50 Highest-Grossing Movies Of All Time Ranked
10. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
Box Office: $1.341 billion (#10)
The Harry Potter franchise certainly saved the best for last with this terrifically thrilling capper which is basically 100% payoff with zero filler.
Even the most casual Potter fans will struggle not to become engrossed in Harry's (Daniel Radcliffe) final stand against Voldemort, action-packed, grimly funny and ultimately affecting as it is.
It's not perfect - especially that awkward epilogue, unconvincing make-up and all - but that it pays off seven movies so splendidly with such a winning combination of twists, set-pieces and human moments is no easy feat. And yet, veteran Potter director David Yates makes it all look so damn easy.
9. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Box Office: $1.966 billion (#4) - at the time of press
Avengers: Infinity War is the biggest and most ambitious Hollywood blockbuster of all time, a tentpole superhero flick of almost unimaginable proportions with one of the most star-studded casts ever assembled.
With all that in mind, it wouldn't have been at all surprising if Infinity War turned out an overcrowded mess, but thanks to the Russo brothers' exceptional direction and another cracking script from dream team Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, this is one of the MCU's very best films (if not its best).
Finally paying off the long-awaited appearance of Thanos (Josh Brolin), Infinity War makes him so much more than just another generic CGI villain, doubling down on his character development and also cementing his tremendous power.
Things feel a little rushed in act one, but the cast chemistry is off-the-charts, the visuals are spectacular, and it's just an immaculately crafted, shockingly coherent piece of work overall.
8. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Box Office: $1.084 billion (#22)
If not quite as watertight as its predecessor, The Dark Knight Rises nevertheless brought Christopher Nolan's incredible Batman saga to a close in suitably bombastic and electrifying fashion.
Boldly depicting a superhero who no longer wants to be a superhero facing off against his most physically imposing threat (Tom Hardy's terrific Bane), this is a dark, cerebral, character-driven superhero flick of a rare quality, and one that largely earns its near-three-hour run-time.
There are goofy moments and plot elements that don't quite gel together, but the action sequences are (mostly) splendid, and that ending is a work of operatic beauty. A fitting end to a cinematic epoch indeed.
7. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Box Office: $926 million (#47)
The Two Towers may be a quintessential "awkward middle movie", but it's probably also the best awkward middle movie ever made. While it lacks the fresh ingenuity of Fellowship or the stonking payoff of Return, it is a magnificent cinematic achievement all the same.
Though it does still serve up delirious action (with the insane Battle of Helm's Deep), there's a greater focus on character development this time around, and Andy Serkis' Gollum is an especially fantastic addition (without stealing too much of the limelight away from the heroes).
Table-setting for what's to come? Absolutely, but when has that ever been so damn effective and enthralling in its own right?
6. The Lion King (1994)
Box Office: $968.5 million (#37)
What even needs to be said about The Lion King that hasn't a thousand times already? A classic of Disney's famous Renaissance Era, the Hamlet-inspired animated masterpiece is a near-perfect bland of sumptuous, timeless animation, incredible songs, iconic voice acting and heartbreaking emotion.
It is artful in its every frame, even the sillier characters are superbly realised, and it also touts an unconventional yet important message for kids about life and death. It is Disney at its most sublimely, wonderfully creative, and almost 25 years later, it's still as brilliant as ever.
Good luck to the live-action remake that's on the way, though with Jon Favreau at the helm, perhaps it'll actually work...