The 2017 film "The Disaster Artist" tells the story behind the making of "The Room," one of the most famous turkeys of all time.
Like Tim Burton's "Ed Wood," James Franco's flick is also a testament to the power of clueless filmmaking and the ridiculous movies that emerge as a result. Despite having widely celebrated actors like Eddie Murphy, established directors like Robert Rodriguez, and esteemed screenwriters like David S. Goyer, these films still managed to disappoint critics and audiences alike.
Notably, many entries are either sequels or adaptations, proving that attempts at creating franchises often fall flat on their faces. These are the true rotten tomatoes and Golden Raspberry Award winners, at least some of which have garnered shocking levels of attention or success despite—or most often because of—their sheer terribleness.
In honour of bad cinema, has accumulated a list of the most widely watched but universally hated movies of all time. For the data, Stacker searched IMDb for movies with over 50,000 user ratings and ranked the top 50 films, counting down from worse to worst. Ties were broken by votes. Without further delay, here are the most widely watched but universally hated movies of all time.
Universal Pictures
#50. Fifty Shades Darker (2017)
- Director: James Foley
- IMDb user rating: 4.6
- Metascore: 33
- Runtime: 118 minutes
The second installment in the "Fifty Shades" franchise sees the return of Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) and Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) in this anticipated sequel. The film certainly ups the , introducing a stalker, a traumatic origin story for Grey, an abusive boss, and, if that wasn't enough, a helicopter crash. Despite all of this, the film falls flat in creating tension, both dramatic and sexual, and becomes something of a boring mess, earning it "Worst Sequel" at the 38th (Razzie) Awards.
Twentieth Century Fox
#49. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
- Directors: Colin Strause, Greg Strause
- IMDb user rating: 4.6
- Metascore: 29
- Runtime: 94 minutes
A sequel to a spinoff of a far-more-successful film franchise, "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem," also branded as "AVPR," decided that pitting the titular Aliens and Predators against each other was not enough. Instead, this movie introduces the ,' a Predator infected with the Alien, that wreaks havoc on a small town in a bloody but somehow boring massacre. This is the Strause brothers' first film as directors, which becomes apparent in the poorly constructed action sequences and mediocre .
Fox 2000 Pictures
#48. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009)
- Director: Betty Thomas
- IMDb user rating: 4.5
- Metascore: 41
- Runtime: 88 minutes
This film answers the age-old question, "What would happen to Alvin and the Chipmunks if they went to high school?" Unfortunately, the answer is rather boring, losing whatever charm the first "Alvin and the Chipmunks" film had manifested in the original movie's lead actor Jason Lee being written out the minute the film begins. "The Squeakquel" does introduce the Chippettes, the female alternative to the boy band, but received for somehow sexualizing the female chipmunk form.
Universal Pictures
#47. Ouija (2014)
- Director: Stiles White
- IMDb user rating: 4.5
- Metascore: 38
- Runtime: 89 minutes
Despite topping at the office upon release, "Ouija" was panned by critics and audiences alike who were unimpressed by this collaboration between Universal Pictures and Hasbro. The plot is somewhere in between "Final Destination (2000)" and "Annabelle (2014)" as a group of teens interacts with a spooky object that kills them off one by one. "Ouija" uses every overplayed horror trope in the book and prioritizes repetitious jumpscares over building any actual tension.
Revolution Studios
#46. Little Man (2006)
- Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans
- IMDb user rating: 4.5
- Metascore: 26
- Runtime: 98 minutes
Created by the Wayans brothers, of "White Chicks (2004)" and "Scary Movie (2000)" fame, "Little Man" got the most out of its 2006-era CGI by placing Marlon Wayans' head on the body of child actor Linden Porco because Marlon's character Calvin was a short jewel thief pretending to be an orphaned baby to recapture a diamond he was forced to abandon with a suburban couple—obviously. "Little Man" embodies the worst traits of the Wayans' mindless raunchy comedy and fails to provide enough character and substance to maintain the audience's interest for its duration.
