10 Star-Studded Movies That Critics Hated

Performances can make or break a movie, so directors and studios rarely take any chances when it comes to who they cast for their blockbusters. The best talents always get the call, and at times, a number of them get stuffed into a single film. Whether their presence is necessary or not is debatable, but it sure works magic in pumping up ticket sales.

While fans usually walk into theaters in thousands to see their favorite stars, critics aren’t always convinced. There are, indeed, a couple of star-studded movies with mixed or average reviews from critics. While some reviews singled out specific actors for disparagement, many addressed several other factors in the films, arguing that perhaps things would have been better if the director had focused on those issues and not the stars they were micromanaging.

Here are 10 star-studded movis that critics hated.

10 Don’t Look Up (2021)

Read Our Review

In Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up, two low-level astronomers go on a nationwide media tour to warn the public about an impending meteor strike that is about to destroy the world. The film’s ensemble cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Lawrence, Ron Perlman, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Cate Blanchett, Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi, and Meryl Streep.

Why Critics Didn’t Like It

Don’t Look Up scored 55% on Rotten Tomatoes and 49% on Metacritic, making it one of the year’s big-budget flops. Critics mostly lamented the fact that the movie is meant to be a comedy, yet there are very few jokes in it. Most of the big-name cast members aren’t known for starring in hilarious films either, so there was generally a “fish out of water” feeling for most of them. Additionally, the doomsday plot didn’t amount to much in the end. Stream on Netflix

9 Batman & Robin (1997)

Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin follows Batman (George Clooney) and his sidekick, Robin (Chris O’Donnell), as they attempt to stop Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger), from turning Gotham into an arctic wasteland. The film’s other famous cast members include Uma Thurman, Alicia Silverstone, Michael Gough, and Paul Hingle.

Why Critics Didn’t Like It

Batman & Robin is considered one of the worst superhero movies ever made, and the criticism is justified. The film is extremely cheesy, with Mr. Freeze constantly coming up with cringy lines like, “Freeze in hell, Batman!” and “Allow me to break the ice!” The visuals aren’t as good as they were in the preceding Tim Burton movies either. Critics were thus quick to express their fury, and, at the moment, the film has an 11% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 29% score on Metacritic. Stream on Max

8 Daddy’s Home 2 (2017)

After clashing with his wife’s ex-husband (Mark Wahlberg) in the first Daddy’s Home movie, Brad (Will Ferrell) becomes friends with him in Daddy’s Home 2, and, together, they come up with strategies to make their kids happy. However, their fun is ruined when their condescending dads show up. Other members of the ensemble cast include Mel Gibson, John Cena, John Lithgow, and Linda Candelini.

Why Critics Didn’t Like It

Movies like Daddy’s Home are the kind that should never have sequels. After all, it’s highly improbable that every “daddy” that comes home will keep on causing problems. Sadly, the studio couldn’t resist the urge to milk it dry. Many critics criticized the poor plot, as well as Gibson’s inclusion, arguing that his character wasn’t as appealing as the rest. Additionally, the gags were singled out for being flat compared to what was on offer in the first film. Because of these blemishes, the scores of 21% on Rotten Tomatoes and 30% on Metacritic felt justified. Stream on Paramount+

7 Cats (2019)

Based on T.S. Elliot’s 1939 poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, Cats follows several felines as they compete at the annual Jellicle Ball, where one of them will be granted an extra life and ascend to the Heaviside Layer. The film’s ensemble cast is packed with Hollywood and music stars, like Idris Elba, James Corden, Taylor Swift, Judi Dench, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Derulo, Ian McKellen, and Rebel Wilson.

Why Critics Didn’t Like It

Cats is brilliant when analyzed from a musical perspective (as MovieWeb wrote in their review). It has lots of amazing song and dance numbers that are likely to live the mood of anyone watching. However, the special effects are poorly done, which is strange for such a big-budget movie. The faces not only look weird, but the majority of characters appear gigantic or tiny when compared to other objects in their surroundings. Because of this major flaw, the movie ended up with scores of 32% and 18% on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic respectively. Rent on Prime Video

6 Expendables 3 (2014)

In Expendables 3, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) is forced to confront the team’s co-founder, Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), after he surprisingly re-emerges after being presumed dead for years. Eager to deal with him once and for all, he recruits more mercenaries. Like other movies in the franchise, the third installment features a few of the greatest action stars of all time. Apart from Gibson and Stallone, there is Wesley Snipes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, Dolph Lundgren, Antonio Banderas, and Jet Li.

