In 2016, the U.S. box office was once again dominated by superhero blockbusters and animated movies—and they pulled in some big numbers. Here’s how the 10 top-grossing movies of 2016 played out as of Nov. 23, according to Box Office Mojo. For a more subjective listing of the year’s best films, see Dylan Skolnick’s picks in the December/January issue of Pulse.
10. Jason Bourne, $162,192,920
With Matt Damon back to lead the action series cast as the trained amnesiac killer known as Jason Bourne, moviegoers tagged along for another sprint through European cities to escape the bad guys and inflict some major pain.
9. Doctor Strange, $183,592,935
He may not be one of the first comic book superheroes that comes to mind, but the magic of special effects in Doctor Strange drew wide praise and plenty of people to see what the good doctor was all about.
8. Suicide Squad, $325,100,054
It didn’t matter that it seemed as though movie critics united at a bar one night and decided in unison to bash this flick, which is based on D.C. comic book characters. Or that, aside from The Joker and Harley Quinn, the characters were largely unknown. Suicide Squad was armed with the star power in the form of Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto to pull in an impressive audience.
7. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, $330,360,194
It was one of the most anticipated—and subsequently the most panned—films of the year, but that didn’t stop fans from going to see Batman v Superman to determine for themselves if the filmmakers could pull off a believable fight between the caped crime fighters.
6. Zootopia, $341,268,248
The city of Zootopia is a modern melting pot of mammals where anyone can strive to reach their dreams. But Officer Judy Hopps finds it isn’t so easy, and teams up with fast-talking scam-artist fox Nick Wilde to solve a mystery.
5. Deadpool, $363,070,709
Ryan Reynolds apparently had good reason for wanting to move forward with Deadpool before the much-derided Green Lantern was released. Too bad that didn’t work out. This year, however, audiences ate up Reynolds’ portrayal as a former special former operative turned disfigured mercenary with special healing powers and a lethal sense of humor.
4. The Jungle Book, $364,001,123
It took almost four decades to bring a new version of The Jungle Book to the silver screen, and it was worth it. This is a masterful retelling of a story about a boy who was raised by wolves since birth with a combination of real people and digital animation.
3. The Secret Life of Pets, $367,536,350
What exactly happens to pets when owners aren’t around? Things get hairy. In The Secret Life of Pets, Max (Louis C.K.) is a spoiled terrier who enjoys a comfortable life in a New York building until his owner adopts Duke. During their walk outside, they encounter a group of ferocious alley cats and wind up in a truck bound for the pound. They get help from a bunny, but in exchange must agree to join his gang of abandoned pets.
2. Captain America: Civil War, $408,084,349
In another superhero matchup, Captain America and Iron Man have separate ideas on how the Avengers should continue—under their own auspices or with government oversight? The philosophical difference leads to an epic showdown among the members.
1. Finding Dory, $486,199,937
Topping off the hottest films of the year was a follow-up to a previously beloved animated film. You remember 2003’s Finding Nemo, in which Marlin went on a hunt around the world to find his son, Nemo, with the help of Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), the blue tang fish who suffers from memory loss every 10 seconds or so. This time, the team bands together again to find Dory’s parents and save them from captivity.
You tell us: What was your favorite movie of the year? Sound off on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments below.