Bad Blockbusters? What does that mean? Well I will tell you. A Bad Blockbuster is a movie that made a boatload of money ….yet …. received bad reviews from critics and audiences. We got the idea of listing the biggest box office hits with the worst reviews after reading some recent comments on our Charlton Heston page.
Our movie data base has almost 29,000 movies. Woc (Wife of Cogerson) created a query that listed all movies that had an adjusted domestic box office gross of over $200 million. Why $200 million? Because in our Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) movie rating formula that is the ceiling for earning points in the box office part of our equation. The query showed 814 movies that had reached the $200 million box office mark.
Next we filtered out any movie that had a critic/audience score of 50% or higher. Of those 814 movies, 764 movies had a critic/audience rating over 50%. That left exactly 50 movies (which was a perfect number for us)….with less than a 50% critic/audience rating. Those remaining 50 movies are listed in the following table.
Bad Blockbusters Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Bad Blockbusters movies by the stars of the movies.
- Sort Bad Blockbusters movies by actual domestic box office grosses
- Sort Bad Blockbusters movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Bad Blockbusters movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each Bad Blockbusters movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Bad Blockbusters movie won.
- Sort Bad Blockbusters movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
- Use the search and sort button to make this page very interactive.
| Rank | Movie (Year) | UMR CoStar Links | Domestic Actual B.O. (mils.) | Domestic Adjusted B.O. (mils.) | Critic Audience Rating | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009) | Jason Lee & Justin Long | $219.61 | $246.80 | 32.50% | 00 / 00 | 45.60 | |
| Flintstones, The (1994) | Elizabeth Taylor & Halle Berry & John Go | $130.53 | $269.70 | 34.50% | 00 / 00 | 47.22 | |
| Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (Part One), The (2011) | Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson | $281.29 | $299.00 | 34.50% | 00 / 00 | 47.22 | |
| Twilight Saga: New Moon, The (2009) | Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson | $296.62 | $333.40 | 36.00% | 00 / 00 | 47.92 | |
| Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) | Sally Field & Burt Reynolds | $66.13 | $214.40 | 36.00% | 00 / 00 | 47.92 | |
| Fantastic Four (2005) | Chris Evans | $154.70 | $203.80 | 37.00% | 00 / 00 | 48.39 | |
| Wild Hogs (2007) | John Travolta | $168.27 | $206.20 | 37.00% | 00 / 00 | 48.39 | |
| Anthony Adverse (1936) | Olivia de Havilland & Claude Rains | $5.94 | $200.40 | 39.50% | 07 / 04 | 57.76 | |
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) | Shia LaBeouf | $402.11 | $452.00 | 39.50% | 01 / 00 | 49.96 | |
| Holiday in Mexico (1946) | Walter Pidgeon | $10.18 | $245.20 | 40.00% | 00 / 00 | 49.80 | |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007) | Jason Lee & Justin Long | $217.33 | $266.30 | 40.00% | 00 / 00 | 49.30 | |
| Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) | Julia Roberts | $101.60 | $203.40 | 40.50% | 00 / 00 | 50.04 | |
| Pearl Harbor (2001) | Ben Affleck | $198.54 | $296.20 | 41.00% | 04 / 01 | 52.47 | |
| 3 Ring Circus (1954) | Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis | $11.14 | $204.20 | 42.00% | 00 / 00 | 50.74 | |
| Any Which Way You Can (1980) | Clint Eastwood | $70.69 | $229.20 | 42.00% | 00 / 00 | 50.74 | |
| Patch Adams (1998) | Robin Williams & Philip Seymour Hoffman | $135.03 | $242.70 | 43.00% | 01 / 00 | 52.23 | |
| Airport 1975 (1974) | Charlton Heston & Myrna Loy | $76.68 | $345.70 | 43.00% | 00 / 00 | 51.21 | |
| Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) | Mark Wahlberg & John Goodman | $245.44 | $253.20 | 43.50% | 00 / 00 | 51.44 | |
| Hook (1991) | Robin Williams & Dustin Hoffman | $119.65 | $239.60 | 44.00% | 05 / 00 | 53.68 | |
| Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) | Sylvester Stallone | $150.42 | $357.20 | 44.00% | 01 / 00 | 52.08 | |
| Da Vinci Code, The (2006) | Tom Hanks | $217.54 | $278.70 | 44.50% | 00 / 00 | 51.92 | |
