Toy Story 3 – 98%
Third time isn’t always a charm for blockbuster franchises, but in the case of Toy Story, it proved a winner both creatively and commercially. A beautiful conclusion to the CG-animated series’ initial trilogy, Toy Story 3 is notorious for reducing grown adults to blubbering wrecks. As well as grossing $1.067 billion worldwide, director Lee Unkrich’s film scores a near-perfect 98% at Rotten Tomatoes.
Zootopia – 98%
Questions might be asked about the overall popular impact of 2016’s Zootopia (or Zootropolis as it’s known in some territories), but the Disney animated movie was a smash hit on release. The film from directors Rich Moore and Byron Howard rang up $1.025 billion in ticket sales, and also attracted positive reviews to the tune of a 98% RT score.
Toy Story 4 – 97%
Not everyone agreed there was any good creative reason to make a fourth Toy Story, but the resulting film wound up going down very well indeed. On top of earning a stunning 97% RT score, director Josh Cooley’s Toy Story 4 was one of the biggest hits of 2019, with a final global box office haul of $1.073 billion.
Top Gun: Maverick – 96%
After having its release delayed several times, actor/producer Tom Cruise really needed his long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick to be successful. Luckily for Cruise, it was both the biggest hit of his career, and one of his best reviewed movies. Director Joseph Kosinski’s blockbuster earned $1.496 billion and scored 96% on the Tomatometer.
Black Panther – 96%
Challenging old preconceptions that films with predominantly black casts won’t appeal to a wide audience, Marvel’s 2018 superhero movie Black Panther proved a global phenomenon. Director Ryan Coogler’s film, starring the sadly missed Chadwick Boseman, earned $1.349 billion, holds a 96% fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating, and also has the distinction of being the first Marvel Studios production to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – 96%
Almost a full decade after it began in November 2001, the Harry Potter series came to a suitably grandiose conclusion with July 2011’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which proved to be both the highest-earning and best-reviewed entry in the eight-film saga. Director David Yates’ adaptation of JK Rowling’s novel earned $1.342 billion, and a 96% fresh RT score.
The Dark Knight – 94%
Christopher Nolan’s second Batman movie The Dark Knight was a major watershed moment for comic book movies. Earning $1.006 billion worldwide, the 2008 film was the fourth biggest hit ever on release, and the reviews were good enough to earn it a 94% RT score. On top of all that, Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker won him a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar.
Finding Dory – 94%
Arriving 13 years after the original Disney-Pixar hit, 2016’s Finding Dory took us back to the aquatic world of 2003’s Finding Nemo, and audiences couldn’t wait to get back there. Earning a 94% RT score, director Andrew Stanton’s $1.029 billion-grossing blockbuster had the biggest opening for an animated movie at the time, and it was briefly the highest-grossing animated movie ever at the US box office.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – 94%
The final entry in director Peter Jackson’s ground-breaking three-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Lord of the Rings was a true big screen epic. On top of earning $1.147 billion and scoring 94% at Rotten Tomatoes, 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King also swept the board at the Oscars, winning all 11 awards for which it was nominated.