Universal Pictures
#45. Fifty Shades Freed (2018)
- Director: James Foley
- IMDb user rating: 4.5
- Metascore: 31
- Runtime: 105 minutes
"Fifty Shades Freed" marks the not-so-climactic end to the "Fifty Shades" trilogy. Despite the franchise being known for its scandalous sex scenes, the plot of this film revolves around practically everything but the sex life of the two protagonists. Called the "" by Vanity Fair, Dakota Johnson's performance was the only positive of this melodramatic film.
Warner Bros.
#44. Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)
- Director: Malcolm D. Lee
- IMDb user rating: 4.5
- Metascore: 36
- Runtime: 115 minutes
With all the anxiety over the increased presence of AI in modern society, one needs only look to "Space Jam: A New Legacy" to have their fears quelled. Yes, in the long-awaited "Space Jam" (1996) sequel, basketball star LeBron James is forced to team up with the Looney Tunes Squad to rescue his son, who has been mercilessly kidnapped by an evil A.I. and his Goon Squad. "A New Legacy" was received by critics largely due to its relentless promotion of WarnerMedia characters and .
MMIX New Line Productions Inc.
#43. Sex and the City 2 (2010)
- Director: Michael Patrick King
- IMDb user rating: 4.5
- Metascore: 27
- Runtime: 146 minutes
With a whopping runtime of nearly two and a half hours, "Sex and the City 2" manages to fill this time with very little of note. The first "Sex and the City" film, a spinoff of the wildly popular television show, maintains the sexy feminine spirit of the show—the sequel, however, misses the mark entirely and relies on to dazzle the audience. Even with the terrible reviews, however, "SATC2" was a fiscal earning $290 million worldwide on a $100 million budget.
Netflix
#42. Death Note (2017)
- Director: Adam Wingard
- IMDb user rating: 4.5
- Metascore: 43
- Runtime: 101 minutes
Netflix's "Death Note" will go down in history as one of the most obvious examples of whitewashing in recent years. The film draws from the of the same name but decides to relocate the narrative to Seattle, Washington, and cast almost exclusively Americans. Outside of this rather jarring element, Wingard's adaptation ditches the original's subtlety for and fails to showcase its characters fully as they grapple with intense ethical debates.
Rogue Pictures
#41. Skyline (2010)
- Directors: Colin Strause, Greg Strause
- IMDb user rating: 4.5
- Metascore: 26
- Runtime: 92 minutes
"Skyline" marks the next feature film directed by the Strause brothers of "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" fame. The Strause's affinity for SFX/VFX is apparent in this alien invasion horror film, but where their visuals succeed, their characters and narrative fail. The plot seems to be from the highly "Cloverfield (2008)" and the design of the alien spaceships are reminiscent of "District 9 (2009)," making "Skyline" a somewhat worse version of both.
Twentieth Century Fox
#40. Home Alone 3 (1997)
- Director: Raja Gosnell
- IMDb user rating: 4.5
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 102 minutes
The iconic combination of actor Macaulay Culkin, director Chris Columbus, and composer John Williams cemented "Home Alone (1990)" and "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)" as iconic pieces of cinema. "Home Alone 3" unfortunately lacks all three elements, introducing a new protagonist and new villains, namely terrorists working on behalf of North Korea. Many viewers the worst in the franchise, but notable film critic Roger Ebert controversially thinks "Home Alone 3" is !
Universal // Getty Images
#39. Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)
- Director: Peter Segal
- IMDb user rating: 4.4
- Metascore: 38
- Runtime: 106 minutes
The of "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" is somewhat hard to describe. Professor Klump (Eddie Murphy) is set to marry Denise Gains (Janet Jackson), but unfortunately, his alter ego Buddy Love (Murphy) becomes a separate physical entity mixed with dog DNA who attempts to steal Klump's highly valuable youth formula. Needless to say, this sequel has a lot going on—however, despite its insanity and vulgarity, "Nutty Professor II" boasts very impressive makeup skills used to help Eddie Murphy play different characters.
