At the age of 61, Brad Pitt is a stalwart of Hollywood, boasting an array of iconic roles that have earned him numerous Oscars and accolades as one of the greatest actors of his generation; yet, fans consistently struggle to accept one film in his extensive repertoire – Cool World.
This 1992 picture, an early outing for Pitt, features him as Frank Harris, a war veteran who finds himself catapulted into a kaleidoscopic, cartoon-infused parallel universe following a traumatic event. Tasked with thwarting Holli Would’s attempt to breach the real world and thus safeguard reality from turmoil, Harris assumes the mantle of a hard-boiled detective.
The film’s unique blend of live-action and animation – reminiscent of 1988’s critically acclaimed Who Framed Roger Rabbit – ultimately failed to win over a large segment of its audience. While some see Cool World as a visionary endeavour, others dismiss it as “nonsensical”.
On Rotten Tomatoes, a particularly scathing critique asserts: “Bottom of the barrel live-action animation crossover. Easily the worst of them all. What’s crazy is how just nonsensical, insane, surreal, and nonsensical this is. It actually starts out good for the first five minutes, but the moment Pitt goes into Cool World, it just goes nuts and forgets any sense of story, character, or just reality.”
Despite such harsh assessments, Cool World remains an intriguing, albeit divisive, chapter in Pitt’s storied career. One individual bluntly labelled the film as “Pitt’s worst film”, elaborating: “With very unfunny humour, unlikable and forgettable characters, a lame story, horrible acting, and it trying too hard to be like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, this was such an abomination.”
Upon its initial release, the film tanked at the box office, failing to recoup its production costs, and was met with a lukewarm audience response. However, Brad Pitt’s career didn’t suffer for long, as he went on to star in Legends of the Fall just two years later, earning his first major award nomination and putting the Cool World setback behind him.
Not everyone shares the same scathing opinion of the movie, reports the Irish Star, with some defending Pitt’s performance and the film’s offbeat concept. One review offered a more positive take: “Cool World is a wild but interesting ride at best. Holli Would is definitely a villain ahead of her time.”
The reviewer continued: “Maybe even in 1992 society wasn’t ready for this film either, but a way outside of the box in thought multiverse reality to cartoon worlds that collide. Brad Pitt and Kim Basinger have great chemistry, not enough for Cool World to get a pass in its era for a good movie.”
Another viewer echoed this sentiment, stating: “Cool World is a severely underrated gem that propels past its many errors (both technically and script-wise) with striking visual charm and a creative art style. Cool World cartoon underbelly world oozes an undeniably fun atmosphere that’s well worth the watch alone.”
If you’re intrigued to discover why this film is deemed Pitt’s worst, Cool World is available for rent on both Amazon Prime and Apple TV.