Hello, everyone! With the year of 2023 in full swing, it’s time to exam the “worst” and “best” movies of the year. It took me a little bit longer than expected to get this particular list done (longer than intended due to my back catalogue of 2022 movie reviews that needed to get done), but here we are and I’m happy to share it. In truth, 2022 saw a number of pretty “bad” films. Whether by a flat story, bad acting, weak writing, or poor execution, these movies were just plan horrible with little to no interest in purchasing a ticket to see it theaters or to buy / rent it for its home release a few months later.
Naturally, I have a “Best” movies of 2022, but let’s get the bad ones out of the way first. Here’s my personal top ten worst movies of 2021. But before I begin, here are some other “horrible” (I mean dishonorable) runner-ups that almost made it on my top ten worst move list of 2022.
Runner Ups
(Click on the picture for full review)
THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL
“Unhappily “Never / Ever” after”
FALL
“Don’t look down! (and don’t watch this movie”
PINOCCHIO
“A soulless remake that’s as wooden as Pinocchio”
AND NOW MY TOP TEN!!!
10: Babylon
Rating: 2.4 Out of 5
Review: Babylon Review
Amongst these famed directors that have earned their place from the commonplace household to hallowed halls of Hollywood, director Damien Chazelle amassed by small catalogue of feature films, yet speaks volumes through his directing and the shaping of theatrical movie endeavors, including Whiplash, La La Land, and First Man. In 2022, Chazelle returns to the cinematic landscape once again for his look into decadence, debauchery, and Hollywood dreams in the movie Babylon and (unfortunately) his winning streak ends with this particular film. The movie itself takes a look at the wild and glitzy era of late 20s / 30s of Hollywood by following several character threads through their struggles and triumphs in following their passions and making an impact on the industry’s legacy. Unfortunately, while Chazelle’s vision (and scope) is epic and ambitious and the movie does have a story to tell as well as having an amazing production value (set-pieces, décor, costumes, hair / make-up, etc.), the rest of the movie falters underneath that own ambitions, especially in the direction for the movie, the gross out moments, excessive runtime length, lost subplots, cumbersome (and clunky) third act, predictable nuances, lazy writing, and weak characters, and underutilized / mismanagement of acting talent involved. In the end, Babylon has such aspiring ambitions in its way of cinematic storytelling within its characters, its tale being told, and a love letter to the ”Old Hollywood” dream, but sadly ends up being a sorely beautiful disaster.
9: Halloween Ends
Rating: 2.4 Out of 5
Review: Halloween Ends Review
2018’s Halloween was indeed a recharted course of the popular horror franchise by throwing away many of the mediocre entries in the series and being a directly sequel to the original. It’s clear what it wanted to be and was great fun; proving that the Halloween saga still has plenty of life (and interest) and acted as a starting point for a new trilogy. Following the mixed reception of 2021’s Halloween Kills, 2022 was the year that this new franchise would conclude with the release of Halloween Ends. Unfortunately, this third installment proved to be the worst. Director David Gordon Green’s latest film returns to the narrative that began back in 2018; establishing what was presented in the previous two films and coming to its ending with this picture of masked serial killer and the struggles of several individuals who are entangled in “The Shape’s” terror. Unfortunately, the film struggles to find a proper balance, especially in throwing a curve ball in its narrative structure, a lame twist, clunky dialogue, a lack of the main villain, and underwhelming screen time (and development) for several characters to the franchise. Yes, the movies thematical elements about evil is still quite intriguing, but the movie still feels unbalanced and could’ve been so much more than what was presented. Of course, the future of the Halloween franchise still remains elusive with any type of possibilities, including a spin-off continuation or remakes of sorts. It’s hard to say, but I personally don’t think one would be great. In the end, Halloween Ends does what it sets out to do by given the long-awaited Michael Meyers / Laurie Strode saga of blood, violence, and death an ending, but fails to deliver a satisfying final outing for this narrative, making this new trilogy starting off with a “horror-filled” bang and ending on a “boogeyman” whimper.
