10 Box Office Successes That Critics Hated (2024)

Hollywood is an industry whose main goal is to ensure that audiences show affection for a particular film or franchise with purchasing power. So sometimes, even when the critical reception to a movie is quite poor, a film becomes a resounding success at the box office.

There are numerous times that critics and audiences have clashed over whether or not a movie is a success, and there is no better way to understand those disagreements than by comparing box office returns with critic's reviews. Hollywood was happy to deem these movies a resounding victory, even if critics came out of the theater very skeptical.

10 This Video Game Adaptation Was Game Over for Critics

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

Although historically a disastrous venture for film and television, video game adaptations have become increasingly successful and popular in recent years, prompting a number of video game adaptations to enter development. One of the turning points in proving the financial upside to taking classic video game characters and putting them on the big screen came with 2023's smash hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the second attempt to make a feature film based on the most iconic video game character of all time, was a resounding success for Nintendo and Illumination Entertainment, bringing in over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. The film was panned by critics, however, who found the movie's juvenile humor, loud and overly colorful aesthetics and mediocre voice acting difficult to handle.

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10

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

PG

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers and brothers Mario and Luigi are transported through a mysterious pipe to a magical new world. But when the siblings are separated, an epic adventure begins.

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Director

Aaron Horvath , Michael Jelenic

Release Date

April 5, 2023

Cast

Chris Pratt , Jack Black , Anya Taylor-Joy , Charlie Day

Runtime

92 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Where to watch

Netflix

9 The Second Legacy Sequel to a Classic Cashed In, Despite Critics’ Opinions

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Riffing off one of Steven Spielberg's most iconic and influential films and one of the most important movies of the 1990s, the Jurassic World franchise built on Chris Pratt's star-making persona as Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy to propel him to the top of the A-list. The first Jurassic World was a huge financial success, and landed decently well with critics, leading Universal to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into developing a franchise.

The first sequel to Jurassic World, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, continued the financial success of the dinosaur-laden franchise, bringing in more than a billion dollars and proving that audiences were still eager to see prehistoric beasts on the big screen. However, critics were far more critical this time, negatively reviewing the film for its wooden characters and hollow themes.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

PG-13

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See Also

A juice company dumped orange peels in a national park. Here's what it looks like now.When did theatre become so reliant on film?

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Studio

Universal Pictures

8 This Oscar Winner Flummoxed Critics But Wowed Audiences

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Biopics represent some of the best dramas of recent years, especially those that focus on telling the stories of famous underdog musicians. They are often a shoo-in for some degree of critical success and awards consideration. When Bohemian Rhapsody, a film about Freddy Mercury and the cultural revolution of Queen, came out in 2018, it dazzled audiences and was able to take home four Academy Awards.

This acclaim baffled many film critics, who widely disliked Bohemian Rhapsody upon its release, in part due to the film being almost entirely directed by Bryan Singer, who was replaced late in the filming of the movie over reports that he was clashing with many people on set. Critics were unhappy with the movie's overly sanitized depiction of Mercury, particularly in its avoidance of discussing the AIDS epidemic.

Bohemian Rhapsody

PG-13

Drama

Biography

Documentary

History

Bohemian Rhapsody is the story of the legendary British rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, leading up to their famous performance at Live Aid (1985).

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Director

Bryan Singer , Dexter Fletcher

Release Date

October 24, 2018

Cast

Ben Hardy , Aidan Gillen , Gwilym Lee , Mike Myers , Rami Malek , Lucy Boynton , Tom Hollander , Michelle Duncan , Joseph Mazzello , Allen Leech

Writers

Anthony McCarten , Peter Morgan

Runtime

2h 14m

Budget

50 million

Studio(s)

20th Century

Distributor(s)

20th Century

7 These Henchmen Charm Audiences While Confusing Critics

Minions (2015)

The Despicable Me franchise has dominated children's animated entertainment for over ten years, becoming one of the highest-grossing film franchises of all time and creating some of the most iconic characters of the 21st Century: the Minions. When these little yellow creatures got to headline their own film in 2015, audiences continued to prove that they loved them, bringing the film over a billion dollars at the box office.

