Film critics roast biggest cinematic turkeys of 2017

Some cracking movies have been released this year.

Dunkirk, The Big Sick, Get Out and Call Me By Your Name are just some of the films that critics and audiences alike have raved about.

And then were the duds, which you get the impression that movie reviewers quite enjoy because they give them a chance to really let loose with their poison pens.

We've compiled a list of some of the most scathing reviews from some of 2017's worst movies, all of which are rated less than 20 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

THE EMOJI MOVIE

This animated science fiction/comedy movie stars the voices of James Corden, Christina Aguilera and Sofia Vergara and tells the tale of a multi-expressional emoji who sets out on a journey to become a normal emoji.

If you think that sounds kinda fun, well, according to the critics, you're wrong.

"This is ... a horrible intention hidden (badly) behind a piece of entertainment, a corporate meeting translated into a film, only it isn't a film, it's an advert, a gathering of flies feasting on the wounded corpse of art and culture," wrote Jack Bottomley from Starburst.

In her review, Helen O'Hara from Empire Magazine simply wrote, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here".

TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT

Director Michael Bay released his fifth Transformers movie this year, which starred Mark Wahlberg, Josh Duhamel and Anthony Hopkins.

Critics love to blast Bay's movies and this one was no exception.

"Michael Bay doesn't make movies anymore; he makes migraine auras," wrote J. Olson from Cinemixtape.

Bob Grimm from Reno News and Review wrote that the movie is "definitive proof that Jesus doesn't like you".

David N. Butterworth from Movie Boeuf opted for a simpler approach, writing, "Nope".

THE MUMMY

Tom Cruise starred in this reboot of The Mummy franchise, which is the first instalment in Universal's Dark Universe. Movies like The Invisible Man, Bride Of Frankenstein and The Creature From The Black Lagoon are expected to follow in the next few years.

But the new franchise got off to a bumpy start thanks to The Mummy, which was panned by critics.

"You should skip it because it's worse than incompetent: It's soulless," wrote Sonny Bunch from Washington Free Beacon.

J.R. Kinnard from PopMatters wrote: "A wise man once said, 'Only a fool would make a campy horror movie into a serious drama'. Actually, no one ever said that, but they should have, preferably on Tom Cruise's voicemail."

And Christian Toto from HollywoodInToto.com said: "The Mummy makes Tom Cruise's couch-jumping antics look sane."

THE DARK TOWER

Starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, this science fantasy western is based on a series of books written by Stephen King.

But fans of the series and moviegoers in general were disappointed by the movie, to say the least.

"It is not often that I'm tempted to give up on a film after less than 15 seconds but for The Dark Tower I was seriously considering making an exception. Would have saved time too," wrote Matthew Bond from the Mail On Sunday.

Mike Ryan from Uproxx wrote: "The Dark Tower is so astoundingly awful that when you leave the theatre you'll likely be less mad you wasted your time than flabbergasted that something like this could a) happen and b) be released as something that, theoretically, is going to launch a multi-platform franchise."

THE HOUSE

It had so much potential. Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler playing a married couple who set up and run an illegal casino to raise money for their daughter's education.

But all that potential was squandered and critics sharpened their claws as they gave the movie terrible reviews.

"The House could easily be accused of being one of 2017's worst, a dead-on-arrival reject that tests your patience while it continuously disappoints ... Unlike the way things work in a typical casino, in this case, The House loses," wrote Bill Gibron from Film Racket.

Rick Kisonak from Seven Days wrote: "I feel a bit bad for Will Ferrell. In a week or so, the comedy legend will turn 50 ... He's about to celebrate his birthday with the biggest flop of his career."

DADDY'S HOME 2

Another Will Ferrell movie and another roasting from critics.

Daddy's Home 2 added Mel Gibson and John Lithgow to the established team of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.

But off-colour jokes and the bizarre inclusion of Mel Gibson in a family comedy ensured the film copped the wrath of reviewers.

"It's possible that Daddy's Home 2 is one of the more blatantly rancid and painfully ugly comedies I've ever had the displeasure to sit through," wrote Sara Michelle Fetters from MovieFreak.com.

Barry Hertz from Globe and Mail wrote: "There are exactly two half-decent gags in this tale of feuding patriarchs, but both are immediately cancelled out by the sheer ineptitude and even malice that fuels the production."

Ouch.