8: Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
Rating: 2.4 Out of 5
Review: Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank Review
The year of 2022 saw many animated movies from a wide range of studios and endeavors, including The Bad Guys, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Lightyear, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish just to name a few. During the summertime, Paramount Pictures (and Nickelodeon Movies) released the cartoon feature film Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank to very lukewarm fanfare and underwhelming box office results. Directors Rob Minkoff, Mark Koetsier, and Chris Bailey’s latest film takes an animated adaptation look into 1974’s Blazing Saddles; following a similar narrative through the cartoon usage of cats and dogs to the frame the story in rambunctious setting of feudal Japan and the code of being a samurai. Although the movie finds it’s a fundamental message and has a few good acting talents, the majority of the feature is just a shallow presentation, including a lazy direction, a weak premise, an even weaker writing, and bland “cookie cutter” characters. The movie itself was just too conventional and too middling to make heads or tails of it. If this cartoon feature was released maybe back in the late 90s / early 2000s era, it might’ve found better success with moviegoers and critics. Sadly, it is not. In the end, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, while trying to be reimagine a classic as a kid-friendly animated feature, just ends up being a bland and too pretentious cartoon endeavor that never rises the occasion and wallows in forgettable middling mediocrity.
7: Black Adam
Rating: 2.3 Out of 5
Review: Black Adam Review
Superhero movies are still a big thing and have continued to generate a lot of hype and anticipation for the moviegoer masses to consume and digest such larger-than-life comic book heroes and save the world from nefarious antagonist. The flip side, however, to the notion is that such high expectations sometimes don’t live up the actual presentation and become too overhype. Such is the case with the film Black Adam, a movie that was quite the movie to look forward to, but its bark didn’t match its bite. Director Jaume Collet-Sera’s latest film tackles the great and powerful antihero character of the DC Comics lineup; presenting an origin tale that acts as introduction to the titular character in the DCEU. Unfortunately, despite the barrage of action scenes, a few storytelling elements, and some likeable performances (most notably in Johnson and Brosnan), the rest of the movie ends up being a haphazard mess of the superhero endeavor, especially from the lack of narrative substance, a messy (and dated) plot, recycled ideas, over usage of technical effects, a few rushed visuals, a bland antagonist, generic ending battle, and unmemorable characters. I really wanted to like this movie, but I just couldn’t find the joy or spectacle in it. The film’s ending hints at the further involvement of Johnson’s Black Adam being part of the future DCEU, but given the recent “shake-up” at Warner Bros. with their DC Comics movie releases, such ideas of seeing a sequel seem unlikely. Overall, Black Adam is a sluggish, recycled, and outdated superhero that doesn’t really amount to much beyond Johnson’s Adam being introduced into the larger cinematic universe of DC heroes and villains. In short, the movie is all Johnson and no substance!
6: The 355
Rating: 2.3 Out of 5
Review: The 355 Review
Spy movies are an acquired taste and a special brand of cinematic excitement all in their own respective class. Dashing agents in impeccable attires, with a plethora of high-tech gadgets and gizmos at their disposal, and crazy hair-raising antics to save the world from a global threat. Those are the classic monikers of a spy thriller, with more modern espionage-based endeavors still retain some of those fundamentals yet speak to today’s ever-changing world. The movie The 355, derived from the codename of a female spy for the Patriots during the American Revolution, was one such endeavor, but failed to produce something worth watching. Director Simon Kinberg latest film takes a stab at the action spy realm, presenting a tale of espionage, double-crossing, and intrigue to layer a narrative in dubious trickery. Unfortunately, the movie itself is riddled with glaring points of criticism, especially in the derivate narrative, a bland script, lackluster action, rudimentary twists and turns, and unmemorable characters, despite having a strong cast. The picture had all the right ingredients for something special, but never delivers on that promise and ends up being just another generic and bland spy flick. The ending of the feature leaves the door open for a possible sequel endeavor, but, giving how the movie’s reception has been, it seems that possibility seems unlikely. In short, The 355 winds up being a shallow and derivate spy action movie that has little to differentiate itself from similar projects; cultivating a lukewarm narrative with a messy execution and just plainly forgettable.
