The Top-Rated Billion Dollar Movies On Rotten Tomatoes
Reaching a billion dollars in revenue is an astonishing feat for any company or product. Movies are no different, and some of our favorite movies of all time haven't even come close to breaking $500 million in revenue, let alone 1 billion dollars. Many cult classics don't do that, or it takes them many years to do so. For these billion-dollar blockbusters, the crowd at Rotten Tomatoes went bananas, or tomatoes, rather.
Aquaman (2018)
While only 55 movies have ever broken the billion-dollar mark, Aquaman offers up a respectable superhero movie with the man of muscle, Jason Momoa, playing the lead role as the titular character. Despite Momoa's high praise for his role, critics across Rotten Tomatoes only gave the movie a 65% score. But it still grossed $1.15 billion at the box office.
The Fate Of The Furious (2017)
The Fate Of The Furious is the eighth installment in the Fast And Furious movie franchise and the first movie since Tokyo Drift (2006) not to star Paul Walker, as the star passed away in 2013. Considering this an "opening of a new chapter" in the Fast and Furious franchise, critics generally praised the action-packed flick. It only scored 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, but has grossed $1.23 billion at the box office.
Universal, The Fate of the Furious
Jurassic World (2015)
The first Jurassic Park film since 2001 was bound to be a huge hit among Jurassic Park fans. Chris Pratt starred alongside Bryce Dallas Howard and Nick Robinson. More dinosaur-themed chaos erupts as a dinosaur escapes from its cage at the dinosaur-themed amusement park known as Jurassic World.
Receiving just 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, Jurassic World was billed as a "popcorn thriller" unable to match the original for inventiveness and impact. Despite this, it grossed $1.67 billion worldwide.
Universal, Jurassic World (2015)
Beauty And The Beast (2017)
Despite coming 36 years after the original and not being the first remake of the Disney classic, Beauty And The Beast (2017), starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, didn't stray far from the original storyline while providing, according to critics, a "refreshing take" on the classic.
It also received 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, but grossed a stunning $1.263 billion worldwide.
Walt Disney, Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
The sequel to The Avengers (2011) would have to be pretty special to best the film that began the series. In Avengers: The Age of Ultron, the cast of The Avengers reunite to battle Ultron, a peacekeeping robot gone awry on a mission to destroy earth. While critics were fairly harsh of the movie's characterization of Ultron when compared to how the comics portrayed him, the movie received a respectable 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Its astounding budget of $365 million was going to demand a pretty incredible box office response—which it received to the tune of $1.4 billion worldwide.
Walt Disney, Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022)
One of the most visually compelling movies of the last decade, the sequel to the blockbuster Avatar was definitely one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Despite offering little by way of innovative storytelling, luckily for Avatar: The Way Of Water, it blew critics away with its visuals.
Despite grossing over $1.5 billion worldwide, the sequel to one of the most unique films of the 21st century only scored 76% on the Tomatometer.
Twentieth Century, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Frozen II (2019)
While Elsa remains the Snow Queen, she finds herself called to another adventure in this sequel to the blockbusting and ear-splitting Frozen (2013). A coming-of-age movie about self-discovery and adventure in the context of Elsa's magical snow kingdom, Frozen II unravels the mysteries of how Elsa obtained her magical powers.
Despite grossing $1.45 billion worldwide, critics felt that Frozen II failed to capture the "show-stopping" nature of its predecessor, giving it a 77% rating on the Tomatometer.
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Just released this summer, Deadpool & Wolverine saw two superheroes team up for one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman star as their eponymous characters in this fight against evil that sees the pair teaming up for the first time.
Though still climbing through the ranks, Deadpool & Wolverine has thus far grossed $1.08 billion worldwide, but scored a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with its harshest critics decrying it as a last hurrah of a bygone superhero movie era.
Twentieth Century, Deadpool & Wolverine
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Set after the events of The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 sees Tony Stark having to pick up the pieces after his personal life is reduced to rubble by a new foe: Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). It was praised for its action sequences, but heavily criticized for its portrayal of Mandarin, which turned out to be nothing but a façade for Guy Pearce's real name: Aldrich Killian in the MCU.
Despite these criticisms of the plot and closeness to the comics earning it just a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Iron Man 3 still grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, cementing its place as one of the highest-grossing Marvel movies of all time.
