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

[WorkingonaName]

I should have put Hangover 3 in my top 20 tbh.

[Human]

6 hours ago, Ipickthiswhiterose said:

 

Scooby Doo on Zombie Island came in 2 spots higher than The Elephant Man.

And SDoZI should have been way closer to number 1.

[Cap]

I personally love people getting heated about the rankings. People work hard on presenting these lists. It’s nice to see folks engaging and commenting. And obviously 99% is people being silly to be silly. 
 

That said, some of you really need to watch TCM for a little bit. Like seriously. Or if you don’t have cable, drop your Netflix and get the Criterion Channel for a month. Suits will still be there when you come back. 😘

[Noctis]

Us Harry Potter fans should have added our lists lol

[Cap]

8 minutes ago, Noctis said:

Us Harry Potter fans should have added our lists lol

I think y’all are doing just fine 

[Eric Prime]

#32

Blazing Saddles

978 points, 17 lists

"These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons."

Box Office: 119.6M

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%

Metacritic: 73

Awards: 3 Academy Award nominations, 2 BAFTA Award nominations, 1 WGA Award

 

Its Legacy: The tenth film ever to reach 100M at the box office. Considered one of the greatest comedies and satires ever made. One of Mel Brooks' most famous films ever. Made Hedy Lamarr very angry. Spoofed as the 2022 animated movie Paws of Fury. #6 on AFI's Top 100 Laughs. Joined the National Film Registry in 2006. Gave Madeline Kahn a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Gotta love a movie that throws in everything. Including the kitchen sink. This may seem like a typical parody of old Western movies. And...yeah, that’s what it is. But as the film goes on, we go through one of the craziest, most out there movies ever existed. Mel Brooks’ magnum opus is not only a funny look at ol’ cowboy features, but also a hilarious mockery of racist attitudes found in that time period and even today, a whole bunch of anachronistic humor, a few musical numbers, a giant scene of cowboys farting, a villain that spoofs the name of Hedy Lamarr (or is it Hedley?), and a ridiculously meta sequence where our characters somehow find themselves on the Warner Bros. lot and fucking up a Busby Berkeley musical number, and then chilling in the Chinese Theatere watching the premiere of their own movie.

 

It’s a film that is unlike anything else ever made. And that includes the animated remake that came out last year that featured a bunch of talking animals and samurai battles. So naturally, a film this unconventional had detractors and people confused at what they were watching. Thankfully, most caught on to the movie’s bizarre rhythms and personality and found themselves endeared to this film that has every possible joke you can imagine.

 

Sure it’s messy and sloppy, but who cares? It’s hilarious, full of fun characters, and is both oddly sophisticated and crass and obnoxious all at the same time. It’s simply the best.

[Eric Prime]

#31

The Batman

984 points, 21 lists

"I'm vengeance!"

Box Office: 771M

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

Metacritic: 72

Awards: 3 Academy Award nominations, 4 BAFTA Award nominations, 3 Critics Choice Award nominations, 1 Grammy Award nomination, 4 MTV Movie Award nominations, 2 Saturn Awards and 10 nominations

 

Its Legacy: One of the first films then in production hit by the COVID lockdowns. The seventh most profitable film of 2022. One of Robert Pattinson's biggest movies ever and one of the biggest DC Comics movies ever. The planned beginning for a whole sub-franchise of movies and shows. One of the highest-viewed films on Max. Gave Andy Serkis a paycheck.

 

Commentary: The most recently released movie in the top 100, it’s very clear Matt Reeves’ dark adaptation of the Caped Crusader struck a chord with people here right away. Enough to get it just barely under the top 30. And...yeah, I get it. What Reeves crafted, within all the grimdark atmosphere and epic, brutal action, is a visual feast that feels like a breath of fresh air within a genre that’s the biggest it’s ever been.

 

Not only is the film visceral, brutal, and adrenaline-pumping throughout so many sequences, but there's so many creative camera tricks that makes the film feel more alive. Blurred out sequences, heavy darkness and shadows in the cinematography, and creative sound editing allows the film to feel more distinct and immersive. Gotham hasn't felt this alive since the Burton days.

