February 12, 2018

AKABAS | Which Movies’ Plots Change Drastically if We Change One Letter of the Title?

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Art by Sophie Zheng, Lettering by Helen Hu

Art by Sophie Zheng, Lettering by Helen Hu

 

Forrest Gump → Forrest Dump
Synopsis: In this two-minute live-action short, a young boy on a hike in the Adirondacks walks 50 feet away from the trail, poops, walks back to the trail, and continues his hike.
Critical Response: One critic calls the short a “hauntingly realistic slice of life” and many are even moved to tears, while a minority of writers call it “hogwash” and “utterly pretentious.”
Difference-O-Meter: Forrest Dump is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT film.

 

Tomb Raider → Womb Raider
Synopsis: An anti-abortion propaganda film.
Critical Response: The film induces one of the most inappropriate strings of Trump tweets to date and is so divisive that it actually hurts the Republican Party at the 2018 midterm elections.
Difference-O-Meter: Womb Raider is a TOTALLY DIFFERENT film.  

 

The Dark Knight → The Dork Knight
Synopsis: In the Medieval Era, a reserved, socially-awkward knight struggles to conform to the masculine, uber-tough identity that society expects of him.
Critical Response: Tom Hardy’s brooding performance as a dorky knight is very well-received, despite the fact that he, of course, spends almost the entire runtime with his face covered by armor.
Difference-O-Meter: The Dork Knight is a VERY DIFFERENT film.

 

Pirates of the Caribbean → Pilates of the Caribbean
Synopsis: After retiring to the Bahamas, 70-year-old Jill Sparrow takes Pilates classes as she and her husband struggle to keep their marriage afloat with their 40th anniversary just around the corner.
Critical Response: The Golden Globes put it in the Best Musical or Comedy category, much to the dismay of director Alexander Payne. Meryl Streep is nominated for her 22nd Academy Award.
Difference-O-Meter: Pilates of the Caribbean is a VERY DIFFERENT film.

 

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back → Star Wars: The Umpire Strikes Back
Synopsis: In the years following A New Hope, Darth Vader takes up a career as a baseball umpire to fix games in favor of his son, Luke Skywalker. When Vader blows a call at first base that costs Chewbacca a perfect game, the crowd starts booing him, and Vader pulls out a lightsaber and starts Rogue One-ing everyone in the stadium. Luke drops out of the league and travels to Dagobah to learn to use The Force from his hitting coach, Yoda. 
Critical Response: Renowned film critic Roger Ebert literally rolls over in his grave. Star Wars fanboys petition to have it removed from the canon. They succeed.
Difference-O-Meter: Star Wars: The Umpire Strikes Back is a VERY DIFFERENT film.

 

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of JusticeBatman v. Superman: Lawn of Justice
Synopsis: After The Justice League, Batman and Superman settle down as neighbors in a small Midwest suburb. Batman’s lemon trees start encroaching on Superman’s property, and the two duke it out in a titanic fight to the death on the border of their front lawns until they realize that their moms have the same first name.
Critical Response: It gets a 19% on Rotten Tomatoes. DC decides it can no longer compete with Marvel and shuts down all operations.
Difference-O-Meter: Batman v. Superman: Lawn of Justice is a SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT film.

 

The Pursuit of HappynessPursuit of Happiness
Synopsis: It’s literally The Pursuit of Happyness, except the title is spelled correctly.
Critical Response: Significantly better than the The Pursuit of Happyness.
Difference-O-Meter: The Pursuit of Happiness is EXACTLY THE SAME film.