
Okay, so there are plenty of worse movies from the past 10 years missing from this list. This probably has to do with the fact that I’ve become very selective in what I watch, and I tend to stay away from movies I know I’ll hate: Transformers, Ghost Rider, etc. The following are the stinkers I happened to catch, with 1 being my least favorite.
1. August Rush (2007): The story is preposterous, the chemistry between Russell and Meyers is nonexistent, and the music is not even remotely interesting (a problem for a movie about music).
2. Paper Heart (2009): Charlyne Yi is completely unlikeable, and the amateurish paper figures are indicative of the quality of the film as a whole. One critic said it best when he/she said it felt like an overlong YouTube video.
3. The Day After Tomorrow (2004): This didactic message movie is an absolute disaster — a lot of wasted talent here.
4. The Phantom of the Opera (2004): An absolute bore, completely forgettable — how can songs this good seem so bad?
5. Catch and Release (2006): Couldn’t have ALL the characters just died?
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007): Three painful hours without any sense of adventure — just many, many answered questions (For example, why did I see this opening night? Why is Calypso so freaking huge? How can a Keith Richards cameo be disappointing? Isn’t just one Captain Jack Sparrow bad enough?)
7. Twilight (2008): There is a point where this ceases to even have camp value. The teenage brooding is simply excruciating.
8. Cats & Dogs (2001): Children deserve better.
9. Cheaper by the Dozen (2003): Makes you wonder who starred in this movie, and where the actual Steve Martin really is…
10. Shrek 2 (2004): A thong makes an appearance in this hey-that’s-clever-put-that-in-the-script sequel, a failed attempt to cater to both older and younger audiences
11. Remember the Titans (2000): This movie looks at race in a didactically simplistic way.
12. The Princess Diaries (2001): Anne Hathaway is actually quite talented, and it’s a shame she had to start off in this unfunny comedy that feels more like a made-for-TV production.
13. A Walk to Remember (2002): “Son, I’m a cardiologist!” A movie about a dying loved one shouldn’t be laughable.
14. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003): For a movie that tries extra hard to make Angelina Jolie look sexy, she is a completely undesirable heroine. Most video games have more energy than this dull movie.
15. Stomp the Yard (2007): Probably worse than some of the movies higher on the list, but at least this one is sometimes entertainingly bad. Every moment is predictable in this extended music video.
16. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002): This movie successfully discredited one of the all-time great movie franchises with cheesy scenes of romance and an unfortunate revision of Yoda.
17. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000): Jim Carrey is sometimes hysterically maniacal, and other times he tries way too hard…
18. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006): Just way too much going on, and one of the worst endings of the decade…
19. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007): Drenched in blood, this gothic tale is messy and takes itself far too seriously.
20. The Emperor’s New Groove (2000): All I remember about this movie is that I didn’t laugh at all when I watched it.
21. Rush Hour 2 (2001): A completely unnecessary sequel that is inferior to its already mediocre predecessor
22. Saved! (2004): We need a mainstream movie to intelligently attack contemporary Christian institutions, but this movie shies away from the issues and resorts to being just another teen drama.
23. Tropic Thunder (2008): Absolutely hysterical for the first five minutes, but the rest of the movie becomes an overblown production with too much action and not enough laughs.
24. Quantum of Solace (2008): This blur of an experience barely felt like a movie. This unfocused follow-up to the absolutely fantastic Casino Royale was probably the decade’s biggest disappointment.
25. Madagascar (2005): Um, I guess the penguins were cute?
26. Lilo and Stitch (2002): This bastardization of Elvis and Hawaiian culture probably does not upset me as much as the undying love people had for this mediocre piece of animation.
27. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005): Tim Burton really needs to stop making movies. He seems more concerned with being weird than being remotely cinematic or human.
28. Away We Go (2009): This movie is far too angry to be funny, too pathetic to ever be sorrowful.
29. Mamma Mia! (2008): This sad excuse for a musical made ABBA songs unlistenable — how is that even possible?
30. Jurassic Part III (2001): I’ll admit, I liked the first sequel, but there’s really only so much a person could take. Surprised Spielberg was not involved with this disaster…
31. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003): The Disneyland ride is more thrilling that this lifeless adventure.
32. Hard Ball (2001): I really don’t want Keanu Reeves to teach me anything about race. However, this sentimental garbage brought me to tears when I was 12.
33. Clerks II (2006): Like every other Kevin Smith, this looks awful and feels more like a bunch of jokes Smith came up with some buddies on a Saturday afternoon.
34. 1408 (2007): A horror movie that fails to evoke any sense of atmosphere, or even be scary
35. Happy Feet (2006): I’m probably just biased because of the really bizarre ending with the live-action people and the environmental message, but I simply thought this was just boring.
36. Slumdog Millionaire (2008): The contrived construction and unbelievable happy ending make this one of the worst Best Picture winners since Dances with Wolves.
37. Shrek (2001): It takes great pleasure in making fun of Disney, yet it plays into all the same clichés.
38. Garden State (2004): Zach Braff’s love letter to himself is misanthropic, yet it tries so hard to win us over with its forced cleverness and hip soundtrack.
39. Little Miss Sunshine (2006): All of the characters of the movie are completely unlikeable, and the movie really spirals into oblivion after the grandfather’s death.
40. Crash (2004): Despite its powerful moments, this Best Picture winner about race in LA reinforces stereotypes rather than confront or inform audiences.