Captain Marvel (2019)
Another Marvel blockbuster was Captain Marvel, which starred Brie Larson as Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel), alongside Samuel L Jackson and Pierce Brosnan. Despite the originality of Captain Marvel, MCU fans felt that the movie was out of place in the grand scheme of the Marvel Comic Universe and that there was a lack of character development written into the movie—"a spoiled brat at the beginning, and a superhero spoiled brat at the end," as one critic put it.
Captain Marvel still grossed $1.12 billion worldwide and had the largest ever box office opening weekend for a female-led film at the time. However, its critics put it on-par with Iron Man 3, receiving 79% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Walt Disney, Captain Marvel (2019)
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
The very first Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone was released in 2001, based on the eponymous book series by JK Rowling. Marking the beginning of one of the most beloved children's movies franchises of all time, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone achieved an astonishing $1.24 billion worldwide.
Critics of the film said that it lacked substance when compared to Rowling's novel, but it still garnered a respectable 81% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Warner Bros., Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
Furious 7 (2015)
Before The Fate Of The Furious hit our screens, Furious 7 was originally slated to be released in 2014, with filming concluding in 2013. However, following the death of Paul Walker that year, filming was indefinitely suspended. In the end, Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, stood in for his final scenes. Starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, and Michelle Rodriguez, along with the return of the usual cast, Furious 7 pitted the team against a terrorist intent on stealing a hacking program and represented the first real departure from racing-themed storylines.
Furious 7 drew criticism for its turn towards non-racing themed storylines, but was praised for keeping the franchise alive, despite the loss of its key figure in Paul Walker. Furious 7 grossed $1.51 billion worldwide, becoming the first of The Fast and Furious films to do so. It received an 81% rating from Rotten Tomatoes.
Avatar (2009)
Few people quite knew what to expect from Avatar when it was released in 2009. But James Cameron's filmmaking genius made for an incredibly compelling movie, even if the story was somewhat tropey, at least according to the critics.
Avatar grossed $2.92 billion, making it one of only six movies to ever gross more than 2 billion dollars, but only rated a shocking 81% on Rotten Tomatoes, despite being one of the most commercially successful movies ever made.
Twentieth Century, Avatar (2009)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story broke new ground for the franchise, starring Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, pitting her against her father who was kidnapped and forced to work on the Death Star years prior. Jyn joins forces with the Rebel Alliance to steal the Death Star's plans and save the galaxy.
Rogue One received high praise from critics for taking the franchise in a new direction, grossing over 1.05 billion worldwide, but scoring highly on Rotten Tomatoes, at 84%.
Lucasfilm, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
While Avengers: Infinity War may have been one of the most successful MCU and Avengers movies of all time, this 2018 flick starring all the usual suspects was heavily criticized for just being "too much". Too much plot. Too much cast. "Too much everything".
While most enjoyed the movie—at least judging by its $2.04 billion worldwide box office gross—Rotten Tomatoes did score it surprisingly low for a movie that earned over $2 billion, giving it an 85% rating.
Walt Disney, Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) was the first Batman movie since 2008. It's set eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, with Batman and Commissioner Gordon out of the picture, a cat burglar, and a terrorist named Bane, intent on death and destruction, forcing both Batman and Gordon out of hiding.
Despite grossing $1.08 billion worldwide, The Dark Knight Rises was heavily criticized for its lack of plot cohesion: "It was about nothing, while trying to be about everything". Despite this, The Dark Knight Rises garnered an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Warner Bros., The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Titanic (1997)
Ah, Titanic. That absolute classic. Firstly, strike one for there definitely being room on the door for Jack. Now that's out of the way, Titanic (1997) tells the infamous tale of the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, a passenger ship that sank after striking an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The dramatization of the sinking, which starred Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet, is one of the most popular movies of all time and one of the highest-grossing movies of all time from the 1990s.
Despite being criticized for its simplistic portrayal of love continuing even after death, Titanic grossed an astounding $2.2 billion worldwide.
Twentieth Century, Titanic (1997)
Barbie (2023)
2023 was definitely the summer of Barbie, with the blockbuster being one of the biggest movies of the summer and one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. It includes a healthy dose of social commentary alongside the plot line of Barbie, where the titular character meets Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, and the two have the chance to go the real world from Barbie Land, where they discover both the joys—and perils of living with humans.
