’90s Sci-Fi Movies That Were Unfairly Hated By Critics

The 1990s were a prime time for sci-fi flicks to experiment, mix with other genres, and get charmingly silly and cheesy. It was the era from which we got some of the most iconic films in the genre — like “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Starship Troopers,” or “The Matrix” — but also the decade that birthed a ton of B films that were more concerned with being goofy, fast-paced, and amusing than plausible and scientific. I mean, if you were growing up in the ’90s, you can’t escape the sweet (if corny) nostalgia of such flicks as “Demolition Man,” “Armageddon,” or “Total Recall” (which had a prop that even fooled Paul Verhoeven) that often used their scientific and futuristic setup as a gimmick to generate full-blown action and easy laughs. 

Then again, on the other end of the scale, the decade also delivered some of the most profound and thought-provoking sci-fis like Andrew Niccol’s wonder of a movie, “Gattaca,” and Terry Gilliam’s definitive dystopia, “12 Monkeys.” However, in this brief list, we’ll focus more on the underrated gems and cult classics that couldn’t get the critics behind them, even though they had some appreciable qualities in one way or another.

I got to Paul W.S. Anderson’s 1997 “Event Horizon” relatively late (somewhere around the mid-aughts), and after watching it, I was quite shocked to learn that most critics dismissed it upon release, in addition to the film failing miserably at the box office (grossing about $42 million against its $60 million budget). Yet I’m not surprised that over the years the film gained a cult following, since it’s one of the better sci-fi-horrors to come out of the ’90s, aging as well as it did. Nearly 30 years later, “Event Horizon’s” production design still strikes as imposing, and its paranoia-ridden vibe and slowly suffocating atmosphere rank high among its kind.

Starring a well-assembled cast, including Sam Neill, Laurence Fishburne, Joely Richardson, and Jason Isaacs, the plot takes us into deep space in 2047 where a small crew of astronauts is sent on a rescue mission to recover the spaceship called Event Horizon — which mysteriously disappeared without a trace seven years ago, only to pop up again out of nowhere without an explanation. Naturally, Captain Miller (Fishburne) and his team slowly discover that there’s something dark lurking within the ship, gradually driving them crazier and crazier.

As is the case with many ’90s sci-fis that blended their stories with horror elements, the further “Event Horizon” goes, the more science gets pushed into the background in favor of horror. That was an oft-repeated criticism (not unreasonably), but I for one embraced the gore, and the dread of the unknown the movie ekes out in big doses from its high-concept premise. Sure, there may be less meaty substance underneath its hood than it initially suggests early on, but if you’re a fan of space horror and frightening visions, “Event Horizon” is undoubtedly a gem that critics were too harsh on.

There are some popular old movies that have become so oft-cited and championed in pop culture over the years that you’re dead-certain they were critically acclaimed upon release, when that hasn’t been the case at all. Robert Rodriguez’s 1998 “The Faculty” is a great example. Written by Kevin Williamson, who was riding high two years after the gargantuan success of “Scream” (and its sequel), “The Faculty” felt like another quintessential ’90s horror approached from a sci-fi angle. Well, it really is, according to its numerous fans, but the majority of critics aren’t among them. Currently standing at 58% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s clear that Rodriguez’s fourth feature wasn’t a critical favorite.

Centering on an all-star cast, including Josh Hartnett, Salma Hayek, Famke Janssen, Elijah Wood, Clea DuVall, and many more familiar faces, the plot follows the life of a high school in Ohio where the teachers suddenly become eerie and strange. Soon, the students learn that they’re overtaken by a nasty alien parasite and, before long, all hell breaks loose on the school grounds. Thanks to its superb cast, campy aesthetics, and gory set pieces, “The Faculty” is the kind of cult classic that worked hard for its reputation. Critics may not have been kind to it initially, but time has surely been on the film’s side, growing its fanbase ever since. It may not be as outstanding as some other iconic teen horrors from its era, but it surely deserves more praise than critics have given it nearly three decades ago.

