Highest-Grossing Movies of the 1980s

The eighties were a time of technological advancement that changed moviemaking, and the magic of Hollywood brought in billions of dollars at the box office.

Highest-Grossing Movies of the 1980s

The 1980s weren't only fun. They were a decade of technological advancement. The home computer debuted, portable listening devices such as Walkmans and boomboxes became popular, and VCRs became as commonplace as TVs, making it possible to watch almost any movie, any time.

This tech boom brought advances in moviemaking. Fantasy and action scenes became more believable. Movie series such as "Star Wars," "Indiana Jones," "Rocky" and "Rambo" ruled the day. Comedies like "Back to the Future," "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Ghostbusters" turned into blockbuster franchises. And megastars were born with Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Eddie Murphy and Tom Cruise scoring huge hits at the box office.

There will never be another time like that, but the magic of Hollywood can recreate that spirit. These are the highest-grossing movies of the '80s.

50. Lethal Weapon

Release date: March 6, 1987

Director: Richard Donner

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $120,207,127

Bottom line: Mel Gibson and Danny Glover play two cops thrown together to catch drug smugglers.

Martin Riggs (Gibson) is a former Green Beret who is suicidal after the death of his wife, and Roger Murtagh (Glover) is a 50-year-old police veteran. Despite their different approaches, the two find a way to work together and eventually become friends.

The film spent three weeks at number one and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound Mixing.

49. Good Morning, Vietnam

Release date: Dec. 25, 1987

Director: Barry Levinson

Starring: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $123,922,370

Bottom line: DJ Adrian Cronauer (played by Robin Williams) refuses to play by the rules when he is assigned to the U.S. Armed Services radio station in Vietnam.

Loosely based on a true story, Williams was given freedom to improvise Cronauer’s broadcasts, earning him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy and an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

A critical success, the film was included in the American Film Institute’s 2000 list of the top 100 funniest films in American cinema.

48. Rocky III

Release date: May 28, 1982

Director: Sylvester Stallone

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burt Young, Burgess Meredith, Mr. T

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $124,146,897

Bottom line: "Rocky III," the second of the franchise to be directed by Sylvester Stallone, continues the story of Rocky Balboa five years after winning the heavyweight championship.

Rocky is challenged by a young contender while unveiling a statue of himself at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (The statue is still at the museum and has been a point of controversy over the years.)

The movie’s theme song, "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, was nominated for an Oscar and spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and 25 weeks in the top 10, ending the year as the number 2 single.

47. First Blood

Release date: Oct. 22, 1982

Director: Ted Kotcheff

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Brian Dennehy

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $125,212,904

Bottom line: In the first installment of the Rambo franchise, a veteran Green Beret (played by Sylvester Stallone) runs to the mountains from law enforcement and wages a one-man war against them.

The film had initial mixed reviews but did well at the box office, spawning a franchise of five movies.

The film was twice adapted for television, in 1990 and 2010.

46. Parenthood

Release date: Aug. 2, 1989

Director: Ron Howard

Starring: Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, Martha Plimpton, Keanu Reeves, Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $126,297,830

Bottom line: Family drama and everyday challenges are exposed through a peek in the life of the Midwestern family the Buckmans.

The film was positively received and was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress (Dianne Wiest) and Best Song, "I Love to See You Smile" by Randy Newman.

45. An Officer and a Gentleman

Release date: July 30, 1982

Director: Taylor Hackford

Starring: Richard Gere, Debra Winger, David Keith, Louis Gossett Jr.

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $129,795,554

Bottom line: Zack Mayo (played by Richard Gere) is a U.S. Navy Aviation Officer candidate newly enrolled at officer school. He falls in love with a "townie" (played by Debra Winger) and is pushed hard by Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley (played by Louis Gossett Jr.).

Well received by critics, the film won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Gossett (the first African-American to do so) and Best Original Song.

It also was nominated for Best Actress, Most Original Score, Best Film Editing and Best Original Screenplay.

44. Aliens

Release date: July 18, 1986

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sigourney Weaver

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $131,060,248

Bottom line: In this sequel to the 1979 movie, "Alien," Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver) is rescued after 57 years in hypersleep in an escape shuttle. When things at the colony seem awry, she is sent back to investigate.

