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

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#451 - Driving Miss Daisy (25 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #88)

 

#450 - Matchstick Men (25 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #75)

 

#449 - Barbershop: The Next Cut, He's Just Not That Into You (25 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #76)

 

#448 - Batman: Soul of the Dragon (25 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #50)

(sadly, no GIF for this I could find)

 

#447 - Batman Forever (25 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #49)

 

#446 - Batman: Assault on Arkham (25 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #48)

 

#445 - The Death of Superman (25 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #46)

 

#444 - My Dog Skip (25 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #33)

 

#443 - Death to Smoochy, The Great Gatsby (25 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #32)

 

#442 - Wrath of the Titans (26 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #88)

[Eric the Fall Guy]

3 hours ago, Human said:

Already so many DTV animated films that only I put on the list.

Your list was quite the treat, because I only recognized like...15 of the movies you chose lmao. I am very curious about "The Batman vs. Dracula". A title like that screams "best movie ever made".

[Reddroast]

6 minutes ago, Eric Stickell said:

Your list was quite the treat, because I only recognized like...15 of the movies you chose lmao. I am very curious about "The Batman vs. Dracula". A title like that screams "best movie ever made".

Oh I remember that one. The Batman was underrated series. The shows take on characters like Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy and The Riddler was unique.

Edited July 17, 2023 by Reddroast

[Human]

3 hours ago, Eric Stickell said:

Your list was quite the treat, because I only recognized like...15 of the movies you chose lmao. I am very curious about "The Batman vs. Dracula". A title like that screams "best movie ever made".

Dark movie that takes itself seriously.  The tv show creators were clearly having fun showing everything they could not get away with on network tv.  My favorite part was Dracula thinking Bats is his legacy character.

[Eric the Fall Guy]

Sorry to everybody that I didn't get any new entries up today. Today was super busy for me and I have to head to bed early, since my shift tomorrow was moved up a half hour earlier. However, while I know these are likely boring for some, I will reveal a few more honorable mentions, since those take much less time to produce. Hope everybody here understands this and I will try my absolute best to get more of the top 100 revealed tomorrow.

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#441 - 300: Rise of an Empire (26 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #75)

 

#440 - Keanu (27 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #67)

 

#439 - The Negotiator (28 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #73)

 

#438 - Beowulf (29 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #86)

 

#437 - DC League of Super-Pets (29 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #71)

 

#436 - Mr. Arkadin, The Dish (29 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #72)

 

#435 - The Witches (30 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #50)

 

#434 - 42 (30 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #42) (Can't make this up if I tried lol)

 

#433 - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Cleopatra Jones, Orphan, Deathtrap (30 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #71)

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#432 - The Intern, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (30 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #45)

 

#431 - What a Girl Wants (30 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #44)

 

#430 - Justice Society: World War II (30 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #42)

 

#429 - Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (30 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #41)

 

#428 - Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (30 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #7)

 

#427 - Corpse Bride (31 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #91)

 

#426 - Horrible Bosses, The Bad Seed (32 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #69)

 

#425 - The Secret Garden, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (33 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #84)

 

#424 - Batman and Robin (33 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #49)

 

#423 - Little Caesar, The Old Man and the Sea (33 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #68)

[DAR]

1 hour ago, Eric Stickell said:

#448 - 300: Rise of an Empire (26 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #75)

 

#447 - Keanu (27 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #67)

 

#446 - The Negotiator (28 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #73)

 

#445 - Beowulf (29 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #86)

 

#444 - DC League of Super-Pets (29 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #71)

 

#443 - Mr. Arkadin, The Dish (29 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #72)

 

#442 - The Witches (30 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #50)

 

#441 - 42 (30 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #42) (Can't make this up if I tried to lol)

 

#440 - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Cleopatra Jones, Orphan, Deathtrap (30 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #71)

The Negotiator solid dad movie.

