10 Critically Acclaimed Action Movies That Became Box Office Bombs

Audiences love going to the cinema and watching a loud, exciting action movie on the big screen, but not all action movies with great reviews have great reviews. Because of how enjoyable it is to watch these types of films in theaters, action films tend to do well at the box office. However, The action-packed nature of a film in no way guarantees its financial success. Sometimes, for various reasons, even the great action movies of the 80s or the gritty action movies of the 90s don’t make much money.

However, the fact that the film failed to make a ton of money in no way proves that it is a bad film. Many respected action films have failed to recoup the money invested in their production. Some of these films have even won major awards and are constantly praised by critics. When choosing an action movie franchise to watch, it’s important to look past the box office numbers and remember that even those that bombed can still be great films.

10

Miller’s Crossing (1990)

The Coen brothers’ third film was not a hit.

While it’s far from your typical action movie, Miller’s Crossing often features exciting action scenes in this creative take on the gangster film genre. The action takes place in the 1920s. The film chronicles the brutal rivalry between two organized crime syndicates.and the man found himself between them. The film received enormous critical praise, receiving consistently positive reviews for its overall style as well as its dialogue and performances.

Unlike many of the Coen brothers’ later films, Miller’s Crossing was by no means a commercial success. The film earned only about five million dollars at the box office, despite having a production budget of more than double that amount. This is largely a result of the film having a limited release. Although it didn’t bring much money to the popular filmmaking duo, it remains a valuable part of the Coen brothers’ filmography. due to its unique approach to the idea of ​​a gangster film.

9

True Romance (1993)

Tarantino’s name was not yet big enough for audiences

In 1993, Quentin Tarantino’s scripts and Tony Scott’s direction were combined into a single system. True Romance, gritty crime drama about newlyweds on the run. Critics loved the film, earning an impressive 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Performances by the ensemble cast (including Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken and many more) and Tarantino’s pre-films.Mad dogs the letter received additional recognition.

Unfortunately for the up-and-coming Tarantino, True Romance ended up failing at the box office. The film barely managed to recoup its budget. just over twelve million dollars, having earned just four million in its opening weekend. No matter what, True Romance it soon developed a strong and loyal fan base, maintaining a love for the film for years to come.

8

Serenity (2005)

This Firefly Subsequent actions hardly paid off

Much to the dismay of viewers, Joss Whedon’s sci-fi series Fireflywas canceled before its story was completed. So it was a relief to many that Whedon was releasing a feature-length film. SerenityHow continuation of the 2005 show.. The film provided fans of the series with the satisfying and action-packed ending they desired.

Unfortunately, although the fan base Firefly was dedicated, it wasn’t as big as Whedon expected. Serenity barely managed to make a small profit on its $39 million budget. However, those who saw the film seemed to enjoy it as it was received very well by critics.

Serenity even received many coveted awards from various science fiction organizations. Proving that it doesn’t matter how much money a movie makes, Serenity proposed Firefly fans, satisfying conclusionas well as an immersive action and sci-fi experience for all audiences.

7

Human Children (2006)

Three Oscar nominations, zero profit

Human Children shocked audiences around the world by proving that you don’t need futuristic weapons or gadgets to tell a compelling, action-packed sci-fi story. 2006 film directed by Alfonso Cuaron explores a chaotic near-future version of Earth in which all people have become infertile, creating a world in which no children have been born for eighteen years.

Unfortunately, thanks a series of bad marketing decisions by Universal Picturesthe film did not make as much money as one might have expected. Even with an A-list cast (Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine and many others), Human Children of its $76 million budget, it only recovered $70.5 million.

Despite this, the film was a huge critical success, receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews and earning a place on numerous best-of-the-year lists. Human Children was also nominated for three different Academy Awards.: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. Needless to say, box office numbers don’t give an accurate picture of the quality of a film.

6

Nice Guys (2016)

Hardly a profit for the Crowe/Gosling team

Lethal Weapon writer Shane Black moved into the director’s chair Nice Guys2016 action comedy film starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. The film takes place in the 1970s. An oddball duo tries to solve a mysterious case in Los Angeles. The film was a critical success, holding a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes and receiving consistent praise, especially for Gosling and Crowe’s comedic partnership.

