Before Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, and Thor were on the big screen, there was Howard the Duck. Sometimes, critics and fans don’t agree with how good (or bad) a movie is. Often, it’s the former that pans a film while the latter gives it two enthusiastic thumbs up. In the case of the ‘80s superhero comedy Howard the Duck, the film has received dismal reviews from both camps. Yet somehow, it’s one of those films people love to talk about, watch, re-watch, and eventually begin to appreciate for what it is. In fact, the movie has developed a cult following over almost 40 years since it premiered back in 1986.

Some may have heard the title Howard the Duck but never watched it. Others remember watching it back in the day and want to re-watch it to recall if it really is as bad as they remember. This film, technically the first big-screen movie centered around a Marvel character (really!), is finally available to watch for free. Howard the Duck is streaming for free on Tubi, but only for a limited time.

Release Date August 1, 1986 Director Willard Huyck Runtime 110

What Is Howard The Duck About, and Who Is in It?

Howard the Duck is a superhero comedy centered around the Marvel character. Yes, Howard the Duck is, in fact, a member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In fact, the film technically marks the first big-screen adaptation of a Marvel character. Even more shocking, given how badly the movie was received, is that George Lucas is counted among its producers.

Who is the titular character? He’s a waterfowl living on a planet called Duckworld that closely resembles Earth, except all the residents are anthropomorphic ducks. After a strange accident, however, Howard ends up flying into outer space and lands, of all places, on Earth. More specifically, Cleveland, Ohio. He witnesses a woman named Beverly being harmed and attacks the perpetrators using his amazing martial arts skills. This impresses the woman who takes him home with her, and they begin a relationship together.

The movie follows Howard’s desperate attempt to return home despite finding love on Earth. But when he realizes his efforts are futile, he relents and tries to acclimate to his time on this strange planet. He gets a job, starts fights, and enjoys romantic interludes, becoming more human every day except for the small fact, of course, that he’s a duck. Just as he’s getting comfortable, Howard learns there might be a way to get him back home after all, and hope springs to life.

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The plot thickens when the machine that can purportedly help fly him back home accidentally brings a creature known as the Dark Overlord of the Universe to Earth instead. Howard might be the only one who can save them from its terrifying wrath. But the cost of doing so will be life-changing for the duck-out-of-water. Stunt performer Ed Gale performs in a suit as Howard the Duck, with Jordan Prentice filming some scenes. Tim Rose, Steve Sleap, Peter Baird, Mary Wells, and Lisa Sturz are credited as the puppeteers behind the character, while Chip Zien provides his voice.

The rest of the cast is impressive. Lea Thompson (Back to the Future, Caroline in the City) plays Beverly while Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption, Mystic River, Silo) is Phil Blumburtt, a lab assistant Beverly seeks help from to get Howard back to this planet. Also among the cast is Jeffrey Jones (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), David Paymer (Mr. Saturday Night), Paul Guilfoyle (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), Liz Sagal (sister of Sons of Anarchy’s Katey Sagal), Holly Robinson Peete (Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, The Talk), Tom Swerdlow (Spaceballs), Miguel Sandoval (Medium), and John Fleck (Weeds). The bottom line is that there are a lot of familiar faces, including actors, that fans may have forgotten even in the movie.

For their part, most of the original cast has embraced the negative reception to the movie. Gale told Rediscoverthe80s.com in an interview that Howard “will always hold a special place in my memories and on my resume,” especially since it was his first big acting role. Thompson told CBR in an interview celebrating the movie’s 30-year reunion back in 2016 that she loves that Howard was kind of like “the poster child for…odd ducks” and said the movie is really all about puns, and those who can appreciate a good pun would love the film.

In celebration of the movie’s 35th anniversary in 2021, Thompson expressed delight that “people now appreciate the movie in the spirit in which it was made. It was an iconoclastic movie. It is for little rebels. It was so easy to make fun of it. And that is why I often say my Howard the Duck fans are my favorite fans because they had to earn it. It was not jumping on the bandwagon.”

