"Deadpool & Wolverine" was the only superhero film to get a Rotten Tomatoes critic score above 50% this year.
Sony released three new movies in their Spider-Man universe, including the universally panned "Madame Web."
"Deadpool & Wolverine" may have made a whopping $1.3 billion at the box office but, overall, 2024 has been a bad year for superhero movies.
Disney's Marvel Studios and Warner Bros' DC Studios released a film each in 2024 in response to superhero fatigue criticism over the last couple of years and as they prepared to enter a new phase in their respective franchises.
This left space for Sony and other studios to enter the market. But critics panned most of this year's superhero movies, with only Marvel's "Deadpool & Wolverine" receiving a Rotten Tomatoes score above 50%.
Here are all seven superhero movies ranked from lowest to highest, according to their Rotten Tomatoes critic scores.
"Madame Web"
Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%
Sony has made several blunders in its attempt to build its own Marvel Spider-Man universe (without any Spider-Man appearances), but "Madame Web" is possibly the biggest misfire.
Critics said the film was a mess.Β Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney, the two biggest stars in the film, distanced themselves from it after it received bad reviews and did not do well at the box office.
Fans mocked it, too, and generally didn't turn up to see the film in theaters. It is the lowest grossing film in the Spider-Man franchise, making $100 million.
"Kraven the Hunter"
Rotten Tomatoes score: 15%
Sony's Spider-Man universe ended on a low this year with "Kraven the Hunter" debuting with the lowest domestic opening weekend for a Sony Spider-Man movie ever.
It earned $11,000 in North America, which is roughly $4,000 less than "Madame Web" and roughly $70,000 less than "Venom," the first spin-off Spider-Man movie that Sony released.
Critics were not as hard on "Kraven the Hunter" as they were on "Madame Web," but still thought the film had a dull story and poor special effects. While some critics thought the film was so bad that it was entertaining, others thought it was a waste of time.
"The Crow"
Rotten Tomatoes score: 22%
1994's "The Crow" is widely regarded as a cult classic. However, its reputation was marred after Brandon Lee, the lead actor, was shot and mortally wounded by a prop gun that wasn't supposed to contain bullets, eight days before shooting wrapped.
Lionsgate's attempt to revive the superhero franchise failed critically and commercially. This time, Bill SkarsgΓ₯rd starred as Eric Draven, a recovering drug addict who gains supernatural abilities after being resurrected from the dead and seeks revenge on the people who killed him and his lover.
Some critics defended "The Crow" reboot, saying it wasn't unwatchable, but most reviews were more negative, saying the film was incoherent and not better than the original film.
2024's "The Crow" made $23 million in ticket sales on a reported $50 million budget. The 1994 version made $50 million.
"Joker: Folie a Deux"
Rotten Tomatoes score: 32%
There were big hopes for "Joker: Folie a Deux." Its predecessor made over a billion dollars, and Oscar and Grammy winner Lady Gaga took on the part of the hugely popular villain, Harley Quinn.
It was also a musical, following Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck as he stands trial for the multiple murders her committed in the first film, and begins a relationship with Lee Quinzel (Gaga).
But somehow, "Joker: Folie a Deux" disappointed both fans and critics and only made $206 million in ticket sales. Variety reported that Warner Bros. spent $200 million on the film and roughly $100 to market it, meaning the film likely did not turn a profit.
"Hellboy: The Crooked Man"
Rotten Tomatoes score: 37%
If you missed the latest "Hellboy" movie, you're not alone. Millennium Media, the production company that owns the rights to the Hellboy character, did not heavily promote "Hellboy: The Crooked Man," releasing the first teaser three months before it premiered in the US.
"Hellboy: The Crooked Man" takes Hellboy (Jack Kesy) back to his horror roots as he tries to take down a group of witches and their sinister demon leader, the Crooked Man.
Critics were divided on this film. Some said it was dull and had a messy script, while others praised it for actually being scary.
"Venom: The Last Dance"
Rotten Tomatoes score: 41%
"Venom: The Last Dance," the final film in the "Venom" trilogy, follows Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote Venom, who fleeing the world's military and a group of aliens working for Knull, Venom's creator
The "Venom" films are the only commerciallysuccessful movies from Sony's Spider-Man spin-off universe. Critics panned the series, and "Venom: The Last Dance" has the lowest-grossing of the three films.
But audiences still loved the film, which had the eighth-highest ticket sales of the year with a total of $475 million.
