There’s no doubt that Leonardo DiCaprio has been in some great films. But his worst film is so bad it has a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It is also his first-ever movie role.
Critters 3 is widely regarded as a terrible movie.
This 1991 direct-to-video continuation of the Critters franchise is infamous for its poor quality and lack of originality.
Unfortunately, it was also Leo’s first introduction to acting in feature films; he was only 16 years old during production.
Part of the science fiction comedy horror genre, its plot featured malevolent small space aliens known as ‘critters’ and the destruction they leave in their wake.
The film suffered from a few flaws making the movie unwatchable. Many regarded the script as weak, especially compared to the previous installment of the franchise, which had much more originality and depth.
The characters also seemed one-dimensional, lacking motivation or backstory. They were given clunky or cringe-worthy dialogue, which made much of its forced attempts at humor often fall flat.
Even the lackluster special effects were poor compared to the original film. Which was instead praised for its impressive use of puppetry and practical effects. This made the film’s main antagonist, the critters themselves, look cheap and unbelievable.
DiCaprio happily admits that the film was not good. He has stated previously in interviews discussing the film, “I admit I’ve done a few lousy roles in the beginning of my career, like my role in ‘Critters 3’. But at that age, you’ll do anything for attention!”. He has also declared Critters 3 “the worst film of all time”.
Fortunately for DiCaprio, his poor choice of movie roles did not last long. He played the intellectually disabled brother of Johnny Depp’s character in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape in 1993, which was labeled as a critical success.
DiCaprio also received wide praise for his role as Romeo in Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.
Finally, James Cameron convinced him to star as a lead along with Kate Winslet in the romantic epic Titanic in 1997. The film would not only become a cultural phenomenon but propelled DiCaprio into global stardom.
Setting the foundation for his successful career as a movie star.
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Critters 3 may have been not only DiCaprio’s worst film and considered a low point in the series. But it may have also been a necessary film to get one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors to where he is today.
