Looking back at your childhood can bring up many fond memories, and movies often play an important role. As time goes on and young audiences grow, the movies you enjoyed as a child can grow with you. While many 90s films faltered out of the gate, some remained in the hearts of young fans to become cult classics.
Between poor critical responses, box office flops, movies that flew under the radar or were too childish for adult audiences, many '90s gems have garnered more respect over time. '90s nostalgia is just starting to seep into pop culture, including many beloved classics that weren't so well received upon release.
'Hook' (1991)
Directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Robin Williams, and adapting the timeless character of Peter Pan, what's not to love about Hook? Unfortunately, at the time of its theatrical release, Hook faced widespread negative to mediocre reviews among critics, citing poor pacing and a lack of originality. The film also cost a pretty penny, being Spielberg's most expensive film to date, and despite a decent box office draw, it was considered a flop.
Spielberg shared his disappointment with Hook's release, but that hasn't stopped it from remaining a favorite among young audiences. Williams played Pan well as the mischievous hero all grown up, only to be forced to remember his past when his children were kidnaped by Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman). Hook has certainly lived on through kids' eyes, like the lost boys who never gave up on Peter Pan; Bangarang!
'Batman & Robin' (1997)
There's no denying that Batman & Robin is one of the worst Batman movies ever, riddled with cheesy puns, campy characters, and far too many Bat-nipples. While director Joel Schumacher already took Batman Forever back to camp and into a more child-friendly territory, upping the comedy with Jim Carrey as the Riddler, his follow-up went too far. However, that meant kids liked it, and the movie can still be fun when seen in that light.
Indeed those '90s kids were all too naive not to notice the atrocities depicted, like stooping the genius tactician of Bane down to a dumb brute or squeezing countless ice puns out of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. Within the neon-drenched Gotham and massive toy lines, Batman & Robin understandably found an audience in the kids it targeted. Too bad most would grow up to see the folly of their youth.
'Hocus Pocus' (1993)
Hocus Pocus became a staple family film during Halloween; however, upon its theatrical release, it flew under the radar and even reportedly lost Disney over 16 million dollars. It wasn't until it was aired on the Disney Channel and released on Home video that it started to gain traction with young fans. Now, all grown up, the Halloween film has become a fan favorite, shared with generations and watched in so many homes each October.
Hocus Pocus stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson Sisters, three witches who return after 300 years to 1993 and attempt to capture the youth of all the children of Salem. All three actors are returning for the sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, set to air on Disney Plus on September 30th, and will introduce three new high school students who must stop the witches who have returned yet again.
'Tommy Boy' (1995)
After several supporting and cameo appearances in comedies through the '90s, Chris Farley finally landed a lead role as the title character in Tommy Boy. The spastic comedian was a cast member of SNL from 1990-95 before stepping onto the big screen with fellow SNL star David Spade. The buddy comedy follows the immature Tommy (Farley) and his sarcastic coworker Richard (Spade) as they set out on a road trip to save the auto parts plant owned by Tommy's recently deceased father.
The film was met with harsh reviews and a mediocre release despite Farley's incredible enthusiasm and energy. Farley's disappointment in Tommy Boy's initial failure was discussed in the 2015 documentary I Am Chris Farley, citing his incredible desire to make people laugh could be devastatingly impacted by any whiff of failure. Like so many other '90s gems, Tommy Boy would gain audiences through home video release and later be recognized as Farley's best film after his passing in 1997.
'Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace' (1999)
Star Wars fans waited eagerly since 1983's Return of the Jedi for more cinematic adventures in the galaxy far, far away, and finally got it in 1999 with The Phantom Menace. However, the anticipation was quickly cut by political debates, a bumbling CGI sidekick, and overly pristine environments far from Star Wars' trademark lived-in grittiness. While wide-eyed kids enjoyed their experience, maybe even their first Star Wars experience, long-time fans were disappointed.
With Star Wars, one must remember that it was always intended for kids. Sure, the taxation of trade routes is complete jargon to a ten-year-old, but the goofy butterfingers of Jar Jar Binks can be fun for kids. Regardless of being annoyed by Binks, there are many more exciting sequences for kids to latch onto, like pod-racing, Darth Maul, and The Duel of Fates. As those fascinated kids grew up, the Prequels have become more embraced with shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi that sees characters from this era of Star Wars back by popular demand.
