Are post-apocalyptic movies better than superhero films? Are remakes better than book adaptations? We decided to settle these questions once and for all — using science. We’ve compared the average Rotten Tomatoes scores for nine types of science fiction films.
Methodology: We compiled a list of movies in each category, for the past decade, and then looked up their scores on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie review aggregator site.
Results: On average, the genre that has the absolute best Rotten Tomatoes score is zombie movies, and the category of movie with the highest score is “reboots.” Reboots are better than remakes, apparently. Zombie movies are better than superhero movies — but they’re both better than post-apocalyptic movies. Here are the average scores for each category:
Reboots: 63.22
Zombie movies: 60.71
Superhero movies: 56.15
Paranoid thrillers: 53.78
Book/graphic novel adaptations: 52.71
Post-apocalyptic movies: 51.13
Remakes: 46.16
Spaceships and aliens: 44.71
Vampires: 38.36
If anybody out there has a degree in statistics, it would be interesting to crunch these numbers further — like which type of movie has the biggest variation in quality? It seems like some genres have more drek than others — like there are a ton of superhero movies below 20 percent, but no zombie movies below that threshold.
Note: Of course, Rotten Tomatoes scores are subjective, and only represent the opinions of individual movie critics. And what do the critics know anyway? Also, this is only for movies over the past decade.
So here are our detailed findings, including individual scores for each movie:
Superhero movies:
The Incredibles 97
The Dark knight 94
Spider-Man 2 94
Iron Man 93
Spider-Man 90
X2 88
Hellboy II 87
Batman Begins 85
Hellboy 81
X-Men 81
Superman Returns 76
Sky High 73
Unbreakable 68
The Incredible Hulk 66
Watchmen 64
Spider-Man 3 63
Mystery Men 63
Hulk 61
Blade II 58
X-Men: The Last Stand 56
Daredevil 44
Hancock 40
My Super Ex-Girlfriend 40
X-men Origins: Wolverine 37
Fantastic 4: Rise of The Silver Surfer 37
Ghost Rider 26
Fantastic Four 26
Blade Trinity 26
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 16
Superhero Movie! 15
The Spirit 14
Elektra 10
Catwoman 10
Average: 56.15
Zombie movies:
Hell’s Ground 100
Zombie Girl: The Movie 100
REC 91
Shaun Of The Dead 91
Zombieland 89
28 Days Later 88
Slither 85
They Came Back 83
Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane 80
Zombie Honeymoon 80
Survival Of The Dead 80
Mulberry Street 78
The Children 77
Dawn Of The Dead 76
Land of the Dead 75
Planet Terror 74
28 Weeks Later 72
I Sell The Dead 72
Fido 69
I Am Legend 68
Versus 67
Dead Snow 66
Diary of the Dead 60
Quarantine 60
Scream Queen 60
The Roost 56
The Signal 54
Automaton Transfusion 50
Flesh For The Beast 50
Doghouse 43
Colin 42
Beyond Re-Animator 42
Zombie Strippers 40
Otto; Or, Up With Dead People 35
Resident Evil 34
Undead 30
Tsui Hark’s Vampire Hunters 29
Resident Evil: Extinction 23
Resident Evil: Apocalypse 21
Day of the Dead 20
Night Of The Living Dorks 20
Shadow; Dead Riot 20
Average: 60.71
Post-Apocalyptic:
WALL-E 96
Children of Men 92
The Road 76
The Matrix Reloaded 73
I Am Legend 68
Carriers 64
Time of the Wolf 63
On The Beach 60
9 57
The Signal 54
City of Ember 51
Doomsday 48
The Book of Eli 45
Reign of Fire 40
The Matrix Revolutions 37
Equilibrium 36
Repo! The Genetic Opera 34
Terminator Salvation 31
Resident Evil: Extinction 23
Mutant Chronicles 16
Aeon Flux 10
Average: 51.13
Paranoid Thrillers:
Memento 93
Minority Report 92
Freeze Frame 83
Manchurian Candidate 81
The Machinist 75
V for Vendetta 74
Sunshine 74
Paranoia 1.0 67
A Scanner Darkly 67
Solaris 65
Deja Vu 56
Cypher 56
Deterrence 45
The Jacket 44
Vanilla Sky 40
The Island 40
Southland Tales 36
X-Files: I want To Believe 32
Paycheck 27
Hollow Man 27
AntiTrust 25
Push 23
Impostor 15
Average: 53.78
Franchise Reboots:
Casino Royale 94
Star Trek 94
Batman Begins 85
Superman Returns 76
The Incredible Hulk 66
Sum of All Fears 59
Planet of the Apes 44
Halloween 26
Friday the 13th 25
Average: 63.22
Remakes:
King Kong 83
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 82
Manchurian Candidate 81
Dawn of the Dead 76
War of the Worlds 74
I Am Legend 68
