Best Hollywood Summer Blockbuster?

[Bob]

I am sure we all have went to movies in the summer to see the newest hollywood blockbuster, only to be disappointed to all the money went to special effects and none to the plot or character development or story (e.g. Independance Day, War of the Words, etc.).

What was your favorite summer block buster that managed to have special effects, plot and characters that were not card board cut outs?

[Nunyerbiz]

I dunno... I think the way most people would define "summer blockbuster" would automatically preclude them being too concerned about things like a rock-solid plot and gripping character development. I thought Independence Day worked perfectly fine for what it aspired to be, a silly "blockbuster" popcorn movie.

[Pak-Man]

Spider-Man, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Terminator... It's fish in a barrel. :^)

[ScottotD]

depends where you live.

[Bob]

depends where you live.

Hmmm, good point!   Perhaps I was being a tad provincial.    I am hoping that everywhere has a time of the year when the big budget block busters come out.

For me, Jaws did the best at combining characters, story and special effects.  The original "Alien" is a very close second.

[davo]

Star Wars.



i remember being a little kid and waiting in a line with my parents that went around the building to get a ticket.  and i think it was a ticket the NEXT showing, so we went to a restaurant and ate before going to the show.

[Johnny_Short_Torso]

Star Trek II was released june 4th, 1982 and was the highest first weekend gross of any movie up until that time.

[AmandaGal]

You guys are going to mock me, but I liked Jurrasic Park    I was a big fan of the book and the movie didn't disappoint.

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

ill admit that WHEN i saw it in theaters (my best friends b day party)  it was fun and i liked the movie a good deal, ive gotten over it

[Pak-Man]

Naw. Jurassic Park is good stuff. It was as true to the novel as it needed to be, while making the changes needed to be a movie. Its sequels are another story, of course. :^)

[AmandaGal]

Yes, the sequels are pure crap...well, I actually haven't seen the third but I just assume based on the Lost World.

[Pak-Man]

Well the third one set the bar a little lower and kinda tossed out the dignity and sci-fi elements of the first two and decided to make it more of a camp movie. As a camp movie, it's successfull. As a Jurassic Park movie, it's unworthy. :^)

[mrbasehart]

Spiderman 2 was a film I was distinctly "wowed" by when I watched it.  Especially considering how much I enjoyed the first one.

[Minnesota]

Independence Day

[Rufus T]

Well the third one set the bar a little lower and kinda tossed out the dignity and sci-fi elements of the first two and decided to make it more of a camp movie. As a camp movie, it's successfull. As a Jurassic Park movie, it's unworthy. :^)

The bar was indeed lowered. Especially with lines like, "Did you steal those raptor eggs?" No shithead, he bought them off the raptors for a tidy sum of money. That movie only had two cool moments. The rest was pure crap. Lost World, on the other hand, I didn't mind so much. :-",