Howard The Duck (film)

Howard The Duck (film)

Howard the Duck is a 1986 American science fiction comedy film frequently ranked among the worst films of all time. Directed by Willard Huyck and produced by George Lucas, the screenplay was originally intended to be an animated film based on the Marvel comic book of the same name, but the screen adaptation strayed widely from that goal. The film stars Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones, Tim Robbins, voice acting by Chip Zien as Howard, and multiple other actors in the physical role of Howard. Although there had been several TV adaptations of Marvel characters during the preceding 20 years, this was the first attempt at a theatrical release since the Captain America serial of 1944.

Lucas proposed adapting the surrealist comic book following the production of American Graffiti. After stepping down as the president of Lucasfilm to focus on producing he chose to begin production on the film personally. Following multiple production difficulties and mixed response to test screenings Howard the Duck was released in theaters on August 1, 1986. The film both received extremely negative reviews and became a box office failure. Contemporary critics focused on the decision to shoot the film in live action rather than as an animated film and the appearance of Howard as primary obstacles to the movie's success. More recent commentators tend to focus on issues with the script. On the DVD commentary for the film one of the commentators claims that George Lucas reassured him that the project would, in twenty years, be seen as a masterpiece. As of the year 2012 the film was still considered one of the worst ever made. However since its original release it has developed a strong cult following from critics who feel it was harshly reviewed in its day.