlessElement Mar 24, 2026 +51
He was actually not at all fond of the snakes and demanded immediate action to rectify the situation.
51
kloiberin_time Mar 24, 2026 +44
I'M TIRED OF THESE MONKEY FIGHTING SNAKES, ON THIS MONDAY TO FRIDAY PLANE!
44
CharliePinglass Mar 24, 2026 +28
Seeing this movie in a packed theater opening weekend was so much fun, one of my favorite movie going experiences. Audience was just riffing on what was happening on screen the whole time, and when it came time for Samuel L. Jackson to say the titular line, the whole theater said it with him.
28
drethnudrib Mar 24, 2026 +8
That was such a blast. Only time in my life I've ever been hit in the face by a rubber snake.
8
undeadsabby Mar 24, 2026 +226
Kenneth Branagh in Wild Wild West. He's so hammy and scenery-chewing, he's one of my favorite things about it.
226
Shittalking_mushroom Mar 24, 2026 +60
I feel like after so much Shakespeare and other literary adaptations in the 90’s, the guy must have relished doing a ridiculous cartoon villain with *that* accent.
60
BluePopple Mar 24, 2026 +26
The movie is good bad.
26
Early_Grade_8387 Mar 24, 2026 +63
In such a dumb movie, he sure was a breath of fresh ass.
63
buickgnx88 Mar 24, 2026 +26
Now let’s all get some shut-ass.
26
Toby_Forrester Mar 24, 2026 +15
His performance really took me off my feet.
15
qoes Mar 24, 2026 +19
Branagh is at his absolute best when he's hamming it up and dialing it up to 11. Knowing that, no one should have let him play Hercule Poirot
19
sadranjr Mar 24, 2026 +52
I f****** love Michael Sheen's performance in the Twilight movies. He is loving his job, you can tell lol.
52
AiR-P00P Mar 24, 2026 +9
Sheen rocks everything he's in. Castor in Tron Legacy was also a good role for him. 
9
BeanBag2004 Mar 24, 2026 +208
Every bad Christian Bale movie, which is sadly a lot of movies. Buddy is a generational actor that is terrible at picking scripts.
208
imBobertRobert Mar 24, 2026 +32
The Bride! I was honestly shocked how his Frankenstein was one of the worst parts of the film. 100% a writing issue, Bale acted his heart out as wacky-mobster-caveman-frankenstein
32
WeDriftEternal Mar 24, 2026 +15
The acting in this movie was actually pretty killer. Not you Penelope Cruz. But otherwise yes.
15
Wimry Mar 24, 2026 +86
Man i, love me that gun karate movie he's in. 
86
slammaster Mar 24, 2026 +131
Did you reply to the wrong thread? We were talking about bad Christian Bale movies, not revolutionary ones. The movie is 2002's Equilibrium. If you haven't seen it prepare to be amazed.
131
MKPark Mar 24, 2026 +58
And it's Gun Kata, thank you very much. Not Gun Karate -- totally different thing, obviously.
58
dkviper11 Mar 24, 2026 +36
It says “Forget the Matrix!” right on the dvd cover.
36
fcewen00 Mar 24, 2026 +13
the opening of the movie massive amounts of gunfire "did we get him?" bang bang bang
13
TheGRS Mar 24, 2026 +8
I watched that movie at least 10 times in high school. It’s great fun. Also one of the best Fahrenheit 451 inspired scripts we’ve gotten, which seems really odd when you think about it.
8
SloppityNurglePox Mar 24, 2026 +14
Absolutely wasted in Thor. I'd love to see what ended up on the cutting room floor
14
BB-Zwei Mar 24, 2026 +22
The best comment I've seen on Love and Thunder was "I want to see the movie Christian Bale thought he was in"
22
[deleted] Mar 24, 2026 +316
Christian Bale in Thor Love and Thunder
316
sygrider Mar 24, 2026 +107
I wonder if he, or anyone involved, actually knew it sucked until it was all put together.
