2009's Money Making Movies

As the economy declined in 2009, Americans turned to one of our favorite past-times for refuge. We went to the movies. A lot. Despite soaring unemployment rates and rising cost of living, gross box office revenues fell only slightly from 2008 levels. We cut back, but we certainly didn't cut back on our movies - and the world followed suit. These ten movies made the most money in 2009, based on global revenues.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
It's no surprise that the sixth installment of this popular book series became 2009's top grossing movie. With a worldwide gross of $929,327,243, the money-machine that is Harry Potter showed no sign of yielding to the slow economy. The film's title derives from an intriguing book Harry Potter discovers, which the story revolves around. Using the knowledge in the book, Harry studies to defeat his nemesis, Voldemort.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
This third installment of the popular animated series earned a worldwide gross revenue of $878,802,649. Dennis Leary and Queen Latifah lend their voices to two of the main characters, who wind up rescuing a third, voiced by John Leguizamo, after he makes a misguided attempt at adopting dinosaur eggs.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Michael Bay's widely anticipated sequel to 2007's Transformers took in a worldwide gross of $833,229,011 - despite many lackluster reviews. Starring Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox, and directed by Michael Bay, Transformers 2 brought fans out in droves. The story follows Sam (LeBeouf) as he and the autobots try to evade the evil decepticons who seek ancient knowledge stored in Sam's brain.

Up
Up is the imaginative tale of an elderly man who travels the world by tying balloons to his house until it flies. Popular with adults and children alike, the movie was a typical Disney/Pixar hit. It came in as the fourth top-grossing movie in 2009, with a worldwide gross of $506,962,798.

Twilight: New Moon
Despite opening near the end of the year, Twilight fans made New Moon one of 2009's top grossing movies. With $482,953,424 in worldwide revenue after only two weeks in theaters, this latest chapter of the angst-ridden-teenage-vampire drama may still surpass other movies on this list. This second chapter in the saga sees an unfortunate accident leading to the willful banishment of the Cullen family.

The Hangover
This classic what-happens-in-Vegas-stays-Vegas tale was a huge 2009 money maker, grossing $459,351,907 worldwide. Starring Ed Helms and Zack Galifianakis, The Hangover follows three future groomsmen celebrating with their soon-to-be-wed friend in Las Vegas. Drunken debauchery ensues, and somehow the groomsmen manage to misplace the groom. You'll have to watch to find out what happened to the missing groom in this top 2009 movie.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Starring Ben Stiller, Amy Adams and Owen Wilson, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian took in $412,378,818 worldwide. This sequel to 2006's Night at the Museum follows Stiller's character as he visits the Smithsonian to reclaim "exhibits" that have been sent there. Hilarity ensues as the museum comes to life and Stiller tries to rescue his friends.

Star Trek
Trekkies came out in full force for this tribute to the classic Star Trek series, which grossed $384,953,671 worldwide. The movie is set in an alternate time line, telling its tale without destroying the Star Trek saga's established story. Series fans discovered the first meetings of their favorite classic Star Trek characters. And the movie was even fun for the non-Trekkies who went along for the ride.

Monsters vs. Aliens
2009 has been a big year for 3-D movies. This Disney-Pixar hit, with voices from superstars Seth Rogen and Reese Witherspoon, was no exception. With a worldwide gross of $379,882,046, this alien invasion tale was one of 2009's best movies. With Keifer Sutherland loaning his voice to a hard knuckled military commander, and Stephen Colbert finally playing the role of President, the whole family will enjoy this monstrous movie.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
The fourth installment of the X-men series earned a worldwide gross of $373,062,569 in 2009. Starring Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine, the movie is precisely what one expects from it's title - an exploration of Wolverine's origins. Despite being the fourth movie in the series, this film takes place prior to the first three movies.

Sources:
Box Office Mojo, 2009 Yearly Box Office Results, Box Office Mojo.
IMDB, Monsters vs. Aliens, IMDB
IMDB, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, IMDB
IMDB, The Hangover, IMDB
IMDB, Twilight: New Moon, IMDB
IMDB, Up, IMDB
IMDB, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, IMDB
IMDB, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, IMDB
IMDB, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, IMDB