[Muttley76]

Originally Posted by EVILSPEAK

Every single film adapted from a Stephen King novel.

Erm.....

Carrie
The Shining
Cujo
Stand by Me
Misery
The Shawshank Redemption
The Green Mile

Really????

Adaptations of King's work are notoriously patchy, mainly because I think his complex and sprawling narrative and/or characterisation is often times hard to translate to the big screen, but there are plenty of examples of it being done very successful. Carrie and The Shawshank Redemtion in particular are rightly regarded as having terrifically rewarding endings....

[Dr. Linus]

Originally Posted by Muttley76

Erm.....

Carrie
The Shining
Cujo
Stand by Me
Misery
The Shawshank Redemption
The Green Mile

Really????

Adaptations of King's work are notoriously patchy, mainly because I think his complex and sprawling narrative and/or characterisation is often times hard to translate to the big screen, but there are plenty of examples of it being done very successful. Carrie and The Shawshank Redemtion in particular are rightly regarded as having terrifically rewarding endings....

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that Carrie is one of my very favourite climaxes to a film - it sends shivers down my spine and the school scenes are oddly satisfying in a kind of visceral way. Plus the fact that it's so very sad.

Carrie is probably the exact opposite of the thread!

[Soupietwist]

Jeepers Creepers was the film that instantly sprung to mind, but a couple of others posters beat me to it!

I actually think both Ghostbusters movies have much stronger first halts than seconds.

[TheManInWhite]

Originally Posted by Dr. Linus

Thunderball - great first hour with an intriguing plot and genuinely engaging characters - then it descends into endless underwater sequences and nothing much else, and by the end is intensely boring.

Quantum of Solace - in the second half of the film, all the most interesting characters disappear to varying degrees, the film rushes into a half-baked conclusion, and the final scenes are a mess.

^^ BIB: While I don’t rate 'Quantum' that highly, I think the worst thing about the film is the showdown between Bond and Greene, character development (besides Bond), the lack of a Bondian feel (the action and fast pace make it feel more like a Bourne film) and the stupid editing. The ending (confrontation with Greene aside) though, imo is one of the best parts of the film, and the very last scenes with Bond, Vesper’s lover and M is the best part of the film and contains the best line of the feature: “I never left!” I still don’t rate the film too highly though, but it’s far from dreadful. 'Die Another Day' is ten times worse than 'Quantum' imo.

I agree with Thunderball and tbh I find the entire film slow, but the finale is very boring and disappointing. The underwater scenes (as good as they look) just drag on and on and I lose interest. The film itself also doesn’t flow as well as some of the other Bond films imo.

For a non-Bond related film that has a good start but a bad ending, I’d nominate 'No Country For Old Men'. Brilliant film, brilliant setting, brilliant writing, brilliant acting – especially Javier Bardem – but the final act of the movie is awful. There’s no showdown between the main characters, things are left up in the air and so on…. It’s like the writers just gave up during act three and scribbled an ending on a fag packet. The first three quarters of the film are very good though and Bardem is hypnotically amazing throughout! Killer performance! Literally!

[Gilbertoo]

I've since changed my view on this, but after watching LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring in the cinema, I thought the ending was TERRIBLE! After 2+ hours in the cinema and it simply ends with Frodo and Sam standing there looking at Mordor was a real "WTF" moment for me. But in context, I now think it works and I consider the first of the trilogy to be the best.

[rfonzo]

'From Dusk Till Dawn.'

[Gilbertoo]

Originally Posted by rfonzo

'From Dusk Till Dawn.'

The more I watch that film, the more I want;

Spoiler

the road trip/kidnap part of the film to continue rather than it become a vampire flick. The first time you see it is an awesome surprise, but it doesn't hold up much to repeat viewings.

[Dr. Linus]

Originally Posted by Gilbertoo

I've since changed my view on this, but after watching LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring in the cinema, I thought the ending was TERRIBLE! After 2+ hours in the cinema and it simply ends with Frodo and Sam standing there looking at Mordor was a real "WTF" moment for me. But in context, I now think it works and I consider the first of the trilogy to be the best.

To be fair, that's exactly where the book ended. In fact, the film has more of a climax than the book does, which doesn't have Boromir's death occur until the very beginning of The Two Towers.

It works fine in my view, provided you accept that in any opening act of a three-part story, the first part will only ever have an emotional climax rather than a plot-related one, and I think it's one heck of an emotional climax - Frodo and Sam's scene in the boat is one of the best of the trilogy IMO.

