[Movies] Great movies ruined by terrible endings

[epec]

There's the original ending to I am Legend before it was re-shot. For those that don't understand, the entire movie was suppose to not just be "another zombie flick," but actually the inverse of the typical zombie movie. If you can't figure it out, Will Smith was the bad guy. The entire movie the creatures that had evolved or mutated from being infected with the virus had become another species with their own means of communication, compassion, love, feelings etc and the humans in the film acted with fear and panic towards change. They lashed out and attacked the "zombies" rather than seeking to understand them and this in turn lead to the violence in the film.

The entire reason the film was suppose to be called "I am Legend" was because Will Smith's character was suppose to be the creature's legendary monster. He'd experimented and killed so many of them because he didn't see them as equal to humans or see any value in their life. Only at the end could he see he was in fact the bad guy, the creatures never meant him any harm. The entire film was re-edited and some portions re-shot to ironically make the movie just like other zombie movies. What was suppose to be a demonstration of how xenophobia, fear, change, and general lack of understanding can cripple the entire world and our species turned into "DERP DERP BLOW EM UP" because they were afraid it was too intellectual for the general public.

[Shinshiva]

The Final 2 Lines of How High. God damnit why you ruin movie with your inane sexual innuendo (and it wasn't even real innuendo)

[Sofii]

'Terrible' endings exist because movies must have a happy ending. Sure, the main character can die saving the world, but the world must still be saved. This is why there are many Deus Ex Machina type actions like the look-we-were-here-all-along family (didn't see the movie but it's a good example).
As for the mist, i absolutely loved the ending, it was at least as fitting as all of them being saved and i think a whole lot more in the spirit of a stephen king story.

I wish this weren't true. If only we could have a movie with an evil villain coming to shroud the world in darkness, and he is seemingly unstoppable. One of our greatest warriors defeats all his lieutenants, but when it comes to EVIL OVERLORD GUY, he dies and the world is doomed. Much better movie. I would rather watch that sort of movie then one where he ends up using the power of happiness to defeat EVIL OVERLORD GUY.

[Igloo]

"The Wicker Man" - the movie had a good plot and I really enjoyed the mysterious atmosphere. Then the ending totally ruined it for me.

[Tsimp]

Sorry, I meant I Am Legend. Yeah, it takes place in LA and is much better. The zombies actually have formed a sort of culture, and they're terrorized by him -- just as he's terrorized by them. So awesome.

Also don't they think they're vampires? Admittedly I haven't read much of the book, only a few chapters.

[Deleted]

90% off the late night movies have horrible endings just because they either want an so original ending it is just messed up, or an happy ending that doesn't fit the movie.

I haven't seen many movies with a unhappy ending (that is isn't just messed up creepy shit)...

[estorilblau]

The original of I Am Legend was much more accurate to the books, hence much better in general.

The Omega Man right?

[Twoflower]

Minority Report, the ending by Philip K. Dick was a quadrillion times better, insane but logical, just like it should be.

Oh yeah !

Actualy, most Philip K. Dick stories that were turned into hollywood movies had their ultimate message kinda altered. They are great books though. Same with Stanislav Lem's Solaris.

[Skizzit]

Also don't they think they're vampires? Admittedly I haven't read much of the book, only a few chapters.

They are vampires in the book. In fact, there are two types, the mindless zombie like ones in the movie and a more sane kind. It is the non-mindless kind that are really the main point of the book. They have begun to rebuild the world, establishing a kind of government and even developing a drug to stop their blood cravings. The fact that the main character does not see any difference and kills both types without feeling is what leads to his realization at the end that in this new society, he is the monster that stalks in the night (or day in this case) and when he is gone, he will become a ghost story told to scare. Hence, I Am Legend.

And to me A.I. has to be the best example of a terrible ending ruining a movie. I somehow get the feeling that in Kubricks original idea he wanted to end it with the kid underwater looking at the blue angel and then Spielberg tacked on the terrible happy ending.

[zerozenx]

I loved the ending to Signs. It's like all the crap they went through actually had a reason. Like there was definitely a master plan being followed, god or otherwise.

And I dug No Country For Old Men. I'm sure everybody takes something different from it, but the kid offers the assassin his shirt and doesn't want anything in return while Josh Brolin couldn't get help from the guys he met on the street. Quite ironic.

