Action movies we love to hate

Release year: 2004

IMDb rating: 5.6

IMDb votes: 164,592

It sounds like a match made in action film heaven: Two of cinema’s most terrifying extraterrestrial beings fighting for world domination here on Earth. Alas, the result was a fairly mediocre series of empty spectacles, though “AVP: Alien vs. Predator” does retain a number of loyal fans. It’s thanks to those very same fans that the movie overperformed at the box office, and even yielded a sequel, which may or may not appear later on the list.  

Release year: 2007

IMDb rating: 5.6

IMDb votes: 231,570

Years before 2015’s “Fantastic Four”—more on that in a minute—ruined a beloved comic book franchise, this 2007 installment put its own respective nail in the coffin. Some blame the casting, others blame the bad costumes and special effects. Of course, there’s also the less-than-stellar writing and directing to consider. Thankfully, actor Chris Evans—who tackles the role of Johnny Torch—didn’t let the experience turn him off to playing superheroes for good.

Release year: 2011

IMDb rating: 5.6

IMDb votes: 244,605

Speaking of actors who starred in subpar superhero movies before redeeming themselves through a later role, 2011’s “Green Lantern” stars Ryan Reynolds as the title character, an all-powerful pilot in possession of an alien ring. The movie was so famously bad upon its release that it temporarily derailed Reynolds’ promising career. It’s then no wonder that he’s never seen the finished product.

Release year: 2003

IMDb rating: 5.5

IMDb votes: 83,743

Earth is in the midst of catastrophe and it’s up to a team of scientists to save the day in this 2003 action flick, which stars Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank, and Delroy Lindo among others. The planet’s core has stopped spinning, and the scientists must put it back in motion before total annihilation ensues. Despite the dramatic premise, the movie delivers plenty of laughs and a B-movie tonality, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Whether or not the laughs are intentional isn’t exactly clear, but that appears to add to the movie’s campy charm.

Release year: 2001

IMDb rating: 5.5

IMDb votes: 95,154

Here's a movie that was arguably embraced by both critics and fans when it debuted in 2001, but hasn't necessarily aged well. In the film, the son and daughter to a pair of secret agents must become spies themselves in order to save mom and dad from the clutches of an evil villain named Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming). As to why the movie is arguably reviled nowadays, it might have something to do with the string sequels that followed, which possibly drew retroactive attention to the flaws in the original.   

Release year: 2014

IMDb rating: 5.5

IMDb votes: 96,694

Big-budget disaster movies are commonly skewered by critics and audiences, and 2014’s “Pompeii” was no exception. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson—who’s synonymous with a slew of cheesy action flicks, plenty of which are on this list—the movie takes place during the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 A.D. Can a bold gladiator named Milo (Kit Harington) save his beloved Cassia (Emily Browning) from the clutches of a corrupt Roman senator (Kiefer Sutherland) before they all perish in the crumbling city of Pompeii? 

Release year: 1995

IMDb rating: 5.5

IMDb votes: 98,927

Long before Marvel perfected the art of comic book adaptations, Sylvester Stallone played the title role in this 1995 box office bomb. The film takes place in a futuristic society where every respective judge is also a jury and executioner rolled into one—or as Judge Dredd so eloquently puts it: “I am the law!” After Judge Dredd is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, he must prove his innocence or perish in exile. Providing comic relief is actor Rob Schneider.

Release year: 2010

IMDb rating: 5.5

IMDb votes: 108,114

Despite an abysmal rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this comedy-action movie starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler performed surprisingly well at the worldwide box office. Putting a romantic twist on movies like “Midnight Run,” the film sees Butler playing a bounty hunter, whose next target is his ex-wife (Aniston). Soon enough, the bickering pair finds themselves on the run from ruthless killers. An anemic amount of hilarity ensues.  

Release year: 2002

IMDb rating: 5.5

IMDb votes: 115,510

Representing a prequel to both “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns,” 2002’s “The Scorpion King” tells the story of its title character (Dwayne Johnson), a warrior who leads a desert army against an evil king. While the action movie is more or less the quintessence of camp, it did well enough at the box office to yield a number of direct-to-DVD sequels. Meanwhile, the story was loosely inspired by a real-life Scorpion King from the predynastic period of ancient Egypt.

Release year: 2005

IMDb rating: 5.5

IMDb votes: 117,074

What began as an innovative animated segment on MTV's "Liquid Television" eventually became this somewhat tame live-action movie in 2005. Actress Charlize Theron tackles the lead role: a mysterious and highly capable assassin who uncovers a major conspiracy while hunting down her latest target. For those who completely felt let down by the film, there is hope yet, in the form of a newly announced live-action series on MTV.  

