It's summertime and the multiplex is loaded with blockbusters, just as it's been since 1975 when Steven Spielberg unleashed Jaws.
These are the 25 best-reviewed wide releases of summer, from 1975 to 2010. We use a special weighted formula that quantifies Tomatometer, number of reviews (20 minimum), and release date.
Now you're ready: Discover the Best Summer Blockbusters!
These are the 25 best-reviewed wide releases of summer, from 1975 to 2010. We use a special weighted formula that quantifies Tomatometer, number of reviews (20 minimum), and release date.
Now you're ready: Discover the Best Summer Blockbusters!
Bull Durham (1988)
97%
Adjusted Score: 101.719%
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Critics Consensus: Kevin Costner at his funniest and most charismatic in Bull Durham, a film that's as wise about relationships as it is about minor league baseball.
Synopsis: A blend of comedy, drama and romance, Bull Durham follows the intertwining of three lives brought together by the great American pastime. Crash Davis...
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Directed By:
Ron Shelton
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25
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
94%
Adjusted Score: 101.746%
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Critics Consensus: The Bourne Ultimatum is an intelligent, finely tuned non-stop thrill ride. Another strong performance from Matt Damon and sharp camerawork from Paul Greengrass make this the finest installment of the Bourne trilogy.
Synopsis: Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) races to solve the mystery of his past while being hunted by members of the very organization he was hired into as director...
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Directed By:
Paul Greengrass
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24
Chicken Run (2000)
97%
Adjusted Score: 101.795%
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Critics Consensus: Chicken Run has all the charm of Nick Park's Wallace & Gromit, and something for everybody. The voice acting is fabulous, the slapstick is brilliant, and the action sequences are spectacular.
Synopsis: Aardman Animations, the British clay-animation studio that created a cult sensation (and won three Academy awards) with its short subjects featuring...
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23
The Iron Giant (1999)
97%
Adjusted Score: 102.015%
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Critics Consensus: Engaging, endearing, affecting and charmingly retro, The Iron Giant tackles touchy subjects and complex relationships with a steady hand and beautiful animation direction from Brad Bird.
Synopsis: A boy's best friend is his robot in this animated adventure from Brad Bird, best known for his TV work on such series as The Simpsons, King of the...
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Directed By:
Brad Bird
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22
Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
92%
Adjusted Score: 102.194%
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Critics Consensus: With a script that never forgets its heroes' humanity and no shortage of superpowered set pieces, The Avengers lives up to its hype -- and raises the bar for Marvel at the movies.
Synopsis: Marvel Studios presents Marvel's The Avengers-the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible...
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Directed By:
Joss Whedon
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21
Big (1988)
97%
Adjusted Score: 102.005%
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Critics Consensus: Refreshingly sweet and undeniably funny, Big is a showcase for Tom Hanks, who dives into his role and infuses it with charm and surprising poignancy.
Synopsis: More than anything else, 13-year old New Jerseyite Josh (David Moscow) wants to be "big". That's the wish he makes at an odd-looking amusement pier...
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Directed By:
Penny Marshall
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20
Back to the Future (1985)
96%
Adjusted Score: 102.111%
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Critics Consensus: Inventive, funny, and breathlessly constructed, Back to the Future is rousing a time-travel adventure with an unforgettable spirit.
Synopsis: Contemporary high schooler Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) doesn't have the most pleasant of lives. Browbeaten by his principal at school, Marty must...
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Directed By:
Robert Zemeckis
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19
Risky Business (1983)
98%
Adjusted Score: 102.194%
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Critics Consensus: Featuring one of Tom Cruise's best early performances, Risky Business is a sharp, funny examination of teen angst that doesn't stop short of exploring dark themes.
Synopsis: Risky Business is the film in which 19-year-old Tom Cruise dances around his living room in his underwear. He does this to celebrate the fact that his...
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Directed By:
Paul Brickman
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18
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
98%
Adjusted Score: 102.623%
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Critics Consensus: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is an innovative and entertaining film that features a groundbreaking mix of live action and animation, with a touching and original story to boot.
Synopsis: In Robert Zemeckis's trailblazing combination of animation and live-action, Hollywood's 1940s cartoon stars are a subjugated minority, living in the...
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Directed By:
Robert Zemeckis
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17
Ratatouille (2007)
96%
Adjusted Score: 103.161%
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Critics Consensus: Pixar succeeds again with Ratatouille, a stunningly animated film with fast pacing, memorable characters, and overall good humor.
Synopsis: A scrawny rat named Remy (voice of Patton Oswalt) finds his dreams of culinary superstardom stirring up sizable controversy in the kitchen of a fine...
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Directed By:
Brad Bird
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16
Aliens (1986)
98%
Adjusted Score: 103.28%
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Critics Consensus: While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver.
Synopsis: Big-budget special effects, swiftly paced action, and a distinct feminist subtext from writer/director James Cameron turned what should have been a...
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Directed By:
James Cameron
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15
Airplane! (1980)
98%
Adjusted Score: 103.417%
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Critics Consensus: Though unabashedly juvenile and silly, Airplane! is nevertheless an uproarious spoof comedy full of quotable lines and slapstick gags that endure to this day.