However, their natural chemistry was not enough to attract audiences to the theaters. Nice Guys managed to make only a small profit on its $50 million budget.. The disappointing results are due to stiff competition as other big comedy films are releasing at the same time. Luckily, the underrated action-comedy combination found a new home for a while on Netflix, where many more people were able to give it a well-deserved viewing.

5

Mulan (2020)

Disney’s action remake falls victim to the pandemic

Disney certainly isn’t known for its action films, but the studio decided to enter new territory with its 2020 remake. Mulan. Ditching the musical elements and cartoon characters of the original film, Mulan (2020) turned out to be an impressively dramatic and action-packed film.. Although its differences from the original version did receive some negative reviews, critics who managed to view Mulan (2020) has consistently impressed as its own film.

The film even received several Oscar nominations and received huge praise for its visual effects and performances. Mulan However (2020) was very unlucky: its first premiere was scheduled for March 9, 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic forced Disney to adjust its planas theaters across the country closed.

The studio ultimately decided to release the film directly to Disney+, a decision that would have significantly reduced its earning potential. Mulan (2020) only made back 69.9 million of its 200 million budget. One can only wonder how well the film would have done in a different year.

4

Suicide Squad (2021)

Even superheroes can’t save this man

In 2021, DC Films released Suicide Squad, James Gunn’s attempt to revive the franchise after its unloved 2016 predecessor. Just like in the first film, Suicide Squad follows a ragtag team of obscure DC Comics villains who are forced by the US government to work together to stop a major threat to the world.

The R-rated action film received much more positive reviews than the original. Suicide Squadand it even managed to earn a remarkable 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite the praise Suicide Squad it was more than fifteen million dollars short of recouping its $185 million budget.. The most glaring explanation for this failure is the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced the film to be released straight to Max the same day it hit theaters.

There was also the problem that audiences didn’t know what exactly the film was about; in the advertisement it is unclear whether the film is a sequel or a remake of the previous one. Suicide Squador something in between. Along with other reasons, these factors accumulated and led to Suicide Squad to disappointing box office returns.

3

Northerner (2022)

The epic story wasn’t enough to bring people to the theaters

Robert Eggers co-wrote and directed the 2022 film. Northernera bloody revenge film inspired by Viking history and Norse mythology. The film has a star castincluding Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe and Anya Taylor-Joy. Unfortunately for Eggers, even these big names weren’t enough to make the film profitable.

The film earned less than $70 million, just shy of its estimated budget of $70–90 million. Staggering box office returns aside, Northerner was at least a critical success. The film received a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for various awards for numerous aspects of its production.

Prominent reason for NorthernerThe lack of financial success is simply that the film (being an R-rated drama and fiction) is not the type of action film that is sure to attract a large audience. This, coupled with the film’s high budget, made it unlikely that Northerner will be beneficial despite positive reviews.

2

“Testament” by Guy Ritchie (2023)

This war drama lost the battle to make a profit

“Testament” by Guy Ritchie took on a completely different tone than the director’s previous films, abandoning Ritchie’s signature style of blending comedy and crime and instead presenting a much more dramatic action film. Although it was a sharp departure from his typical style, critics were very impressed with the film.

In particular, Jake Gyllenhaal’s outstanding performance as an American sergeant serving in Afghanistan received much acclaim. However, the intense film was far from a commercial success, failing to bring in even half of its $55 million budget at the box office. This is primarily a result of the way the film was released.

“Testament” by Guy Ritchie was shown only in US cinemas.. For the rest of the world, the film was immediately available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. With an unsatisfactory marketing campaign and a minimal source of international revenue, it’s no surprise that the film bombed despite the reviews.

1

Creator (2023)

Another failure in the Oscar nomination

In an era where the film industry is dominated by sequels and remakes, one would expect a film like Creator be a refreshing change of pace for modern audiences. The completely original film follows a US Army sergeant as he tries to restore order to a world transformed by artificial intelligence.

Creator received many awards, including two Oscar nominations (Best Sound and Best Visual Effects) and various other visual effects awards. At the box office Creator earned $104 million. That’s pretty impressive for a movie based on an original concept, but unfortunately it cost over $80 million to make.

While it’s admirable that the filmmakers were willing to approach such a hot topic as artificial intelligence, the timing may not have been ideal. Creator was released in the midst of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.during which AI was an incredibly sensitive topic. The idea of ​​AI being the centerpiece of the film was enough to turn off many potential viewers.