The 8 Biggest Movies of 2004, and Whether They Were Any Good

Big box office is not the same as good. Here are 2004's top eight worldwide grosses, with the scores that tell you which ones earned it.

The top pick out-earned and out-scored a certain web-slinger. Fight me.

1. 8
   I, Robot (2004)6.1

   The Will Smith robot movie aged better than its reviews.

   Critics gave it 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences handed it an A minus CinemaScore and $353M worldwide. A solid 6.1, mostly because Will Smith refuses to let it get boring.
2. 7
   Ocean's Twelve (2004)4.3

   The smug sequel nobody actually rewatches.

   $362M worldwide on a reported $110M budget, then a B minus CinemaScore. A 4.3 movie.guru score for a heist where the cast is clearly having more fun than you.
3. 6
   Troy (2004)5.6

   Troy is a gorgeous shrug with a giant budget.

   Reported $150 to $175M budget, $497M worldwide, 53% on Rotten Tomatoes. Brad Pitt sells Achilles. The script sells a 5.6, parked right at the median.
4. 5
   Meet the Fockers (2004)3.9

   The worst reviewed hit of 2004 is a De Niro dinner party.

   38% on Rotten Tomatoes, a Poor 3.9, and $279M domestic. That's more than Troy and Ocean's Twelve made at home combined. Dustin Hoffman deserved a better script.
5. 4
   The Day After Tomorrow (2004)3.8

   Lowest score on the list. Still the perfect sick-day movie.

   A 3.8 movie.guru score and 46% on Rotten Tomatoes, yet $552M worldwide. Roland Emmerich freezes New York, the science files a complaint, and you keep watching anyway.
6. 3
   The Passion of the Christ (2004)6.6

   The biggest critics versus audience split of 2004, by a mile.

   It beats just 27% of movies with critics and 86% with audiences. A+ CinemaScore, 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, $611M worldwide on a reported $30M budget.
7. 2
   Spider-Man 2 (2004)8.4

   Still the superhero sequel every other one gets measured against.

   93% on Rotten Tomatoes, $788M worldwide, and Alfred Molina's Doc Ock. An 8.4 movie.guru score, and somehow it still finished second this year. Twice.
8. 1
   Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)8.9

   Azkaban beat Spider-Man 2. At the box office and on the score.

   $811M worldwide and an 8.9 movie.guru score, both best of 2004. Alfonso Cuarón made the moodiest, best Potter, and it beats 91% of movies with audiences.

$457.83 says someone in the comments swears Troy is better than Spider-Man 2.

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Current mood: ready to fight about it