When you cast your mind back to some of the older blockbusters, you’ll be hard-pushed to understand why they haven’t remained firm favorites. From Con Air to Sleeping With The Enemy, travel back in time to remind yourself of the brilliance of some of these forgotten gems.
The Last Action Hero
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s meta-action comedy offered a hilarious parody of the action movies of the time. The premise of a young boy being sucked into an action movie and using his knowledge of said action movies to wriggle his way out was brilliant for its time. The film is filled with over-the-top stunts and tongue-in-cheek humor. You’ll love it.
Con Air
Throw together a bunch of stellar actors, and what do you get? Throw together a bunch of cons on a plane, and what do you get? You get Nicolas Cage’s Cameron Poe attempting to survive the hostile takeover of a Justice Prisoner with a plane full of violent convicts. Expect thrills, twists, and witty one-liners.
Galaxy Quest
Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver star as washed-up TV stars embroiled in a real-life space adventure. The story is silly, and the acting is camp, but it’s an overall barrel of laughs.
Stardust
If it’s a modern fairytale that you’re looking for, you need to revisit this enchanting fantasy film. It follows a young man’s quest to retrieve a fallen star and win the heart of his true love. There’s romance, humor, and magical adventure in equal measure.
The Iron Giant
Brad Bird’s animated masterpiece was the first of his career before moving on to Ratatouille and The Incredibles. This wholesome take on a boy who befriends a giant robot from outer space is a heartwarming tale of friendship, courage, and the power of understanding.
The Fifth Element
Free Willy
It’s hard to comprehend that a movie as beautiful as Free Willy can be forgotten. You’ll be uplifted to the moon in this stunning tale of a young orphan boy who befriends a whale and plans to set him free. Keiko the whale stars.
The Mummy
It’s one of the worst blockbusters you’ll ever see, and that’s precisely what you’ll love about it. Brendan Fraser’s swashbuckling adventure through ancient Egypt is corny, poorly acted, and terribly written, but it’s still a work of cinematic grandeur. Expect chase scenes and epic battles aplenty.
Double Jeopardy
Ashley Judd stars as a woman who is set up for killing her husband by her supposedly dead husband and spends the rest of the movie unraveling his perfect double life. If you didn’t know double jeopardy law, you’d be an expert by the end of this fast-paced, twisty movie.
Deep Impact
What would you do if you knew a comet was heading for Earth and you had just days to live? That’s all the story you need to make a great blockbuster. The storyline is average, and the performances are irrelevant; the movie is a spectacle and everything you’d expect from an end-of-world blockbuster.
Air Force One
When the US president (Harrison Ford) is taken hostage on Air Force One, it’s down to him to save the day. He does, obviously. Ford was so convincing that he was hailed as a favorite for the next US president.
Big Trouble in Little China
In John Carpenter’s cult classic, Kurt Russell’s wisecracking hero battles with ancient sorcery and kung-fu ninjas. It has gone down as Carpenter’s best movie, and despite being more than thirty years old, it remains a blockbuster favorite.
Sleeping with the Enemy
Whether it’s the stacked tins you remember or the chilling tones of Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, you won’t need much convincing to rewatch this dramatic thriller. Julia Roberts steals the show with her portrayal of an abused woman who escapes from her wealthy husband by faking her death. Expect white knuckles.
Ransom
When Mel Gibson stared into the camera and asked for his son to be returned in a clever marketing ploy, viewers were compelled to watch the movie. The twists and turns kept coming, and you were gripped throughout. It’s easily as good as Taken.
Indecent Proposal
When billionaire John Gage (Robert Redford) proposes to pay a broke but adoring couple (Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson) one million dollars to spend the night with his wife, what should he do? When the movie opened in 1993, it opened the floodgates for debate about this moral dilemma. It is a tearjerker and thriller, all in one.
Clear and Present Danger
If you’ve watched all four seasons of the Jack Ryan series, you might want to reach for an old favorite with Clear and Present Danger. Harrison Ford steps into the role and reminds us of the enduring appeal of the espionage thriller genre. Expect to see a deeply patriotic, testosterone-heavy portrayal of Jack compared to the humility of John Krasinski.
Hook
Steven Spielberg’s imaginative take on the Peter Pan story brings Neverland to life with dazzling visuals, swashbuckling action, and heartfelt moments that make you believe in magic. Stellar performances from Dustin Hoffman and Julia Roberts complement Robin Williams’ perfect Peter Pan. It’s a tough watch if you’re a Williams fan.
Entrapment
You’d be forgiven for remembering the images of Catherine Zeta-Jones’ slender physique, weaving her way through a multitude of laser beams. It was a gripping scene amidst her quest to pull off a heist if you could see beyond that. Her onscreen chemistry with Sean Connery’s slick mastery made for a gripping movie.