107
TheGlen Mar 24, 2026 +185
I just wish we got to see the movie that Christian Bale thought he was making
185
IHaveSpecialEyes Mar 24, 2026 +39
https://imgflip.com/i/anhjjt
39
Phelinaar Mar 24, 2026 +35
I doubt he knew, his scenes are all pretty good,. including the ones where he interacts with the main cast.
35
endlessincoherence Mar 24, 2026 +31
That's a good point. Mighty Thor, the Jane Foster comics are very good. So, anybody that read the source material probably expected it to be a lot better.
31
Deranged_Kitsune Mar 24, 2026 +58
I wanted so badly for Natalie Portman to go on a long, loud, and very angry rant during the hospital scene where we learn about her condition. Between "F*** cancer" and "F*** being the helpless damsel" and "I'm taking **charge of my life even if it might kill me faster**", there was so much about the situation that could have made for a pretty epic and emotional soliloquy. And Portman was entirely capable of delivering that. Frankly, I was expecting it, where she just unleashes all the anger and sorrow she must have over the situation (both dying and being effectively abandoned by Thor, being forced to find her own way), but we never got it, because the writing of that film was ass.
58
kakapoopoopeepeeshir Mar 24, 2026 +34
Imagine if we had gotten a serious intense Thor movie with Bales performance. Such a massive what if
34
TheGlen Mar 24, 2026 +44
Christopher Plummer in Star Crash.  Everything in that movie was awful and he decided to go h******* Shakespearean.
44
finallyoneisnttaken Mar 24, 2026 +7
This is going straight to the top of my watch list
7
WaltMitty Mar 24, 2026 +12
Have mercy on yourself and [just watch the MST3K version](https://youtu.be/to6oKFR4REE?si=Ce0W9U5MoTyW3kgK).
12
ExtensionParsley4205 Mar 24, 2026 +42
Michael Fassbender in the Assassin's Creed film. He was actually a fan of the games and the lore, and definitely committed to the role even though the film was terrible.
42
SheneedaCocktail Mar 24, 2026 +35
Gina Gershon in Showgirls. She tosses a knowing glance to the camera every time she makes eye contact with it. "Yeah, I know. My agent set this up, whaddayagonnadooo... I'm here now, let's do this thing!"
35
DahmerIsDead Mar 24, 2026 +14
She's the only one who knows exactly what movie she's in and she plays it up gloriously
14
timeaisis Mar 24, 2026 +125
Ernie Hudson in Congo. I would watch 10 more movies with that character.
125
monstere316 Mar 24, 2026 +64
Add Laura Linney, Delroy Lindo and Tim Curry to that list.
64
ihaveadarkedge Mar 24, 2026 +57
And a brief appearance from Bruce Campbell! And yes, I **love** Congo.
57
Funandgeeky Mar 24, 2026 +13
It's a fantastic 90s movie with a stacked cast. It's utterly silly, but I also loved it.
13
buickgnx88 Mar 24, 2026 +31
Stop eating his sesame cakes!
31
BarnacleMcBarndoor Mar 24, 2026 +11
Tim Curry is a delight in everything he’s been in.
11
zerohm Mar 24, 2026 +15
The 90s had a bunch of these action / thrillers that the hype or marketing around them was very dark and mysterious, but then the actual movie was kind of silly or didn't have the same edge. The movie going experience was a let down, but they have since become beloved over time.
15
dumbestsmartest Mar 24, 2026 +15
Dude, all of Michael Crichton's movie adaptations after Jurassic Park got hit with that curse. I remember being a very young kid during the 90s reading his books and sphere and Congo scared me almost as much as Jurassic Park. Then I saw the movies and was so bummed out. Then I learned about his politics in my teens and college and got bummed out again.
15
Krg60 Mar 24, 2026 +13
“I’m your Great White Hunter, except I’m black.”