[Gilbertoo]

Originally Posted by Dr. Linus

To be fair, that's exactly where the book ended. In fact, the film has more of a climax than the book does, which doesn't have Boromir's death occur until the very beginning of The Two Towers.

It works fine in my view, provided you accept that in any opening act of a three-part story, the first part will only ever have an emotional climax rather than a plot-related one, and I think it's one heck of an emotional climax - Frodo and Sam's scene in the boat is one of the best of the trilogy IMO.

That's what my book-reading friends told me, which is when my view on the ending started to change. Seeing all three films together really is a joy to behold.

[granted08]

The Departed, great beginning, pointless ending.

[Dr. Linus]

Originally Posted by Gilbertoo

That's what my book-reading friends told me, which is when my view on the ending started to change. Seeing all three films together really is a joy to behold.

Agreed. And I've also changed my view on Fellowship recently - it used to be my least favourite by far, but I now realise that it has so, so much going for it and my 11-year old self was wrong to think the one with the least battles was bad. It's absolutely wonderful.

Though Return of the King is even better.

[gemma-the-husky]

Here's one. State of Play

but more than that. pretty well EVERY film. They all have "happy" endings, or at least endings that
resolve all the loose ends.

so loads of films start with really interesting premises, but fizzle out at the end.

[rfonzo]

Originally Posted by granted08

The Departed, great beginning, pointless ending.

Yes, I agree.

[Dr. Linus]

Originally Posted by gemma-the-husky

Here's one. State of Play

but more than that. pretty well EVERY film. They all have "happy" endings, or at least endings that
resolve all the loose ends.

so loads of films start with really interesting premises, but fizzle out at the end.

Yes, but it's more than possible - very common in fact - for a film to resolve all its loose ends in a very satisfying way that means the film goes out on a high. Just because the story ends doesn't mean it gets boring!

[Ancient IDTV]

Re. LOTR trilogy. Fellowship is my favourite, because it's consistently good.

In Two Towers I find the Frodo scenes heavy going, and much prefer the adventures of the rest of fellowship.

In RotK it's the opposite. The Frodo scenes are very well done, but the paths of the dead/Pelennor Fields scenes are hopelessly messed up. The over-reliance on the mumakil and ghost army really spoil it for me. Eowyn's big moment is pitiful.

[shelleyj89]

Originally Posted by Chris1964

Cant remember why now but:

The Astronauts Wife.

I've seen this so many times, but I don't think I've ever actually watched it to the end? I don't even know how it ends? Perhaps I saw the end once, thought it was rubbish, (so rubbish I can't remember it!) and subconciously turn over before it ends?!

[Eddie Badger]

I would have given a slightly darker edge to the end of Quantum of Solace. When Bond tells Vesper's lover's latest victim to leave, I would have had Bond say something like "We have unfinished business to settle." Then the camera would pan over to a chair with a knotted rope hanging over it...

[Creamtea]

Originally Posted by Dr. Linus

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that Carrie is one of my very favourite climaxes to a film - it sends shivers down my spine and the school scenes are oddly satisfying in a kind of visceral way. Plus the fact that it's so very sad.

Carrie is probably the exact opposite of the thread!

I completely agree about Carrie. The only horror film that is heartbreaking and makes you truly care about the lead character. Try "Happy Carrie". You switch off at the point

Spoiler

she wins Prom Queen, right before the pigs blood.

[Dandem]

Django Unchained sprung immediately to mind. Over 2 hours of complete magic...and then it just dragged. And then dragged some more.

[dixiewhiskey]

Antichrist.

Such a beautiful beginning, but it quickly goes downhill.

[Littlegreen42]

Insidious

- up until the last 10 minutes it is the best horror film in years.

[Virgil Tracy]

Terminator 3 , I think it's pretty good for the first hour , great truck chase , but then the ending is dull , it seems like its gearing up for a big 3rd act action finale and it just fizzles out .

[semiminted]

The Time Machine ....2002......Guy Pearce....

Just messy from half way through I thought.....



.

[Tyyleer]

Another vote for insidious

[fizzyferry]

Originally Posted by Bluray

Really?
So Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Carrie, Dolores Claiborne, The Shining all started out well and ended terribly?
Nope!

Agreed. Stunning statement, considering Shawshank has one of the best film endings ever.