Summary
The best summer blockbusters of all time know what it takes to appeal to a huge audience, and they have stood the test of time. Since the 1970s, a fewmovies have helped define the summer blockbusteras it is known today. The concept has evolved into a mainstay of every film lover’s calendar. Summer always means that it’s time for big-budget, high-concept action movies hoping to make a splash at the box office.
A good summer blockbuster must be financially successful, and these movies often influence the landscape of cinema. Audiences want to see a combination of creative action, good humor and a bold original concept. This is why sci-fi thrillers and superhero movies tend to do so well. Movies which tick all the boxes can become classic summer blockbusters, and they can launch long-running franchises too.
10 Highest-Grossing Summer Blockbusters
The 10 highest-grossing summer blockbusters of all time include an array of major franchises that have dominated the box office in modern cinema.
Summers usually herald the arrival of big-budget children’s movies to coincide with the school holidays.The Lion Kingremains one of the most successful and influential children’s blockbusters of all time, and it represents the peak of the1990s Disney Renaissance. The animated musical famously follows the structure ofHamlet,with Simba rising to take on his uncle. Fortunately, it has a much happier ending.The Lion Kingmade just shy of a billion dollars at the box office, andit was just as popular when it was released on home video.
The Terminatorwas a big hit for James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it took seven years for them to get together for a sequel. By that time, Cameron had already started to develop his reputation as a master of action blockbusters, particularly with 1986’sAliens. Terminator 2: Judgement Daybuilds on the good work of the first with much more exciting action, and it reworks Arnie’s character into a hero.Terminator 2is a relentlessly thrilling action moviethat strings together its big set pieces with an endearing story.
Steven Spielberg is the king of the summer blockbuster, and he has delivered dozens of box office hits over the years.Raiders of the Lost Arkkicked off a trilogy of these hits in the 1980s, but its hero is a throwback to pulp action figures of the 1930s and 1940s. Harrison Ford is perfectly cast as the affable college professor who suddenly becomes a daring adventurer when the time calls for it.Raiders of the Lost Arkkicked off theIndiana Jonesfranchisein style. Its first iconic action sequence is the rolling boulder scene which opens the movie, but there are plenty of others in Indy’s globe-trotting adventure.
Back to the Futureparodies a lot of sci-fi’s most self-indulgent and outlandish tropes, but it still delivers an exciting adventure stroy which shows a deep appreciation for the genre.Back to the Futurehas its roots in sci-fi literature likeThe Time Machine,not just other movies, and this has given it a timeless appeal.Back to the Futureobviously has a fun concept, but the movie’s biggest asset is its two perfectly cast leads.Back to the Futureis packed with great quotes, exciting action scenes, and time-hopping fun, but Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd all these elements even better.
The firstPirates of the Caribbeanmovie was one of the first great blockbusters of the 21st century, but its style is a throwback to much older adventure stories.The Curse of the Black Pearlblends swashbuckling adventure with an exciting story of romance, but the real key to the film’s success is the mysterious supernatural element. The curse evokes the ideal sense of mystery, but it also allows the movie to dip its toe into some child-friendly horror. With Jack Sparrow as the lovable wildcard, and the stuffy British colonizers,Pirates of the Caribbeanremixes the great archetypes of the genre.
Christopher Nolan has developed a reputation as a singular director of cerebral blockbusters, andInceptionis the greatest example of this. No other director could draw in such massive audiences for movies which some people proudly don’t understand, but Nolan has just as much box office influence as most franchises.Inceptiontakes a unique sci-fi concept and spins it into inventive action scenes, like the revolving corridor sequence. The A-list cast and Hans Zimmer’s droning, imposing score help create the perfect atmosphere, andInception’s enigmatic endingmakes sure that it lingers in the mind.
Top Gunis a little lightweight in some of its dialogue and the romantic subplot, but the aerial fight scenes are still relentlessly entertaining. In this way,Top Gunrepresents the pinnacle of simplistic action movies, and these have always been big money. Audiences will forgive a lot of mediocre writing if a movie can deliver high-speed thrills, a gorgeous soundtrack, and a strangely intense beach volleyball scene. Decades later,Top Gun: Maverickwas an even bigger success than its predecessor, and the legacy sequel managed to woo the critics too.
Movie theaters are still struggling to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but many of them can thank the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon for keeping their doors open.Barbieis exactly the kind of fun, lighthearted movie that makes a great blockbuster.It’s always a sign of a movie’s success when it inspires scores of imitators, and there are already upcomingmovies trying to replicateBarbie’s success. However, the true lesson isn’t that people want to see more movies based on toys, it’s that audiences value original stories and bright, enjoyable movies.
Iron Man seemed like a risky gamble to lead the MCU’s first movie.At the time, he wasn’t the universally popular hero that he is today, but Robert Downey Jr.’s lovable performance and some explosive action scenes madeIron Mana smash hit. More importantly, it teased an expansive future with Nick Fury telling Tony Stark about the Avenger Initiative. This made fans hungry for more. Post-credits teases are a Marvel tradition now, but few have ever had the impact of the first one, which ensured thatIron Manwouldn’t be the studio’s only ludicrously successful summer blockbuster.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Will Smith was an unparalleled box office draw, with his movies consistently making hundreds of millions of dollars in different genres. This started withBad BoysandIndependence Day.Smith is at his best inIndependence Day.He gets plenty of chances to crack wise and show off his comedy chops, but there are also moments which make full use of his skills as a dramatic actor.Independence Day’s effects have held up surprisingly well, making its alien invasion story just as exciting as ever.
