Reynolds' biggest film flops

GREEN LANTERN (2011)
PHOTO: WARNER BROS
THE CHANGE-UP (2011)
PHOTO: UIP
R.I.P.D. (2013)
PHOTO: UIP
TURBO (2013)
PHOTO: YOUTUBE
SELF/LESS (2015)
PHOTO: YOUTUBE

After the relative success of his romantic comedy The Proposal (2009) alongside A-lister Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds was touted to be Hollywood's next big thing. But it did not happened.

He went on to release one big-screen dud after another - it seemed like there was nothing marketable about him other than his wholesome good looks. With all the hype and positive early reviews surrounding his new movie Deadpool, however, he could yet fulfill that early promise. The Straits Times takes a look at some of the biggest flops of his film career.

GREEN LANTERN (2011)

Director: Martin Campbell

What: Based on the DC Comics superhero character, the film is about cocky test pilot Hal Jordan (Reynolds, right), who joins the mysterious Green Lantern Corps - a team of warriors who keep order in the universe.

Why it failed: This boasted fancy visual effects and a starry cast, but the weak storyline and an overly talky script clipped the wings of this superhero movie. Many media outlets, including The Telegraph newspaper in Britain, named Green Lantern one of the worst movies of the year.

Still, the project was not a complete failure for Reynolds. It was where he met his wife, American actress-model Blake Lively, with whom he has a daughter.

THE CHANGE-UP (2011)

Director: David Dobkin

What: Dave (Jason Bateman) is a married man with three kids, Mitch (Reynolds, right) is the opposite - a swinging bachelor. One day, lightning strikes the fountain in which they pee and the two guys switch bodies.

Why it failed: Bateman and Reynolds were praised for attempting roles against their good-guy type, but the film's overly crass humour and generic plot did not go down well with viewers. Along with Green Lantern, The Telegraph listed this as one of the Top 10 Worst Films of 2011.

R.I.P.D. (2013)

Director: Robert Schwentke

What: The title refers to the Rest In Peace Department, which is a team of undead police officers who are responsible for finding souls who refuse to move on to the afterlife. Reynolds (right) is a new R.I.P.D. member tasked to partner veteran officer Roy (Jeff Bridges).

Why it failed: The movie cost US$154 million to make, but it took in a disastrous US$12.8 million during the opening weekend. The film fared so terribly overall that it is now ranked as the sixth biggest box-office flop of all time in the US. Critics panned the script as too silly and predictable; popular news site The Verge described the movie as "one vaguely funny joke told for 98 minutes".

TURBO (2013)

Director: David Soren

What: In this animated flick, Reynolds voices Turbo (right), a snail who gains super speed after he gets into a freak accident where his DNA fuses with the elements of a race car. Turbo joins an actual IndyCar race, much to the disbelief of humans.

Why it failed: In the same weekend when R.I.P.D. opened, Reynolds' animation flick Turbo was also released - and this was a major misfire too.

The US$80-million domestic gross the film earned in the United States made it one of the lowest-grossing films in the history of its maker Dreamworks Animation, which posted a US$13.5-million writedown. The film received mediocre reviews, with many critics commending the visuals and the story's inspiring message of harbouring big dreams, but said it lacked inventiveness to be truly memorable.

SELF/LESS (2015)

Director: Tarsem Singh

What: A dying billionaire (Ben Kingsley) undergoes a procedure known as "shedding", where he transfers his conciousness to another body (Reynolds, right). With a healthy body, he assumes a new identity, but problems arise when he starts having strange hallucinations.

Why it failed: Grossing only US$12 million (S$16.8 million) worldwide, the US$26-million film was considered a major box-office flop. Critically, it was also a huge dud, with reviewers panning its poor pacing and lack of thrills despite the intriguing premise.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 10, 2016, with the headline Reynolds' biggest film flops. Subscribe