BOOM! This Summer’s Best Movie Explosions

No summer movie season is complete without a slew of high-octane explosions. "White House Down" opens this weekend with the destruction of our nation's capital (again), so we're offering a snapshot — in GIF form! — of the dynamite moments hitting up screens this summer.

'White House Down'

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The White House has been the target of many a group seeking to harm America, but this time, Capitol Hill gets taken down too.

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'Iron Man 3'

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The Mandarin went for Tony Stark's jugular in "Iron Man 3," blowing up Stark's home and his mechanized suits. Burn.

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'Star Trek Into Darkness'

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The destruction in "Into Darkness" is as slick as Captain Kirk's pick-up lines.

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'Fast & Furious 6'

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The "Fast and the Furious" franchise is known for its go-for-broke mentality, and that all came to a head in the latest installment's ridiculous, bombastic final action sequence.

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'Man of Steel'

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While Superman originated from comic books, there's nothing cartoonish about the destruction Henry Cavill's Man of Steel had to contend.

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'World War Z'

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Maybe the only thing more terrifying than zombies chasing you is zombies bringing down your aircraft, a recurring motif in "World War Z."

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'The Lone Ranger'

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The Lone Ranger and Tonto orchestrate some good ole grand destruction on a railroad in the name of thwarting a villainous mastermind.

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'Pacific Rim'

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"Pacific Rim" is packed with epic robot vs. monster showdowns, including this rooftop encounter.

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'The Wolverine'

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Hugh Jackman has seen a lot of explosions in his time as the "X-Men" supe Wolverine, but for the first time, he's going to be dodging fiery blasts and ninjas.

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'Kick-Ass 2'

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Don't tell Jim Carrey, but the violence in the "Kick-Ass" series is meant to serve as a cautionary tale to both the characters in the film and the audience members. That doesn't mean they're going to half-ass the effects though.

[Related: Jim Carrey Disowns New Flick, 'Cannot Support' Gun Violence]

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'Red 2'

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Most summer explosions are of the fireball variety, but this bomb's more stinky than scary. Don't mess with the elderly, folks.

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'Elysium'

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The class warfare in "Elysium" is extra terrifying because the rich are literally shooting down the poor, in space no less.