Release year: 2003

IMDb rating: 5.5

IMDb votes: 117,265

Angelina Jolie reprises her role as video game icon Lara Croft in this widely maligned sequel to 2001’s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.” This time around, Croft must track down Pandora’s Box before it ends up in the hands of an evil scientist. Helping Croft in her quest is a fellow adventurer named Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler). A number of critics felt that the film was an improvement over the original. Audiences generally disagreed. Either way, both installments were received as fairly mediocre, as was the 2018 reboot.

Release year: 2006

IMDb rating: 5.5

IMDb votes: 123,197

It’s hard to see the words “Snakes on a Plane” without mentally conjuring Samuel L. Jackson’s voice as it shouts a series of memorable expletives. In fact, one might even argue that the actor’s iconic tirades helped the movie rise above its schlocky premise, which seems more fitting for the SyFy Channel than it does the nearest movie theater. According to legend, Jackson signed on to star based on the power of the title and its adjoining logline, and threatened to quit when New Line Cinema tried to change the title to something else. In other words, the passion behind those expletives was quite sincere.

Release year: 2017

IMDb rating: 5.5

IMDb votes: 137,891

Tom Cruise continues to wow audiences as Ethan Hunt in the latest “Mission Impossible” movie, but he didn't impress as Nick Morton in 2017’s “The Mummy,” a reboot that never got off the ground. In the film, Morton must stop an ancient Egyptian princess from wreaking all sorts of havoc. The movie actually made over $400 million at the worldwide box office. For Cruise, however, that’s not enough to qualify as a success.  

Release year: 2000

IMDb rating: 5.5

IMDb votes: 158,141

A classic TV series leapt onto the big screen in 2000, with Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu playing Charlie’s Angels, a trio of highly skilled private investigators. Directed by McG and co-starring Bill Murray, the movie blended comedy and action to consciously silly effect, which is likely why it retains a loyal fanbase. A tepid sequel followed in 2003; keep an eye out for it on this list.

Release year: 2010

IMDb rating: 5.4

IMDb votes: 79,589

After starring in hits like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Knocked Up", actress Katherine Heigl seemed destined for permanent A-list status. However, her subsequent movie career took a turn for the worse after she appeared opposite Ashton Kutcher in this lambasted comedy action movie. The film sees its two leads playing a married couple, who suspect that their neighbors might be assassins hired to kill them. The movie didn't do anything for Heigl's career, though her tendency to openly bad mouth her employers probably played just as large a role in her eventual demise as an A-lister.

Release year: 2011

IMDb rating: 5.4

IMDb votes: 83,077

These days, actor Nicolas Cage is more likely to make headlines for his lavish spending habits than he is any particular film role, and 2011’s “Season of the Witch” is strong evidence as to why. Set during the height of the Crusades and the Black Plague, the film centers on a knight named Behman (Cage), who’s tasked with escorting a suspected witch to a monastery. The movie more or less tanked at the domestic box office, and fared slightly better on the world stage.

Release year: 2011

IMDb rating: 5.4

IMDb votes: 87,890

The same year he was in theaters with “Season of the Witch,” Nicolas Cage starred in this grindhouse turkey, about a father who escapes from hell and embarks on a quest for revenge. Equipped with an otherworldly gun and a fire-red muscle car, Cage and co-star Amber Heard soon find themselves being pursued by Satan himself. Suffice to say, the audience members who actually showed up to see the film were not impressed.

Release year: 2016

IMDb rating: 5.4

IMDb votes: 88,128

This 2016 dud would have arguably been able to overcome the accusations of whitewashing that preceded its release had it been successful at the cinema. However, critics and audiences alike didn’t take kindly to the film, which depicts a battle for power among ancient Egyptian gods. Made for $140 million, the movie only earned about $31 million on the domestic front. That said, it did fare better at the international box office, which was relatively good news for a handful of overseas distributors.

Release year: 2008

IMDb rating: 5.4

IMDb votes: 115,127

Based on the popular video game, “Max Payne” chronicles the violent adventures of its title character (played by Mark Wahlberg), a maverick cop who’s dead set on avenging the murders of his loved ones. That sends him into a dark underworld, where he squares off against forces of both the natural and supernatural variety. Due to flat acting and uneven pacing, the movie earned a drubbing from critics, fans, and anyone else who saw it.

Release year: 2012

IMDb rating: 5.4

IMDb votes: 121,030

Action director Paul W.S. Anderson returns to the list with "Resident Evil: Retribution," the fifth film in the well-known franchise. As a virus continues to spread across the planet, superheroine Alice (Milla Jovovich) tries to escape from an Umbrella Corporation testing facility. Brimming with CGI-enhanced action sequences, the film offers little, but that didn't stop it from raking in over $240 million at the worldwide box office.