"Deadpool & Wolverine"
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
Since 2009, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have been engaged in a playful rivalry over who plays Canada's greatest Marvel superhero. Now they bring this feud to the big screen with "Deadpool & Wolverine."
In the multiversal movie, Deadpool (Reynolds) and Wolverine (Jackman) work together to save Deadpool's universe, find redemption for Wolverine, and lead a team of misfits to take down Professor X's powerful sister, Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin).
The final film was not only a finale to the R-rated hit "Deadpool" movie trilogy, but it was also a heartfelt goodbye to Fox's Marvel franchise, which ended when Disney bought Fox.
"Deadpool & Wolverine" also dispelled the myth that audiences were bored with superhero movies. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and became the highest-grossing movie in the trilogy.
Summary: When actor Will Ferrell learns that his best friend β and fellow "Saturday Night Live" alum β Harper Steele has come out as a trans woman, he suggests that they take a road trip across the country together as they reconnect in deeper ways than they thought possible.
The documentary was a critical hit from the day it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, with critics praising the sincerity, humor, and heart at the center of the film.
"Ferrell and Steele have earned their livings by making other people laugh, and their banter has plenty of drollery sprinkled among the truth nuggets," Robert W. Butler wrote for Butler's Cinema Scene. " I believe I'm a better person for having watched it."
"His Three Daughters" was a showcase of unparalleled acting talent.
Summary: Estranged sisters Rachel (Natasha Lyonne), Katie (Carrie Coon), and Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) reunite as their father reaches the end of hospice care. However, the reunion devolves into anger as they argue over how to live and grieve.
The family drama earned rave reviews across the board from critics.
"'His Three Daughters' is messy in a way that reflects all of our families," Tina Kakadelis wrote for Beyond the Cinerama Dome. "The way we fight, the way we grieve, and, hopefully, the way we love."
Critics said "The Wild Robot" was DreamWorks' best film in years.
Summary: Based on the 2016 novel by Peter Brown, "The Wild Robot" follows ROZZUM unit 7134, aka "Roz" (voiced by Lupita Nyong'o), a curious robot stranded on an island.
Over time, Roz learns to adapt to their surroundings, as well as their new animal friends (voiced by Kit Connor, Pedro Pascal, and more).
Rendered with dazzling animation and voiced by a noteworthy cast, the family-adventure film was a favorite among critics.
Summary: During the taping of a Halloween episode in the 1970s, late-night-talk-show host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) finds that old secrets have come back to haunt him.
Critics loved seeing Dastmalchian take the spotlight in this clever horror throwback after decades of acting in supporting roles.
"Dastmalchian conveys the creeping unease Jack feels as his TV career is circling the drain, which is nearly as terrifying as the horrors his show is about to unleash on America," Sean P. Means wrote for The Movie Cricket.
Critics said "A Real Pain" has the makings of a modern classic.
Summary: After their grandmother dies, cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) take a guided tour through Poland to honor her. As they journey, old family dynamics bubble up to the surface.
Between Eisenberg deftly playing triple duty as actor, writer, and director and Culkin's "Oscar-worthy" performance, critics said "A Real Pain" has the staying power of a modern classic.
"Jesse Eisenberg successfully carves out its niche as one of the best dramedies of the year," Elliott Collins said on his YouTube channel Movie Files. "The film's ability to intertwine humor with profound themes surrounding grief, identity, and historical context leaves you with a lasting impression."
"Dune: Part Two" proved to be a worthy successor to the first film.
Villeneuve was praised for making "Dune" his own without falling victim to the pitfalls of other tentpole franchises.
"It almost feels like a miracle that Denis Villeneuve got to make a 'Dune' adaptation this bold and daring in the current studio system," Andrew J. Salazar wrote for Discussing Film.
Many critics felt changed after watching "A Different Man."
Summary: After an experimental procedure successfully removes his facial tumors from neurofibromatosis, Edward Lemuel (Sebastian Stan) is approached to have his life adapted into a play. Soon, however, he finds himself upstaged by an actor with the same condition (Adam Pearson).
Critics called the film unsettling, absurdist, and chaotic β and they loved every second of it.
"Adam Pearson really shows range here," Aaron Neuwirth wrote for We Live Entertainment. "Having this actor, who has neurofibromatosis, arrive on the scene as the most charming, affable character in the film is such a blast."
Summary: Feeling like a has-been, Hollywood starlet Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is persuaded into trying an experimental drug that allows her to revert into a younger, more beautiful version of herself (played by Margaret Qualley).
