It’s become common practice for movies to add a romantic subplot, but these narratives can often pull focus from a movie’s good qualities and halt the momentum. In some cases, a bad romantic subplot can even spoil a movie that initially shows a lot of promise. Action, sci-fi, fantasy and comedy movies can all shoehorn a romance in. The idea is that romance can provide a change of pace and a different kind of drama, but this doesn’t always work out.
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There are plenty of ways to make a romantic subplot work. Han Solo and Princess Leia’s story in Star Wars, Danny and Tess’ romance in Ocean’s Eleven and James Bond and Vesper’s relationship in Casino Royale all enhance the plot. Unfortunately, the success of movies like these have inspired studios to cram romantic subplots into movies which don’t need them at all. Thanks to terrible romantic chemistry between actors, lazy writing or tonal inconsistencies, many of these romantic plots fall flat.
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10 The Godfather Part III (1990)
Vincent & Mary Corleone
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6/10 8.8/10 The Godfather Part III
Director Francis Ford Coppola Release Date December 25, 1990 Cast Al Pacino , Andy Garcia , Diane Keaton
After the remarkable success of the first two movies, The Godfather Part III was a letdown. This is an odd thing to say about a movie that was nominated for Best Picture, but it’s true nonetheless. One of the biggest criticisms that has been directed at Francis Ford Coppola’s end to the trilogy is the performance of his daughter Sofia, who plays Michael’s daughter, Mary Corleone. Sofia Coppola has since established herself as a trend-setting director, but she’s not a great actor.
The fact that Sofia Coppola and Andy Garcia share such poor chemistry doesn’t make the relationship any easier to watch.
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Sofia Coppola’s performance is key to The Godfather Part III, simply because Mary Corleone has such a vital part to play. Michael is protective of his daughter, and he warns Vincent to stay away from her multiple times. Her incestuous relationship with her cousin is easily the most uncomfortable part of the movie. The fact that Coppola and Andy Garcia share such poor chemistry doesn’t make the relationship any easier to watch.
9 The Hobbit Trilogy
Kili & Tauriel
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After the astounding success of the Lord of the Rings movies, the Hobbit trilogy had a lot to live up to. Sadly, they didn’t quite meet these high expectations. One negative from the Hobbit trilogy which is often criticized is the romantic subplot between Kili, a dwarf, and Tauriel, an elf. This subplot has the potential to explore different attitudes to such a relationship in Middle Earth, but the story never gets deep enough.
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By contrast, the romantic plot threads in the
Lord of the Rings
never overshadow the action.
Kili and Tauriel’s relationship seems to spring up from out of nowhere, and they’re immediately talking about it as if it’s some kind of grand epic romance. Their words don’t really line up with their actions, however, as the relationship barely has any impact on the main narrative. By contrast, the romantic plot threads in the Lord of the Rings never overshadow the action. Both trilogies have more of a focus on male characters, but The Hobbit is more heavy-handed with the way it includes women.
8 Hancock (2008)
Hancock & Mary
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7/10 8/10 Hancock
Director Peter Berg Release Date July 2, 2008 Cast Will Smith , Charlize Theron , Jason Bateman
Hancock begins with a lot of promise as an unconventional superhero movie in a more grounded reality than the genre’s standard. It’s hampered by a midpoint twist that suddenly turns the movie into a strange sort of romance. Will Smith’s anti-social superhero discovers that he isn’t the only person with powers, as he meets a woman who he supposedly met before he got amnesia.
Hancock
wastes its momentum in one moment to become a romance that isn’t as interesting as its initial premise.
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Hancock wastes its momentum in one moment to become a romance that isn’t as interesting as its initial premise. The idea that Hancock and Mary are magnetically drawn to each other as soul mates is also hard to believe. They seem to have no mutual attraction until they kiss. It’s a shocking moment, but this twist just raises questions with no satisfying answers. Hancock would probably have been more popular if it had ditched the romantic narrative.
