1988 Best Movies & TV Worth Watching (Ranked By Welshman/Brit)
by lr_thompson | created - 25 Jan 2021 | updated - 25 Jan 2021 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Not Rated | 89 min | Animation, Drama, War
A young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.
Director: Isao Takahata | Stars: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi, Yoshiko Shinohara
Votes: 310,224
2. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
G | 86 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi
Votes: 380,010 | Gross: $1.11M
3. Young Guns (1988)
R | 107 min | Action, Drama, Western
A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. But when Billy takes their authority too far, they become the hunted.
Director: Christopher Cain | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen
Votes: 68,024 | Gross: $45.66M
4. The Land Before Time (1988)
G | 69 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
An orphaned brontosaurus teams up with other young dinosaurs in order to reunite with their families in a valley.
Director: Don Bluth | Stars: Pat Hingle, Gabriel Damon, Helen Shaver, Bill Erwin
Votes: 98,651 | Gross: $48.09M
5. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
PG | 104 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When a cartoon rabbit is accused of murder, he enlists the help of a burnt out private investigator to prove his innocence.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer
Votes: 216,746 | Gross: $156.45M
6. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
R | 174 min | Drama, Romance
A filmmaker recalls his childhood when falling in love with the pictures at the cinema of his home village and forms a deep friendship with the cinema's projectionist.
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore | Stars: Philippe Noiret, Enzo Cannavale, Antonella Attili, Isa Danieli
Votes: 282,779 | Gross: $11.99M
7. The Wonder Years (1988–1993)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Kevin Arnold recalls growing up during the late 60s and early 70s; the turbulent social times make the transition from child to adult unusually interesting.
Stars: Fred Savage, Dan Lauria, Alley Mills, Jason Hervey
Votes: 40,757
8. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
PG-13 | 85 min | Comedy, Crime
Incompetent police Detective Frank Drebin must foil an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II.
Director: David Zucker | Stars: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, O.J. Simpson, Ricardo Montalban
Votes: 184,817 | Gross: $78.76M
9. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Crime
In London, four very different people team up on a jewel heist, then try to double-cross one another for the loot, complicated by their efforts to fool a very proper barrister.
Directors: Charles Crichton, John Cleese | Stars: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin
Votes: 153,873 | Gross: $63.49M
10. The Great Outdoors (1988)
PG | 91 min | Comedy
A Chicago man and his family go camping with his obnoxious brother-in-law.
Director: Howard Deutch | Stars: Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening
Votes: 51,462 | Gross: $41.46M
11. Vice Versa (1988)
PG | 98 min | Comedy, Fantasy
Divorced executive Marshall and his 11-year-old son Charlie casually touch a magical Tibetan skull, releasing a mysterious power that transfers Marshall's mind to Charlie's body and vice versa. Their problems have just begun.
Director: Brian Gilbert | Stars: Judge Reinhold, Fred Savage, Corinne Bohrer, Swoosie Kurtz
Votes: 10,571 | Gross: $13.66M
12. Big (1988)
PG | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
After wishing to be made big, a teenage boy wakes the next morning to find himself mysteriously in the body of an adult.
Director: Penny Marshall | Stars: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard
Votes: 239,881 | Gross: $114.97M
13. Beetlejuice (1988)
PG | 92 min | Comedy, Fantasy
The spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit to drive them out.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Annie McEnroe
Votes: 339,913 | Gross: $73.71M
14. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Crime
Two con men try to settle their rivalry by betting on who can swindle a young American heiress out of fifty thousand dollars first.
Director: Frank Oz | Stars: Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly, Anton Rodgers
Votes: 78,025 | Gross: $42.04M
15. Short Circuit 2 (1988)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Robot Johnny Five comes to the city and gets manipulated by criminals who want him for their own purposes.
Director: Kenneth Johnson | Stars: Fisher Stevens, Michael McKean, Tim Blaney, Cynthia Gibb
Votes: 26,853 | Gross: $21.63M
16. Crocodile Dundee II (1988)
PG | 108 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Australian outback expert protects his New York love from gangsters who've followed her down under.
Director: John Cornell | Stars: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon, Ernie Dingo
Votes: 60,821 | Gross: $109.31M
17. Cocktail (1988)
R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A talented New York City bartender takes a job at a bar in Jamaica and falls in love.
Director: Roger Donaldson | Stars: Tom Cruise, Bryan Brown, Elisabeth Shue, Lisa Banes
Votes: 91,823 | Gross: $78.22M
18. Die Hard (1988)
R | 132 min | Action, Thriller
A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.
Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson
Votes: 945,281 | Gross: $83.01M
19. Twins (1988)
PG | 107 min | Comedy, Crime
A physically perfect but innocent man goes in search of his long-lost twin brother, who is short, a womanizer, and small-time crook.
Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Kelly Preston, Chloe Webb
Votes: 137,160 | Gross: $111.94M
20. License to Drive (1988)
PG-13 | 88 min | Comedy
A teen decides to go for a night on the town with his friends despite flunking his driver's test.
Director: Greg Beeman | Stars: Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Carol Kane, Richard Masur
Votes: 22,607 | Gross: $22.43M
21. Moonwalker (1988)
PG | 93 min | Action, Crime, Fantasy
Anthology movie by, and starring, Michael Jackson in his prime, combining a number of music videos from his bestselling "Bad" album with a fantasy tale of Michael's confrontation with a ruthless drug dealer known as Mr. Big.
Directors: Jerry Kramer, Jim Blashfield, Colin Chilvers | Stars: Michael Jackson, Joe Pesci, Sean Lennon, Kelley Parker
Votes: 18,235
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