Movies

Vin Diesel’s Worst Movie? It’s FREE on Tubi!

BBG News

When the film was released in theaters back in 2008, it wasn’t one of its creator’s shining moments. Labeled as a dystopian action epic, it garnered a dismal 7% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and barely managed to gross an amount equal to its $70 million production budget. In other words, this was the kind of movie that found a new audience through free streaming services, which is precisely what happened after it became the most watched title on those platforms.

The movie titled “Babylon A.D.” faced both critical and commercial failure before its release, but what made things worse was the series of challenges it encountered during production. French director Mathieu Kassovitz openly criticized the studio for forcing him to significantly alter his initial vision for the film. This modification essentially eliminated all world-building elements, leaving behind a hurriedly put together movie that was chaotic and less than 90 minutes long.

As a fan, I found myself immersed in a movie that follows the journey of Vin Diesel’s mercenary character, Toorop, as he guides a mystifying young woman (Mélanie Thierry) through a war-torn Eurasia, evading both ruthless neo-Siberian gangsters and enigmatic cultists. Michelle Yeoh, who later earned her well-deserved recognition from the success of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” played a compassionate nun in the film, working alongside Diesel to make the best out of a less-than-perfect script.

In terms of free streaming services, the past performance of “Babylon A.D” carries little weight for viewers seeking entertainment without cost. Featuring Michelle Yeoh and Vin Diesel in leading roles, alongside a backdrop of intriguing dystopian settings and hints of action, the film initially appears promising. However, as viewers gradually discover that it’s a cinematic dumpster fire halfway through their viewing, they may find themselves reluctantly finishing it, feeling like they might as well see it through to the end.

Tubi Is a Home for Second Chances

Babylon A.D. isn’t the first movie that flopped critically but found a second chance through free streaming, and Tubi often offers such opportunities. While platforms like Netflix attract larger audiences, Tubi and others like Pluto are consistently reviving forgotten or long-neglected content, including many films that some viewers may not have known about or haven’t seen in decades.

Over the past few years, several Jason Statham films that received negative reviews have consistently climbed to the number one spot on Tubi’s chart nearly every week. Additionally, action movies featuring actors like Frank Grillo, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis, which initially struggled to garner attention upon release, have recently gained significant popularity.

Despite the fact that Babylon A.D. has experienced a temporary revival, this surge isn’t likely to last permanently. Movies on Tubi often spend a short while in the spotlight and then disappear back into the depths of forgotten films, only to reappear after a few weeks. It doesn’t mean that people enjoy these critically panned films any more than they did when they were first released, but the appeal of “free streaming” seems to make the quality of some of these movies less important.

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2025-04-20 23:40

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