Although critics were mostly charmed by the Despicable Me films, they did not enjoy Minions, seeing the movie as loud and obnoxious noise for children equivalent to jangling keys in front of their faces. This didn't stop Illumination from making a second Minions film, one that again succeeded at the box office and became a social media sensation.

Minions

PG

Adventure

Comedy

Minions Stuart, Kevin, and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a supervillain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.

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Director

Pierre Coffin , Kyle Balda

Release Date

June 11, 2015

Cast

Sandra Bullock , Pierre Coffin , Jon Hamm , Michael Keaton , Allison Janney

Runtime

1 hour 31 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

6 This Tim Burton Remake Landed With a Thud

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Tim Burton has had a lengthy career of milking lots of box office successes out of his gothic aesthetic and off-beat characters, a legacy that has continued through to the present with the surprising boom that was the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. One of Burton's most financially fruitful films came with the remake of the Disney animated classic Alice in Wonderland, which boasted an all-star cast of Burton favorites like Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.

Though the movie grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide, inspiring Disney to greenlight a sequel called Alice Through the Looking Glass, the film was disliked by critics, who cited the movie's generic action movie climax and conclusion showing Alice becoming a colonialist entrepreneur as reasons they were unhappy with the remake. Regardless, the movie was the second highest-grossing film of the year and was nominated for several Academy Awards.

Alice in Wonderland

G

Family

Fantasy

Nineteen-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

Director

Tim Burton

Release Date

March 5, 2010

Studio

Walt Disney Pictures

Cast

Mia Wasikowska , Johnny Depp , Helena Bonham Carter

Runtime

PG

Main Genre

Adventure

Production Company

Walt Disney Pictures, Roth Films, Team Todd

5 This Live-Action Remake Left Critics Unimpressed

Aladdin (2019)

Disney has seen consistent box office success in recent years by re-adapting their own classic animated films into CGI-laden live-action spectacles, with almost all of these ventures drawing a significant audience to theaters. One of these successes came with the remake of Aladdin, which boasted Will Smith in the role of the iconic Genie and new music from Dear Evan Hansen writers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

Critics left the theater nowhere near as delighted as audiences, however, due at least in part to reports that brown makeup was being applied to white background actors instead of extras of Middle Eastern or Northern African descent being hired. Critics were also unimpressed with the film, stating that it had nothing to add to the original and felt forced and tired in comparison.

Aladdin

PG

Action

Comedy

Family

A kind-hearted street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.

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Not available

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Director

Guy Ritchie

Release Date

May 24, 2019

Cast

Will Smith , Naomi Scott , Numan Acar , Mena Massoud , Alan Tudyk , Marwan Kenzari , Navid Negahban , Billy Magnussen , Nasim Pedrad

Writers

Guy Ritchie , John August

Runtime

128 Minutes

Production Company

Budget

$183 Million

Studio(s)

Disney , Rideback

Distributor(s)

Disney

4 A Once Beloved Franchise Started to Tire Critics

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Once a flagship series for Disney, in the era when the company's live-action films were not dominated by the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars franchises, Pirates of the Caribbean took the once-forgotten swashbuckling action-adventure genre and rebuilt it for a modern audience. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow became one of the most iconic film characters of the 21st Century, ushering in a multi-billion dollar earning legacy that lasted five films.

Though audiences were still flocking to the theater to watch Jack Sparrow gallivant around Tortuga and beyond, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides​ is where the wind really started to leave the sails for critics. Rob Marshell's film was a tipping point for many who had become annoyed with Depp's on-screen persona, seeing the movie as equal parts predictable and incomprehensible.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

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3 The Third Transformers Film Continued to Entertain Audiences While Annoying Reviewers

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Considered one of the sequels that is far worse than the original, Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the third in a franchise that has continued to pump out blockbusters to this day, starting with the unlikely success of the first Michael Bay-directed entry in 2007. The Transformers franchise has been easily the most lucrative in Hasbro's attempts to cash in on its toy brands, especially as attempts to adapt other properties they own like Dungeons & Dragons and Battleship have bombed.

