5 Sci-Fi Movies From The 1990s With Criminally Bad Reviews (#4 Didn’t Deserve It)

The line between a good and bad science fiction movie is razor-thin. The concepts are so dense and the stories so convoluted that it’s easy to lose the audience in a matter of seconds. Just look at Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which operates as a typical Indy adventure for most of its runtime before nuking the fridge and embracing its extraterrestrial cast members. The ending doesn’t work, and it’s a big reason the fourth Indiana Jones movie is considered the weakest entry in the franchise. However, not every sci-fi movie that fails to find its footing deserves the smoke.

After the 1980s saw a good number of sci-fi films become instant classics, the 1990s tried to keep the party going. It produced its fair share of hits, such as The Matrix and The Fifth Element. But far more films failed than reached the end zone, even if they brought something new to the table. Here are five sci-fi movies from the ’90s with criminally bad reviews.

5) Johnny Mnemonic

In the 2020s, Keanu Reeves can do no wrong. However, he was still getting his feet underneath him in the early ’90s, which led to some strange choices. What critics considered to be his worst film of the decade was Johnny Mnemonic, about a data courier living in 2021 who finds himself in conflict with the yakuza and in need of serious help. The movie is as strange as it sounds, but it fits into the “so bad it’s good” category. Come for Keanu and stay for the wacky practical effects and set dressing that have to be seen to be believed.

4) Starship Troopers

Starship Troopers has aged like a fine wine, frequently appearing on “Best Of” lists across the Internet. The story was very different when it came out, though, as audiences failed to understand that they were watching a satirical film that didn’t believe the lessons it was preaching. Thankfully, everyone appears to be on the same page now, and Starship Troopers can show off its great action and hilarious moments without worrying about them going over people’s heads. Just don’t worry too much about the sequels because they don’t hold themselves to the same standard as the original.

3) Anaconda

Jack Black and Paul Rudd are about to star in Anaconda, a “meta-reboot” that will focus on two men heading out to the Amazon to film a remake of their favorite ’90s sci-fi film. Clearly, they have good taste because, despite critics tearing apart the original Anaconda for its awful special effects and a lackluster story, they see the magic in it. What Anaconda does right is embrace the ridiculousness of its premise, having its characters never forget that they’re in a movie about a giant snake trying to end their lives. Its cast is also surprisingly stacked, featuring big names like Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube, and Jon Voight.

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2) The Island of Dr. Moreau

Adapting a book into a movie can be tricky because they come with so much baggage. 1997’s The Island of Dr. Moreau has to fight a tougher battle than most adaptations because it’s technically a remake of a 1970s movie that doesn’t do justice to H.G. Wells’ source material. While critics would have the world believe that John Frankenheimer’s film makes the same mistakes as its predecessor, that’s not actually the case. David Thewlis’ Edward Douglas acts as the audience’s guide into a twisted world where danger lurks around every corner. The Island of Dr. Moreau‘s twists and turns alone are worth the price of admission.

1) Steel

The superhero genre knows all about receiving bad reviews. Even the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which couldn’t buy a loss in its first decade of existence, has been stumbling recently. Shaquille O’Neal’s Steel is one of those projects that gives comic book movies a bad name, as most people who watch it can’t wait to talk about its bad acting and lack of juice. That’s not a fair assessment, though, because there’s a heart to Steel that doesn’t exist in most of its colleagues. It practices what it preaches, and that has to count for something.

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