Synopsis: This spoof of the Airport series of disaster movies relies on ridiculous sight gags, groan-inducing dialogue, and deadpan acting -- a comedy style...
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14
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
96%
Adjusted Score: 103.75%
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Critics Consensus: Dark, sinister, but ultimately even more involving than A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back defies viewer expectations and takes the series to heightened emotional levels.
Synopsis: The second entry in George Lucas' Star Wars trilogy finds Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the green-as-grass hero from the first film, now a seasoned...
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Directed By:
Irvin Kershner
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13
The Dark Knight (2008)
94%
Adjusted Score: 103.87%
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Critics Consensus: Dark, complex and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga.
Synopsis: Christopher Nolan steps back into the director's chair for this sequel to Batman Begins, which finds the titular superhero coming face to face with...
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Directed By:
Christopher Nolan
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12
WALL-E (2008)
96%
Adjusted Score: 103.945%
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Critics Consensus: Charming, audacious, and timely, Wall-E's lighthearted magic and stellar visuals testify once again to Pixar's ingenuity.
Synopsis: Disney and Pixar join forces for this computer-animated tale about a wide-eyed robot who travels to the deepest reaches of outer space in search of a...
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Directed By:
Andrew Stanton
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11
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011)
96%
Adjusted Score: 104.134%
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Critics Consensus: Thrilling, powerfully acted, and visually dazzling, Deathly Hallows Part II brings the Harry Potter franchise to a satisfying -- and suitably magical -- conclusion.
Synopsis: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, is the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series. The much-anticipated motion picture event is...
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Directed By:
David Yates
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10
Mud (2013)
98%
Adjusted Score: 104.241%
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Critics Consensus: Bolstered by a strong performance from Matthew McConaughey in the title role, Mud offers an engaging Southern drama that manages to stay sweet and heartwarming without being sappy.
Synopsis: Mud is an adventure about two boys, Ellis and his friend Neckbone, who find a man named Mud hiding out on an island in the Mississippi. Mud describes...
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Directed By:
Jeff Nichols (VI)
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9
Before Midnight (2013)
98%
Adjusted Score: 104.47%
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Critics Consensus: Building on the first two installments in Richard Linklater's well-crafted Before trilogy, Before Midnight offers intelligent, powerfully acted perspectives on love, marriage, and long-term commitment.
Synopsis: Before Midnight is an upcoming American romance drama film and the sequel to Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004). Like its predecessors,...
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Directed By:
Richard Linklater
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8
Star Trek (2009)
95%
Adjusted Score: 104.477%
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Critics Consensus: Star Trek reignites a classic franchise with action, humor, a strong story, and brilliant visuals, and will please traditional Trekkies and new fans alike.
Synopsis: Mission: Impossible III director and Alias creator J.J. Abrams resurrects the classic science fiction franchise created by Gene Roddenberry with this...
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Directed By:
J.J. Abrams
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7
Jaws (1975)
98%
Adjusted Score: 105.272%
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Critics Consensus: Compelling, well-crafted storytelling and a judicious sense of terror ensure Steven Spielberg's Jaws has remained a benchmark in the art of delivering modern blockbuster thrills.
Synopsis: Based on Peter Benchley's best-selling novel, Steven Spielberg's 1975 shark saga set the standard for the New Hollywood popcorn blockbuster while...
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Directed By:
Steven Spielberg
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6
Finding Nemo (2003)
99%
Adjusted Score: 105.454%
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Critics Consensus: Breathtaking animation, talented vocal work, and a well-written screenplay add up to another Pixar success.
Synopsis: In this stunning underwater adventure, with memorable characters, humor and heartfelt emotion, Finding Nemo follows the comedic and momentous journey...
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5
Toy Story 3 (2010)
99%
Adjusted Score: 106.331%
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Critics Consensus: Deftly blending comedy, adventure, and honest emotion, Toy Story 3 is a rare second sequel that really works.
Synopsis: Pixar returns to their first success with Toy Story 3. The movie begins with Andy leaving for college and donating his beloved toys -- including Woody...
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Directed By:
Lee Unkrich
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4
Alien (1979)
97%
Adjusted Score: 106.68%
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Critics Consensus: A modern classic, Alien blends science fiction, horror and bleak poetry into a seamless whole.
Synopsis: "In space, no one can hear you scream." A close encounter of the third kind becomes a Jaws-style nightmare when an alien invades a spacecraft in...
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Directed By:
Ridley Scott
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3
Up (2009)
98%
Adjusted Score: 106.806%
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Critics Consensus: Another masterful work of art from Pixar, Up is an exciting, hilarious, and heartfelt adventure impeccably crafted and told with wit and depth.
Synopsis: A feisty septuagenarian teams with a fearless wilderness ranger to do battle with a vicious band of beasts and villains in this computer-animated...
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2
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
98%
Adjusted Score: 108.216%
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Critics Consensus: Playing as both an exciting sci-fi adventure and a remarkable portrait of childhood, Steven Spielberg's touching tale of a homesick alien remains a piece of movie magic for young and old.
Synopsis: Both a classic movie for kids and a remarkable portrait of childhood, E.T. is a sci-fi adventure that captures that strange moment in youth when the...
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Directed By:
Steven Spielberg
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