The movie spent four weeks at number one and was one of the highest-grossing rated R movies to that date. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Actress and won two: Sound Effects Editing and Visual Effects.

It also won eight Saturn Awards, the Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation and was voted the "Greatest Film Sequel of All Time" by Empire magazine.

43. Black Rain

Release date: Sept. 22, 1989

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Ken Takakura, Kate Capshaw

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $134,212,055

Bottom line: Two New York City cops arrest a Yakuza member and escort him to Japan where they find themselves dragged into the Japanese underworld.

The movie received mixed reviews, but was a box office hit.

It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing.

42. Platoon

Release date: Dec. 19, 1986

Director: Oliver Stone

Starring: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $138,545,632

Bottom line: The first in a trilogy of films directed by Oliver Stone about the Vietnam War, this film tells the story of a young soldier confronted with the moral dilemmas and horrors of war.

Stone wrote the screenplay based on his own experiences in Vietnam. The movie was critically acclaimed and was nominated for eight Oscars, winning four: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing.

It also won the Golden Globe for Best Director, Best Drama and Best Supporting Actor (Tom Berenger).

41. Die Hard

Release date: July 15, 1988

Director: John McTiernan

Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $140,767,956

Bottom line: NYPD officer John McClane (played by Bruce Willis) works to save his wife and others taken hostage by German terrorists at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.

An unlikely Christmas movie (the only apparent connection is that it takes place on Christmas Eve), the film has been immensely popular and was followed by four sequels.

Critical reviews were mixed, and despite a limited release, it finished its first weekend at number three.

40. Driving Miss Daisy

Release date: Dec. 15, 1989

Director: Bruce Beresford

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy, Dan Aykroyd

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $145,793,296

Bottom line: Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman star in this movie that explores the relationship between Miss Daisy and her African-American chauffeur from 1948 to 1973.

It was well-liked by critics and received nine Academy Award nominations, winning four: Best Picture, Best Actress (Tandy), Best Makeup and Best Adapted Screenplay.

39. Gremlins

Release date: June 8, 1984

Director: Joe Dante

Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $148,168,459

Bottom line: A boy receives a unique pet but breaks the three important care rules he was given, causing mischievous monsters to wreak havoc on his small town.

Though it was successful, both critically and at the box office, it was heavily criticized for its violence.

Largely due to complaints about this violence and that seen in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," the Motion Picture Association of America that year added a new rating: PG-13.

38. Big

Release date: June 3, 1988

Director: Penny Marshall

Starring: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $151,668,774

Bottom line: Twelve-year-old Josh is embarrassed at being too short for a carnival ride and makes a wish at an arcade game (which is mysteriously working despite being unplugged) to "be big." He is surprised the next morning when he wakes in the body of an adult.

Josh experiences challenges as a boy in a man’s body and seeks a way to return to his childhood.

The film received critical acclaim and was the first woman-directed feature film to gross over $100 million.

It received Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay

37. Licence to Kill

Release date: July 14, 1989

Director: John Glen

Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Talisa Soto, Benicio del Toro

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $156,167,015

Bottom line: In the 16th film in the series, James Bond (Timothy Dalton) goes against orders to seek vengeance against a drug lord.

The first 007 film to not use an Ian Fleming title, the plot does contain elements of two of Fleming’s stories.

It was the first Bond film to be completely shot outside of the U.K. and received generally positive reviews.

36. The War of the Roses

Release date: Dec. 8, 1989

Director: Danny DeVito

Starring: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $160,188,546

Bottom line: A dark comedy, the movie was based on the novel by Warren Adler. A wealthy couple, the Roses (played by Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner) engage in a bitter and over-the-top divorce battle.

It took the number one spot on opening weekend, box office sales dropped slightly over the next two weeks, then it again reached first place on its fourth weekend.

It received positive critical reviews and was nominated for several awards, including the Golden Globes for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.

35. Born on the Fourth of July

Release date: Dec. 22, 1989

Director: Oliver Stone

Starring: Tom Cruise, Kyra Sedgwick, Raymond J. Barry, Jerry Levine, Frank Whaley, Willem Dafoe

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $161,001,698

Bottom line: The true story of Ron Kovic (played by Tom Cruise), a soldier who becomes paralyzed during the Vietnam War and becomes an anti-war, pro-human rights activist, the film covers 20 years of Kovic’s life.