13
film_bro_35 Mar 24, 2026 +16
Lowkey I love this movie though lol
16
CaptainChewbacca Mar 24, 2026 +139
Raul Julia had no business going as hard in Street Fighter as he did. But he was dying, and did the movie for his kids.
139
VVrayth Mar 24, 2026 +28
He single-handedly lifted that movie from "bad" to "awesomely bad." It's an iconic career performance for him, so much so that they obviously have David Dastmalchian doing a similar hammy/unserious M. Bison take in the upcoming Street Fighter movie.
28
bupde Mar 24, 2026 +34
Matt Damon talks about it when doing the Wall or whatever it was called, the Chinese movie he did. He knew it was not going well and was going to be bad, and had to keep filming far from home for several months, but his wife talked him into sticking with it and being a pro.
34
drmojo90210 Mar 24, 2026 +26
I remember watching the trailer for that movie and thinking: "Oh great, another white savior period piece where a foreign soldier visits an Asian country and leads their armies to victory against invading WHAT THE F*** THEY'RE FIGHTING LITERAL DRAGONS!?!?"
26
septober32nd Mar 24, 2026 +10
>or whatever it was called "The Great Wall"
10
jfinn1319 Mar 24, 2026 +83
Christopher Walken in [Balls of Fury](https://youtu.be/V9M3oTiEJBE?si=bxWIYRz7IOM0Ywxl) is my go to example for this. Could I have picked any example from his catalog in the last 20 years? Yes. But this one is arguably the most absurd.
83
ExtensionParsley4205 Mar 24, 2026 +35
Can't believe I'm saying this, but that was an underrated comedy.
35
Sleazy-Wonder Mar 24, 2026 +99
Sam Rockwell acts the hell out of every trash movie he is in. When in actuality, he should be on the Mount Rushmore of his acting generation, but will most likely be completely forgotten in 10 more years.
99
buickgnx88 Mar 24, 2026 +51
He also acts the hell out of non-trash movies like Galaxy Quest
51
Silent_Syren Mar 24, 2026 +9
And Moon.
9
-Sinhealer- Mar 24, 2026 +17
You should maybe watch the remake of 'Poltergeist' he was terrible in it and he knew the film would be awful so didn't make any effort at all. I'm a huge fan of his but he really did telephone this part in, maybe even while he was busy spending the money from it...
17
igotmoneynow Mar 24, 2026 +31
idk why this is so funny to me but i've never seen someone say the full word telephone for phoning it in. love it.
31
_BindersFullOfWomen_ Mar 24, 2026 +10
His latest movie is incredible. Well, he’s incredible. The movie is about a foot past the third rail.
10
cometparty Mar 25, 2026 +8
Sam Rockwell is an Oscar winning actor. He absolutely will not be forgotten in 10 years. Wtf
8
Huh1979 Mar 24, 2026 +48
I can’t believe I scrolled to the end of this thread and didn’t see Sir Ben Kingsley mentioned one single time. He is the GOAT at being in some of the greatest and worst films of all time. The man has starred in  Ghandi Schindler’s List S*** Beast and also The Love Guru Thunderbirds Bloodrayne
48
pepperpat64 Mar 24, 2026 +29
I spent half of *Iron Man 3* wondering when Ben Kingsley's character was gonna show up. He was so ridiculous (in a good way) in it.
29
fcewen00 Mar 24, 2026 +8
as wells as in the Ten Rings.
8
TheIgnoredWriter Mar 24, 2026 +43
Fast X is objectively terrible but Jason Momoa is the life blood of that entire trash bag.
43
finallyoneisnttaken Mar 24, 2026 +20
I understand why someone might not like them but I have nothing bad to say about those movies they’re fun af
20
urnialbologna Mar 24, 2026 +7
Finally, someone with the same opinion as me lol. I'll happily watch all 11 F&F movies. I watch movies to relax and unwind, not to think. And the F&F movies are comfort movies for me!