[TalismanRing]

Keanu and that gif made me think of @Talkie

 

Hope she's doing OK

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#422 - Michael Collins (34 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #67)

 

#421 - Lego DC Super Heroes: Justice League - Gotham City: Breakout (34 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #40)

 

#420 - Creepshow, Lego DC Super Heroes: Justice League - Cosmic Clash (34 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #38)

 

#419 - The Last Boy Scout, Romeo Must Die, Batman: Year One (34 points, 1 list. avg. ranking #37)

 

#418 - Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman - Rage of Atlantis (34 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #36)

 

#417 - Birds of Prey (35 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #89)

 

#416 - Sully (35 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #73)

 

#415 - Lost in America, The Man from UNCLE (35 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #66)

 

#414 - Bronco Billy, Queen of the Damned (35 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #24)

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#91

Mad Max 2

468 points, 9 lists

"My life fades. The vision dims. All that remains are memories. I remember a time of chaos... ruined dreams... this wasted land. But most of all, I remember The Road Warrior. The man we called "Max.""

 

Box Office: 36M

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Metacritic: 77

Awards: 5 Australian Film Institute Awards and 2 nominations, 1 Saturn Award and 5 nominations, 1 Hugo Award nomination

 

Roger Ebert's Review: ""Mad Max 2" [released in the United States as "The Road Warrior"] is a film of pure action, of kinetic energy organized around the barest possible bones of a plot. It has a vision of a violent future world, but it doesn't develop that vision with characters and dialogue. It would rather plunge headlong into one of the most relentlessly aggressive movies ever made. I walked out of "Mad Max 2" a little dizzy and with my ears still ringing from the roar of the sound track; I can't say I "enjoyed" the film, but I'll hardly forget it."

 

Its Legacy: Solidified the Mad Max franchise's aesthetics and as a powerhouse property. Made Mel Gibson a movie star (sadly). Helped greenlight tons more George Miller projects. Showcased the incredible talents of the Aussie film industry. Post-apocalyptic cornerstone, with its style and setting influencing tons more works. Has its own museum just for this one film. Gave Bruce Spence a paycheck.

 

Commentary: The first Mad Max film was of course a very popular and iconic piece of Austrailian cinema. Immensely profitable, high-octane action, introduced the world to shitstain Mel Gibson. Mad Max 2 was really when the film series properly began, at least when it came to the aesthetics we associate with the franchise these days. This post-apocalyptic Western story, focusing on marauders trying to take down a village, and only a hardened, lonely man can save them, is one that is full of style, with epic action and limited dialogue, allowing the strong cinematography and world to tell its story.

 

Sure enough, this defined what Mad Max would be. Deserts, post apocalypse, utter mayhem, and our stone-cold hero right at the center, trapped in a new story and situation. And thankfully, people could watch this without knowing it was a sequel, which is how many in the US first encountered this film. And with the colossal success of Fury Road, Mad Max 2/The Road Warrior will live on as an eternal classic and what made George Miller a directing superstar then and now.

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#90

Judas and the Black Messiah

473 points, 13 lists

"Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed"

 

Box Office: 7.4M

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

Metacritic: 85

Awards: 2 Academy Awards and 4 nominations, 1 BET Award and 2 nominations, 1 BAFTA Award and 3 nominations, 1 Golden Globe Award and 1 nomination, 1 Grammy Award and 2 nominations, 3 NAACP Image Awards and 6 nominations. 

 

Roger Ebert's Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Brought the story of Fred Hampton to the forefront. Began the directing career of Shaka King. One of the major day-and-date theatrical/HBO Max releases from 2021. Gave Daniel Kaluuya a much deserved Oscar. Dominique Fishback's first major film role. Joined AFI and NBR's Top 10 Films of the Year. Gave Ashton Sanders a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Like many of the amazing Civil Rights leaders, radicals, and revolutionaries, the people who changed our world for the better, Fred Hampton’s life was a short one. For daring to ask others to treat him and his people with respect, he was murdered by shitstain J. Edgar Hoover and his FBI operations. Yet his legacy lives on and his ideas are still celebrated decades later. And it was only a matter of time that his story would be immortalized in the world of cinema. And what a film we have here.

