Box Office Theory Forum's Top 100 Warner Bros. Movies

[Flip]

guessing Mask of the Phantasm will be the highest DC animated movie, wonder where it will be

[Eric S'ennui]

#73

Bonnie and Clyde

539 points, 11 lists

"This here's Miss Bonnie Parker. I'm Clyde Barrow. We rob banks."

Box Office: 70M

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%

Metacritic: 86

Awards: 2 Academy Awards and 8 nominations, 1 BAFTA Award and 3 nominations, 7 Golden Globe Award nominations, 1 Grammy Award nomination

 

Roger Ebert's Review: "Bonnie and Clyde" is a milestone in the history of American movies, a work of truth and brilliance. It is also pitilessly cruel, filled with sympathy, nauseating, funny, heartbreaking, and astonishingly beautiful. If it does not seem that those words should be strung together, perhaps that is because movies do not very often reflect the full range of human life."

 

Its Legacy: Gave audiences incredible levels of violence never seen before. A landmark of counterculture cinema, influencing The Wild Bunch, The Godfather, True Romance, Natural Born Killers, etc. Made Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway household names. Caused Bosley Crowther to lose his job as New York Times' film critic, with Pauline Kael taking her place. One of the most iconic and gruesome movie endings in history. Gave Gene Wilder a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Like Virginia Woolf, this Arthur Penn-directed classic came out in a weird period where Hollywood was trying to transition into big boy material. The Production Code was limiting the content and level of violence you could show in movies, and the types of characters you could follow. The good guys had to be good, pure people who believed in the right thing. The bad guys always had to get their comeuppance in the end. You couldn’t be too violent, you couldn’t be too sexual, blah blah blah.

 

Well, Bonnie and Clyde disregarded all of that. We were following two criminals who murdered others. We saw people who were into violent exploits just because they were bored. We followed characters who saw a grim end and didn’t learn any lessons. And boy were people mad. Jack Warner was appalled that such a movie was even coming out from his studio. Critics were offended at such violent material, feeling it glorified the idea of murder and that such films would damage our society.

 

But as time goes by, it’s all very laughable. And almost immediately, the public were astonished at something they didn’t even know they wanted. Despite only being in limited theaters, the film caught on as a major sleeper hit. Roger Ebert and Pauline Kael sided with the general public and made sure people knew there was something high-minded and smartly-written about the feature. And now? It’s an iconic and beloved piece of counterculture.

 

And in fact, it was one of the major films to give us the counterculture movement of New Hollywood. Films were allowed to be more open in depicting sex and violence, it was cool counterculture to see these kinds of daring movies, and the power it had on people gave us early hits like The Wild Bunch and The Godfather, and still has influences on more modern movies like The Departed or True Romance. And when you consider how electrifying and fun and exciting and hard-hitting it is over 55 years later...well, yeah, it’s not really a big surprise.

 

This changed Hollywood and everybody is better for it.

[Eric S'ennui]

#72

The Nice Guys

542 points, 11 lists

"So you're telling me you made a porno where the point is the plot?"

Box Office: 62.8M

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Metacritic: 70

Awards: 2 Critics Choice Award nominations, 3 Empire Award nominations, 1 Saturn Award nomination

 

Roger Ebert's Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Earned a cult classic among buddy comedy and Shane Black fans. Showed the goofier side of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Had a TV show adaptation that never came out developed in 2017. Has people who want a sequel. Gave Matt Bomer a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Right now, everybody’s going nuts over Ryan Gosling and his fantastic work as a comedy actor in...some movie about a doll? I dunno, I forgot the title. But just remember that this wasn’t the first time we saw the man’s silly side. But unlike that film, Shane Black’s The Nice Guys was lost in the shuffle during the 2016 summer box office. And sadly, for whatever reason, this wasn’t able to catch on and get an audience during its theatrical release.

 

However, being a Shane Black production with witty humor, a fun, swinging 70s setting, and a wild mystery that keeps first-time viewers guessing, this was destined to get a cult following from the word “go”. And sure enough, it has. There’s so many fun bits of surreal humor and even slapstick sequences to keep the laughs coming, but both Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe have pitch-perfect chemistry and the twists and turns in the screenplay really make you excited for the ride and the hilarity.

