Gene Siskel’s Least Favorite Action Movies: A Blistering Review of the Worst

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In many action movies, particularly those from the ’80s and ’90s, you’ll often encounter scenes that some might find implausible or stereotypical. For instance, high-speed pursuits occur on apparently empty city streets. Tough guys manage to escape unscathed after massive explosions. And, in the most predictable twist, damsels in distress batt their eyelashes at the hero following a rescue. These familiar tropes are quite prevalent, especially in action films of that era.

During this period, Gene Siskel, the well-known critic, was penning reviews for The Chicago Tribune. Known for his inconsistent stance on action films, particularly those with a more campy style, he often deemed certain classics to be the most disappointing action movies ever made.

Released 1998

  • Director: Richard Donner
  • Runtime: 127 minutes
  • IMDb Score: 6.6/10

In the fourth installment of “Lethal Weapon,” characters Riggs (portrayed by Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) return to action. This time, their mission involves dismantling a drug trafficking network that extends beyond our borders. As they work, they must exercise caution because their families eagerly await them at home.

Gene Siskel found it hard to endure “Lethal Weapon 4”. Despite Shane Black’s clever screenplay, the movie struggled under Siskel’s distinctive criticism. Although he appreciated the initial film, he wasn’t as fond of the fourth installment in the series. On his program alongside Roger Ebert, Siskel labeled “Lethal Weapon 4” as “overly ridiculous” and “unnecessarily predictable”.

Released 1998

  • Director: Stephen Sommers
  • Runtime: 106 minutes
  • IMDb Score: 6.1/10

In the movie “Deep Rising”, the team devises a seemingly straightforward theft scheme, aiming to seize a lavish cruise liner for the purpose of plundering its wealthy travelers. Regrettably, their intended piracy spins out of control as the ship encounters monstrous sea creatures with tentacles instead.

Deep Rising is well-known as a horror action cult favorite, but it didn’t achieve this status suddenly. Critics like Gene Siskel, for instance, were quite critical of the film, describing it as mediocre. He gave the movie a negative review with a Thumbs Down and even included it in his list of the worst films released in 1998.

Released 1996

  • Director: Walter Hill
  • Runtime: 101 minutes
  • IMDb Score: 6.4/10

The series “Last Man Standing” unfolds during Texas’ Prohibition era, where a wandering gunslinger named John Smith (portrayed by Bruce Willis) finds himself entangled between the Irish and Italian mobs. As he navigates his allegiance, he becomes uncertain about where his loyalty lies, but one thing is clear: he doesn’t want to jeopardize his blossoming relationship with a captivating woman named Felina (Karina Lombard).

Bruce Willis is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors ever, but even he wasn’t spared from Gene Siskel’s harsh criticism. In fact, Siskel heavily criticized his performance in “Last Man Standing” and even included the film on his list of worst movies for that year. It seems that Siskel may have been correct, as today no one seems to be discussing this action western.

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Released 1995

  • Director: Kevin Costner
  • Runtime: 135 minutes
  • IMDb Score: 6.3/10

In a bleak, water-soaked future when the Earth is entirely covered by water, our protagonist navigates this altered reality, evading ruthless gangs referred to as “Smokers.” He might discover affection for a woman he assists in locating dry ground.

Gene Siskel found it hard to endure “Waterworld.” He delivered a negative critique, remarking that Kevin Costner seemed unhappy on screen. Besides his concerns about the acting, he also disliked the lengthy 135-minute duration of the movie. To this day, “Waterworld” is widely criticized by both critics and viewers.

Released 1985

  • Director: Richard Fleischer
  • Runtime: 89 minutes
  • IMDb Score: 5.1/10

Red Sonja is a movie that exudes the charming campiness of the ’80s. After suffering an attack and being left for dead, Sonja (Brigitte Nielsen) embarks on a quest for revenge against her family and kingdom’s oppressor. To bring an end to Queen Gedren’s (Sandahl Bergman) tyrannical reign, she requires the assistance of Lord Kalidor (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from another realm.

