A slew of scathing write-ups can equate to a death sentence for a major Hollywood release. Tinseltown history is littered with infamous flops undone by merciless takedowns, from Showgirls to Cats. But a brutal panning doesn't always scare audiences away, and some of the most derided films of all time have defied the negative press to become box-office gold.

Read on to discover 25 blockbusters that cinema pundits loathed yet the public loved, or at least showed up for en masse, based on the highest-earning films with the lowest scores on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. All dollar amounts in US dollars.

The go-to review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes translates professional critiques and audience ratings into overall scores. Its Tomatometer shows the percentage of pundit verdicts that are positive, while the Popcornmeter reflects how audiences responded after watching. A score of 60% or over denotes a Fresh movie, while anything under 60% is Rotten, a critical dud.

For some of the movies in this round-up, the numbers clash dramatically, with movie-goers warmly embracing films critics bashed. Others drew huge crowds, but received poor audience feedback. But in every case here, the Popcornmeter score comes in higher than the Tomatometer rating.

Critics gave this 1999 John Travolta flick a battering, bemoaning its OTT sequences and “contrived” performances. The reaction from cinema-goers was more favourable, but the movie's 46% Popcornmeter is decidedly unimpressive all the same.

Against the odds, though, The General's Daughter performed very decently indeed at the box office, grossing $150 million (£112m) worldwide, two-and-a-half times its budget.

Released the previous year, Patch Adams fared just as dismally with professional reviewers who sneered at the dramedy's “syrupy” directing and performances. As it turned out, audiences lapped up the sugary Robin Williams movie, which boasts a 73% Popcornmeter, the highest in this round-up.

The film's takings were super-sweet too. Patch Adams ended its global run with revenues of $202 million (£151m), over four times its budget.

Deemed lacklustre and overly dependent on slapstick, this live-action sequel had critics squeaking in protest at its high-pitched antics. The public wasn't exactly squealing in delight either, considering the movie's 49% Popcornmeter.

Regardless, the film absolutely crushed it commercially, grossing $433 million (£324m) worldwide, more than six times its budget.

Slammed as “a blue mound of lowest-common-denominator kiddie fare”, the first Smurfs movie that blended animation with live action was torn apart by critics. Even so, it pulled in $564 million (£421m) worldwide, more than five times its budget, though the audience reaction was pretty lukewarm, reflected in a 43% Popcornmeter.

The 2025 animated Smurfs film, fronted by Rihanna as Smurfette, scores even lower with a 20% Tomatometer, and it's been a box-office disappointment. But weirdly, the movie has gone down much better with the public, who've awarded it a 64% Fresh Popcornmeter rating.

This Christmas buddy-comedy sequel turned critics into full-blown Scrooges, with its 21% Tomatometer indicative of their scorn. Nonetheless, the Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg-led film performed surprisingly well, opening second at the US box office and grossing a very respectable $181 million (£135m) globally against a budget of $70 million (£52m).

Movie-goers weren't as disparaging as the professionals, but they weren't bowled over by the film either, given its 52% Popcornmeter score.

Crass, crude, and abysmal are three of the many damning adjectives critics used to sum up 2005's The Pacifier. Treading the tired tough-guy-suddenly-has-to-look-after-unruly-kids trope, the Vin Diesel vehicle was roundly lambasted by professional reviewers.

The public on the other hand was a lot more forgiving, almost pushing the movie into Fresh territory with a 58% Popcornmeter. And the film outpaced its budget three-and-a-half fold to generate a global grand total of $198 million (£148m).

The original 1990 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles scored only 46% on the Tomatometer. The 2014 reboot fared even worse, scraping just 20%, with critics finding it dull. Audiences weren't overly enthusiastic either, giving it a 50% Popcornmeter, and the movie was nominated for Worst Picture at the 35th Golden Raspberry Awards.

Yet the film grossed $485 million (£363m) worldwide, roughly four times its budget.

Most critics stayed po-faced through 2013's Identity Thief, dismissing the movie as unfunny and uneven, though Melissa McCarthy’s talent was widely acknowledged. Audiences were kinder, giving it a 53% Popcornmeter.

Despite the harsh reviews, the film made five times its budget of $35 million (£26m), helping to further boost McCarthy’s Hollywood career and cementing her status as a dependable box-office draw.

The Transformers franchise has long been one of the worst-reviewed blockbuster series, and this 2009 sequel was no exception. Described as a messy, over-plotted spectacle, it earned a 19% Tomatometer. Audiences were more receptive though, bestowing it with a 57% Popcornmeter, just shy of Fresh.

The film won three Golden Raspberry Awards at the 30th ceremony, including Worst Picture, becoming the highest-grossing movie ever to take the dubious honour at the time. But for all its flaws, it was the biggest movie of the year in the US and grossed $837 million (£626m) worldwide, four times its budget.

Adam Sandler is no stranger to poor reviews. Co-starring Jennifer Aniston, his 2011 romcom Just Go With It was labelled “idiotic” and “egregiously unfunny” by critics. But audiences clearly disagreed, giving it a 59% Popcornmeter, a percentage point off Fresh. And the box-office takings told a different story too.

The film earned a robust $215 million (£161m) worldwide, more than two-and-a-half times its budget.

Jam-packed with star names, 2010 romcom Valentine's Day is also packed to the rafters with cringeworthy clichés, and its plot is all over the place, according to the critical consensus. Audiences weren't all that enamoured either, as reflected in the film's 47% Popcornmeter.

However, Valentine's Day attracted hordes of movie-goers, pulling in $218 million (£163m) globally against a budget of $52 million (£39m).

The highest-grossing movie in this round-up, Transformers: Age of Extinction hauled in a whopping $859 million (£643m), over five times its budget. But its critical mauling was even worse than the 2009 Transformers movie, while the public reaction was tepid, with the Popcornmeter at 50%.

