Critics Got It Wrong: Surprising Comic Book Movie Reviews

Comic Book Movie Mayhem: When critics Got It Totally Wrong!

Why Critics and Comic Book Movies Clash (Sometimes Hilariously!)

The world of comic book movies is a wild, wild place! Critics? They're often all over the map, either ridiculously praising or harshly criticizing superhero flicks. This goes way back; and those early issues continue, demonstrating how the critics themselves change alongside how audiences interpret the meaning from movies and those involved creative projects, creating a constant shift that critics frequently fail to keep up with! Even big names like Martin Scorsese have openly slammed the genre, which makes it a struggle for critics to fairly assess things without additional biases seeping into the judgment and impacting how their analysis might ultimately pan out.

Those critical blunders frequently stem from either being too harsh or from just completely missing the point of the entire comic book’s own themes and creative inspiration; these frequently come into those key judgements made; it is further complicated and exacerbated by those assumed “superhero fatigue” arguments which only show just how frequently many critics remain completely uninterested in having fun; leaving that critical judgement devoid of much-needed elements; such as a sense of wonder, delight and excitement, necessary for even fairly evaluating such a large, critically popular genre! In rare cases, critics get things spectacularly wrong – showering those lesser films with way too much praise.

Also Read: Wesley Snipes MCU Return: Will Blade Be Back?

10 Comic Book Movies Critics Totally Missed the Mark On

Thor's tattooed back in Thor Love and Thunder Image

10. Blade (1998): A Groundbreaking Superhero Film, Not a Style-Over-Substance Dud!

Blade (starring Wesley Snipes) changed everything. It’s not only the first big R-rated superhero movie, but the first one with a Black protagonist. This had an extremely huge cultural significance! Those critics criticizing Blade often dismissed its stylish coolness for being seemingly without much substance and completely lacked a heart. They're totally wrong! This ignores Blade's genuinely emotional moments and incredible writing; this actually works far more impressively than many critics had let on at the time, showcasing some extremely surprising narrative brilliance given the genre’s relatively new direction!

9. Venom (2018): Embrace the Chaotic Fun, Critics!

Wesley Snipes as Blade (1998) Ice skate uphill line Image

Sony's solo Venom movie? Controversial! Many fans were hoping that such attempts at building its own standalone universe wouldn't work without Spider-Man himself, however its initial popularity eventually became completely significant, especially compared to other disastrous and critically panned efforts later. Critics hated Venom's unbalanced, noisy vibe, creating that initial critically panned reputation for the movie. Yet despite its minor faults, fans found it fun! It captured some amazing 2000s style silliness – and this should matter more. That critically panned reputation was completely wrong, showcasing just how much these critically acclaimed movie projects need to consider audience input, and appeal!

8. Constantine (2005): Keanu Reeves and Supernatural Style Outweigh All Critics' Expectations

Eddie Brock inside Venom in 2018's Venom Image

Constantine is another one that has this insanely huge gap between those critical and audience scores. Critics completely overlooked this Keanu Reeves flick; not recognizing this moody, stylish supernatural thriller that continues to have great fanbase love that has only intensified and remained consistent ever since its release. This shows why sometimes, focusing purely on established quality isn’t the best path and ignores the massive popularity of more base concepts! It really demonstrates that considering these points of connection could make critics re-evaluate that seemingly simple point!

Those critics often fixate on the movie's tone compared to other Keanu Reeves Movies. However; it totally missed the central strength; those strong thematic undercurrents which highlight just how popular those simpler concepts actually are!

7. Eternals (2021): A Slow Burn That Critics Failed to Appreciate

Eternals had critics and audiences upset initially, yet fans now largely enjoy it more! But the critics stubbornly remained harsh and that initial dismissal of this epic was incredibly unfortunate. It brings new MCU heroes (humanoid aliens safeguarding Earth); a complex storyline with so much detail initially presented – it completely underwhelms at first! It later pays off.

