The best and worst Angelina Jolie movies, according to critics
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- Angelina Jolie is one of the biggest movie stars of the last 40 years.
- She's been nominated for two competitive Oscars, winning one.
- But she's also appeared in some bombs like "The Tourist" and "Alexander."
Jolie is an Oscar-winning actor who has been in dozens of movies over her 43-year career. Some of her films have made hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office, including "Kung Fu Panda," "Eternals," and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."
But while some of her films have been beloved by critics, others have been panned.
We used Rotten Tomatoes to find the best and worst films of her career, according to critics. Here are the 10 worst — and 11 best films — of Jolie's filmography.
Gennaro Leonardi Photos/Shutterstock
Not all of Jolie's films have been highly regarded by critics. Here are some of the worst, according to reviews.
20th Century Fox
In "Life or Something Like It," Jolie plays Lanie, a Seattle TV reporter who meets Jack (Tony Shalhoub), a man claiming to be a modern-day prophet. When he tells her she only has seven days to live, she begins changing her life.
Rex Reed of The Observer called the film "Formulaic, delusional and about as accurate a depiction of life in television news (or something like it) as a Pillsbury bake-off."
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
"Gone in 60 Seconds" stars Nicolas Cage as Randall, a former car thief who returns to the game to save his brother's life. In order to do so, he has to steal 50 cars in 72 hours. Jolie plays a mechanic, Sara (or Sway), who is also Randall's ex-girlfriend.
"What's missing from 'Gone in 60 Seconds' is anything new. There's a 'been there, done that' feeling to the enterprise," wrote David Ansen of Newsweek.
Paramount Pictures
Jolie returned to play the famed video-game character Lara Croft for the 2003 sequel, "Cradle of Life." This time, the treasure hunter/archaeologist is hired by MI6 to find the Cradle of Life, an ancient artifact with deadly capabilities.
"This Indiana Jones knockoff goes down smoothly enough, and Jolie isn't bad at all," wrote Chicago Reader's JR Jones.
Warner Bros. Pictures
"Taking Lives" is a thriller that stars Jolie as an FBI profiler, Ileana, who is called to Montreal to help with a serial killer who takes on the identities of his victims. Ethan Hawke costars as a civilian, James, who helps Ileana crack the case … but all is not what it seems.
"If you can buy the pillow-lipped Angelina Jolie as a psychic FBI agent in Montreal to hunt a serial killer, then you can swallow the other implausibilities in this retread thriller," wrote Peter Travers for Rolling Stone.
Sony Pictures Releasing
In "The Tourist," Jolie stars as Elise, the lover of famed criminal Alexander Pearce, who has since gone missing and is believed to have altered his appearance with plastic surgery.
When she receives a note from Pearce to pick a random man to give over to the police in place of Pearce, she chooses Frank (Johnny Depp), a mild-mannered math teacher from Wisconsin. But there are many parties interested in finding Pearce, and a chase across Europe ensues.
"Though she's given virtually nothing to do but sashay down train platforms in designer outfits, I will say that I enjoy how much Angelina Jolie enjoys being a movie star," wrote Dana Stevens for Slate.
Paramount Pictures
Lara Croft made it to the big screen in this 2001 action film which stars Jolie as Lara, a British archaeologist/treasure hunter/martial arts expert/tech genius.
In order to keep a mysterious object known as the Triangle out of the wrong hands, she goes on a globe-trotting adventure with fellow treasure hunter Alex West (Daniel Craig) and Manfred Powell (Iain Glen), the leader of the Illuminati.
Time Out said the film was "a jerky, fragmented tale that jumps from one exotic location to the next without any explanation or flow."
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
"Playing God" stars David Duchovny as a surgeon who loses his license after being caught operating under the influence. He's then hired as the personal doctor of a mob boss, Raymond (Timothy Hutton). Jolie has a supporting role as Raymond's girlfriend, Claire.
"What can you say about a time-waster like 'Playing God' with its multiple murders, corrupt FBI agents, obligatory car chase and dumb, self-referential, four-letter-word humor," wrote SF Gate's Edward Guthmann.
Warner Bros.
One of the more ignominious legacies of "Alexander" is that a 29-year-old Jolie was cast to play Queen Olympus, the mother of Alexander, played by the 28-year-old Colin Farrell. Yes, the two are just 11 months apart and played mother and son.
The film depicts the rise and fall of Alexander in the ancient world.
"While it's worth applauding 'Alexander' for not making its legendary hero 100% hetero, there's nothing else to recommend about this stilted, tedious epic," wrote Alonso Duralde for The Advocate.
Paramount Pictures
Jolie plays Sarah Beauford, a young socialite who gives up her privileged life to become an aid worker in Ethiopia after meeting the bold doctor Nick Callahan (Clive Owen).
Jen Chaney of The Washington Post called the film "well-intentioned but astonishingly flat."
MGM Distribution Co.
"Original Sin" is a twisty thriller in which Jolie plays a young woman, Julia, who is chosen by a wealthy Cuban man Luis (Antonio Banderas) to be his mail-order bride. But Julia is not who she says she is, leading Luis to question their entire relationship.
"The only sin committed here is the cardinal one of boring us to tears," wrote Neil Smith for the BBC.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
These films were ruled the best of Jolie's career by critics, including multiple "Kung Fu Panda" films and the recent critical darling "Maria."
