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The 10 Biggest Box Office Hits of 2010

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Box Office Round-Ups | Comments (28)

toy-story-by-pixar-th.jpg

What do the ten highest grossing films of 2010 tell us about movie-going audiences? That teenagers and kids still control the box office (especially kids), that adult-geared movies are still rare blockbusters, and sequels still continue to dominate (taking five of the top ten spots, plus one remake). As huge blockbusters go, it was a tepid year, the one wrinkle being the proliferation of 3D movies. There were no game-changing films or trend-setting flicks. Somebody needs to go Kurt Cobain on Hollywood.

10. The Karate Kid $176 million — The biggest action remake of all time, and the second biggest martial arts film of all time (behind Rush Hour 2, which also starred Jackie Chan), The Karate Kid was actually much better than I expected it would be. I absolutely did not hate it. I’m not proud of thinking it, but the Will Smith spawn are really fucking adorable.

9. How to Train Your Dragon $212 million — The kid’s feel-good hit of the year, a sleeper hit that slowly worked its way over $200 million based on impeccably good word of mouth. Hell, even TK was won over by this one. It’s also officially the first good dragon movie of all time (shut up, Reign of Fire defenders).

8. Shrek Forever After $238 million — This goddamn film actually made another $501 million internationally, and though it was the least highest grossing over the four Shrek movies, a $740 million worldwide gross certainly suggests a fifth is not out of the question. Damnit.

7. Despicable Me $251 million — Of all the animated movies that featured a villain protagonist, Despicable Me was the biggest! It also has the 186th best 11th weekend of all time.

6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I $283 million — Interestingly, despite the increase in ticket prices over the last decade, this seventh installment was only the fifth highest grossing of the seven. But with $283 million (and another whopping $587 million worldwide), I understand they’re actually breaking Part II into seven different 20 minute movies, and there’ll be an Easter Egg in the final one that will only be revealed after you’ve seen it six times.

5. Inception $292 million — Of the top ten films, this is the only one I legitimately loved enough to see twice this year. Spoiler: The Inception narrative was just as straightforwardly clear the second time. Great movie, but I’ll never understand all the print devoted to unraveling the “mystery” of Inception. The top either stopped spinning and he was in reality, or it didn’t stop spinning and he was in a dream.

4. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse $300 million — After nearly a century of vampire and werewolf films, this one is the biggest grossing one of all time. Thanks. Thanks a lot, teenage girls. Did anyone else read The Hunger Games and feel uncomfortable with the fact that Stephenie Meyer blurbs all three? I don’t know much about The Hunger Games trilogy besides what’s on the page and that Gary Ross will be directing the movie, but is it possible to write a series that so perfectly combines Harry Potter and Twilight, and will those Hunger Games fans be disparaged the same way Twilight fans are?

3. Iron Man 2 $312 million — More than any other huge film in 2010, this one aged the worst. I really liked it when I saw it, but I’ve soured on it considerably since then. It’s not backlash as much as it’s been simply apathy.

2. Alice in Wonderland $334 million — This is what happens when there’s absolutely nothing else to see in March and April. I think it benefited hugely from the 3D phenomenon — which was at its peak, post Avatar — and will probably be the last 3D movie to benefit as much from 3D, thanks to movies like Clash of the Titans and The Last Airbender tarnishing the luster.

1. Toy Story 3 $415 million — Biggest movie of the year. Second biggest 3D movie of all time. Biggest Pixar movie to date. Biggest June opening of all time. Biggest G-rated movie of all time. And the second biggest animated movie of all time, behind … ugh … Shrek 2.










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Comments

I was going to ask why Avatar wasn't included on this list.

Then I did some research.

THANKS, INTERNET. :D

Posted by: duckandcover at January 3, 2011 12:19 AM

if box office was expressed as a ratio measured against budget, toy story 3 is 2:1. For comparison, Jaws is 8.5:1, Raiders of the Lost Ark is 11.5:1, wizard of oz is 7:1

avatar was a titch better than 3:1

(all north american box office)

seems like even though the numbers look so big, its much harder to make a buck these days. the block doesn't seem busted.

Posted by: idleprimate at January 3, 2011 12:40 AM

I need to watch Inception again. I don't get everybody's confusion of the whole was he awake or in a dream thing. I'm pretty sure he was awake. Right?

Posted by: MissRos at January 3, 2011 12:50 AM

Yes, Iron Man 2 sucked. An action movie with little action. And none until 40 minutes of nothing...

Posted by: Sean at January 3, 2011 1:09 AM

First, the top was wobbling. It never wobbled in a dream. Second, the whole point of that was that he didn't care. Finally, BRAHHHHHHM!!!!

