8 Giant Action Movies That Made a Billion and Nobody Can Explain Why

Every movie here made over a billion dollars worldwide. None of them scored above a 5.8. We're not mad. We're just asking questions.

Number one has the most loyal fans in the galaxy. Sorry in advance.

1. 8
   Aquaman (2018)5.8

   Aquaman is a fun mess, not a billion dollar movie.

   $1.15 billion worldwide on a 5.8 movie.guru score. Jason Momoa carries it like a beach towel. Everything else is a treasure hunt with a light show.
2. 7
   Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)4.4

   Dark of the Moon is a car commercial that got lost.

   Critics gave it 35% on Rotten Tomatoes. The planet still paid $1.12 billion worldwide. Michael Bay basically invoiced Earth for noise.
3. 6
   Jurassic World Dominion (2022)4.1

   Dominion cleared a billion purely on the word Jurassic.

   $1.002 billion worldwide, 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 4.1 movie.guru score. It squeaked past the billion line by about $2 million. Laura Dern deserved a better script.
4. 5
   Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)4.0

   On Stranger Tides is a Jack Sparrow screensaver.

   Reported budget of $410.6 million, $1.047 billion worldwide, 32% on Rotten Tomatoes. Ian McShane is the only one on that ship who seems awake.
5. 4
   Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)4.3

   Fallen Kingdom is the most expensive shrug in dinosaur history.

   $1.31 billion worldwide, the biggest gross on this list, with a 4.3 movie.guru score. It beat only 30% of movies with critics. The dinosaurs did all the work.
6. 3
   Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)3.1

   Age of Extinction is the worst movie here, and it's not close.

   18% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 32 Metacritic, a 3.1 movie.guru score. Still $1.105 billion worldwide. Mark Wahlberg replaced Shia LaBeouf and somehow it got louder.
7. 2
   Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)5.4

   Fans graded it a C minus and still paid a billion.

   Opening crowds gave it a C minus CinemaScore. It pulled $1.077 billion worldwide anyway. That's not love. That's a nine movie habit nobody wanted to break.
8. 1
   Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)5.0

   The Phantom Menace is a 5.0, and the pod race can't save it.

   $1.047 billion worldwide, 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 5.0 movie.guru score. Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor try so hard. The trade dispute plot defeats them both.

$1,451 says someone in the comments defends the trade dispute plot with a completely straight face.

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Current mood: ready to fight about it