The 2010s were an unprecedentedly outstanding decade for cinema financially; of the ten highest-grossing movies of all time, a whopping six were released during this decade. From massive original blockbusters to even bigger legacy sequels from popular franchises and a few book adaptations, plenty of movies drew swarms of people to the theater to check them out.
However, as well as they may have done in terms of ticket sales,some of the decade’s highest-grossing films were far from a hit with critics. Whether they were misguided superhero films likeSuicide Squador well-meaning family movies likeIce Age: Continental Drift,these movies failed to earn the favor of experts despite dominating the box office. And while they might’ve not been outright panned, they certainly didn’t earn high scores from the criticism community.
10’The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1' (2011)
Worldwide Box Office:$712,205,856
None of the movies in theTwilight Sagadid particularly well with critics, but each was a huge financial success.Breaking Dawn — Part 1was the beginning of the series’ conclusion, seeing the Quileutes close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses a threat to the people of Forks.
The movie was evidently quite successful with fans of the franchise and of the teen fantasy genre, becoming the second highest-grossing entry in the series. However,critics thought thatBreaking Dawn — Part 1was the worst of the bunch. Calling it slow,often unintentionally hilarious, and completely uninteresting for any non-Twilightfan, they lamented the script’s lack of quality and the emptiness of the narrative. Because of this and much more, the movie holds a meager25% on Rotten Tomatoesand a surprisingly high45 on Metacritic.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1
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Worldwide Box Office:$749,200,054
Not to be confused with the infinitely superiorThe Suicide Squaddirected byJames Gunn,David Ayer’sSuicide Squadis perhapsthe worst film in the entire DCEU. In it, a secret government agency recruits some of the world’s most dangerous supervillains to form a team that must complete the impossible task of saving the world from the apocalypse. Almost as if they’re some kind of suicide squad.
A killer marketing campaign, stellar casting, and anticipation led toSuicide Squadbecoming a box-office juggernaut. Though there’s no shortage of fans of the movie and Ayer’s vision of the characters and story, certainly not many critics can be counted among those people.Reviewers calledSuicide Squada messily directed and even more messily written filmthat squandered the potential of such a star-studded cast, resulting in a26% on Rotten Tomatoesand a40 on Metacritic.
Suicide Squad
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Worldwide Box Office:$795,922,298
Following the surprising success ofPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Disney tried multiple times to capitalize on audiences’ fondness for the franchise; each time, they succeeded greatly at the box office.Dead Men Tell No Tales—currently the most recent movie in the series (though not for long)—finds Jack Sparrow pursued by old undead rival Captain Salazar and his deadly ghost crew.
It’s a simple enough premise for a simple enough sequel, and although some audience members resonated with it (certainly more than with the previous installment in the saga), critics definitely did not. Giving the movie a30% on Rotten Tomatoesand a39 on Metacritic,reviewers criticized how it tried to cover up its poorly thought-out script with excessively loud and flashy set pieces. By that point, the franchise was all but dead, butDead Men Tell No Taleswas really the final nail in the coffin.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
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7’Venom' (2018)
Worldwide Box Office:$856,085,161
Venomis one of the films with the biggestgaps between audience and critic scoreson Rotten Tomatoes. Fans found lots of enjoyment in this adaptation of Marvel’s titular antihero, an alien entity who bonds with a failed reporter. Critics, on the other hand, were much less impressed.
Venomholds a score of30% on Rotten Tomatoesand one of35 on Metacritic,evidence that critics felt that the movie was nauseatingly chaotic and loud, as well as lacking bite due to its PG-13 rating. Even then, avid fans of the character enjoyed the film’s many action scenes andthe depiction of the loresurrounding the character, resulting in astonishing box office numbers. The film defied box office expectations, proving naysayers wrong and effectively launching the Spider-Man-less Sony universe that continues today.
6’Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' (2016)
Worldwide Box Office:$874,362,803
Fans were highly anticipating the 2016 movieBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, controversial directorZack Snyder’s depiction of DC’s most popular heroes. The plot sees the two clash under the manipulation of Lex Luthor. However, all that wait turned out to be for nothing as, in the end, the film was as divisive as its director for critics and audiences alike.
