Transformers: Age of Extinction tops list of worst $1 billion movies

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A new report ranks the 10 worst movies that have grossed over $1 billion at the global box office, with Transformers: Age of Extinction topping the list. The 2014 film, directed by Michael Bay, is described as "bloated and incoherent" with "too many ideas crammed in" and the new human cast "drowned out by the excess of Bayhem." Other billion-dollar duds on the list include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Despicable Me 3, and the Star Wars sequel trilogy finale The Rise of Skywalker.

Why it matters

Crossing the $1 billion mark used to be a significant milestone for successful and acclaimed films, but in the modern era of high ticket prices, the billion-dollar club has expanded to include many critically panned blockbusters. This report highlights how commercial success does not always equate to quality, and how factors like brand recognition, franchise appeal, and international box office can propel even poor films to massive global grosses.

The details

The report examines how films like Transformers: Age of Extinction, which earned over $1.1 billion worldwide, managed to reach that milestone despite being "one of the most underwhelming blockbusters to ever reach the billion-dollar mark." It notes how the fourth Transformers film was "bloated and incoherent" with "too many ideas crammed in" and the new human cast "drowned out by the excess of Bayhem." Other billion-dollar duds highlighted include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which "decided to push itself into a corner twice in one movie," and Despicable Me 3, which "mostly recycles jokes and plot from their previous films."

• Transformers: Age of Extinction was released in 2014.
• Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was released in 2018.
• Despicable Me 3 was released in 2017.