Warner Bros. Pictures
"Those Who Wish Me Dead" was directed by the mind behind "Yellowstone," Taylor Sheridan. It stars Jolie as a traumatized firefighter who finds herself involved in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse as two assassins trail the son of a forensic accountant who has uncovered shady business dealings.
"The fiery explosions and chase sequences are handsomely shot, but the plot is undeniably absurd and the ominous/rousing soundtrack downright hokey. It's the performances and banter that make the project worth watching," wrote Charlotte O'Sullivan for The London Evening Standard.
Universal Pictures
"Wanted" is based on the comics series of the same. It stars James McAvoy, a nervy young man, Wesley, prone to panic attacks who learns that he's actually part of a somewhat supernatural order of assassins called the Fraternity. Jolie plays Fox, a member of the Fraternity and Wesley's mentor.
"Visually stunning and ethically loathsome, for better or worse, 'Wanted' is one of the freshest action movies in years," wrote The New Republic's Christopher Orr.
Paramount Pictures
"Sky Captain" may have been a box-office bomb at the time, but it's since become a cult classic. The film takes place in an alternate, steampunkish New York in 1939. Jolie has a small role as a Navy pilot named Franky, an ally of Joe Sullivan (Jude Law), the titular Sky Captain.
"His nostalgia enabled by technology, [director Kerry] Conran takes the ghosts in his machine seriously, and the results appear at once meltingly lovely and intriguingly inhuman," wrote Ed Park for The Village Voice.
Paramount Pictures
"Beowulf" might not have the best reputation now, but at the time it was warmly received by critics. It's an adaptation of the Old English epic poem "Beowulf," and stars Ray Winstone as the titular legendary warrior. Beowulf's archenemy is Grendel (Crispin Glover), a troll and one of Beowulf's enemies. Jolie plays Grendel's mother, a Water Demon.
"The film strives for mythological depth and epic breadth, but it's hard to get below the flat, shallow gloss over every surface," wrote the AV Club's Tasha Robinson.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
"The One and Only Ivan" is based on a real gorilla named Ivan. He grew up in an enclosure in a shopping center in Tacoma, Washington, until a campaign led by the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) led to his transfer to a zoo. Sam Rockwell voices Ivan and Jolie voices one of his friends at the zoo, an elephant named Stella.
"Whether you think of yourself as a marshmallow or believe you have a heart of steel, there's a strong probability that The One and Only Ivan is going to make you cry... or well up, at least," wrote Melanie McFarland for Salon.
Pablo Larraín/Netflix
Jolie was nominated for a Golden Globe and is receiving Oscar buzz for her performance as opera singer Maria Callas in "Maria." The film follows the last seven days of Callas' life in 1973 before she died of a heart attack.
"La Diva Eterna lives in Jolie, with a performance as towering as it is understated: sad and soulful and heartbreaking. She has never been better. Brava," wrote John Nugent for Empire Magazine.
Paramount Vantage
"A Mighty Heart" is based on a true story, the search for Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped in Pakistan in 2002. Jolie plays Mariane Pearl, Daniel's wife and fellow journalist.
The film received criticism for Jolie's casting, as in real life, Pearl is of Afro-Cuban descent and Jolie is white, but Pearl herself approved Jolie's casting, per Time.
"Although it is impossible to erase the specter of Brangelina from your mind altogether while watching Jolie inhabit the role of Mariane Pearl, you can manage it for surprisingly long stretches at a time," Sandra Hall of The Sydney Morning Herald.
Paramount Pictures
"Kung Fu Panda 2" sees the return of Po (Jack Black) a lazy kung-fu-loving panda, and the rest of his friends: Tigress (Angelina Jolie), the Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), Crane (David Cross), and Monkey (Jackie Chan). They team up to defeat the evil peacock Lord Shen (Gary Oldman) from taking over China.
"It's a great-looking animation and a nice entertainment, though targeted at a younger audience, without the extra level of adult sophistication," wrote Peter Bradshaw for The Guardian.
20th Century Fox
In "Kung Fu Panda 3," Po is named leader of the Furious Five, and discovers a secret village of pandas and reunites with his biological father Li Shan (Bryan Cranston).
"Gaze in wonder at the beautiful woodcut-inspired landscapes, the 2D manga-style flashbacks, and the inventive choreography. Skidoosh, indeed," wrote The Irish Times' Tara Brady.
Paramount Pictures
In "Kung Fu Panda," audiences were first introduced to Po, a giant panda who helps his adopted father Mr. Ping (James Hong), a goose, run his noodle restaurant, but his dream is to practice kung fu with the Furious Five, kung fu masters. Po gets his chance to join the team and achieve his dreams when a contest is held.
"The aphorisms creak. The plot's an open book. But all of those clichés are part of the joke in this ebullient ursine coming-of-age tale about a humble panda destined for greatness," wrote the Houston Chronicle's Amy Biancolli.
HBO
"Gia" tells the true story of one of the US' first supermodels, Gia Carangi (Jolie). It begins when Carangi first moves from Philadelphia to New York City and follows her career's rise and fall and her struggles with drug use. Jolie won a Golden Globe for her performance.
"A film about a woman's meteoric rise to fame, made shortly before Jolie's own career went stratospheric, this is a widely overlooked production that shows the incredible breadth of the actor's talent," wrote Kat Halstead for Common Sense Media.