 

The ensemble also works really well in giving the film so much personality and spontaneity, in particular Robert Pattinson. Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne might be my personal favorite iteration of the character. Pattinson tackles his own familial issues with expertise, as he learns things aren't as black and white from his childhood as he remembers, and offers the proper menace and mystery when donning the Batman outfit. There's anguish and frustration under his eyes that gives off so much humanity and it really hooks you into the narrative.

 

Already WB is pushing this universe hard. While James Gunn is doing his shared universe silliness, this is its own thing, with Reeves getting to have all the toys to himself to craft a wild universe all his own. TV shows are in the works, a sequel is set for release in two years, and who knows what else Pattinson will pop up in down the road? And thankfully, Reeves pulled off something splendid here that is sure to get us all hyped and invested in these characters for years to come.

[Eric Prime]

#30

Full Metal Jacket

1022 points, 21 lists

"I don't like the name Lawrence, only f---ots and sailors are called Lawrence. From now on you're Gomer Pyle.

Box Office: 120M

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%

Metacritic: 76

Awards: 1 Academy Award nomination, 2 BAFTA Award nominations, 1 Golden Globe Award nomination, 1 WGA Award nomination

 

Its Legacy: Cited as one of the best Vietnam War movies ever. Kickstarted the film career of R. Lee Ermey and Vincent D'Onofrio. The final film released in Kubrick's lifetime. #5 on Channel 4's greatest war movies ever made, #457 on Empire's Top 500 Movies of All Time, #95 on AFI's Top 100 Thrills. Gave Matthew Modine a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Kubrick’s epic war drama is split into two very distinct halves. There’s of course the more iconic first half, which is all about boot camp. You’ve got a group of scrappy platoon members all forced to endure the abuse of camp through perhaps one of the most crazed and sadistic drill sergeants in cinema history. Gunnery Sergeant Hartman, played by R. Lee Ermey, is by far the best part of the movie and the one aspect everybody remembers. 

 

He’s foul-mouthed, ruthless, and always full of energy. He has no shame to insult or berate or scare you and he is damn good at it. Makes sense of course, since Ermey was a drill sergeant back in the day. This would lead to the man continuing to play similar roles like this for decades to come, up until his passing in 2018. You younger BOT members probably know him best as the little Army men in Toy Story.

 

Of course we then go into the second half, as we see our platoon deal with the struggles and fears of war, specifically during Vietnam. It’s grungy, it’s nasty, it’s horrifying...yet somehow, it might not be as scary as boot camp back home. It’s a good creative decision that shows just how ruthless and nasty things are for soldiers back then and even right now. How we force these people to go through this abuse just to support a country. A country that, honestly, does it need support?

 

This was Kubrick’s penultimate release and would become one of his most famous works out there. It’s the kind of film that exemplifies the power and damage the Vietnam War created and will always serve as one of the most popular and iconic war movies in modern cinema history.

[Noctis]

1 hour ago, Cap said:

I think y’all are doing just fine 

 

Not well enough lol

 

DH1 being the lowest is shocking. How the FUCK did Chamber of Secrets pass DH1 and GoF?

 

[Eric Prime]

12 minutes ago, Noctis said:

 

Not well enough lol

 

DH1 being the lowest is shocking. How the FUCK did Chamber of Secrets pass DH1 and GoF?

 

Well if you submitted a list, this wouldn’t have happened. Just saying 😂 

[Eric Prime]

#29

The Dark Knight Rises

1036 points, 18 lists

"Oh, you think darkness is your ally. But you merely adopted the dark; I was born in it, moulded by it."

Box Office: 1.081B

Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

Metacritic: 78

Awards: 1 BAFTA Award nomination, 4 Critics Choice Award nominations, 3 Empire Award nominations, 1 Grammy Award nomination, 7 MTV Movie Award nominations

 

Its Legacy: The highest-grossing Batman and Papa Nolan movie ever made. The former biggest DC Comics movie ever made. Made Tom Hardy a movie star and Bane an A-lister villain. Gave Papa Nolan a producing credit on Man of Steel. Was the seventh-highest grossing movie of all time. Baneposting became a meme. Gave Anne Hathaway a paycheck.