Critics said audiences were in for a masterclass in feminist horror β if they could stomach the film's "David Cronenberg"-esque visuals.
"This is a film unlike any other you will see right now," Stephen Romei wrote for The Australian. "It will not be to everyone's taste. For this reviewer, who craves originality, it is a winner.
Critics called "My Old Ass" a trippy comedy with a lot of heart.
Summary: On the night of her 18th birthday, Elliott (Maisy Stella) takes hallucinogenic mushrooms and finds herself talking to her older self (played by Aubrey Plaza), who tries to give her advice for the future.
Critics said "My Old Ass" could've easily veered into hokey territory. However, writer-director Megan Park kept the film on track, anchoring it with Stella and Plaza's memorable performances.
"The talented cast, paired with a well-crafted and humorous script, creates a delightful time-travel paradox pic that can sit along with other teen comedies as a timeless treasure," Erin Maxwell wrote for Bust.
"Inside Out 2" was another winning sequel this year.
Summary: When Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) hits puberty at 13, new emotions join the "control panel" in her head. Soon after their arrival, it's clear that Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) and Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke) have different ideas of what's right for Riley.
It was a tall order for Pixar animators to surpass the critical success of the original "Inside Out," but critics said the sequel came pretty close.
"While the original remains the gold standard for modern animation, this sequel more than justifies its existence via its empathetic themes, strong humor, and engrossing animation style," Calum Cooper wrote for Cinerama Film.
On the other hand, "Argylle" was too goofy to take seriously.
Summary: Reclusive author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is on the brink of finishing the fifth book in her famed "Aubrey Argylle" series when she's drawn into a world of real-life spies, evil plots, and secret identities.
The film had a ton of press leading up to its release β namely due to a misguided rumor that Taylor Swift was behind it β but the story itself failed to live up to the hype in critics' eyes.
"'Argylle' is deeply unpleasant to watch and also deeply sad as a query of what exactly studio executives think audiences are meant to glean from a film like this, other than training us to expect less from our films," Andrew Kendall wrote for Stabroek News.
"Joker: Folie Γ Deux" was met with scattered applause.
Summary: As Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) awaits trial for murder at Arkham State Hospital, fellow psych-ward patient Harleen "Lee" Quinzel (Lady Gaga) forms an obsession with him and dreams up an escape plan.
Critics largely agreed that the second installment paled in comparison to the first "Joker."
"Longer than it should be (it clocks in at 138 minutes), 'Joker: Folie Γ Deux' is toilet paper on the shoe of a film that had a unique rhythm and an original point of view," Bruce R. Miller wrote for the Sioux City Journal.
Summary: Lucy Field (Madison Bailey) accidentally travels back in time to 2003. Then, she realizes that she might be able to save her older sister Summer (Antonia Gentry) before she's murdered.
Overall, critics said "Time Cut" failed to be truly scary or funny.
"Unlike other horror comedies, 'Time Cut' has nothing unique to say about creating satire about the differences between the past and the present or the tropes of predictable events in horror films," Lindsay Press wrote for Culturess.
Critics thought "The Strangers: Chapter 1" was unnecessary.
Summary: Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and her boyfriend (Froy Gutierrez) go to a secluded cabin in the woods for their five-year anniversary β only to be visited by sadistic trespassers.
Critics largely agreed that the legacy of "The Strangers" and "The Strangers: Prey at Night" should've stopped at two.
"The latest entry is an uninspired, ineffective retelling of the original, with a narrative that strives to give us answers to questions we never asked for," Emma Vine wrote for Loud and Clear Reviews.
Summary: Ray (Wyatt Russell), Eve (Kerry Condon), and their children move into a new house and soon discover that the swimming pool in the backyard harbors a deadly presence.
Positive reviews for "Night Swim" were few and far between β with some critics being outright bored by the muted horror.
"'Night Swim' is a shallow genre exercise that goes in one ear, out the other," James Preston Poole wrote for Cosmic Circus.
Summary: A group of college friends violates a cardinal rule of Tarot by using someone else's deck β and they soon face the consequences.
Critics said it amounted to little more than a movie cobbled together with recycled tropes from better horror films.
"'Tarot' is a creatively bankrupt and passionless horror movie that clearly has studio interference written all over it, from its formulaic and blood-free scares to a surprising cheapness that dilutes any potential it may have otherwise had," Jack Martin wrote for Film Feeder.
Summary: Based on the book by Scott Westerfeld, "Uglies" takes place in a seemingly utopian future where everyone's worries melt away once they're given cosmetic surgery at the age of 16.