Lionsgate
#38. LOL (2012)
- Director: Lisa Azuelos
- IMDb user rating: 4.4
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 97 minutes
A of 2008's "LOL" also directed by Lisa Azuelos, this Americanized version seems to lose the spark of the original French film. "LOL" had great potential with Miley Cyrus and Demi Moore starring as a troubled mother/daughter duo, but Cyrus' performance falls flat, and Moore is done no favors by the script. Joe Leydon of Variety describes the film "as a excerpting episodes from a season of a sitcom" instead of a coherent feature-length narrative, making the viewing experience choppy and poorly paced.
New Line Cinema
#37. Jason X (2001)
- Director: James Isaac
- IMDb user rating: 4.4
- Metascore: 25
- Runtime: 92 minutes
"Jason X" marks the tenth film within the "Friday the 13th" horror franchise, although this entry takes a marked turn away from horror and into science fiction. The machete-wielding villain wakes up in the year 2455 on a spaceship—however, outside of the new location, "Jason X" follows the formula of the previous slashers beat for beat. In the words of Roger Ebert, " on the levels of storytelling, character development, suspense, special effects, originality, punctuation, neatness, and aptness of thought."
Columbia Pictures
#36. xXx: State of the Union (2005)
- Director: Lee Tamahori
- IMDb user rating: 4.4
- Metascore: 37
- Runtime: 101 minutes
One might expect a film with "State of the Union" in the title to deliver some sort of nuanced political commentary regarding American politics—"xXx: State of the Union" does not. Instead, it offers standard action sequences and one-liner after one-liner. A sequel to the original "xXx," this installment heightens the series' campy action and provides some performances from Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson, and Willem Dafoe.
Canva
#35. The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)
- Director: Tom Six
- IMDb user rating: 4.4
- Metascore: 33
- Runtime: 92 minutes
"The Human Centipede (First Sequence)" is the kind of movie one is warned against watching, only to immediately and discreetly seek it out. Then, naturally, the movie traumatizes unsuspecting viewers for life with its incredibly graphic body horror that director Tom Six depicts with an air of seriousness often absent in the genre. Drawing inspiration from real-life performed by Nazis in World War II, "The Human Centipede" is a graphic punch to the gut engineered to deliver shock after shock.
Dimension Films
#34. Spy Kids 3: Game Over (2003)
- Director: Robert Rodriguez
- IMDb user rating: 4.3
- Metascore: 57
- Runtime: 84 minutes
"Spy Kids 3: Game Over" is a film that prioritizes wacky visuals and 3D gimmicks over a coherent plot, as the titular spy kids Juni (Daryl Sabara) and Carmen (Alexa Vega) get trapped in a . Critics consider this film a from the first two films in the franchise, despite all three having the same writer/director Robert Rodriguez. Oddly enough, this film features many impressive actors, including Sylvester Stallone, Salma Hayek, Elijah Wood, and Selena Gomez.
Screen Gems
#33. Ultraviolet (2006)
- Director: Kurt Wimmer
- IMDb user rating: 4.3
- Metascore: 18
- Runtime: 88 minutes
Allegedly John Cassevetes' 1980 film "Gloria," "Ultraviolet" is a (quasi) vampire film starring Milla Jovovich as the titular heroine Ultraviolet. Set in a future world where society is divided between humans and "hæmophage" (i.e., vampire-like creatures), "Ultraviolet" falls somewhere between science fiction, action, and horror but doesn't quite commit to any genre. The cinematography and special effects feel more than cinema, leaving audiences only with a mediocre plot for the 88-minute runtime.
Movie Productions, LLC.
#32. Movie 43 (2013)
- Directors: Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill, Steve Carr, Rusty Cundieff, James Duffy, Griffin Dunne, Peter Farrelly, Patrik Forsberg, Will Graham, James Gunn, Brett Ratner, Jonathan van Tulleken, Bob Odenkirk
- IMDb user rating: 4.3
- Metascore: 18
- Runtime: 94 minutes
This unfunny anthology film was crafted in the spirit of camp classics like "The Kentucky Fried Movie." It was a star-studded affair that duly failed to live up to its ambitions and thankfully didn't kill any careers. So bad was the movie that critic Richard Roeper famously referred to it as the "'."
