In the annals of movie history, there are as many outright disasters as there are classics. Some of these film failures are comically seen as being "so bad, they're good," with entertainment derived from their particularly terrible nature. Within the rank of bad movies, however, one culinary celluloid stands out as being especially unappetizing.
Foodfight! is considered one of the worst movies ever made and for good reason. Known mostly for its disgustingly bad animation, the film has also been criticized for pretty much every other element being just as horrendous. It's also a rather strange take on the concept of product placement, and the brands showcased in the film likely didn't enjoy the unique form of "advertising." Now over a decade old, here's why Foodfight! continues to be the grossest kind of dinner and a show.
Foodfight's Script and 'Unique' Product Placement Failed to Pass the Taste Test
If its animation wasn't bad enough, everything else in Foodfight! is even worse, particularly the product placement. The premise involving food brands inhabiting a "Marketropolis" was heavily criticized, with the obvious product placement coming off as more of a cheap way to get recognized than anything especially creative. Strangely enough, director Lawrence Kasanoff and company weren't even paid a single dime for brand inclusion in the movie, making the entire affair even more of a headscratcher. Kasanoff's direction was a huge problem, as was the nonsensical and frankly boring script. Bad jokes littered the movie, like so many trashed wrappers from the various brands. The celebrity voice actors such as then-popular Charlie Sheen didn't make matters any better, and when combined with the obvious pop culture references, it came off as a much worse version of how some audiences saw the somewhat crude DreamWorks movies at the time.
Some of the jokes went a bit too far for the target audience, with other questionable story elements making Foodfight! into an even bigger bad idea. It didn't help that the main character Dex Dogtective wasn't even a real brand mascot, instead being something of a ripoff of McGruff the Crime Dog. Unfortunately for those looking for a meal of a movie, product placement wasn't the only bad ingredient in this cinematic school lunch.
The Worst Animated Movie Ever Had an Even Worse Production
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The concept behind Foodfight! -- involving a world inhabited by various food brand mascots -- was conceived by Kasanoff all the way back in the late 1990s, though the movie would take nearly two decades to finally be released. Kasanoff chose to direct the movie despite his lack of experience with animation, and given the final result, it definitely shows. The most interesting part of the film's story isn't even seen on-screen, however, with supposed espionage being involved in its tumultuous production. According to Kasanoff, the hard drives containing assets for the film were stolen in what he described as an "incredibly complex crime." Strangely enough, the United States Secret Service was actually involved in trying to recover these files, though it was to no avail.
Through a frankly hilarious series of events, the movie would go unreleased until 15 years after it was first conceived, and critics everywhere gave it two revolted thumbs down. While it's understandable that losing the original files may have contributed to why the movie looked so bad when it was released, the animation still would have been laughable at best in even the early 2000s. Making classic Pixar animated movie franchises look like Avatar: The Way of Water, Foodfight!'s animation has all the fluidity of old concrete and the aesthetic appeal of a dying goat. It came out in 2012 when movies such as Pixar's Brave and the first Wreck-It-Ralph film were released, and the comparisons only made Foodfight! even moldier.
Ever since it was finally brought to theaters and eventually VOD, Foodfight! has been considered the absolute nadir of animation. Much like the similar Norm of the North, it's attracted an ironic "fanbase" of sorts, though given the movie's infamy, many of their tongues are veritably glued in cheek. It's the type of movie that could ruin anyone's appetite, making it the worst meal possible for all the brands involved.