Over the years, masses of movie lovers have come to rely on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes as a source they can trust as to whether a film is worth watching or not. It’s not a bad system: the site averages the good and bad reviews of each film and comes up with a percentage score and a status of either fresh or rotten. But there are many large and small factors that can easily affect the accuracy of this system. Whether it’s that most of the critics who reviewed a particular film are not “top critics” (the status given to professional critics at the most trustworthy of entertainment sites), or that only a very small number (maybe only one, in fact) of reviews are actually accumulated for a movie’s score, Rotten Tomatoes is not infallible. Below are some of the films that may have been given a raw deal thanks to the RT system. Give them a shot, won’t you?
1) Bio-Dome – 4%
Viva los bio-dome! For those who remember that incorrectly stated Spanish sentence, this is a shout-out to one of the most ridiculous, absurd movies inPauly Shore’s portfolio. And that’s stating a lot. Yes, it’s dumb, it’s trashy, it’s got Pauly Shore and the least respected Baldwin brother (Stephen Baldwin) running the show. But it is a stoner comedy for the ages. When these two nitwits get locked inside an experimental bio-dome for a year, they need to make the best of it. That means eating all the stored food supplies, sucking down tanks of nitrous oxide, and hitting on the two gorgeous (of course) female scientists in the dome, one of which is played by pop singerKylie Minogue. However, after a major rager and an attempted bombing by Dr. Noah Faulkner (the always annoyingWilliam AthertonfromGhostbusters, the guy who shut down the team’s containment unit), Pauly and company pull together to make the bio-dome an ecological success! I love a good underdog story.
2) Dream a Little Dream – 0%
This would only really mean something to a fan of the Coreys: the eighties/nineties actorsCorey HaimandCorey Feldman, who starred in a number of movies together. This wasn’t one of their most popular. They reached their height inThe Lost Boys, and did a pretty good job withLicense to Driveas well. ButDream a Little Dreamis not without its good points. First of all, it’s one of the only movies in which Feldman got top billing over Haim, which is just plain interesting to see. Also, it features a supernatural premise in which an old man’s soul trades places with that of Feldman’s, and Feldman must spend much of the movie figuring out how to switch bodies back. The answer is, of course, love. Doesn’t that just warm your heart?
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3) Fantastic Four – 7%
Fantastic Four(2015) was Fox’s attempt to reboot the Marvel comics property after two less-than-successful entries in the franchise. Even the Silver Surfer himself couldn’t save the aforementioned sequel. The 2015 version stars a fresh cast of talented young actors (Miles Teller,Kate Mara,Michael B. Jordan, etc…) and a premise based more on the Ultimate Universe of the Marvel mythology. While it’s not nearly what fans had hoped for, it’s head and shoulders above the previous incarnations, and a solid attempt at kickstarting the franchise back into life. No doubt Disney will soon save this beloved property from mediocrity, but until then, this movie remains the best of what Fox could offer with the material at hand. It deserves better than the critical killing that it received.
4) Cool World – 0%
This movie was a deep dive into a dark world mixing animation and live action – something that doesn’t come along very often. EvenWho Framed Roger Rabbit’s voluptuous Jessica Rabbit didn’t come close to the crazy adult content present in this film. That’s not to say thatKim Basinger’s cartoon form is enough to promote a viewing here. The point is that this is some wild, wacky material that deserves some attention, if just for the rarity of the experience itself. Plus, this is whereBrad Pittcame into the public knowledge, and he’s never looked better or cooler. Hey, it’s in the title.
5) National Lampoon’s Senior Trip – 0%
Now this really is a movie that deserved better. It was a classic stoner teen comedy, with a plethora of talent behind it, including the hilariousMatt Freweras the principal, who will sink to any depths for a laugh,Tommy ChongofCheech and Chongfame as the pill-head bus driver,Kevin McDonald, my own personal favorite member ofThe Kids in the Hallcomedy troupe as a psychotic Star Trek-obsessed crossing guard, and the very first appearance of the MCU’s Hawkeye,Jeremy Renner, as, well… the popular idiot in charge of the proceedings. It was funny, it was poignant (to a degree), and it was just a really, really fun watch. Watch this movie. You will laugh.
6) The Stoned Age – 0%
Now this one is a real obscurity. It was a movie about two dudes driving around in the seventies trying to find chicks. The plot deepens about a half an inch, but it’s a fun ride, with a kick-ass soundtrack featuring “Blue Oyster Cult,” a bunch of seventies easter eggs includingFrankie Avalon, and a whole bunch of ridiculous pot-fueled jokes, many of which make their landing. It’s also the first appearance of the very talentedClifton Collins, Jr., and features an ending about what really matters in relationships, and about how to handle bullies, even if they’re your friends. This may all sound trite, but when mixed together, it forms a really funny, nostalgic, cohesive whole.
7) An American Werewolf in Paris – 7%
How do you follow up a cult classic gem likeAn American Werewolf in London? Not like this. However, the sequel did have many things going for it. The cast includedTom Everett Scott, who has made quite a few vehicles better for having had him, as well asJulie Delpy, the French actress who madeBefore SunriseandBefore Sunsetsuch beautiful experiences. Further, the werewolf transformation technology was pretty good for its time. The supporting cast, featuringVince Vielufand fan favoritePhil Buckmanafforded the proceedings much in the way of comedy and action. I remember seeing this movie in a theater and being pleasantly surprised when the audience did a standing ovation after Buckman parkoured his way out of a basement window, escaping from an imprisoned werewolf. I had to stand up and applaud myself. It was bad-ass.
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