Arnold Schwarzenegger never shied from starring in cheesy action movies. It’s debatable whether Gene Siskel was chuckling with or at the actor during the forgettable fantasy action film, “Red Sonja.” Siskel, the critic, found the movie poorly made but accidentally hilarious due to its over-the-top action sequences. He also mentioned an amusing detail – a peculiar positioning of a Buddha statue in the film that left both him and Ebert in stitches during their show.

Released 1995

  • Director: Danny Cannon
  • Runtime: 96 minutes
  • IMDb Score: 5.6/10

The story revolves around Judge Dredd, a unique character who is both diplomatic and partially robotic, also functioning as a judge. He encounters trouble when a doppelganger of his commits a crime, causing him to be accused instead. Now, he’s on a mission to prove his innocence and confront his dangerous twin in battle.

Similar to Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, but even they wouldn’t have been able to win over Gene Siskel’s approval for Judge Dredd. He included it in his list of the worst films of the year, criticizing Stallone for being “ridiculously arrogant” in the part. Additionally, he wasn’t fond of the character design, arguing that it was too similar to RoboCop’s appearance.

Released 1997

  • Director: Michael Caton-Jones
  • Runtime: 124 minutes
  • IMDb Score: 6.4/10

Featuring Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, and Sidney Poitier, this film centers around an incarcerated IRA operative who goes to great lengths to prevent an upcoming assassination. However, the challenge lies in his confrontation with a highly proficient assassin.

The cast includes Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, and Sidney Poitier. In this movie, an imprisoned IRA combatant determinedly works to sabotage a future assassination mission. The catch? He’s up against a formidable assassin.

Roger Ebert had issues with the movie “The Jackal” as he perceived Hillary Clinton as the intended target of the assassination attempt in the film. Contrarily, Gene Siskel had a more straightforward reason for disliking the movie; he simply thought it was poorly made. In his opinion, expressed on “At the Movies,” the film was lacking depth and quality, which he bluntly stated by saying, “The picture really stunk” and went as far as calling it “totally empty.” That certainly hurts!

Released 1994

  • Director: Steven Seagal
  • Runtime: 101 minutes
  • IMDb Score: 4.6/10

The movie “On Deadly Ground” isn’t just about fist fights and explosions; it delves deeper into the story of a firefighter named Forrest Taft (played by Steven Seagal). He puts out a fire at an Alaska-based oil rig, which was caused due to questionable business tactics. With growing suspicions towards the company, he conducts his own investigation and eventually takes matters into his own hands.

Steven Seagal isn’t generally well-received by movie critics. His movie “On Deadly Ground” got a particularly poor rating from Gene Siskel. The critic found issue with the film’s melancholic tone, as well as his dialogue and delivery of lines. He even included the action film in his list of the worst movies of 1994.

Released 1998

  • Director: Roland Emmerich
  • Runtime: 139 minutes
  • IMDb Score: 5.5/10

To this point, there have been nearly a certain number of movies produced, and often, the one helmed by Roland Emmerich gets overlooked. This film features Matthew Broderick portraying a scientist who delves into the impact of radiation on wildlife. His research takes an unexpected turn when he encounters a colossal mutant creature famously known as Godzilla.

1998’s “Godzilla” sparked such intense criticism from Gene Siskel that he even discussed it with Roger Ebert while undergoing brain surgery recovery! Siskel felt the film didn’t deliver enough destructive chaos, going as far as suggesting that if his and Ebert’s cameos had resulted in them being devoured or flattened by Godzilla, the movie would have been improved.

Released 1996

  • Director: Roland Emmerich
  • Runtime: 135 minutes
  • IMDb Score: 7.0/10

In “Independence Day,” the nation is being invaded by aliens. It’s left to a U.S. Marine and his team to thwart these extraterrestrial threats before they conquer key urban areas such as New York City and Washington D.C. Despite being technologically outclassed, Americans possess an indomitable spirit that drives their determination to endure.

Growing up in the ’90s, I’ve always held a special affection for Independence Day, but Gene Siskel wasn’t one of those people. His views on the film echoed Roger Ebert’s: he found the spaceship and creature designs to be lacking in imagination. It serves as a reminder that even with popcorn blockbusters like this sci-fi action flick, some critics have incredibly high standards.

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2025-05-15 06:43