Everyone Hated These 19 Notoriously Bad Movies Except, It Turns Out, Their Stars

1.The CGI-heavy live-action adaptation of the musical Cats was hugely panned following its release, but star Jennifer Hudson didn't agree with the critique. "I think it was a bit overwhelming. It's unfortunate that it was misunderstood. I think later down the line, people will see it differently. But it is something I am still very proud of and grateful to have been a part of. Yeah, I got to be Grizabella the Glamour Cat!" she said.

2.Costar Jason Derulo similarly defended the film, saying, “Anytime that you defy the rules there’s going to be some pushback, obviously" and calling it "an incredible piece of art done by some of the best people in the world.”

3.And Rebel Wilson called it "such an artistic movie," adding that while she wished it'd done better at the box office, it's possible it could later become a cult classic.

4.2019's Hellboy was not well received, but its star David Harbour felt people were too harsh on the film. “We did our best, but there’s so many voices that go into these things and they’re not always going to work,” he said. “I did what I could do and I feel proud of what I did, but ultimately I’m not in control of a lot of those things. ... That being said, it also has major problems. I think as a rental or as a movie that you see on an airplane, I think you’d be like, ‘Oh that was fun,’ because it’s a fun movie, and I think it was unfairly bludgeoned as a result of these comparisons [to Marvel films]."

5.Costar Milla Jovovich also defended the film, writing on Instagram, "All my raddest films have been slammed" and “You work super hard to make something fun and entertaining and have to absorb the negative reviews by movie critics, but hey! THAT’S SHOWBIZ BABY." She also claimed that like many of her past films, Hellboy would become a cult classic due to the talent of those involved.

6.While Ryan Reynolds had publicly panned his film The Green Lantern over the years, he recently watched it through for the first time and had some positive things to say. "Honestly, this cast is incredible," he wrote, along with "There’s a lot of heavy hitters in the movie. Not always used in the right way... but still... heavy hitters." He finished with, "Maybe it’s the Aviation Gin talking, but #GreenLantern was nothing to fear! Hundreds of incredible crew and cast members did amazing work — and while it’s not perfect, it ain’t a tragedy. Next time I won’t wait a decade to watch."

7.The highly anticipated Suicide Squad became a huge letdown after its premiere, but one of the film's stars, Joel Kinnaman (who would go on to reprise the role in The Suicide Squad), also defended the movie: "You always hope to get good reviews," Kinnaman said. "But on a film like Suicide Squad, it really only has an ambition to entertain. There’s no big political aspirations about the film; it doesn’t take itself that seriously. The only way it takes itself seriously is portraying these characters in an honest way. I really think we did that, and I’m proud of my work and everyone else’s work in that film, too."

8.Speaking about her past flops in 2015, J.Lo made light of her 2003 box office failure Gigli, joking to Seth Meyers, "There’s worse movies than Gigli out there, OK?” Closer to the film's release, Lopez said she doesn't see the film the same way others do. "I gauge my success on whether or not I have done my job and how well I did it. For me, I consider that movie a success in that sense. I went in there with a certain amount of material that I could work with. I did the best that I could. When I walk away from a movie thinking, 'You know what, you kind of phoned that in' — which, thank God, I've never done — that's when I would consider myself a failure."

9.Her costar Ben Affleck also defended the film at the time, while acknowledging that it didn't work as a whole. "I think there is good work in it, scene by scene. I think the acting is good — it's a different character for me."

10.Jupiter Ascending was famously panned due to its illogical storyline, but Sean Bean, who appeared in the film, called it "original" and "daring," saying the Wachowskis are "way ahead" of their time. "I think it's the shortcomings of the people who don't get it as opposed to any shortcomings in what the Wachowskis tried to achieve," he said. "People don't get it...that's their loss."

