Are You Getting Your Money’s Worth From Name Power? (Part Three)

The following is the final portion of a three-part series/countdown of the top paid actors and their most recent movies. See whether or not name power equates to box office success and critical appeal.

3. Christian Bale
It is safe to say that although Bale has been appearing in movies since he was 13 years old, he wasn’t a household name until given Batman’s cape and cowl. Not counting the Batman series, Bale’s track record of big box office hits is not very good. However, when he hits big, he hits REALLY big. The Dark Knight earned more than a billion dollars worldwide last year, so Warner Bros. is likely OK with paying Bale his salary for future Batman films.

The Dark Knight (2008)
Domestic Gross – $533 million
Worldwide Gross – $1.001 billion
Budget – $185 million
IMdb – 8.9/10 (third highest ranked film on the movie Web site)
Rotten Tomatoes – 94%; 8.4/10
Netflix – 4.3/5
Box Office Mojo – A

I’m Not There (2007)
Domestic Gross – $4 million
Worldwide Gross – $12 million
Budget – $20 million
IMdb – 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes – 77%; 7/10
Netflix – 2.9/5
Box Office Mojo – B

3:10 to Yuma (2007)
Domestic Gross – $54 million
Worldwide Gross – $70 million
Budget – $55 million
IMdb – 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%; 7.5/10
Netflix – 3.9/5
Box Office Mojo – B+

2. Robert Downey Jr.
After dabbling in drugs a couple of times, Downey Jr. has made more than one comeback in his career, but it is his most recent success with director Jon Favreau (who will always be Mikey from Swingers to me) and the Iron Man series that makes him a hot commodity these days.

Tropic Thunder (2008)
Domestic Gross – $111 million
Worldwide Gross – $188 million
Budget – $92 million
IMdb – 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes – 82%; 7/10
Netflix – 3.2/5
Box Office Mojo – B

Iron Man (2008)
Domestic Gross – $318 million
Worldwide Gross – $585 million
Budget – $140 million
IMdb – 8/10
Rotten Tomatoes – 93%; 7.6/10
Netflix – 4.3/5
Box Office Mojo – A-

1. Will Smith
Blockbuster Brother is a suiting nickname for the man who producers throw tons of cash at to be in their summer action flicks. From Independence Day to the Bad Boys series, Smith is the modern-day action hero for a new generation.

Seven Pounds (2008)
Domestic Gross – $69 million
Worldwide Gross – $168 million
Budget – $55 million
IMdb – 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes – 27%; 4.6/10
Netflix – 3.8/5
Box Office Mojo – B

Hancock (2008)
Domestic Gross – $228 million
Worldwide Gross – $624 million
Budget – $150 million
IMdb – 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes – 40%; 5.4/10
Netflix – 3.6/5
Box Office Mojo – B