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

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#86

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

481 points, 9 lists

"Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy."

 

Box Office: 896.8M

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Metacritic: 81

Awards: 1 Academy Award nomination, 1 BAFTA Award, 1 Kids Choice Award, 1 Teen Choice Award

 

Roger Ebert's Review: "With this fourth film, the Harry Potter saga demonstrates more than ever the resiliency of J.K. Rowling's original invention. Her novels have created a world that can expand indefinitely and produce new characters without limit. That there are schools like Hogwarts in other countries comes as news and offers many possibilities; the only barrier to the series lasting forever is Harry's inexorably advancing age. The thought of him returning to Hogwarts for old boys' day is too depressing to contemplate."

 

Its Legacy: Gave us Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort. Kickstarted the career of Robert Pattinson. Led to a Wyrd Sisters lawsuit. The second film in the series to be released in IMAX. The first Potter film to win a BAFTA. The only Potter film to win the Kids Choice Award for Favorite Movie. Gave Gary Oldman a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Considered one of the best Potter movies based on one of the best Potter books (well I actually don’t know if it’s considered that. I just think those things), this fourth entry really had it all. Thanks to the Triwizard Games plot, we have a movie with tons of iconic setpieces and thrilling sequences abound, while also featuring the cast developing as teenagers. Their older age not only allows Radcliffe and co. a chance to show their improve acting crafts, but also means they get to grow up, deal with new challenges, and make the Steve Kloves script just a tad more richer and developed.

 

To say nothing of the new cast members. There’s Brendan Gleeson as the delightfully crazed Mad-Eye Moody, Miranda Richardson as the snoopy reporter for The Daily Prophet, and even baby Robert Pattinson, long before he became a teen heartthrob, arthouse darling, and every auteur’s favorite dude. Oh, and we finally see Voldemort, at least the noseless version, performed by the one and only Ralph Fiennes.

 

It’s one of the most important films in Potter history and is a huge fan-favorite. That’s more than enough for this to reach the top 90.

 

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[4815162342]

1 hour ago, Eric Bainbridge said:

#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.

 

Too low.

[ListenHunnyUrOver]

So far…

 

100: East of Eden (1955)

99: White Heat (1949)

98. John Wick (2014)
97. Whatever Happened To Baby Jane (1962)

96. Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

95. The Right Stuff (1983)

94. Joker (2019)

93. The Suicide Squad (2021)

92. Contact (1997)
91. Mad Max 2 (1981) 

90. Judas and the Black Messiah (2020)

89. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

88. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part I (2010)
87. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

86. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#395 - We Are Marshall (43 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #79)

 

#394 - The Emigrants, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (43 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #58)

 

#393 - Flags of Our Fathers, Vegas Vaction, Reversal of Fortune (44 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #57)

 

#392 - Footlight Parade (45 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #78)

 

#391 - Smallfoot (45 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #64)

 

#390 - Honkytonk Man (45 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #24)

 

#389 - Cheyenne Autumn, March of the Penguins (45 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #56)

 

#388 - Summer Wars (45 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #15)

 

#387 - Where the Wild Things Are (46 points, 4 lists, avg. ranking #72)

 

#386 - Annabelle: Creation (46 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #78)

[SchumacherFTW]

1 minute ago, Eric Bainbridge said:

#399 - We Are Marshall (43 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #79)

 

#398 - The Emigrants, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (43 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #58)

 

#397 - Flags of Our Fathers, Vegas Vaction, Reversal of Fortune (44 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #57)

 

#396 - Footlight Parade (45 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #78)

 

#395 - Smallfoot (45 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #64)

 

#394 - Honkytonk Man (45 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #24)

 

#393 - Cheyenne Autumn, March of the Penguins (45 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #56)

 

#392 - Summer Wars (45 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #15)

 

#391 - Where the Wild Things Are (46 points, 4 lists, avg. ranking #72)

 

#390 - Annabelle: Creation (46 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #78)

Summer Wars counted?! Fuck

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#385 - The Dresser (46 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #55)

 

#384 - Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Justice League: The New Frontier (46 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #24)

 

#383 - Maverick, The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie, All This and Heaven Too (47 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #54)

 

#382 - Teen Titans Go! To The Movies, Syriana, The Young Philadelphians (48 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #53)

 

#381 - Prince of the City, Mickey Blue Eyes (49 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #52)

 

#380 - Annabelle (50 points, 2 lists, avg. ranking #76)

 

#379 - Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, The Learning Tree, The Towering Inferno, The Man Who Came to Dinner (50 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #51)

 

#378 - Assassins, Scooby-Doo: Legend of the Phantosaur (50 points, 1 list, avg. ranking #20)

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#85

The Music Man

481 points, 8 lists

"So what the heck? You're welcome! Join us at the picnic! You can eat your fill of all the food you bring yourself."

