Metacritic is one of the most popular and well-known review aggregators on the web. This means that it is a website that collects various reviews from critics and averages them to one overall average score out of 100, called “Metascore”. This makes it a bit easier than the other big internet movie review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes, which gives a rating out of 100 based on the number of positive and negative reviews.
However, as with any such site, Metacritic has odd ratings for certain films. While some movies can sometimes get higher Metascores than seems fair, it’s much more common to find surprisingly low Metascores for a great movie. All of these films have lower Metacritic scores than you might expect, especially when compared to user ratings.
Jurassic Park (1993) - 68/100
There is no doubt that the first film in Jurassic Park The series is by far the best. It has memorable characters, fantastic pace, groundbreaking special effects, tons of suspense, and an amazing soundtrack. In general, this is just an example of all the good (and almost nothing bad) in blockbuster making.
However, the critics cited by his Metascore do not seem to be as enthusiastic. Although it is considered a fact that Jurassic Park is one of the best action/adventure films of the 1990s, which can’t be said by its decent, though far from excellent, average score of 68/100. Maybe some critics don’t like to have fun…
“Shine” (1980) - 66/100
Stanley Kubrick fans are spoiled for choice of the legendary director’s favorite film. Over a career spanning 13 films, he has acted in a variety of genres, with a knack for making iconic war films (paths of glory, Full Metal Jacket), mind-blowing works of science fiction (2001: Space Odyssey), and truly nightmarish horror films (Shine).
Reception Shine However, it wasn’t as positive on release, which may explain the classic horror film’s surprisingly low rating of 66/100 on Metascore. He was even unfairly nominated for two Razzies at the first infamous Golden Raspberry Awards. This will probably come as a surprise to most horror fans who usually stick to Shine to the classics.
“Scarface” (1983) - 65/100
Remakes are often risky, especially when it comes to critical reception. Of course, viewers may flock to see a retelling of a familiar story. Yet more discerning critics are likely to be less receptive and more cynical, inevitably treating the remake with awe and, in some cases, maybe even a little bias.
This may have taken place in 1983. Face with a scar, a remake of the 1932 film of the same name. However, this classic gangster ups and downs film had more than enough differences from the original that the general audience appreciated far more than the critics. Or maybe the critics didn’t like it when a movie called them out for watching and enjoying it, taking out their frustration with less-than-positive reviews as retribution.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) - 65/100
When it comes to original Indiana Jones trilogy, the former is generally considered an untouchable classic, while the latter is a film that is either equally good because it’s darker, or perhaps less compelling because of its more disturbing plot. third film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusadetakes a similar approach to the first film - it’s slightly lighter and less gruesome - and is often seen as close to that original film when it comes to quality.
But with a Metascore of just 65/100, critics may not have been thrilled that the series is returning to its roots. It would be unfair to say that this is too similar to In Search of the Lost Arkbut if critics think so, it might explain why the Metascore for this classic adventure movie is just pretty good instead of great.
“Nuremberg Court” (1961) - 60/100
A tense and fantastically acted court drama that runs for nearly three hours. Court in Nuremberg A tiresome and convincing film about the Nuremberg Trials. It happened shortly after the end of World War II, when several high-ranking Nazi officers were put on trial for war crimes by an American court.
One can only guess why this film only has a 60/100 rating. However, it’s hard to blame a film if it takes certain liberties with history - as historical feature films can sometimes do - perhaps it has offended critics in the wrong way. Anyway, at the Oscars he fared much better, being nominated for 11 Oscars and winning two.
“Life is beautiful” (1997) - 59/100
Life is Beautiful made a splash internationally when it was first released. As a result, he was a huge success at the Oscars (seven nominations and three wins - a rarity for a film not shot in English). It appealed to the general public for being heartbreaking at times on a complex subject, but also funny and romantic at other times.
Perhaps this mixing of genres while telling a very dark war story has offended critics in the wrong way. This is the likely reason for the 59/100 score; critics are more likely to engage with the film on a deeper level, constantly exploring the meaning and wider thematic or political implications in every frame and line. Since most of the general audience does not study the film as closely, they are more likely to be interested in what lies on the surface. It’s easy to appreciate what the film is trying to do, but it’s understandable if critics (and perhaps some viewers) had a few performance issues.
Joker (2019) - 59/100
Joker was a film that made a splash long before it was released. Some feared that a film that shed light on the origins of Batman’s most iconic villain would end up being dangerous, risking inspiring copycats to do what the protagonist does in the film.
The incendiary nature of the film naturally generated controversy. In the end, the average critic score was roughly 59/100. While some may have given it a similar score in their reviews, it is more likely that Joker The love-or-hate reputation meant a few rave reviews and a few devastating ones, with Metascore ultimately falling in the middle.
“Something” (1982) - 57/100
A classic horror film about a were-alien who causes death and paranoia at a remote research station, 1982. Thing marks 40 years since its release as a classic. Its effects still look great, the tension is palpable throughout, and it all adds up to a haunting and frightening (pun intended) ending.
But the critics whose scores made it to Metascore? They weren’t so crazy about it. Maybe because remakes are looked down upon, the gore in the movie was too nasty, or maybe it was ahead of its time. At the very least, this is a movie that has been re-rated since its release, although the average rating of 57/100 doesn’t immediately make the fact that it’s a classic.
“The Untouchables” (2011) - 57/100
Comedy drama that is as funny as it is sad Untouchables is a French film based on a true story. It follows an unlikely friendship that develops between two men: one is a paralyzed middle-aged man and the other is a young man who has been hired as his guardian.
It’s a sentimental film through and through, with a tone that some might find a bit too cloying and over the top. If critics were a little more blasé than the average viewer, that might explain why it has a Metacritic score of 57 out of 100. This is at least balanced by general audience reception as it has a remarkable 8.5/10 from IMDb users. .
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) - 33/100
Okay, maybe that’s the fourth entry on the list by a stretch. Friday the 13th series is a great movie. However, this is by far the best installment in the series, blending horror and expected violence with plenty of hilarious comedy to strike a remarkably effective balance between scare and laughter.
And if “excellent” or even “good” is a stretch, it’s unfair to talk about it. Final chapter as bad as the 33/100 rating would suggest. Perhaps critics were cynical about the misleading title, knowing full well that it was unlikely to be final. Friday the 13th movie. After all, eight more films were shot on it.
Source: Collider