Directed by Oliver Stone, it is the second in his trilogy of Vietnam War films, following the 1986 "Platoon."

It was praised by critics and was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor and won for Best Director and Best Film Editing. It also won four Golden Globes.

34. Three Men and a Baby

Release date: Nov. 25, 1987

Director: Leonard Nimoy

Starring: Steve Guttenberg, Ted Danson, Tom Selleck

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $167,780,960

Bottom line: Three bachelors quickly learn what’s involved in taking care of a baby when one arrives (literally) on their doorstep.

Almost immediately, miscommunications cause confusion as a drug deal goes wrong, and the men work to protect the baby they have fallen in love with.

A remake of the French comedy "Trois hommes et un couffin," the film was a critical and box office success. It was the first Disney film to gross over $100 million domestically and was the highest-grossing movie in 1987.

33. Cocktail

Release date: July 29, 1988

Director: Roger Donaldson

Starring: Tom Cruise, Elisabeth Shue, Bryan Brown

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $171,504,781

Bottom line: Tom Cruise plays a New York City bartender with a special flair when it comes to mixing drinks, but struggles to make good decisions in relationships.

Though the reviews were generally negative (it won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay), the movie was a box office hit, earning almost nine times its $20 million budget.

32. Tootsie

Release date: Dec. 17, 1982

Director: Sydney Pollack

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $177,200,000

Bottom line: Actor Michael Dorsey (played by Dustin Hoffman) dresses as a woman to land a role in a soap opera and, in doing so, complicates his personal life.

The movie was met with critical praise and was the second-highest-grossing film for 1982.

It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won for Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Lange).

31. The Little Mermaid

Release date: Nov. 17, 1989

Director: Ron Clements and John Musker

Starring: Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Kenneth Mars, Pat Carroll, Buddy Hackett

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $184,155,863

Bottom line: This Disney animated feature retells Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale of a mermaid who wants to be human. In this retelling, a mermaid princess makes a deal with Ursula, the evil sea witch to win a human prince’s love.

The movie won two Oscars: Best Original Score and Best Original Song, "Under the Sea." On its initial run, "The Little Mermaid" was the highest-grossing animated fil,m and it rejuvenated Disney’s animation production business.

It also spawned a successful stage adaptation and a live-on-TV presentation.

30. Rambo III

Release date: May 25, 1988

Director: Peter MacDonald

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $189,015,611

Bottom line: Rambo is on another mission, this time to save his friend Col. Trautman from Soviet forces in Afghanistan.

At the time, it was the most expensive film ever made and is the second-most successful film of the franchise.

Reviews went from mixed to negative, and it made the 1990 Guinness Book of World Records for being the most violent film ever made.

Nominated for 5 Razzies, it was awarded only one: Worst Actor (Stallone).

29. Dirty Dancing

Release date: Aug. 21, 1987

Director: Emile Ardolino

Starring: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $213,446,382

Bottom line: Frances "Baby" Houseman (played by Jennifer Grey) falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) at the Catskills resort where her family spends their summers.

The film premiered at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival in May and had positive to mixed critical reviews. It not only had box office success, but also crept into the culture, spawning a "new" style of dance and the phrase, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."

The film won both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Song, "(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life" recorded by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. The song also won the Grammy Award for Best Duet.

28. Ghostbusters II

Release date: June 16, 1989

Director: Ivan Reitman

Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $215,394,738

Bottom line: Set five years after the original "Ghostbusters," the company has gone bust after a lawsuit. New spectral activity and the discovery of a river of ectoplasm allow the professors (played by Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Bill Murray) to revive their business and work to save the world.

The movie had mostly negative reviews. The general consensus was that it lacked originality. It was the number one film opening weekend, breaking the all-time record for a one-day opening, but steadily slipped, leaving the top 10 by its seventh week.

27. Twins

Release date: Dec. 9, 1988

Director: Ivan Reitman

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Kelly Preston, Chloe Webb, Bonnie Bartlett, Tony Jay

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $216,614,388

Bottom line:Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito play twins who couldn’t be more unalike.

