R-rated action movies don't really get made anymore. The home video market that sustained them has significantly shrunk. Casual movie going where people would just come to the theater and see something actiony doesn't happen as much. The stars that made them got too old. So yeah, anything that would have been in that space usually gets pushed down to PG-13, or just is really bad.

So yeah, people finding an actually likable dumb movie for adults, in this mix of repetitive kiddie franchises, with a cool star in the center was like ice water in hell. It hearkens back to a previous mode of consumption that had a little more magic to it.

Of course, they immediately turned it into a franchise that removed the mystery from the world building and makes the tone more generic. OH WELL. The movies are still pretty good.