Though Transformers: Dark of the Moon continued the dominance of the robots in disguise at the box office, critics were thoroughly unimpressed with the film. In addition to disliking the film's loud and over-the-top aesthetic choices, long a hallmark of many Michael Bay films, they pointed out the dullness of the two lead performances, marking the tail end of Shia LaBeouf's run in the franchise.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

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2 The Last of the Skywalker Saga Disappointed Viewers and Critics Alike

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

Star Wars has reasserted its dominance as one of the biggest media franchises in the world with its slate of highly popular Disney+ television series, kicked off by the historic box office success of The Force Awakens, the highest-grossing movie domestically of all time. The Sequel Trilogy continued its box office dominance throughout all three of its films, even after The Last Jedi landed as an incredibly divisive entry into the franchise.

Though audiences still flocked to theaters in 2019 for the final entry of the Skywalker Saga, The Rise of Skywalker, the film was considered a huge disappointment by fans and critics alike. Many critics agreed that the film made a sloppy attempt to balance fan concerns with The Last Jedi with storylines that had already been established, leading Disney to largely halt production of Star Wars films in favor of episodic TV.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

PG-13

Adventure

Action

Science Fiction

Director

J.J. Abrams

Release Date

December 18, 2019

Cast

Carrie Fisher , Mark Hamill , Daisy Ridley , Adam Driver , John Boyega , Oscar Isaac , Anthony Daniels , Naomi Ackie , Domhnall Gleeson , Richard E. Grant , Lupita Nyong'o , Keri Russell , Joonas Suotamo , Kelly Marie Tran , Ian McDiarmid , Billy Dee Williams , Greg Grunberg , Shirley Henderson , Billie Lourd , Dominic Monaghan , Hassan Taj , Lee Towersey , Brian Herring , Dave Chapman , Richard Guiver

Writers

Chris Terrio

Runtime

142 minutes

YouTube Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCgvGErYQUE

Producers

Callum Greene , Jason McGatlin , Kathleen Kennedy , Michelle Rejwan

Character(s)

General Leia Organa , Luke Skywalker , Rey , Kylo Ren / Ben Solo , Finn , Poe Dameron , C-3PO , Jannah , General Hux , Allegiant General Pryde , Maz Kanata , Zorii Bliss , Chewbacca , Rose Tico , Emperor Palpatine , Lando Calrissian , Snap Wexley , Babu Frik (voice) , Lieutenant Connix , Beaumont Kin , R2-D2 performed by , BB-8 performed by , D-O Performed By

1 This DC Comics Movie Was One of the Biggest Divergences Between the Box Office and Critics

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

The attempts by DC Comics to ride on the coattails of the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and superhero boom have been the subject of many discussions among film experts and fans alike. And although the second of these films, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, was a box office success, it was quickly used as an example of how DC could not simply copy and paste the formula set up by Disney and Marvel.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was panned by critics for its overly grey visuals, bland action sequences, unrelentingly bleak tone, and stunted performances. Though many fans online continue to show their support for Zack Snyder's DC Extended Universe films, it was no wonder that DC Comics decided to pivot and reboot their universe, handing the reins over to James Gunn in an attempt to win back critics and audiences.

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Batman is manipulated by Lex Luthor to fear Superman. Superman's existence is meanwhile dividing the world, and he is framed for murder during an international crisis. The heroes clash and force the neutral Wonder Woman to reemerge.

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Not available

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Director

Zack Snyder

Release Date

March 24, 2016

Studio

Warner Bros. Pictures

Cast

Ben Affleck , Henry Cavill , Amy Adams , Jesse Eisenberg , Diane Lane , Laurence Fishburne , Jeremy Irons , Holly Hunter , Gal Gadot

Writers

Chris Terrio , David S. Goyer

Runtime

152 minutes

Production Company

Budget

$250 million

Studio(s)

DC , Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

prequel(s)

Man of Steel