7 Road House (2024)
Dalton & Ellie
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5/10 18 8.3/10 Road House
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*Availability in US Director Doug Liman Release Date March 21, 2024 Cast Jake Gyllenhaal , Daniela Melchior , Billy Magnussen , Jessica Williams , Joaquim De Almeida , Conor McGregor , Lukas Gage , Arturo Castro , B.K. Cannon , Beau Knapp , Darren Barnet , Dominique Columbus , Bob Menery
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The Road House remake makes some positive changes to Patrick Swayze’s 1989 original, but it’s still beholden to some old action movie conventions. While Jake Gyllenhaal’s Dalton is a different kind of character, he also has a relationship with a doctor, just like in the original. Dalton and Ellie’s relationship doesn’t seem organic at all. It’s as if it was only included because the original has a similar subplot.
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Dalton’s story in the remake is more complex than it is in the original. He’s a former UFC fighter who’s trying to move on with his life after losing his self-control and inadvertently killing one of his opponents in the octagon. He’s in desperate need of some absolution and a new lease on life, but the romantic subplot seems like a lazy shortcut to achieving this. By reconnecting with people and finding a job that helps people other than himself, Dalton gets much more satisfaction than any romantic relationship. The fact that he leaves without Ellie shows that she isn’t that important.
6 Big (1998)
Josh & Susan
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Big
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*Availability in US Director Penny Marshall Release Date June 3, 1988 Cast Tom Hanks , Elizabeth Perkins , Robert Loggia , John Heard , Jared Rushton , David Moscow , Jon Lovitz , Mercedes Ruehl
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Big is proof that even a truly great movie can fall into the trap of adding an unnecessary romantic subplot. The difference between Big and so many other movies is that the relationship in question has been interpreted as a little creepy. Big follows a young boy who is magically transformed into a fully-grown adult. He soon begins a relationship with an adult woman, even though he has the mind of a 12-year-old.
There are plenty of funny and heartwarming moments in
Big
without the questionable romance.
Big is one of Tom Hanks’ best movies. It came early enough in his career that he was still taking on mostly comedic roles, and he’s a joy to watch as an overgrown, naive child. There are plenty of funny and heartwarming moments in Big without the questionable romance. The premise of the movie works so well because it’s an exploration of a common childhood fantasy, but romance doesn’t fit into this fantasy. It’s the same as if Home Alone had a romance bolted on.
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5 Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom (1984)
Indiana & Willie
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8/10 6/10 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
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*Availability in US Director Steven Spielberg Release Date May 8, 1984 Cast Harrison Ford , Kate Capshaw , Ke Huy Quan , Amrish Puri , Roshan Seth , Philip Stone , Roy Chiao
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, which allows a new love interest to take the place of Marion. Unfortunately, Willie isn’t as complex or as capable as Marion. She is reluctantly dragged along on the adventure with Indy and Short Round, and she spends a lot of time acting as the stereotypical damsel in distress. Willie initially rubs Indy the wrong way, but their animosity soon gives way to romance.
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The problem is that by eliminating Willie, or at least axing the romantic subplot,
Temple of Doom
could have stood out more.
Willie’s paper-thin character is one reason why Temple of Doom is generally considered to be the low point in the original Indiana Jones trilogy. Having Indy start a romance with her does very little for the plot, and it only serves to solidify Indy’s reputation as a romantic adventurer. The problem is that by eliminating her, or at least axing the romantic subplot, Temple of Doom could have stood out more. The prequel could have focused more on Indy’s unusual parent-like bond with Short Round, which would set up the introduction of Indy’s own father in The Last Crusade.
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4 Gangs Of New York (2002)
Amsterdam & Jenny
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9.5/10 Gangs of New York
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*Availability in US Director Martin Scorsese Release Date December 20, 2002 Cast Leonardo DiCaprio , Cameron Diaz , Daniel Day-Lewis , Jim Broadbent , John C. Reilly , Henry Thomas , Liam Neeson , Brendan Gleeson
Gangs of New York is a revenge story set in the violent ganglands of 19th century New York City. Leonardo DiCaprio, in his first collaboration with Martin Scorsese, plays a man trying to avenge his father’s death at the hands of the most notorious criminal in the Five Points. It’s not a story that needs a romantic subplot, and the scenes shared between DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz halt the momentum of the entire movie.