Many of the film's critics decried Barbie's depiction of women, stating that the movie portrayed "unrealistic beauty standards". Despite being one of the highest-grossing films of all time, Barbie only scored 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, but grossed $1.44 billion worldwide.
Frozen (2013)
The original Frozen movie took the world by storm—and made parents think twice about their choices, with the now-infamous "Let It Go" song ringing in everyone's ears. Despite grossing $1.28 billion at the box office, Frozen scored 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Stepping away from cartoonish plotlines, Captain America: Civil War sees Captain America (Chris Evans) facing off against Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), as each disagrees about superheroes being overseen by the Government, and the split threatens to tear everyone's favorite superhero union apart for good. However, some critics felt that there were too many fights and that the superstar cast (which we'd come to expect of Marvel movies) was "bloated". Therefore, Captain America: Civil War only scored 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, despite grossing $1.15 billion at the box office.
Marvel Studios, Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Inside Out 2 (2024)
Another recent release that shot to the billion-dollar figure is Inside Out 2, the much-anticipated sequel to Disney's Inside Out (2015), which was lauded by critics for its unique storytelling. Inside Out 2 would have its work cut out for it to follow up on that success—it introduced "Anxiety" into the emotional mixture of the first film, and tackled Riley's navigation of that emotion, particularly when Joy, Anger, Sadness, Fear, and Disgust had been doing so well on their own.
Inside Out 2's biggest criticism is that it's not a huge departure from the original success. The plot feels recycled and despite the addition of a new emotion for Riley to contend with, not much has changed. Despite this, the movie was an incredible commercial success, grossing $1.6 billion worldwide and scoring 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Walt Disney, Inside Out 2 (2024)
The Avengers (2012)
The original Avengers movie was the pace-setter that the rest of the franchise has followed. Seeing a group of superheroes that included many of the Marvel Comic Universe's favorites, fighting together to stop Thor's evil brother from using a world-destroying, all-powerful cube known as the Tesseract. One major criticism of The Avengers is that it seemed to drag on for too long without getting to the heart of the story.
However, The Avengers did launch one of the most successful MCU franchises of all time and grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide. It achieved a rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and is the second-highest rated film of the MCU film franchise.
Marvel Studios, The Avengers (2012)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
While Spider-Man was taking a European vacation, four creatures were preparing to wreak havoc on Earth. Nick Fury enlists Spider-Man (Tom Holland) to help fight these four villains, each representing an element (earth, air, fire, and water), teaming up with fellow superhero Mysterio to defeat the elemental enemies. Unfortunately, some critics felt that Spider-Man: Far From Home departed from the superhero-centric storyline that made the franchise successful and turned into "a soppy teen comedy". Ouch.
Spider-Man: Far From Home received a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $1.12 billion worldwide, making it the first Spider-Man film to gross over a billion dollars.
Columbia, Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
The second installment of the Star Wars reboot, The Last Jedi, follows Rey, seeking the help of Luke Skywalker to turn the tide of the intergalactic battle between the Resistance and Kylo Ren and The First Order. Unfortunately for Star Wars, The Last Jedi was one of the most heavily-criticized films in the series: It had too much humor, and (apparently) broke rules of "Star Wars physics", according to some fans.
Despite this, the sequel to The Force Awakens (2015) scored highly on Rotten Tomatoes, scoring 91% and grossing 1.3 billion worldwide.
Lucasfilm, Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Park was one of the most groundbreaking films of the 1990s and one of the most successful dinosaur movies ever made. With special effects and animatronics like we'd never seen before, the Steven Spielberg blockbuster follows a group of paleontologists who are selected to tour an island where dinosaurs roam freely, created from prehistoric DNA. Unfortunately, things go awry when the predators break free from their enclosures.
The cult classic generated $1.05 billion worldwide in gross revenue and scored a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with Roger Ebert's criticism being that there are too many dinosaurs and not enough of a strong human element to the blockbuster.
