Top 10 Greatest Movies of All Time

The top movies in the U.S. is a list that rarely changes.  These movies have reached such a high level of box office success that it’s very hard for any new movie to hit the list.  Most of the movies are post-2000, but you might want to consider that this list is not indexed for inflation.  If it was, you’d see a lot more classics.  Just remember that the older the movie, the bigger the success.

Which leads me into the most successful movie of all time:

Titanic (1997) – $600,779,824

We all remember the phenomena that was Titanic.  James Cameron put together a movie that was not only an inspiring and beautiful love story, but was also pretty damn cool.  Sitting at the edge of your seat when that boat cracks in two is a moment in movie history you probably will never forget.  But seriously, why couldn’t he just find another board.  I attribute the success of this movie to teenage girls at the time and the little competition they had.  “I saw Titanic again last night, now I’m at twelve times.”

The Dark Knight (2008) – $531,037,655

The newest addition to this list is probably one of the best movies.  The Dark Knight was not only critically acclaimed but loved by nearly every single person who has seen it.  It is by far the best Batman movie to date, and of course, will always be remembered as Heath Ledger’s last and best role.  Some of The Joker’s lines in this movie are bonechilling.  Even Jack Nicholson has applauded Ledger’s performance as The Joker.  And he’s done it himself.

Star Wars (1977) – $460,935,665

This is the movie.  It has spawned two trilogies, TV shows, video games, merchandise, comic books, and just about everything else that could possibly be made to profit from a movie.  There is even a “legitimate” church that is based on the Jedi Order.  This movie has attracted just about every form of obsessive person available, and for that reason will probably be remembered forever.

It’s important to note that if this list was indexed for inflation, that $460 million in 1977 would be enough to knock Titanic down a notch.  So despite being number three this movie is still the king.

Shrek 2 (2004) – $436,471,036

Who didn’t love Shrek 2?  Parents had no choice but to watch it after every kid in America loved the first movie, but for one reason or another they didn’t mind.  In fact, this was a movie that everyone enjoyed.  It was even a big time date movie back in ‘04.  It’s the only animated movie to make the top ten list, and it’s a sequel.  It’s actually somewhat of an anomaly, but I’m sure Mike Myers doesn’t mind.

E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – $434,949,459

Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece.  He has made a huge number of movies and none have been as successful as E.T.  This movie has been referenced by just about everywhere that makes pop culture references.  After seeing this movie, every kid in America wanted to fly their bicycle.  And of course, protect a creepy little alien from the authorities.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999) – $431,065,444

This is probably the most controversial movie in the top ten.  The excitement of every single Star Wars fan reached a fever pitch when this movie was on it’s way.  And then the complaints about Jar Jar and George Lucas probably reached an even greater pitch as soon as we all saw it.  This didn’t stop the movie from becoming a huge commercial success, but when considering the comparison to the 1977 Star Wars you can see that (considering inflation) it was enough to prevent it from being a record-setting film.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) – $423,032,628

Johnny Depp, one of the greatest actors of our time, as a fun loving, sarcastic prick of a pirate on amazing adventures presented in a heavily cartoonized style.  This is one of the absolute greatest movies that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.  The commercial success is no surprise to anyone who has seen this movie.  With two more in the trilogy, try not to scoff at it for being the seventh highest grossing film.

Spider-Man (2002) – $403,706,375

Spiderman was always meant to be the ”average dorky kid gets superpowers” story, which screams success in the box office.  Whether or not you like comic books adapted for the big screen, it’s impossible to argue against the fact that the success of this movie paved the way for the success of the huge number of adaptations after it.  Including The Dark Knight.

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) – $380,262,555

Yet another Star Wars.  George Lucas has a lot of money.  The third movie in the “new trilogy” barely scrapes by.  Perhaps the frustrations caused by The Phantom Menace made it difficult for the rest of the trilogy to make the list.  I figure this movie will be pushed off in a matter of years, despite being the best movie in the new trilogy.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – $377,019,252

Does anyone else remember Lord of the Rings?  It was huge at the time.  With all the hype that was flapped down our throats you’re probably surprised that it barely scraped by.  This movie was a CGI masterpiece, but had trouble building an audience other than the fans of Lord of the Rings.  With the limited audience, the series managed to be overall very successful.  I liked it.

Star Wars managed to scrape by for twenty years as the number one highest grossing film.  Titanic nearly got dethroned after eleven.  Think it has nine more to go?

For more Top Tens check out:

Top 10 Greatest Songs of all Time