The 8 best and 8 worst Disney movies to make $1 billion, according to critics
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More than 50 movies have crossed $1 billion at the box office worldwide.
The majority — a whopping 29 — are Disney-owned features, but not all are beloved by critics.
Pixar sequels like "Toy Story 3" are among the highest-rated while live-action Disney remakes scored low.
Note: All scores were current on the date of publication and are subject to change.
"Zootopia" is one of the best-reviewed Disney movies of all time.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Worldwide box office: $1,025,521,689
2016's "Zootopia" is the second-highest-rated Disney animated movie on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie, which followed a fox and rabbit as they team up and uncover a criminal conspiracy, delivered a clever larger social commentary about inclusion and acceptance.
More mature than other Disney flicks, Insider's Jason Guerrasio wrote, "'Zootopia' is as much a commentary on race and bigotry as it is a fun romp through an imaginary world."
"Toy Story 3" delivered a perfect ending to a trilogy.
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Worldwide box office: $1,067,316,101
Andy's forced to decide what to do with Woody, Buzz, and the rest of his beloved toys as he prepares to leave home for college in the 2010 sequel. A mistake leads to the toys feeling abandoned at a daycare and fighting to make their way back home to Andy before he sets out on his new journey.
"Toy Story 3" perfectly captured the internal struggle of not knowing how to part with your favorite childhood toys when moving on to the next phase of life.
"Toy Story 4" was nearly as beloved as the franchise's third movie.
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Worldwide box office: $1,073,841,394
Audiences turned out almost a decade later to watch Woody reunite with his love interest Bo Peep and console an anxiety-ridden new character, Forky, who tries to come to grips with why he was created.
Filled with gorgeous animation that makes the wear and tear of the toys look authentic and realistic, the film is funny and sweet even though it's not better than the original trilogy.
"Black Panther" became the first superhero movie to receive a best picture Oscar nomination.
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
Worldwide box office: $1,349,926,083
When T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) takes over as the King of Wakanda, he's unexpectedly challenged for the throne by a long-lost family member, Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan).
The rare Marvel movie that makes you care for the villain just as much as the hero, the film showcases an emotional and powerful story about family, heritage, and community.
"Avengers: Endgame" became a cultural phenomenon.
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Worldwide box office: $2,799,439,100
In the 22nd movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and the Avengers traveled through time in an epic heist in order to save the world from Thanos' reign of terror.
Extremely rewatchable, the film delivers an emotional gut punch. It's tough to not tear up every single time Iron Man sacrifices himself. The Marvel Cinematic Universe may never top the massive crossover it pulled off in this epic three-hour film.
"Finding Dory" was a heartwarming, thoughtful sequel that delivered up until its final bizarre minutes.
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Worldwide box office: $1,029,266,989
Thirteen years after "Finding Nemo," Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), suffering from short-term memory loss, goes on her own self-journey to discover her family and her purpose.
Funny and heartbreaking, the 2016 sequel is a nostalgic return to Pixar gold, but ultimately wasn't better than the original. Though it sensitively tackles what it's like having a child with a disability, "Finding Dory" jumps the shark in its final minutes when an octopus starts blindly driving a truck on a highway.
"Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" introduced a new, eager generation to a galaxy far, far away.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Worldwide box office: $2,071,310,218
Force-sensitive Rey (Daisy Ridley) comes across an adorable, mysterious droid, BB-8, kicking off a journey to learn more about her heritage. This brings her into contact with beloved "Star Wars" characters, including Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher).
Made by a fan (director J.J. Abrams) for fans, the most beloved — and highest-grossing — movie of the new trilogy is a giant reunion party with a group of friends you haven't seen in a long time.
Though a bit derivative of "A New Hope" with many nostalgic callbacks and nods to the original trilogy, "The Force Awakens" was refreshing enough to get a new generation excited about visiting a galaxy far, far away.
"Incredibles 2" was just as good as the original despite the 14-year wait.
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Worldwide box office: $1,243,225,667
Starting right where the 2004 movie left off, director Brad Bird returned for this sequel in which the Incredibles family had to work together to stop a sinister force from keeping superheroes underground.
One of the few superhero movies at the time where female heroes received more time than their male counterparts, "Incredibles 2," delivered a refreshing take on the genre with a sweet message about family.
You can read our full review here.
2017's "Beauty and the Beast" remake received mixed reviews.
Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
Worldwide box office: $1,266,115,964
Belle's taken prisoner by an arrogant prince-turned-beast living in an enchanted castle in the 2017 Disney remake.
