{"id":11822,"date":"2016-12-02T16:43:22","date_gmt":"2016-12-02T21:43:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=11822"},"modified":"2016-12-02T16:44:31","modified_gmt":"2016-12-02T21:44:31","slug":"11-biggest-blockbusters-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2016\/12\/11-biggest-blockbusters-2016.html","title":{"rendered":"The 11 Biggest Blockbusters of 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"2016-Movie-Posters-Dragonlord\"<\/a>2016 didn\u2019t disappoint at the box office, with some amazing movies hitting the big screen. Viewers have been spoiled with blockbuster superhero sagas, low-budget horror thrillers and a plethora of animated comedies.\u00a0 Check out which movies topped the chart based on their gross profits, critical reviews and patron opinions.<\/p>\n

Doctor Strange<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Rachel McAdams, Doctor Strange<\/em> follows a former neurosurgeon as he embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts. Released in November, it has grossed 579.7 million so far. The Hollywood Reporter<\/em>‘s Todd McCarthy called\u00a0Doctor Strange<\/em>\u00a0“an engaging, smartly cast and sporadically eye-popping addition” to the franchise, adding “this action movie ostensibly rooted in the mind-expanding tenets of Eastern mysticism is different enough to establish a solid niche alongside the blockbuster combine’s established money machines.”<\/p>\n

Deadpool\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is the eighth installment in the\u00a0X-Men film series, and stars\u00a0Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. In the film,\u00a0antihero\u00a0Wade Wilson (Deadpool) hunts the man who nearly destroyed his life while also trying to reunite with his lost love. Deadpool<\/em>\u00a0premiered in February, and \u00a0the film received positive reviews from critics. They praised its style, faithful depiction of the titular character, Reynolds’ performance, action, and stunts, and\u00a0Tom Holkenborg’s score, but criticizing its plot. The film was a massive\u00a0blockbuster\u00a0success, grossing over $782 million worldwide and breaking numerous box office records, becoming the\u00a0seventh highest-grossing film of 2016.\u00a0Shortly after its success, a\u00a0sequel\u00a0was\u00a0greenlit\u00a0by Fox.<\/p>\n

The Secret Life of Pets\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

In The Secret Life of Pets, <\/em>the quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes. The film stars\u00a0Louis C.K.,\u00a0Eric Stonestreet,\u00a0Kevin Hart and many other Hollywood stars.\u00a0The film was released on July 8, 2016 by\u00a0Universal Pictures. Upon release, it received positive critical reviews and grossed $874 million worldwide, becoming the highest grossing original animated film not produced by\u00a0Disney\u00a0or\u00a0Pixar.<\/p>\n

The Jungle Book\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Jungle Book<\/em>\u00a0is a\u00a0live-action\/CGI\u00a0film that tells the story of\u00a0Mowgli, an orphaned human boy who, guided by his animal guardians, sets out on a journey of self-discovery while evading the threatening\u00a0Shere Khan. Released in April, it became a critical and commercial success, grossing over $966 million, making it the\u00a0fourth highest-grossing film of 2016\u00a0and the\u00a031st highest-grossing film of all time. On\u00a0review aggregator\u00a0Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94%, based on 263 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7\/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “As lovely to behold as it is engrossing to watch,\u00a0The Jungle Book<\/em>\u00a0is the rare remake that actually improves upon its predecessors\u00a0\u2013 all while setting a new standard for CGI.”<\/p>\n

Zootopia<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Zootopia<\/i> details the unlikely partnership between a rabbit police officer and a red fox\u00a0con artist\u00a0as they uncover a conspiracy which involves the disappearance of\u00a0predator\u00a0inhabitants of a\u00a0mammalian\u00a0metropolis. Produced by\u00a0Walt Disney Animation Studios\u00a0, it opened to record-breaking box office success in several countries and has earned a worldwide gross of over $1 billion, making it the\u00a0third highest-grossing film of 2016\u00a0and the\u00a025th highest-grossing film of all time. Peter Travers\u00a0of\u00a0Rolling Stone<\/em>\u00a0wrote that\u00a0Zootopia<\/em>\u00a0“may be the most subversive movie of” 2016, praising its timely message about the harm of prejudice in the face of the prevailing xenophobic political rhetoric at the time of the film’s release, and the film’s humor.<\/p>\n

