With Barbie hitting the huge milestone of reaching one billion at the box office, the live-action film became the 53rd movie in history to achieve such a milestone. It’s no easy feat for any film to make it to the billion-dollar club. However, if it does, it becomes a special part of history that will never be forgotten.
Out of all 53 films, which ones are truly the best? As you can imagine, most of the billion-dollar club is dominated by superheroes, though there are some outside picks like Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. These five movies rise above the full list as some of the finest examples in cinema history. Are they perfect? No, but these films are a great showcase that quality can triumph at the box office. Here are the five best films that reached the billion-dollar club.
Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 had the perfect ending to the franchise. Toy Story 4 was fine, but it ultimately felt unnecessary. Pixar’s signature brand started great and each entry before the third continued to raise the bar. All of the key points of a Pixar film are here; the brand simply knows how to tug at the heartstrings organically and produced the most emotionally driven film in the series.
It’s not hard to gravitate towards Woody, Buzz, and the other toys because of the situation of Andy growing up. Still, this was billed as the final chapter, so the drama was heightened and it appeared that Woody and the gang would die in the trash compactor scene.
The last-minute save by the aliens drew a mix of emotions that no of the other films in the franchise were able to capture. Toy Story 3 is one of the best-animated films ever made. It’s dark, but never forgets its sense of humor and has a meaningful story that concludes with one of the best endings ever written.
The Dark Knight
Is this still the best Batman ever made? The Christopher Nolan trilogy will always be remembered for bringing a spark to the DC canon. However, The Dark Knight is indeed the best movie in the series. The Dark Knight felt personal. First, with the surprising death of Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal). The tragic transformation of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). And the ongoing battle between a murdering psychopath (Joker) and a Bruce Wayne/Batman who is anything but himself.
The complex nature of the film helped immerse you into the deep world of Gotham, yet Nolan nicely incorporated action amid all the sadness and drama. An excellent film that’s anchored by an incredible performance from Heath Ledger.
Skyfall
It could be argued that Daniel Craig‘s James Bond reached its peak with Skyfall, though that doesn’t mean that Spectre and No Time to Die were bad films. Skyfall was a brilliant film that added more dimension to the iconic character in ways that haven’t been seen in past incarnations. It helps that Javier Bardem is the main villain of this film as Silva’s role brought more weight and gravitas to the film.
However, the grounded nature of Skyfall made the stakes seem higher than ever before, and the shocking death of M (Judi Dench) pulled the narrative in a dark and more compelling direction. Of course, the action was top-notch, but James Bond’s evolution here helped the character remain relevant.
Avengers: Endgame
The culmination of Phases One through Three reaches its climax in this captivating finale of the Avengers saga. Despite the abundance of characters, the film is never bogged down by the excessive amount of superheroes. Thanos remains an intriguing figure throughout. He’s easily the best Marvel villain to date. The sad end of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) was a perfect finale for a character that was expertly developed since the first Iron Man. There’s no telling whether Marvel will reach this high again, but if Secrets Wars is even as close to as good as Endgame then we’re still in for a treat.
Joker
Admittedly, Joker doesn’t have the most original origin story, but it has a timely theme that resonates with multiple generations. The story is complex, but never overcomplicated and the living tragedy known as Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a character study done well by Todd Philips. Not surprisingly, Phoenix is superb as the title character. The actor simply embodies the DC villain effortlessly. Joker’s quieter moments like him being beaten up in the alley are as equally strong as the unforgettable killing of Murray Franklin (Robert DeNiro).
Follow Us
