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e69da5e887aae799bee5baa6e997aee7ad94338Box Office Power: Top 25 Movies of 2008
Even though there are awards galore, and that amorphous notion of what's hot and what's not, when it comes to Hollywood, there's always one thing that everyone has to know about -- money. Who made the most, the least, who was up, who was down... It's part of the buzz, it has a place in Oscar nominations, it's what the film industry is built upon. So while our last feature detailed what the top films of 2008 were according to our users, our newest list takes a look at the hard, solid facts of Box Office Power: The Top 25 Movies of 2008. Not surprisingly, you'll probably figure out what the number one flick is, but the top 25 for last year showcase a few surprises, and we'll tell you which ones were the unexpected hits and which movies performed below expectations, complete with box office grades.
A few facts: the box office year for 2008 finished up at $9.63 billion versus $9.68 billion in 2007. Admissions, however, were down 4.3% from last year, with higher ticket pricing accounting for the close finish. All top 25 films grossed $100 million or more; 2007 saw 28 films top that mark, while 2006 brought only 18 that did. Not counting voice work, three top stars had two movies in the top 25: Robert Downey, Jr., Shia LaBeouf and Brendan Fraser. Five films were animated, six were sequels (or parts of a continuing franchise), two were adapted from TV series, one was a "reboot", one was from 2007, one was a musical, and none featured Harry Potter. Check out the entire list below for rankings, figures, grades, and buzz.
And for a look at the movies that had the biggest buzz, see the MOVIEMeter™ Top 25 Films of 2008
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25. You Don't Mess With the Zohan ($100 million)
Grade: B-
Adam Sandler's turn as an Israeli hairstylist/special ops soldier proved to be one of his least succesful comedy outings to date, just squeaking over the $100 mil mark; comparatively, last year's I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry scored $120 million.
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24. Step Brothers ($100.5 million)
Grade: B
Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly managed to hold their own against The Dark Knight with a $30.9 million opening during the Caped Crusader's second week, and held on in the top ten for nine weeks.
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23. Eagle Eye ($101.1 million)
Grade: B+
It Boy Shia LaBeouf reteamed with Disturbia director D.J. Caruso for this techno thriller, which glided over $100 million thanks to LaBeouf's star power and continuing press coverage.
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22. Journey to the Center of the Earth ($101.7 million)
Grade: B+
One of the summer's stealth hits, this Brendan Fraser-starring family flick capitalized on its cheesy-but-fun 3-D effects, which thrilled especially when seen in the IMAX format -- which, wouldn't you know it, charged higher ticket prices!
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21. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor ($102.2 million)
Grade: B-
Fraser had his second $100 million outing this summer with the long-delayed third outing of the successful Mummy series; its gross paled in comparison to its predecessor, which finished up with $202 million.
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20. Bolt ($104.5 million)
Grade: B
Disney's big non-Pixar animated flick was a hit with critics, and though it struggled in opening against Twilight, it outgrossed the vampire flick when both headed into their second weekend.
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19. Tropic Thunder ($110.4 million)
Grade: B+
Ben Stiller skewered Hollywood and the pretentious actors who love it with this outrageous comedy that featured hot star Robert Downey, Jr., an unrecognizable Tom Cruise as a profane studio head, and three weeks at number one.
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18. Four Christmases ($111.6 million)
Grade: B
With no Harry Potter to go up against (and very other little competition, to be honest), this seasonal comedy cornered the early holiday market, winning the Thanksgiving weekend and the following weekend.
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17. Juno ($112 million)
Grade: A
The only 2007 release to make it onto 2008's list, the critical indie darling became Fox Searchlight's biggest grosser to date, nabbing $143.5 million overall on its way to four Oscar nominations and screenplay win.
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16. Get Smart ($130.3 million)
Grade: B
Despite so-so reviews, summer audieces managed to fall for the charms of Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway, whose ill-timed break-up gave the movie more publicity than it had probably anticipated getting.