As for movies with crappy endings... I totally agree on Splice, but Saw takes the cake for me. I can't stand a movie with a wide open ending. Made me pissed enough that I didn't see any of the 17 or so sequels after.

[Deleted]

The Neverending Story because, well, it has an ending =(

Seriously though, I disliked Inceptions' ending too. In general I hate endings which are to open. "We're not dreaming anymore .....
.....


....





...



.


Or are we?!"


It's so typical these days. There are probably some good open endings who let the viewer ponder about what could actually have happened etc. But in most cases it's just ridiculous imo.

[stgeorge78]

Oh I don't remember that. I still think they didn't really give enough explanation about them, couldn't Gandalf had atleast included them in one of his tales so we had an idea who they were?

Frodo saying: 'Look, it's the Eagles.' just didn't cut it for me.

Maybe if they played Hotel California leading up to it as foreshadowing.

[Deleted]

Im sorry bit im gonna have to say Avatar, i like the film and all but the animals aiding just didnt cut it for me. I guess i just had to high hopes after the first part

[Lady Tygry]

A.I.-- I feel it should have ended when he finds the Blue Fairy and is still full of hope. Upon repeat viewings, I can appreciate the ending more than when I first saw it, but the futuristic robots just put me off.

I also did not like the ending to Signs, mainly for logical reasons. I'll probably still see the sequel.

I disliked The Village because I figured out the big twist early on: I'd already experienced it when I'd read
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_Out_of_Time_(novel) in grade school. I'm satisfied to see that the author pointed out the many similarities.

I actually like ambiguous endings when they're warranted. I'm not a fan of films (or books) being tied up in nice, neat knots. When we're asked to suspend our disbelief, it doesn't bode well that everything ends with all the loose ends tied up because that's not how real life works. It's also my biggest gripe with the seventh Harry Potter book. The entire time I was reading it, it felt like Rowling had changed gears and was just giving the fans what they wanted. Leave that to the fanfiction junkies

[Xzw]

The Mist ending made me laugh a bit.

[klaps_05]

the happening with nick cage, cool concept, but the end just pushed it WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY over the top.

[lopk]

Spongebob Squarepants Movie had a pretty weird ending, playing a guitar to destroy all the chum bucket helmets.

Kidding, that's to be expected from such a silly movie

On topic, I can't really think of one off the top of my head, but I can think of one game.

Super Paper Mario for the Wii. If anyone can explain that ending for me, please do XD.

[Elbren]

The Omega Man right?

No, the original movie based off the book was The Last Man on Earth (1964) with Vincent Price. The Omega Man didn't come out until 1971.

Amazing a book can be made into a movie 3 different times and none of them bother to actually follow the book. Richard Matheson (the books author) was only involved with The Last Man on Earth. He co-wrote the script, but was so unhappy with the movie that he asked to have his name removed from the movie (he is credited as Logan Swanson). The worst part about all of this is that this is probably one of the easiest books to translate to a film. We're not talking Lord of the Rings here ... there's 2 main characters (I guess 3 if you count his neighbor), a dog and the book itself is barely 250 pages.

[Crashdummy]

Lord of the Rings trilogy. The books were really terrible but the movies were at least watchable. The battles in the movies were so much bigger and unrealistic. And yes I read the books first and I'm always the one saying the book was better, just not this time.

I have to disagree with you.

Lords of the rings books (not only the trilogy, but hobbit and silmarillion too) are great books, and as almost always happens, much better than the movies. Lord of the rings movies are good though. Simple details, like Tom Bombadil resisting the power of the ring and the riders fearing to attack his house are things that couldn't be included in the movies but are on the books.

Also, the lore and general story can be told in detail in the books which gives you an inmersion that cant be achieved in the movie.

Problem is, the tolkien world is so big, that not everyone can enjoy it because of its magnitude.

[twizter]

2. Lord of The Rings (The Return of The King) - I had never read any of the books or lore before I watched the movies and when the Eagles come to save Frodo and Sam before Mt. Doom explodes, I was like wtf. They didn't mention the eagles in any of the movies and they randomly show up at the end of the last movie to save the day. Absolute bollocks.

on the way to Isengard to seek Saruman's help Gandalf met Radagast the brown who is a friend of animals, Gandalf told Radagast where he was going. The eagle that picked Gandalf from the top of the Orthanc was sent to deliver a message to Gandalf but when the bird got there he seen the wizard in trouble and saved him, in the movie Gandalf sent a moth for help.