Solaris 65
Quarantine 60
Planet of the Apes 44
Death Race 42
Vanilla Sky 40
Time Machine 28
The Stepford Wives 27
Halloween 26
Amityville Horror 24
The Day The Earth Stood Still 20
The Invasion 19
The Wicker Man 15
Rollerball 3
Average: 46.16
Book/graphic novel adaptations:
Ringu 97
Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers 96
Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King 94
Pontypool 93
Children of Men 92
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring 92
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban 89
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire 88
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince 83
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets 82
1408 78
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 78
Harry Potter And The Order Of the Phoenix 77
Stardust 76
The Prestige 75
War of the Worlds 74
V For Vendetta 74
The Mist 73
Dark Water (Japanese) 71
The Ring 71
Midnight Meat Train 70
A Scanner Darkly 67
Solaris 65
Watchmen 64
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy 61
Journey to the Center of the Earth 61
Night Watch 58
I, Robot 58
From Hell 58
The Mothman Prophecies 52
Twilight 50
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief 50
Dark Water (English) 46
The Ruins 46
Secret Window 46
The Box 44
Planet of the Apes 44
K-Pax 41
Circque du Freak: The Vampires Assistant 37
Dreamcatcher 30
Riding the Bullet 29
Next 29
Surrogates 29
Twilight: New Moon 28
The Time Machine 28
The Stepford Wives 27
The Amityville Horror 24
The Ring 2 21
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 16
Mutant Chronicles 16
Jumper 15
Excorcist: The Beginning 11
Timeline 11
Blood and Chocolate 11
Babylon A.D. 7
Battlefield Earth 2
House 0
Average: 52.71
Vampire movies:
Let The Right One In 97
Dracula: Pages From A Virgin’s Diary 86
Thirst 82
Shadow Of The Vampire 81
Loved Ones 80
Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter 78
Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust 71
Grace 68
Daybreakers 67
Day Watch 62
Blade 2 58
Dracula III: Legacy 57
The Roost 56
Blood: The Last Vampire 53
Twilight 50
30 Days of Night 48
Trouble Every Day 44
Marebito 41
Circque du Freak: The Vampires Assistant 37
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: The Hangman’s Daughter 33
Rise: Blood Hunter 33
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans 32
Underworld 30
Lesbian Vampire Killers 29
Tsui Hark’s Vampire Hunters 29
Twilight: New Moon 28
Blade: Trinity 26
Van Helsing 23
Blood: The Last Vampire 20
The Queen Of The Damned 17
Dracula 2000 15
Underworld: Evolution 15
The Forsaken 8
Ultraviolet 8
Lost Souls 7
Bloodrayne 4
Dracula II: Ascension 0
Eulogy For A Vampire 0
Legion Of The Dead 0
Lost Boys: The Tribe 0
Transylmania 0
Average: 38.36
Spaceships And Aliens:
Wall-E 96
Star Trek 94
District 9 90
Moon 89
Slither 85
Avatar 82
Serenity 81
Star Wars Episode III 80
Space Cowboys 79
Zathura 76
Superman Returns 76
Kol… Mil Gaya 75
Sunshine 74
War Of The Worlds 74
Monsters Vs. Aliens 72
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie 69
Treasure Planet 69
Star Wars Episode II 66
Spider-Man 3 63
Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy 61
The American Astronaut 61
Transformers 57
Pitch Black 55
Titan A.E. 51
Godzilla Final Wars 50
CJ7 49
Battle For Terra 47
Tamala 2010 46
Planet Of The Apes 44
What Planet Are You From? 42
Men In Black II 38
Space Chimps 37
Fantastic 4: Rise of The Silver Surfer 37
Star Trek: Nemesis 37
Returner 35
Alien Trespass 34
Knowing 33
Pandorum 30
Chronicles Of Riddick 30
Aliens In The Attic 29
Fantastic 4 26
Mission To Mars 24
Planet 51 23
Alien Vs. Predatorv 22
Jason X 21
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen 20
Day The Earth Stood Still 20
Meet Dave 19
Dude Where’s My Car? 19
The Invasion 19
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 19
Doom 19
Thunderbirds 19
John Carpenter’s Ghosts Of Mars 19
The Fourth Kind 18
Fly Me To The Moon 17
Dragonball: Evolution 13
Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem 12
Red Planet 12
Supernova 10
The Adventures Of Pluto Nash 6
Battlefield Earth 2
Space Buddies N/A
Average: 44.71
Additional reporting by Mary Ratliff and Josh C. Snyder.
