Bad movies that were box office hits: 8 panned films that made a fortune
Eight poorly reviewed movies that earned a fortune, from Pearl Harbor, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Alice in Wonderland to Age of Extinction, Fifty Shades of Grey and Suicide Squad.
A bad review does not always hurt ticket sales. This list gathers eight movies criticized by many reviewers that still earned a fortune, in release order, with posters, the directors and approximate worldwide box office.
How we chose
We chose films with mixed or negative critical reception that grossed hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide. Box office figures are approximate and rounded, and opinions on quality differ. This is not a numbered ranking.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Directed by Michael Bay. Worldwide box office: about US$450 M.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
Directed by Michael Bay. Worldwide box office: about US$836 M.
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
Directed by Tim Burton. Worldwide box office: about US$1 B.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Directed by Rob Marshall. Worldwide box office: about US$1 B.
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Directed by Michael Bay. Worldwide box office: about US$1.1 B.
Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. Worldwide box office: about US$570 M.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Directed by Zack Snyder. Worldwide box office: about US$873 M.
Suicide Squad (2016)
Directed by David Ayer. Worldwide box office: about US$747 M.
Use the posters above to decide what to watch first, and come back to rate the ones you have already seen. Share this list with friends and compare which films each of you would put first.
Frequently asked questions
Why do critically panned movies make so much money?
Brand recognition, big marketing, fan loyalty, spectacle and international audiences can bring crowds regardless of reviews.
Which panned movie made the most money?
On this list, Transformers: Age of Extinction grossed the most, at over a billion dollars worldwide.
Does box office measure quality?
No. It measures how many people bought tickets, which often reflects marketing and franchise appeal more than critical opinion.
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Sources: official studio releases, filmographies and public records.
