Rotten Tomatoes can be a vital resource for many cinephiles, but as useful as the site's
Tomatometer can be, it isn't exactly perfect. Over the years, many genuinely fantastic movies
have been hit by terrible Rotten Tomatoes scores. Here are a few of the very best.
It isn't hard to see why Underworld wasn't a huge hit with critics: It's a shamelessly
pulpy ode to vampires, werewolves, and billowing black leather. Characters have names like
Kraven and Selene, dual-wield all their weapons, and regularly say stuff like this.
"Differences will be set aside. Allegiances will be made. And soon, I will become the
hunted."
Reviewers found it goofy, overly serious, and kinda dumb, to boot. Now long-removed
from the period in which it was released, however, Underworld has revealed itself as
a heck of a lot of fun. Kate Beckinsale is wonderfully steely as Selene, a vampiric assassin
known as a "Death Dealer," driven by a centuries-old grudge. The supporting cast is also stacked
with talent: Bill Nighy, Martin Sheen, and Erwin Leder give their all as a wide variety
of creatures going bump in the night. Underworld has even become a franchise since the first
film's 2003 debut, comprising five films, comic books, video games, and an animated
feature. These days, it's still exactly as silly and violent as you might imagine, and
that's why it's remembered so fondly by so many fans.
2000's Pitch Black is an impressive piece of sci-fi horror that gave the world Richard
B. Riddick, one of Vin Diesel's first major roles. It did quite well on a relatively low
budget of $23 million, earning a $53 million gross and a solid fan base to go with it.
Diesel is a particular highlight of the film: As Riddick, a notorious criminal with sci-fi
super-vision, he plays a charismatic anti-hero whose fighting skills are matched only by
his ironclad determination. Pitch Black turned a profit, Diesel wowed audiences, and thus,
a sequel was ensured: 2004's The Chronicles of Riddick.
Chronicles' budget grew by leaps and bounds, ultimately landing at $105 million, a far
cry from Pitch Black's modest spending. But this turned out to be a grave mistake. Critics
savaged the film as a limp disappointment, being all the more lackluster following Pitch
Black's surprising success. In the end, Chronicles brought in just $115 million at the box office.
How, then, did the series garner a third installment in 2013's Riddick, a direct-to-DVD animated
feature, and a couple of video game tie-ins?
In short, it's because Chronicles is wildly misunderstood. Unlike Pitch Black, the focus
here is entirely on Riddick, who explores a setting that leans far more towards science
fiction than horror. It's sweeping, strange, and an enormous amount of fun, once you take
it on its own merits. Plus, it was on this set that Vin Diesel taught Judi Dench how
to play Dungeons & Dragons. And that just straight-up rules.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters' dismal critical reception isn't much of a mystery, since it's
not exactly a film that's much interested in conventional storytelling. If you want
to care about characters with nuanced struggles and conflicting choices, this isn't the movie
for you. If, on the other hand, you want to see Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah
and about 300 other classic kaiju duke it out across the planet, then you've come to
the right place. This is the big-budget Godzilla movie you've always wanted to see, and it's
got all the wanton destruction you could ever hope for.
There are plenty of strong actors working to keep that shaky plot together: Ken Watanabe,
Millie Bobby Brown, and Bradley Whitford are all here, doing their best with a threadbare
plot. But be honest: You come to Godzilla for Godzilla, not Godzilla's human pals, and
King of the Monsters more than delivers on that front.
It's hard to believe that Hocus Pocus got trashed so badly by critics, considering how
beloved it has become in the years since its release. Part of that is the nostalgia factor,
of course. A lot of people who champion Hocus Pocus today probably watched it as kids, and
have fond memories of it as a result. To many, Hocus Pocus is more of a stroll down memory
lane than an opportunity for serious film criticism.
But Hocus Pocus-fever isn't all nostalgia: It's a genuinely delightful movie, and a great
showcase for its trio of powerhouse actresses. Honestly, the main reason the movie did so
poorly among critics is probably bad timing. Hocus Pocus was released in July 1993, which
is just about the worst time of year to release a movie like this. A family-friendly flick
with a great cast and gentle thrills could have cleaned up around Halloween, but instead,
it had to compete with Jurassic Park. Hocus Pocus just didn't stand a chance.
Once upon a time, the best you could hope for from a video game adaptation was this.
"Be proud! Go Goomba! Join the Goombas!"
Luckily, Hollywood has finally figured out the key to a successful adaptation: embracing
the immersive worlds that games create. Warcraft is almost a great example of that: It might
not have the most interesting characters, or the best script, but it successfully brings
the world of Azeroth to life with impressive visuals and sweeping cinematography. Critics,
however, were less than impressed.
Warcraft brought in esteemed director Duncan Jones to run the show, and his talent and
appreciation of the source material shows, almost to a fault. Most of the shortcomings
of this film come from its allegiance to the Warcraft games, and the movie makes the assumption
of assuming that the viewer is already pretty familiar with Azeroth and its background.
If you're in the know, you're going to find a ton to enjoy here. If you don't...well,
then you might just agree with the critics. Still, for those already devoted to the world
of Warcraft, it's a fine movie that's full to the brim with love for the original games.