| Waterboy, The (1998) | Adam Sandler & Dan Patrick | $161.49 | $290.30 | 44.50% | 00 / 00 | 51.92 | |
| Funny Lady (1975) | Barbra Streisand & James Caan | $58.52 | $240.70 | 45.00% | 05 / 00 | 54.77 | |
| Indecent Proposal (1993) | Robert Redford & Woody Harrelson | $106.61 | $217.10 | 45.00% | 00 / 00 | 52.15 | |
| Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) | Macaulay Culkin & Joe Pesci | $173.59 | $352.60 | 45.00% | 00 / 00 | 52.15 | |
| Cannonball Run, The (1981) | Dean Martin & Burt Reynolds & Roger Moore | $72.18 | $218.90 | 45.50% | 00 / 00 | 52.38 | |
| Earthquake (1974) | Charlton Heston & Ava Gardner | $102.58 | $462.40 | 45.50% | 04 / 01 | 55.20 | |
| Twins (1988) | Arnold Schwarzenegger | $111.94 | $229.60 | 46.00% | 00 / 00 | 52.62 | |
| Main Event, The (1979) | Barbra Streisand | $69.47 | $233.30 | 46.00% | 00 / 00 | 52.62 | |
| Every Which Way But Loose (1978) | Clint Eastwood | $85.20 | $306.90 | 46.00% | 00 / 00 | 52.62 | |
| Bodyguard, The (1992) | Kevin Costner | $121.95 | $247.70 | 46.50% | 02 / 00 | 53.16 | |
| Longest Yard, The (2005) | Adam Sandler & Burt Reynolds | $158.12 | $208.30 | 46.50% | 00 / 00 | 52.36 | |
| 101 Dalmatians (1996) | Glenn Close | $136.19 | $259.70 | 47.00% | 00 / 00 | 53.09 | |
| Cleopatra (1963) | Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton | $57.78 | $566.40 | 47.33% | 09 / 04 | 62.13 | |
| Raintree County (1957) | Elizabeth Taylor & Montgomery Clift | $17.04 | $256.50 | 47.50% | 00 / 00 | 53.32 | |
| Karate Kid Part II, The (1986) | Ralph Macchio | $115.10 | $261.50 | 47.50% | 01 / 00 | 53.72 | |
| Men in Black II (2002) | Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones | $190.42 | $276.80 | 47.50% | 00 / 00 | 53.32 | |
| Shark Tale (2004) | Will Smith & Angelina Jolie | $160.86 | $218.40 | 47.50% | 01 / 00 | 53.72 | |
| Armageddon (1998) | Bruce Willis & Owen Wilson & Ben Affleck | $201.58 | $362.30 | 48.00% | 04 / 00 | 55.16 | |
| Valley of the Dolls (1967) | Susan Hayward | $50.00 | $348.30 | 48.00% | 01 / 00 | 53.96 | |
| Doctor Dolittle (1998) | Eddie Murphy | $144.16 | $259.10 | 48.00% | 00 / 00 | 53.56 | |
| Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995) | Jim Carrey | $108.39 | $210.00 | 48.00% | 00 / 00 | 53.56 | |
| Suicide Squad (2016) | Will Smith | $323.88 | $323.88 | 48.00% | 00 / 00 | 53.56 | |
| Adventure (1945) | Clark Gable & Greer Garson | $11.81 | $292.70 | 49.00% | 00 / 00 | 54.03 | |
| Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010) | Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson | $300.53 | $321.10 | 49.00% | 00 / 00 | 54.03 | |
| Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) | Ben Affleck & Amy Adams | $330.36 | $330.40 | 49.00% | 00 / 00 | 54.03 | |
| Batman Forever (1995) | Jim Carrey & Tommy Lee | $184.03 | $356.60 | 49.00% | 03 / 00 | 55.23 | |
| National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (2007) | Nicolas Cage | $219.96 | $269.50 | 49.00% | 00 / 00 | 54.03 | |
| Runaway Bride (1999) | Julia Roberts & Directed by Garry Marshall | $152.26 | $253.70 | 49.00% | 00 / 00 | 54.03 | |
| Night and Day (1946) | Cary Grant | $10.81 | $260.40 | 49.67% | 00 / 00 | 54.34 |
You are being way too harsh on Twilight. I liked that franchise when I was younger and I still find enjoyment with it as an adult. I have heard of almost all of these movies and have to admit I have enjoyed a few of them. My “Guily Pleasures” would include Hook, The Bodyguard and Suicide Squad. All of my friends really enjoyed Suicide Squad so I find it strange to see it listed on a “Bad Blockbuster” page.
Hey Helakoski…..ok I thought the very last Twilight was ok….even good…..but some of the earlier chapters were painful to watch……then again….this is from a man in his 40s…and not a teenager….so I do respect you younger folks. I am looking forward to seeing Suicide Squad….but it did get some really bad reviews…and the audience scores went down the longer the movie was out. Typically the fan base keeps the IMDb rating very high….but then the masses bring it down. Thanks for the feedback and the visit.
Hey Bruce,
What a great page. Unfortunately I’ve seen far too many of these movies; worse is I liked more than I’ll ever admit.
Orangutans, earthquakes and fast cars; all the ingredients for making a hit….right? Add Ray Harryhausen to the mix and you’ll get next summers surprise blockbuster!
