Photo: Lucasfilm Ltd.
Pop cinema is a unique confluence of art and business. From the studios’ perspective, movies are a high-stakes gamble. They back ever larger projects in the hopes of not only recouping their losses but earning millions—or even billions—more. Some are successful and some are not, but as we all know, financial success does not necessarily equal a quality piece of art. We’ve ranked the seven best big-budget movies to date—adjusted for inflation, of course.
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7. 'John Carter' (2012)
John Carter gets a bad rap. Sure, the film—directed by Andrew Stanton of WALL-E fame—is overstuffed, but it is also uniquely weird adaptation of a uniquely weird story from the creator of Tarzan. It features a stellar cast—including Taylor Kitsch, Mark Strong and Bryan Cranston as well as Willem Dafoe and Samantha Morton in motion capture—and a classically heroic score from Michael Giacchino.
Budget: $288 million in 2019 USD
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures
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6. 'WALL-E' (2008)
Even among its critically-lauded Pixar brethren, WALL-E stands out. It's a unique story of humanity’s potential future and the robots we may build to clean up the mess we’ve made of our home planet. With the high level of skill we have come to expect from Ben Burtt—sound designer of the Star Wars universe—he makes WALL-E and his various robot friends feel alive.
Budget: $209 million in 2019 USD
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5. 'Spider-Man 2' (2004)
Sam Raimi’s follow-up to Spider-Man remains one of the strongest superhero movies to date. He deepens the audience’s understanding of Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker and helps us identify with his internal struggles as well as the external threats. Its careful balance of emotional resonance and comedic timing keeps it feeling watchable, in spite of its poorly-aging special effects.
Budget: $265 million in 2019 USD
Photo: Sony Entertainment
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4. 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' (2008)
After almost two decades away from the limelight, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Harrison Ford finally brought the titular archaeologist back to the silver screen. For years, Lucas and Spielberg disagreed over the plot device for Ford’s hero to search for. In the end, they went with Lucas’s vision for the story, which saw the aging character in Roswell, New Mexico in 1957. Though it is largely considered weaker than its predecessors, it remains a lot of pulpy fun from two masters of pop cinema.
Budget: $215 million in 2019 USD
Photo: Lucasfilm Ltd.
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3. 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' (2007)
Gore Verbinski really went all-out for the final act of his run on The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. From the jump, the film turns viewer expectations on its head, with an opening scene more fitting for Les Miserables than a movie based off of a theme park ride and marketed for kids. For anyone who has yet to see the series, this nutty chapter makes series—or at least the three films directed by Verbinski—well worth it.
Budget: $362 million in 2019 USD
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures
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2. 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015)
Director J.J. Abrams had a tall order on his plate with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. After six films overseen by the franchise’s creator George Lucas, it was now in the corporate hands of Disney. Lucas’s vision for the prequel trilogy left many fans unfulfilled, but even still, he was a tough act to follow. Abrams and co-writer Lawrence Kasdan found a way. Though there were missteps, the two found a way to reinvigorate the Star Wars universe by reminding devotees of its heyday.
Budget: $274 million in 2019 USD
Photo: Lucasfilm Ltd.
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1. 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'
If Star Wars: The Force Awakens helped fans of the franchise remember what they loved about Star Wars, Rian Johnson’s sequel gave it new life. Johnson understood that the series could not continue to copy off itself, making more or less a worse version of the same sort of movie ad nauseam. With Star Wars: The Last Jedi, he made the riskiest, most personal Star Wars film not made by Lucas himself. The film ruffled many feathers in the process, but for a lot of existing fans, it was well worth it—and it likely brought many new fans into the fold as well.
Budget: $268 million in 2019 USD
Photo: Lucasfilm Ltd.
