Kevin Costner has been a Hollywood stalwart for more than four decades. In that time, he’s been a part of some of the industry’s biggest hits, including fan favorites like Field of Dreams and award winners such as Dances with wolves. However, while these films and others like them constituted some high-profile successes for Costner, his involvement did not always guarantee a good return.
Although Kevin Costner’s career has had several highs, there have also been lows. Prominent examples include notorious bombs like Aquatic world and The postmanBut even more recent projects have oscillated between box office, critical acclaim, and mediocrity. Examples like Horizon prove how fickle luck can be in the film business. However, while almost every actor has their share of failures, something stands out about Costner’s disappointments. As demonstrated by the actor’s worst-reviewed film of all time, the 2002 thriller Dragon-flyEven when his films are underwhelming, they are often surprisingly popular with viewers.
Almost all of Kevin Costner’s worst-reviewed films are much more popular with audiences
The difference is stark
While it is not uncommon for poorly reviewed films to be received more favorably by audiences, Costner’s career takes this to absolute extremes – typified by Dragon-fly. The paranormal thriller, in which Costner plays a grieving doctor, holds just 7% on the review aggregator Rotten tomatoes. However, the film’s audience score on the same site is a comparatively stellar 62% – a 55% discrepancy between the two. Closer inspection reveals that this is far from an anomaly.
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‘Rotten’ Costner Movies With Positive Audience Scores |
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|---|---|---|
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Film |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score |
Rotten Tomatoes audience score |
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Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves |
51% |
72% |
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The bodyguard |
38% |
64% |
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Wyatt Earp |
31% |
61% |
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The War |
25% |
73% |
|
Message in a bottle |
32% |
66% |
|
For the love of the game |
47% |
75% |
|
Dragon-fly |
7% |
62% |
|
The Guardian |
37% |
80% |
|
Mr. Brooks |
55% |
76% |
|
Man of Steel |
57% |
75% |
|
Black or White |
38% |
65% |
|
The burglar |
58% |
76% |
|
The art of running in the rain |
44% |
96% |
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Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 |
51% |
70% |
The fact that Costner’s films have proven to be considerably more popular with audiences than critics throughout his career means it’s impossible to dismiss the trend as mere coincidence. The pattern even extends to films that didn’t do well enough to be considered.Fresh” on Audience Tomatometer. The postmanfor example, it scored 14% with critics and 51% with audiences – despite being widely recognized as one of Costner’s most disappointing films to date. All of this suggests that there is something unique about Costner that makes his films appeal to a specific audience – whatever their critical performance.
Why Kevin Costner’s Movies Score Highest Among Moviegoers
He makes a specific type of film
While many “Rotten“Kevin Costner’s films may seem disconnected from each other, it is possible to identify a trend that unites them. It is revealing, for example, that some of his critically underwhelming projects have become his most influential in broader pop culture. Examples include Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and The bodyguard – two films that were contemporary box office triumphs and achieved subsequent cult status. One of the main reasons for this may be the deliberately emotive, highly traditional and broadly appealing storytelling style of the two films – an approach that may not be revolutionary, but has proven consistently popular with audiences.
This suggests that, more than many other artists, Costner’s worst-reviewed films often fail critically because they adapt too much to the status quo. It is a trend that is reflected in launches such as The Guardian, Wyatt Earpand The War. In all three cases, critics highlighted the formulaic narrative. However, while the formula may not appeal to more upscale professional reviewers, entertainment-seeking audiences may be more understanding. As such, It’s no exaggeration to characterize Costner as a populist movie starwhose films are most likely to resonate with audiences – even if critics remain skeptical.
Not every Kevin Costner failure is loved by the public
There were exceptions to the rule
As the difference between his critic and audience scores shows, Costner’s aptitude for telling conventionally appealing stories has been a significant factor in building his reputation with audiences. However, even with this strength, he is not immune to public criticism. Films like Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, The new daughterand Aquatic world are all examples of “Rotten“Costner films that have performed worse with audiences than critics. This definitively proves that his films are not guaranteed to be well received by audiences.
…the large number of “Rotten“Costner’s films that have been genuine hits with moviegoers highlight that there is something unique about Costner’s particular appeal as a filmmaker.
However, although it may clearly fail to satisfy audiences and critics, the large number of “Rotten“The Costner films that have been a genuine hit with moviegoers highlight that there is something unique about Costner’s particular appeal as a filmmaker. It also suggests that there will always be an appetite for his brand of storytelling. Although the financial madness of releases like Horizon is well documented, the fact that the movie-going public continues to show its affection for Kevin CostnerThe films show why he had such a storied career.
- Release date
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February 22, 2002