Sony Pictures
#31. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)
- Directors: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor
- IMDb user rating: 4.3
- Metascore: 34
- Runtime: 96 minutes
"The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)" features Nicolas Cage as Nicolas Cage, an actor severely in debt accepting any gig presented to him—one has to imagine one of those gigs was "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance."
The unexpected sequel to 2007's "Ghost Rider" saw the return of Cage as Johnny Blaze tried to protect teen Danny (Fergus Riordan) from Satan (Ciarán Hinds) so Blaze could regain his human soul. Surprisingly, one of the writers for this film 2008's "The Dark Knight," but audiences would never guess that from the nonsensical cheesiness of the film.
Marvel/Twentieth Century Fox
#30. Fantastic Four (2015)
- Director: Josh Trank
- IMDb user rating: 4.3
- Metascore: 27
- Runtime: 100 minutes
Marvel Comics' "Fantastic Four" seems cursed to have exclusively unsuccessful film , starting with an unreleased 1994 adaptation and ending with 2015's "Fantastic Four," often branded as "Fant4stic." Josh Trank's version comes across as a failed attempt at a , complete with low-energy performances and desaturated colour-grading. The plot would much rather tell character/narrative information than show it and contains almost no action sequences despite being an action movie.
Summit Entertainment
#29. The Legend of Hercules (2014)
- Director: Renny Harlin
- IMDb user rating: 4.2
- Metascore: 22
- Runtime: 99 minutes
Ancient myths and battles have long served as inspiration for big-budget blockbusters; just look at films like "Jason and the Argonauts (1963)" and "300" (2006). Renny Harlin's "The Legend of Hercules" obviously draws on the classic tale of Hercules but decides to do away with most of the actual myth, instead creating an revolving around Hercules (Kellan Lutz) and King Amphitryon (Scott Adkins), the hero's adopted father. Narrative aside, this film and slow motion but presents an impressive opening sequence designed to imitate one long take.
Universal Pictures
#28. Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
- Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson
- IMDb user rating: 4.2
- Metascore: 46
- Runtime: 125 minutes
The "Fifty Shades of Grey" book series notably started as "Twilight" written in 2009, creating an that carries into Sam Taylor-Johnson's 2015 adaptation. Upon the film's release, there was a public about the overtly sexual nature of the film—some found the content horrifying and protested, while others found the sex scenes disappointing when compared to the contents of the book. Drama like that, of course, leads to increased viewership of the film, but that's not entirely a bad thing, as Dakota Johnson delivers a strong performance as Ana.
Orion Pictures
#27. RoboCop 3 (1993)
- Director: Fred Dekker
- IMDb user rating: 4.1
- Metascore: 40
- Runtime: 104 minutes
"RoboCop 3" falls into the category of sequels that simply didn't need to be made as they have nothing to add to their respective franchise. Actor Robert John Burke takes up the mantle of Robocop, fighting the mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products, which takes control of Detroit. This plot is largely ineffective, with critic Dan Stephens , "It feels like a children's comic book… [with the] compelling themes of RoboCop diluted or non-existent."
Allied Filmmakers
#26. Super Mario Bros. (1993)
- Directors: Annabel Jankel, Rocky Morton
- IMDb user rating: 4.1
- Metascore: 35
- Runtime: 104 minutes
The 2023 release of "The Super Mario Bros Movie" is not the only movie based on the Mario franchise to grace the big screen; "Super Mario Bros." debuted in 1993 and is the .
It was so unsuccessful it caused Nintendo to —what a legacy! The convoluted plot follows Mario Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi Mario (John Leguizamo) as they deal with parallel universes, dinosaurs in suit jackets, and Dennis Hopper as Koopa, the film's version of Bowser.
Dreamworks Pictures
#25. Norbit (2007)
- Director: Brian Robbins
- IMDb user rating: 4.1
- Metascore: 27
- Runtime: 102 minutes
In 2008, "Norbit" was simultaneously for eight different Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies), including Worst Actor, Worst Director, and Worst Picture, while also being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Makeup.