 

Shane Black has largely stayed away from the limelight apart from that terrible Predator movie that may or may not have been ruined by executives, and it doesn’t seem like he has any new projects down the pipeline. So if this is his big finale (again, assumption is his Predator movie wasn’t his fault), at least we had this cult classic that is sure to be loved by a passionate crowd.

[Eric S'ennui]

#71

Tenet

546 points, 11 lists

"I'll see you in the beginning, friend."

Box Office: 62.8M

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Metacritic: 70

Awards: 1 Academy Award and 1 nomination, 1 BAFTA Award, 1 Critics Choice Award and 4 nominations, 1 Golden Globe Award nomination, 1 Saturn Award and 8 nominations

 

Roger Ebert's Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: The first major release after theater lockdowns went down. The final film Papa Nolan has made for Warner Bros. The inception point for Project Popcorn in 2021. The fifth highest-grossing film of 2020. Earned a cult following with tons of analysis and fan theories. Gave Michael Caine a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Yep. We’re finally at Nolan. Specifically, at his supposed swan song from WB as he now looks to enjoy brighter, happier pastures at Universal. The film that was set to save theaters from devastation both worked and didn’t. It both underperformed, yet ironically did better than most movies that come out these days, and many were split on the film itself. Others loved the VFX, the ambition, the action, and “the vibes”. Others felt this was a boring retread of Nolan’s other works with a confusing and weird plot.

 

Of course, because this is from a director people are very passionate over, Tenet still has an active fanbase of people who love what this film has to say and its unique plot and storytelling. It kickstarted Robert Pattinson’s return to blockbusters, gave John David Washington his own platform to become a potential new movie star, and features unique bits of philosophy, while still selling well as a popcorn summer actioner.

 

Ultimately, with its lower box office numbers and negative remarks from some critics, this won’t have the same longevity as...every other Nolan movie that is on this list (yes, all of them are on here). But as long as there’s at least one fan who really responded to this movie, does it really matter?

[Cap]

Mildred Pierce at #81, y'all.  

 

 

 

[TalismanRing]

15 hours ago, Eric Bainbridge said:

#72

The Nice Guys

542 points, 11 lists

"So you're telling me you made a porno where the point is the plot?"

 

 

 

Its Legacy: Earned a cult classic among buddy comedy and Shane Black fans. Showed the goofier side of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Had a TV show adaptation that never came out developed in 2017. Has people who want a sequel. Gave Matt Bomer a paycheck.
 

 

 

 

By far the best (and hottest) part of the movie 

 

[TalismanRing]

28 minutes ago, Cap said:

Mildred Pierce at #81, y'all.  

 

 

 

Great movie but it always makes me sick to my stomach to watch.    That daughter needed to go down a lot harder.  Like eaten by sharks or something.

[Eric S'ennui]

#70

Lethal Weapon

554 points, 12 lists

"I'm getting too old for this shit."

Box Office: 120.2M

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%

Metacritic: 68

Awards: 1 Academy Award nomination

 

Roger Ebert's Review: "The movie's so tightly wound up, it's like a rubber band ready to snap. Richard Donner, the director, throws action scenes at us like hardballs, and we don't know when to duck. All of the elements of this movie have been seen many times before - the chases, the explosions, the hostage negotiations - but this movie illustrates a favorite belief of mine, which is that the subject of a movie is much less important than its style. I'm a guy who is bored by shootouts and chase scenes. I've seen it all. But this movie thrilled me from beginning to end."

 

Its Legacy: Kickstarted a long-running franchise that is still ongoing. Spawned a 3-season television series. Has several different versions and cuts. Solidified a resurgence in buddy cop/Wunza movies. Started the career of famed screenwriter and director Shane Black, while also being one of Richard Donner's biggest hits. Gave Gary Busey a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Speaking of Shane Black and buddy cop movies, here’s perhaps his most iconic work with the film that launched dozens of buddy cop knock-offs for decades to come. Wunza movies like these are a dime a dozen now and even in 1987. However, Lethal Weapon perfected the formula and gave us a film with a hilarious and smartly-written screenplay, alongside incredible action setpieces courtesy of Richard Donner and two fantastic leads with strong characters and chemistry between each other. Danny Glover is of course great as the straight-faced cop who is too old for this shit, but can you believe Mel Gibson does such a great job portraying a psychopathic creep? Don’t know how he did it.