Young Tally (Joey King), however, learns that her world is built on lies.
Critics generally agreed that the Netflix adaptation reeked of low production value.
"'Uglies' is so carelessly made, it feels like an active gesture of contempt toward the readers of Scott Westerfeld's 2005 source novel and to anyone who watches the small-screen result," Steve Murray wrote for ArtsATL.
"Mother of the Bride" was a laughable romantic comedy β but not in a good way.
Summary: Lana (Brooke Shields) is shocked when her daughter (Miranda Cosgrove) announces that she's getting married in Thailand in less than a month. That shock only grows when she learns that the groom is the son of her old flame from college (Benjamin Bratt).
Most critics said "Mother of the Bride" wasn't even bad enough to be "funny bad" β it was simply forgettable.
"These superficially 'pretty people' are all bland, underdeveloped stereotypes, and each shallow, awkward scene turns out to be more predictable than the one preceding it," Susan Granger wrote for Susan Granger Reviews.
"Madame Web" proved to be another fruitless superhero offshoot.
Summary: After New York City paramedic Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) begins to experience clairvoyant visions, she sets out to save three young women from their certain deaths.
"Madame Web" appeared to lose itself in a fog of bad dialogue and bland acting, leaving critics begging for more original storytelling.
"'Madame Web' is not fun and not entertaining," Ayla Ruby wrote for Loud and Clear Reviews. Most of all, it's disappointing, because it teases you with possibilities that never come to bear."
Critics thought "Borderlands" wasted its talented cast.
Summary: Bounty hunter Lilith (Cate Blanchett) reluctantly sets off on a rescue mission with a ragtag group of misfits to save a teenager named Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt).
Critics didn't have many kind words for the video-game adaptation, which featured goofy CGI and underwhelming acting performances despite the stacked cast.
"This is the worst movie I have seen in years," Julia Swift wrote for My Champlain Valley. "Lots of top talent looking very uncomfortable. I'm assuming they didn't read the script before signing on for this mess."
Sequels were a popular choice for movie studios this year.
"Inside Out 2" is the highest-grossing film of 2024, with $1.7 billion in worldwide ticket sales.
But not all sequels hit the bar set by their predecessors.
Hollywood seems to have taken a strong liking to the lesson, "If it's not broken, don't fix it."
After decades spent collecting dust in old DVD and VHS collections, previously loved classics like "Beetlejuice," "Gladiator," and "Twister" were revived by studios with sequels fit for both their original audiences and a new generation of moviegoers.
But while these movies earned mid-tier ranking from critics (they all scored around 75% on Rotten Tomatoes), others like "Dune: Part Two" shone brightly β Hoai-Tran Bui wrote for Inverse that it was "in contention for the pantheon of greatest sequels ever."
However, there were some disappointments, too. (Hello, "Joker: Folie Γ Deux.")
While the internet can debate the value in reviving storylines with sequels, prequels, reboots, etc., Business Insider's Palmer Haasch reported that "familiar IP is comforting to viewers β and risk-averse executives."
In fact, all 10 of the highest-grossing films of the year are sequels, ranging from $397 million to nearly $1.7 billion in worldwide ticket sales, according to Box Office Mojo.
As the year comes to a close, here's a look at the 10 best and 10 worst sequels of the year so far, according to critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
All Rotten Tomatoes ratings were accurate as of November 26.
Let's start with the worst sequels of the year. 10. "Bad Boys: Ride or Die"
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reprise their roles as Detective Mike Lowrey and Detective Marcus Burnett, who are on a mission to clear the name of their late police captain Conrad Howard.
Matt Goldberg wrote for The Wrap, "The 'Bad Boys' series has never been about tight plotting or ingenious twists. It's about throwing Lowrey and Burnett into chaotic situations and forcing them to wisecrack and shoot their way out. That's it. Those are the movies. They're a bizarre blend of soap opera, broad comedy, and bombastic action, and they should not work, but they do."
The second film in "The Dry" series focuses on the disappearance of a woman, Alice Russell (Anna Torv), during a hiking retreat with four fellow employees. When they return without her, Detective Aaron Falk (Eric Bana) must figure out the truth of what happened to her.
We Live Entertainment's Aaron Neuwirth gave the film a 6/10 rating, writing the story "ends up feeling too convoluted for its own good, with a less engaging structure and more like a push towards some inevitable moments that ultimately take away from the film's urgency."
