The Highest Grossing Movies Released on Independence Day

Fireworks are not the only entertainment on offer during Independence Day, as film studios frequently time the release of their big-budget, family-friendly blockbusters to coincide with the unofficial start to the summer.

Movies making their debut around this time are most obviously in debt to 1996’s Independence Day, which with its simplistic storyline and aggressive advertising campaign, helped catalyze cinema’s commercial appeal.

To arrive at this list, Newsweek examined Box Office Mojo data detailing worldwide box office sales for movies released over the Fourth of July long weekend. Figures correct as of June 29.

25. The Purge: Election Year ($118,587,880)

2016 ‧ Horror/Action ‧ 1h 49m

A man who survived the yearly night of lawlessness becomes a presidential candidate determined to end the blood lust.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “It isn’t particularly subtle, but The Purge: Election Year’s blend of potent jolts and timely themes still add up to a nastily effective diversion.”

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24. The Patriot ($215,294,342)

2000 ‧ War/Action ‧ 2h 55m

After getting married, an Army veteran turns his back on his violent past but joins his nation’s war when his wife dies.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “The Patriot can be entertaining to watch, but it relies too much on formula and melodrama.”

23. Wild Wild West ($222,104,681)

1999 ‧ Western/Action ‧ 1h 47m

A pair of special agents in the Wild West attempt to save President Grant from the clutches of a steampunk super-villain.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Bombastic, manic, and largely laugh-free, Wild Wild West is a bizarre misfire in which greater care was lavished upon the special effects than on the script.”

22. Baby Driver ($226,945,087)

2017 ‧ Action/Thriller ‧ 1h 55m

After being forced into working for a crime boss, a young music-mad getaway driver becomes embroiled in a heist doomed to fail.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Stylish, exciting, and fueled by a killer soundtrack, Baby Driver hits the road and it’s gone—proving fast-paced action movies can be smartly written without sacrificing thrills.”

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21. Click ($240,685,326)

2006 ‧ Comedy/Romance ‧ 1h 47m

A man stumbles upon a universal remote allowing him to edit entire portions of his life.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “This latest Adam Sandler vehicle borrows shamelessly from It’s a Wonderful Life and Back to the Future, and fails to produce the necessary laughs that would forgive such imitation.”

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20. The Firm ($270,248,367)

1993 ‧ Thriller/Drama ‧ 2h 34m

A hotshot attorney joins a prestigious law firm only to become embroiled in a mysterious murder case.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “The Firm is a big studio thriller that amusingly tears apart the last of 1980s boardroom culture and the false securities it represented.”

19. Grown Ups ($271,457,301)

2010 ‧ Comedy/Buddy ‧ 1h 42m

Five men who were best friends as children are now getting together for the Fourth of July weekend to meet each others’ families for the first time.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Grown Ups’ cast of comedy vets is amiable, but they’re let down by flat direction and the scattershot, lowbrow humor of a stunted script.”

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18. The Last Airbender ($319,713,881)

2010 ‧ Action/Adventure ‧ 1h 43m

A young successor to a lineage of Avatars must master all four elements to prevent the planet from being conquered.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “The Last Airbender squanders its popular source material with incomprehensible plotting, horrible acting, and detached joyless direction.”

17. The Devil Wears Prada ($326,706,115)

2006 ‧ Comedy/Romance ‧ 1h 50m

This cult classic follows a young woman at the start of her career as an assistant to the demanding editor-in-chief of a high fashion magazine.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “A rare film that surpasses the quality of its source novel, this Devil is a witty expose of New York’s fashion scene, with Meryl Streep in top form and Anne Hathaway more than holding her own.”

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16. The Perfect Storm ($328,718,434)

2000 ‧ Thriller/Drama ‧ 2h 10m

A once-in-a-lifetime storm catches a boat of commercial fishermen unaware and places their lives at risk.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “While the special effects are well done and quite impressive, this film suffers a lack of any actual drama or characterization. The end result is a film that offers nifty eye candy and nothing else.”

15. Apollo 13 ($355,237,933)

1995 ‧ Drama/History ‧ 2h 20m

A trio of NASA astronauts on the Apollo 13 Moon mission become stranded when their rocket gets damaged.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “In recreating the troubled space mission, Apollo 13 pulls no punches: it’s a masterfully told drama from director Ron Howard, bolstered by an ensemble of solid performances.”

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14.The Legend of Tarzan ($356,700,357)

2016 ‧ Adventure/Romance ‧ 1h 50m

After leaving the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life, Tarzan must return to his former ways to save his wife Jane.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “The Legend of Tarzan has more on its mind than many movies starring the classic character, but that isn’t enough to make up for its generic plot or sluggish pace.”