 

Of course, we all know Lethal Weapon for its massive franchise since that initial first release, despite the first movie being a more moderate success. The quality of these sequels vary depending on who you ask, but that first one? Yeah, we all know that this one is the best of the lot. A perfect all-time classic that continued the excellence of Richard Donner and began the awesomeness that is Shane Black.

 

Please donate to the Anti-Defamation League. Fuck Mel Gibson. https://www.adl.org/

[Eric S'ennui]

#69

Swordfish

568 points, 15 lists

"Don't confuse kindness with weakness."

 

Box Office: 147.1M

Rotten Tomatoes: 25%

Metacritic: 32

Awards: 1 Golden Raspberry Award nomination

 

Its Legacy:

[TalismanRing]

48 minutes ago, Eric the Hatbox Ghost said:

#69

Swordfish

568 points, 15 lists

"Don't confuse kindness with weakness."

 

Box Office: 147.1M

Rotten Tomatoes: 25%

Metacritic: 32

Awards: 1 Golden Raspberry Award nomination

 

Its Legacy:

 

[Jake Gittes]

2 hours ago, Eric the Hatbox Ghost said:

#69

Swordfish

568 points, 15 lists

"Don't confuse kindness with weakness."

 

Box Office: 147.1M

Rotten Tomatoes: 25%

Metacritic: 32

Awards: 1 Golden Raspberry Award nomination

 

Its Legacy:

 

[Eric S'ennui]

OOPSIE

 

I made a mistake. Swordfish didn't rank #69 on the list. Now how did that happen??????????

[Eric S'ennui]

#69

Training Day

568 points, 15 lists

"King Kong ain't got shit on me"

Box Office: 104.9M

Rotten Tomatoes: 74%

Metacritic: 69

Awards: 1 Academy Award and 1 nomination, 1 BET Award nomination, 1 Golden Globe Award nomination, 2 MTV Movie Awards and 1 nomination, 1 NAACP Image Award and 1 nomination

 

Its Legacy: The breakthrough film of director Antoine Fuqua. David Ayer's first solo screenplay. Earned Denzel Washington his second Academy Award. Earned a television series in 2017 starring the late Bill Paxton. A prequel film is now in development. Gave Snoop Dogg a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Jake Hoyt. Alonzo Harris. The former is a rookie cop who is trying to rise in the ranks. The latter is a seasoned veteran who has been working with the force for ages. It's an easy to digest and understand dynamic. And one that Fuqua and Ayer effectively capture, resulting in an energized and kinetic feature that is incredibly prescient over 20 years later.

 

Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris is one of the most magnetic and fascinating acting performances of the 21st century. A police officer who has been in the force so long and adores the power he has, we see a man who is absolutely scary and unpredictable. His morals are cruel, his willingness to go above the law happens frequently, and he has an explosive temper that could set off any minute. He's the perfect example of the abusive, power-hungry police forces filled with cops who only want the job to exert power on others they don't like. And in 2023, that concept is only more real and more dangerous.

 

It's a stark contrast to, say, the Dirty Harry franchise a few decades ago, where loose cannon cops were considered brave heroes and saviors. Training Day is our reality. Loose cannon cops are considered brave heroes and saviors...but to the wrong people. And it hurts everybody.

[Cap]

Eric is gonna pull the Swordfish gag four more times, right until he relieves its #1 

[4815162342]

7 hours ago, Cap said:

Eric is gonna pull the Swordfish gag four more times, right until he relieves its #1 

 

Diminishing returns each time that'll kill the joke so hard you'd think it was a wife in Nolan's filmography 

[Eric S'ennui]

#338 - Ed Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show (68 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #62)

 

#337 - San Andreas (68 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #44)

 

#336 - The Hangover Part II, Reign of the Supermen (68 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #14)

 

#335 - Batman: The Killing Joke (69 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #32)

 

#334 - Friday the 13th (70 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #64)

 

#333 - A Time to Kill (70 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #66)

 

#332 - The Mule (71 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #77)

 

#331 - The Sea Wolf (71 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #65)

#330 - The Book of Eli (71 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #53)

[Eric S'ennui]

#329 - Performance, Joe Versus the Volcano (71 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #30)

 

#328 - Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold (71 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #13)

 

#327 - Gorillas in the Mist (72 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #69)

 

#326 - Finian's Rainbow, The Lake House, Fanny (72 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #29)

 

#325 - Rachel Rachel (73 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #28)

 

#324 - Camelot (74 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #27)

 