The comedy stars Eddie Murphy as Norbit, a likable orphan; Murphy as Rasputia, Norbit's overweight wife; and Murphy as Mr. Wong, an orphanage owner. While Murphy is undeniably funny, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the comedy of the film features "鈥嬧�� [that] revolve around just about every lame stereotype in the book."
MCA Universal Home Video
#24. Street Fighter (1994)
- Director: Steven E. de Souza
- IMDb user rating: 4.0
- Metascore: 34
- Runtime: 102 minutes
"Street Fighter" was another video game adaptation of the '90s, but unfortunately, this film was received as poorly as the infamous "Super Mario Bros." a year prior. Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Colonel Guile, a hero of the Allied Forces, "Street Fighter" tracks the rise of the evil General Bison (Raul Julia), who blackmails the government for $20 billion. The film's tone strays from the game, coming across as campy in both humor and visuals, which only ostracizes its core audience—however, Julia's performance is those of his co-stars and makes the film almost worth watching.
Universal Pictures
#23. The Cat in the Hat (2003)
- Director: Bo Welch
- IMDb user rating: 4.0
- Metascore: 19
- Runtime: 82 minutes
Shortly after Ron Howard's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" came this obnoxious Dr. Seuss adaptation from Bo Welch. The former was box office gold. The latter was a critical flop, with the Golden Raspberry Award to show for it. Lauded primarily for its crude content, over-the-top performances, and ADD-like pacing, it butchered the story's legacy in more or less every single frame.
Paramount Pictures
#22. The Last Airbender (2010)
- Director: M. Night Shyamalan
- IMDb user rating: 4.0
- Metascore: 20
- Runtime: 103 minutes
M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender" represented a departure for the director, best known for thrillers with twist endings. Yet it still fell into many of the same traps as his worst efforts to date. Among the gravest offenses was that, despite an intriguing premise and visually enticing trailer, the film was utterly boring.
Twentieth Century Fox
#21. Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997)
- Director: Jan de Bont
- IMDb user rating: 3.9
- Metascore: 23
- Runtime: 121 minutes
The absence of Keanu Reeves was greatly felt in this maligned sequel, which put the action at sea and relied on far too many cliches. Pair that with blatantly bad dialogue, and you end up with a movie that should have called it quits as soon as Reeves did.
Paramount Pictures
#20. The Love Guru (2008)
- Director: Marco Schnabel
- IMDb user rating: 3.8
- Metascore: 24
- Runtime: 87 minutes
"The Love Guru" has its place in the quirky-character-played-by-Mike-Myers canon, although unlike "Austin Powers," this installment fell flat on its face. Myers plays Guru Pitka, a spiritual leader trained in India despite his American heritage, who becomes involved with the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team to fix the star player's failed marriage. The plot was buried beneath layers and layers of sex-based jokes. There were a surprising amount of bigger-name actors in the film, including Sir Ben Kingsley, Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, and of course, uncomfortable cameos from Val Kilmer and Mariska Hargitay.
Warner Bros.
#19. Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
- Director: Sidney J. Furie
- IMDb user rating: 3.7
- Metascore: 24
- Runtime: 90 minutes
Middle-aged adults who enjoyed this film as kids are in for quite the disappointment should they choose to revisit it. Loaded with bad special effects, it pits the titular man of steel (Christopher Reeve) against a radioactive nemesis named Nuclear Man. Anyone not wearing Superman underwear has no excuse for sticking around until the end credits.
Warner Bros.
#18. The Wicker Man (2006)
- Director: Neil LaBute
- IMDb user rating: 3.7
- Metascore: 36
- Runtime: 102 minutes
The original "The Wicker Man" from 1973 earned its place in cinema history as an —2006's "The Wicker Man," however, falls flat as horror and instead becomes a lackluster dig at other religions.
The basic plot between the two is the same: a young girl goes missing on an isolated island, and the protagonist comes to investigate. LaBute's film stars Nicolas Cage, the officer in search of a young girl. His performance in the film is notoriously unhinged, leading to his character's quote, "No, not the bees! Not the bees!" becoming an internet .
Warner Bros.
