return to the world of Gladiator, Scott's recent movies show that he is still one of the best directors around and that he clearly has no plans of slowing down any time soon.

At the age of 86, there are few directors working as hard and as frequently as Ridley Scott, making four movies in the last five years. With 29 feature-length movies to his name so far, Scott has delivered movies that are regarded as some of the best of all time and helped launch popular franchises. Of course, there are also some movies that are less than stellar and even forgettable. Taking a look at Ridley Scott's amazing work, it is no easy task deciding which one is the best.

29 Exodus: Gods And Kings (2014)

Scott's Retelling Of The Story Of Moses

Ridley Scott assembled an all-star cast for the retelling of the story of Moses and the result falls far short of expectations. Everything about 2014's Exodus: Gods and Kings feels so staggeringly misguided, although it's not hard to see why Scott would have been drawn to the idea of making the sort of Biblical epics that Hollywood used to produce. The result is disappointingly flat and seriously lacking in the grandeur and intensity that source material like the story of Moses desperately needs.

Many modern-day blockbusters have been criticized for trying to make things too grim or edgy, and Exodus suffers a similar fate. If the casting choice of Christian Bale as Moses helped to get the movie made, this fact was clearly lost on Bale, who appears bored with both the script and his character's motivations for the majority of Exodus, ensuring this ranks as the worst of Scott's historical epics.

28 A Good Year (2006)

A -Set Rom-Com

Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe made for a formidable duo with Gladiator, and 2006's A Good Year marked their first reunion following the pair's initial Oscar-winning success. Alas, this romantic comedy about an arrogant yuppie who finds love and a sense of purpose at his family's vineyard estate in Provence translates as a limp cinematic effort. Crowe and Marion Cotillard's chemistry is lacking and Scott seems out of his element in finding the comedy in the story.

The entire affair feels derivative of a dozen other stories about rich people finding themselves in beautiful locations. There's no real reason to sympathize with Crowe's whinging character who owns a beautiful apartment, a vineyard, a family who love him, and the attention of one of ’s most beautiful actresses. While it is irable that Scott and Crowe sought to do something that was the polar opposite of Gladiator, it marks their worst collaboration together.

27 Robin Hood (2010)

A Gritty Origin Story

While A Good Year never made any sense as a Ridley Scott project with Russell Crowe in the lead, a big-budget reimagining of the Robin Hood legend seemed like a logical step for the pair to take. Audiences hoped that this movie, a more historically rooted take on a highly familiar story, would bring Scott back to his Gladiator heights. Instead, Robin Hood is a dishearteningly joyless slog that takes itself far too seriously. In an era of gritty origin stories coming out of Hollywood, Robin Hood is a reminder that not all heroes need one.

There's a deliberate lightness and sense of mischief to the Robin Hood stories that are completely absent in Scott's film, but there's also no real reason for audiences to invest in the portentous drama that has taken its place. The cast is strong, at least, although Crowe's accent choice for the savior of Locksley is certainly a strange one.

26 1492: Conquest Of Paradise (1992)

Christopher Columbus' Journey To The New World

Paramount had grand plans for Scott's 1492: Conquest of Paradise, a fictionalized dramatization of Christopher Columbus's travels to the New World. They even ensured that it would be released in time to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus's voyage. Unfortunately, the film is an overlong history lesson that cuts out most of the history in favor of lore and pretty scenery.

The Italian Columbus is played by a Frenchman, Gérard Depardieu, who is clearly struggling with the English dialogue, making every Columbus scene a slog that undermines Conquest of Paradise's otherwise gorgeous exposition.

Unfortunately, the film is an overlong history lesson that cuts out most of the history in favor of lore and pretty scenery.

Gallingly, the movie also treats Columbus himself as a saint-like figure contrasted against the terror of another explorer, Adrián de Moxica. While many of Scott's historical epics have been called into question when it comes to historical accuracy, the complicated history of Columbus makes this white-washing of his story hard to overlook and bordering on offensive.

25 G.I. Jane (1997)

A Female Soldier s The Navy SEALs

Demi Moore was infamously lambasted for her performance in G.I. Jane, in which she plays a Naval officer who becomes the first woman to undergo training in the U.S. Navy Special Warfare Group. At the time, she was an easy tabloid target, and in hindsight, her performance here is exciting, balancing bombast with fragility and the weight of smothering expectations. The real problems, however, lie with the rest of the movie.