Posted by: Lawdog at January 3, 2011 1:10 AM

"Somebody needs to go Kurt Cobain on Hollywood."

what a profoundly correct sentiment.

Posted by: jkg at January 3, 2011 1:22 AM

God, few of these were disappointing as Iron Man 2. Even now I struggle to remember what actually happened, apart from:

1. Tony smirking constantly (without all of the magic of the first film he just came off as, well, trying a little too hard)

2. The extent to which they messed up the black widow. They put ScarJo in the movie and then proceed to... not use her. (When all the heavy ladylifting is done by a Gwyneth Paltrow character, you know you've got a problem). And there's actually a fucking scene where the boys are having all the fun solving Man Problems and the only two women characters are... wait for it... ORGANIZING AND SYNCING UP TONY'S SCHEDULE! But it's okay because they're really kickass and it's all a ruse! Boy they sure fooled us! WOWEE!!!

3. (spoiler alert?) The kiss that really wasn't warranted by its lead-up. Any and all of the tension between Pepper and Tony had in the first one, which was full of just kind of deflated and we're stuck with a kiss that, for me, felt... a little cheated, really.

What a bloated, bloated disappointment of a film.

Posted by: seed at January 3, 2011 2:12 AM

I am a school librarian in the UK and it took me ages to get round to reading The Hunger Games primarily because Stephenie Meyer was endorsing it. I can not recommend it highly enough, particularly to young adult readers although adults will enjoy it hugely. It's a shame that is is slightly tarnished by Meyer being on the front but having said that, it has got some Twilighters to pick it up and enjoy it although I have had a few shell-shocked girls who were expecting sparkly vampires and got teenage children fighting to the death. Oh, hang on, actually is that not what Edward and Bella are doing to each other?

Re. Inception, I must admit I was surprised, after all the comments and furore about how complicated the plot was, to find it relatively straightforward. Granted, it did require a modicum of brainpower to follow it but it was hardly super-confusing stuff as to what was basically going on and the end. It was my favourite of the list despite Ellen Page's dodgy wardrobing, adequately made up for by JGL in a beautiful three piece suit. Yum.

Posted by: sevenstories at January 3, 2011 6:58 AM

...but I’ll never understand all the print devoted to unraveling the “mystery” of Inception. The top either stopped spinning and he was in reality, or it didn’t stop spinning and he was in a dream.

Glad I'm not alone on this. I listened to people telling me how they had to see it several times to understand the story. I'm all polite and empathetic on the outside, but on the inside, I'm judging them.

The only thing Nolan did not give you, was whether or not Cobb got out of the dream and that was deliberately left hanging.

As for the list, I only saw 2 others. Iron Man 2 was ok, but a bit of a mess. Toy Story 3 was pretty good, but paled compared to the previous two. Lotso Huggin' Bear was not much more than a retread of Stinky Pete.

Posted by: Simon at January 3, 2011 7:54 AM

I’m not proud of thinking it, but the Will Smith spawn are really fucking adorable.

Dustin whips his hair back and forth?

Posted by: superasente at January 3, 2011 8:51 AM

Wow. I actually saw 6 of these. Thoughts? Yes please!

- The top wobbled a little in the middle of its spin, and that's enough for me.

- How to Train Your Dragon was a bit oversold. I guess you have to be a big dragon fan just waiting for a halfway decent dragon movie to come out and then BOOM!!! Accolades!!!

- HP 7 was entertaining. And I have an uncomfortable crush on Emma Watson that was not helped by the forest scene showing her glistening, half-naked, glistening body that was shiny and glistening.

- Toy Story 3 had a scene that practically broke my tear ducts. Then I went to Toys R Us and saw that scene being sold to children in toy form and was reminded that marketing departments are soulless husks of black-holian proportions.

Posted by: Kballs at January 3, 2011 9:21 AM

It also has the 186th best 11th weekend of all time.

Wow, just wow. Was it really that hard to find something to say about Despicable Me's gross.

That Twilight news makes me fear for the future of humanity, it really does.

Posted by: csb at January 3, 2011 9:29 AM

Can I get a ruling on this--to do a Kurt Cobain means to kill oneself, yes? If so, good luck getting Hollywood to do that.

There's crap that makes a lot of money but that's always the case. I can live with such things being popular if there are still quality films being made that are popular enough to be hopeful more will continue to be produced.

In that vein, True Grit rocked. And it's killing it at the box office. Thus, I can live with studios (and the public) drooling over the next Kevin James flick.

Posted by: Not a hair splitter at January 3, 2011 9:30 AM

It’s also officially the first good dragon movie of all time (shut up, Reign of Fire defenders).

Are Dragonslayer defenders also instructed to shut up? If so, I might suggest that you, sir, shut up.

