Chris Pratt’s New Sci-Fi Movie Continues a Dismal 10-Year Rotten Tomatoes Streak (but There’s Some Good News)

by

Chris Pratt became a major star in the 2010s and has starred in many highly successful movies. However, while audiences often enjoy his films, critics haven’t always been impressed. Aside from his popular role as Star-Lord in the Marvel movies, many of Pratt’s live-action projects have received negative reviews. There was hope his new sci-fi thriller, Mercy, co-starring Rebecca Ferguson, would change that, but unfortunately, early reviews indicate it’s another critical failure for the actor.

Currently, the movie Mercy has a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 53 reviews. This means Chris Pratt hasn’t had a positively reviewed live-action film (that isn’t part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe) since the 2015 remake of The Magnificent Seven, which scored 64%. Over the past several years, his only well-received movies have been animated films like The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and Onward.

Movie Rotten Tomatoes Score
Passengers 30%
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 47%
The Kid 43%
The Tomorrow War 51%
Jurassic World Dominion 29%
The Electric State 14%
Mercy 18%

Despite Poor Reviews, There’s Still Good News for Mercy

While the team behind the movie Mercy wished critics had liked it more, they’re pleased with how well it’s expected to do at the box office. Variety reports that Mercy is predicted to earn $10-13 million domestically this weekend, taking the number one spot from Avatar: Fire and Ash, which has been at the top for the last five weeks. Although the reviews haven’t been great, this is still a positive outcome for the film.

While $10-13 million isn’t a huge box office number, it’s understandable why Amazon MGM decided to delay the release of Mercy to January. The film received poor reviews and wasn’t expected to perform well, and January is generally a slow month for new movies – though films that debuted during the holidays can still do well. Releasing Mercy now, when fewer big films are competing for attention, gives it a better chance to be seen.

While Mercy likely won’t be a blockbuster in theaters, that’s not necessarily a concern for Amazon. Their primary goal is to expand the content available on Prime Video. Box office numbers are helpful, but not the main focus. Amazon believes Mercy could gain a larger audience through streaming, and it’s the type of movie that often finds success on home media. It’s easier to get people to watch a film at home, and some, like with War of the Worlds, might tune in just to see if it’s as bad as the critics say.

Even if Mercy does well in theaters or on streaming services, Chris Pratt will likely want his next film to be an even bigger success. He has The Super Mario Galaxy Movie coming up, but he doesn’t have any confirmed live-action projects beyond that right now. Marvel has said Star-Lord will be back, potentially in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. While those movies should be good, they won’t help Pratt land leading roles in films outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Pratt has the talent and skills to be a major action star, so hopefully his next non-Marvel movie will be the start of a successful run.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/movies/feature/9-years-ago-today-3-marvel-stars-joined-forces-for-an-underrated-sci-fi-movie-that-deserves-more-recognition/embed/#

Read More

2026-01-22 21:40