Release year: 1995

IMDb rating: 5.4

IMDb votes: 212,181

1997’s “Batman & Robin” was such an epic failure that audiences have more or less forgotten about its lackluster predecessor, “Batman Forever.” Bolstered by a star-studded cast—which included Jim Carrey at the height of his career—the campy movie was able to crank a respectable profit out of its $100 million dollar budget. This was the one and only film to star actor Val Kilmer as Batman, who squares off against the likes of The Riddler (Carrey), and Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones).

Release year: 2015

IMDb rating: 5.3

IMDb votes: 160,300

In the wake of 1999’s “The Matrix,” it seemed that siblings and directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski were absolute masters of the form, making their subsequent efforts all the more frustrating, though “Cloud Atlas” certainly has its fans. Putting some of the Wachowski’s worst sensibilities on full display was this 2015 misfire, which follows Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) as she fulfills her destiny as intergalactic royalty. Despite some impressive visuals, the film is bogged down by nonsensical dialogue and a convoluted plot. As a result, viewers were confused and annoyed upon its release, and the movie tanked at the box office.   

Release year: 1998

IMDb rating: 5.3

IMDb votes: 165,479

Fresh off the success of 1996’s “Independence Day,” director Roland Emmerich doubled down on the disaster genre with this disappointing monster movie, in which Godzilla terrorizes Manhattan. The first mistake that Emmerich and company made? Not respecting the “Godzilla” legacy, and instead treating the character like an oversized dinosaur with no sense of purpose or personality. Consequently, the film underperformed at the domestic box office, even if some would call it a relative hit by today’s standards. Regardless, Hollywood is big on second chances when it comes to potential moneymakers, hence the 2014 reboot.

Release year: 2016

IMDb rating: 5.3

IMDb votes: 173,805

Is there such a thing as anti-hype? If so, that’s arguably what preceded the release of this female-led “Ghostbusters” reboot, starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones in the lead roles. The movie failed to effectively capture or reimagine the spirit of the original, and a potential franchise died on arrival. In the meantime, fans will have to make do with vague rumors of a “Ghostbusters 3.”  

Release year: 2013

IMDb rating: 5.3

IMDb votes: 182,110

The original "Die Hard" was a classic ultraviolent thriller that made ample use of character, dialogue, and setting. By contrast, 2013's "A Good Day to Die Hard" was a shallow exercise in action movie clichés, which sends hero John McClane (Bruce Willis) to Russia, where he squares off against the criminal underworld. Only time will tell if the franchise died hard and for good with this installment.

Release year: 2003

IMDb rating: 5.3

IMDb votes: 191,956

Released a year after 2002’s “Spider-Man,” this superhero movie seemed like a sure thing before it landed in theaters. However, due to studio interference, the released version was more or less a disaster. Ben Affleck plays the title role, a blind superhero who uses his remaining senses and his martial arts skills to fight crime. The movie performed well enough at the box office to yield a spin-off, which may appear later on the list, but not well enough to spare Ben Affleck from years of remorse.

Release year: 2016

IMDb rating: 5.2

IMDb votes: 85,278

Aliens have attacked in four waves, leaving the planet on the brink of destruction. As a young girl named Cassie (Chloë Grace Moretz) tries to protect her brother before the fatal fifth wave, she teams up with a strange man whom she can’t necessarily trust. So goes this 2016 action movie, which failed to bring a popular book series to life in adequate fashion.

Release year: 2011

IMDb rating: 5.2

IMDb votes: 88,311

Before landing the role of Aquaman, actor Jason Momoa starred as Conan the Barbarian in this 2011 remake. The film follows Conan as he seeks revenge on the warlord who once attacked his village and murdered his father. While the original 1982 film delivered an uncompromising dose of brutality, and helped turn Arnold Schwarzenegger into a star, the CGI-laden remake runs on empty from start to finish.

Release year: 2010

IMDb rating: 5.2

IMDb votes: 88,974

In this 2010 film, a group of strangers team up with the Archangel Michael (Paul Bettany) to defend humanity against the wrath of God. Meanwhile, a waitress discovers that her unborn child might be mankind’s last hope. While not an outright financial failure, the film was nevertheless reviled among critics and audiences alike.  

Release year: 2009

IMDb rating: 5.2

IMDb votes: 92,379

Wildly successful, but indisputably mediocre, "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" stars Kevin James in the title role, a hapless mall cop who must save his daughter and girlfriend after terrorists take over the mall. The action comedy—which endures as a quintessential movie that people love to hate—earned over $183 million at the worldwide box office on a budget of just $26 million. That paved the way for a poorly received sequel, which moviegoers just plain hated.

