Chris Meledandri’s Movies from Best to Worst – RT Critics

Christopher Meledandri (born May 15, 1959) is an American film producer and founder and CEO of Illumination. He previously served as President of 20th Century Fox Animation, and has worked as the producer for the film series of Ice Age, Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets and Sing. In 2021, he joined Nintendo‘s board of directors after working with the video game company on The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), the 16th-highest-grossing film of all time. The following are 25 of his 29 films, including credits as associate producer, producer and executive producer, arranged in order from “best” to “worst” according to the collective opinions of Rotten Tomatoes film critics. Contained is each film’s critical approval, average rating and critical consensus (if there is one).

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

95% – 7.6/10 (192 reviews)

Arriving more than a decade after the previous installment, the smart, sweet, and funny Puss in Boots: The Last Wish proves some franchises only get better with age. Read critic reviews

Despicable Me (2010)

80% – 6.8/10 (203 reviews)

Borrowing heavily (and intelligently) from Pixar and Looney Tunes, Despicable Me is a surprisingly thoughtful, family-friendly treat with a few surprises of its own. Read critic reviews

Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

79% – 7/10 (136 reviews)

Horton Hears A Who! is both whimsical and heartwarming, and is the rare Dr. Seuss adaptation that stays true to the spirit of the source material. Read critic reviews

Ice Age (2002)

77% – 6.8/10 (168 reviews)

Even though Ice Age is treading over the same grounds as Monsters, Inc. and Shrek, it has enough wit and laughs to stand on its own. Read critic reviews

Cool Runnings (1993)

76% – 6.1/10 (41 reviews)

Cool Runnings rises above its formulaic sports-movie themes with charming performances, light humor, and uplifting tone. Read critic reviews

Despicable Me 2 (2013)

75% – 6.6/10 (188 reviews)

Despicable Me 2 offers plenty of eye-popping visual inventiveness and a number of big laughs. Read critic reviews

Sing 2 (2021)

72% – 6.1/10 (137 reviews)

Second verse, same as the first: For audiences that enjoyed the first installment, Sing 2 should prove another endearing diversion. Read critic reviews

Sing (2016)

71% – 6.4/10 (189 reviews)

Sing delivers colorfully animated, cheerfully undemanding entertainment with a solid voice cast and a warm-hearted — albeit familiar — storyline that lives up to its title. Read critic reviews

The Secret Life of Pets (2016)

71% – 6.3/10 (242 reviews)

Fast-paced, funny, and blessed with a talented voice cast, The Secret Life of Pets offers a beautifully animated, cheerfully undemanding family-friendly diversion. Read critic reviews

Minions 2 (2022)

70% – 6.1/10 (184 reviews)

The Minions‘ antic shenanigans are beginning to grate despite this sequel’s injection of retro chic, although this loony marathon of gags will still delight young children. Read critic reviews

Robots (2005)

64% – 6.5/10 (184 reviews)

Robots delights on a visual level, but the story feels like it came off an assembly line. Read critic reviews

The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)

60% – 5.8/10 (165 reviews)

The Secret Life of Pets 2 doesn’t teach its animated stars any new narrative tricks — but for fans of the original, this funny, energetic sequel should still satisfy. Read critic reviews

The Grinch (2018)

59% – 6/10 (195 reviews)

The Grinch gives the classic Seuss source material a brightly animated update that’s solidly suitable for younger viewers without adding substantially to the story’s legacy. Read critic reviews

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

59% – 5.8/10 (277 reviews)

While it’s nowhere near as thrilling as turtle tipping your way to 128 lives, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a colorful — albeit thinly plotted — animated adventure that has about as many Nintendos as Nintendon’ts. Read critic reviews

Despicable Me 3 (2017)

59% – 5.7/10 (198 reviews)

Despicable Me 3 should keep fans of the franchise consistently entertained with another round of colorful animation and zany — albeit somewhat scattershot — humor. Read critic reviews

Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (2006)

56% – 6/10 (146 reviews)

Despite its impressive animation and the hilarious antics of the saber-toothed squirrel Scrat, Ice Age 2: The Meltdown comes up short on the storytelling front. Read critic reviews

Minions (2015)

56% – 5.8/10 (225 reviews)

The Minions’ brightly colored brand of gibberish-fueled insanity stretches to feature length in their self-titled Despicable Me spinoff, with uneven but often hilarious results. Read critic reviews

Swing Kids (1993)

56% – 4.9/10 (18 reviews)

The Lorax (2012)

54% – 5.9/10 (156 reviews)

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax is cute and funny enough but the moral simplicity of the book gets lost with the zany Hollywood production values. Read critic reviews

Hop (2011)

24% – 4.3/10 (140 reviews)

It’s impressively animated, but Hop‘s script is so uninspired that not even James Marsden’s frantic mugging can give it any bounce. Read critic reviews

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)

18% – 3.6/10 (38 reviews)

Sister Act is off-key in this reprise, fatally shifting the spotlight from Whoopi Goldberg to a less compelling ensemble of pupils and trading its predecessor’s sharp comedy for unconvincing sentiment. Read critic reviews

Quicksilver (1986)

13% – 3.5/10 (16 reviews)

Opportunity Knocks (1990)

11% – 4.4/10 (9 reviews)

Trial by Jury (1994)

8% – 3.5/10 (13 reviews)

Fly by Night (1993)

0% – 4/10 (2 reviews)