Worst Movie Beginnings Ever Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dune (1984)

The 1984 film "Dune" is an epic science fiction movie based on the Frank Herbert novel by the same name. It is about a desert planet that is the sole source of a substance called spice that is key to many aspects of life. The movie is about the fight to control that planet and its valuable resource.

The film opened with a very unengaging monologue by Princess Irulan. She stared at the camera and spoke for almost two full minutes. Her long narration was to explain the backstory, especially for people who were unfamiliar with the book. It left many people confused and some theaters reportedly handed out printed glossaries to help audiences understand the film's jargon.

Answer: Super Mario Bros. (1993)

The 1993 movie "Super Mario Bros." was a live-action sci-fi adventure and was the first feature-length movie adapted from a video game. It is about two Brooklyn plumbers Mario and Luigi (characters from the game) who discover a parallel universe inhabited by evolved dinosaurs. They must rescue a princess from an evil "man" named King Koopa.

The movie starts off with a misleading cartoon of dinosaurs in Brooklyn millions of years ago. It is reminiscent of the light-hearted animation of the game. Suddenly, it switches to a dark, live-action parallel universe where humans evolved from the dinosaurs. It immediately loses the family-friendly tone and the storyline of the game itself.

Answer: Alien 3

"Alien 3" is a 1992 science fiction horror film which follows Ellen Ripley (the main character in the previous "Alien" films) after she crash-lands on a maximum-security prison planet inhabited by male inmates. She realizes an alien is hunting the inmates and she, herself, is carrying an alien embryo inside of her. She must sacrifice herself to save everyone.

The previous film had ended on a note of hope, with Ripley, Newt (a young girl), Hicks (a marine), and Bishop (an android) forming a contrived family and surviving against all odds. Shockingly, this film started by Ripley waking up on the planet to discover that Newt and Hicks were dead. Fans had felt an emotional connection to the characters and got off on the wrong foot almost immediately with their demise.

Answer: For Your Eyes Only (1981)

"For Your Eyes Only" is a 1981 James Bond film starring Roger Moore as agent 007. Bond must race against the Russian KGB to recover a sunken encryption device. With the help of a woman out to avenge her father's death, he discovers the Greek businessman villain. Bond manages to get the device back after a confrontation at a mountaintop monastery hideout.

The movie starts with Bond at the graveside of his deceased wife, who had famously been killed by the villain Blofeld at the end of the earlier film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969). However, it suddenly switches to an almost comedic helicopter sequence where the aircraft is powered remotely by a laughing man in a wheelchair. The cheesy one-liners continue through the segment until the villain is dropped down a smokestack. The whole scene did not fit with the rest of the film.

Answer: Indiana Jones And The Dial of Destiny (2023)

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" is an action-adventure film, the fifth instalment in the Indiana Jones series, starring Harrison Ford in what is assumed to be his final appearance as the main character. The story revolves around him joining his goddaughter to stop a former Nazi scientist from using a mythical time travel device.

The opening scene shows Indiana Jones on a train in the 1940s. Despite advanced technology, many felt that the "de-aged" Harrison Ford in the action looked unnatural, especially when he spoke, as his voice still sounded like a much older man. Plus, the film's opening seemed to rely heavily on less-than-stellar CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) which was a big difference from the realism of the earlier movies.

Answer: Postal (2007)

"Postal" is a 2007 action-comedy film based on the popular video game series by the same name. The games are known for their over-the-top violence and dark humor. The movie focuses on the game character called "Postal Dude" as he teams up with his uncle to steal rare toys containing avian flu vials. This adventure then involves a cult, terrorists, and political figures, ultimately ending in nuclear destruction.

The film opened with what was called "shock humor". Fictional 9/11 hijackers are debating on a plane about the exact number of virgins they will receive in Heaven, and they decide to call Osama bin Laden to settle the dispute. This highly offensive satirization of the September 11th attacks alienated many of the movie viewers right from the start.

Answer: Justice League (2017)

"Justice League" is a superhero (DC) film that follows Batman and Wonder Woman as they assemble a team to defend Earth from an alien invasion. After Superman's death, the two heroes gather together The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg. They must fight an alien villain named Steppenwolf in order to stop him from getting back three ancient boxes which could destroy Earth.

The film, unfortunately, suffered through many re-shoots. One of these was the opening scene where children are interviewing Superman on their cell phone. The first issue viewers brought up was the fact that computer imaging did a terrible job trying to remove the actor's moustache in the re-shoot. Next, the rather light-hearted grainy cell phone interview was very jarring compared to the sombre mood of the rest of the movie.

Answer: Cats (2019)

The 2019 movie "Cats" is a movie musical adaptation of the famous stage show by the same name. In the film, a "tribe" of cats gathers for their annual ball to decide which one of them will receive a new life. A new arrival, Victoria, watches the other cats vie for the honor through song and dance. Another cat tries to disrupt the ceremony before one is selected and is chosen for rebirth.

The film starts right into a series of musical numbers and assumes the audience knows what the cats are and what the rebirth process is all about. This is not the case for many viewers. Also, the computer generated work to create the "digital fur" of the cats immediately came across as "grotesque", "nightmarish", and "jarring". Plus, there were mistakes where actors' jewelry or hands were shown through the fur.

Answer: Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

"Terminator: Dark Fate" is a science fiction action film that is designed as a direct sequel to "Terminator 2: Judgment Day". The film follows Sarah Connor along with a futurist woman and a cyborg model as they protect a young woman named Dani Ramos from a nearly indestructible new Terminator model, the Rev-9. They work together to prevent a full global nuclear holocaust.

The movie opened with a highly controversial scene. The primary point of contention was the sudden killing of John Connor, the central character and future savior of humanity from the first two films. Fans found it upsetting to have the character killed off on a beach within the first five minutes of the film!

Answer: Superman III (1983)

"Superman III" is a superhero film that marks Christopher Reeve's third appearance as the Man of Steel and adds in more comedy into the story. Richard Pryor plays a down-on-his-luck computer hacker named Gus. He is forced by a villain to help build an all-powerful supercomputer that threatens global stability. Superman must try to stop this while also dealing with kryptonite issues.

The first two films opened with a musical score over scrolling credits in space, immediately establishing a sense of wonder and power. This film, however, opens with a slapstick comedy sequence. There are pies in the face, mimes causing troubles, and various trips and falls. This weird sequence clashed with the established Superman themes.