 

Commentary: For those who maybe weren’t in the know in 2012, there was nothing on the same level as buzz and hype and excitement as Papa Nolan’s third and final Batman movie. After the 2008 movie blew everybody away and redefined what superhero movies could be, everybody had to know how Papa would top pigs with pigs. Was it even possible to do so? In a way, this was a sequel that was never going to match expectations.

 

And uh...yeah. It didn’t. But it was still really cool! Tom Hardy was the baddie this time, playing a reworked version of classic Batman villain Bane, and he served an iconic performance that serves as a fun rebel character, a symbol for the oppressed, and gave us a funny voice we have all memed and made fun of. And that’s most important.

 

And sure, people had criticized the story and screenplay for being janky and awkwardly right-wing, and there’s the usual issues of Nolan having no clue how to write women (thank goodness for Oppenheimer lol), but it also is a movie that boasts incredible action, maximalist scope, great cinematography, and some strong heroes at the center.

 

This helped it become the highest-grossing Batman movie of all time, a record it still holds a decade later, and served as a solid finale for an era of DC movies before we got to the DC Extended Universe, which um...well, yeah.

[Ethan Hunt]

1 hour ago, Eric the Turtle said:

#31

The Batman

984 points, 21 lists

"I'm vengeance!"

Box Office: 771M

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

Metacritic: 72

Awards: 3 Academy Award nominations, 4 BAFTA Award nominations, 3 Critics Choice Award nominations, 1 Grammy Award nomination, 4 MTV Movie Award nominations, 2 Saturn Awards and 10 nominations

 

Its Legacy: One of the first films then in production hit by the COVID lockdowns. The seventh most profitable film of 2022. One of Robert Pattinson's biggest movies ever and one of the biggest DC Comics movies ever. The planned beginning for a whole sub-franchise of movies and shows. One of the highest-viewed films on Max. Gave Andy Serkis a paycheck.

 

Commentary: The most recently released movie in the top 100, it’s very clear Matt Reeves’ dark adaptation of the Caped Crusader struck a chord with people here right away. Enough to get it just barely under the top 30. And...yeah, I get it. What Reeves crafted, within all the grimdark atmosphere and epic, brutal action, is a visual feast that feels like a breath of fresh air within a genre that’s the biggest it’s ever been.

 

Not only is the film visceral, brutal, and adrenaline-pumping throughout so many sequences, but there's so many creative camera tricks that makes the film feel more alive. Blurred out sequences, heavy darkness and shadows in the cinematography, and creative sound editing allows the film to feel more distinct and immersive. Gotham hasn't felt this alive since the Burton days.

 

The ensemble also works really well in giving the film so much personality and spontaneity, in particular Robert Pattinson. Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne might be my personal favorite iteration of the character. Pattinson tackles his own familial issues with expertise, as he learns things aren't as black and white from his childhood as he remembers, and offers the proper menace and mystery when donning the Batman outfit. There's anguish and frustration under his eyes that gives off so much humanity and it really hooks you into the narrative.

 

Already WB is pushing this universe hard. While James Gunn is doing his shared universe silliness, this is its own thing, with Reeves getting to have all the toys to himself to craft a wild universe all his own. TV shows are in the works, a sequel is set for release in two years, and who knows what else Pattinson will pop up in down the road? And thankfully, Reeves pulled off something splendid here that is sure to get us all hyped and invested in these characters for years to come.

Didn't see this one coming hahahahaha

[Noctis]

Can we submit lists lol

[Cap]

15 minutes ago, Noctis said:

Can we submit lists lol

Obviously not now, but yes.

 

Kalo is doing a Best LGBTQIA list and accepting lists until August 18

 

I am doing the 30 Best of 1993, and thoses lists are due September 1

 

and I know Eric is going to do a Top 100 Disney movies for Disney 100, which will be accepting lists as soon as he opens it (which I think is next month or so)

[ddddeeee]

On 8/11/2023 at 2:25 PM, Eric the Turtle said:

Its Legacy: Considered an early example of the "anti-blockbuster". Tim Burton's final Batman production. Made parent groups and McDonald's very angry. Spawned the Joel Schumacher series of films. Has a massive fan following and strong critical re-evaluation decades after its release. Features the most iconic depictions of Penguin and Catwoman. Pfieffer's Catwoman performance is oft-considered one of the greatest CBM villains ever. Matt Reeves' and Robert Pattinson's favorite Batman movie. Would actually get followed up in Batman '21 and....The Flash. Gave Christopher Walken a paycheck.

