Thor: Love and Thunder has opened to decent reviews, with most lauding its light-heartedness but criticizing the film's value of humor over plot; as it stands, the fourth Thor film will likely level out a slightly above-average rating, as indicated by its current 68% on Rotten Tomatoes.
However, that's not to say it won't be enjoyed and loved by audiences. As viewers know, the consensus of critics does not necessarily always match the views of fans. From not-loving Marvel films to adoring The Village, there are plenty of opinions out there that deviate from the views of critics, and Redditors have taken it upon themselves to list some films with the greatest gaps between the two.
Predators (2010)
Regarded as one of the more mediocre films in the Predator series, Predators was criticized for its failure to create believable, complex characters and its cast's lackluster performance. While the film did not get the worst possible reviews, fans of the film think it deserves much more still.
A Reddit user commented that they "do not understand the hate this movie gets. It may not be flawless, but I enjoy ... every time I watch it. I get that Adrian Brody is a weird choice for a tough guy leading man, but he's still good in the movie. I don't know, man. It's a solid fun flick to me."
WaterWorld (1995)
The Kevin Costner-starring sci-fi flick, WaterWorld, was a box office success, however - due to its over-ambitious budget - it was still criticized for underperforming against its massive expectations. Although the film currently sits at 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, many fans think it deserves a little more credit.
Reddit user Goseki1 stated: “I love it, but I watched it removed from all the hype at the time of its release. it was lauded as being the most expensive movie ever made etc and it really just looks like some mad large-scale indie movie or something?” Context and budget aside, the film is still an enjoyable watch for movie lovers.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The action-packed Mad Max: Fury Road is full of great cinematography and some of the best quotes from apocalyptic movies. However, take away the action and loud thrills on-screen, and there's not much left for fans who want a more plot-driven and satisfying movie.
Redditor rocker2014 noted that it "has a 97% from critics and 86% from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes. To me, it was a very middling action movie with very little plot, repetitive action sequences, and an anticlimactic ending... I didn't have any feelings towards it, no hype or hate... I was underwhelmed,” unlike the critics who raved about it.
The Village (2004)
The Village is a film that circles horror but ultimately lands in thriller territory, especially given its shocking twist, which is considered one of the great endings in bad movies. The movie received a lot of criticism for its fake-out premise and poor execution, earning low ratings on various review platforms. However, many have seen the film and fervently disagree with them.
Reddit user morkypep50 said they "love the way it explores themes of how violence is in human nature, and you can't escape that no matter how hard you try. I think it gets a bad wrap because people expect it to be a horror movie, but other than a few tense scenes, it is absolutely not. Such an underrated movie... there's nothing else that I can think of that is like it.”
John Carter (2012)
The sci-fi action flick, John Carter, was based on the novel A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The movie was made produced and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, a major factor in setting the film's high expectations; unfortunately, its erratic plot, subpar character development, and fluctuating pacing caused it to underperform with the critics and to Disney's box office standards.
However, it is still an enjoyable film. As Redditor Keasbeysknight said “John Carter was a lot of fun I didn't know I was getting into. Seems refreshing looking back on it,” and many other fans, especially fans of the book series, agreed.
The MCU Films
Despite having some biggest failures, the MCU dominates the box office with its constant releases, such as this year's Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder. Marvel's expert, interweaving story-telling has dominated cinemas for over a decade now, becoming a pop culture phenomenon. Yet, not everyone agrees with their overall hype and rave reviews.
Redditor bannedsodiac stated they “just feel they destroy the cool ideas with dull dialogue. They always talk the same template shit. And every movie needs to one-up the other because they always make the stakes so high. I'd want to see everyday problems of superheroes, not saving the world every movie.”
Hook (1991)
Robin Williams led the lost boys of Neverland in Hook, Disney's adaptation of Peter Pan, and one of the best pirates movies. Although the film is considered by many to be a Disney classic, critics were left underwhelmed at the time of the film's release due to things such as the film's inconsistent tone, deviating plot, and extremely high expectations from Steven Spielberg.
Redditor UKnowDaxoAndDancer was shocked the film is not appreciated as it should be, stating: “ I just assumed this was a universally beloved Spielberg classic, because that's what it was/is to me. So surprised as an adult to have discovered this is not true,” as were many fans of the classic.
The Postman (1997)
Yet another 1990s sci-fi film starring Kevin Costner was The Postman, a story about a post-apocalypse wanderer who becomes a beacon of hope for survivors by donning the uniform of a Postman. The film was criticized into oblivion for its too-serious tone amidst an outrageous plot, tanking not only with critics but also at the box office.
Despite holding an incredibly low 8% on Rotten Tomatoes, it still has its fanbase. Like Reddit user HolyShmoly317, who says they “loved every minute of the movie. I was surprised that it flopped and that people thought it was too long and boring. It's a 10/10 flick to me.”
Death Becomes Her (1992)
The star-studded Death Becomes Her takes the concept of frenemies and muddles it with magic, satire, and very dark comedy. The result is a disappointing film with decent CGI but a questionable plot and one-dimensional characters, as voiced by unimpressed critics.
But Reddit user Joe-Lollo said it’s one of their “favorite movies of all time. I just love how campy it is and how it embraces its absurdity. It just works for me. Most ratings I see give it pretty average scores, and all the people I’ve talked about it with online either hated it or thought it was just decent.”
Hot Rod (2007)
Andy Samberg starred as Rod Kimble in Hot Rod, a comedy film about a man who set out to become a stuntman and earn some much-deserved respect. The film did not perform well at the box office, or with critics who expressed disdain towards its sense of humor, storyline, and overall impression. However, the film has been adored by fans who treat it as a comedy cult classic.
Redditor knm20 said, “Hot Rod is iconic. I think about it at least once a day. Especially the I've been drinkin' green tea all goddamn day!" scene and the line "pools are great for holding water" (why is that so funny?!). I have a great memory of introducing my friends to this movie and us all laughing so hard we were crying. A true classic,” that let down critics but won over fans.