The 27 Biggest Critic-Proof Box Office Hits

Reviewers sharpened their knives for every one of these, and audiences bought tickets anyway. Some are guilty pleasures, others are franchise juggernauts nobody admits to loving.

1. 1
   Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

   Zack Snyder's 2016 clash of DC icons was divisive and critically panned yet grossed over 800 million dollars.
   1000pts
2. 2
   The Smurfs

   The 2011 live-action and animated Smurfs film drew poor reviews yet was a big worldwide success.
   943pts
3. 3
   Five Nights at Freddy's 2

   The 2025 horror sequel drew even harsher reviews than the first film yet grossed several times its budget worldwide.
   786pts
4. 4
   Transformers: Dark of the Moon

   The third Transformers film earned weak reviews and still grossed over a billion dollars globally in 2011.
   786pts
5. 5
   Bad Boys II

   Michael Bay's 2003 buddy-cop sequel with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence was panned for excess yet out-grossed the original.
   708pts
6. 6
   Clash of the Titans

   The 2010 remake of the Greek-myth adventure was criticized for its rushed 3D conversion yet was a major hit.
   655pts
7. 7
   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

   The Michael Bay-produced 2014 reboot of the Turtles drew negative reviews but was a big worldwide success.
   524pts
8. 8
   Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

   The fourth Pirates film was faulted by critics as tired but grossed over a billion dollars in 2011.
   524pts
9. 9
   The Da Vinci Code

   Ron Howard's 2006 adaptation of Dan Brown's thriller disappointed critics but was one of the year's biggest grossers.
   524pts
10. 10
    The Hangover Part II

    The 2011 Bangkok-set comedy sequel was called a lazy retread by critics and out-grossed the original worldwide.
    524pts
11. 11
    Grown Ups 2

    The 2013 sequel to Grown Ups received some of the worst reviews of its year yet was profitable again.
    524pts
12. 12
    Pearl Harbor

    Michael Bay's 2001 World War II romance was widely criticized for its script yet was a major worldwide hit.
    443pts
13. 13
    The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1

    The penultimate Twilight chapter drew poor reviews and still grossed over 700 million dollars worldwide.
    443pts
14. 14
    Jurassic World Dominion

    The 2022 finale of the Jurassic World trilogy drew poor reviews but crossed a billion dollars worldwide.
    443pts
15. 15
    Suicide Squad

    DC's 2016 supervillain team-up was roasted by critics but became a major summer box office success.
    443pts
16. 16
    Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

    The 2009 family sequel was dismissed by reviewers but became a massive holiday hit.
    443pts
17. 17
    Fifty Shades of Grey

    The 2015 adaptation of E. L. James's erotic bestseller was mocked by reviewers and still became a worldwide hit.
    443pts
18. 18
    Fifty Shades Darker

    The 2017 sequel fared even worse with critics than the first film yet again drew huge global audiences.
    443pts
19. 19
    Five Nights at Freddy's

    Blumhouse's 2023 video game adaptation was panned by critics yet became a huge hit on a modest budget.
    443pts
20. 20
    Armageddon

    The 1998 asteroid disaster film starring Bruce Willis got rough reviews and became the year's highest-grossing film worldwide.
    349pts
21. 21
    Transformers: Age of Extinction

    The Mark Wahlberg-led 2014 reboot of the robot saga drew scathing reviews but crossed a billion dollars worldwide.
    349pts
22. 22
    Grown Ups

    Adam Sandler's 2010 reunion comedy was panned by critics and still became a box office hit.
    349pts
23. 23
    Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

    Michael Bay's 2009 robot sequel was savaged by critics yet became one of the year's top-grossing films worldwide.
    238pts
24. 24
    Venom

    Sony's 2018 Tom Hardy antihero film was panned by critics but became a global smash and launched a trilogy.
    238pts
25. 25
    The Twilight Saga: New Moon

    The second Twilight film was dismissed by critics in 2009 but broke opening-day box office records.
    238pts
26. 26
    Godzilla

    Roland Emmerich's 1998 American Godzilla was trashed by critics and fans yet still made big money worldwide.
    0pts
27. 27
    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

    The fifth Pirates adventure got mostly negative reviews yet still earned hundreds of millions worldwide.
    0pts

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