Origin stories. The start of a budding hero's adventures, a deep dive into the start of a person's journey that will drive them to either do great or amazing things. Such a wonderful thing Hollywood's taken advantage of.
While most origin stories do hit the mark, there are plenty that misfire terribly. So much so, there not just seen as being bad. They're seen as being infamously bad. Films that, while full of some decent moments and characters, have set the standard for a generation of films in the worst way possible.
Oz The Great And Powerful (2013)
Whenever audiences hear the word origin stories, their minds always go to superheroes. While most origin stories do deal with superheroes, there are plenty of origin stories that don't, such as Oz The Great And Powerful.
Despite some good moments, great acting from James Franco, and a unique idea, the movie fails to hit the mark, feeling odd and strange in many parts and feels like an attempt to cash in on Oz once more. If anything, Wicked is a way better version of the story they were trying to tell and honestly deserves its own film.
Ghostbusters (2016)
As it is nowadays, a lot of movies fall victim to the classic blunder of being rebooted. Reboots divisive and when the studios decide to make key changes to said reboots, like making an all-female Ghostbusters, results can be varied.
That's not to say an all-female Ghostbusters team was a terrible idea in itself; the problem was how it was implemented. Rather than incorporate the original story as well as the humorous and scary scenes, the film went all out with the reboot idea, souring the movie with cheap humor and so-so cameos.
The Scorpion King (2002)
People do well to remember this plot point from The Mummy Returns where the Scorpion King became a servant of Anubis and then came back to life with terrible CGI. The studios desperately thought the character needed an origin story.
Even if there's an actor like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in a small role, doesn't mean that they need an entire movie dedicated to that character. Unnecessary, over-the-top, and poorly acted, The Scorpion King went from being a terribly-rendered character to a terrible movie.
Daredevil (2005)
Netflix's Daredevil was a wonderful showcase of fantastic character development, excellent story arcs, comic-defining portrayals, and astounding action scenes. This is why the 2015 TV series desperately needs a Disney+ miniseries. However, the 2005 movie lacks everything just mentioned and more.
It's stunning that the Daredevil show was even able to outgrow this movie's shadow. From cheesy lines, terrible CGI, wooden performances, and Ben Affleck giving a shallow performance as Matt Murdoch that Michael Clark Duncan's surprisingly good Kingpin couldn't offset, the movie is a key example of how not to do an origin story.
Hannibal Rising (2007)
Hannibal Lecter, otherwise known as Hannibal The Cannibal. Portrayed brilliantly by Anthony Hopkins in an Oscar-winning role that only took up sixteen minutes of screentime, Lecter is a horrifying, spine-chillingly creepy force to be reckoned with. That is until he was given an origin story.
A character like Hannibal doesn't need an origin like Hannibal Rising. Despite the decent performance from Gaspard Ulliel, the movie is a clichéd revenge story with gore galore that took away from Lecter's creepy charm that does nothing for one of horror's greatest psychopaths.
Green Lantern (2011)
Ryan Reynolds has become incredibly well known for portraying the merc with a mouth and a role he was born for, Deadpool. Unfortunately, it took him three tries to really make it in the comic world, with Green Lantern being the most infamous.
The problems with Green Lantern are too numerous to count. Predictable plot, sequel build-up that went nowhere, ridiculous villains, and a CGI costume tore the movie apart, quite like the critics and their reviews. Not to mention that the film's failure killed the incredibly underrated Green Lantern animated series.
Halloween (2007)
Horror fans somewhat agree villains do not necessarily require a backstory. It's one of the principles of the genre to give villains either obscure or nonexistent origins, especially with someone like Michael Myers. All audiences need to know is that he was a kid who became unhinged and went on a murder spree.
Unfortunately, Rob Zombies Halloween remake went another route. The film not only lambasted the horror classic but gave Michael Myers an unneeded origin story. By giving Michael an abusive upbringing, the remake and subsequent origin story took away from the horror factor.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Let it be known that Hugh Jackman is the Wolverine. The actor brought the iconic character to life in such a spectacular way and truly defined Logan for being the badass he is. However, it's impossible to talk about Logan and not mention the misfire of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Despite the awesome opening and Lieve Schreiber's Sabertooth, some of the things the movie got right, the film ended up being a train wreck; with a terrible plot, horrific acting, and CGI that still hurts to look at, and, of course, the atrocious usage and mockery of Deadpool.
Catwoman (2004)
Catwoman is easily one of DC Comics' most iconic characters, and she had ready for a solo film for years. Yet when they day came, Catwoman all but threw away the character's history; what they came up with instead is disappointing in every regard.
Warner Bros. made the mistake of not making a Catwoman film based around Selina Kyle robbing people; they created the character Patience Phillips and utilized one of the strangest basketball scenes of all time on top of a by-the-book script and bizarre editing choices. All of this makes it one of DC's worst films, at least according to critics.
Fantastic Four (2015)
Just because something can be dark and gritty doesn't mean it should be. By making Marvel's first family edgier, blander, and giving Dr. Doom the lead villain role for the third time, Fan4stic was a massive flop that still makes fans cringe today.