Many of the most popular and successful movie franchises of all time have been hated by critics, and some have earned nothing but “Rotten” scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Critical success is only one half of filmmaking, and critics don’t always align with what sells tickets. Furthermore, the modern forms of film criticism have made movies even more divisive.

Rotten Tomatoes is the most prominent source of film criticism today, but its metric is misunderstood. Unlike other rating systems which rely on a scale of quality, an RT score merely represents what percentage of critics liked the film. In the parlance of the website, a “Rotten” movie is a film that earns a percentage below 60.

Movie franchises are all about making money, thus a series will continue to pump out sequels as long as they turn a profit. Typically, a popular franchise will be launched by a classic film with good reviews, only for the sequels to fall apart. However, there are numerous franchises that started “Rotten” and stayed “Rotten” in all the sequels.

Underworld (2003-2016)

Attempting to capture the popularity of the Resident Evil film franchise, the first Underworld movie arrived in 2003. The Kate Beckinsale vehicle concerns a world in which vampires and werewolves battle for monster supremacy. The first movie became a surprise $90 million hit (Box Office Mojo) despite poor reviews, and a sequel followed a few years later.

The first film earned an abysmal 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it never got better across four Underworld sequels. Though the third film would earn a score equal to the first, the franchise cratered with a shockingly-low score of 17% in the second film. Despite this, every film in the series turned a decent profit on modest budgets.

Pumpkinhead (1988-2007)

Pumpkinhead might not be the most famous horror movie franchise of all time, but it has a strong cult following. The supernatural tale of terror is headlined by the тιтular creature, a manifestation of revenge that turns into an unstoppable killing machine. The surprisingly emotional first movie is headlined by Lance Henriksen as a grieving father.

The first movie earned a modest 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes, something that wasn’t unusual for horror movies from that era. However, the straight-to-video sequel had a score in the teens, and even the made-for-TV third and fourth films only eked out scores in the 20s. The lore and effects make Pumpkinhead a popular series, not necessarily its overall quality.

The Transporter (2002-2015)

Jason Statham franchises aren’t usually known for their high quality, but The Transporter is one of his most consistent series. In the films, Statham plays the тιтle character, a mercenary who will transport anything for a price. Across three bog-standard action affairs (and a reboot), the тιтular driver shoots his way through countless baddies.

The first two movies in The Transporter franchise nearly earned “Fresh” scores on Rotten Tomatoes, landing somewhere in the 50s. However, the third movie stumbled to a 40%, and the ill-advised reboot dipped all the way into the teens. The scores for the first two Transporter movies are a bit unfair, and they are actually excellent action romps.

The Has Fallen Trilogy (2013-2019)

Olympus Has Fallen was released a year after the extremely similar film, White House Down, but it became the franchise instead. The Gerard Butler series follows a Presidential security officer who stops various global threats. It delivers classic cheesy action, and the first movie nearly had a “Fresh” score when it earned a 50%.

The franchise’s amazing box office numbers continued in the sequel, though the rating dropped below 40%. The third film did a bit worse at the box office, but had a slightly improved rating from critics. None of the Has Fallen movies are gems, but they found an audience because they hit all the right beats for an over-the-top thrill ride.

The Firefly Family Trilogy (2003-2019)

Rocker-turned-filmmaker Rob Zombie has always been divisive in his cinematic endeavors, and his Firefly trilogy represents his finest work. Starting with House of 1000 Corpses, the series follows the evil exploits of three deranged murderers. All three of the grindhouse movies have the same blood and guts, and got progressively better ratings from critics.

House of 1000 Corpses earned a “Rotten” 22%, but The Devil’s Rejects cracked a 50% score. However, it was the long-awaited threequel, Three From Hell, that nearly jumped into “Fresh” territory with 58%. Critics weren’t meant to get Zombie’s approach to horror, but the legion of fans who love the cult classics obviously enjoy his bombastic and violent style.

The Chronicles Of Riddick (2000-2013)

Though Vin Diesel is most famous for headlining the Fast & Furious series, it isn’t his only franchise. The Chronicles of Riddick tells various tales of the тιтle character, a super-powered antihero from a distant planet. The series started with the horror film, Pitch Black, but blossomed into something more.

Pitch Black and Riddick both earned nearly “Fresh” scores of 58%, but the middle film sagged. The Chronicles of Riddick was the most lore-centric film in the series, but only earned a 29% from critics. None of the films have set box office records, though demand for more Chronicles continues. A fourth movie has been in development for years.

Alex Cross (1997-2012)

The Alex Cross franchise is a bit looser than others, but the trilogy of films is united by the тιтle character from the James Patterson novels. Alex Cross is a forensic psychologist who solves cases as a detective in Washington D.C. His first adaptation came with 1997’s Kiss the Girls, and Morgan Freeman starred as Cross.

Freeman returned for Along Came a Spider, but was replaced a decade later by Tyler Perry in 2012’s Alex Cross. Except for the third film, which bombed, the Alex Cross series has been box office gold. Sadly, none of the films could crack a score above 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the final film earning a measly 11%.

Ace Ventura (1994-2009)

Jim Carrey was on top of the world in the mid 1990s, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective helped make the funnyman a household name. Carrey brings all of his goofy charm to the unorthodox sleuth who uses his connection to animals to solve crimes. Despite its overwhelming popularity, Ace Ventura only got a middling 48% score from critics.

The ill-advised follow-up, When Nature Calls, was understandably slapped with a 23% score, but grossed over $200 million (Box Office Mojo). No third movie ever came, though a movie following Ace’s son was released in 2009 to “Rotten” reviews. Though Ace Ventura: Pet Detective hasn’t aged well, its poor rating shows failings in the Rotten Tomatoes metric.

The Twilight Saga (2008-2012)

There’s no denying that Twilight was a cultural phenomenon in the late Aughts, but none of the films were “Fresh”. The teenage adventures of Bella Swan and her love triangle with a vampire and werewolf made horror romance popular again, and it played out across five movies. The first was a box office bonanza, but critics gave it a 48%.

None of the sequels matched the first film’s low bar of quality, until Breaking Dawn – Part 2 wrapped everything up with a 49%. The sequels oscillated, dropping into the 20s before bouncing back up into the 40s. The Rotten Tomatoes ratings were a fair ᴀssessment of the films themselves, though the backlash against Twilight was way overblown.

The Leprechaun (1993-2018)

Despite having eight chances to get it right, the Leprechaun series has never had a well-reviewed entry in the series. Turning folklore into horror, the cheeky series follows an ornery leprechaun who punishes people for stealing his gold. The first movie scored a 35%, and none of its copious sequels would ever do much better.

The 2018 reboot scored a 45%, but the only original series movie to get near a “Fresh” rating was Leprechaun 4: In Space with a 44%. Tongue-in-cheek horror is the heart of the movie franchise, but dark humor is always divisive with critics. However, like most horror icons, the Leprechaun has legions of fans who are eagerly awaiting his return.