11.After the superhero blockbuster Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was panned by critics, star Henry Cavill suggested it only mattered what audiences thought. “Because they’re the ones who are buying tickets, they’re the ones who want to see more of this kind of story, or not. So the audience’s voice is loudest, and after this weekend, the audience will at least partly have spoken.” He later said, after lukewarm audience response, “I think that movie is part of an arc for what Snyder’s vision was — or is — and it’s also in my mind fairly niche. It’s a niche style of movie within a genre. It reflects in the audience reviews and critics' reviews. It’s divisive. When anything is niche is going to be liked by some and disliked by others. That’s the whole point of niche.”

12.His costar, Ben Affleck, called the film "the biggest hit of [his] career," claiming, "It was judged not necessarily on execution so much as on its tone. People seemed to want to have a lighter tone to the movie, and I thought that was interesting because it's subjective. Tone is not a qualitative thing. It's subjective, right? Some tones resonate with me that might not with you. And the tone of the movie was really parallel to the Frank Miller book [The Dark Knight Returns], which I liked and thought was great."

13.Mike Myers' career suffered a sharp descent after his panned film, The Love Guru. But in a 2014 interview, he said, "There’s a lot in that movie that I love," adding that he "tried [his] hardest." Myers continued, "I just make stuff, and sometimes it does well. But there’s a lot in that movie comedically that I’m really, really proud of. I completely recognize it didn’t meet an audience."

14.Taylor Kitsch has said he's "incredibly proud" of starring as the titular character in John Carter, despite the film's abysmal box office performance and reviews. "I don't see it as a failure," he said. "I know personally I literally did everything possible I could have in John Carter. ... That's why I prep so hard, and why I push myself so hard, so I can have no regrets. If it makes 10 bucks at the box office, I still did everything I possibly could. Literally no one will outwork me and that's the way I approach it."

15.Waterworld was a disappointment upon release, but star Kevin Costner denies that it was a "low point" for him, as fans say, though he acknowledges it could've had a better outcome. “The thing I know is that I never had to stand taller for a movie when most were going the other way. The movie with all its imperfections was a joy for me… a joy to look back upon and to have participated in. ... I’m not sure you know how beloved the movie is around the world."

16.He also defended the poorly-reviewed The Postman: "You know, listen, a movie is what it is when it comes out, and it has a chance to be revisited. I was always kind of proud of it."

17.Pierce Brosnan was mercilessly mocked for his singing in Mamma Mia!, but he has no regrets about performing in the hit musical. "I did get a platinum album for my singing you know, so fuck the begrudgers!" he said, speaking of the success of the film's cast album. "I got to sing with Meryl Streep! It was the last thing I expected but I kind of got it. I understood the joke, the karaoke of it all. They didn’t employ me for my singing but I loved it anyway." Brosnan went on to reprise his role (and sing again) in the film's sequel.

18.When K-19: The Widowmaker became a box office disappointment, its star Harrison Ford offered an explanation: “This is a very unconventional film for American cinema. It’s not a cowboys-and-Indians, good guys/bad guys movie. It doesn’t depend on the usual devices of submarine movies," Ford said. "These are men fighting against an invisible and insidious enemy that is not represented by another nation. It’s rather more complex and perhaps slightly more difficult for an audience. I think this film may find an easier reception in Europe and in other parts of the world than it did in the summer of 2002 in the United States.”

19.And finally, Nicolas Cage has defended all of his flops, including the straight-to-VOD (video-on-demand) films he appeared in during the mid-2010s, such as Arsenal and Kill Chain. While he admitted to doing so many films those years to avoid having to file for bankruptcy, and said that he took straight-to-VOD films because he stopped getting offers for theatrically released films, he says he still stands by all his work. “When I was doing four movies a year, back to back to back, I still had to find something in them to be able to give it my all. They didn’t work, all of them. ... But I never phoned it in. So if there was a misconception, it was that. That I was just doing it and not caring. I was caring.”

What box office and critical flops do you think are not actually that bad? Let us know in the comments!

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