Ever since July 4th weekend became a major movie tentpole, which films have been the best blockbusters? We asked a panel of experts to help us determine the best July 4th openings in the 18 years theyve been a thing.
To compile this very scientific ranking of the 17 films that have opened on July 4th weekend since 1996 (when Independence Day made the holiday the movie-going event that it is), weve assembled an all-star team of movie experts from around the internet. Our panelists submitted their ranked lists, and the results have been tallied to arrive at these ultimate rankings. Your panelists: from CinemaBlend, Katey Rich; from Huffington Post, Christopher Rosen; from The AV Club, Todd VanDerWerff; from BuzzFeed, Adam B. Vary; from Vulture, Lindsey Weber; and from right here at Tribeca, Lindsay Robertson, Karen Kemmerle, and yours truly.
#17: Cats & Dogs (2001) : The least July-4th-seeming of the bunch, Cats & Dogs managed to capitalize on the softer-than-expected opening of A.I. Artificial Intelligence the weekend before to snatch the crown. Unfortunately, it did not prove to be the more memorable film in the long run.
"Dont laugh. There are some inventive and funny moments in this movie, and even when there arent, there are lots of cats and dogs, and who doesnt like that?" -- Todd VanDerWerff
#16: Wild Wild West (1999) : Will Smith was opening his third July 4th movie in four years, and the hot streak he began with Independence Day and Men in Black couldnt last forever. Wild Wild West was blasted by critics, though it did provide Smith the title song for the soundtrack, which is not only an enduring highligt in every Dru Hill retrospective, but also an integral accompaniment to any self-respecting western-themed gay bar.
"Hey, we all have our guilty pleasures, and Wild Wild West just happens to be mine. Kevin Kline, giant mechanical robot spiders, Kenneth Branagh's weird facial hair, and a shirtless scene for Big Willie? What's not to like?" -- Karen Kemmerle
#15: Hancock (2008) : Will Smith again, gambling with a superhero tale that played around with the genre perhaps a bit too much for mainstream adoration. Worth it for a super-fun performance by Charlize Theron, at any rate.
#14: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) : The second of the three Transformers to grace July 4th weekend, this was the most critically dismissed of the trilogy.
#13: Transformers (2007) : Michael Bay returned to July 4th almost a decade after Armageddon sealed his reputation as a master of the big, dumb, loud summer blockbuster.
"When Shia LaBeouf was the baby Tom Hanks and Seth Cohen never had. Again, Bay just does this really well. The first Transformers is a lot of fun." -- Christopher Rosen
"And to think I thought this might be the new Independence Day before seeing it!" -- Todd VanDerWerff
#12: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010) : The third Twilight movie was a marked improvement over the dreadfully boring Breaking Dawn and was the only of the five Twilight films to open in the summertime. (Coincidentally or not, its also the highest-grossing of the five Twilight films.)
"I didnt like this, but I still liked it more than any Transformers movie Ive ever seen." -- Todd VanDerWerff
#11: Men in Black II (2002) : The New Adventures of J and K were more like a continuation of same, though this time boasting Lara Flynn Boyle as an alien ... queen ... thing.
"I didnt know better to not be excited for this, and it was a really, really sad night at the movies with me and my high school friends." -- Katey Rich
"Ugh. I hated the sequel to Men in Black so much that I honestly don't remember much about it except Will Smith's summer anthem Nod Your Head and Johnny Knoxville's multi-headed villain. Maybe I'm better off. No, I'm absolutely better off." -- Karen Kemmerle
#10: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003): Theres actually a lot to like in T3s commitment to big, smashy setpieces, though the Terminator fandom tended to bristle against Kristiana Loken as the newest Terminator model. That said, any film that pays off three films worth of threats toward global thermonuclear destruction deserves points for balls.
#9: Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011): The third Transformers film appeared to have finally worn down some of the critics of Michael Bays sense-numbing style.
#8: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) : The franchise re-boot was somewhat lost in the summer of The Avengers, but at the very least, it boasted a strong and chemistry-fueled lead pairing of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone in the lead roles.
#7: Superman Returns (2006): WIth all the Man of Steel talk this summer, theres been something of a rebound of contrarian esteem for this, the most scorned of superhero franchise reboots. Poor Brandon Routh never had a chance.
"Its become the usual for people to write this movie off, but its one of my favorites. Hauntingly romantic and unexpected in all the right ways, this is more a religious tone poem than a superhero movie... which may be why so many people hate it. Oh well. I love it." -- Todd VanDerWerff
#6: Men in Black (1997): Barry Sonnenfelds action comedy really solidified Will Smiths reputation as the box-office king of July 4th. Plus, who doesnt love a summer blockbuster featuring Tommy Lee Jones?
"Thanks to whoever thought of pairing Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones together in a movie. Watching this oddly dynamic pair wisecrack, shoot and dodge their way through the worst scum of the universe. Oh yeah, and they save the world." -- Karen Kemmerle
" I remember enjoying this, but mostly, I just remember my friend Zeb cracking up at the phrase intergalactic kegger." -- Todd VanDerWerff
"A perfect Hollywood sci-fi comedy (whatever that means)." -- Adam B. Vary
#5: The Perfect Storm (2000): The battle for July 4th supremacy in the summer of 2000 pit
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Ever since July 4th weekend became a major movie tentpole, which films have been the best blockbusters? We asked a panel of experts to help us determine the best July 4th openings in the 18 years theyve been a thing. 
