One of the longest-running film genres is Westerns, with the films being made for almost 100 years.
However, despite all the many Western films out there, there are also a few that don’t quite hit the mark, even with an all-star cast.
Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
The man behind the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jon Favreau, was behind “Cowboys & Aliens,” so it should have been a success.
It should have especially been a success given it starred Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. However, Collider has labeled it as a “forgotten mid-2000s box office flop,” as it only made $174.8 million on a $163 million budget.
Cowboys & Aliens Was Released When Alien Films Were All the Range
While “Cowboys & Aliens” sounds like a strange title for a movie, it should have been helped by the fact that when it was released, many other films featuring aliens were also being released.
However, according to Grantland, this was one of the issues for why the film wasn’t a box-office success. Audiences felt that too many alien-related films had been made around that time and were suffering from what they described as “alien fatigue.”
Cowboys & Aliens Has a Middle-Ground Rating
Whenever audiences might be looking to watch a new film, they will often turn to the internet to see what ratings are like before they sit down to watch it.
“Cowboys & Aliens” has an IMDb rating of six out of 10, so while it isn’t one of the worst movies ever made, it certainly isn’t one of the best.
Aliens Seemed to be the Main Issue in Cowboys & Aliens
In a review of “Cowboys & Aliens” written in Bad Reputation, it appears that the main issue with the film isn’t with the cowboys, and is more with the aliens.
However, the issue with the aliens is that they are too one-dimensional and don’t have any characterization. They are essentially in the film just so that the cowboys have an enemy.
Ambush at Cimarron Pass (1958)
“Ambush at Cinnamon Pass” came out during the golden age of Western films.
This starred Clint Eastwood, and, as it came out in the 1950s, it hasn’t stood the test of time in terms of language used. It is also a quite simple film that isn’t very exciting to watch.
Clint Eastwood Thought Ambush at Cimarron Pass Was the Worst Film Ever Made
Given the above is a statement coming from one of the actors in the film, it doesn’t exactly set a good precedent for audiences who want to watch it.
According to Collider, Eastwood thought that due to how bad he believed the film to be, it would hinder his acting career, especially as it was his first credited role. However, thankfully, it didn’t — and he went on to become an established actor.
Ambush at Cimarron Pass Was at Least Half Decent
Despite being listed as one of the worst Western films of all time, “Ambush at Cimarron Pass” has an IMDb rating of 5.2 out of 10.
However, given this film was released during the golden age of Western films, but possibly got lost among many other great Western films made during this time.
Ambush at Cimarron Pass Was ‘Too Predictable’
According to audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, where “Ambush at Cimarron Pass” has a rating of just 28%, the film’s main issue was that it was simply “too predictable.”
It was also apparently “not very imaginative,” with one reviewer stating that it was only worth the watch because of Clint Eastwood.
Wild Wild West (1999)
This is probably one of, if not the most, famous films on this list and even starred the likes of Will Smith and Kevin Kline.
It’s probably best remembered for the theme being sung by Smith, but in terms of the actual content of the film, it has pretty much been forgotten.
Will Smith Says Wild Wild West Is His Worst Film
Many hoped “Wild Wild West” would be a hit, but not only was it a box-office flop Will Smith says it was his worst film, according to ScreenRant.
Smith described the film as a thorn in his side, and even though it starred Smith and had a budget of $170 million, it never took off as a hit with audiences.
Wild Wild West Has the Lowest IMDb Rating
Whilst it might not have the lowest rating of all time, of the Western films listed, “Wild Wild West” has an IMDb rating of 4.9 out of 10 stars.
From the looks of things, “Wild Wild West” had all the makings of a good Western film, but didn’t quite hit the mark.
Wild Wild West Is ‘Exhausting’
Based on reviews left on Rotten Tomatoes, one thing that remained clear was how badly “Wild Wild West” was received.
One critic called it “exhausting” and another said it was essentially the product of when a well-known actor and director are given too much money and seemingly don’t know what to do with it.
