The Worst Non-Action Movies From Hollywood's Top Action Stars

Before establishing himself as a second-rate action star, Cage headlined this famously terrible remake of a cult classic. The project was also off-brand for director Neil LaBute, who proved that he was no horror maestro. In the film, a policeman (Cage) visits a creepy island with dark secrets and deadly rituals.

Best known for his stint as James Bond, actor Pierce Brosnan plays a mysterious club owner in this misguided thriller. With the arrival of young vacationers comes a chance for Brosnan to dole out a new designer drug called Urge. Chaos follows for the characters and the viewers alike.

Starring Jackie Chan as revolutionary leader Huang Xing, this historical drama recounts the overthrowing of the Qing Dynasty to create modern China. While not as action-packed as the movie star’s other efforts, it still features a number of epic battle scenes. “A historical superproduction in which style, aside from committee-made, widescreen tedium, is spectacularly absent,” wrote critic Bill Weber for Slant Magazine.

An infamous low for all those involved, M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Happening” drains all tension or suspense from its potentially thrilling premise. When a deadly plague – revealed to be caused by plant life defending itself against humanity – makes the infected commit suicide, a man (Wahlberg) and his family wander the countryside, and manage to survive. The execution is as dull as it sounds and you should probably watch “Bird Box” instead.

Even Costner’s most loyal fans might not be aware of this horror dud, in which he plays a recently divorced father. Upon moving into a rural home with his two children, his daughter (Ivana Baquero) comes up against a malevolent force.

Following the success of “300,” Butler played the leading man in a handful of romantic dramas and comedies. Among them was this sports-themed stinker, in which a former athlete turned coach (Butler) catches the eye of various soccer moms. It has a 4% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Stallone and country legend Dolly Parton were bona fide superstars when they appeared in this musical comedy misfire. He plays an arrogant New York cabbie, who becomes an unlikely singer under her mentorship. A critical and commercial flop perhaps, but the soundtrack did yield two top 10 country singles for Parton.

A minor league hockey player (Johnson) becomes a real-life tooth fairy in this poorly written “Santa Clause” knock-off. It performed well enough at the worldwide box office to spawn a direct-to-video sequel starring Larry the Cable Guy in the title role. Suddenly, the first one didn’t look so bad.

The same year he redefined himself as a modern-day action star, Neeson appeared in this rudderless thriller. Convinced that his wife (Laura Linney) is having an affair, a businessman (Neeson) befriends the man (Antonio Banderas) with whom she may be sleeping. “The result is B-grade cheese,” wrote critic Amy Biancolli for the Houston Chronicle.

Washington was a certifiable A-lister when he starred in this rote remake of a 1947 romantic comedy. It finds him playing an angel named Dudley, who descends from the heavens to help a preacher (Courtney B. Vance) save his church. Singer Whitney Houston co-stars as the title character and performs rousing gospel numbers.

Russell’s career has spanned multiple genres since his early days as a child star. His 1989 drama “Winter People” takes place in Depression-era Appalachia and centers on the war between two separate clans. It opened to lackluster box office numbers and largely negative reviews.

With one of the most enduring careers in Hollywood, Eastwood has experienced plenty of highs and lows. In this uneven thriller, a journalist (Eastwood) has mere hours to overturn a Death Row conviction. Its IMDb rating of 6.6 is quite respectable, comparatively speaking.

Most of Willis’ worst efforts fall into the action genre, though he did also star in this lame-brained sequel to 2000’s “The Whole Nine Yards.” It finds him reprising the role of Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski, who gets pulled back into the mobster life he left behind.

The first American film to star Mel Gibson in a lead role was also one of his worst releases outside of the action genre. Set in Tennessee, it follows a farming couple (Gibson and Sissy Spacek) as they contend with natural disasters and scheming land developers.

Diesel wrote, directed, and starred in this 1997 crime drama, which reportedly draws from his own experiences. It tells the story of a drug dealer (Diesel) who struggles to move beyond his dangerous lifestyle. A promising logline perhaps, but the execution leaves much to be desired.

Schwarzenegger was at the height of his career when he played the world’s first pregnant man in this Ivan Reitman comedy. It re-teamed him with “Twins” co-star Danny DeVito but failed to conjure the same magic as their previous effort.

Smith was one among a legion of Hollywood A-listers to lend his voice to this computer-animated comedy. When an ambitious fish (voiced by Smith) takes credit for a crime he didn’t commit, it puts him in the crosshairs of undersea mobsters.

A stalwart of the Western genre, Wayne tried his hand at this historical epic to absolutely abysmal results. He plays the Mongolian (yes, Mongolian) warlord Genghis Khan, who vanquishes his enemies and romances his prisoner (Susan Hayward). Somehow, it’s even worse than it sounds.

This romantic comedy chronicles the on-again-off-again relationship between a teacher (Salma Hayek) and a photographer (Russell Crowe). It made just over $11,000 at the box office before vaporizing itself from the public consciousness. Watch it if you dare!

Reeves took a break from his iconic John Wick character to star in this lousy romantic crime thriller. It follows a diamond merchant (Reeves) into the heart of Siberia, where new love and deadly danger await.

Neither a top-notch cast nor talented director Sydney Lumet could save this 1989 crime dramedy from being purely mediocre. A man (Dustin Hoffman) enlists the help of his grandfather (Connery) and his son (Matthew Broderick) in the planning of a major heist.

Harrison Ford’s career was on the downswing by the time he appeared in this ensemble drama about illegal border crossings. Empire Magazine critic Simon Braund cites “an absolute failure to address its nominal subject-matter in any meaningful way.”

Cruise was such a huge star by the late 1980s that he turned this famously campy drama into one the year’s highest-grossers. It takes place in the cutthroat world of – ahem – modern bartending, following Brian Flanagan (Cruise) in his pursuit of the American dream.