'A Goofy Movie' (1995)
Another film saved by home video release is A Goofy Movie, featuring the lovable Goofy and his embarrassed son Max, who embark on a cross-country road trip. The film was developed off the back of the animated sitcom Goof Troop (1992), which also followed this father-son dynamic. Goofy has been a beloved character since Disney introduced him in 1932; however, Goofy's standalone feature had some issues upon release.
During the rollout for A Goofy Movie, Disney went through leadership changes, most notably it's now former chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg. Once he was let go, Disney postponed A Goofy Movie before simply dumping it into theaters to get it over with. It pulled in a pretty mediocre return and average critical ratings; however, the film would eventually gain support through home releases to become considered a cult classic.
'Billy Madison' (1995)
Billy Madison stars Adam Sandler in his first lead appearance after years on the sketch comedy show SNL. The simplistic plot takes a spoiled partygoer, Billy (Sandler), who is cut off from his father's inheritance unless he finally goes on a ridiculous scheme to graduate from school. Starting in first grade, the film plants the dimwitted 27-year-old in elementary school, and hilarity ensues, not to the liking of stern brow adults.
The childish nature of the spoiled Billy wasn't considered funny by critics, but young fans seemed to latch on to Sandler's immature behavior, interacting and goofing around with kids. Rotten Tomatoes shows Billy Madison with a 41% approval rating, while its Audience Score shows a drastic difference at 79%. It seems that mainly immature audiences were the only ones to get a kick out of this childish comedy.
'Casper' (1995)
Casper is the live-action adaptation of the titular cartoon and comic character dating back to the '40s. The '90s film follows a paranormal researcher (Bill Pullman) and his loner daughter Cat (Christina Ricci), who befriends Casper (Malachi Pearson) when they move into his haunted mansion. Given the ghostly context, the film has become a fan favorite, especially around Halloween, but doesn't quite have the critical acclaim.
Despite its popularity, Casper currently has a 51% Rotten Tomatoes score, with its Audience Score sits at 49%, and Casper's IMDb score isn't quite as negative with a 6.1/10. Hilariously, Casper was nominated for Worst Picture of the Year by the Stinkers Bad Movie Awards while simultaneously being nominated for Best Picture at the Kids' Choice Awards. Maybe it's nostalgia, or you just had to be a kid at the time to appreciate it, but Casper seems to only live on through '90s kids.
'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze' (1991)
Four turtle brothers emerged in the late 80s to take fandom by storm when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' popularity hit its peak, coined Turtlemania. However, this timeframe is noted to end in 1991, the same year as the franchise's sequel film, Secret of the Ooze. The original film in 1990 effectively capitalized off Turtlemania; however, it was also met with upset parents who thought it was too adult. As a reaction, the sequel was made much more kid-friendly and ironically upset even more adult fans.
For the sequel, mature content was avoided while opting for humor, the violence was toned down with the color and brightness turned up, and it even included its very own rap song. While kids had their fun, adult fans were disappointed that the film veered away from the success it saw in the first film. Nevertheless, the movie was clearly made for kids, and like the Turtles scarfing down their favorite pizza, kids ate it up.
'Matilda' (1996)
Matilda was adapted from the children's novel by Roald Dahl, the very author whose works have been adapted into films like James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and audience's upcoming return to the famed Chocolate Factory in Wonka starring Timothée Chalamet. Matilda was directed by Danny Devito, who also starred as the titular character's father. Mara Wilson stars as Matilda, who discovers her magical powers amidst her environment of bullying adults.
Matilda is one of the most beloved family films of the '90s, but it flopped upon its theatrical release. Despite its budget of $36 million, it could only make $33.5 million at the box office, despite its favorable reviews. There doesn't seem to be much explanation why Matilda didn't kick off with a boom, but it's officially being re-adapted in Matilda the Musical, coming to Netflix in 2022. It's a wholesome feeling to know that its legacy has lived on far greater than how much money it made over a few weekends.