Tim Allen's success on the standup circuit led to him starring in the long-running sitcom
Home Improvement, which gave him nationwide fame.
He eventually went on to star as the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Disney's beloved Toy
Story movies and as Santa in the Santa Clause franchise.
His comic talent and everyman charm made it seem like he was poised to become a major
movie star.
But over the past decade, he's almost disappeared from the big screen.
Here's a look at why you won't see too many movies starring Tim Allen anymore.
His shtick is old
Tim Allen has always been identified with a very specific type of character: the ordinary,
politically incorrect man's man.
That made him a big hit in the '80s and '90s on television, but hasn't translated to modern
movie audiences, which according to the MPAA'S research, are attended by more women than
men.
Which doesn't quite suit Allen's style.
"The bathroom has everything, including the brand new Lazy Bowl reclining toilet."
So it's not really a surprise that Allen has stuck with television instead, where he can
still safely target that same male demographic.
Third in line
Even when Allen was at his absolute hottest, he was rarely anyone's first choice for film
roles.
For instance, The Santa Clause was reportedly written with Bill Murray in mind.
When he passed, a long-standing rumor says it was offered to Chevy Chase before finally
going to Allen.
And he allegedly was third in line for Buzz Lightyear too, with Pixar pitching the role
to both Jim Carrey and Billy Crystal first.
Considering how difficult it was for him to get good roles even when he was at the height
of his popularity, it's no wonder he seems to have even fewer opportunities now.
Big screen disappointment
While the Toy Story and Santa Clause franchises have both been big hits, most of Allen's other
movies have been either critical or box office disappointments — and usually both.
His most recent efforts, like Crazy on the Outside and 3 Geezers!, had brief or nonexistent
theatrical runs, and his filmography is littered with movies like Jungle 2 Jungle, Wild Hogs,
and Christmas With the Kranks—all of which currently sit below 20 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Even when critics like his films, they don't always hit it big with fans.
The martial arts drama Redbelt, for instance, grossed less than $2.5 million despite favorable
reviews.
And while Galaxy Quest has become a true cult classic, with many science fiction fans counting
it as one of their favorites, it only made a modest $71 million against a $45 million
budget — respectable, but hardly enough to change Allen's reputation as someone whose
success comes from his franchises instead of the other way around.
Played out
Both of Allen's big franchises seem to be pretty much played out, artistically if not
financially.
Every installment of the Santa Clause trilogy got worse reviews and made less money than
the previous one.
And while Toy Story 4 is in production, it seems kind of like a cash grab considering
Toy Story 3 clearly was intended as a series coda.
Even if it becomes the massive box office hit everyone expects, that probably won't
translate to new film roles for Allen — though it will mean he gets to milk the series for
even more voicework in Toy Story shorts, made-for-TV movies, video games, and rides at Disney World.
Hey, money is money.
Family friendly flops
Allen primarily achieved fame through family-friendly comedy on Home Improvement, and he helped
cement "family friendly" as his big-screen genre with Toy Story.
However, a number of other all-ages projects fizzled.
In 2006, for example, Allen appeared in three movies: The Shaggy Dog, Santa Clause 3, and
Zoom.
While The Shaggy Dog and Santa Clause 3 at least earned their budgets back at the box
office, Zoom was a complete disaster, and all three were critically panned, to the point
where Allen earned a Worst Actor nomination at the Razzies for his collective incompetence.
That's… pretty unfriendly.
"You are a sad, strange little man.
And you have my pity.
Farewell!"
Works well with others
Allen works best as part of an ensemble cast.
For example, his portrayal of Buzz Lightyear wouldn't be half as charming without having
Tom Hanks' Woody to bounce off of or without his interaction with the rest of the colorful
cast.
His critically beloved turn in Galaxy Quest was so successful in large part because he
was playing off of some very heavy hitters, including Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman.
"C'mon!
Without my crew, I'm not a commander, eh?"
Even Wild Hogs, a critical pariah, was financially successful primarily because it also featured
Martin Lawrence, John Travolta, and William H. Macy.
If you were creating a recipe for a hit movie, Allen is less of a key ingredient and more
of a condiment or garnish.
Busy TV career
Of course, perhaps the most obvious reason that Tim Allen isn't regularly starring in
movies is that he, well, just doesn't have to.
In 2010, he tried his hand at directing with Crazy on the Outside.
When that flopped, he simply returned to TV in 2011 with Last Man Standing, a sort of
spiritual reboot of Home Improvement where Allen brings his blue collar alpha male schtick
into the 21st century.
"He's a man's man.
But lately, he's realizing…"
"What happened to men?"
"... he's not in a man's world anymore."
The show, which Allen executive produces as well as stars in, has been critically panned
from the beginning.
And yet, it shows absolutely no signs of slowing down, with six seasons as of the making of
this video.
With Last Man Standing offering steady work for steady ratings, we're guessing Allen isn't
eager to run away from his small-screen success anytime soon.
Thanks for watching!
Click the Looper icon to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Plus check out all this cool stuff we know you'll love, too!