When it comes to movies, few critics have had such a keen eye and honest opinion as Roger EbertFor more than four decades, Ebert has given us more than just movie reviews. He has helped shape the way we think about cinema. His reviews have been essential in highlighting the hidden depth (or lack thereof) in films that were once simply called either amazing or terrible.
the an act This type of film, in particular, was one of Ebert's favorite genres. Films like doomsday, heat, The Seven Samuraiand Searching for Red OctoberThese films were favorites of critics because they offered style, excitement, and something meaningful to ponder. But sometimes action films rely on visuals alone. Ebert called them terrible.
Nowhere was Ebert’s criticism more explicit than in his reviews of the worst action movies. These are the films that exemplify everything wrong with relying on blatant, unthinking violence in the name of show rather than developing story, characters, and societal themes. From bad plots to bad acting to inept directors, these are the 10 worst action movies, according to Roger Ebert.
10 Fantastic Four (2005)
Bringing Marvel Comics' superhero team to the screen in “fantastic” fashion under the direction of Tim Story, The Fantastic Four The film revolves around a group of astronauts who embark on a mission into space. However, after being exposed to cosmic rays, they gain superpowers such as invisibility, strength, and flexibility. Using their new abilities, they must fight Victor Von Doom, the evil doctor who wants to destabilize the world.
Terrible missed opportunity
FFour great The film was a box office success, but received negative reviews from critics. The film feels like a poor grade-school project, with expositions and performances that drag on for too long, it seems to lack vision, and it fails to tell a story. Roger Ebert points this out in his honest review, noting that it fails to capture the essence of the genre, which is to provide entertainment. He also adds:
“Superhero movies are really good like
Superman
,
spider man 2
and
Batman Begins,
Leaves
The Fantastic Four
“So late that the film should almost be ashamed to be showing in the same theaters.”
9 Death Race (2008)
The film presents an ambitious idea for an action film by director Paul W. S. Anderson. Death Race It takes us to a dystopian world where the US government has collapsed. Now, prisons, especially Terminal Island, make money by organizing and broadcasting games, where prisoners compete in armored and modified cars to gain freedom. Jenson Ames, a wrongfully convicted criminal, is forced to participate by the prison warden Hennessey.
It only lasts because of the shock value.
Without providing an interesting story or strong characters at all, Death Race A movie that relies entirely on violence, blood, and cars roaring and crashing into each other. The direction focuses on elaborately choreographing car crashes and loses focus on the plot in the process.
Sure, Jason Statham and Joan Allen were charming and sadistic in their roles, but for Ebert, the experience was the worst. He gave it a half-star rating out of four, saying: Death Race“Assault on all the senses, including the common sense.”
8 Pistol (2005)
Another Jason Statham movie from the 2000s where he is serving a prison sentence for a crime he didn't commit, pistol The film follows Jake Greene, a con man and incredibly skilled chess player. After being released from prison, he seeks revenge on casino owner and crime boss Dorothy Macha, who set him up. Greene uses his strength in strategy and bluff to make a fortune at the table, and Macha orders him to be killed.
confusing and not smart
Ebert gave pistol Half a star out of four, describing the film as a confusing movie that tries hard to dazzle the audience with its narrative and secrets without providing any reason or explanations. Or even a satisfactory conclusion.
Guy Ritchie's distinctive direction, as well as the performances of Statham and Ray Liotta, didn't seem to impress Ebert either, who said the film was “Designed to punish the public for buying tickets” And it is “The film kept going back and forth, biting its own tail, and returning to scenes with less and less meaning and purpose.”
7 Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
Directed by Alexander Witt, Resident Evil: Apocalypse It is the second movie in Vampire A film series based on the video game series of the same name. Picking up where the first film left off, we follow Alice, who has survived a zombie outbreak in her city, and now teams up with other survivors to escape Raccoon City, a wasteland filled with zombies and monsters.
Boring introduction to the zombie genre.
Roger Ebert Calls for Sequel “A complete waste of time with no point at all” This is also free of “Interesting, intelligent, imaginative, or even entertaining violence and special effects.” In his very detailed review, he also points out that the film ignores any semblance of plot in order to focus largely on building a semblance of raucous action.
The characters are “amazingly shallow” Scenes seem to have been randomly placed on screen. Even on Rotten Tomatoes, Resident Evil: Apocalypse He has the lowest grade in excellence.
6 Cannonball Run Part II (1984)
A sequel to the 1981 film, which was in turn a remake of the 1976 action comedy starring David Carradine, Cannonball Run Part 2 The film revolves around a sheikh who sponsors a cross-country road race in order to win and impress his father. JJ McClure and his friend Victor are also competing for the prize – a million dollars. But when the sheikh is kidnapped, the competitors abandon their pursuit of glory and team up to rescue him.