The film also picked up two Razzies at the 35th Golden Raspberry Awards, Worst Director for Michael Bay and Worst Actor for Kelsey Grammer, making its box-office success all the more astonishing.

This buddy-cop movie was described by one professional reviewer as an action-comedy short on both action and comedy, though Kevin Hart's performance did get some praise. Movie-goers were more keen however, with the film scoring 58% on the Popcornmeter.

In any case, Ride Along was a massive global hit, banking $154 million (£115m), over six times its budget.

A testament to its runaway commercial success, Ride Along swiftly spawned a sequel, which was released in 2016. Branded lazy, formulaic, and bland, the movie received an even poorer critical reception, with its Tomatometer just 15%. Audience feedback wasn't as awful, but the picture has a lower Popcornmeter than Ride Along at 48%.

While it didn't repeat the spectacular box-office success of the first film, Ride Along 2 was a major hit in its own right, making more than three times its budget of $40 million (£30m).

This 2007 Adam Sandler comedy about two straight friends pretending to be a gay couple was denounced as homophobic by some critics, and most reviewers in the media found it inane and unfunny. Much of the public disagreed however, since the movie has a Fresh 69% Popcornmeter.

Performing solidly at the box office, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry made $186 million (£139m) worldwide against a budget of $85 million (£64m).

Critics didn't hide their disdain for 2007's Wild Hogs, with the Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus summing it up as “a dreadful combination of fish-out-of-water jokes, slapstick, and lazy stereotypes.”

Of course, there's no accounting for taste and audiences seemed to actually enjoy all the silliness, since the biker road movie's Popcornmeter is certified Fresh at 61%. This popularity made for plenty of rears on seats and the film grossed $254 million (£190m), over four times its budget.

The classic Hanna-Barbera character was revived in 2010 for this eponymous film that blends animation with live action. Most critics wished the bear had stayed in hibernation. The 3D movie was skewered for its one-dimensional script and dumb plot. And with a Popcornmeter score of only 34%, the joint lowest in this round-up, the public were almost as down on it as the professional reviewers.

Yet miraculously, Yogi Bear made more than two-and-a-half times its budget of $80 million (£60m).

More tawdry than raunchy, the sequel to the almost as poorly reviewed Fifty Shades of Grey failed to turn on the critics, landing an 11% Tomatometer. Movie-goers were more into the erotic movie, but still only gave it a 48% Popcornmeter.

The first instalment of the Fifty Shades franchise was a jaw-dropping mega-hit, dragging in more than 14 times its $40 million (£30m) budget. The sequel didn't reach those heady heights, but was extremely successful nevertheless, eclipsing its budget seven-fold to gross $381 million (£285m).

The critical response to the next film in the trilogy was just as negative, with Fifty Shades Freed also scoring 11% on the Tomatometer. It was described as tame and tedious by many, and unintentionally funny in parts. And the public liked it even less than Fifty Shades Darker, saddling it with a 38% Popcornmeter, the joint second-lowest in this round-up.

For all that, the masses still went to see it in their droves. Fifty Shades Freed was another enormous hit around the globe, pulling in almost seven times its budget of $55 million (£41m).

While many critics were hoping for a cull, Alvin and the Chipmunks returned for the third movie of the franchise in 2011 with Chipwrecked. Most found the third instalment grating and uninspired, rating it even worse than its predecessor. Audiences gave the film a better reception, though, with a 51% Popcornmeter against The Squeakquel's 49%.

Chipwrecked wasn't as humongous a hit as The Squeakquel, but it still managed to bring in $349 million (£261m) worldwide, well over four times its budget.

A romcom that happens to be unromantic and humourless is what most critics thought of 2009's Couples Retreat. The movie-going public wasn't exactly smitten either, with its Popcornmeter coming in at 40%.

Yet believe it or not, the Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn film ended up making $172 million (£129m) globally, almost four times its budget.

More juvenile than grown up, this Razzie-nominated Adam Sandler movie was branded childish and irritating. One critic likened it to being sat on by your least favourite school bullies, while another compared it to having a root canal. But audiences were far more approving based on the movie's Fresh 62% Popcornmeter.

Numbers-wise, the film surpassed expectations, notching up global revenues of $272 million (£203m), more than three-and-a-half times its budget.

One of the worst-reviewed sequels of all time, Crocodile Dundee 2 wasn't a patch on the original beloved classic, with far fewer laughs, less action, and a worn-out premise, as per the critical consensus. The viewing public was obviously expecting a much better movie, and at 38%, its Popcornmeter is the joint second-lowest in this round-up.

Yet, incredibly, Crocodile Dundee 2 was an out-and-out global box-office juggernaut, amassing $240 million (£179m), over 17 times its budget.

An all-star ensemble featuring greats like Robert De Niro and Barbra Streisand couldn't save 2010's Little Fockers from a critical pummelling. Professional reviewers took aim at everything from the unfunny script to the disjointed plot. The public also gave it a cool reception, with a 34% Popcornmeter, the joint lowest in this round-up.

Anyway, the film pulled in $311 million (£233m), more than three times its budget. No doubt much to the chagrin of critics, a fourth instalment in the Meet the Parents franchise entitled Focker-in-Law is scheduled for release in 2026, reuniting most of the original cast alongside newcomers including Ariana Grande.

Adam Sandler rarely disappoints when it comes to terrible movies, and the follow-up to Grown Ups ranks among his very worst, though one of his films has even hit 0% on the Tomatometer. Critics eviscerated the sequel, which racked up nine Razzie nominations, but audiences weren't nearly as savage, giving it a 53% Popcornmeter.

Somehow, the movie still managed to surpass its budget threefold, grossing a not-too-shabby $247 million (£180m).

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