5. Star Wars
While Steven Spielberg kickstarted the blockbuster phenomenon with his timeless classic Jaws, it was George Lucas who shifted it into overdrive with the opening episode of the epic Star Wars series. Few films have so successfully captured the popular imagination while convincing them to part with their hard earned cash on merchandise in the process. In a sense, Pauline Kael had a point when she described Star Wars as "a film thats totally uninterested in anything that doesnt connect with the mass audience." Lucas certainly hoped to have a blockbuster on his hands so that mass appeal was pre-programmed into the project (in the years since its release Lucas has become viewed by many as a man far more interested in the bottom dollar than artistic integrity). Still, her broader assessment of the artistic merits of Star Wars were harsher than the film deserved. "Theres no breather in the picture, no lyricism; the only attempt at beauty is in the double sunset." Millions of fans around the world wholeheartedly disagree.