21 Poorly Reviewed Movies We Can’t Help But Love

Jake Valentine

July 14, 2025

Just because a movie gets terrible reviews doesn’t mean it’s a bad movie. What do critics know, anyway?

When it comes to these films, I say they know absolutely nothing! Who cares what they think? We can’t help but love these movies.

Hot Rod

I’m a firm believer that if Hot Rod was released several years later, after Andy Samberg and the rest of The Lonely Island Comedy troupe became famous and popular, the critical reception for the film would be far better.

As it stands, Hot Rod has the same trademark humor we know and love from Samberg and company. Lorne Michaels even predicted that it would find an audience, citing past examples of new comedians failing to find an audience at first. Speaking of that…

Tommy Boy

Chris Farley and David Spade are a comedic match made in heaven, and Tommy Boy is their magnum opus.

The two dare you not to laugh, with Farley’s over-the-top humor meshing exceptionally well alongside Spade’s straight-faced, no-nonsense attitude.

Grandma’s Boy

Chances are that you’ve seen Allen Covert in plenty of movies over the years. Chances are equally high that you’ve laughed at his jokes. There’s just one key difference between those movies and Grandma’s Boy.

Normally, Covert is seen co-starring with Adam Sandler. Here, however, he gets the chance to be the lead actor. He may not have won over critics, but the film has become a cult classic over the years, earning a “B” audience grade on CinemaScore, compared to its 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Jingle All the Way

On a surface level, I get it. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad in a late 1990s holiday comedy? That seems like a recipe for disaster.

In reality, though, Jingle All the Way offers a surprisingly effective critique of the modern commercialization and consumerism of Christmas. It’s also incredibly quotable, but then again, Arnold is a great sport, and the late great Phil Hartman is always a scene stealer.

It’s A Wonderful Life

Jingle All the Way isn’t the only holiday film to see an eventual reassessment over the years. Now, I’m not saying that the silly Christmas comedy is on the same level as It’s A Wonderful Life, but when it comes to the subject of poorly reviewed movies we love, the James Stewart classic fits the bill.

It received mixed reviews at best on release and lost money at the box office. Don’t worry, people eventually realized its an all time classic.

Space Jam

I am very much a child of the ’90s who would get excited to watch a Looney Tunes New Year’s Day marathon in college, so yes, Space Jam is my, well, jam.

I remember it being a huge deal that Michael Jordan was starring in a movie alongside Bugs Bunny. Was I expecting art? No. Was I expecting some classic slapstick comedy? Absolutely. Kudos to Bill Murray; he understood the assignment.

Armageddon

Speaking of the ’90s and not expecting art, Armageddon is a fantastic popcorn flick, and I will defend it until the day I die.

Yes, it has an ensemble cast, and yes, big epic disaster movies were all the rage back then, and this one had that one Aerosmith song and emotional ending! It’s cheesy, it’s silly, but who cares; it’s fun!

Volcano

I told you that disaster movies were all the rage in the ’90s, and Volcano is the perfect B-movie for its era.

I remember looking for something to watch with my mom one night at Blockbuster, and Volcano caught my eye (ironically, I was looking for Dante’s Peak and couldn’t find it). I chose the better film, but then again, I’m a sucker for Tommy Lee Jones.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

I have a confession to make: when the original Pirates of the Caribbean movie was released, I wasn’t the biggest fan of it. Yes, yes, I know, it’s the best one, and I’ve come around to that. Maybe.

Okay, maybe not, because I will always stan Dead Man’s Chest. It’s the perfect example of an epic sequel that ups the ante, adding some much needed stakes to the light hearted fun, balancing high seas drama and action with witty one-liners. Plus, that ending will always be iconic.

Con Air

This movie is art, and I will not hear otherwise.

John Malkovich leading villains as they overtake an airplane transporting the most dangerous criminals imaginable, and the only person who can stop them is Nicolas Cage and his awful Southern accent? You better believe I am seated.

