Fifteen financially successful films that received negative criticism from audiences and critics alike
In this world, a movie's quality doesn't always correlate with its earnings. The box office haul often seems to be the only thing that matters, even if the film itself is an atrocity. Here are 15 such cinematic disasters that made a killing, despite the criticism.
- Wild Hogs (2007): Despite negative reviews, this family comedy featuring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy became the number one spot in its opening weekend. It grossed over $168 million domestically. The surprise is that a sequel wasn't produced.
- Grown Ups (2010): Adam Sandler's comedy doubled its budget with its domestic take alone, despite panning by critics. Sandler celebrated by buying Maseratis for his co-star buddies.
- A Good Day To Die Hard (2013): This Die Hard movie managed to earn three times its $92 million budget, thanks largely to success in foreign markets. A sixth Die Hard is already being proposed.
- The Last Airbender (2010): M. Night Shyamalan's adaptation of the popular animated series made $319 million worldwide. Even though it was a small miracle the movie was made to begin with, no sequel or reboot has been made.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014): Michael Bay's incoherent, CGI mess made almost half a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. Despite being one of the worst-reviewed films of 2014, another TMNT movie is definitely in the works.
- The Smurfs (2011): Proof that CGI isn't always a good idea, The Smurfs turned the beloved characters into a nightmarish computer animated mess. It shattered Sony's estimates and made over half a billion dollars worldwide, but the franchise has proven to be one of diminishing returns.
- The Hangover Part II (2011): This sequel failed to measure up to the original Hangover, but that didn't stop it from grossing almost $600 million.
- Suicide Squad (2016): Despite being one of the worst movies of 2016, Suicide Squad still managed to earn an impressive $746.8 million. A sequel is already in the works.
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016): Divided critically and commercially, Batman v Superman grossed over $870 million worldwide. DC fans seem to have embraced its flaws.
- Alice in Wonderland (2010): Despite being mediocre, this live-action adaptation directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp made over $1 billion worldwide. Unfortunately for fans, the sequel failed to deliver.
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999): Despite being universally despised, this prequel still made over $1 billion worldwide. Fans may still be scarred from their experience.
- Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011): The fourth installment of the franchise made over $1 billion, proving that explosive films signifying nothing are a dish that knows no cultural boundary.
- Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014): At this point, the Transformers franchise has come to represent the enormous disconnect that often exists between critics and general audiences. Despite continual criticism, viewers still turn out in droves for more Transformers nonsense.
- Minions (2015): A spinoff of the Despicable Me franchise, Minions made over $1.15 billion worldwide, despite being a worse movie on almost every front. The Minions were a bit overkill.
- Jurassic World (2015): Arguably the worst installment in its respective franchise, Jurassic World made an astonishing $1.67 billion, making it the fourth highest-grossing movie of all time. The dinosaurs may have run amok, but the cash registers did too.
- Movies-and-tv like "Wild Hogs" and "Grown Ups" have demonstrated that entertainment value can sometimes outweigh critical acclaim, as they managed to make substantial profits despite negative reviews.
- In the realm of movies-and-tv, box office records are frequently set by films that receive mixed or even negative criticism, such as "A Good Day To Die Hard," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," and "The Hangover Part II," which all became commercial successes despite their less-than-stellar reviews.