Reception to Howard The Duck

Even if the cast has been able to embrace the hate versus trying to hide the film from their resumes, that doesn’t change the fact that Howard the Duck still polarizes viewers, with a large majority thinking it’s downright awful. To say that the initial reception to Howard the Duck, and even reception long after it debuted, was lukewarm would be generous. The movie was made on a budget of $30-37 million but only earned $38 million at the box office.

The criticisms were laid on thick, relating to everything from the performances to the inconsistencies in its tone and even the way the title character looked, which many found creepy and off-putting. The silver lining is the effects and soundtrack, which were given high praise. While Howard was initially supposed to be entirely computerized, this wasn’t so easy in the ‘80s. Instead, he became an actor in a suit, and his on-screen persona was a mix of animatronic suits, costumes, and puppeteering.

A frequent appearance on lists of the worst movies ever made, Howard the Duck earned a not-so-impressive seven Razzie Award nominations and even won four. The Razzie Awards, or Golden Raspberry Awards, are a parody awards show that honors the worst cinematic failures each year. It’s an insult just to be nominated, though many take inclusion in stride.

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When it comes to critic and fan reaction, the movie maintains a dismal 13% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a not much better 38% from audiences with more than 50,000 ratings. It’s safe to say very few actually think Howard the Duck is a good movie. The film has the distinction of being the lowest-rated of any Lucasfilm production.

Humorously, James Berardinelli of ReelViews says, “This was a bad movie when it was released. It is a bad movie today. And it will continue to be a bad movie long after this planet ceases to exist.” Brandon Collins of Medium Popcorn calls Howard’s design “unsettling,” while Robert W. Butler from Kansas City Star says the movie possesses “nothing resembling a real plot or genuine characters.”

With all that said, the character resurfaced in the Disney+ animated series What If…? and with a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel, as well as a blink-and-you-might-miss-it background appearance in Avengers: Endgame. ScreenRant reported back in 2021 that Thompson pitched a reboot to Marvel Studios after seeing that the movie was trending on Twitter, now X. “Marvel liked the pitch,” she said, “but they have different plans for the different characters.” Nonetheless, this gives fans hope that it won’t be the last viewers see of this forgotten Marvel character.

Why Fans Have Grown to Love Howard the Duck

Considering how far the movie industry has come since then when it comes to special effects and creating live-action characters, fans can’t help but wonder if Howard the Duck might have been better received had the approach to the design of the character been different. Nonetheless, there’s something beautifully bizarre about the movie. “It’s a wack!-wack!-wacky comedy-adventure,” enthuses Joe Leydon of The Moving Picture Show. Felix Vasquez Jr. of Cinema Crazed calls it a “fun and fast paced piece of eighties schlock.”

It’s one of those judge-for-yourself films and something to put on when hanging out with a group to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Despite the vitriol, many fans have actively expressed their love for the movie in forums like Reddit, solidifying its cult status. Redditor Deus_Payne admits that when compared to the comics on which it’s based, the film “leaves much to be desired.” But, they add that “everyone should give this criminally underrated movie a try and not to take it too seriously because at the end of the day, it is a fun movie with great practical effects and atmosphere.”

Related Why Howard the Duck Could (And Should) Return in Proper 1980s Form With Lea Thompson’s recent Howard the Duck pitch to Marvel and Disney, here’s why we’d like to see him return with his 1980s look and voice.

Tuxhoss says they loved the movie so much that they still to this day keep a framed movie poster in their theater room. The musical score is a stand-out, and some feel Howard the Duck is worth watching for that reason alone. But many warn that it’s not a family-friendly movie, filled with vulgar humor and adult scenes.

The bottom line is that for those who vaguely remember Howard the Duck and want to marvel once again at its devastatingly bad brilliance, it’s worth a re-watch. For those who haven’t yet watched, considering Howard the Duck is technically the first big-screen adaptation of a Marvel property, it’s a must-watch for fans who claim to have watched every MCU film. Looking at how far the franchise has come, this movie didn’t sully the Marvel name. No matter how bad or good the perception is about it, the film still has a place in MCU history. Watch Howard the Duck for free on Tubi.