Tokyo Drift is the ugly duckling of the Fast and the Furious franchise. It's caught somewhere
between the series' grounded beginnings and the total insanity that has powered more recent
entries. What is unquestionable, however, is how downright entertaining it is, and how
it opened the franchise up to international audiences, who ensured the success of later
movies.
Tokyo Drift is quite the departure from the first two films. There's neither a Paul Walker
nor a Vin Diesel in sight, and the American muscle car scene is left behind in favor of
the neon-drenched glitz of Tokyo. Tokyo Drift has some of the coolest driving sequences
in the entire franchise, however, and marks a distinct shift towards a more self-aware
tone. Ultimately, that change was for the best, and it has allowed the Fast and the
Furious franchise to become about something more than the relatively niche world of underground
street racing. There is also a wonderful simplicity to Tokyo Drift: It's cool, it's fast, and
it's not too hung up on plot. It aims to impress, and it does.
Phoebe Cates is too often remembered as the eye candy of Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
This is a real shame, however, since she's a pretty fantastic actress with some serious
range. And there's no better demonstration of her comedic chops than Drop Dead Fred,
an oft-forgotten 1991 comedy. Sure, the reviews are terrible, but that's only because critics
walked in with the wrong expectations.
In Drop Dead Fred, Cates plays Elizabeth, a woman dealing with a life in which everything
has gone wrong. After her marriage falls apart, she moves back in with her mother, where she
is reunited with her imaginary childhood friend, Drop Dead Fred, played by the phenomenal Rik
Mayall. Fred sets out to try to fix Elizabeth's relationships and, obviously, makes things
even worse.
"Bleugh, what does that taste like?"
Drop Dead Fred is an extremely dark comedy, which threw audiences for a loop when it was
released. The studio was reportedly unhappy with how dark it turned out, and tried to
unload it after production wrapped. But it's also a biting and surprisingly heartfelt story
of adulthood gone wrong. As TriStar head Mike Medavoy put it at the time:
"It's a children's movie on drugs."
And that's what fans love about it.
It's tough to match Legend's pedigree: This is a Ridley Scott-directed dark fantasy, starring
a fresh-faced Tom Cruise as the Robin Hood-esque Jack and Tim Curry, decked out in devilish
makeup as the Lord of Darkness. Legend might be eclipsed by such contemporaries as Labyrinth
and The Dark Crystal, but it's still a remarkably well-made film with some serious darkness
at its heart.
Legend is an unquestionably beautiful watch too, absolutely brimming with elegantly realized
worlds, costumes, and creatures. Then there's the cast: Tom Cruise can be polarizing now,
but few actors commanded the screen quite like he did throughout the 1980s. Tim Curry
is always a joy, especially when he gets to lap up the scenery as a villain like the Lord
of Darkness. Mia Sara, best known as Sloane Peterson from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, is
wonderful as the impetuous, good-hearted Princess Lili. Add in Legend's intriguingly dark tone,
and you've got the recipe for an absolute classic of a movie.
1999's The Boondock Saints is certainly a product of its time, and it doesn't take long
for you to figure out what influences director Troy Duffy was operating under in making this
movie. Tarantino, Guy Ritchie, Martin Scorsese and Hong Kong action movies like Hard Target,
they're all present in Boondock Saints. It's lurid, violent, and extreme, just as the critics
said. But its action scenes are genuinely innovative, and for all its blood and gore,
it's a whole lot more fun than it's given credit for.
The Boondock Saints follows brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus who, after getting into
a bar fight, target a bunch of mobsters. They're soon caught up in a series of violent gunfights,
culminating in an assault on the heart of the Russian mob. It's basically a less self-aware
John Wick.
What really makes Boondock Saints work, though, is its impressive cast: Willem Dafoe, Sean
Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, and Billy Connolly all feature here at their absolute
best. So sure, it's an indulgent, violent fantasy, but that doesn't mean it's bad.
Belly is one of the most polarizing films on Rotten Tomatoes, with a whopping 72% difference
between its critical and audience score. Despite struggling to wow the critics, however, Belly
really is a fascinating movie. The plot isn't anything to write home about, but there's
so much style and talent involved that it's pretty much impossible to ignore, too. Youth
culture site Complex has even suggested that Belly was so far ahead of its time that it
reshaped hip hop and Hollywood in ways that are only now becoming clear.
Belly is the feature film debut of legendary music video director Hype Williams, and stars
an absolute wealth of rap, hip hop and R&B luminaries. It's a story about two men, played
by Nas and DMX, who try to free themselves from their lives of crime after escaping from
the run-down Queens neighborhood of their youth. Belly is a deeply-felt odyssey of music,
compromise, and life at the bottom. Sure, it's a little messy, but the sheer talent,
verve, and vision of the film radiates from every frame. Many critics saw Belly's atmospheric
approach as Hype Williams' history in music videos dragging him down. Modern viewers know
better, that sleek, style-forward approach is what makes Belly such an unforgettable
watch.
There aren't many big, dumb action movies better than the much-maligned Bad Boys II.