7
finallyoneisnttaken Mar 24, 2026 +9
I watched 5 with my girlfriend and the dumbness is the appeal. She wanted more ridiculousness so I showed her 7 and we laughed our asses off. Then we watched 10 because I hadn’t seen it and she tried to piece the lore together while watching the rest in reverse order, it was chaotic af but so much fun.
9
HardSteelRain Mar 24, 2026 +21
Gene Hackman referred to The Poseidon Adventure as a money job...same could be said of,Superman 4,Lucky Lady,March or Die and his last movie Welcome to Mooseport...but I've never thought he phoned any of those performances in
21
aresef Mar 24, 2026 +20
Sir Christopher Lee was the patron saint of these movies. So are actors like Eric Roberts, Sir Gary Oldman and Rhys Davies. If the money's right, they'll be in your piece of shit and they'll be great in it. There's a whole page on TVTropes called Money, Dear Boy, about great actors taking roles you might think would be beneath them because they have bills to pay. Raul Julia, when he was dying of cancer, let his kids pick which job he would take. That's how he found himself on the set of Street Fighter, fully committing to M. Bison despite the mess that unfolded. Liam Neeson thought Taken was easy money, would take his mind off his wife's death and would go straight to DTV hell. He guessed wrong about that part. Timothy Olyphant did Live Free or Die Hard and Hitman because Deadwood had just been canceled and rent was due. Rachel Zegler was fine in the Shazam sequel. She only did it, though, because West Side Story was on ice during Covid and it was either do Shazam or lose her SAG-AFTRA health benefits.
20
WithMealsPunk Mar 24, 2026 +58
Tom Hanks has said (and I agree) that some of his best performances were during his string of flops in the 80’s: Turner and Hooch, The Burbs, Joe vs. the Volcano, etc
58
wray_nerely Mar 24, 2026 +30
Joe vs. the Volcano is a f****** masterpiece and I will fight anyone who says otherwise (and arguably, Meg Ryan went harder in that movie than Hanks did)
30
whambulance_man Mar 24, 2026 +22
Tom Hanks in Turner & Hooch when he's feeding the dog treats (and trying them himself) is hilarious and made me wonder why he stopped doing comedies, because in addition to being hilarious it also feels entirely real, just like any kinda goofy guy going a bit stir-crazy and playing with his dog.
22
MagicBandAid Mar 24, 2026 +16
I actually like Joe vs the Volcano. Mazes and Monsters, on the other hand, is dismal.
16
Negative_Gravitas Mar 24, 2026 +14
I thought that Joe Versus the volcano and The Burbs were both really, really good. I still sometimes talk about having a brain cloud. About a week before I watched Turner and Hooch with my girlfriend at the time, my family had had to put down a dog we had raised and loved for 12 years. At the end of that movie, and despite the hopeful note, I was an absolute and helpless f****** mess.
14
DuckterDoom Mar 24, 2026 +11
Each of those movies is a gem and I'll have words with anyone that says otherwise.
11
SheneedaCocktail Mar 24, 2026 +28
Joe vs the Volcano is goddamn hilarious though. I still tell people at work I have a brain cloud sometimes.
28
ELMUNECODETACOMA Mar 24, 2026 +12
This. "Joe vs. the Volcano" was in no way, shape or form a \_bad\_ movie. It was an \_unsuccessful\_ movie.
12
wildfire393 Mar 24, 2026 +83
Eddie Redmayne in Jupiter Ascending. He knew there was no way it'd be anything other than a beautiful disaster and so decided to chew the scenery as hard as he could. https://youtu.be/o_6esGbks60
83
SheneedaCocktail Mar 24, 2026 +21
One of my \*favorite\* beautiful disasters. And I agree with you, he is magnificent in it.