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15. Wanted ($134.3 million)
Grade: A-
With no franchise behind it, many called this to be one of the summer's biggest flops; with a $50 opening weekend despite an R rating, it was a surprise action hit, and gave Angelina Jolie's career a much-needed box office boost.
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14. The Incredible Hulk ($134.5 million)
Grade: B
This "reboot" of the green Marvel Comics hero got a better reception with critics and audiences, but in the end did neither better nor worse financially than its predecessor, which took in $132 mil back in 2003.
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13. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian ($141.6 million)
Grade: B-
A move from fall to summer for this second Narnia outing proved to be its downfall, as it did $150 million less than The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and ultimately prompted Disney to disengage itself from a third flick.
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12. Mamma Mia! ($143.7 million)
Grade: A
Who knew Meryl Streep would become a box office force? This ABBA musical, once considered a gamble on the big screen, showed amazing box office longevity and even got a burst of life late in its run with a sing-along version.
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11. Sex and the City ($152.6 million)
Grade: A+
The four gals from HBO's hit comedy series (who some thought would fizzle on the big screen) trounced Indiana Jones in his second week out, nabbing an eye-opening $56.8 million opening weekend and immediately prompting talks of a sequel.
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10. Horton Hears a Who! ($154.5 million)
Grade: B
With an excellent voice-over cast and zero family-friendly competition last spring, this animated Dr. Seuss adaptation spent two weeks at number one on its way to breaking $150 mil.
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9. Quantum of Solace ($164.3 million)
Grade: B+
With fans thirsting for more James Bond hijinks, this second Daniel Craig outing blasted to a record $67.5 million opening, but fizzled in later weeks thanks to word-of-mouth on the film's grim demeanor, finishing neck-and-neck with Casino Royale.
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8. Twilight ($169.9 million)
Grade: A+
OMG! The frenzy for this adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's vampire tale was overwhelming, and it stepped into Harry Potter's opening weekend when the boy wizard was delayed to the tune of $69.6 million.
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7. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa ($174.9 million)
Grade: A-
This sequel to the 2005 summer hit opted for a fall opening instead, where it held its own against the highly-anticipated Quantum of Solace and Twilight on its way to outgrossing both.
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6. Kung Fu Panda ($215.4 million)
Grade: A-
With a high-profile Cannes opening, featuring a highly-pregnant Angelina Jolie, this animated action family romp, with Jack Black as the titular ursine hero, was the second highest-grossing animated flick of the year, next to...
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5. WALL·E ($223.8 million)
Grade: A
Pixar continued its winning streak with this rapturously-receieved futuristic tale, making it the most well-reviewed film of the year, a potential Oscar contender for Best Picture, and a stupendous box office champ.
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4. Hancock ($227.9 million)
Grade: B+
Critics either loved this movie for its out-of-left-field plot twists, or hated it for its incomprehsibility; either way, Will Smith proved he still had what it takes to make a box office hit.
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3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($317 million)
Grade: B+
Nostalgia propelled this sequel to an impressive $317 million, but it suffered, surprisingly, in the wake of Sex and the City and the blockbuster that preceded its Memorial Day weekend opening...
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2. Iron Man ($318.3 million)
Grade: A+
All hail Marvel Entertainment, now a Hollywood force to be reckoned with, and Robert Downey, Jr., who had the comeback of the year with this superhero hit -- and who may dethrone Johnny Depp as the king of the phenomenal box office franchise.
1. The Dark Knight ($530.9 million)
Grade: A++
Oh, where to start? Propelled by the box office and critical splendor of Batman Begins and the tragic, untimely death of Heath Ledger (whose turn as The Joker was his last completed role), this Gotham-set opera of action and angst obliterated all records with a $158.4 million opening -- a feat you probably won't see repeated within the next ten years. Four weeks at number one took it to a mind-boggling $441 million, which was enough to make it the fourth-highest grossing movie in history; the next five months took it to $530.9 million, just $70 million shy of all-time hit Titanic.
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