Marcel
Hey Marcel….glad you like this page. I like that my database was able to spit out all of this information so quickly…..it makes me think I should do more pages like this one. I think you are 100% correct. I can see it now…..An oranguatan is driving a super fast car during an earthquake while a Harryhausen creature is chasing him….I see box office dollars!….lol. Thanks for the visit and the comment.
Geez I wonder what a Harryhausen page would look like? In my opinion I think The Valley of Gwangi would take the honours Bruce…..wouldn’t you? Or does that sound too much like a trap?
Hey Marcel….Steve Lensman….has been asking about a Harryhausen page for a while now….maybe I will get one done on him soon. A quick check on IMDb….and he actually does not have too many credits….I thought he would be in the 100s….that gets me more motivated to do a page on him. That being said…I think Jason and the Argonauts would top The Valley of Gwangi…..but I imagine Steve would be a better person to ask than I would be. Thanks for the comment and the suggestion.
Hi Bruce, a Ray Harryhausen page would be great. I would guess Jason and the Argonauts would top the chart, it wasn’t a big hit at the box office but critics and fans hold that one in high esteem.
Tom Hanks is a big RH fan and lobbied the Academy Awards to give the special effects master a special Oscar, and they did in 1992, it was presented to him by Hanks.
Yep I know that Jason is tops with critics but I can’t get over Franciosa (the poor man’s Heston), cowboys and dinosaurs rolled into one. I mean the lasso scene must have been murder.
In anycase a Harryhausen page will go a long way to getting a Bernard Herrman score page done….you already have a Hitchcock page….he used him quite a few times.
I’m just full of ideas!
Hey Marcel…..well….I was doing some research….and it looks like I have a decent % of his movies already in my database……that usually means…..I will knock out the rest of his movies and get a page done. Since I alternate between classic and currents….I am back to a current performer….so maybe the next classic will be a Ray H. page. I will add Ray and Bernard Herman to the request list. Thanks for the suggestion.
Hey Steve…thanks for providing your opinion (I should say…much respected opinion) on which Harryhausen picture would be the ranked the highest…..now all I need to do is see if you are correct.
And you say you are not a Tom Hanks fan…..and yet he came through for one of your favorites….I will think that would help put you in Hanks’ corner a little bit. Thanks for sharing that story about Ray and his Honorary Oscar.
Hi
I laughed when I seen your list. I remember reading the reviews for Any Which Way But Loose in the early 80s. One press review went, ” A good old boys self congratulatory movie.” Probably because of the review, I went to see the film. In truth it wasn’t bad, the wonderful Ruth Gordon played the mother and she was always worth watching. And the orangutan wasn’t bad. For anyone who was an Eastwood fan, they probably would have been happy enough.
You mentioned Home Alone Lost in New York. I think it’s one of the most entertaining Christmas movies ever made.
There are some on the list like The Flintstones which are pretty dire. I also remember watching Anthony Adverse and couldn’t understand why it was such a big hit.
Just out of interest who actually made this list? Like all lists, very subject to personal opinion and lots of scrutiny haha.
There was a recent list of the best and worst movies ever and Titanic headed both lists.
Hey Chris….glad you enjoyed our latest page. I give my wife all the credit for naming it Bad Blockbusters…..I would have named it something much longer….but her name is short sweet and a very accurate description of the page. The 50 movies listed are from our movie database.
Clint’s comedies were very popular….I used to think they were very funny….but they have aged horribly. I just re-watched one of them….and Clint’s character would probably be in jail for being a stalker if it was in current time.
Home Alone is a Xmas movie we watch every year…part 2 rarely gets played by my younger ones. I agree…lists are made to be argued with…..this one is strictly based on stats…..I had no idea which movies would appear until running the query program. Though I did correctly guess the Transformer, Earthquake and Armageddon movies would make the list. Thanks for the feedback.
Hello Bruce,
I so agree with your selection. I’ve seen 37 movies of this list. My god ! But I must confess , I really liked Armageddon (and Miachel Bay’s movies)…. But I have a very good, and very old friend who loved Earthquake !! But, hush, he’s a very good friend…
Hey Laurent….thanks for checking out our latest page. Glad you agree with many of the movies listed…. I have helped make 13 of this movies become blockbusters as I saw them in theaters. I watch Armageddon about once every year or two….so I am in the same boat as you. Earthquake has some good moments too….plus they both have Heston in the credits. Thanks for the visit.
An enjoyable look at Bad Blockbusters. In a perfect world we need Michael Bay to reboot the Twilight franchise. I can easily see vampires and werewolves being blown up everywhere. I agree with almost all of these selections but it saddens me to Smokey and the Bandit on the list. I grew up watching and enjoying those movies.
Thanks for the nice words Stein. I think Bay would make a much more different Twilight for sure….he rebooted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles…maybe Twilight is next for him. If he does I will know where the idea came from…lol. Sorry about Smokey.