Why Critic Didn’t Like It

Throwing in more muscular guys and skilled fighters was a good way to please the fans, but director Sean Anders was caught up in the same kind of morass that kids with many toys usually endure. He didn’t know who to prioritize, so certain stronger characters felt neglected while weaker ones were given too much attention. As usual, the fight sequences were great, but excessive, and no effort was made to subvert the 1990s action movie tropes, so the film felt very dated. Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic ratings were almost similar, stamping the flick with 35% and 31% scores, respectively. Stream on Prime VIdeo

5 Scary Movie 5 (2013)

Scary Movie 5 stars Terry Crews, Regina Hall, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen, Usher, Snoop Dogg, and Mike Tyson, and centers around a couple, who, after bringing their newborn baby home, realize that a demon is hovering around their home. To solve the issue, they hire paranormal specialists.

Why Critics Didn’t Like It

There is an overabundance of pop culture references in Scary Movie 5, but they add little value to the dialogue or proceedings. Many critics suggested that the movie should have focused more on blending slapstick and scary moments like its predecessors, rather than dwell too much on the dialogue. Well, Rotten Tomatoes reviews deemed it so bad that the aggregate score came to a mere 4%. On Metacritic, the film fared much better with an 11% score. Rent on AppleTV

4 Justice League (2017)

The Justice League Snyder Cut was much better, but the original Justice League was a mess. The movie chronicles the formation of the Justice League and its mission to stop the villain, Steppenwolf. The ensemble cast features several of the DCEU’s highly-rated actors, namely, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Henry Cavill, Ray Fisher, J.K. Simmons, and Amy Adams.

Why Critics Didn’t Like It

Critics and reviews both noticed the same problem in Justice League, the major one being the CGI. Many mocked Henry Cavill’s chin — which had been altered to hide the mustache he grew while filming Mission Impossible: Fallout — but only ended up appearing weird. The color coordination was weird, too, and the non-human characters all looked bizarre. The fact that there had been plenty of behind-the-scenes drama didn’t help either, so Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes gave it 45% and 39%, respectively. Stream on Max

3 Valentine’s Day (2010)

Valentine’s Day covers the experiences of various Los Angeles residents who either make major progress or regress in their love lives on Valentine’s Day. Major names in the cast include Jamie Foxx, Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, and Taylor Swift (in her acting debut).

Why Critics Didn’t Like It

Rom-com cliches plague Valentine’s Day, and this is unfortunate, considering the amount of talent that was at the director’s disposal. Whether it’s an engaged character walking out on their partner or another character finding out that their lover is married, there are just too many familiar storylines. The standout moments aren’t heartwarming enough either. Consequently, Rotten Tomatoes rated it “rotten,” and awarded it an 18% score, while Metacritic gave it 34%. Rent on Prime Video

2 Pearl Harbor (2001)

Pearl Harbor presents a slightly fictionalized version of the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces during World War II. Complementing the war plot is a love story between a pilot and a nurse. For the film, Michael Bay called actors like John Voight, Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Alec Baldwin.

Why Critics Didn’t Like It

Michael Bay is no stranger to harsh reviews. Critics normally have a field day picking his movies apart, and because he has always stuck to his style, the trend has continued. Pearl Harbor was praised for the explosions (something Bay has become somewhat of an expert at), but was criticized for its melodrama. Many felt that the romance plot got in the way of a better war story that could have been told. The movie thus received negative reviews on all platforms. Stream on Max

1 Suicide Squad (2016)

2016’s Suicide Squad was yet another major DC flop that ended up being rectified, courtesy of James Gunn’s superior 2021 remake/sequel. In it, several incarcerated supervillains are recruited to a special task force for a top-secret mission. Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Viola Davis, and Jay Hernandez are some of the big names that appear in the credits.

Why Critics Didn’t Like It

Metacritic’s 40% score was much more lenient, considering how weak Suicide Squad was. Rotten Tomatoes had the more accurate score of 26%, with the harsher critics not hesitating to call out the weak plot, overacting, and false advertising. Jared Leto’s Joker had specifically been marketed as the film’s main character only for him to end up as a supporting character. Leto also felt the need to give more than he usually does, given the high standards Heath Ledger had set for the character, but he ended up looking bad instead. Stream on Max