13. Superman Returns ($391,081,192)

2006 ‧ Action/Adventure ‧ 2h 49m

Superman returns to Earth after spending five years on his home planet of Krypton and faces his arch-enemy, Lex Luther.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Bryan Singer’s reverent and visually decadent adaptation gives the Man of Steel welcome emotional complexity. The result: a satisfying stick-to-your-ribs adaptation.”

12. Batman ($411,508,343)

1989 ‧ Action/Adventure ‧ 2h 6m

Tim Burton’s take on Gotham’s Dark Knight begins with Batman battling his first major enemy, The Joker.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “An eerie, haunting spectacle, Batman succeeds as dark entertainment, even if Jack Nicholson’s Joker too often overshadows the title character.”

11. Cars 2 ($559,852,396)

2011 ‧ Family/Comedy ‧ 2 hours

Racing car Lightning McQueen and his friend Mater travel abroad to compete in the World Grand Prix.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Cars 2 is as visually appealing as any other Pixar production, but all that dazzle can’t disguise the rusty storytelling under the hood.”

10. War of the Worlds ($603,873,119)

2005 ‧ Sci-fi/Action ‧ 1h 58m

This updated version of this sci-fi cult classic finds the arrival of an alien tripod threatening to wipe out the human race.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of War of the Worlds delivers on the thrill and paranoia of H.G. Wells’ classic novel while impressively updating the action and effects for modern audiences.”

9. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse ($698,491,347)

2010 ‧ Fantasy/Romance ‧ 2h 11m

In the third installment of the Twilight series, a succession of mysterious killings grips her hometown, forcing Bella to choose between love and friendship.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Stuffed with characters and overly reliant on uninspired dialogue, Eclipse won’t win The Twilight Saga many new converts, despite an improved blend of romance and action fantasy.”

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8. Spider-Man 2 ($788,976,453)

2004 ‧ Action/Adventure ‧ 2h 15m

Peter Parker battles his problematic personal life in addition to the evil scientist Doctor Otto Octavius.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Boasting an entertaining villain and deeper emotional focus, this is a nimble sequel that improves upon the original.”

7. Wonder Woman ($822,824,522)

2017 ‧ Action/Adventure ‧ 2h 29m

A member of an all-female Amazonian race leaves her isolated life and enters the world of men to stop Ares, the god of war.

Rotten Tomatoes’ critics’ consensus states: “Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadot’s charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion.”

6. The Lion King ($1,083,720,877)

1994 ‧ Family/Musical ‧ 1h 29m

Lion cub Simba learns to accept his royal destiny when he travels back to his pride to reclaim his throne.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Emotionally stirring, richly drawn, and beautifully animated, The Lion King stands tall within Disney‘s pantheon of classic family films.”

5. Finding Dory ($1,028,570,942)

2016 ‧ Family/Adventure ‧ 2 hours

Amnesiac fish Dory starts searching for her long-lost family with the help of her aquatic friends, clownfish Marlin and his son Nemo.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Funny, poignant, and thought-provoking, Finding Dory delivers a beautifully animated adventure that adds another entertaining chapter to its predecessor’s classic story.”

4. Jurassic Park ($1,033,928,303)

1993 ‧ Sci-fi/Adventure ‧ 2h 8m

A new theme park on a remote island set to offer visitors the opportunity to see dinosaurs first-hand turns into a nightmare after the creatures escape.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Jurassic Park is a spectacle of special effects and life-like animatronics, with some of Spielberg’s best sequences of sustained awe and sheer terror since Jaws.”

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3. Despicable Me 3 ($1,034,800,131)

2017 ‧ Family/Comedy ‧ 1h 36m

After Gru meets his long-lost twin brother Dru, the attentions of the Minions’ master are turned to the most formidable nemesis he has yet encountered, in the third offering of the Despicable Me franchise.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Despicable Me 3 should keep fans of the franchise consistently entertained with another round of colorful animation and zany—albeit somewhat scattershot—humor.”

2. Toy Story 3 ($1,066,970,811)

2010 ‧ Family/Comedy ‧ 1h 48m

Andy’s precious toys are accidentally delivered to a daycare center, from where they plot their elaborate escape home.

Rotten Tomatoes’ crucial consensus states: “Deftly blending comedy, adventure, and honest emotion, Toy Story 3 is a rare second sequel that really works.”

1. Transformers: Dark of the Moon ($1,123,794,079)

2011 ‧ Action/Sci-fi ‧ 2h 37m

The discovery of enemy alien spacecraft hitherto hidden on the Moon causes the Transformers to race to save the planet.

Rotten Tomatoes’ critics’ consensus states: “Its special effects—and 3D shots—are undeniably impressive, but they aren’t enough to fill up its loud, bloated running time, or mask its thin, indifferent script.”

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