5: Morbius
Rating: 2.2 Out of 5
Review: Morbius Review
With the success of actor Tom Holland’s iteration of Peter Parker / Spider-Man as well as universal acclaim received by both critics and moviegoers with the release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Sony Pictures has celebrated the famous webslinger superhero of late. This also includes setting up several infamous antagonists carries that have populated the Spider-Man comics, including Eddy Brock / Venom (as seen in 2018’s Venom and 2021’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage). In 2022, Sony Pictures continued that notion of expanding Spidey’s villains with the solo origin tale of the character of Michael Morbius in the film Morbius, which didn’t live up to the hype. Director Daniel Espinosa’s latest film takes the vampiric comic book character from Marvel and translates it into a superhero origin tale. Unfortunately, while a few certain elements work in the feature (I did like Leto in the lead role) as well as few flashy visual presentations nuances, most of the feature falls prey to being flat and formulaic, especially Espinosa’s direction, a rushed narrative, a weak script, bland and uninteresting characters, and a few weak performances. A great majority of the movie felt underwhelming, with the story feeling generic and haphazardly put together, which is strange because the movie has been hyped up for some long due to its delayed releases. I can honestly say that the movie did not leave up to the hype. In fact, it was actually worse. Much like the two Venom movies, the film ends with the potential to further continue to tale of Michael Morbius through more installments, but I fear that these future sequels will be to a lesser degree than this movie….and that’s not a good thing. In essence, Morbius, tries as the feature might, never quite delivers on the film’s inherit hype and anticipation; producing a lackluster and middling superhero endeavor that lacks any type of bite and drained of its life for a sour and rigid origin tale.
4: The Invitation
Rating: 2.0 Out of 5
Review: The Invitation Review
Speaking a vampiric being, tales of vampires have always been a main staple in the horror genre….and I’m not just talking about movies. Mythical undead creatures of the night that derive from European folklore that subsists by feeding on the vital essence of life (aka blood) and have being classical depicted in traditional forms (i.e. pale skin, fanged teeth, dark hair, sleeps in coffin, hates the daylight, etc.), with such imagery coming in the shape of Dracula (aka Vlad the Impaler) and has indeed transcended average folklore tales and has manifested in mainstream pop culture. 2022 saw the reimaging of such a fabled creatures (and his bride) with the release of the movie titled The Invitation and was met with negative criticism. Director Jessica M. Thompson latest film takes a familiar narrative and spins it on a somewhat new direction by splicing the romances of young love with vampiric nightmares of things that go “bump” in the night. Despite a few flourishes of key elements in the movie and a likeable performance from Emmanuel, the rest of the picture never rises and just becomes a mundane vampire tale, especially with Thompson’s direction, a predictable and unoriginally script, lackluster scares, unfilled potential in his monsters, and uninteresting “cookie cutter” caricatures. I vaguely liked the whole “Brides of Dracula” angle that the film was trying to go for, but it really felt half-baked and less focused. In combination to its poor writing and mediocre “not-so-scary” scenes, and uninteresting characters, the movie just felt like it was doom from the start. It really isn’t worth your time to view this particular endeavor. Best just stick to any other iteration of the Brides of Dracula….in either cinematic or novelization. In a nutshell, The Invitation is a pretentious and badly mismanaged movie that wants to be filled with wedded vampire bliss, but ends up with a terrible translation of bloodsucking blandness. Basically…. Don’t accept this invitation!
3: The King’s Daughter
Rating: 1.9 Out of 5
Review: The King’s Daughter Review
Delaying a movie’s theatrical release can be a mixed bag of sorts. The hype and anticipation that has building for the feature’s release can be either continue to fuel the necessary excitement for the film’s inevitable future release or you cause a large determinant towards its premiere reveal, especially if the feature itself could be considered to be adequate or mediocre. From studio selling off the property (the movie) to one another, to a studio acquisition to another (as seeing Disney buying out 20th Century Fox), or due to global reasons (the COVID-19 pandemic), the reasons could be numerous. 2022, saw the release of The King’s Daughter, a historical / fantasy feature that was filmed back in 2014 and has been in “cinematic limbo” for the past eight years. Sadly, the movie felt like from a different time….and that’s not a good thing. Director Sean McNamara latest film finds familiar ground within its narrative; drumming up costumed period piece drama, with sprinkle of fantasy escapades within a YA style narrative yarn. While the film’s production quality is solid, a vast majority of the feature is marred by blandness, especially the movie’s direction, a hodgepodge of story ideas, a disjointed feeling throughout, wonky decision, bad writing, and poor surface level characters. To me, I found this movie to be terribly bad. Yes, there were some parts that I did like, especially the production quality. That being said, the movie is just a jumble heated mess of ideas that aren’t proper placed together well; resulting in a film that is half-baked all the way around. Those looking for fantasy drama or a sweeping historical period piece best look elsewhere (and you’ll thank me for it). Overall, The King’s Daughter finally comes to light, but ends up being a disappointment all the way around as an outdated, dull, and a messy hodgepodge “once upon a time” adventure that it so desperately wants to be.