However, he added that it's still "decadent enough" to watch, and that he doesn't mind seeing another iteration of this story in a few years.
The "Descendants" series continued with its fifth iteration in July, as Ursula's daughter Uma (China Anne McClain) β now in charge of Auradon Prep β invites the Queen of Hearts (Rita Ora) and her teenage daughter Red (Kylie Cantrall) to the school. But when the Queen of Hearts launches a coup against her high-school nemesis Cinderella (Brandy), each of their daughters, Chloe (Malia Baker) and Red, must team up to go back in time and stop the event that turned the Queen evil.
While the score only draws from seven critics' reviews, Decider's John Serba wrote that fans of the series will be used to its over-the-topness, "which exists very much within the Disney Channel formula of heavily processed visuals and forced pep," and is "surely just good enough for all interested and engaged parties."
In the latest "Despicable Me" film, Gru (Steve Carell) must face his high-school rival, villain Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and his girlfriend, Valentina (SofΓa Vergara). But to keep the family safe β complete with their newest addition, Gru Jr. β everyone must relocate to a safe house.
Zaki Hasan, of the San Francisco Chronicle's Datebook, wrote, "At this point, the 'Despicable Me' series ('Minions' too) is mostly about keeping the content flowing so Universal can continue selling backpacks and plush toys, so don't be shocked if your child asks to return to theaters again in a few years. Talk about despicable."
The Monsterverse franchise continues with "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," to see the iconic monsters team up against an even bigger threat to the world.
"It's noisy, punishing, soulless (it calculatingly kills off more civilians than even 'Man of Steel'), needlessly convoluted, populated by nitwits and dullards, and choked with increasingly impersonal CGI," he added.
In the follow-up to the "Ghostbusters" revival, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," descendants of the late Egon Spengler team up with members of the original Ghostbusting crew β including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts β to save the world from a second Ice Age.
"Ultimately, there's nothing in 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' that will win you over β no great action sequences, no laugh-out-loud jokes, and certainly nothing as inspired as 'GhostbustersII's' perfect metaphor of a malevolent ooze fed by the negative energy of New York City seeping into the sewers. The jokes are witless, the emotions artless, and the film joyless," wrote Vulture's Bilge Ebiri.
Sure, Sony doesn't have a perfect track record with superhero movies (see: "Morbius" and "Madame Web"), but the "Venom" series has been a surprise hit β¦ until now. In the final film of the trilogy, Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock and Venom as the pair goes on the run from forces from both their worlds.
While The Hollywood Reporter's Gayle Sequeira wrote that what works in this installments' favor is "its incredibly earnest exploration of the characters' personal stakes," Observer's Dylan Roth had a harsher take, writing, "True to form for this trilogy β which supposedly concludes here β the brainless and disjointed 'Last Dance' skates by on star Tom Hardy's charm and a few good gags."
"It's a relentless marathon of mediocrity," Roth added.
3 (tie). "Horizon: An American Saga β Chapter 2"
After the lackluster reception of "Horizon: An American Saga β Chapter 1," Kevin Costner debuted the second chapter of his Western passion project during the Venice International Film Festival in September. Though the sequel was pulled from theaters ahead of its planned August debut, it's already garnered enough reviews from critics to earn a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Variety's Jessica Kiang wrote that it "is an exercise in contradictions: incident-packed yet oddly sedate; replete with characters new and returning, yet largely lacking in compelling characterization; and, running to over three hours, simply too long a film to be so jarringly abrupt."
The musical follow-up to 2019's critically acclaimed "Joker," did not live up to expectations despite the introduction of Lady Gaga's Lee Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn.
"By any reasonable measure this is a terrible movie, too long and too self-serious and way too dramatically inert, a regrettable waste of its lead actors' boundless commitment to even their most thinly written roles," Dana Stevens wrote for Slate.
"Rebel Moon β Part Two: The Scargiver" was released in April, offering a quick follow-up for audiences who'd seen "Rebel Moon: Part One β A Child of Fire" in December 2023. The sequel picks back up with Kora (Sofia Boutella) and her group of ally warriors returning to the planet Veldt; there, they must train and defend its people from an impending attack while Kora comes to terms with her past.
David Fear wrote for Rolling Stone that "life is painfully short," and advised readers to "turn away from your screens. Go for a walk. Start your own wheat-threshing collective. Anything but suffer through this."
Now, the best sequels of the year: 9 (tie). "Alien: Romulus"
The seventh installment in the "Alien" series follows indentured space colony worker Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) and a group of other young workers as they attempt to escape to another colony.