Separated at birth as part of a secret experiment, they reunite at age 35 after Julius (Schwarzenegger) is told he has a brother and goes searching for him.

The movie received mixed reviews and was the number one release its first weekend.

26. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Release date: June 23, 1989

Director: Joe Johnston

Starring: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $222,724,172

Bottom line: A scientist accidentally shrinks his kids and their friends. The insect-sized teens have to find a way to avoid dangers as he searches for them.

An unexpected success, the film became the highest-grossing live-action Disney film and held this record for five years.

Both critics and audiences enjoyed the movie, and it was nominated for several awards. The film also spawned two successful sequels.

25. Out of Africa

Release date: Dec. 20, 1985

Director: Sydney Pollack

Starring: Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Klaus Maria Brandauer

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $227,514,205

Bottom line: A Danish baroness and plantation owner (Meryl Streep) has an affair with a big game hunter (Robert Redford) in 20th century colonial Kenya.

Based loosely on Isak Dinesen’s autobiography of the same name, the movie received mixed reviews.

It was nominated for11 Oscars and won seven, including Best Picture and Best Director. It also won Golden Globes for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Klaus Maria Brandauer) and Best Score.

24. Lethal Weapon 2

Release date: July 7, 1989

Director: Richard Donner

Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Patsy Kensit

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $227,853,986

Bottom line: Riggs and Murtaugh team up again two years after the original "Lethal Weapon."

This time, they are working to stop South African diplomats attempting to use their immunity to get away with committing crimes.

The film was the third-highest-grossing movie in North America in 1989.

23. Dead Poets Society

Release date: June 2, 1988

Director: Peter Weir

Starring: Robin Williams

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $235,860,116

Bottom line: Robin Williams plays John Keating, an English teacher who uses poetry to inspire his students at a fictional boarding school in Vermont.

The movie was met with critical praise and strong box office sales. It won multiple awards, including the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

It was also nominated for Best Actor, Best Picture and Best Director Awards for both the Golden Globe and Academy Awards.

22. Crocodile Dundee II

Release date: May 25, 1988

Director: John Cornell

Starring: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $239,606,210

Bottom line: The movie takes up the story of Mick Dundeee and Sue Charlton a year later in New York where they are living happily, until Sue is taken hostage.

Mick saves her and takes her back to Australia where he believes they will be safe, but they are followed.

Critical reviews were lukewarm, but the movie was the sixth-highest-grossing film in the U.S. in 1988.

21. Ghostbusters

Release date: June 8, 1984

Director: Ivan Reitman

Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $282,242,989

Bottom line: Three professors (played by Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Bill Murray) start a new business — as ghost removers.

The comedy was a critical and financial success. It was the number one film on its release weekend (the same weekend the hit "Gremlins" was released), the second-highest-grossing film of the year and the highest-grossing comedy up until that point.

At number one for seven weeks, it was one of only four movies that year to exceed $100 million in ticket sales.

20. Coming to America

Release date: June 29, 1988

Director: John Landis

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Madge Sinclair

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $288,752,301

Bottom line: A pampered African prince (played by Eddie Murphy) travels to Queens, New York, to seek out a woman worthy to become his bride.

The film received positive reviews and was an immediate box office success, debuting at number one.

It was nominated for two Oscars: Best Costume Design and Best Makeup.

19. Look Who's Talking

Release date: Oct. 13, 1989

Director: Amy Heckerling

Starring: John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Olympia Dukakis, George Segal, Abe Vigoda, Bruce Willis

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $296,999,813

Bottom line: Kirstie Alley and John Travolta have top billing, but the star of this movie is baby Mikey (Bruce Willis), whose thoughts are heard only by the viewers.

Mollie (Alley) is an accountant having an affair with a married man and becomes pregnant. She goes into labor and takes a cab to the hospital. The cab driver (Travolta) comes back into her life, and a romance blossoms.

The film had mixed critical reviews, but was a surprise box office hit, remaining at number one in the U.S. with $10 million-plus gross sales for five weekends and also topping sales in the U.K. opening weekend.