Is Peter Hyams’ 1994 “Timecop” a good sci-fi? Not even remotely. Its time-travel plot is replete with holes, inconsistencies, and laughable characters, not to mention the poorly-aged CGI and production design. But it has an ace up its sleeve: Jean-Claude Van Damme unabashedly being Jean-Claude Van Damme (like the time when he was fired from playing the Predator). In its structure and story mechanics, “Timecop” pretty much fits Van Damme’s most mediocre outings, with the exception of him not yet being tired and bored with it all. He clearly had the time of his life with this movie — doing his signature splits and roundhouse kicks as if they were in his contract, and delivering stupendously entertaining (if cheesy) one-liners knowing they were written as such.

“Timecop” follows Max Walker (Van Damme), an agent of the Time Enforcement Commission created in 1994 to prevent “time crimes” in the past through time travel for personal gain by altering past events to reshape the present. By 2004, Walker becomes a veteran and brooding widower, investigating a corrupt senator called Aaron McComb (Ron Silver) alongside a new rookie partner (Gloria Reuben) while also dealing with his own grief. The two are sent back to 1994 to learn about McComb’s evil plans and how he manipulates time in order to stop him once and for all.

Given its heavily flawed high-concept premise, it’s easy to see why critics bashed the film back then. In retrospect, however, it’s such mind-easing entertainment thanks to Van Damme’s full-on commitment that I don’t think it deserves the hate it got at the time — at least not all of it.

Stephen Sommers’ 1998 “Deep Rising” is the definition of a guilty pleasure. It’s derivative, a bit schlocky, and only fits on this list marginally due to its prehistoric sea monsters as a loose connection to science fiction. What we’re really talking about here is a dumb-and-fun B-horror in the vein of the stone-cold classic “Deep Blue Sea,” following a group of mercenaries led by Treat Williams’ Captain Finnegan, who’s joined by Famke Janssen’s eye-candy thief, Trillian. Honestly, all you need to know about the plot is that a bunch of soldiers out on the South China Sea board a luxury cruise ship whose passengers have been eviscerated by tentacled and gross CGI creatures, which they will also end up fighting to survive.

There’s nothing really special about “Deep Rising” apart from its more than capable cast (including Wes Studi, Anthony Heald, Kevin J. O’Connor, Jason Flemyng, and more) that, for some reason, said yes to this not-so-ambitious B flick. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a viciously entertaining and aptly grisly creature feature that never attempts to deliver more than what it promises. As we know, this kind of horror used to get a beating from critics in the ’90s, but it’s no coincidence that since then it turned into the sort of cult film it was meant to be.

Utterly ridiculous, admittedly bombastic, and dripping with leftover ’80s tropes, Craig R. Baxley’s 1990 “I Come in Peace” (also known as “Dark Angel”) is nothing but classic B-movie fare. There was a one- or two-year period (somewhere between the ages of seven and nine) where you couldn’t have convinced me that this wasn’t the most badass sci-fi action movie ever made — until I turned ten and watched “Terminator 2.” That’s mainly because of its alien villain, aka Talec, played by a never-better Matthias Hues, who comes to earth during a drug epidemic to inject his unsuspecting human victims full of heroin in order to extract endorphins from their brains with his alien “straw,” which he’ll then synthesize into another drug to distribute on his home planet. And to stop him, we have none other here than the shiny Swedish colossus, Dolph Lundgren himself.

I simply have to say it: They don’t make B flicks like this anymore, ladies and gents. Add to that beautifully bonkers plot some action set pieces riddled with mesmerizing explosions (as if a pyromaniac hit the lottery and got hired to execute them in front of a camera), a few banger one-liners, and some mandatory ’90s visual aesthetics, and you have yourself a handsomely entertaining low-budget feature that at times can create the illusion that you’re watching prestigious cinema. Although those moments don’t last, the smile that “I Come in Peace” puts on your face for 90 minutes does — and a lot longer than you’d expect.