Box Office: 15M

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Metacritic: N/A

Awards: 1 Academy Award and 5 nominations, 1 Golden Globe Award and 4 nominations, 1 DGA Award nomination, 1 WGA Award.

 

Roger Ebert's Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Ensured the already iconic musical would have an iconic film adaptation of its own. Remade by Disney starring Matthew Broderick. Cited as one of the greatest movie musicals ever made. Joined the National Film Registry in 2005. Gave Buddy Hackett a paycheck.

 

Commentary: If you have skin, you know about Meredith Wilson’s timeless musical classic. And if you have skin, you have also either endured your community’s cringey theater production of The Music Man or were part of your school’s cringey theater production of The Music Man. I was in the latter camp. I played one of the background teenagers!

 

At this point, The Music Man is overexposed, which means it’s a show we are all just sick of seeing everywhere. Well, that Warner Bros. movie from 1962? That’s a film so good that it reminds you why people love that show in the first place.

 

The songs are all bangers, one after the other, and the story, while light and silly, is still a compelling one. And it's all through direction that is poppy, energized, and consistently exciting. It also helps that Robert Preston is the star. This man is Harold Hill. Matthew Broderick and Hugh Jackman can both attest to the fact that they can't beat the king. The man perfectly captures Harold Hill's slimeballness and shadiness, while still making sure he's lovable and charming. His character and growth is believable and his relationship with Marion and Winthrop, both of whom are expertly played by Shirley Jones and Ronny Howard, is well-done and paced wonderfully. It's strange to think that Warner Bros. would release this, find commercial and critical success with Robert Preston reprising his stage role, and then ditch Julie Andrews when doing My Fair Lady. No disrespect to Audrey Hepburn, but it's still weird.

 

WB’s been synonymous with musicals since the Busby Berkeley days. And with Wonka and The Color Purple dropping later this year, this will not change any time soon. But this one stands as a cut above the rest and will always be celebrated as long as we still get community theater productions propping up like weeds across the country.

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#84

Once Upon a Time in America

489 points, 10 lists

"Noodles... I slip... ped."

 

Box Office: 5.5M

Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

Metacritic: 75

Awards: 2 BAFTAs and 3 nominations, 2 Golden Globe Award nominations

 

Roger Ebert's Review: "Is the film too long? Yes and no. Yes, in the sense that it takes real concentration to understand Leone's story construction, in which everything may or may not be an opium dream, a nightmare, a memory, or a flashback, and that we have to keep track of characters and relationships over fifty years. No, in the sense that the movie is compulsively and continuously watchable and that the audience did not stir or grow restless as the epic unfolded."

 

Its Legacy: The final film of iconic, acclaimed director Sergio Leone. Also Leone's final film in his Once Upon a Time trilogy. Oft considered one of the greatest gangster movies and greatest movies of all time. Ranked #10 on Sight & Sound's 2002 critics list. #9 on Time Out's Top 50 gangster movies. Considered the fourth best mobster film by The Guardian. Has recieved several cuts and versions. Gave Danny Aiello a paycheck.

 

Commentary: The swan song of Sergio Leone, this is a Warner Bros. movie that, sadly, Warner Bros. completely bungled and destroyed to make it more “marketable”. The Snyder Cut wasn’t the first time this stuff happened, and it certainly won't be the last.

 

Cutting the 3 hour, 49 minute epic into a 2 hour, 19 minute feature that was more conventional and boring, everybody hated it. Critics thought it was awful, it was on tons of “worst movies of the year” lists, and it flopped hard in theaters. Trying to make things more appealing to everybody meant it appealed to nobody.

 

But of course, that’s not what we recognize the film for these days. That 229 minute version? That’s the good stuff. It’s a densely packed, emotionally powerful insight into the lives of Jewish Americans. An epic odyssey that looks into themes and ideas of friendship, love, lust, greed, betrayal, loss, all through the backdrop of the rise of the mob within America. These days, that original cut is one of the greatest movies ever made. One of the greatest gangster stories ever made. And one of Leone’s absolute bests, right up there with that original Dollars Trilogy that gave us WB staple Clint Eastwood.