Despite holding her hostage, the Beast hopes to make Belle fall in love with him before his 21st birthday to break a spell placed upon him and his servants.
Not as magical as the original, Dan Stevens' Beast feels largely watered down to make him less scary for kids. The character's CGI look is a bit tough to stomach, hardly making it believable that Emma Watson's Belle could fall in love with him.
The most welcome additions expand on the original, including more backstory for the Beast and Belle. While Watson's overall performance is enjoyable, it's Josh Gad's lovable take on LeFou and camaraderie with a likable Gaston (Luke Evans) who overshadow everyone else, which shouldn't be the case when the latter's a pretty misogynistic character in the original.
"Aladdin" delivered one of the worst live-action remakes of a Disney villain.
Rotten Tomatoes: 57%
Worldwide box office: $1,054,304,000
When the penniless Aladdin is granted three wishes by a genie, he asks to become a prince to win the affection of the princess of Agrabah.
While Disney's 2019 remake cast Mena Massoud as a perfect Aladdin and expanded on Jasmine's character in meaningful ways, the movie did Jafar dirty. Marwan Kenzari's performance as the sultan's advisor doesn't have the menacing gravitas of the animated or Broadway versions of the iconic Disney villain. He comes off as second-rate.
The live-action film also cuts out and changes some of the animated movie's biggest moments, making the original superior.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" didn't win critics over as much as the first movie in the franchise.
Rotten Tomatoes: 53%
Worldwide box office: $1,066,179,747
When Will Turner's (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann's (Keira Knightley) nuptials get disrupted in the 2006 sequel, Will is tasked with tracking down Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) to acquire his compass.
Instead, Will and Elizabeth get roped into another adventure when ghost pirate Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) seeks a debt from Sparrow.
The overly complicated sequel tries too hard to top the first with a less-funny Depp and a bloated runtime.
Many called "The Lion King" remake a cash grab.
Rotten Tomatoes: 52%
Worldwide box office: $1,663,075,401
Gaslit into believing he killed his father, Simba runs away from home as a child, returning years later to take his rightful place as king when his Uncle Scar threatens to destroy the Pride Lands.
Disney's 2019 remake is a lazy shot-for-shot remake of the original. There's something odd and lifeless about watching this version of the film when the CGI animals don't emote, resulting in heavy moments like Mufasa's death failing to pack a punch.
Additionally, the new stripped-down version of "Be Prepared" pales in comparison to Jeremy Irons' iconic masterpiece in the original.
"Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker" didn't provide a satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga.
Rotten Tomatoes: 52%
Worldwide box office: $1,077,022,372
We finally learn who Rey is in the final film of the Skywalker saga and boy is it a doozy.
Palpatine returns from the dead and it's an all-out battle to prevent him from regaining control of the galaxy. The sequel plays out like fan fiction which was made even worse when an alternative, more satisfying script for the film leaked online.
"Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" is one of the most disliked films in the franchise.
Rotten Tomatoes: 51%
Worldwide box office: $1,027,082,707
The kickoff to the prequel trilogy follows the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker's rise to power and slow descent into the Empire's dark Lord Vader.
"The Phantom Menace" usually gets a lot of hate for the overly silly Jar Jar Binks character, but in more recent years fans have been kinder to the original trilogy.
Say what you will about the film, but it delivered one of John Williams' most powerful and memorable "Star Wars" scores with "Duel of the Fates." It's so popular that there are dozens of YouTube mashups to it, including a 10-hour video on loop.
"Alice in Wonderland" helped usher in the age of Disney remakes.
Rotten Tomatoes: 51%
Worldwide box office: $1,025,468,216
Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns to Wonderland with Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter to escape a proposal in the 2010 live-action adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic story and Disney's 1951 animated feature.
The vibrant, magical world is fun to look at with a more modern and fierce Alice, but the movie is rather cookie-cutter and predictable. Helena Bonham Carter's cruel and petulant Queen of Hearts is its best asset.
The film likely succeeded not only due to Depp's popularity at the time, but also because it delivered an original story with a strong female lead that wasn't a direct rehash of the animated tale.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" is one of the lowest-rated movies to cross a billion dollars at theaters.
Rotten Tomatoes: 33%
Worldwide box office: $1,046,721,266
Penelope Cruz plays Captain Jack's ex as the pair search for the Fountain of Youth.
A few fun action scenes aside, the fourth movie in the "Pirates" franchise is largely bland and confusing without Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley.
Depp's Captain wears out his welcome, losing the magic of what made the character so likable in his early outings.
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