#17. Batman & Robin (1997)
- Director: Joel Schumacher
- IMDb user rating: 3.7
- Metascore: 28
- Runtime: 125 minutes
"Batman & Robin" is the fourth installment in the '90s "Batman" series, yet it has a distinctly different tone than Tim Burton's first two films.
Joel Schumacher's vision opted for the colorful stylized camp of the superhero's as opposed to the darker violent world of Burton—one has to imagine this change was to make the film more marketable to all ages.
Unfortunately, this film failed to perform upon release and was , causing this franchise to come to a grinding halt until eight years later when Christian Bale's version of the anti-hero restored the franchise's viability.
New Line Cinema
#16. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
- Director: John R. Leonetti
- IMDb user rating: 3.6
- Metascore: 11
- Runtime: 95 minutes
By staying true to its source, 1995's "Mortal Kombat" was among the better video game-to-film adaptations of its time. The sequel, however, was a pure cash grab brimming with bad graphics and redundant action sequences. Extreme fighting never felt so monotonous as it does here, no matter how much cheesy electronic music is involved.
Wiseau-Films
#15. The Room (2003)
- Director: Tommy Wiseau
- IMDb user rating: 3.6
- Metascore: 9
- Runtime: 99 minutes
Tommy Wiseau's famous folly is shrouded in mystery, such as how it ever found an audience. The story involves a sex-packed love triangle between three urban dwellers or something like that. , it's reportedly grossed more than $30 million to date.
The Weinstein Company
#14. Scary Movie V (2013)
- Directors: Malcolm D. Lee, David Zucker
- IMDb user rating: 3.5
- Metascore: 11
- Runtime: 86 minutes
The "Scary Movie" franchise reached an embarrassing nadir with this crude collage of cheap pop culture references. Parodying "Paranormal Activity" and other horror flicks, it conjures neither scares nor laughs. What is scary is that the film earned .
Columbia Pictures
#13. The Emoji Movie (2017)
- Director: Tony Leondis
- IMDb user rating: 3.4
- Metascore: 12
- Runtime: 86 minutes
As it turns out, movies featuring talking emojis don't make for the greatest of films. "The Emoji Movie" learned that the hard way, evidenced by its ultra-low IMDB score of 3.4. According to actor T.J. Miller, it ." Well, it showed.
Warner Bros.
#12. Catwoman (2004)
- Director: Pitof
- IMDb user rating: 3.4
- Metascore: 27
- Runtime: 104 minutes
Halle Berry's star power wasn't enough to save this action flick from the doldrums of bad moviemaking. Thanks to inane dialogue and clunky directing, the naughty comic book character landed on the screen with a dull thud. Berry and certainly not the paycheck.
Sony Pictures Entertainment
#11. Jack and Jill (2011)
- Director: Dennis Dugan
- IMDb user rating: 3.3
- Metascore: 23
- Runtime: 91 minutes
No stranger to making terrible movies for lots of money, Adam Sandler delivered his worst one to date. Tackling dual roles, he plays both a middle-of-the-road family man and the man's overbearing sister. Films don't get much more cloying than this one.
Ekipa
#10. 365 Days (2020)
- Directors: Barbara Bialowas, Tomasz Mandes
- IMDb user rating: 3.3
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 114 minutes
In what seems to be a of the fairytale "Beauty and the Beast," Netflix's "365 Days" follows a woman named Laura (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) getting kidnapped by Mafia lord Massimo (Michele Morrone) for 365 days until she falls in love with him. This is no thriller, however, and is instead billed as a sensual romance frequently compared to the "Fifty Shades of Gray" franchise, except with more graphic nudity and sexual assault. "365 Days'' broke due to the sheer amount of people watching across the globe, but is still one of the only movies to ever receive a in critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.
Universal Pictures
#9. Cats (2019)
- Director: Tom Hooper
- IMDb user rating: 2.8
- Metascore: 32
- Runtime: 110 minutes
Based on an award-winning musical, this epic misfire depicts a humanlike cat tribe and their bizarre annual tradition. Something called "" helped turn the actors into cats and set the stage for a disastrous marketing rollout. The only viewers who weren't disappointed were the ones who went in expecting awfulness...and even they had occasional complaints.
