Critics Shake Their Heads, Audiences Nod: 3 films that succeeded at the box office despite sharply divided reviews

The King of Pop is dominating the screen. 〈Michael〉, which opened in about 30 countries including North America, cleared $200 million in its first week and is riding a strong box-office wave. Before its release, the review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes showed near-panning scores — a so-called "rotten" rating (when the Tomatometer is 60% or lower) — raising concerns ahead of its release, but after opening the film received positive audience reactions and picked up momentum. 〈Super Mario Galaxy〉, which opened in Korea on April 29, showed a similar pattern. Because film exists both as an art form and as a popular cultural industry, the gap between critics and audiences can become sharply pronounced and may even add to the viewing experience. Below are films like 〈Michael〉 where critics and audiences were extremely divided, yet they succeeded at the box office and demonstrated the core appeal of popular culture.

■ The figures below are recorded as of April 29, 2026.

Minecraft Movie

Tomatometer 47% / Popcornmeter 88% / CinemaScore B-

〈Minecraft Movie〉 is one of the recent box-office hits with the most mixed reactions. Critics, unsurprisingly, were largely unimpressed. The Tomatometer, reflecting critics' reviews, sits at 47%, with many citing chaotic pacing and an emphasis on quick, surface-level laughs. That said, it would be inaccurate to say general audience reaction was entirely positive: some fans of the original game blasted the film as near-blasphemy for what they saw as disrespecting the source material. Minecraft is a sandbox experience where players gather resources, craft tools, explore worlds, and survive, whereas the film mainly borrows the game's premise and turns it into something entirely different. Still, casual players of the original and family audiences found 〈Minecraft Movie〉 quite charming. Thanks in part to Jack Black’s "Lava Chicken Song" and the "Chicken Jockey" scenes going viral, the film breezed past $900 million at the worldwide box office and emerged as a 2025 dark horse.

The Lion King

Tomatometer 52% / Popcornmeter 88% / CinemaScore A

The 1994 animated 〈The Lion King〉 was widely acclaimed as a masterpiece among Disney animations and became a major moneymaker with $900 million in worldwide revenue. When 〈The Lion King〉 returned as a full 3D live-action remake, critics were cool to it. While the near-photorealistic graphics drew little dissent, many felt that the unique expressive techniques and characteristics of animation had been stripped away, leaving a very bland result. Still, likely due to the original’s reputation, the remake quickly gained box-office traction after release, earning an A on audience-measured site CinemaScore and reportedly an 88% Popcornmeter score, indicating generally positive reactions. It ultimately cleared $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office, helping to crown Walt Disney’s prosperous 2019 (that year Disney distributed seven films that surpassed $1 billion: 〈Captain Marvel〉, 〈Avengers: Endgame〉, 〈Aladdin〉, 〈The Lion King〉, 〈Toy Story 4〉, 〈Frozen II〉, and 〈Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker〉).

Venom Series

Tomatometer 31% / Popcornmeter 80% / CinemaScore B+

Tomatometer 58% / Popcornmeter 83% / CinemaScore B+

Tomatometer 40% / Popcornmeter 79% / CinemaScore B-

If any series of the 21st century feels especially peculiar, it might be the 〈Venom〉 series. Marking both the beginning and the end of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, the 〈Venom〉 films center on the villain Venom and his host Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), with three installments released between 2018 and 2024. Across its three installments (2018, 2021, 2024), audience reactions were generally more favorable than critics'. Critics tended to fault the movies for their comic tone, which clashed with the hard-boiled nature of a human-eating creature like Venom, and for CG and action that felt less polished than in other superhero films. Audiences, however, warmed to Venom’s unexpectedly cute moments and appreciated that the films were straightforward and didn't require seeing other entries in the universe. All three installments cleared their break-even points, though returns dwindled with each sequel: about $800 million for the first film, $500 million for the second, and $470 million for the third, ultimately bringing the universe to a close. Still, the series stands out for continuing on the strength of popular appeal despite consistent critical panning.