Release year: 2005

IMDb rating: 5.2

IMDb votes: 95,625

Another video game adaptation; another critical disappointment. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Rosamund Pike, and Karl Urban, the movie is 2005’s “Doom,” and it’s based on one of the most popular first-person shooters of all time. True to its source, the film follows a group of Space Marines as they blast their way past legions of genetically enhanced monsters in a Mars research facility.

Release year: 2017

IMDb rating: 5.2

IMDb votes: 103,849

The Autobots and Decepticons are at it once again in the fifth “Transformers” movie, with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance. Meanwhile, Optimus Prime is nowhere to be found, having gone back to his home planet, only to find it dead. Will he return in time to help Mark Wahlberg and company save the day? Nominated for a slew of Golden Raspberry Awards, this is the most critically panned “Transformers” film of them all. Nevertheless, it still made plenty of money at the box office. 

Release year: 2008

IMDb rating: 5.2

IMDb votes: 134,112

For fans of terrible action movies, “The Mummy” franchise from the late 1990s and 2000s is the gift that keeps on giving. For proof, look no further than this 2008 installment, which sees Brendan Fraser reprise his role as explorer Rick O'Connell. In the film, O’Connell must help his son prevent the uprising of a Chinese Dragon Emperor (Jet Li) and his evil army. This one is another notch on the belt of Rob Cohen, seasoned director of mediocre fare.

Release year: 2016

IMDb rating: 5.2

IMDb votes: 147,409

1996’s “Independence Day” was a veritable smash hit that duly entertained audiences and even won over a fair share of critics. That said, did it really warrant a sequel? Apparently not, as 2016’s “Independence Day: Resurgence” opened to marginal anticipation, subsequently underperforming at the domestic box office. In the film, humans fight aliens once again, and both sides have respective new arsenals at their disposals. 

Release year: 2007

IMDb rating: 5.2

IMDb votes: 202,012

Nicolas Cage stars as Johnny Blaze in this cheesy action movie, which is based on a popular comic book series of the same name. After making a pact with the devil himself, Blaze takes to his motorcycle and battles against the devil's own son. To say that Cage was excited to tackle the part would be putting it mildly. He did already have a Ghost Rider tattoo on his arm, after all. For obvious reasons, he was asked to conceal the tattoo during the shoot.   

Release year: 2006

IMDb rating: 5.1

IMDb votes: 114,956

Based on a best-selling novel, this 2006 fantasy film tells the story of an orphan boy named Eragon, who becomes a dragon rider in the fight against an evil ruler. Author Christopher Paolini was just 19 years old when the original book was published. As a potential result, the film adaptation suffers from a total lack of originality, according to the critics at least.  

Release year: 2008

IMDb rating: 5.1

IMDb votes: 117,061

Director Roland Emmerich makes his third appearance on the list with “10,000 BC,” in which a young mammoth hunter navigates uncharted territory in order to save his tribe from a group of violent kidnappers. Along the way, the hunter and his peers do battle against a range of prehistoric beasts. With its paltry Rotten Tomatoes score of 8%, and similarly unimpressive IMDb rating, the film has nothing but some intense visuals going for it.  

Release year: 2003

IMDb rating: 4.9

IMDb votes: 109,479

The Angels are back in this 2003 sequel, where they investigate a series of murders, each one related to the theft of a witness protection database. While the first film provided audiences with fun, albeit mindless entertainment, the second one is just plain bad, namely due to an overly convoluted storyline. After butting heads with both director McG and co-star Lucy Liu during the filming of the first one, Bill Murray declined to partake in this follow up.

Release year: 1999

IMDb rating: 4.9

IMDb votes: 140,859

Will Smith was on top of the world in 1999, but that didn’t mean he was impervious to the occasional stinker. Enter “Wild Wild West,” a misguided Western action movie with elements of sci-fi and comedy, in which Smith and a fellow gunman must take down a diabolical inventor. The movie is so bad that Will Smith was reportedly still apologizing for it as recently as 2016.

Release year: 2013

IMDb rating: 4.9

IMDb votes: 175,929

Will Smith might feel bad when it comes to "Wild Wild West," but he was downright traumatized by 2013's "After Earth". More than just a disappointing action flick, the film was a passion project for Smith, who conceived the story and then starred alongside his own son, Jaden. Set in the distant future, the movie follows a father and son as they crash land on an abandoned Earth, and then search for help. Speaking of crash landings, the movie hit theaters with an epic thud.