New Regency Productions
#8. Date Movie (2006)
- Directors: Aaron Seltzer, Jason Friedberg
- IMDb user rating: 2.8
- Metascore: 11
- Runtime: 83 minutes
There was once a time when parodies were actually funny. The 2000s was not that time. Take "Date Movie" for instance, which puts romantic comedies in its crosshairs and misses the target by a wide margin. Despite the poor reviews, it still took in nearly on an estimated budget of $20 million.
New Regency Productions
#7. Meet the Spartans (2008)
- Directors: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
- IMDb user rating: 2.8
- Metascore: 9
- Runtime: 87 minutes
Poking fun at movies like "300" and other sword-and-sandal epics, "Meet the Spartans" is yet another sterile parody from Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. In addition to the obvious homages, it freely tosses in a healthy mix of pop culture references. Naturally, it .
Cape of Good Films
#6. Laxmii (2020)
- Directors: Raghava Lawrence, Balakrishnan Thevar
- IMDb user rating: 2.5
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 141 minutes
While "Laxmii" should be acknowledged for foregrounding a transgender character/storyline, which is especially rare in Hindi cinema, the film is not a golden standard of representation. "Laxmii" is a horror comedy following a decidedly skeptical man named Asif (Akshay Kumar) who becomes possessed by Laxmii, a transgender woman insistent on revenge.
This film both its comedic beats and its scary beats, and the plot is weakened by unnecessary side stories and weak dialogue, making it a difficult watch despite its best intentions.
Twentieth Century Fox
#5. Dragonball Evolution (2009)
- Director: James Wong
- IMDb user rating: 2.5
- Metascore: 45
- Runtime: 85 minutes
Based on the popular Japanese manga "Dragon Ball," "Dragonball Evolution" had big shoes to fill and a loyal yet protective fanbase to satisfy: needless to say, because it's on this list, it failed.
Most notably, "Dragonball Evolution" whitewashed the characters, with the protagonist Goku, the side character Bulma, and the antagonist King Piccolo all being played by white actors. While there are several prominent Asian characters, they're forced to exist within the somewhat racist world of Asian stereotypes— by the clunky dialogue and poorly-executed action sequences.
Warner Bros.
#4. Battlefield Earth (2000)
- Director: Roger Christian
- IMDb user rating: 2.5
- Metascore: 9
- Runtime: 118 minutes
John Travolta didn't do Scientology any favors when he produced and starred in 2000's epic failure, "Battlefield Earth." The movie deals with mankind's enslavement to a futuristic alien race. Ultimately, it was the audience who felt tortured.
Twentieth Century Fox
#3. Epic Movie (2007)
- Directors: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
- IMDb user rating: 2.4
- Metascore: 17
- Runtime: 86 minutes
Like all the other parodies from Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, "Epic Movie" earns its terrible reputation one lame joke at a time. It takes on the big franchises of its era and musters nary a laugh. Future historians might one day see this abomination and wonder if our society was suffering from some sort of cultural dementia. Then they'll notice that "Epic Movie" and have their suspicions confirmed.
New Line Cinema
#2. Son of the Mask (2005)
- Director: Lawrence Guterman
- IMDb user rating: 2.2
- Metascore: 20
- Runtime: 94 minutes
They say like father, like son, but "Son of the Mask" argues otherwise. The aggressively stupid sequel to 1994's "The Mask" sees Jamie Kennedy trying to fill Jim Carrey's shoes and failing miserably. No cult following in the world can put this box office dud in the black.
Lionsgate
#1. Disaster Movie (2008)
- Directors: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
- IMDb user rating: 1.9
- Metascore: 15
- Runtime: 87 minutes
The team behind all the other insufferable 2000s parodies finally delivered a film worthy of its name: "Disaster Movie." This shoddy attempt at cinema tries to mock disaster flicks but mostly ends up mocking itself. An appearance by Kim Kardashian just makes a bad thing that much worse.
Data reporting by Lucas Hicks. Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Elizabeth Ciano.