2: Amsterdam
Rating: 1.6 Out of 5
Review: Amsterdam Review
When it comes to a director massing a collective grouping of acting talents for their cast, it only creates a lot more buzz and excitement for the upcoming project. However, there have been several times where putting together a large and recognizable cast on the screen doesn’t lead (or ends up) with a “good film”, with 2022 seeing the widely negative received film Amsterdam that lives up to the notion to the letter. Director David O. Russell’s latest film takes the classic period mystery caper angle in framing a feature that is littered with dubious clues, masterminding individuals, and a larger scheme at work. Indeed, the movie definitely has all the right pieces, including a terrific production / presentation layout as well as a great star-studded cast. Unfortunately, the rest of the film squanders all of its potential with a rather hollow endeavor, which is due to Russell’s peculiar direction, a convoluted plot, a weak script, wonky written dialogue, a bland third act, too many unmemorable / uninteresting characters, and the utter waste of several credible acting talents involved on this project. While the feature does show a few signs of promise in a few spots, a great majority of the film felt too haphazardly put together, lackadaisical in its pacing, convoluted in its storytelling, too underwhelming (and mismanaged) within the cast. It was almost a bit painful to watch and doesn’t really amount to much, which is gravely disappointing. Even on that note, the cast for the feature is far better (characters and performances) in other past projects than in this one. So, best watch those films than this feature. In the end, Amsterdam has good ambitions for a star-studded cast for a murder mystery caper, but woefully misses its mark and ends up being an exhausting, lackluster, and messy endeavor.
1: The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild
Rating: 1.3 Out of 5
Review: The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild Review
So, what could beat out an ambitious (yet overindulgent) Hollywood epic from an acclaimed director, a poor new take on Bride of Vampire, a lazily flat passion project superhero endeavor from Dwayne Johnson, and an unfocused conclusion to a new Halloween trilogy. Well, one title could….and that’s The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild. The Ice Age franchise has seen its ups and downs and, while entertaining for children’s viewers, the experience has waned over each installment, with the production straying further away from a very simplistic story of uncommon group of prehistoric animated animals living as a herd. Like the Ice Age itself, the franchise should’ve gone extinct, yet this new 2022 movie brings the series back with a new and terrible low.
Acting more as a spin-off endeavor rather than a fully fledge Ice Age film (a sort of Ice Age 6 numerically), the story focuses on two of the supporting characters (Crash and Eddie) and their adventures of Buck Wild in the Lost World for a goofy, yet harmless journey of self-discovery and zany mischief. While the intent is there and Pegg and Machado are relatively good in their respective characters, a great majority of the film is horribly executed and downright generic from onset to conclusion, especially from Donkin’s direction, a lackluster narrative, DOA comedy antics, outdated animation, a shift to a more slightly juvenile tone throughout, middling / mediocre voice talents. Naturally, I already had a bad feeling before watching this film, but it was far worse that what I originally anticipated. It felt like one of those cheap imitations endeavors that come out that try to replicate the same type of story / characters from better projects out there…. yet never really achieve that. In truth, the movie felt like to like a poorly rendered (and cheaply made) Saturday morning cartoon from the early 2000s….and that’s not a good thing.
The movie doesn’t really have much of ways and means of redeem qualifications to merit a look over. Even if you’re fan of the Ice Age series or have young kids, you’ll be better watch something else for animated distraction. It’s entirely unsure what Disney will do with the Ice Age franchise, especially after the poor reception that this particular movie has received from both critics and viewers alike. In the end, The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild winds up being a terribly bad animated spin-off feature that doesn’t really go anywhere and is haphazardly slap together, proving that the Ice Age franchise finally needs to go extinct….
And that’s why The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild is what I would consider to be the worst movie of 2022.
There you have it…my top ten worst movies of 2022. Of course, I did skip some movies in theaters, so there some bad movies of 2022 that I didn’t see. So, what do you guys think? What was your top ten worst movies of 2022? Check back soon and I’ll be posting my personal top ten best movies of 2022…
source https://jasonsmovieblog.com/2023/04/02/jasons-movie-blogs-top-ten-worst-movies-of-2022/
