The most forgettable blockbuster in cinema history, according to science
A blockbuster movie is like a big roast dinner with all the trimmings followed by dessert. Everything is stuffed into a blockbuster in the same way that we pile roast potatoes and stuffing onto our plate, before heaping lashings of gravy on top. It’s often the case that we’re left feeling full, perhaps overfed with no room for anything else, but that doesn’t stop us from craving another roast dinner a week later.
Blockbusters have that wide appeal that keeps people coming back for more – they guarantee we’ll feel something, whether that be cheap thrills, epic highs, or moments that’ll have us reaching for a tissue – even though they can sometimes be too stimulating and, quite frankly, exhausting. For some movie-watchers, blockbusters are the main course each time they hit the cinema, finding comfort in the reliability of their familiarity. An epic action movie guarantees car chases, dramatic fights, or explosions, and this kind of escapism is what many people want from watching a film.
This genre of major big-budget film has evolved drastically over the years, with its heyday being the 1970s. Jaws is considered the first summer blockbuster, but not only did it have the mass appeal that kept people buying tickets to experience the horrors for themselves, but it was genuinely incredible. Star Wars came a few years later, becoming a groundbreaking piece of sci-fi cinema that practically changed the way the industry operated.
From there, franchises and huge blockbusters that guaranteed ticket sales and widespread buzz among the public became the norm, with these films maintaining a level of accessibility that ensured the status quo wasn’t challenged. Unfortunately, as Hollywood has continued to become increasingly market-oriented, we’ve seen an explosion of terrible blockbusters – ones more akin to a cheap Happy Meal than a delicious roast.
But what is the most forgettable blockbuster of all time, according to science? Well, Stat Significant analysed movies that grossed over $200million and looked at the “lowest online ratings volume compared to the average for similar-aged films,” and found that Yogi Bear is technically the least memorable.
Released in 2010, the film grossed a whopping $203.5m, even spawning a video game out of its success. The movie starred Dan Aykroyd as the voice of Yogi Bear, while Justin Timberlake voiced his best friend, Boo-Boo. Blending live-action and animation, the film did not go down well with critics and has largely been forgotten in the annals of cinematic history already.
In terms of adult blockbusters, however, the most forgettable is Hooper, scoring slightly less than Yogi Bear. The 1978 film starred Burt Reynolds, and while it wasn’t as universally panned as the animated children’s film, it hasn’t held up as a memorable piece of cinema at all, despite the fact that it was one of the highest-grossing movies of the year upon its release.
So, it’s Yogi Bear that takes the cake for the most forgettable blockbuster in cinema history, making the fatal flaw of refusing to cater to adult audiences who have no choice but to sit through the film with their kids. It seems as though the children of today aren’t being shown Yogi Bear by their parents, which is perhaps a good thing.
