10 Recent Movies Critics Hated (But Audiences LOVED)
6. Space Jam: A New Legacy
Critic Score: 25%
Audience Score: 79%
The original Space Jam wasn't exactly a smash hit with critics (44%) despite its box office success, though recent sequel Space Jam: A New Legacy racked up barely half of its critical approval, landing a damning 25% on the Tomatometer.
Reviewers took issue with the movie's metanarrative element, which they felt was a transparent attempt to soullessly endorse a litany of Warner Bros. properties, in addition to generally deeming the film to be inferior to its predecessor and just a wildly unnecessary sequel.
Audiences, however, went gaga for it, with the movie registering 79% audience approval to date and also a stonking "A-" CinemaScore.
This falls in line with many poorly reviewed family-friendly comedies, which tend to fare far better with their primary demographic - parents and their kids - than critics.
Audiences praised LeBron James' performance, the visuals, and the movie's nostalgic tone, even if critics found it to be a far more crass and cynical nostalgia-baiting exercise.