9 Poorly Rated Movies That Made a Killing
Published on August 20, 2013. Updated August 16, 2017Have you ever wondered why poorly reviewed movies make so much money? It’s because all of the bad reviews in the world couldn’t have stopped me from driving to the theater to see some of the very movies on this list. It’s no substantial leap to say that critics and audiences view things differently. Here’s a list of the highest grossing, worst reviewed movies of the past few years.
1. The Last Airbender
$319,713,881 total gross
RottenTomatoes Score: 6% Critics / 36% Audience
The story centers around the adventures of a young boy named Aang who has the ability to bend the classic elements of earth, fire, air and water to his will. He must master his abilities if he hopes to stop the Fire nation from enslaving the Earth, Air and Water nations.
The Last Airbender was a massive disappointment among fans of the original series. Controversy surrounded the casting and the movie’s bleak, joyless departure from the source material was a major overstep. The movie did substantially better overseas.
2. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
$836,303,693 total gross
RottenTomatoes Score: 20% Critics / 68% Audience
Revenge of the Fallen follows the continued story of Sam Witwicky as he tries to adapt to his life with the autobots.
Revenge of the Fallen was everything audiences love in a Michael Bay film. It had explosions, innuendos, horrible jokes, and Megan Fox. Critics slammed the film for ultimately the same reasons.
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
$1,043,871,802 total gross
RottenTomatoes Score: 33% Critics / 58% Audience
Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbosa hunt for the fountain of youth, only to discover the dreadful pirate Blackbeard and his daughter also seek the fountain.
According to critics, newcomer Penelope Cruz stole the show, while Depp just looked tired. Audiences still favored the film however and packed theaters all over the world to see ol’ Cap’n Jack.
4. The Da Vinci Code
$758,239,851 total gross
RottenTomatoes Score: 25% Critics / 61% Audience
A murder in the Louvre sets off a chain of events leading Robert Langdon to discovering a series of clues in Da Vinci paintings, as well as a secret society dedicated to protecting an ancient religious secret.
Critics felt much of the source material, which made the book a best seller, was absent in the film. Audiences disagreed, saying that it was an entertaining thrill ride worth taking.
5. Little Fockers
$310,650,585 total gross
RottenTomatoes Score: 10% Critics / 38% Audience
Jack Byrnes must appoint a successor to the family throne. But does Greg Focker have what it takes to be the patriarch?
While critics felt that the film suffered from a stale plot, and a bored cast, the Stiller / DeNiro chemistry was still enough to pack houses for the third film.
6. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
$401,128,639 total gross
RottenTomatoes Score: 13% Critics / 37% Audience
Tomb of the Dragon Emperor finds Alex O’Connel seeking the land of Shangri’La and instead unearthing an ancient Chinese emperor who was cursed by witches centuries ago.
Critics felt the plot had been used up by the last two installments. Brendan Fraser and Jet Li still managed to bring enough laughs and action to pack theaters.
7. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
$712,171,856 total gross
RottenTomatoes Score: 24% Critics / 60% Audience
The Quileutes close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses a threat to the Wolf Pack and the townspeople of Forks.
The majority of critics thought the movie was a joyless, soul sucking mess that appealed only to fans of the book. However,movie-goers and book-readers alike rated the film very favorably.
8. Alvin and the Chipmkunks: Chipwrecked
$342,695,435 total gross
RottenTomatoes Score: 12% Critics / 53% Audience
Aboard a cruise ship, the Chipmunks and Chipettes accidentally fall off and end up on an island paradise. But they are not as alone as they might think.
Critics said that Chipwrecked was uninspired and forgettable. Audiences, specifically parents, on the other hand felt that the movie was very young at heart, and packed theaters opening weekend.
9. The Smurfs
$563,749,323 total gross
RottenTomatoes Score: 22% Critics / 45% Audience
The evil wizard Gargamel chases the Smurfs out of their magical village, only to have them mysteriously tumble from their world into New York City.
The Smurfs’ cast ultimately failed to deliver much more outside of your standard children’s flick. This was okay with parents and children alike, as the film made a substantial amount of money.