Bromantic comedies

“Romancing the Stone” (1984)

The story: A simultaneously lighthearted and pulse-pounding adventure centered on a romance novelist (Kathleen Turner) and a rugged soldier of fortune (Michael Douglas) ensnared in a quest as absurdly overscaled as anything she could ever write about.

Bromance rating: 7. It’s a bit like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" if Spielberg had devoted more screen time to fleshing out Karen Allen's Marion.

Was it successful?: By pouring the thrill-a-minute escapism of Hollywood’s classic, jungle-set serials, into a contemporary-love-story template, director Robert Zemeckis made a date movie for the ages. Chemistry is key for this kind of genre blend, and Douglas and Turner had it in spades. The film’s old-fashioned spirit may be too corny for the most macho viewers, but it's hard to find anyone outside of that group who’ll object.