With29% on Rotten Tomatoesand44 on Metacritic, the now infamousBatman v. Supermanis perhaps the most polarizing blockbuster of the 2010s. Critics were let down by the overstuffed story, nonsensical plot, and the way Snyder’s idiosyncratic styleinteracted with the subject matter. Even with many viewers feeling the same way, the movie managed to amass nearly $900 million at the box office, proving that names as big as Batman and Superman can be more than enough to attract curious audiences.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
5’Ice Age: Continental Drift' (2012)
Worldwide Box Office:$877,244,782
TheIce Agefranchise is one ofthe highest-grossing animated movie seriesof all time, even if it isn’t one of the most highly praised. The fourth installment,Continental Drift, sees the prehistoric crew embarking on another adventure after their continent is set adrift. With an iceberg as their ship, they battle pirates as they explore a new world.
Though praised for its charming animation and the occasional genuinely funny jokes,Continental Driftreceived negative comments for its overtly kiddy toneand the lack of freshness in a franchise that they thought had already run its course. Critics gave this sequel37% on Rotten Tomatoesand49 on Metacritic. Still, families clearly hadn’t had enough of Manny the Mammoth and his family, makingContinental Driftthe second highest-grossing film in the series. Sadly, it was only downhill for theIce Ageseries afterContinental Drift.
Ice Age: Continental Drift
4’Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' (2011)
Worldwide Box Office:$1,046,721,266
The fourth movie in thePirates of the Caribbeanfranchise,On Stranger Tides,separates Jack Sparrow from Will and Elizabeth. Instead, the film puts him and Barbossa on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, which Blackbeard and his daughter happen to be after as well. The film tries to compensate for the loss ofKeira KnightleyandOrlando BloomwithPenélope CruzandIan McShane, with so-so results.
By this point, critics had already grown tired of the series — even audiences who had joyfully supported the previous two critically panned sequels found this one boring and unnecessary. The film holds a disappointing33% on Rotten Tomatoesand45 on Metacritic, withcritics voicing their disapproval of the disjointed script and utterly uninteresting characters. This time, not even audiences stood up in defense of the franchise, instead letting critics callOn Stranger Tidesone ofthe worst movie sequels of all time.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
3’Transformers: Age of Extinction' (2014)
Worldwide Box Office:$1,104,054,072
Michael Bay’sTransformersmoviesnever were critical darlings, exactly, but audiences enjoyed them well enough that they were willing to turn up at the theater for every new installment. InAge of Extinction, the fourth film and a significant departure from the story and characters of the previous three, the Autobots recur to a mechanic and his family for their help in finding Optimus Prime.
Critics and audiences alike calledAge of Extinctionthe single worst installment in the series. With an18% on Rotten Tomatoesand a32 on Metacritic, the movie was criticized for hiding its lack of a semi-intelligent script behind some of the most overblown action of Bay’s entire filmography, which is saying a lot. With hardly any redeeming qualities, it’s no surprise that audiences turned their backs onTransformersafterAge of Extinction, with its 2017 sequel grossing considerably less.
Watch on Paramount+
2’Transformers: Dark of the Moon' (2011)
Worldwide Box Office:$1,123,794,079
With well over $1.1 billion in its piggy bank,Transformers: Dark of the Moon(the third movie in the franchise) is the series’ highest-grossing outing. In it, the Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon’s surface and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn all its secrets.
With impressive visual effectsand surprisingly bonkers social satire,Dark of the Moonwas better-liked by critics than its notoriously panned predecessor, even if not by much. It holds a weak35% on Rotten Tomatoesand a42 on Metacritic, with critics and audiences finding that the simplistic script was simply far too lackluster to ignore. The grand, explosive action sequences were still there, but by that point, they had become a bit too been-there-done-that for audiences, who craved more from their entertainment.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
1’Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' (2018)
Worldwide Box Office:$1,308,467,944
Steven Spielberg’s originalJurassic Parkremains one of the most important movies of the ‘90s, having revolutionized visual effects and the sci-fi genre in general. None of its sequels, however, were nearly as critically successful.Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, in particular, was a significant downgrade, telling an ambitious yet ultimately disappointing story where Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the dinosaurs remaining on the island from an extinction-level event.
What’s sad is that this film had promise; its premise is intriguing, and its willingness to venture outside the series' comfort zone gives it extra points. Alas, it’s all for naught. The film has a score of46% on Rotten Tomatoesand51 on Metacritic,with critics talking about how glaringly the film is in short supply of thrills, shock, or intelligence in its plotting. Audiences weren’t much kinder to the spectacle, even if theywereinterested enough to makeFallen Kingdomthe 20th highest-grossing movie of all time.
