14 Movies That Prove Even the Best Actors Can’t Salvage a Flawed Script

Sometimes a script is so bad that even the best actors in the industry can't save a movie.

A recent online discussion asks for the worst movies that feature the best actors. We're talking legitimately awful movies. Here are the top responses.

1 – Jack Palance in Hawk The Slayer (1980)

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Photo Credit: ITC Entertainment

A 1980 British sword and sorcery adventure film, Hawk the Slayer, follows two sparring brothers fighting to gain control of a magical sword. With over 3K reviews on IMDB, this movie only received a 5.3/10. Palance was injured during a sword fight scene with John Terry. This British film was shot in only six weeks with just over $650,000 to spend.

2 – Dame Judi Dench in Cats (2019)

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Image Caption: Universal Pictures

With a calculated net loss of $113.6 million, the studio hoped the film would call out to young women as counterprogramming against Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Instead, the film's poor performance was attributed to the hostile reception of the trailers, poor reviews, and competition from The Rise of Skywalker.

3 – Ralph Fiennes in The Avengers (1998)

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Image Credit: Warner Bros.

The Avengers was all but universally panned. At one point, Rotten Tomatoes gave it an average score of 2.93/10. A sense of overwhelming dislike dominated the reaction to the film.

Of course, another version of The Avengers would be far better, featuring an entirely different group of Avengers.

4 – Sir Anthony Hopkins in The Road To Wellville (1994)

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Image Credit: Columbia Pictures

The Road to Wellville has its moments, and Anthony Hopkins is always enjoyable, but the movie is far worse than it lets on. Watching this film will only set yourself up for disappointment.

5 – Marlon Brando in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)

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Image Credit: New Line Cinema

American science fiction horror film based on the 1896 novel The Island of Doctor Moreau by H. G. Wells. This third adaption stars Marlon Brando, Val Kilmer, David Thewlis, and Fairuza Balk. This 1996 sci-fi adventure tainted the legacy of all-time Hollywood great Marlon Brando. 

When the film finally crawled into cinemas in August 1996, the much-publicized drama that had erupted behind its scenes cemented its reputation as an unmitigated disaster. 

The shoot of this movie was more tormented than that of Apocolypse Now. Just before the start of production, Brando's daughter committed suicide. Brando refused to learn his lines and, in fact, demanded they be fed him via earpiece during filming.

6 – Nicolas Cage in The Wicker Man (2006)

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Image Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

One fan mentions, “Any movie where Nic Cage gets to wear a bear suit and punch women is a masterpiece! How did that pitch meeting go?” 

Let's be clear here: this movie is pure camp and ultimately pretty bad.

7 – Gary Oldman in Tiptoes (2003)

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Image Credit: Reality Check Productions

Gary Oldman plays a dwarf. It's just as bad as it sounds.

8 – Malcolm McDowell in Caligula (1979)

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Image Credit: Analysis Film Releasing Corporation.

The actual Caligula is regarded as a pretty bad Roman Emperor.

Somehow, the movie defies all the odds to be even worse.

9 – Dwayne Johnson in Southland Tales (2006)

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Image Credit: Columbia/TriStar

Southland Tales has an impressive cast but a plot that goes absolutely nowhere. One fan stated, “This movie, together with the fact that the director's cut of Donnie Darko is WORSE than the theatrical cut, convinced me that Richard Kelly just had one great idea and got lucky.”

10 – Al Pacino in Jack and Jill (2011)

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Image Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing.

Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill is a terrible movie, but I must admire Pacino's commitment to the Dunkaccino bit,” one movie watcher says.  

I'm not sure how Al Pacino was roped into being in this movie.

1 1- Leonardo DiCaprio in Celebrity (1998)

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Image Credit: Miramax.

The stories of a husband and wife after they divorced differ in many ways in the 1998 movie, Celebrity, but for a few people on the internet, Leonardo DiCaprio's performance didn't live up to some of his other roles.

12 – Sean Connery in Sir Billi (2012)

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Image Credit: Shoreline Entertainment.

Another big shocker for a few was Sir Sean Connery in the animated movie, Sir Billi.

“How has no one said Sir Billi for Sean Connery?” said one viewer. “Talk about a terrible movie to not only end a career on, but to come out of RETIREMENT for.”

13 – Brad Pitt in By the Sea (2015)

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Image Credit: Universal Pictures.

“I saw By the Sea at the theatre. I’m still mad,” said one poster.

Another person posted in response, “You may be entitled to financial compensation!”

While Brad Pitt has a number of great movies, for a few people, his 2015 movie didn't land as well. 

14 – Michael Caine in Jaws: The Revenge (1987)

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Image Credit: Universal Pictures.

Jaws: The Revenge is not admired in the same way that the first Jaws movie was. In fact, the movie only rakes in three out of 10 stars on Internet Movie database. Safe to say to Michael Caine, the movie wasn't good for everyone in it.

Source: Reddit.