It's Michael Bay at his Michael Bay-est, and if you're not down with that, you'll hate
it. But if that kind of sounds like your thing, then it'll be a dream come true. For this
movie, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are out in full force from the first scene to
the last. And sure, Rotten Tomatoes' Critics Consensus calls Bad Boys II:
"Two and a half hours of explosions and witless banter."
But that's kind of the point, isn't it? There's a plot in there, of course. Smith and Lawrence
return to play Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, who are tasked with investigating
Miami's ecstasy trade. They soon uncover a massive gang war for control of the city's
drug shipments, and their personal relationship is put at stake when Lowrey starts crushing
on Burnett's sister.
But all this is just an excuse for bigger and better explosions. And that's 100% fine,
too. Not every movie has to be The Godfather.
Teen horror doesn't tend to hit home with critics. It's a genre that prioritizes pretty
faces and high body counts over skillful execution, often employing questionable logic to get
its stars to their bloody ends. Some of them deserve better than the "teen slasher" label
they are assigned, however, and chief among them is the critically derided Final Destination.
The first film in a five film series, Final Destination has a killer premise: Once Death
has chosen you, there is no escape. A high school student named Alex boards a plane with
several classmates, then foresees the plane exploding, killing everyone on board. After
several people exit the plane, including Alex, his premonition comes true. Soon, all those
who got off the plane start dying in a series of elaborate ways, and the survivors determine
that they did not cheat Death, they only delayed it.
Final Destination features some truly creative death sequences, making good on its attention-grabbing
premise. It's definitely not arthouse horror, but it's impossible to watch it and not be
entertained.
For a few years, the Saw franchise ran like clockwork. You could expect a new film every
year, each complete with a range of intricately designed traps and fiendish plot twists. The
series definitely went downhill after the first two movies, but they continued to entertain
even as the quality degraded.
"Let the game begin."
The first film, 2004's Saw, continues to reign supreme as the progenitor of the series and
its best outing. Saw is the film that got director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell
started, as the pair wrote the movie after meeting in film school. Nowadays, they're
involved in everything from the Conjuring series to 2020's The Invisible Man. Saw also
made over $100 million on a tiny budget of just $1.2 million. It's no wonder the film
spawned so many sequels, despite critics' tepid response.
In case you didn't already know, Saw is about a serial killer who traps his victims inside
elaborate puzzles, in an effort to test their will to live. There are a few great kills
and a jaw-dropping twist in there, all brought to life by a genuinely great cast. It's bloody,
disgusting, and twisted, and that's just why fans love it.
Empire Records is a hugely quotable coming-of-age comedy from 1995. It's both a throwback to
similar films from the previous decade and an attempt to be the voice of the indie music-loving
children of the 1990s. Teen comedies are usually pretty hit or miss with critics, however,
and Empire Records missed with most of them. But as the audience score shows, it didn't
miss with its target viewers.
Empire Records doesn't tell a terribly original story: A group of quirky weirdos who work
in a record store have to do everything they can to stop a takeover from a major chain.
They're all plucky underdogs, they learn about each other, they posture over who has the
best music taste. You know, the usual. It's also exactly what you'd expect in the best
possible sense, and it's pulled off thanks to a truly spectacular cast.
The story goes that Michael Nathanson, President of Regency Pictures, greenlit this film the
day before he heard the pitch for Clueless. He turned that movie down, as he already had
a teen movie in Empire Records. Clueless became a massive hit and Empire Records bombed, but
in the end, Nathanson ended up having created an era-defining cult classic.
It isn't hard to figure out why Ravenous didn't have a great critical reception, after all,
there's a ton going on within this seriously bizarre film. Is it a western? A horror movie?
A satire? It has elements of everything, and films that attempt that sort of genre collage
frequently get a bad rap from critics. But if you accept Ravenous for the whacked-out
horror it is, it's hard not to fall in love with its oddball mixture of history, murder,
and pitch-black comedy.
Guy Pearce leads the cast as Second Lieutenant John Boyd, an American soldier fighting in
the Mexican-American War. The myth of the Wendigo is blended with the story of the Donner
Party, set off by a particularly twisted interpretation of Manifest Destiny. It's also totally bonkers,
but that's the point: Ravenous is an overload of American myth-making. Sure, there's a whole
lot of gruesome gore in there, but Ravenous does nothing without reason, and as a result,
easily stands out as one of the strangest and most satisfying horror movies of the 1990s.
Fallen is a movie that deftly combines psychological horror with a police procedural plot, and
manages to pull off a genuinely wonderful ending, to boot. And boy, were the critics
unimpressed.
The premise of Fallen seems simple: the police catch a serial killer, then have to deal with
a copycat. Things start going sideways when demonic imagery starts to appear, suggesting
that there is a lot more going on with the original killer than what the police initially
thought. The movie is anchored by an awesome cast, including Denzel Washington, John Goodman,
and Donald Sutherland. It's a testament to their skill that they pull Fallen's story
off, which combines street-level action with forces of literally Biblical proportions.
Fallen might have seemed flat to critics, but revisited today, it comes off as unique,
self-assured, and just the tiniest bit weird. Not an easy combination, but Fallen pulls
it off with aplomb.
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