Posted by: Todd at January 3, 2011 9:33 AM

Hey Todd, no arguments here, although Reign of Fire was the best post-apocalyptic dragon movie of all time.
(come to me, Christian Bale... you and I are nowhere near done professionally yet)

Isn't it funny that the highest grossing films of all time are, by and large, propelled by the demographics that do the highest levels of downloading as well? Isn't that what the kids are doing these days?

Posted by: seed at January 3, 2011 9:46 AM

"Hunger Games" was like "Ender's Game" for this generation. The fact that Stephanie Meyer endorses it means she is NOT drinking the haterade.

Posted by: Hayden Tompkins at January 3, 2011 11:01 AM

1. Reign of Fire's dragons looked and moved a lot like Dragonslayer's dragon for a reason. And that reason is AWESOMENESS. Dragonslayer has a weak story, the pacing is random and it does suffer from some weak performances. But there's no getting over the fact that 30 years later, in high definition, that dragon STILL kicks ass and looks incredible. The babies are kinda weaksauce puppets by today's standards. But momma dragon's still awesome.

2. How To Train Your Dragon was a hoot. I really enjoyed the story despite its basic nature and certainly appreciated the fact that it didn't devolve into a matter of Hiccup's celebrity going to his head in the end.

3. Inception is perhaps my favorite movie on this list. I like the ambiguous ending and had absolutely no difficulty, whatsoever, following the film from start to finish. Depending on my feelings toward Cobb in any particular viewing I can see the top stop spinning or continue.

4. Iron Man 2 was a disappointment after the first. Another man in a suit versus a man in a suit ending. Not very exciting and rather anti climactic.

5. Alice in Wonderland was tedious and dreadful. As with Starship Troopers it was yet another in the long dull line of movies which bastardize an original title for individual gain.

6. Toy Story 3 was ok. It certainly wasn't as good as the original. It lacked much of the novelty and jaw drop factor. I enjoyed it, but hope that Pixar soon return to ORIGINAL stories, not sequels.

Posted by: lubeg at January 3, 2011 11:04 AM

Dragonslayer with Sir Ralph Richardson and Peter MacNicol was the best dragon movie of all time. At least until The Hobbit comes along...

Posted by: John W at January 3, 2011 11:05 AM

Yo, Ima let you finish, but Dragonslayer with Sir Ralph Richardson and Peter MacNicol was the best dragon movie of all time.

Fixed.

Posted by: superasente at January 3, 2011 12:27 PM

Alice In Wonderland was a flaming pile of manure.

The only way you can dare exploit Lewis Carroll's fantastic tales would be to throw Carol Channing, Sammy Davis Jr., Scott Baio and Patric Duffy onto a set (with a drag queen's make up kit and a five-year-old's dress up box) and see what happens.


...oh, wait...

Posted by: beet salad at January 3, 2011 1:23 PM

@superasente, thanks.

Posted by: John W at January 3, 2011 1:29 PM

D Rowles,
i luvs ya somethin' awful, but...
me, dragonslayer, & reign of fire are waitin' fer ya in th' dark alley behind yer house..,
that garbage'll need to be taken out sometime, bub...,

Posted by: Sly D. at January 3, 2011 1:45 PM

Hey, Pajiba! Ditch the fucking, talking Lysol ads! It's fucking shite. I like the site, have been a longtime reader, but lose the ads, or I'll be leaving.

Posted by: DOOM70 at January 3, 2011 1:52 PM

I'll throw in with The Hunger Games love. Those books (at least a couple of 'em) are some of the best YA fiction I've read in years. Suzanne Collins does not shy away from the uncomfortable and the love story stuff is pretty minor compared to the rest of the action.


Posted by: Even Stevens at January 3, 2011 2:34 PM

@beet salad:

AWESOME. I own that debacle, albeit in the form of my grandmother's original VHS tapes. So I can never watch it.

That's probably a good thing...

Posted by: anon33 at January 3, 2011 5:13 PM

Reign of Fire is the best goddamn movie of all time! Ok, not really, but I enjoyed it, so back the fuck off.

Posted by: The_wakeful at January 3, 2011 6:26 PM

"I’m not proud of thinking it, but the Will Smith spawn are really fucking adorable."

Ugh, you make me sick.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at January 3, 2011 7:47 PM

@ anon33

i'm sure there's a vhs (recorded "live!" from the t.v., represent!) somewhere in the bowels of my mom's house, and if i had access to a vcr i might consider digging it up. however, reliving the utter "WTF?!?" of so many of the shows i dearly loved as a child might be a darkness from which i can never return. after months of rehab, i have just recently recovered from the utter ridonculousness that is David Bowie's spandex cod piece in Labyrinth.

Posted by: beet salad at January 4, 2011 12:37 PM