Finding Dory\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Finding Dory<\/em>\u00a0focuses on the\u00a0amnesiac\u00a0fish Dory, who journeys to be reunited with her parents. Along the way, she is captured and taken to a California\u00a0public aquarium, from which friends Marlin and Nemo attempt to rescue her. Finding Dory <\/em>is the squeal to the beloved\u00a0Finding Nemo.<\/em>\u00a0As of November 27, 2016,\u00a0Finding Dory<\/em>\u00a0has grossed $486.3 million in the USA & Canada and $540.7 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $1.027 billion against a budget of $200 million. Mike Ryan of\u00a0Uproxx<\/em>\u00a0gave the film a positive review, saying: “I never thought I wanted a sequel to\u00a0Finding Nemo<\/em>, but here we are and I’m pretty happy it exists. And, for me, it was a more emotional experience than the first film.\u00a0Finding Dory<\/em>\u00a0got me\u00a0\u2013 it made me cry.”<\/p>\n

Captain America: Civil War\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

C<\/em>aptain America: Civil War<\/em>\u00a0is a superhero film\u00a0featuring the\u00a0Marvel Comics\u00a0character\u00a0Captain America, produced by\u00a0Marvel Studios.\u00a0It is the sequel to 2011’s\u00a0Captain America: The First Avenger<\/em>\u00a0and 2014’s\u00a0Captain America: The Winter Soldier. <\/em>In\u00a0Captain America: Civil War<\/em>, disagreement over international oversight of the\u00a0Avengers\u00a0fractures them into opposing factions\u2014one led by Steve Rogers and the other by\u00a0Tony Stark. The film became a critical and commercial success, grossing over $1.1 billion worldwide, making it the\u00a0highest-grossing film of 2016\u00a0and the\u00a012th highest-grossing film of all time.<\/p>\n

The BFG\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The BFG<\/em>\u00a0(short for “Big Friendly Giant”) is a fantasy\u00a0adventure film\u00a0directed and co-produced by\u00a0Steven Spielberg,\u00a0and based on the 1982 novel\u00a0of the same name\u00a0by\u00a0Roald Dahl.\u00a0In the film, an orphan human girl befriends a benevolent\u00a0giant, dubbed the “Big Friendly Giant”, who takes her to Giant Country where they attempt to stop the man-eating giants that are invading the human world. \u00a0The film received incredibly positive reviews from critics, though the film was a\u00a0box office disappointment overall.<\/p>\n

Hell or High Water<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Hell or High Water<\/em>\u00a0is a neo-western\u00a0heist-crime film that follows two brothers who carry out a series of bank robberies to save their family farm. The movie stars\u00a0Chris Pine,\u00a0Ben Foster\u00a0and\u00a0Jeff Bridges. It received critical accolades for it’s authenticity and has grossed $31 million. On\u00a0Metacritic, the film has a score of 88 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.<\/p>\n

Moana<\/strong><\/a>
\nReleased by\u00a0Walt Disney Pictures, the film tells the story of Moana, the strong-willed daughter of the chief of a\u00a0Polynesian tribe, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with a goddess. When a blight strikes her island, Moana sets sail in search of\u00a0Maui, a legendary demigod, in hopes to save her people.\u00a0Moana<\/em>\u00a0was released theatrically in the United States on November 23, 2016, and received critical acclaim, especially for it’s music. The movie has grossed $106 million worldwide.<\/p>\n

The Nice Guys\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The Nice Guys<\/em>\u00a0is a mystery-crime thriller\u00a0action comedy film that\u00a0follows a pair of 1977\u00a0Los Angeles\u00a0private eyes who investigate a missing girl. Despite receiving positive reviews from critics, it grossed just $57 million against its $50 million budget.\u00a0Critic\u00a0James Berardinelli\u00a0wrote,\u00a0“The Nice Guys<\/i> is a refreshingly adult movie entering a marketplace saturated by teen-friendly superhero flicks and animated family fare. It’s edgy, funny, and fast-paced.”<\/p>\n

Did you favorite movie from 2016 make the list? Leave a comment and let us know what your most beloved flick was this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

2016 didn\u2019t disappoint at the box office, with some amazing movies hitting the big screen. Viewers have been spoiled with blockbuster superhero sagas, low-budget horror thrillers and a plethora of animated comedies.\u00a0 Check out which movies topped the chart based on their gross profits, critical reviews and patron opinions. Doctor Strange Starring Benedict Cumberbatch and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":600,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,3,4,1643],"tags":[3226,3227,3225,1291],"class_list":["post-11822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-entertainment","category-movies","category-pop-culture","category-theater-2","tag-2016-movies","tag-best-films-of-2016","tag-blockbuster","tag-movie"],"yoast_head":"\nThe 11 Biggest Blockbusters of 2016<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As we near the end of 2016 and head into award season, let\u2019s review some of the biggest blockbuster movies from the year.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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