This Sci-Fi Movie Based On A Beloved Mattel Toy Line Was A Cinematic Disaster

"Barbie" might have launched a Mattel Cinematic Universe, but Greta Gerwig's acclaimed comedy isn't the only film to spawn from the company's toy lines. In 2016, Stewart Hendler's "Max Steel" came along and bombed spectacularly, ultimately being forgotten in the grand scheme of things. But is "Max Steel" as bad as its naysayers would have you believe? "Max Steel" sees Ben Winchell play Max McGrath, a teenager who forms a symbiotic bond with an alien named Steel (Josh Brener). Together, they become the superhero Max Steel, which puts a big target on their backs.

As such, the heroes must evade a group of bad guys led by Dr. Miles "Dread" Edwards (Andy Garcia), who wants to harness Max's powers for his own nefarious purposes. Hendler's film was written by Christopher L. Yost, a Marvel Cinematic Universe and "Star Wars" alum whose credits include "Thor: Ragnarok" and "The Mandalorian." With the talent involved, "Max Steel" had the potential to be a successful superhero movie, but it failed to recoup its $10 million budget. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently boasts a 0% rating based on 21 reviews, making it one of the review aggregator's worst movies of all time. So, why did critics hate it so much?

Some sci-fi movies are so undeniably awful that they must be seen. In many cases, they're full of great ideas that are executed terribly, which adds to their charm. The same can't be said about "Max Steel." In fact, many critics noted that the film's biggest crime is being boring and uninspired. "Director Stewart Hendler, working from a script by Christopher Yost, serves up a series of noisy, murky set pieces that grow repetitive visually and tonally," Christy Lemire wrote for Roger Ebert. "At the same time, though, the actual nuts and bolts of the story become increasingly confusing, leading to a spectacular conclusion that's unintentionally hilarious."

This view was echoed by The Wrap critic Sam Fragoso, who wrote, "A spectacle without the spectacle, an autumnal, amorphous blockbuster that just sits there, suspended in mid-air, as you soak in its ceaseless banality." Fragoso added that pre-existing "Max Steel" fans might enjoy it to some degree, but the general reaction to the movie suggests most viewers hated it. "Barbie" and the most recent "Masters of the Universe" adaptation impressed critics, so Hollywood has seemingly figured out how to do Mattel right. Perhaps we'll see a better "Max Steel" live-action movie someday, but only time will tell.