21
wildfire393 Mar 24, 2026 +17
It almost could have worked if Kunis and Tatum had even the slightest bit of chemistry, but I saw it in theaters and the whole theater burst out laughing any time they had an interaction that was supposed to be romantic, it was just so bad. The film is visually stunning and probably could have pulled off a campier/more humorous atmosphere a la Fifth Element, but it seemed to take itself far too seriously (except for the bureaucracy scene which could have been ripped straight from Hitchhiker's Guide or Brazil) for a plot that was ultimately nonsensical
17
Gone_For_Lunch Mar 24, 2026 +34
Nic Cage, that’s it, just Nic Cage.
34
JeffRyan1 Mar 24, 2026 +49
The British in general excel in this. Their job is to be good in the movie, not to make a good movie.
49
Drongo17 Mar 24, 2026 +29
I do love old British B-movies, because often the actors even in tiny roles are absurdly good. I assume there was a glut of theatre-trained actors available. The actor playing "Man killed by dalek" who gets 8 seconds of screen time probably played Hamlet.
29
pepperpat64 Mar 24, 2026 +13
Matthew Lillard as Shaggy in *Scooby-Doo*. Joan Crawford as anthropologist Dr. Brockton in *Trog*.
13
Rhea_33 Mar 24, 2026 +15
Amy Adams in the night at the museum sequel. She makes me feel like Amelia earhart really is alive on screen with her performance and then Ben stiller and crew phone it in. Especially stiller he is so bad.
15
SashaMarie2617 Mar 24, 2026 +29
Dan Aykroyd in Coneheads. He did media promotion in full conehead attire and it still bombed.
29
Average_Pimpin Mar 24, 2026 +33
Dafoe in The Boondock Saints
33
fcewen00 Mar 24, 2026 +22
THERE WAS A FIRE FIGHT!!!!
22
CipherNine9 Mar 25, 2026 +9
You think the boondock saints was a bad movie? The first one was great, I've not heard the same about its sequel though, and I haven't had a chance to see it
9
nevermind-stet Mar 24, 2026 +39
John Goodman in Arachnophobia
39
Deranged_Kitsune Mar 24, 2026 +44
Really, John Goodman in anything. Apparently he scared the director of 10 Cloverfield Lane, he played the character so well.
44
IAmCBOY2 Mar 24, 2026 +21
The movie is pretty good and has a 93 on Rotten Tomatoes. What are you talking about?
21
Miserable_Aspect_749 Mar 24, 2026 +11
That's not a bad movie at all, but agree that it is a great performance.,
11
Nail_Biterr Mar 24, 2026 +24
(motions to most of Nic Cage's work)
24
winthroprd Mar 24, 2026 +11
Pedro Pascal in Wonder Woman 1984
11
urban_snowshoer Mar 24, 2026 +36
Michael Caine in *Jaws 3: the Revenge*.
36
TheVelveteenReddit Mar 24, 2026 +30
Excuse you, Michael Caine is in Jaws 4. The third movie is Jaws 3-D and it's actually worse.
30
Zrex_9224 Mar 24, 2026 +14
I will not accept this slander that Jaws 3-D is worse than Jaws 4
14
DavianVonLorring Mar 24, 2026 +31
>"I have never seen the film, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific."
31
oldmanjenkins51 Mar 24, 2026 +19
You can just tell in Oscar Issac’s voice in “Somehow Palpatine returned”
19
Epic-x-lord_69 Mar 24, 2026 +7
Everyone in “Serenity” (2019). Seeing actors of that level deliver the dialogue that was written for them was truly a treat.
7
crm115 Mar 24, 2026 +54
Alan Rickman in Robin Hood Price of Thieves
54
CursedSnowman5000 Mar 24, 2026 +27
What? That movies awesome.
27
Klutzy-Delivery-5792 Mar 24, 2026 +15
Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis in *Borderlands*
15
lihingpineapple Mar 24, 2026 +7
Assuming they knew these movies were going to be bad, Margot Robbie and Viola Davis in the first Suicide Squad; and Woody Harrelson in Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
7
TokyoDrifblim Mar 24, 2026 +7
I appreciate how hard Matt Smith committed in Morbius while everyone else including Jared Leto was completely checked out
7
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