10 Of Rotten Tomatoes “Worst of All Time” That Are Surprisingly Watchable
Despite many film fans' insistence that "critics are always wrong," review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes has become a make-or-break barometer of critical opinion surrounding movies. Films that receive the "Certified Fresh" rating oftentimes go on to big success, while anything labeled "Rotten" has to carry that distinction as a badge of shame in perpetuity.
Recently, the good folks at Rotten Tomatoes compiled a 100 Worst of All Time list that's a whos-who of cinematic dumpster fires that should be sampled at one's peril. Still, there are a few guilty pleasures to be had in the list, and below we count down ten of Rotten Tomatoes' "worst of all time" that are surprisingly watchable, should you be brave enough to take the plunge!
10 Staying Alive (1983) - 0%
After taking home the top disco dance prize in Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive picks up six years later as Tony Manero (John Travolta) teaches young dancers at an NYC studio and yearns to make his way to Broadway. When he manages to score a backup dancing spot in a new production, he begins to backslide into his old, troubled behaviors.
Somehow, bizarrely, directed by Sylvester Stallone, this lunk-headed backstage drama trades the grit of the first film for slick dance sequences—obviously, somebody saw Fame—but it has its charms, especially the overblown, Hell-bound finale sequence.
9 Jaws: The Revenge (1987) - 0%
In the latest tragedy to befall the bloody, shark-plagued legacy of the Brodys, Ellen (Lorraine Gary) is devastated when her son is killed by a great white. Though mourning, she heads to the Bahamas to spend time with her other son, where she falls for Hoagie Newcombe (Michael Caine). But, almost immediately, their budding romance is threatened by another pointy-finned monster from the deep.
Even a franchise based on an immortal classic isn't immune to the law of diminishing returns, but the Jaws sequels went to pot faster than most. Though Jaws 2 and Jaws 3-D have their fans, The Revenge is a last-gasp that few people have warm feelings for. Still, it's entertaining to the ludicrous lengths its makers go to just to justify its existence, and it's easy to see these films in the DNA in such cornball fare as the Sharknado series.
8 Mac and Me (1988) - 0%
A wheelchair-bound young man and a bug-eyed extraterrestrial form a fast friendship in this legendary turkey from director Stewart Raffill. A hysterically inept and unintentionally creepy E.T. clone with some of the most brazen and extended product placement of all time, Mac and Me is a true case of seeing-is-believing. Treat yourself to the Mystery Science Theater 3000 takedown of the movie. The beloved riffing series dedicated an episode of The Return to its schlocky, consumerist pleasures.
7 Highlander 2: The Quickening (1991) - 0%
In the sequel to the 1986 fantasy adventure, Connor MacLeod, the titular warrior known as the Highlander, has aged after giving up his immortality. After defeating a group of assassins from his homeworld, the Highlander is again granted immortality, leading to a struggle with the cruel General Katana (Michael Ironside).
Highlander (1986) became something of a cult classic despite a mixed critical reception, and The Quickening doubles down on all the things that may have turned people off in the first film. This more-is-more sequel somehow manages to be more absurd and bombastic than its predecessor, which is either a joy or misery, depending on the viewer.
6 RoboCop 3 (1993) - 3%
Avaricious mega corporation Omni Consumer Products is up to their old tricks again, attempting to lay the foundations of the new Delta City to replace a crime-ridden Detroit by enlisting paramilitary forces to relocate residents against their will. An OCP creation now gone rogue, RoboCop (Robert John Burke) joins the civilians in the battle against the corporate oppressors and their new state-of-the-art unit of ninja robots.
The RoboCop sequels have a consistently bad rap, despite being perfectly serviceable, if middling, sci-fi action films. RoboCop 3 has the unfortunate distinction of losing the first and second film's hero, Peter Weller, for Robert John Burke, which almost automatically puts it in third place, and, though it's worlds away from the genre-defining classic that spawned it, it's a fine enough time-waster that still manages to touch upon the socio-economic issues that are RoboCop's bread and butter.
5 Speed 2 - Cruise Control (1997) - 4%
Annie (Sandra Bullock) is in her element when a Caribbean cruise with her boyfriend (Jason Patric) is hijacked by a madman (Willem Dafoe), having survived a bob-rigged bus in 1994's Speed.
Proving that a bigger budget almost never means better, Speed 2 - Cruise Control chases the success of the film, before it to no avail. Jason Patric is a poor substitute for Keanu Reeves, but with Willem Dafoe in prime looney-toons mode, Cruise Control is one of those cable TV staples that simply won't let you change the channel no matter how much you might resist.
4 Pinocchio (2002) - 0%
In this live-action retelling of the beloved children's tale, a magically animated puppet (Roberto Benigni) sets out on an adventure to rescue his maker and become a flesh and blood boy.
Why Roberto Benigni followed up his Oscar-winning turn in 1997's Life Is Beautiful, which he also wrote and directed, with this monstrosity is a question for the ages, but more people know about it as a cautionary tale than have ever actually seen it. No, Pinocchio isn't good by any stretch, but there's something to be said for experiencing something this misguided and gobsmackingly weird just once.
3 Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002) - 0%
Retired FBI agent, Jeremiah Ecks (Antonio Banderas) is back on the job after his former cohorts threaten to blackmail him. Tasked with hunting down a DIA operative gone rogue, known only as Sever (Lucy Liu), Ecks soon realizes that the woman he's targeting may be a worthwhile ally against their common enemies.
Rotten Tomatoes has qualified this action disasterpiece as the absolute "most rotten" film of all time, which may disappoint viewers. Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever is terrible, but far more competently made than its infamous RT-approved label would suggest. Come for two big-name actors embarrassing themselves, stay for the better-than-expected action set pieces.
2 House of the Dead (2003) - 3%
When Simon (Tyron Leitso) and Greg (Will Sanderson) hook up with a pack of partiers headed for a remote island rave, the last thing they expect to find is zombies, but that's just what they get when they arrive at their destination. The group has to dodge the monsters and get back to safety, which is easier said than done considering that their boat has been swarmed by the undead.
Uwe Boll is often labeled the "worst director of all time," and, with products like House of the Dead, it's hard to argue.
1 The Covenant (2006) -4%
The male descendants of a cabal of magic-users named the Sons of Ipswich attend an elite boarding school for warlocks. When a student is murdered, the boys start to discover learn more about their shadowy lineage and the family secrets that have been protected for generations.
Renny Harlin's glossy Harry-Potter-by-way-of-Abercrombie-and-Fitch snoozefest is actually something of a guilty-pleasure in queer circles due to its abundance of unintended sexual tension and cast of generic, white, mid-2000s hearth-throbs, including Taylor Kitsch, Sebastian Stan, and Chace Crawford.