Many of the film's moments pack a real punch, especially in showing the sheer brutality of the training Moore's character is put through. While its intentions are noble when it comes to tackling issues of misogyny, it's all too ham-fisted to make the impact it wants to. This story needed a more layered approach than G.I. Jane was willing to give in 1997. A lot of the intensity of the movie is also betrayed by the tacked-on cliché ending.

24 The Counselor (2013)

A Complex Crime Saga

The excitement surrounding The Counselor was justified at the time, especially considering Ridley Scott, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy, and a cast of Oscar winners and nominees that included Javier Bardem, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, and Penélope Cruz, were all assigned to the project. Ultimately, this wordy and tough-to-describe crime thriller is one of Scott's most divisive movies. For those who could get tuned into it, it was a brilliant ride, but many others were left perplexed and bored.

McCarthy's dialogue doesn't work as well on-screen, even when it's being delivered by some of this generation's finest talents. There's a fascinating grimness and ugliness to the movie that is alluring, but flashes of greatness don't amount to a satisfying final project. The glorious bright spot of The Counselor is a giddily off-the-hinge performance from Cameron Diaz, whose car scene opposite Javier Bardem was bafflingly bizarre.

23 Legend (1985)

Tom Cruise Stars In A Fantasy Adventure

After helping to redefine sci-fi with Blade Runner, Scott decided that he wanted to do the same with fantasy, so he ed forces with William Hjortsberg for the lavish 1985 movie Legend. Inspired by the Brothers Grimm, early Disney animation, and the works of Jean Cocteau, Legend is certainly a feast for the eyes at every turn that nails the aesthetic of classic fairy tales. This being said, the story itself is paper-thin and feels extremely gaudy in hindsight even by the 1980s' standards.

A young Tom Cruise, years before he would become the biggest star on the planet, is more petulant than charming. However, the movie is at least worth watching for the amazing villainous performance by Tim Curry and his incredible makeup job as the Lord of Darkness. As a result, Legend is best viewed through a dreamlike haze, encouraging its audiences to forget narrative cohesion in favor of its ittedly stunning exposition.

22 Black Rain (1989)

An American Cop Takes On The Yakuza

Ridley Scott has shown his prowess in all manner of genres and styles, and with Black Rain, he shows off his skills in the cop thriller world. The '80s were overloaded with stories like this — the police officer who doesn't play by the rules, the job that goes wrong, the journey into the depths of the criminal underworld — and Black Rain isn't exactly the best of them. Michael Douglas stars as a determined cop who travels to Japan to take on the Yakuza.

While Black Rain is a largely forgettable movie in comparison to the genre's other offerings of the era, it is an example of how Scott's directing skills can elevate subpar material. The lackluster story is brought to life with a slick and energetic style, making Black Rain a fun movie to watch even if audiences might not look back on it fondly once it is over.

21 Body Of Lies (2008)

The Complicated World Of Modern Espionage

Body of Lies is one of those movies that's so jam-packed with skill, ideas, and obvious potential only for the final result to end up being rather uninspired. Based on a novel by David Ignatius, this action-drama about the CIA's attempt to capture an Islamic terrorist includes a slew of acting talent — Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, and Oscar Isaac — then saddles them with stock thriller roles that could be found in any number of similar movies.

There are some interesting elements at play here, with the movie exploring the contrast between DiCaprio's on-the-ground operative constantly put in danger and Crowe's boss calling the shots from the United States with a somewhat uncaring view of the operation. However, this dynamic can only take the movie so far before its dull story and convoluted exploration of modern espionage becomes tedious.

20 Someone To Watch Over Me (1987)

A Detective Falls For A Suspect

Between Blade Runner and Thelma and Louise, Scott found himself in a bit of a rut during the 1980s, with a string of flops that left critics wondering if the director could produce meaningful work outside of sci-fi. He followed up the fantasy of Legend with the slick noir-inspired crime thriller Someone To Watch Over Me, starring Tom Berenger as an NYPD detective who becomes embroiled in an illicit affair while investigating a mob murder.

The movie is perhaps the most overlooked film of Scott's career, but it is not entirely deserving of being discovered by fans. It is another example of Scott elevating the material as he pulls off the slick noir style of the movie effortlessly, helping immerse the audience into the world even if the story doesn't really do that. However, there is not enough there to save Someone to Watcher Over Me from its messy ending.