Films cannot always be judged by their pass or failure score. The subtleties between a four-star and a five-star movie are often too small or indefinable. The same can be said for films that only have two or three stars. How many notes did this movie miss for a low score? What parts of the movie are more important than others? The end of a movie is often the most telling part. It’s definitely the part the audience remembers most when they leave the stage. It can be hard to stick the landing, but this list takes a look at movies that for whatever reason garnered poor critical reviews, but still finished on a high note. suffice it to say, Spoiler alert!
7 Balance (2002)
2002 Equilibrium It may not have revolutionized the world upon its initial release. It’s currently under a 40% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but has a healthy 81% audience rating. Some may have dismissed this movie as a matrix clone, and have similarities. It’s totally packed with action and gritty drama in the early 2000s, but wears its heart on its sleeve all the time. It’s not trying to reinvent the game, but it’s trying to have fun.
The ending of the movie works well because of the pace of the rest of the movie. He’s been constantly building energy, and after some gripping action sequences, Christian Bale’s John Preston smiles at a changed world. It’s a little weird, but if you’ve made it this far, you’re already on board with the nature of great movies. It works.
6 Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Hot humid American summer It is the definition of a cult classic. Director David Wynn cut his teeth on Mad TV, but it was here that he established his brand of humor that would be used throughout his career on projects like Children’s Hospital And They came together. Kind of meta design, almost anti-humorous. Critics were baffled by this comedic approach as the film has a 38% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but its 75% viewer rating is much better.
The movie starts out harmless enough, but slowly slips into the weird and absurd the longer the movie goes on. By the end of the movie, there is a satellite crashing into Earth during a talent show. It’s so silly and funny. It almost feels like a fever dream by the time the characters say their goodbyes. The movie may have been misunderstood upon release, but it has a huge cult following now. It even had two separate TV shows made for Netflix.
5 Eternal (2021)
eternal It is, for lack of a better word, melodramatic. Critics felt the same, and the film landed 47% on Rotten Tomatoes with an audience rating of 77%. Many people made a big deal about this movie being the first MCU movie with a rotten rating, and some people thought it was the beginning of the end for the franchise.
Whether this is true is certainly up for debate, but one should not dismiss this movie lightly based on its critical assessment. The film is melodramatic, but also serious and full of spectacle. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this movie being talked about as underrated or misunderstood a few years later.
The climactic battle at the end is satisfying enough, but it’s the cliffhanger that really makes this movie special. Arishem emerges from deep space and looms over the planet in an impressive and terrifying abduction move for the main characters. Its size and power are impressive. Especially in a theater that has such a nice sound system that it gets so loud throughout the room. It would be a shame if there was no sequel to this movie. It was difficult and awkward, but it seemed to lay the foundation for something really special. A sequel could help overhaul public perception of the first.
4 Hook (1991)
Lots of making hook Special is the nostalgia many people get from watching it as a kid. It’s magical and funny and the stakes are high enough to capture a child’s attention without going over their heads. Watching this movie for the first time as an adult is a completely different matter. Critics felt the same, and the film has a 29% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 76% audience rating. This indicates the ages of the reviewers when they first saw the movie. Steven Spielberg movies are also held at a higher level due to the amount of respect he earns throughout the work. Even then, it is often cited as an underrated film.
The ending is very sweet, too. Peter Pan (Robin Williams) says goodbye to the lost boys, flying over the picturesque Neverland back home. The real heart of the movie is when he returns, and is finally reunited with Wendy as he remembers who she is for the first time. One could argue that it tends to be cheesy, but the beautiful music of John Williams lets the moment resonate without crossing any lines. It’s a great moment in a movie that may have earned some of its criticism. One wonders if the original plans for the movie would have come to fruition.
3 Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
Godzilla fans have been waiting a long time for another mainline entry to fulfill the promise of a kaiju battle movie. Godzilla (2014) was much loved, but fans of the franchise felt it focused too much on the human characters and didn’t give them enough of Godzilla himself. All that said, audiences were eager for a Godzilla movie that lets monsters fight. Godzilla: King of the Monsters He gave them exactly that.
It was disliked by critics, landing a 42% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but was rated better with an 83% audience rating. Critics often noted the messy script, excessive work on character development, and shaky motivation by the characters. This article is not here to dismiss these criticisms as false, but rather to point out that it doesn’t really matter for a movie like this. Look and satisfaction are the name of the game here. You fight monsters, and you fight a lot.
King Ghidorah seemed impossible to beat the entire movie. After the final battle, his head emerges from a pile of rubble, seemingly alive and victorious, but his severed head is revealed to be in Godzilla’s mouth. He inflates it with an atomic jet and unleashes his iconic roar as the rest of the monsters bow to the new king. It’s a well-earned and exciting spectacle that not only lives up to the promise of the franchise, but the movie’s title as well.
2 Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire It was a risk for Disney from the start. It was a bigger, more expensive departure from what had been working for them during the 1990s. While many appreciated the adventurous spirit and magic that the film offered, most were confused. It has been rated at 49% by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences not doing better at 54%.
The animation is absolutely fantastic and the story and characters are memorable and exciting. Traditionally drawn films, such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire, felt senile to some critics upon release. Owen Gleiberman wrote a review for EW saying, “I’m tempted by sneaky, tactile delights.”a partner,actually evolved in tandem with technological leaps in computer animation? Or is “Atlantis” just an idle Disney movie? A little bit of both, maybe.” The release of a traditionally drawn movie during the beginning of the golden age of CGI animated movies could certainly explain why this movie failed for so many. One could argue that this movie just came out at the wrong time.
Over time, this film can be seen better. It’s an ending that has a lot to do with that. In the end, Milo decides to stay in Atlantis and the rest of the crew returns home. It’s a bittersweet ending, but it feels right. As the orchestral note swells, the camera begins panning out for one last glimpse of the sunken city, fully restored to its past glory. It’s a great shot and a fitting ending to the movie.
1 The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
The Wes Anderson Filmography has quite a few flops. Based on the real life of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Aquatic Life with Steve Zissou It is one of the few Wes Anderson films with a negative 57% Rotten Tomatoes rating. The audience was much higher, with an 82% rating. This could be cheating, because this movie is definitely loved by most people and is well regarded to this day. When it first came out, people were a lot less excited. Wes Anderson’s style is a given in his films, but many critics have cited it as having too much style and not enough.
This argument might work, were it not for the heartbreakingly brilliant ending. Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) has just lost his son, and has finally found the elusive Jaguar Shark that killed his friend before the movie. He talks about hunting and killing him throughout the movie, but now that he’s found he’s unwilling to kill him. Instead, he feels he can finally mourn his friend and son. The submarine crew lay their hands on him as he finally cries, and Sigur Ros’s Staralfur song plays in the background. It’s a heartbreaking conclusion to the story, but a satisfying one. Afterwards, Steve Zissou attends another suffocating party, but now he’s changed.
Not only is this ending one of the better endings for a poorly received movie; It’s also one of the best endings in any Wes Anderson movie to date.
