6. The Next Karate Kid (1994)
In Boston, karate master Mr Miyagi meets Julie, the granddaughter of his deceased friend. Julie has recently lost her parents in a car accident and feels responsible for their death. When Julie shows an aptitude for karate, Mr Miyagi agrees to train her and help her come to terms with her loss.
The Next Karate Kid was a critical and financial failure. The film only made $15.8 million against its $12 million budget and made a significantly lower amount of money compared to its predecessors. Subsequently, The Next Karate Kid marked the end of the franchise until the remake in 2010.
Although The Next Karate Kid is seen as a failure in many ways, critics did praise the acting. The film is seen as Hilary Swank’s breakthrough performance and five years later would see her go on to win an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Trivia: Hilary Swank beat five hundred other hopefuls to win the role of Julie.
7. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
An idyllic Caribbean cruise with her boyfriend soon turns into a nightmare for Annie Porter when an explosion disables the ship’s communication system and they realise that the ship has been hijacked by a crazed passenger.
Speed 2 was almost universally panned by critics, with the exception of Roger Ebert who gave it three out of four stars. It was also a box office disappointment, only grossing $164.5 million against its budget of $110 million. Speed 2 was nominated for eight Golden Raspberry awards and won the award for Worst Remake or Sequel. The film has been frequently ranked as one of the worst sequels of all time and one of the worst films of all time by some publications.
Keanu Reeves chose not to return for the sequel and Sandra Bullock has since said that she regretted starring in the film. She stated that she “knew it was going to be a big flop” and blamed the script and direction of the film.
Trivia: Sandra Bullock agreed to star in this film in order to get financing for her project Hope Floats.
8. Son of the Mask (2005)
Chaos erupts for cartoonist Tim when both his baby and his dog begin a battle for control of a mask with mysterious powers. Further complicating matters is the arrival of the mischievous Norse god Loki, who also hopes to procure the mask for himself.
Son of the Mask was a box office bomb, grossing $59.9 million against its budget of $84 million. It was also panned by critics and audiences alike. Son of the Mask was the most nominated film at the 2005 Golden Raspberry awards. It was nominated for eight awards and won Worst Remake or Sequel.
Star of the film Jamie Kennedy lamented his experience in making the film and expressed that the lack of control that he had in the film was a major factor in why he felt the film was received so negatively. His experience of making Son of the Mask and the film’s negative reception inspired Kennedy to go on to make the documentary film Heckler.
Trivia: Jim Carrey agreed to reprise his role as The Mask but quit after reading the script, knowing that it would be a flop.
9. Staying Alive (1983)
Six years after Tony Manero won a local disco competition, he is an aspiring Broadway dancer. When he lands a part in a show, he soon finds that being on Broadway is not all about glamour and success. As he falls back into bad habits, he finds that the show is having a detrimental effect on his social life.
Staying Alive may have been a box office success, earning $65 million against its $22 million, but it was panned by film critics. The film is also one of the few films to hold a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
It took several years to convince John Travolta to return to his role as Tony. Initially Travolta disliked the intended script and only after the script was changed with some of Travolta’s ideas, did he agree to sign on. He also asked for Sylvester Stallone to direct the film.
Trivia: Under Sylvester Stallone’s training, Travolta spent five months training and lost twenty pounds for the role.
10. Jaws the Revenge (1987)
Widow Ellen Brody has long been plagued by shark attacks in her family. When she goes to visit her son in the Bahamas, she meets the charming Hoagie and begins a relationship. But her happiness is short lived as a huge shark appears off the coast of the island.
The fourth instalment in the Jaws franchise is widely considered to be one of the worst films ever made. The film was a box office disappointment, earning $52 million against its budget of $23 million. Jaws the Revenge was universally panned by critics and holds a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was nominated for several Golden Raspberry awards and won for Worst Visual Effects.
Michael Caine, who played Hoagie in the film, said of the film “I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible.”
Trivia: Michael Caine was unable to accept his Academy Award for Hannah and Her Sisters because he was busy filming this film.