 

Sure, it may not be The Ladd Company/Warner’s greatest achievement to ruin such a masterpiece. But decades later, with that European Cut widely available for us all to enjoy, does it really matter?

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#83

Wonder Woman

492 points, 18 lists

"I will fight for those who cannot fight for themselves"

Box Office: 822.8M

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Metacritic: 76

Awards: 1 Critics Choice Award and 2 nominations, 1 Empire Award and 3 nominations, 1 Hugo Award, 1 MTV Movie Award and 2 nominations, 1 Saturn Award and 5 nominations, 1 SAG Award

 

Roger Ebert's Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Gave us the long-awaited and immediately definitive take on the iconic DC superheroine. Considered a landmark in feminist blockbuster cinema. Earned the biggest opening for a female-directed film, and became the biggest domestic earner for a female-directed film and the biggest superhero origin film. Considered the creative high point of the DC Extended Universe. Made Gal Gadot a movie star. Earned a sequel in 2020. Ranked in AFI's Top Ten Movies of the Year. Gave Connie Nielsen a paycheck.

 

Commentary: The DCEU fumbled the bag not once, not twice, but thrice, all immediately out of the gate. With three critical bombs, everybody was scared over the one movie that, frankly, WB could not fuck up. Wonder Woman is one of, if not the most important heroine in comic book history. She isn’t just some cool woman who kicks ass, but a symbol. A symbol of womanhood, a symbol of feminism, a symbol of power, a symbol of everything good about our world. And for decades, WB tried to get us the perfect movie we all deserved. But time and time again, projects would fall apart, restart, then fall apart again, because nobody knew how to do Diana of Themyscira justice.

 

But finally, in 2017, Patty Jenkins came up and did it right. Oh boy, did she get it right. Opening already to a solid 103.2M, it seemed things would be okay for the Amazon warrior. But very quickly, Wonder Woman became a phenomenon. Women went out in full force to see their favorite feminist icon kick ass and save us from the clutches of World War I. And to the surprise of everybody, Wonder Woman did more than 4 times its opening and beat Spider-Man to become the biggest non-sequel superhero movie ever...then Black Panther came out a few months later, but still, crazy stuff.

 

And it’s all because Jenkins knew what made Diana such an amazing hero, especially in these trying times. Coming out the same year as the Me Too movement, Diana, performed by Gal Gadot, was everything that made women amazing. She’s a powerful fighter, and is always willing to kick ass and take names. But she is also a protector. A protector who cares about the innocent, and hates the idea of evil torturing those who never deserved it. She knows that people are willing to do good things, and it’s important to keep them alive, even if their moral code as a whole is nothing but a gray area. Diana is the antidote to a society full of hatred and corruption. And having this character see such amazing success in a year when so many women revealed they have been abused, mistreated, and have lost their agency...it makes the film all the more powerful.

 

Of course, things after that fateful film became a lot more shaky. She was treated like a joke in Josstice League, the sequel was considered a major disappointment, the third film in the planned trilogy was canceled, and now the whole franchise is getting rebooted in James Gunn's DC Universe, with the next actress having big shoes to fill. But that 2017 hit really was something special and reminded all of us that women really are the coolest people around. And that is something we will never, ever forget.

[4815162342]

Music Man and Once Upon a Time in America is a pair of back to back bangers

[excel1]

WW needed to higher no doubt 😎

Edited July 21, 2023 by excel1

[Cap]

I feel like I single handedly dragged the music man over the line with my 100 points 🥰

[TalismanRing]

32 minutes ago, Cap said:

I feel like I single handedly dragged the music man over the line with my 100 points 🥰

 

1 point more than my 99

 

Only on 8 lists?   Get to watching it people.  

[Cap]

6 minutes ago, TalismanRing said:

 

1 point more than my 99

 

team work 🥺

 

6 minutes ago, TalismanRing said:

 

Only on 8 lists?   Get to watching it people.  

It’s on TCM every July 4, people. Usually between Yankee Doodle and 1776

[Eric the Fall Guy]

6 hours ago, Cap said:

I feel like I single handedly dragged the music man over the line with my 100 points 🥰

Yes. And thank goodness for that lol

[4815162342]

8 hours ago, Cap said:

I feel like I single handedly dragged the music man over the line with my 100 points 🥰

 

7 hours ago, TalismanRing said:

 

1 point more than my 99

 

Only on 8 lists?   Get to watching it people.  