Cameron Diaz’s accent and performance have often been criticized, and the pacing sometimes suffers as a result of the romantic plot.
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Gangs of New York has a few weak points which hold it back from being considered one of Martin Scorsese’s best movies. The fight scenes and some of the performances are outstanding, but Cameron Diaz’s accent and performance have often been criticized, and the pacing sometimes suffers as a result of the romantic plot. Scorsese’s true classics usually have relationships which enhance the story, like in Goodfellas and Killers of the Flower Moon.
3 Zoolander (2001)
Derek & Matilda
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7/10 8/10 Zoolander
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*Availability in US Director Ben Stiller Release Date September 28, 2001 Cast Owen Wilson , Ben Stiller , Milla Jovovich , Christine Taylor , Will Ferrell
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The most important relationship in Zoolander isn’t the one between Derek and Matilda. It’s the one between Derek and his male-modeling rival Hansel. Their newly-formed friendship is what impacts the plot the most. Matilda has her part to play in uncovering Mugatu’s plan to assassinate the Prime Minister of Malaysia, but this has little to do with her relationship with Derek. The relationship subplot is shoehorned in to provide Derek with a happy ending.
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With Zoolander, Ben Stiller succumbs to the temptation to throw a romantic storyline into a comedy movie that doesn’t need it. This is interesting, because his other movies don’t have the same problem. Tropic Thunder doesn’t force Tugg Speedman into a romance for no reason, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty provides a great example of how to do a romantic subplot well. Derek and Matilda’s relationship seems to come from nowhere, and by the end of the movie, they already have a child together.
2 Jurassic World (2015)
Owen & Claire
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7/10 6.8/10 Jurassic World
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*Availability in US Director Colin Trevorrow Release Date June 12, 2015 Cast Bryce Dallas Howard , Chris Pratt , Omar Sy , Jake Johnson
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Jurassic World was the long-awaited return to the Jurassic Park franchise, bringing more sophisticated CGI and splashier action sequences. It also introduced a new cast of characters, including business-obsessed executive Claire Dearing and Velociraptor expert Owen Grady. Claire and Owen have their own interesting stories, but Jurassic World forces them into a romantic subplot that doesn’t make either of them any more compelling.
Claire and Owen have their own interesting stories, but
Jurassic World
forces them into a romantic subplot that doesn’t make either of them any more compelling.
The two subsequent Jurassic World movies provided a little more context and some more authentic development to Owen and Claire’s relationship. The first Jurassic World explains away their attraction by saying that they had one failed date previously. This doesn’t seem like a good enough reason for them to be drawn to each other with such magnetism. Jurassic World Rebirth is set to introduce a new cast of characters, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more romantic stories wedged in between scenes of dinosaur action.
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1 The Italian Job (2003)
Charlie & Stella
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The Italian Job
Director F. Gary Gray Release Date May 30, 2003 Cast Mark Wahlberg , Charlize Theron , Edward Norton , Jason Statham , Seth Green , Mos Def , Donald Sutherland
The Italian Job is a remake of a British crime caper starring Michael Caine from 1969. The original doesn’t have any romantic plot threads, nor does it need them. It’s a lighthearted heist comedy about a group of British hooligans causing a scene in the picturesque city of Turin. The remake changes a lot while still trying to keep the same blend of fun action and humor. One major change is the introduction of Stella, played by Charlize Theron.
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Theron shares very little chemistry with Mark Wahlberg in
The Italian Job
, and their happy ending seems forced.
Charlie and Stella’s relationship is indicative of the trend in more modern blockbusters to squeeze in a romantic subplot without considering how it affects the story. If Paramount had wanted to remake a 1960s heist movie starring Michael Caine with plenty of romance, they should have chosen Gambit. Theron shares very little chemistry with Mark Wahlberg in The Italian Job, and their happy ending seems forced.