Nobody sets out to make a bad movie, but it does happen from time to time.
Still, these awful flicks are still made by professionals, meaning every now and then,
they’ll be able to craft a standout scene or two.
Some of them are so great in terms of character and story development that we wonder how the
rest of the film went wrong.
Here are Screen Rant’s 10 amazing scenes in terrible movies.
Attack of the Clones
The Star Wars prequels are maligned for everything from the production design to characterization,
but they still have a few merits.
One of the most powerful moments comes midway through Attack of the Clones, when Anakin
embarks on a personal mission to save his mother from the captivity of the Tusken Raiders.
Getting to her too late, he watches in horror as Shmi dies in his arms, setting off a chain
reaction that would lead to Darth Vader.
It’s haunting and dark, and also established Anakin’s bad premonitions could come true.
If only all of Hayden Christensen’s performance could have been this strong.
Superman Returns
Bryan Singer’s soft reboot of the old Superman franchise was criticized for being dull and
void of action, but that was not an issue in one of the movie’s most memorable moments.
When a plane malfunctions after a power failure, only the Man of Steel can save it, and what
we saw was a thrilling throwback to old school Kal-El heroics.
The scene announced Superman’s return both to the movies and in the film’s story itself,
illustrating why the world isn’t the same without him.
It’s a shame the rest of the movie couldn’t be this exciting, as this early sequence got
our hopes up for a rousing adventure.
X-Men: The Last Stand
Credited with derailing one of the top superhero franchises, The Last Stand didn’t offer
much in terms of quality filmmaking when it was released.
But things got off to a compelling start with Brett Ratner’s depiction of Angel’s childhood.
Conveying the series themes of mutant inclusion and prejudice in society, it shows the lengths
someone with beautiful gifts – like angel’s wings – would go just so they could “fit
in.”
It instantly makes the mutant plight sympathetic and sets up the mutant cure storyline in grand
fashion.
Too bad the rest of the film didn’t have the same payoff.
Die Another Day
Between invisible cars and over-the-top action, Die Another Day forced Bond producers to reboot
the franchise from the ground up.
But Pierce Brosnan’s final mission wasn’t a total loss.
A standout sequence is when Bond engages in a high-stakes fencing duel with Graves.
Expertly choreographed and done practically, the scene was so great because of how real
it felt.
The combatants tired as it went on, getting bloody and sweaty by the time their violent
battle was all over.
The sword fight gave Die Another Day a grittiness that the rest of the film largely lacked.
The Matrix Reloaded
The first Matrix sequel was thought to be too heady and philosophical for its own good,
but the Wachowskis still proved their knack for breathtaking action.
By far, the most memorable set piece in the film is the 14-minute highway chase, notable
for the amount of effort that went into it.
The Wachowskis actually built a freeway to use specifically for the scene, and injected
the action bits with the classic Matrix twist to give viewers something new and exciting.
Full of high stakes and death-defying stunts, even those who dislike the sequels have to
admit this is pretty slick.
Spider-Man 3
An overcooked story with too many characters, Spider-Man 3 had trouble figuring out which
arcs to pursue.
Director Sam Raimi had always intended to use Sandman as a villain, and his passion
for Flint Marko is evident in this beautiful scene.
After his body is fused with sand during a particle accelerator test, Marko is reborn
as the Sandman in a moment that is poignant and touching.
Accompanied by a mesmerizing musical score and no dialogue, it draws viewers in with
its genuine emotion that tugs at our heartstrings.
Sandman was never a bad guy, and this scene shows it to great effect.
Fantastic Four
Criticized for being more Joel Schumacher camp than Bryan Singer serious, the first
attempt at a Fantastic Four movie didn’t go over well.
But even that had moments that resonated with audiences.
After being transformed into The Thing, Ben Grimm attempts to reconnect with his wife,
who is horrified by the “monster” her husband has become.
It’s a heartbreaking scene that’s reminiscent of the mutant paranoia in the X-Men films
and goes a long way in setting up Grimm’s character arc.
If only the entire movie could have been this emotionally driven, Fox might have had another
tentpole to supplement their top franchises.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Erased from franchise continuity now, the first Wolverine movie had a lot of promise
in 2009.
It was squandered, but the opening sequence is still one for the ages.
Showing Wolverine and Sabertooth fighting through every historical war as unstoppable
soldiers never leaving each other’s sides, the scene thrillingly showcased their pasts
and seemingly was building towards an epic fight for their lives in the main plot.
Sadly, these first bits are about as hardcore as the combat got, but it didn’t make it
any less awesome to see on-screen.
In fact, it would have made a great movie in its own right.
Doom
It’s no secret that video game movies have had troubles breaking into Hollywood, but
that hasn’t stopped the studios from trying.
Looking to bring the first-person shooter series Doom to the big screen, director Andrzej
Bartkowiak found a way to replicate the game play for viewers.
Audiences responded well to the “first-person” sequence – the first of its kind – which
immersed moviegoers in an eerie setting that was packed to the brim with tension.
Keeping us on the edge of our seats, the pulsating music score complimented the thrilling action
and teased fans with what the movie could have been had the rest of it been handled
with such craft.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy is considered to be overdrawn and dragged out, with epics
that far exceed the needs of its brief story.
He still found a way to recapture some of that old Lord of the Rings magic in the famed
“Riddles in the Dark” sequence in An Unexpected Journey.
Featuring Andy Serkis’ triumphant return as Gollum, it pitted the creature against
Bilbo in a deadly game as the young Hobbit tried to escape.
Harkening back to Tolkien’s writing and Jackson’s keen sense of directing, it was
one of the standout moments of the trilogy, giving us nostalgia and meaningful character
development for the hero.
Those are our picks for amazing scenes in bad movies.
Do you agree with our list?
Which bad movies have moments you enjoy?
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