The 8 Biggest Movies of 2003, and Whether They Were Any Good

2003 had money everywhere. Not all of it went to good movies. Here are the year's top 8 worldwide grosses, and the scores that call their bluff.

The last one is the one everybody agrees on. That's why you'll fight me.

1. 8
   X2 (2003)8.2

   Lowest gross on this list, still beats most of it.

   $407.7M worldwide puts it dead last here, but its 8.2 movie.guru score ties Pirates. The White House opening still hits harder than most modern superhero movies.
2. 7
   The Matrix Revolutions (2003)4.2

   Made $427M on goodwill Reloaded had already spent.

   A 4.2 movie.guru score, 33% on Rotten Tomatoes, and only $139.3M domestic. People bought tickets to finish the story and walked out with a B CinemaScore.
3. 6
   Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)4.7

   Critics went easy on it. Audiences did not.

   70% on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences only beat 30% of movies with it. A reported $187.3M, the biggest budget here, buys one great crane chase and a lot of shrugging.
4. 5
   The Last Samurai (2003)7.3

   Ken Watanabe carries this. Tom Cruise is a guest star.

   An A CinemaScore and 7.8 on IMDb against a 55 Metacritic. It made $454.6M worldwide with only $111.1M at home. Guru's Take: 6.5, under its 7.3 movie.guru score.
5. 4
   Bruce Almighty (2003)5.3

   Outgrossed X2 at home with half the movie.

   $242.8M domestic, more than X2, T3 or Revolutions, on a reported $81M budget. A 5.3 movie.guru score says Morgan Freeman playing God carried the whole thing.
6. 3
   Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)8.2

   A theme park ride movie should not be this good.

   $654.3M worldwide on a reported $140M budget, plus an 8.1 IMDb rating from 1.35 million votes. Johnny Depp sailed in on a sinking boat and built a franchise.
7. 2
   The Matrix Reloaded (2003)6.3

   Second biggest movie of 2003, and honestly kinda mid.

   $741.8M worldwide with a 6.3 movie.guru score. The freeway chase is elite. The cave rave is a very long music video nobody asked for.
8. 1
   The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)9.4

   The biggest movie of 2003 is also the best. Fight me.

   $1.138 billion worldwide on a reported $94M budget. 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 94 Metacritic, A+ CinemaScore, 9.4 movie.guru score. Critics and audiences both beat 95% of movies with it.

$1,139 says you scroll back up just to be mad about where Pirates landed.

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Current mood: ready to fight about it