18. Beverly Hills Cop II

Release date: May 20, 1987

Director: Tony Scott

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, Jürgen Prochnow, Ronny Cox, John Ashton, Brigitte Nielsen, Allen Garfield, Dean Stockwell, Paul Reiser

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $299,965,036

Bottom line: Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills to help solve a series of "alphabet crimes." Though critical reviews were mixed, it did well at the box office, with opening weekend sales the highest to that date.

It received an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, "Shakedown" by Bob Seger and also received a Razzie for Worst Original Song: George Michael’s "I Want Your Sex."

17. Rambo: First Blood Part II

Release date: May 22, 1985

Director: George P. Cosmatos

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $300,400,432

Bottom line: The second movie in the Rambo franchise, it takes place three years after the first film. Rambo returns to Vietnam to rescue American POWs by infiltrating an enemy basecamp.

The movie was the number one film the weekend of release and broke numerous international box office records.

It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Sound Editing and won several Razzie Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Stallone) and Worst Screenplay (Stallone and James Cameron).

16. Rocky IV

Release date: Nov. 27, 1985

Director: Sylvester Stallone

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen, Dolph Lundgren

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $300,473,716

Bottom line: World heavyweight boxing champ Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone) takes on the Soviet-backed Drago, a six-foot-four, 260-pound machine, after Rocky's friend Apollo Creed is killed in the ring.

Though critical response was mixed, it was the most financially successful movie of the Rocky franchise and remained the highest-grossing sports movie for 24 years until "The Blind Side" was released.

15. Beverly Hills Cop

Release date: December 5, 1984

Director: Martin Brest

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashcroft, Ronny Cox

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $316,360,478

Bottom line: Eddie Murphy plays freewheeling Detroit cop Axel Foley, who is unofficially investigating the murder of his best friend in Beverly Hills.

The movie had critical and financial success. It spent 14 weeks in the number one spot and was the highest-grossing movie of the year.

14. Fatal Attraction

Release date: September 18, 1987

Director: Adrian Lyne

Starring: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Ann Archer

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $320,145,693

Bottom line: A married man (Michael Douglas) has what he thinks is a one-night stand, but his lover (Glenn Close) begins to stalk him and his family.

The film received six Academy Award nominations and was the highest-grossing movie of the year worldwide.

13. Crocodile Dundee

Release date: September 26, 1986

Director: Peter Faiman

Starring: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, Mark Blump, David Gulpilil, Michael Lombard, John Meillon

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $328,203,506

Bottom line: American journalist Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski) travels to the Australian outback to meet a crocodile poacher Mick Dundee (Paul Hogan) and brings him home to New York City where he causes a stir through his ignorance of the local customs.

Hogan’s character was inspired by Rod Ansell, an Australian rancher and hunter who famously survived 56 days in "the bush" with limited supplies.

It was the highest-grossing film of all time in Australia and the second-highest in the U.S. in 1986.

12. Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Release date: June 24, 1988

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $329,803,958

Bottom line: Unusual in that it combined real-life and cartoon characters, this movie is set in a 1947 world where cartoons and people both inhabit the same space.

The cartoon Roger Rabbit is accused of murder and has to rely on a toon-hating private eye to prove his innocence.

The movie had both critical and financial success and won three Academy Awards: Best Film Editing, Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Visual Effects.

It also brought a new phrase into the lexicon: "I’m not bad. I’m just drawn that way."

11. Back to the Future Part II

Release date: Nov. 22, 1989

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Thomas F. Wilson

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $331,950,002

Bottom line: In this second movie in the "Back to the Future" trilogy, Marty McFly travels forward, to 2015, and realizes he has to return to 1955 to restore the proper timeline after the DeLorean is stolen by arch-nemesis Biff Tannen and used for his own benefit.

The movie was the third-highest-grossing film in 1989 and had mixed critical reviews.

10. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Release date: May 23, 1984

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Amrish Puri, Roshan Seth, Philip Stone, Ke Huy Quan

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $333,107,271

Bottom line: The second story featuring Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones (which takes place in 1935, a year before the first) has Indy searching for a mystical stone in India, which at the time was still part of the British Empire.

During his quest, he encounters a secret cult that engages in enslavement and human sacrifice.

Though the film was financially successful, reviews were mixed, largely due to its dark tone and gory scenes.

Two months later, the Motional Picture Association of America created the PG-13 rating.