Oooooh. I didn't know this. Let me change my rating for The Batman from 6/10 to 9/10 and start stanning its sequel.

[Eric Prime]

10 minutes ago, Cap said:

Obviously not now, but yes.

 

Kalo is doing a Best LGBTQIA list and accepting lists until August 18

 

I am doing the 30 Best of 1993, and thoses lists are due September 1

 

and I know Eric is going to do a Top 100 Disney movies for Disney 100, which will be accepting lists as soon as he opens it (which I think is next month or so)

October 17 is when submissions start. Y’all

have three months, till January 17, so you better use those months wisely.

[Eric Prime]

#28

A.I. Artificial Intelligence

1074 points, 17 lists

"So David went to sleep too. And for the first time in his life, he went to that place... where dreams are born."

Box Office: 235.9M

Rotten Tomatoes: 75%

Metacritic: 65

Awards: 2 Academy Award nominations, 1 BAFTA Award nomination, 4 Empire Award nominations, 3 Golden Globe Award nominations

 

Its Legacy: A tribute to the Kubrick film that never was. Continued Haley Joel Osment’s success as a child actor. 83rd best movie of the 21st century according to a BBC poll. Earned major critical reevaluation years later. Was parodied on The Simpsons. Gave Chris Rock a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi rendition of Pinocchio is an odd beast. One that confused and baffled viewers back in 2001. Originally, this was a Stanley Kubrick production that was designed to be sensitive and sentimental like a Spielberg movie. Then Spielberg took over once Kubrick died and tried to add his sensibilities of eerieness and coldheartedness into the movie. To pay tribute to an all-time director and a great friend.

 

It worked for some, but it was considered too weird and disjointed for others, especially with its controversial ending. Yet that also made it one of the more unique pieces in Spielberg history and perhaps one of his most fascinating to analyze. There's a strong undercurrent of sadness and terror in every moment. From the opening where David is a mere pest to the tragic separation between him and his mother to him realizing his own life is meaningless, all the way to finding comfort in a world that is as artificial as him and learning what truly makes him unique and wonderful.

 

It's really the best of both worlds. The eerie atmosphere and complex ideologies of Kubrick meshed with the incredible visual stylings and emotional resonance of the crowd pleaser icon. If anything, it's aged even better, since...well, the future of A.I., a dying world where the people in power would rather use technology for sport and personal pleasure...that's us. Right now.

 

And as we deal with this dying planet, with no hope for our future, we just have to be our best, find the people who love us, and hold on tight to them. Show them how much we care for them and why they are so important to us. Because you never know how long you'll have them around.

[Eric Prime]

#27

The Lego Movie

1077 points, 21 lists

"I only work in black and sometimes very, very dark grey."

Box Office: 468.1M

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Metacritic: 83

Awards: 1 Academy Award nomination, 1 Annie Award and 5 nominations, 1 BAFTA Award, 1 Critics Choice Award and 1 nomination, 1 Golden Globe Award nomination

 

Its Legacy: The debut film of Warner Animation Group. The first of many sequels and spin-offs. Warner's highest-grossing animated movie ever made. The third most profitable film of 2014. Part of a banner year for Chris Pratt. Ranked as one of the best films by the National Board of Review. Criticized by conservatives for being anti-business...okay. Gave Alison Brie a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Man, can you imagine making a movie about a toy? Can you imagine how cynical that idea can be? Imagine making a movie that only exists to promote figures and play things. A movie that was only made to boost the stock of a toy company. You can’t make anything emotionally resonant or politically engaging. Nobody would see something as stupid or cynical as this.

 

Well wouldn’t you know it, Greta Gerwig...wait, hold on. Sorry. Okay, Phil Lord and Chris Miller proved people wrong by creating a film that still shows their unique, auteurist touch, while also making something that will make you want to buy a bunch of toys after the movie. The Lego Movie boasts an absurdist, throw everything to the wall style of comedy, with so many gags thrown at your face left and right. Most of them hit bullseyes, and the wacky ensemble and hilarious cast means there’s going to be one character who will be your favorite.

