Fifty Shades of Grey is set to hit the cinemas this weekend with an expected worldwide debut of around $110m, despite a growing chorus of terrible reviews. But are critics always right?
There are some films you will go and see no matter what the critics say. While the critical consensus can be a helpful indicator of the overall film, there are certain times where they may have missed the mark.
Sam Taylor Johnson’s adaptation of EL James’ steamy S&M novel, Fifty Shades of Grey, is on course to take $50m (£32.5m) internationally, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
However, film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has already compiled a list of negative reviews by commentators who have had a chance to watch the world premiere.
The film, which currently has a rating of 45 per cent by viewers on the site, has been described by the New York Times as a “terrible movie – but it might nonetheless be a movie that feels good to see”, while USA Today said it was “torture”. But is it enough to turn-off audiences?
While poor reviews are often justified, sometimes a film defies the critics to gain cult status. At other times, a terrible film can exceed box office expectations despite itself.
So which are the movies that people loved, but critics hated?
Built as a slapstick vehicle for Jim Carrey, “Ace Ventura, Pet Detective” may hit a few bumps when it veers outside the lanes of its core audience of under-20s and aficionados of the “In Living Color” star. Variety
Carrey gags his way through proceedings like a poor man’s Jerry Lewis, stooping so low as to talk out of his rectum (honest) in his pursuit of a laugh. Empire
With an estimated budget of $12m (£7.8m), the comedy, starring Jim Carrey, made over eight times its budget in the worldwide box office, with a total gross of more than $107m (£69.8m).
A juvenile, ugly movie that represents the worst tendencies of directors channeling Tarantino. Rotten Tomatoes
More interested in finding fresh ways to stage execution scenes than in finding meaning behind the human urge for self-appointed righting of wrongs, pic is stuffed with effects that have no lasting impact. Variety
This vigilante cult thriller may have only made $411,274 (£267,346) in the box office worldwide, spending over $6m (£3.9m) to make it, but domestic video sales exceeded over $21m (£13.7m) thanks to its re-release at Blockbuster stores.
Even by the crude standards of teenage horror, “Final Destination” is dramatically flat. Stephen Holden, New York Times
It’s difficult to say which is more offensive: an uninspired cast struggling with lines about ‘Death’s design’, or the callousness of the characters, who bury their pals without a hint of remembrance or regret. Time Out
Final Destination was the first of a franchise of teen horror films, spending the least amount in the series. With a production budget of $23m (£15m), it exceeded negative expectations, earning an overall gross of more than $112.8m (£73.4m) internationally.
Flashdance
Virtually plotless, exceedingly thin on characterization and sociologically laughable, pic at least lives up to its title by offering an anthology of extraordinarily flashy dance numbers. Variety
Jennifer Beals shouldn’t feel bad. She is a natural talent, she is fresh and engaging here, and only needs to find an agent with a natural talent for turning down scripts. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
With several catchy dance numbers, Flashdance became a cultural sensation, appealing to the nascent MTV generation. And despite its minimal budget of $7m (£4.6m), it grossed over $201.5m (£131.1m) all around the world.
The exposition is so underlined and re-underlined, you could teach yourself to fly waiting for something to happen. Desson Thomson, Washington Post
This enormous wheeze comes over like the proverbial movie with a 40 million dollar set and a five cent script, which may hold its interest for under-fives but will leave most others cold. Angie Errigo, Empire
Steven Spielberg’s big budget extravaganza cost a whopping $70m (£45.6m), and while critics generally panned the star-studded blockbuster, it still earned a respectable gross amount of $300.9m (£195.9m).
As proven from Morecambe and Wise to Saturday Night Live, what works in a three minute skit often falls flat in a 90 minute feature. Time Out
With little plot and even less verbal humor, the limitations of the two characters beyond their TV format are exposed early. Variety
Possibly the most-panned film on this list, with zero-ratings on film review aggregate lists.
Originally from comedian Harry Enfield’s television sketch show, the characters of Kevin and Perry were put on the big screen, bringing the teenagers to Ibiza. While critics labelled it “moronic”, the film made a total gross of £16.1m – eight times more than its budget.
“Predator” is a slightly above-average actioner that tries to compensate for tissue-thin-plot with ever-more-grisly death sequences and impressive special effects. Variety
It’s arguably one of the emptiest, feeblest, most derivative scripts ever made as a major studio movie. There’s no need to do a Mad magazine movie parody of this; it’s already on the screen. Michael Wilmington, Los Angeles Times
Predator has gradually become a sci-fi action classic, with several spin-offs since its release in 1987. Spending $15m (£9.8m) on its high-gloss special effects, it still managed to gross close to $100m ($64m).
Scary Movie 5 is so massively un-enjoyable, a hate crime against cinema, a ringing indictment of the depths commercialism will go to in search of the lowest common denominator. Film.com
Lazy, boring, vile and tragically unfunny attempt at a horror-film spoof. Stephanie Merry, Washington Post
The last (so far) in the horror parody series, Scary Movie 5 received an overall four per cent rating by Rotten Tomatoes. But its loyal followers helped the film to amass $78.4m (£51.1m), almost four times more than its original budget.
Scrooged is an appallingly unfunny comedy, and a vivid illustration of the fact that money can’t buy you laughs. Variety
Scrooged is so monumental a mess that even rabid Bill Murray fans – the ones who’ll stand in line to see it despite critics’ inevitable bashings – will wonder how it went so wrong. Donna Britt, USA Today
Bill Murray’s classic depiction of Scrooge earned few laughs with the critics, despite its all-star cast and $32m (£20.8m) budget. But it received a cult following, accumulating a worldwide total of $60.3m (£39.3m).
The Twilight Saga: New Moon takes the tepid achievement of “Twilight” (1988), guts it, and leaves it for undead. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
New Moon is supposed to be an exciting love story plus monster action. So where’s the excitement? Where’s the action? Kyle Smith, New York Post
The vampire romance’s huge teen fan base kept the money rolling into the box office, accruing a mammoth $709.8m (£462m) – making a whopping 14 times more than was spent on its production.