Robert Zemeckis is one of the greatest filmmakers of our time. He has brought us timeless classics like Back to the Future and Forrest Gump, and childhood favorites like The Polar Express and Monster House. Many recognizable titles are listed upon his resumé. They’re the kind of films that spawn memorable quotes, teach us a lesson, make us laugh and make us cry–or perhaps all of the above.
Whatever the case, Zemeckis has long made his mark on the entertainment industry and upon audiences alike every time we watch one of his movies. We couldn’t narrow down this legendary filmmaker’s list, so we had Rotten Tomatoes do it for us. That said, here are Zemeckis’s 5 best, and 5 worst, films according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Worst: House of Wax (26%)
Perhaps the slasher film wasn’t scary or gory enough. Perhaps it was too predictable. The 2005 remake of House of Wax does feature disturbing killers who collect victims in the eponymous “House of Wax”, outlining the worst of humanity. A group of friends headed for a football game experience a bad case of wrong place, wrong time and most are killed by the deranged killers, who are brothers.
The film does feature a young Jared Padalecki and Paris Hilton as part of the cast, giving it some nostalgic charm. Despite Zemeckis’ best efforts, this generic teen slasher flick doesn’t rate too highly on Rotten Tomatoes.
Best: Romancing the Stone (86%)
Romance novelist Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) gets the story of her life when she goes to Colombia to pay her sister’s ransom. Joan finds love, danger and adventure from the jungles to the cities of Colombia as she falls for Jack (Michael Douglas) and becomes involved in a treasure hunt, all the while rescuing her kidnapped sister in the process.
Previously a homebody in New York City, this experience changes Joan’s whole world and she writes another great novel out of it, just in time to go sailing around the world with Jack.
Worst: Ghost Ship (16%)
A salvage team goes after a ship that disappeared decades before hoping for a big payday. While they find riches in gold, the price to pay is even higher in the form of your soul. The salvage team is picked off one by one as they learn the truth of what really happened on the ship years before, and the demonic spirit aboard that plans to continue his acts of destruction.
Being stuck out at sea with ghosts and a demonic spirit is definitely a frightening premise, but something that sadly didn’t quite work for the film, which explains its low rating.
Best: Cast Away (88%)
Tom Hanks stars as Chuck Noland, a man that manages to survive a plane crash but is stuck on an uninhabited island for years, with only Wilson the volleyball to socialize with. When he finally does manage to escape the island via a makeshift raft and is eventually rescued by a cargo ship, he returns to civilization only to find that everyone has long believed him dead and have moved on, including his girlfriend Kelly, who has married and now has a daughter.
While it’s a heartbreaking film in that regard, it ends on a note of faith, as Chuck returns a package with angel wings to its sender in Texas, adding a note that the package saved his life.
Worst: Thirteen Ghosts (15%)
Zemeckis was one of the producers in this remake from 2001 about a man named Arthur that inherits a house from his late uncle and decides to move in with his two children and their nanny due to financial strain. Turns out the house is no gift as it holds ghosts inside its walls, and family dysfunction is at its height when it’s discovered the uncle faked his death to get Arthur to become the thirteenth ghost as part of an evil plan.
This remake of the 1960 movie of the same name may not be exactly a critical favorite, but it has developed a sizeable cult following in the years since.
Best: I Wanna Hold Your Hand (89%)
This 1978 film doesn’t necessarily provide wisecracking quotes, but its slapstick comedy about a group of teenagers trying to see The Beatles just as they’re about to perform on Ed Sullivan’s TV show in New York is meaningful enough.
If nothing else, this movie reminds us of a major cultural moment in history when The Beatles were just becoming known, and how big of a deal it was and still is to this day. The lengths that the teens will go to know no boundaries. Anyone with a favorite band can definitely relate to their efforts, making this movie timeless.
Worst: Gothika (14%)
Halle Berry plays psychiatrist Dr. Miranda Grey, who is possessed by the ghost of a young girl that turns out to be a victim of Miranda’s late husband, who was murdered by Miranda via the ghost possessing her. In a series of events, Miranda begins to unfold the truth about her late husband, his partner, and the murders they committed while simultaneously helping another young girl, a former patient of hers, in the hospital where Miranda has been staying.
The film spins a complicated web of betrayal and supernatural elements, but doesn’t quite add up to something that meets even the simplest of audience expectations.
Best: Back to the Future (96%)
Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) are some of our favorite characters. When Marty accidentally sends himself thirty years into the past, he relies on the 1955 version of Doc to help him get back to 1985, which they deduce has to happen during a lightning storm, as they need 1.21 gigawatts (imagine Doc screaming this as you read it) to do so.
Marty is not only trying to get “back in time”, but he’s also faced with recreating his parents’ love story when he inadvertently interferes and becomes the object of his mother’s affections. No wonder Marty wants out of 1955!
Worst: The Reaping (8%)
A simple plot is spun wildly out of proportion in this 2007 psychological horror film. Though it features the likes of Hilary Swank and Idris Elba, the film still doesn’t manage to impress. Swank’s character is famous for debunking miracles, having long lost her faith after her family met a tragic fate.
Faith is shoved brutally back in her face when she arrives in a small town in Louisiana that’s suddenly overcome with Biblical plagues, plus a cult and a child acting as an angel sent by God in the mix. It’s too much for the premise to cover and it shows.
Best: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (97%)
This film tops the ratings, and it’s for good reason. Toons (cartoon characters) co-exist with real people, acting in cartoon shorts and live action films alike, all while residing in “Toontown.” Eddie, a private investigator that’s turned his back on toons after one killed his brother, reluctantly becomes involved in the case of proving Roger Rabbit’s innocence when he’s framed for murder.
Fun, easygoing and featuring a happy ending with Eddie regaining his sense of humor and Roger proven innocent, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is definitely a film for the records.