Universal, Jurassic Park (1993)
Skyfall (2012)
Skyfall (2012) was released as a sequel to Quantum of Solace (2008), and saw Daniel Craig reprise his role as James Bond, who must protect M (Judi Dench) after a man with an old grudge is out for revenge, attacking MI6 in the process. Critics felt that the revenge plot-line had been done already, but Skyfall still grossed over $1 billion worldwide, making it Metro-Goldwyn Mayer's most successful film of all time and the best-selling Bond movie of all time.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Skyfall received a 92% rating, despite criticism of the overall 'vengeance' plot.
The Incredibles 2 (2018)
The Incredibles 2 saw Elastigirl take center stage as Mr Incredible becomes a stay-at-home dad to three kids. In a spectacular role reversal that made for an interesting plot line and capitalized on the female empowerment of other late-2010 movies, The Incredibles 2 was a welcome sight to fans who had to wait 14 years since the last release of an Incredibles movie.
The Incredibles 2 grossed $1.2 billion worldwide—14 years is a long time, but fans of the first movie clearly didn't mind, and gave it a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with one slight criticism being that it didn't quite live up to the caliber of the original movie.
Walt Disney, Incredibles 2 (2018)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
The sequel to Far From Home once again saw Tom Holland reprise his role as Spider-Man, but this time not in the shadows. His identity revealed, Spider-Man turns to Doctor Strange for help (yet another crossover in the MCU), but the spell cast to make people forget Peter Parker forces Spider-Man to remember who he is, as dark forces threaten the multiverse once again.
Despite grossing over $1.9 billion worldwide and scoring 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, many critics felt that the film lacked a cohesive storytelling and that the crossover with Doctor Strange and others from the MCU detracted, rather than added, to the plot.
Columbia, Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
The Force Awakens sees an ensemble cast, including many returning originals like Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hammill, uniting with new Star Wars characters like Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) to take out a new evil: Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and The First Order. This would be the first in a series of new Star Wars movies that would just about break the internet with anticipation.
The Force Awakens was heavily criticized for its extreme focus on special effects, with little thought given to character development and recycling of old "classic" Star Wars tech like X-Wings and Tie Fighters. Despite this, it received a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed a staggering $2.06 billion worldwide, one of only six films to ever break that milestone.
Lucasfilm, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)
The conclusion of The Lord Of The Rings saga by Peter Jackson based on JRR Tolkien's classic novels, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King sees good and evil do battle for control of Middle Earth one final time, as Aragorn takes the fight to Sauron, while the Hobbits continue their journey to destroy the One Ring.
Few could find fault with this early-2000s epic, earning it a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes as it soared to the top of box office charts, grossing $1.1 billion dollars worldwide.
New Line Cinema, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Finding Dory (2016)
Another lengthy wait for a sequel was in store for fans of Finding Nemo (2003)—fans had to wait 13 years to see Finding Dory, which sees the beloved blue tang fish go on a journey to find her parents. Despite the long wait, fans still flocked to Finding Dory in droves, as the movie grossed $1.02 billion worldwide.
Much of the criticism of Finding Dory came from its lack of humor that was present in the original 2003 film. Critics definitely disagreed as to whether or not the film was funny, with Rotten Tomatoes giving the movie a 94% rating and lauding it for its humorousness.
Walt Disney, Finding Dory (2016)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Starring Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, and Gary Oldman, The Dark Knight sees the rise of a new villain in the Batman movies: The Joker (played by Ledger), suddenly upending Batman's relatively calm and quiet Gotham City with a new wave of chaos and crime. Critics struggled to find anything wrong with The Dark Knight, lauding it for its darkness that explored the complexities of the evildoing Joker, contrasted against the force of good that is Batman, and the lengths that he has to go to stop Joker.
The Dark Knight grossed just over $1 billion worldwide, scoring 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Warner Bros., The Dark Knight (2008)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame is the finale of the Avengers saga from the Marvel Comic Universe, as the remaining Avengers seek to reverse Thanos' world-ending actions at the conclusion of Infinity War. Despite criticism from some that Avengers: Endgame didn't have a place in the Marvel Comic Universe, Endgame was always designed to be a conclusive film that wrapped up 10 years of a singular interconnected storyline.