Jordan Hoffman wrote for Entertainment Weekly that the film "doesn't try to reinvent anything and instead focuses on refining what works. It's got the thrills, it's got the creepy-crawlies, and it's got just enough plot to make you care about the characters."
"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" returns to Earth decades after Caesar's reign to reveal that apes are now the dominant species, not humans. But as Caesar's legacy is distorted by a new ruler, Proximus Caesar, who's attacked and enslaved other clans in the pursuit of human technology, a young chimpanzee, Noa, and a woman must work together.
Ty Burr wrote for The Washington Post, "'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' is a sturdy new entry in the revived Planet of the Apes franchise, itself one of the more successful second go-rounds, commercially and artistically, of Hollywood's modern corporate era."
As the prequel to 1976's "The Omen," "The First Omen" centers on a young American nun, Margaret, who uncovers a conspiracy to birth the Antichrist while serving at a Catholic orphanage in Rome.
Alison Foreman wrote for IndieWire that the film "ticks all the boxes of a justified IP revisitation that arguably should get more chapters [because] it improves what came before it."
Foreman added, "It's also the rare prequel (sequel, requel, what have you) that fits seamlessly inside the existing franchise and makes tracks toward a chilling new future. In short, it births something new and genuinely scary. Remember when that wasn't so rare?"
Beginning six days after the end of "Smile," "Smile 2" focuses on pop star Skye Riley's (Naomi Scott) battle with the Smile entity.
Though the AP's Mark Kennedy concedes that director and screenwriter Parker Finn's script "sometimes lags as he searches for an ending," Finn found "a great satirical target, given life to a third film easily and showcased another rising star to watch. That's a reason to, well, smile about."
"A Quiet Place: Day One" serves as a prequel to the first two installments in John Krasinski's "A Quiet Place" series by highlighting the first day of the alien invasion in New York City through the journeys of Samira "Sam" (Lupita Nyong'o) and Eric (Joseph Quinn).
"The third chapter of 'A Quiet Place' shows that this smart, reliably frightening series, which began with a modestly budgeted feature that performed way beyond expectations, is by no means tapped out," David Rooney wrote for The Hollywood Reporter.
"Transformers" might be one of the most heavily mined IPs in Hollywood, but Paramount's "Transformers One" manages to do something unique by telling the origin story of Orion Pax (Optimus Prime) and D-16's (Megatron) friendship and inevitable hatred.
Carlos Aguilar of the LA Times wrote that writers Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari, and Eric Pearson created "a consistently humorous script brimming with witty banter and quips that mostly land."
"Yet what grounds the story amid the pileup of sci-fi terms and lore is the convincingly intense bond that these male protagonists have nurtured," Aguilar added. "There's a gravitas to their relationship that makes the heartbreak of their eventual separation feel earned."
Another origin story that was well-received this year was "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga." The prequel follows the story of Furiosa, portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy, from her kidnapping from the Green Place to her life as a skilled mechanic, driver, and warrior ready to take on her enemies.
Though NPR's Justin Chang thought something in Furiosa's "arc feels a bit too psychologically tidy to grip or disturb you in the way it's supposed to," the movie's post-apocalyptic world is the true star.
"Even in the moments when the CGI looks a little obvious, the mayhem is staged and shot with the kind of blissful coherence that you rarely see in a Hollywood blockbuster anymore," Chang said.
Audiences are thrust back into the mind of "Inside Out" protagonist Riley Andersen, who's now 13, as her lovable cast of emotions, led by Amy Poehler's Joy, deal with the introduction of new characters Anxiety, Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment.
"What I loved most about 'Inside Out 2,' a movie that's warmhearted and entertaining if not quite up to the revelatory standards of its predecessor, is its portrayal of Anxiety as not a villain but a character who believes herself to be a protector," Dan Kois wrote for Slate.
"It's a towering feat of sci-fi cinema that will put 'Dune: Part Two' in contention for the pantheon of greatest sequels ever," Hoai-Tran Bui wrote for Inverse.
Though "Paddington in Peru," the third on-screen adventure for Paddington Bear, doesn't premiere in US theaters until January 17, it's already received positive reviews from those in the UK, where it was released on November 8.
The film follows Paddington and the Brown family as they go on an adventure through the jungles of Peru to search for his missing Aunt Lucy.
"This is confectionary cinemaβsweet, light, and wanting little more than to make its audience smile," Ross McIndoe wrote for Slant.