10 Iconic Movies That Were Initially Critical Flops
8. Once Upon A Time In The West
In 1968, the classic spaghetti Western didn't find a ton of favor from critics. Among the opinions given were that the movie was too much 'style over substance'. Another prickly point was its length - running well over two and a half hours - which was significant at the time for its rarity and hardly well-received.
But perhaps the most polarizing issue of all was having Henry Fonda play the cruel villain. Early critics clearly had real struggles with watching the man who had played so many beloved heroes act so vicious on-screen.
In stark contrast, among modern critics, the film receives near-universal acclaim.