Wet Hot American Summer

What happens when you bring together an ensemble cast with Paul Rudd, Molly Shannon, Janeane Garofalo, Christopher Meloni, Michael Ian Black, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, and plenty more? You get magic, which is exactly what Wet Hot American Summer is.

To quote Marty McFly, “I guess guys aren’t ready for that, but your kids are gonna love it.” The kids indeed love it. It’s a low risk, small budget film in the vein of Clerks, and it works just as well.

Clue

Do you remember the movie adaptation of Battleship and how atrocious it was? What a silly concept, how can you possibly make a good movie based on a board game?

Well, you take lessons from Clue, that’s how. Of course, having your theme be a murder mystery backed by an ensemble cast of eccentric characters led by Tim Curry helps, but the best part is the film’s ending. It takes a page from the board game and offers multiple solutions to the truth behind Mr. Body’s murder.

The Mummy

No, not the Tom Cruise movie, the original 1999 film with Brendan Fraser. It’s every bit as good today as it was nearly 30 years ago.

Rogert Ebert said it best in his review: “There is hardly a thing I can say in its favor, except that I was cheered by nearly every minute of it. I cannot argue for the script, the direction, the acting or even the mummy, but I can say that I was not bored and sometimes I was unreasonably pleased.” Again, we don’t always need art; we just need some good old movie magic and fun, and that’s what The Mummy offers.

The Da Vinci Code

It’s not a perfect movie, but Ron Howard’s adaptation of the critically acclaimed Dan Brown novel certainly gets the job done. I remember being excited to see it on opening day and loving every second of it.

It’s a little absurd, over-the-top, and nonsensical, but then again, so is the source material.

John Carter

For years, all I knew about John Carter was that it was a massive box office flop and any chances of a franchise were ruined.

After watching it on a flight, I’ve no idea how critics hated this movie. Is it on the level of world building of Dune or Lord of the Rings? No. Was I thoroughly entertained for over two hours? You bet. Please watch this movie, and then apologize to what you’ve done to Taylor Kitsch.

Jurassic Park III

Having to follow in the footsteps of two all-time greats in Jurassic Park and The Lost World is no easy task, but Jurassic Park III found a way to deliver plenty of scares and thrills on a B-movie level. Sadly, it didn’t resonate with critics at the time.

Thankfully, thanks in part to the massive failures of the modern Jurassic Park movies, people have come around to realize, “Hey, maybe this one wasn’t so bad after all.”

Tron: Legacy

Did we need a sequel to Tron? No. Does this movie have more plot holes than it knows what to do with? You bet it does.

Is it a stylish, slick, technological marvel with an incredible soundtrack? You bet it is. Turn your brain off and get ready to be blown away.

Be Cool — Image Credit: MGM Distribution Co.

I didn’t think anyone was holding their breath for a sequel to Get Shorty, but I’m glad we got one twenty years later.

It may not have received the same critical acclaim as something like Ocean’s Eleven, but it carries a similar vibe. It’s a movie with movie stars knowing they’re in a film and, well, being cool. Yes, it loves to acknowledge itself and wink at the camera, but sometimes, that can be a good thing!

Constantine

One of my favorite things about the Rotten Tomatoes round-up for Constantine is that critics argue that the 2005 Keanu Reeves film lacks the focus of The Matrix. Look, I love The Matrix, but it’s not necessarily the most focused story in existence, especially the sequels.

What Constantine is, though, is an excellent graphic novel adaptation and a supernatural thriller that does a good job of elevating itself beyond other comic book movies of its time.

The Chronicles of Riddick

Following up the beloved cult classic that is Pitch Black is no easy task, but The Chronicles of Riddick ups the ante.

One of the biggest reasons Pitch Black was a bigger hit with critics was that the film felt smaller, more intimate, and even a touch artistic. Chronicles of Riddick is bigger and more blockbustery, but it still shares the same DNA as its predecessor.