 

I'm sure my 75 played a part too

[TalismanRing]

8 minutes ago, 4815162342 said:

 

 

I'm sure my 75 played a part too

 

 

 

[Eric the Fall Guy]

15 minutes ago, 4815162342 said:

 

 

I'm sure my 75 played a part too

You should have placed it at 76 lol

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#82

Badlands

501 points, 9 lists

"At this moment, I didn't feel shame or fear, but just kind of blah, like when you're sitting there and all the water's run out of the bathtub."

Box Office: N/A

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

Metacritic: 93

Awards: 1 BAFTA Award nomination,

 

Roger Ebert's Review: "Terrence Malick, born 1943, is a legendary figure in American film, often described as reclusive. In fact, he is simply private, absorbed in his own work, happy with a circle of friends, and declining to join in even token efforts at publicity. I am unaware of a single interview he has given; the many second-hand reports from those who know him paint a cheerful man, friendly, obsessed with details, enraptured by nature. There is a hint of Kubrick...In five movies in four decades, he has, in his own way, fashioned one of the most distinctive bodies of work of his time. Very much in his own way."

 

Its Legacy: The closing film of the 1973 New York Film Festival. The breakout film of Sissy Spacek and influenced her understanding of filmmaking. Martin Sheen's favorite script he ever read. The debut film of arthouse icon Terrence Malick. Joined the National Film Registry in 1993. Gave Warren Oates a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Terrence Malick. You either love this man’s films for their moody atmosphere and contemplative storytelling, or hate their spiritualism and lack of compelling narrative. Regardless of your own opinions, his directorial debut really seemed to leave an impression on tons of BOT users. And it’s easy to understand why. It’s largely considered one of his more accessible features, being a Bonnie and Clyde-style story about two lovers who go off on a killing spree. But despite the easy to follow narrative, many of Malick’s hallmarks are seen right out of the gate. Lush imagery, transcendent themes, powerful performances, and a screenplay that is mesmerizing and unlike anything else.

 

The film was given positive reviews on its initial release. And like any great film, it’s aged like fine wine and is celebrated for beginning the career of an all-time film director and being the breakout for the icon that is Sissy Spacek. And with a spot in the National Film Registry and the cast still raving about how much they adore the movie they were a part of, this is going to be a classic beloved for generations to come. Especially with Malick continuing to be a strong force in the arthouse industry.

[Eric the Fall Guy]

#81

Mildred Pierce

502 points, 9 lists

"Personally, Veda's convinced me that alligators have the right idea. They eat their young."

Box Office: 5.6M

Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

Metacritic: 88

Awards: 1 Academy Award and 5 nominations, 1 National Board of Review Award, 1 New York Film Critics Circle Awards nomination

 

Roger Ebert's Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Joan Crawford's most iconic, Oscar-winning performance. Crawford's first starring role for WB, but far from the last. A crucial part of the 1981 Crawford "biopic" Mommie Dearest and featured on the FX series Feud. Parodied on The Carol Burnett Show. Part of the Criterion Collection. Remade into an HBO miniseries starring Kate Winslet. Joined the National Film Registry in 1996. Gave Eve Arden a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Moms deserve better. They do so much for us without ever getting paid. They have so many responsibilities, but never get any proper credit. They are the most important people in the world, yet still get treated like second class citizens. Mildred Pierce, from Casablanca director Michael Curtiz, is one of the strongest and toughest cinematic mothers in history. A mother who is left behind by her first husband, is raising a teenage daughter who hates her guts, despite Mildred doing everything to make her daughter happy and popular, and is stuck in another loveless marriage just to find some sort of social status to be liked by her daughter and the world.

 

It’s emotionally devastating, and it’s all thanks to Curtiz’s subtle direction and the incredible performance of the one and only Joan Crawford, as well as a strong screenplay by Ranald MacDougall that frames everything into a noir backdrop and makes sure every character is still given nuance and dimension. And above all else, despite the tragedy, Mildred Pierce is still a remarkable woman, doing everything she can to support her daughters. Even if, in the end, that love leads to terrible repercussions down the road.

 

It’s a very complex, yet very emotionally powerful feature. One that has become Joan Crawford’s greatest, most defining performance, and shows that feminist features and strong-written women have always been an integral part of cinema. And with a recent release in 4K UHD by Criterion, Mildred Pierce will continue to be celebrated long after we are gone. Like any great mom would.