Release year: 2005

IMDb rating: 4.7

IMDb votes: 79,069

2003’s “Daredevil” might have been a major disappointment for legions of comic book fans, but Hollywood apparently didn’t get the memo. The 2005 spin-off, “Elektra,” completely tanked at the box office. In the film, Jennifer Garner plays an assassin-for-hire, who protects a father and daughter from The Hand, a deadly syndicate with supernatural powers.

Release year: 1997

IMDb rating: 4.7

IMDb votes: 83,515

In this 1997 adventure flick, a National Geographic documentary crew is forced to hunt down a giant snake at the behest of a crazed hunter. The movie—which scared up enough money at the worldwide box office to warrant a number of sequels—features a range of big names, including Ice Cube, Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, and Jon Voight. On screen, Lopez’s character says, “This film was supposed to be my big break. But it turned out to be a big disaster.” From a critical standpoint, she was dead on.

Release year: 2007

IMDb rating: 4.7

IMDb votes: 103,957

Taking place directly after the events of its predecessor, this barely competent sequel finds the intergalactic creatures partaking in a rematch. This time, the action goes down in a small Colorado town, where the locals must unite and fight if they want to survive. While the gore factor might be higher than the original, the film ultimately remains a joyless experience for all but a small cluster of loyal fans.

Release year: 2006

IMDb rating: 4.4

IMDb votes: 75,062

In 2006, actress Milla Jovovich (of the “Resident Evil” franchise) hit the pause button on fighting futuristic zombies to fight futuristic vampires instead. The result was this horrendous action movie, which falls short in every conceivable department. Some fans say the director’s cut is an improvement while some critics think that no amount of extra or unrated footage can save this turkey from the trash heap.

Release year: 2010

IMDb rating: 4.4

IMDb votes: 82,093

After botching "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem," directing duo The Brothers Strause delivered yet another invasion movie in 2010. That movie was "Skyline," in which aliens descend on the city of Los Angeles, and lure doomed humans outside by way of mesmerizing blue lights. Made for just $10 million, the movie turned a healthy profit at the box office, resulting in a 2017 sequel. Surprisingly, the sequel earned better reviews, even if no one went to see it.

Release year: 2011

IMDb rating: 4.3

IMDb votes: 99,222

Johnny Blaze went up against the devil’s son in the first “Ghost Rider” outing, and in this 2011 sequel, he takes on the devil himself. The movie wasn’t screened in advance for critics, and when it finally did come out, those same critics learned just why. Soon after the film’s release, Marvel took back the rights to “Ghost Rider” from Sony.

Release year: 2015

IMDb rating: 4.3

IMDb votes: 133,968

The 2015 reboot of “Fantastic Four” rode in on a wave of controversy and rode out as one of the most reviled comic book adaptations of all time. What went wrong, exactly? Was it the poorly executed dialogue, messy pacing, or the disjointed tonality? The answer: all of the above and then some. Disney and Marvel reportedly bought the rights to “The Fantastic Four” as part of a larger deal with Fox, meaning there is hope yet for this cursed franchise.  

Release year: 2010

IMDb rating: 4.1

IMDb votes: 132,389

Before launching a recent comeback with films like “The Visit” and “Split,” director M. Night Shyamalan churned out this 2010 adaptation of a popular animated series, only to have it universally skewered by critics and audiences. Among the film’s numerous offenses, which include whitewashing a number of roles, is the fact that it’s poorly written. For all those out there who think Shyamalan is one of the most overrated directors of all time, here’s Exhibit A.

Release year: 1997

IMDb rating: 3.7

IMDb votes: 209,895

Far more than just an action movie we love to hate, 1997’s “Batman & Robin” is one of the most famously despised movies ever made, period. Wasting a considerable range of A-list talent, the film sees George Clooney donning the cape to completely lackluster effect, a move he was apologizing for as recently as 2015. Meanwhile, director Joel Schumacher issued his own apology in 2017, claiming the harsh reaction from fans made him feel like he had “murdered a baby.” It’s all water under the bridge, of course. After all, if Clooney and Schumacher hadn’t killed the franchise, then director Christopher Nolan may never have revived it.

Release year: 2004

IMDb rating: 3.3

IMDb votes: 97,150

A cat might have nine lives, but it took just one shoddy adaptation to put the nail in Catwoman's coffin. As even a casual film buff is likely to know, this 2004 movie was a full-blown disaster—tanking at the box office, earning scathing reviews from every conceivable outlet, and winning no less than four Razzie Awards. As if that wasn't bad enough for Halle Berry, she separated from her then-husband, underwent an injury, and suffered from gastrointestinal problems, all before the shoot even wrapped.