 

Anchored by two excellent leading...er, supporting performances from both Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, two of the best actors working today, this is not just the story of a powerful radical who changed countless lives, but also a tragedy when framed around Stanfield’s William O’Neal. It’s a conflicted character, forced to take down somebody he ultimately agrees with for simply doing the right thing. It’s all framed by vivid camerawork, incredible and emotional sequences full of spark and action, and an important lesson about the evils of the FBI and our government. Either way you look at it, we have a film that is just as prescient and resonant today as the events it depicts.

 

This was not the biggest box office hit, not helped by its COVID-impacted release date, but its Oscars pedigree and important subject matter has made sure Fred Hampton’s story is alive and prominent. For those who already knew his story and those who had no idea somebody like him existed. And frankly, that’s more important than any monetary reward.

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#89

Slumdog Millionaire

473 points, 10 lists

"When somebody asks me a question, I tell them the answer."

 

Box Office: 378.4M

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Metacritic: 86

Awards: 8 Academy Awards and 2 nominations, 7 BAFTA Awards and 4 nominations, 5 Critics Choice Awards and 1 nomination, 4 Golden Globe Awards, 2 Grammy Awards

 

Roger Ebert's Review: "Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" hits the ground running. This is a breathless, exciting story, heartbreaking and exhilarating at the same time, about a Mumbai orphan who rises from rags to riches on the strength of his lively intelligence. The film's universal appeal will present the real India to millions of moviegoers for the first time."

 

Its Legacy: The highest-grossing Fox Searchlight movie ever. The most successful British independent film at that time. Earned record grosses for a Best Picture winner in the US and UK. The fifteenth film to win 8 Oscars. The first digitally shot film to win Best Cinematography at the Oscars. Both celebrated and scrutinized for its depiction of India and its cultures. Subject to major pieces of academic criticism. Made Dev Patel a movie star. Winner of TIFF's People's Choice Award. Earned Best Film by the National Board of Review.

 

Commentary: Like John Wick, it’s not exactly a wholly WB film. It was actually something Warner was set to abandon and plop straight to video if not for Fox Searchlight, who proposed a joint distribution pact. But WB had their hands in it, and my countdown, my rules. But I hope that doesn’t distract from what a great film we still got.

 

The premise is a very memorable one, about a man living in the slums who wins it all on a game show thanks to his own background and life story. And director Danny Boyle gives us a total crowd pleaser that’s full of poppy colors, strong music, great digital cinematography, and an inspirational plot that tugs at the heartstrings. It’s the kind of underdog movie we all love to see, while also giving insights into the stories and cultures that many typically don’t get to see. All the while, Dev Patel would become a superstar and one of the strongest young actors working today, with him recently shining in David Lowery’s The Green Knight and will be giving us his directorial debut on Netflix later this year.

 

With that all said, not everything is rosy with the film. Some found it cloying, others found it offensive, many Indians have given valid criticisms for this white-directed film. But it got an audience, became a global phenomenon and is obviously still cherished and beloved. Film impacts us, good and bad, in many ways. And while we all have our opinions, Slumdog Millionaire’s impact can not be ignored. So thank you Fox Searchlight for giving this movie a chance.

 

Oh, wait. This isn’t a Searchlight countdown. Um...thank you Warner Bros. for ignoring this great movie? I don’t have a good segue, so...yeah.

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#413 - Deep Blue Sea (35 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #22)

 

#412 - No Sudden Move (36 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #83)

 

#411 - Detective Pikachu, Ocean's 11 (1960), Analyze That (36 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #64)

 

#410 - Hall Pass (37 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #63)

 

#409 - Sleepers (38 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #57)

 

#408 - Tomb Raider, The Left Handed Gun, The Nun's Story, A Cinderella Story (38 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #62)

 

#407 - Superman: Doomsday (38 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #35)

 

#406 - The Lego Ninjago Movie, Driven (38 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #32)

 

#405 - Superfly, The Phantom of the Opera (39 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #62)

 

#404 - Reminiscence (40 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #19)

[Human]

I put so many legos on the list.

[Eric the Fall Guy]

10 hours ago, Human said:

I put so many legos on the list.