A deceptive and confusing parody.
Ebert gave both. Cannon run and Cannonball Run Part 2 Half-star reviews. While the first part was still a minor success as a silly comedy, the second part is a series of self-referential jokes that are made with arrogance. Ebert praised the actors, Burt Reynolds and Shirley MacLaine, but not their performances in the film. Overall, the film was a money grab, for Ebert, “One of the laziest insults to the intelligence of moviegoers is [he] “I can remember.”
5 Armageddon (1998)
One of the highest-grossing films of 1998, Armageddon The story begins with an asteroid the size of Texas discovered on a collision course with Earth and expected to hit in 18 days. NASA comes up with a plan – land on the asteroid's rocky surface, drill a hole into it, insert a nuclear bomb and detonate it. They hire Harry Stamper, a veteran oil driller, to do the job.
Full of major plot holes.
Armageddon It finds a place in Roger Ebert's most hated films of all time. In his review, he states that “An assault on the eyes, the ears, the brain, common sense and the human desire for entertainment.” The characters are too thin, he says, and the plot is hard to believe. The dialogue, which reportedly took nine writers to write, seems “I didn't need anything.” The film also suffered from cliched romance and unintelligent rescues.
4 The Pesticide (1980)
in The pesticideRobert Jeanty plays John Eastland, who becomes close friends with Michael Jefferson, played by Steve James, after the latter saved his life in Vietnam. Back home in New York, the veterans are trying to adjust to life when Eastland discovers that his friend was murdered by street gangs. Enraged, he breaks down and begins ruthlessly killing anyone he suspects of involvement, quickly becoming the most wanted man in the city.
No style, no substance
An action film written and directed by James Glickenhaus, The pesticide The film revels in its raw violence without sanitizing it. Its plot alternates between the tragic and the idiotic, and it suffers from an unpredictability that has been used so often before. To Ebert, the film was little more than a short. “direct fraud” Since 1974 death wishHe criticized her, saying: “A sick example of the almost unbelievable descent into horrific brutality in American movies.”
3 Mad Dog Time (1996)
Larry Bishop's crime thriller follows Vic, a formidable mob boss, who is released from a psychiatric facility and returns to his nightclub job only to find that everything has been turned upside down as his temporary replacement, Mickey Holliday, is busy having romantic relationships with sisters Grace and Rita. As Vic tries to put things back together, vicious rival mobsters threaten to take over his position and take control of the murky nightclub world.
It has a zero star rating.
Although she is best known for appearing in several small roles, including Christopher Jones, mad dog time It was a messy film that tried (and failed terribly) to balance the elegant darkness of its plot with the gritty elements of the crime genre.
Roger Ebert gave it a rare zero-star rating and noted that watching the film was “Like waiting for a bus in a city where you're not sure if there's a bus line.” The film clearly wastes the potential of its stellar cast, including Jeff Goldblum, Ellen Barkin, Diane Lane, and Richard Dreyfuss, who gives a surprisingly unhinged performance.
2 Death Wish 2 (1982)
Charles Brosnan reprised his role as Paul Kersey in the sequel to his 1974 film, which takes place about eight years after the events of the first film. Death Wish 2 Kersey sees himself living a normal life as a freelance architect in Los Angeles. But after his daughter is violently attacked and murdered, Kersey is once again enraged. Once again, he sets out on a vengeance campaign against the gangs responsible.
Does violence really solve all problems?
While the original film was interesting as a thriller and was highly regarded by fans and critics, the sequel became mired in its own exploration of violence without regard for law, morality, or individual responsibility. Ebert described Michael Winner's direction as Smooth But the movie is a “A disaster by comparison” It also featured Brosnan. “need for revenge” like “Just a series of stupid killings.” I feel that the zero star rating was well deserved.
1 From Ten to Midnight (1983)
Combining elements of neo-noir and horror into an unusual action movie plot, From ten until midnight The film revolves around Warren Stacy, a young office equipment repairman with a penchant for serial killing. However, his victims are only women who reject his sexual advances. The more women he selects and bets on, the more victims he has. He is pursued, despite his strong arguments, by detectives Leo Kessler and his partner Paul McCann.
Not everyone likes tea.
The 1980s were an exciting time for the horror genre, but even the decade couldn't do it justice. From ten until midnight There is no doubt that the film was successful because of its similarities to other films, its graphics, and the way it was mixed. True, the plot is promising if not meaningful, and the execution is excellent by B-movie standards, but the film fails to deliver any content.
“Logic isn't the problem with this movie, it's the lack of humanity that's the problem.” Ebert writes in his review, adding that Charles Brosnan, who directs the film, is “The only reason anyone would come to see him.”
