Today marks exactly 10 years since Movie 43 arrived in theaters, where it quickly gained a well-earned and entirely justified reputation as one of the worst films in the history of cinema.
In fact, if you break the anthology comedy down to its individual parts, you could probably call it the single most ill-judged motion picture there’s ever been, based entirely on how much talent was assembled for something that turned out to be so irredeemably awful.
On top of a four percent Rotten Tomatoes score, Movie 43 scooped three Razzie wins from six nominations, with 10 of its 13 filmmakers being shortlisted in the Worst Director category. And yet, because the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia are one of the most powerful tools pop culture has at its disposal, a Reddit thread marking the milestone anniversary makes it look as though the slice of undiluted garbage is in real danger of being reappraised and reevaluated as a misunderstood, perhaps even underrated gem.
Make no mistake about it, though, Movie 43 sucks. When you gather together so many A-listers on either side of the camera, the very least to be expected is a couple of chuckles, a handful of belly laughs, and nobody disgracing themselves. And yet, there’s Hugh Jackman with a literal set of balls growing out of his chin.
Alongside the longtime (and returning) Wolverine, Movie 43 also roped in Elizabeth Banks, James Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, Dennis Quaid, Seth MacFarlane, Kate Winslet, Liev Schrieber, Naomi Watts, Chris Pratt, Emma Stone, Richard Gere, Justin Long, Jason Sudeikis, Chloë Grace Moretz, Gerard Butler, Johnny Knoxville, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, and dozens upon dozens more.
And yet, all they could conspire to deliver was a steaming turd bereft of any positive qualities, unless of course you’re of the opinion that Movie 43 deserves a second look.