Darkmatters - Billion Dollar Films

"$2.7 billion - that's a lot of love for the blue people..."

Top 10 Films Ever (box office)

Matt Adcock

2011 saw 3 new entries into the Top Ten Biggest Grossing Films of ALL TIME...

That means that now 10 movies have pulled in over a billion dollars at box office - here's the list:

1. Avatar (2009) $2,781,505,847
Darkmatters Review

2. Titanic (1997) $1,835,300,000
Review

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) $1,327,655,619
Darkmatters Review

4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1,119,102,868
Review

5. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) $1,114,558,779
Darkmatters Review

6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) $1,065,896,541
Darkmatters Review

7. Toy Story 3 (2010) $1,062,984,497
Darkmatters Review

8. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) $1,041,963,875
Darkmatters Review

9. Alice in Wonderland (2010) $1,023,285,206
Darkmatters Review

10. The Dark Knight (2008) $1,001,921,825
Darkmatters Review

Not exactly what we at Darkmatters would call the 'best films of all time' except maybe Dark Knight (and in Tom Wade's case Transformers 3)... but amazing that Titanic from 1997 hasn't been bettered by anything other than Avatar - will Hobbit, Avengers or Dark Knight Rises (new Catwoman below) crash this party?

Darkmatters Top 10 Films of 2010

Darkmatters - Matt Adcock's Top 10 Films of 2010

It’s been a good year for film – here are the ones that really counted!!

10. The American (15)
Adapted from a novel by Martin Booth, The American in question is George Clooney acting his manly eyebrows off in a dark role of a good hearted hit-man who wants to escape his violent life.

9. Let Me In (15)
Easily the best horror film of the year. Let Me In (a remake of the excellent ‘Let The Right One In’) does for vampires something that a million Twilights, True Bloods or Vampire Diaries can only hope to – it grips the very soul of the viewer and never lets go. Darkmatters Review

8. The Book of Eli (15)
Through a near future Mad Max style wasteland where law has collapsed comes a traveller by the name of Eli (Denzel Washington), carrying with him the very last copy of the Good Book. Cue quality violent heroics and possible salvation – all set against a fantastic bleached out cinematic vista. Darkmatters Review

7. Four Lions (15)
Four Lions is the darkest, bravest comedy of the year which will leave you dazed and confused, challenged and inspired. It’s a brilliant film that deserves to be seen – prepare to laugh, cry and wince, probably all at the same time!! Darkmatters Review

6. Toy Story 3 (PG)
2010 saw us go to infinity and beyond – one more time… And the animation genius’s at Disney / Pixar saved the best trip till last with this all age feel good artistic masterpiece. Darkmatters Review

5. Somewhere (15)
A hard-living Hollywood actor has to re-examine his life after his 11-year-old daughter surprises him with an extended visit. This is a gorgeous life changing film that really needs to be seen.

4. The Town (15)
Take a trip to The Town with Ben Affleck for a full on, nerve shredding cops and robbers romp, packing some seriously cool shoot-outs which even rival those of the crime epic Heat. Darkmatters Review

3. Scott Pilgrim vs The World (12)
Brit Director Edgar Wright does for romance, video games and super heroes what he did for zombie films with Shaun of the Dead and police action buddy films with Hot Fuzz. Prepare for a dazzling pop culture overload which rocks a cinematic endorphin buzz of pure fun. Darkmatters Review

2. KICK-ASS (15)
Speaking of kick ass action – Kick-Ass is a fantastic new breed of superhero movie, a twisted, action packed megaton of wanton comic book violence quite unlike anything you’ve seen. Darkmatters Review

1. Inception (12)
Inception was without doubt the most exciting, brain frying, pleasure-inducing film of 2010. You don’t need to enter anyone’s dreams to realise that director Christopher Nolan delivered a very cool mind twisting plot, awesome special effects and kick-ass action. Darkmatters Review

Previous lists:

Matt's Top 10 Films 2009

Matt's Top 10 Films 2008

Matt's Top 10 Films 2007

Matt's Top 10 Films 2006

Matt's Top 10 Films 2005

Matt's Top 10 Films 2004

Darkmatters Review: Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 (U)

Dir. Lee Unkrich

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

Prepare to go to infinity and beyond – one more time… And I’m delighted to report that the genius’s at Disney / Pixar have saved the best trip till last.

Yee-haw… the toys are here, Woody (Tom Hanks) - the friendliest cowboy buddy you’ll ever need, Jessie (Joan Cusack) - the roughest, toughest cowgirl in the whole west and Bullseye their loyal steed. There’s also Rex (Wallace Shawn), the most terrifying dinosaur who ever lived, Potato Heads both Mr (Don Rickles) and Mrs Estelle Harris) varieties, Slinky Dog (Blake Clark) and Hamm (John Ratzenberger) the pig AKA Evil Dr Porkchop! But my personal favourite is Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), the coolest toy ever! He can fly, oh, and shoot lasers!

This rag tag gang of toys have come into Andy’s possession over the first two films and have braved some truly excellent adventures. Now the fateful time has come with Andy being 17 and off to college the future looks bleak for these old school toys in the age of videogames, iPods and online distractions…

Woody gets picked to accompany Andy to college for nostalgia value but for the others it’s a one way trip to the attic. Things don’t quite work out that way though and before you can say ‘is this the end for our beloved heroes?’ the group are trapped in a community nursery where they have ‘a playdate with destiny’. Sunnyside Daycare you see is run by an evil strawberry-scented bear named Lotso (Ned Beatty) who puts the new arrivals into the early years room where they get badly mistreated.

Who will survive and what will be left of them? It’s an absolute blast finding out, especially with stand out scenes involving Buzz getting switching into ‘Spanish Mode’, Ken (from the Barbie toy line) doing a fashion show and a nail-biting frantic battle to escape being incinerated.

By the emotional end of Toy Story 3, my youngest son was in tears and everyone in the cinema seemed stunned by what they had witnessed. The CGI is an artistic masterpiece – here seamlessly blended into 3D which adds depth but doesn’t distract as it does in lesser films. There are few truly ‘all age’ films out there which can appeal and engage to anyone from 3 to 103 but Toy Story sets a fantastic new benchmark for entertainment excellence. See it, love it, see it again!!

UNSEEN DELETED SCENE:

The toys get zapped into an alternate reality by evil emperor Zurg... And find themselves in Shrek's swamp - where they have to battle the ogre in order to see which will be the biggest grossing animated film series of all time!

Darkmatters rating: öööööööööö (10 quality emotional payloads out of 10)

Darkmatters quick reference guide: Action 8 / Style 9 / Babes 6 / Comedy 8 / Horror 4 / Spiritual Enlightenment 8

Check out a review of the Toy Story 3 game here (Telegraph)