No person can mess with the king of 0% Rotten Tomato scores: John Travolta. The person simply is aware of methods to make absolute duds, as evidenced by him starring in one of many worst films ever made with 2000’s “Battlefield Earth,” a $73 million paean to Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard that was so brutally eviscerated by critics that its author has needed to pen scripts underneath a pseudonym ever since his identify was stamped on the wretched characteristic. To place the Travolta oeuvre in perspective, “Battlefield Earth” has a 3% Rotten Tomatoes rating, so are you able to think about how unhealthy these 0-percenters are?
It is futile to attempt to do battle with such a formidably terrible filmography, however there are a number of stars who’ve tried — one being Sylvester Stallone, who has his justifiable share of stinkers. Having launched himself into the highlight with 1976’s “Rocky,” Sly discovered himself thrust into the limelight and dutifully set about making some actually terrible movies — one in all which was his 1978 flop of a directorial debut, “Paradise Alley.” In equity, that very same 12 months he additionally starred in Norman Jewison’s “F.I.S.T” which, regardless of sounding like a forgotten Sly actioner from the ’80s, was truly a criminal offense drama that proved a field workplace success and did pretty properly with critics.
Because the years went on, nonetheless, Stallone would oscillate between making a number of the most memorable films in Hollywood historical past and a number of the most abject. The elegiac “Rocky Balboa,” as an illustration, stays a transferring tribute to the titular character, nevertheless it adopted a big lull in Stallone’s profession within the wake of 1995’s “Decide Dredd” — probably the most ridiculous science-fiction film to foretell our terrifying occasions. Nonetheless, even “Decide Dredd” did not garner the dreaded 0% RT rating. However Stallone has been within the business for greater than 50 years at this level, so that you higher consider there are some 0-percenters in his filmography.
Sylvester Stallone’s actioner Alarum is a significant dud
Sylvester Stallone holds a document no actor desires in that he has probably the most Razzie nominations — particularly, 12 wins out of a whopping 40 nominations. To make sure, it is lengthy since been time to retire the Razzies eternally, however I am certain John Travolta can be pleased with Sly for his ignominious document nonetheless.
Immediately, Sly has managed to safe a starring position in Taylor Sheridan’s “Tulsa King,” which to date has proved standard with viewers. However on the movie aspect, he is just about been churning out generic motion fare, and 2025’s “Alarum” is without doubt one of the most egregious examples. Ever since 2006’s “Rocky Balboa,” Stallone has been unable to cease making forgettable motion thrillers, with movies like “Backtrace” and “Bullet to the Head” being prime examples. “Alarum” is simply the newest, and if the Rotten Tomatoes rating is something to go by, it’d simply be the worst.
Directed by Michael Polish, “Alarum” stars Scott Eastwood as CIA agent Joe Travers, who falls in love together with his fellow agent and former rival Lara (Willa Fitzgerald of “Reacher” fame). The pair go off-grid to stay a quiet life collectively, however they quickly discover themselves drawn again into motion after a airplane — one carrying a tough drive that a number of organizations are considering securing – crashes close to their cabin. Stallone co-stars as Agent Chester, who has been despatched to take out Travers however who retains some loyalty to his ex-colleague. Sadly, none of this added as much as a great film, with critics completely shredding “Alarum” upon its launch.
Critics hated Alarum
With “Alarum,” Sylvester Stallone has added one other 0% rating to his Rotten Tomatoes web page. 2024’s “Armor” is the one different movie on his résumé to realize such a dishonorable feat, which does not precisely bode properly for the legend’s late-career trajectory. “Alarum” hit choose theaters in america on January 17, 2025, at which period it additionally arrived on VOD companies. The critics that did watch it instantly wished they hadn’t.
Writing for RogerEbert.com Peter Sobczynski appeared particularly disenchanted with Sly. “To say that [Stallone] is simply going by the motions right here can be to wildly overstate the case,” he wrote. “His work right here makes his look in ‘The Expendables 4’ appear targeted and dedicated by comparability.” Likewise, Jeannette Catsoulis of the New York Occasions decried the movie’s “bullet-riddled plot” as “a flavorless tossed salad of code names and cleansing crews, drone strikes, and shootouts,” whereas Selection’s Dennis Harvey lamented the “unspectacular manufacturing values” and “pedestrian” staging.
Not Sly’s best hour, then. However the record of actors with horrible Rotten Tomatoes streaks additionally contains Sly’s motion peer Jean-Claude Van Damme and the nice Eddie Murphy, which works to point out that even legends can falter (and that these RT scores aren’t to be taken all that severely anyway). Within the case of “Alarum,” nonetheless, it is best to most likely let the Tomatometer be your information.