It showcases strong characters through those amazing actors and showcases incredibly unique power uses! The movie was critically panned initially however due to an unnatural insistence upon those early connections it might seem to have within MCU, but working totally on its own without requiring context would showcase why those attempts to integrate were mostly unnecessary.

6. Batman Forever (1995): Embrace the Camp, Critics!

Sersi consoling Ikaris in Eternals Image

Similar to Eternals, critics didn't like Batman Forever; largely for that sharp shift in tone after the previous grimmer films. Fans continue to find the movie entertaining! Those critically panned attempts actually created some lasting appeal through its intentionally over-the-top silliness; showcasing how sometimes, intentionally appealing to these lower qualities may have great lasting appeal that even older viewers might enjoy today!

It completely nails enjoyable, silly, classic comic-book fun that deserves recognition; totally distinct from the preceding films and showing those creative, different interpretations!

5. 30 Days of Night (2007): A Terrifying Horror Masterpiece Overlooked by Critics

Batman Forever Bruce Wayne talking to Edward Nygma Image

Critics just didn’t understand why 30 Days of Night is actually really amazing. This film totally delivers some amazing chills and tense suspense which created such an intense experience rarely matched for fans. Vague complaints were given. But there aren’t many specific things they did wrong which is even more significant, showing how sometimes those critical judgments simply miss those most essential elements involved which really demonstrate its higher quality.

4. Cowboys & Aliens (2011): A Genre-Bending Western That Got a Raw Deal!

The title itself made people think Cowboys & Aliens was a forgettable B-movie, thus it initially fails. That initial judgment from both critics and the audiences overlooked this surprisingly enjoyable action film that uniquely blends classic Westerns with an extraterrestrial invasion plot. Even this relatively weird movie starring Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford has lots of charm; its bizarre mixture isn’t a failure and deserves more respect.

3. Black Panther (2018): Representation Trumped Criticism (But It's Still a Good Movie)

Daniel Craig as Jake Lonergan in Cowboys & Aliens. Image

Black Panther isn't a bad movie but the critics were utterly gushing! This was made much, much stronger; as that historically important milestone and landmark role (the first Black-led MCU solo movie) made critics cautious about giving too much negative reviews and that overshadows the movie’s overall flaws, especially the parts lacking and showcasing weaknesses!

The Black Panther's success also comes from its broader relevance to representational issues within this production.

2. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021): A Mixed Bag Over-Praised for Representation

T'Challa meeting his ancestors in Black Panther Image

Shang-Chi feels like two movies smashed together: the action and fight sequences outshining the underwhelming finale with those seriously boring CGI battles. Its critics and those audience members were unable to recognize its strengths and mostly its weak points. The positive reviews aren’t about its movie quality, mostly driven by the MCU’s much-needed decision to bring in more Asian representation, further impacting how those initial reviews are judged today!

1. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022): A Director’s Name Can’t Save a Bad Movie

Shang-Chi protecting Ta Lo in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings-1 Image

Many Marvel films are critically panned but Thor: Love and Thunder received surprisingly lenient treatment, ignoring those pretty obvious failures to maintain continuity; ignoring serious questions and failures in storytelling itself; thus resulting in a generally underwhelming production that critics failed to take to task appropriately, showing those failures in overall movie creation and resulting issues surrounding these kinds of narrative arcs!

Those positive reviews have less to do with this film itself than Taika Waititi’s reputation (the director); a much beloved creator despite the failure in tone; showing that this movie shouldn’t be considered exceptional even with the presence of an amazing director.

Also Read: MCU Blade: Can Mahershala Ali Outshine Wesley Snipes? Lessons from the Original Blade Trilogy

Conclusion: Critics, Put Down the Hammer (and Watch More Movies!)

Critics should pay better attention. Those initial reactions and ratings completely misrepresent various levels and degrees of success involved! The initial reception for certain projects should've included different analyses that incorporate audience response to emphasize a better way to gauge those reactions. Those opinions should consider different cultural contexts to generate a richer overview; yet this is exactly why it’s often worthwhile for critics to actually go back, revisit these titles and see whether these critically panned productions are as poorly created as initially reviewed!