As you might expect, Avengers: Endgame performed superbly at the box office, grossing $2.8 billion in global revenue and scoring 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Marvel Studios, Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part II (2011)
The final chapter in the Harry Potter film series, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part II brought to an end a 10-year saga throughout the lives of Harry, Hermione, and Ron, as they prepare for one final battle to save Hogwarts and humanity from Lord Voldemort.
Despite critics feeling the film was "too scary" for young teenagers and left plenty of questions if you didn't read the book, it grossed $1.34 billion worldwide, making it the highest grossing Harry Potter movie of all time. Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a 96% rating.
Warner Bros., Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part II (2011)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
The long awaited sequel to the 1986 blockbuster, Top Gun, saw Tom Cruise reprise his role as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, this time swapping the pilot seat for the teacher's chair, teaching a class of aviators at Naval Air Station North Island. But when things go awry during a training exercise, Maverick must take the reins again and join forces with the son of a dead friend to prevent a catastrophic conflict.
The much-anticipated sequel to Top Gun grossed an astonishing $1.4 billion worldwide, and was given a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Paramount, Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Black Panther (2018)
In one of the most groundbreaking films of the late 2010s, Black Panther saw Chadwick Boseman take a lead role as T'Challa, the new King of Wakanda, following the death of his father. T'Challa must then take on an enemy known as Killmonger, who threatens his reign and the safety of his people as part of his plan to orchestrate a global revolution.
Black Panther introduced a new character arc into the Marvel Comic Universe's collection of films and was the highest-grossing film directed by a Black filmmaker in history, the second highest-grossing film of 2018, and was nominated for seven Academy Awards. It also received a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed an astonishing $1.3 billion dollars worldwide.
Marvel Studios, Black Panther (2018)
Toy Story 4 (2019)
The long-awaited sequel to the incredible Toy Story 3 was released in 2019. Toy Story 4 follows the same eponymous characters of cowboy Woody and spaceman Buzz Lightyear, but also introduces new characters such as Forky, a spork made from recycled materials from Bonnie's school. As Woody is reunited with long-lost friend Bo Peep, he faces a difficult choice between the life behind him and the one ahead.
Toy Story 4 grossed $1.1 billion worldwide and critics lapped up the first Toy Story film in almost a decade, giving it a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Walt Disney, Toy Story 4 (2019)
Zootopia (2016)
Imagine a world where anthropomorphic animals have their own city. That's Zootopia (2016)—from shrews to elephants, all are found in Zootopia. The plot of the film centers on Judy Hopps, a bunny rabbit who becomes the first rabbit to join the ranks of the Zootopia police force. One of her first cases is a difficult crime to solve, and requires working with Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a sly, cunning fox that seeks to make Judy's life difficult wherever possible.
Zootopia was released in February of 2016 and went on to smash box office records everywhere, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year and was listed in the top 10 films of the year by the American Film Institute. It grossed a staggering $1.025 billion worldwide, and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 98% rating, with critics praising almost everything about the movie.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Toy Story 3 sees the toys' beloved owner, Andy Davis, prepare to leave for college and the toys thrown into uncertainty as they are accidentally donated to a daycare, where the kids are menaces. Woody and the gang must make a daring escape from the daycare and find a new home, where they'll be loved and appreciated.
Toy Story 3 grossed $1.06 billion worldwide and was well-loved by critics, who liked the twists and turns that the characters went on and the range of emotions that were displayed in the first Toy Story film since 1999. Like Zootopia, Toy Story 3 was given a 98% rating.
Walt Disney, Toy Story 3 (2010)
Joker (2019)
By far one of the most sadistic of the Batman films, Joker tells the story of Arthur Fleck, a daytime clown and nighttime criminal mastermind, maintaining his identity as a clown while performing increasingly-awful criminal acts. Part of the Batman series, Joker starred Robert De Niro and Jaoquin Phoenix and was the first R-rated film to gross over a billion dollars.
In total, Joker grossed 1.36 million at the box office, but only received a rating of 68% on Rotten Tomatoes.
At the time of its release, Joker caused massive controversy for its hyper-violent themes, with many considering it to be an "incel movie" that could lead young men to commit random acts of violence and terrorism. One interviewer even asked Joaquin Phoenix if he thought Joker would "inspire an unstable, self-pitying loner with a mass-shooter mindset". Phoenix walked out of the interview without answering the question.