#323 - Justice League: Gods and Monsters (74 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #12)

 

#322 - Looney Tunes: Back in Action (75 points, 5 lists, avg. ranking #53)

 

#321 - Cats Don't Dance (75 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #46)

 

#320 - Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird (75 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #26)

[JustLurking]

On 7/29/2023 at 2:14 AM, Eric the Hatbox Ghost said:

#69

Training Day

568 points, 15 lists

"King Kong ain't got shit on me"

Box Office: 104.9M

Rotten Tomatoes: 74%

Metacritic: 69

Awards: 1 Academy Award and 1 nomination, 1 BET Award nomination, 1 Golden Globe Award nomination, 2 MTV Movie Awards and 1 nomination, 1 NAACP Image Award and 1 nomination

 

Its Legacy: The breakthrough film of director Antoine Fuqua. David Ayer's first solo screenplay. Earned Denzel Washington his second Academy Award. Earned a television series in 2017 starring the late Bill Paxton. A prequel film is now in development. Gave Snoop Dogg a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Jake Hoyt. Alonzo Harris. The former is a rookie cop who is trying to rise in the ranks. The latter is a seasoned veteran who has been working with the force for ages. It's an easy to digest and understand dynamic. And one that Fuqua and Ayer effectively capture, resulting in an energized and kinetic feature that is incredibly prescient over 20 years later.

 

Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris is one of the most magnetic and fascinating acting performances of the 21st century. A police officer who has been in the force so long and adores the power he has, we see a man who is absolutely scary and unpredictable. His morals are cruel, his willingness to go above the law happens frequently, and he has an explosive temper that could set off any minute. He's the perfect example of the abusive, power-hungry police forces filled with cops who only want the job to exert power on others they don't like. And in 2023, that concept is only more real and more dangerous.

 

It's a stark contrast to, say, the Dirty Harry franchise a few decades ago, where loose cannon cops were considered brave heroes and saviors. Training Day is our reality. Loose cannon cops are considered brave heroes and saviors...but to the wrong people. And it hurts everybody.

Denzel was insane in this, well-earned oscar

[Human]

I thought more people would put Cats Don't Dance.

[Eric S'ennui]

#68

Speed Racer

576 points, 13 lists

"Cool beans."

Box Office: 93.9M

Rotten Tomatoes: 41%

Metacritic: 37

Awards: 1 MTV Movie Award nomination, 3 Teen Choice Awards nominations, 1 Golden Raspberry Award nomination

 

Its Legacy: One of the best live-action anime adaptations ever made. Has a dedicated cult following and oft-considered a Wachowski classic. Sadly featured tons of animal cruelty. Gave John Goodman a paycheck.

 

Commentary: The Wachowski sisters’ epic return to cinema with this anime adaptation was both one of the most hotly-anticipated films of 2008 even if nobody actually showed up to see it. There was tons of excitement at the idea of seeing the directing duo return to cinemas after that original Matrix trilogy and Speed Racer’s flashy trailers and non-stop advertising made everybody aware of it. There were nearly 5,000 toys and products sold by dozens of promotional partners, more Hot Wheels than you could ever dream of, and a bunch of video games. WB had faith this was going to be the next big thing.

 

But at the end of the day, it wasn’t the next big thing. Very few checked out the film, largely because it came out right inbetween Iron Man and Indiana Jones, and those who did were largely mixed on the final product. It was all set to be a forgotten relic of blockbuster culture. A film that nobody had enthusiasm for and lost tons of money for the studio. And while the latter is obviously true, little did we all know there would be tons of enthusiasm 15 years after release.

 

The movie has frequently been re-evaluated as an underrated gem, citing it as a blockbuster that was a refreshing breath of fresh air. Both at the time, and even today. Beginning in the 2000s, blockbusters had focused on realism, grit, and being ultra-serious. They all had fantastical premises and concepts for sure, but they wanted audiences to be in grounded realities.

 

Speed Racer moved far away from that. With bright colors, oddball futiristic locations, and a goofy, yet still sincere tone, this was a film that embraced the silliness and fantasy that blockbusters largely ignore out of fear of being considered silly or kiddie. And with the unique visual eyes of Lana and Lily, this was a vision that was 100% realized. And while some were not ready for it at the time, this has now gone on to be a fan favorite and a singularly unique piece of cinema within the Warner Bros. canon. Not bad for a movie nobody saw.