I had no idea there were so many Lego movies made. I just thought it was the ones that came out in theaters. It's no wonder people got burned out by the time The Second Part came out.

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#403 - Bad Education (41 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #80)

 

#402 - Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, Tess (41 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #60)

 

#401 - Ocean's 8 (42 points, 3 lists, avg. ranking #87)

 

#400 - Woodstock, Blinded by the Light (42 points, 2 lists avg. ranking #80)

 

#399 - Lego DC: Shazam! Magic and Monsters (42 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #30)

 

 

#398 - Superman vs. The Elite (42 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #29)

 

#397 - Green Lantern: First Flight, The Invasion (42 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #28)

 

#396 - Point of No Return, Lego DC: Batman - Family Matters (42 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #27)

 

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#88

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

474 points, 10 lists

"What a beautiful place... to be with friends."

 

Box Office: 977.1M

Rotten Tomatoes: 77%

Metacritic: 65

Awards: 2 Academy Award nominations, 2 BAFTA Award nominations, 5 Saturn Award nominations, 1 Hugo Award nomination, 1 MTV Movie Award and 5 nominations

 

Roger Ebert's Review: "As we approach the end of a decade of Harry Potter, it's clear how wisely (and luckily) the studio cast the series. Radcliffe, Grint and Watson have grown from children to young adults, still retain the qualities they had when younger, are practiced professionals and carry the series. They are surrounded by a supporting cast that's like an honor roll of recent great British actors."

 

Its Legacy: Began the finale of a generation. Kickstarted a trend of 2-part movies that is still in effect today. Became the third-biggest movie of 2010 and the third-biggest movie in the Harry Potter series. Gave Alan Rickman a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Finally, we’ve reached the Boy Who Lived, one of the most important figures in the WB canon, for better or worse. Starting the trend of 2-part movies that nobody really actually likes, the final chapter of Harry Potter needed to be two epic movies in order to satisfy the fans who had been supporting this franchise since day 1. And both films would serve as total opposites to each other that, when combined, led to the ultimate package.

 

In Part 1’s case, the film was a very character-driven piece. A film that was designed to focus on Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Their dynamics, their growth over the course of each movie, the emotional connection they have with each other and within themselves. It’s all explored through moments that are more low-key, though there’s still plenty of special effects sequences and fun action sequences.

 

It was a great package all things considered. Not only was it a great feature to enjoy on its own, not only was it a beautiful film for fans who grew up with these characters for a decade, but it was the perfect appetizer for the main course that everybody was excited for just a few months later. But did it reach the top 100? Well...just gonna have to wait.

 

Please donate to the National Center of Trans Equality: https://transequality.org/

[Human]

You literally just posted 4  that I am the only person who put them on the list.  Too few people watch modern movies.

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#87

Arsenic and Old Lace

480 points, 8 lists

"And I'm not a cab driver, I'm a coffee pot!"

Box Office: 4.8M

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

Metacritic: N/A

Awards: N/A

 

Roger Ebert's Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Definitive version of the classic stage play. Cary Grant's most divisive performance. One of only two films Frank Capra did for Warner Bros. Ranked #30 on AFI's Top 100 Laughs. Part of the Criterion Collection. Gave Priscilla Lane a paycheck.

 

Commentary: A masterclass of dark comedy, this Frank Capra classic is the perfect blend of morbid and hilarious, with a farcical premise that is reminiscent of Capra screwballs, notably You Can’t Take It With You, but avoiding any heavy-handed messages and social consciousness. And frankly, it’s all for the better.

 

Not only is Cary Grant delivering great work, with tons of overacting and mugging that is hilarious to watch, you have the two murder-loving aunts, Josephine Hull and Jean Adair, who bring a more down-to-earth portrayal despite their villainous acts. With Grant being the goofy straight man surrounded by sickos who play things straight, there’s your comedy right there. The movie seamlessly handles multiple tones and jarring shifts, allowing for a macabre, yet still engaging and hilarious comedy caper that is an underrated, yet beloved piece of Frank Capra canon.