Robin Williams is a much-missed screen presence by fans across the world – but there’s a shocking slight to his legacy courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes.
He entertained us in movies from Mrs Doubtfire to Hook and Good Morning, Vietnam and Aladdin to Dead Poets Society.
In a career spanning decades, he made fans laugh and cry with his comedic genius, which never held him back from making edgier choices either, like One Hour Photo.
The Oscar-winning actor, who really hit his career stride in the late 80s and throughout the 90s, died aged 63 in August 2014.
However, some of the movies he left behind from those years – while dearly loved by fans, such as Jumanji – have criminally low scores from the critics in reviews cited on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
Here’s a look at some of the shamefully low-ranked titles which number among what are apparently considered the worst Robin Williams movies.
Jumanji (1995) – 52%
One of the star’s most beloved movies of the decade, this 1995 family film cantered around a magical board game that unleashes a world of adventure on siblings Peter (Bradley Pierce) and Judy Shepherd (Kirsten Dunst), who find it when exploring an old mansion.
Williams is Alan Parrish, a now grown-up kid who got sucked into the game decades ago and can only be freed if the current game is won.
Jumanji nailed the nostalgic vibes of fun 90s movies with high stakes that could do just the right amount of scaring (in this instance courtesy of stampeding rhinos, monkeys and a mean father).
While audiences gave it 63%, which is still lower than it should be, critics criticised its reliance on computer-generated beasts, thin plot (slander) and claimed that Williams’ ‘manic energy finally flags’.
Night at the Museum (2006) – 42%
In the popular Night of the Museum franchise, Williams got to enjoy himself playing former President Teddy Roosevelt.
Ben Stiller is a night watchman at a museum of natural history, who discovers that all manner of creatures from the exhibits spring to life once the building closes, owing to the unleashing of an ancient Egyptian curse.
Again, fans were kinder than critics, rating it at 67%, and it was the highest-grossing film of Shawn Levy’s with $574.5million until Deadpool & Wolverine this summer.
It also did well enough to spawn two sequels – Battle of the Smithsonian in 2009 (43%) and 2014’s Secret of the Tomb (48%) – but the rating is surprisingly harsh, as this time critics seemed uncharmed by the premise compared to their kids.
One damningly mediocre review described it as ‘one of the most neutrally adequate blockbusters of the modern age’.
Bicentennial Man – 37%
Although a flop upon release, many still think fondly of this 1999 sci-fi comedy-drama, based on Isaac Asimov’s original work.
Williams plays an android servant, Andrew, who is purchased as a household appliance programmed purely to perform menial tasks.
But as he begins to experience emotions and creative thought, the Martin family (Sam Neill, Embeth Davidtz and their two daughters) soon discovers they don’t have an ordinary robot, and the movie follows him far into the future.
Again, there’s a decent gap between critic and fan reaction, with fans at 59%, but reviews moaned over its poor script and mawkishness.
Hook – 29%
Undoubtedly the travesty of the lot, this peak 90s film is a news spin on the tale of Peter Pan, directed by Steven Spielberg and co-starring Julia Roberts as Tinkerbell, Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook and the likes of Bob Hoskins and Dame Maggie Smith.
In this take on J.M. Barrie’s story, Peter (Williams) has grown up and forgot the Neverland of his youth but is forced to return on a daring quest when his children are abducted by his one-handed nemesis.
Hook provides adventure, entertainment, aspiration for kids (who didn’t want to live in the Lost Boys’ sprawling treehouse?) and intense nostalgia – but apparently left adult critics at the time cold.
While fans rate it almost 50% higher at 76%, reviews picked at its unevenness and ‘terrible child roles’.
Flubber – 24%
A remake of the 1961 Disney live-action film The Absent-Minded Professor, Williams got to fully embrace playing an eccentric inventor.
While trying to develop a new energy source to stop his academic institution from closure, Philip Brainard accidentally creates a sentient green goo, christened Flubber.
Williams was helped along here by the endearing quality of the titular Flubber (that Mambo dance number is iconic cinema), as well as robot assistant Weebo, who is secretly in love with him.
Contrary to most kids watching it in the 90s, the fan score also isn’t great for Flubber at 33%.
Reviews proclaimed that there was ‘nothing here for an adult’ and slammed it as ‘dull’, despite the genius of Willimas and the cutting-edge special effects.
Patch Adams – 21%
This was clearly a star vehicle for Williams, who did all forms of comedy so well while also being able to tug on heartstrings.
Based on the true story of Hunter ‘Patch’ Adams, the movie follows his unconventional quest to become a medical doctor because he enjoys helping people, often using humour with his patients.
A hit with fans in 1998, who give it a solid 73%, critics again were not impressed and almost 50% lower.
‘Comics who want to do Hamlet often end up, as here, serving big, sticky slices of ham,’ sniped Time magazine of the actor’s turn in Patch Adams.
Jack – 17%
Okay, Jack is a bit of a weird one, but only Williams could be cast as a 10-year-old boy who looks like a 40-year-old man after growing unusually fast.
He is still, mentally and emotionally, a young boy though, leading to lots of difficulties as he’s rejected by his fellow kids at school, develops a crush on his teacher and struggles with health issues.
Very unexpectedly, this coming-of-age comedy-drama is directed by Apocalypse Now and Megalopolis’s Francis Ford Coppola.
It may not be to everyone’s taste, but a lot of people watching this 1996 film as youngsters have been enchanted by Williams’ turn.
Jack was, however, critically derided upon release, with Coppola even saying he was ‘constantly damned and ridiculed’ for making it.
Critics’ reviews on Rotten Tomatoes called it ‘icky’ and ‘beyond underwhelming’.
What is considered to be the best Robin Williams movie?
While we, of course, don’t take Rotten Tomatoes’ scores as the final word, Good Will Hunting is William’s most highly rated movie on the website at 97%.
It clinched him his Academy Award for his turn as an MIT professor who discovers the mathematical genius of his janitor (Matt Damon).
What is considered to be the worst Robin Williams film?
According to Rotten Tomatoes, this would be 2009’s Old Dogs, which sits at a paltry 5%.
Co-starring John Travolta, the two stars play bachelors who unexpectedly become temporary guardians to seven-year-old twins.
What was the last film Robin Williams made?
The final film Williams appeared onscreen in is Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. His final ever movie released though was 2015’s alien comedy Absolutely Anything, in which he provided the voice of Dennis the dog.
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