 

But within the wacky comedy is still a very powerful story about the joys and wonders of imagination. That creativity creates incredible, amazing things, and individuality is the greatest aspect that makes you you as a person. And that limiting and stifling that creativity can only lead to awful repercussions for everybody. It’s the thesis statement of Lego itself, and a lesson that’s important for youngsters to recognize and take hold before they grow up to be boring, cynical adults. That our world can’t just stay put the way it is and be controlled by boring business figures. And that your individuality and unique spark is what’s needed to make the world better.

 

As a movie franchise, The Lego Movie would see several spin-offs and sequels that ultimately saw diminishing returns. And now the toy has moved over to Universal who plan to do...something with the franchise. But regardless of what happens, we got this masterpiece of kineticism and wit and creativity. Something that will never be taken away from us. Everything is awesome, mah bois.

[Eric Prime]

#26

Dunkirk

1091 points, 21 lists

"How hard is it to find a dead Englishman on Dunkirk beach? He didn't kill anyone!"

Box Office: 527M

Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

Metacritic: 94

Awards: 3 Academy Awards and 5 nominations, 1 BAFTA Award and 7 nominations, 1 Critics Choice Award and 7 nominations, 3 Golden Globe Award nominations

 

Its Legacy: The highest-grossing World War II movie of all time until Oppenheimer. Oft-considered Papa Nolan's best film. Considered one of the best war films ever made and one of the best films of the 2010s. Papa Nolan's first Best Director nomination. Gave Fionn Whitehead a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Time. It’s the one thing we want more of but never have enough of. We all wish we had more time to get work done, more time with the people we love, more time to just enjoy life. Papa Nolan understands that, which is why time plays a big part in many of his movies. And his best showcase of this was the World War II epic Dunkirk.

 

It’s a basic story about three perspectives during the big Dunkirk evacuation. The soldiers who are trying to survive, waiting for evacuation, praying they’ll get home. An elderly sailor who takes the fight into his own hands and sails into the fight, trying to rescue however he can. An Air Force pilot with only an hour of fuel trying to survive, knowing he will inevitably crash and be taken away by the Germans.

 

These are all people who wish they had more time. More time to breathe, more time for safety, more time with their loved ones. It’s all exemplified in a tragic story, but one that also boasts incredible sequences, with massive practical effects and historic planes and boats from that event. And sure enough, this became an all-time favorite amongst critics and Nolan fans alike, to the point where it became the highest-grossing World War II movie ever made...but then Papa Nolan topped himself just last month. A true Chad. 

 

Only downside? Harry Styles tries to act in this. We should have stopped while we were ahead.

[Eric Prime]

#25

Ocean's Eleven

1135 points, 21 lists

"Tess is with Benedict now? She's too tall for him!"

Box Office: 450.7M

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

Metacritic: 74

Awards: 1 Cesar Award nomination, 1 Critics Choice Award nomination, 1 Empire Award nomination, 1 Satellite Award nomination, 2 MTV Movie Award nominations

 

Its Legacy: Made Steven Soderbergh a household name. Boosted the popularity of the 1960 Rat Pack classic. Spawned two sequels, a spin-off, and an upcoming prequel. Features one of the worst cockney accents ever. Earned the biggest December opening weekend in history and the biggest Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts opening. Gave Carl Reiner a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Taking the classic Rat Pack film from the 60s and adding a new coat of paint, Steven Soderbergh made the ultimate heist movie. Not only does this boast an incredible cast who all understand the assignment, but it’s just a perfectly paced, incredibly taut thriller that has a goofy, breezy, self-aware attitude and infectious spirits that make the heist seem like a jolly good time with friends.

 

With all-stars like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, and more, everybody is on their A-game, delivering fun characters who have a great screenplay full of witty dialogue and strong set pieces. It’s insanely memorable and snappy, and helped solidify a banner year for good ol’ Soderbergh. Two more movies would be made, alongside a Sandra Bullock-centered spin-off, and even a prequel starring the two actors currently appearing in WB’s biggest hit of the year in development. It’s a rare case where the remake is far more successful than its original. And frankly, it’s looking to still be a gold mine for Warner for decades to come, thanks to that classic Soderbergh magic and ingenuity.