9. Top Gun

Release date: May 16, 1986

Director: Tony Scott

Starring: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edward, Tom Skerritt

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $353,811,728

Bottom line: Tom Cruise plays Maverick, a hotshot young pilot who knows he is at the top of his class at the U.S. Navy’s elite fighter jet school. While he is talented, he is seen as reckless, which affects his relationships and his career.

Adding to the film’s budget by contracting actual Navy planes and completing some filming aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier seems to have paid off. The film received several award nominations and won an Oscar and Golden Globe award for Best Original Song, "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin.

8. Raiders of the Lost Ark

Release date: June 12, 1981

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Denholm Elliott

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $353,988,025

Bottom line: Archaeologist Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) is sent by the U.S. government in 1936 to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can find it and misuse its power.

The movie was the highest-grossing movie of 1981 and received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

It won for Best Art Direction, Film Editing, Sound, and Visual Effects as well as a Special Achievement Award for Sound Effects Editing (five awards in total).

7. Rain Man

Release date: Dec. 16, 1988

Director: Barry Levinson

Starring: Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman, Valeria Golino

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $354,825,435

Bottom line: Self-absorbed Charlie Babbitt (played by Tom Cruise) learns his father died and left the bulk of his multimillion-dollar estate to Charlie’s savant brother, Raymond (played by Dustin Hoffman), whom he had not previously known existed.

The brothers learn more about each other as they travel across the country.

The movie was the highest-grossing film of the year and was nominated for eight Oscars, winning four: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Hoffman).

6. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Release date: May 25, 1983

Director: Richard Marquand

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, David Prowse, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Billy Dee Williams

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $374,593,074

Bottom line: In this third-produced movie in the "Star Wars" saga, the Rebels rescue Han Solo and seek to destroy the second Death Star while Luke tries to help bring Darth Vader back from the dark side.

The movie was the highest-grossing film of its year and received mostly positive reviews.

5. Back to the Future

Release date: July 3, 1985

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $381,109,762

Bottom line: Michael J. Fox plays Marty McFly, a high school student who is accidentally sent back to his parents’ high school years by his friend, the eccentric Doc Brown, who has created a time-traveling machine from a DeLorean.

When Marty realizes his arrival has altered the future (his present), he has to fix things to ensure his own survival.

The movie was the highest-grossing film of 1985 and was nominated for multiple awards, winning the Hugo for Best Dramatic Production, the Saturn for Best Science Fiction Film and the Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing.

4. Batman

Release date: June 23, 1989

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl, Jack Palance

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $411,348,924

Bottom line: The Dark Knight (played by Michael Keaton) begins his crime-fighting career in Gotham City by taking on the Joker (played by Jack Nicholson).

The film was both a financial and critical success and proved that Michael Keaton was more than a comedic actor.

At the time, it was the fifth-highest-grossing movie in history and was nominated for several awards, winning an Oscar for Best Art Direction.

3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Release date: May 24, 1989

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Harrison Ford, Denholm Elliott, Sean Connery

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $474,171,806

Bottom line: The third film about Indiana Jones, this was the first to be rated PG-13 (the rating did not exist when the first two were released).

When his father goes missing searching for the Holy Grail in 1938, Indiana Jones once again has to stop the Nazis from securing a powerful artifact.

The movie won the Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing.

2. Star Wars Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back

Release date: May 21, 1980

Director: Irvin Kershner

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, David Prowse, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, Billy Dee Williams

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $400,083,259

Bottom line: The follow-up to the 1977 hit "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back" was the second film produced in the epic space saga.

Set three years after the first film (or fourth, depending on your perspective), Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda while Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett chase his friends around the galaxy.

One of the most expensive films ever made to date, it became the highest-grossing movie of 1980.

1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Release date: June 11, 1982

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore

Worldwide gross box office receipts: $663,400,925

Bottom line: In this family film, a boy named Elliot comes across an extraterrestrial (E.T.) who was accidentally left behind on Earth.

Elliot and his siblings try to help him get home and have to keep E.T. hidden from their parents and authorities as they work out a plan.

A huge box office hit, E.T. quickly became the highest-grossing film of all time, a record it held until "Jurassic Park" was released in 1993.

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