It wasn’t until 1996 that 4th of July became the American moviegoing weekend. I guess before that Americans celebrated their independence by going outside and looking around at their country or something. How boring. In 1996 Will Smith announced his presence as a box office phenom with Independence Day, and taught us the right way to celebrate freedom: by sitting in a dark room watching shit blow the hell up. Nothing says American like watching our country destroyed. Wait… huh?

This year Will Smith returns to Independence Day dominance with the only film being released this 4th of July weekend: Hancock. But he’s not the only guy who has found fireworks success. Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters more often than not, tend to blow up on the fourth. You’ve seen them all. The box office numbers don’t lie. So before you head out to lose a limb to the misuse of gunpowder, remember better times with animal crackers and exploding aliens by telling us which of these monster July 4th openers was your favorite:

Which July 4th Blockbuster Is Your Favorite? Independence Day (1996) Men in Black (1997) Armageddon (1998) Wild Wild West (1999) The Perfect Storm (2000) Men in Black II (2002) Terminator 3 (2003) Spider-Man 2 (2004) War of the Worlds (2005) Superman Returns (2006)   Results