Honorable Mention (Just Missed The List)[Not in any order]:
The Incredibles
Role Models
Shawn of the Dead
Wall-E
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Grindhouse
The Rundown
A Beautiful Mind
Meet the Parents
Mean Girls
Sin City
A Knight’s Tale
Ocean's 11
Adaptation.
Unbreakable
Frida
Lost in La Mancha
And for those that think I am going to do one of those clichéd lists full of Best Pictures and epic swansongs, only one of the movies on my list won Best Picture—while there are 3 animated movies that won Best Animated Picture. Without any more interrupting or pointless speak, here are the 20 best films of the first decade in the new millennium:
#20: Shrek
Year: 2001
IMDB: 8.0/10
You can trace the weakfish box office numbers of Princess and the Frog to this movie. This Anti-Disney campaign of a smash hit took all the elements of Disney animated flicks and spoofed them, burned them, mocked them, and upended them with adult-oriented jokes, hilarious one-liners, a great cast of characters, and sweet undertones. Shrek became Dreamworks’ unofficial entry to enter the competition to beat Pixar’s endless campaign of success stories. Beating Monster’s Inc. in the Academy Awards later that year was definitely a good start. While the sequels failed quite miserably (quality-wise I mean), the original Shrek remains Dreamworks’ best movie.
#19: Chicago
Year: 2002
IMDB: 7.2/10
I am very aware there is a massive anti-Chicago backlash after the Academys. Despite this, Chicago is an amazingly fun film with great performances, wonderful musical numbers, and top-notch directing. The musical genre would reach a full-blast revival after this movie nailed the box office and mainstream success not seen in a musical in a very, very long time.
#18: The Hangover
Year: 2009
IMDB: 8.0/10
Two of the next three movies on this list are from the very last year, but their defining impact on the industry will be felt for miles and miles. The Hangover is a film that became a smash hit not on a heavy marketing campaign, not on reliable movie stars, but instead on a crazy premise. All it took was a premise and word-of-mouth, and the biggest R-rated comedy in the history of movies is born. The Hangover is not the funniest film of the decade, but its by far going to be the most influential. Now, hopefully, if movie studios follow the formula we will have better writing, better emphasis on characters, and a great assortment of comedic set pieces with extremely subtle undertones of character-building.
#17: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Year: 2003
IMDB: 8.0/10 (Top 250)
Shrek was the movie that briefly crippled Disney. The summer of 2003 would throw Disney right back into the spotlight with Finding Nemo and this surprise-surprise smash hit. Combining all the elements that made other adventure/action movies instant classics, this excellent movie based off a classic Disney ride had amazing performances, great cast, elaborate production, and easily the best special effects seen up to that point. While the sequels failed to match the magic of the original (which can be blamed on over-the-top plot elements, refusal to edit, and not enough Barbossa), the original is way up there as one of the standout adventure movies in the last quarter-century.
#16: Up
Year: 2009
IMDB: 8.5/10 (Top 250)
In all honesty, if my list were 50 movies long, every single Pixar movie in the 00s (except for Cars) would be on the list. Even making the Top 25 was tough for me because I wanted to include sooo much Pixar. Nonetheless, we have three of them on the list, and this is the first. Up is by far the most emotional of the Pixar movies, and will forever be known for the opening 10 minutes, in which audiences around the world were driven to tears. Then, to add to the emotional impact there was an even heavier scene that lingers before the climax. Very few live-action movies made me feel for the characters much like this movie did. Then complementing the emotion is a heavy set of humorous characters and scenarios. Why there aren’t that many t-shirts of the movie Up baffles me to this day. Up is the best movie of 2009 and remains one of the better films of the decade after multiple viewings.
#15: The Bourne Ultimatum
Year: 2007
IMDB: 8.2/10 (Top 250)
This movie changed the way action movies are going to be filmed. We no longer have to rely on fixed camera; the darn cameras are going to move frantically along with the action. The documentary-style feel to the car chases and action-packed fights was first done by Paul Greengrass in the second installment (even though Spielberg would do this in a certain war movie called Saving Private Ryan) but it was perfected here. The movie doesn’t let go of the audiences’ throats from the very beginning, and up until the end we go through a crazy ride full of questions being answered, surprises, and emotional depth. Here’s to hoping they make a fourth one.
P.S. Its been ages since we had a superior Part 3 to any movie. Last Crusade anyone?
#14: Kung Fu Hustle
Year: 2004
IMDB: 7.8/10
This movie is downright silly, downright crazy, and downright insane. Nonetheless, it’s a very fun movie full of incredible fights, Dragonball Z-like exaggeration, good ol’ Chinese humor, and a nice bit of heart attached to it. What other movie features an entire gang of bloodthirsty murderers dancing totally in sync?
#13: Ratatouille
Year: 2007
IMDB: 8.2/10 (Top 250)
The most fantastic thing about this movie is its inability to have a standout scene. Not a single scene stands out in the crowd, but the entire production flows beautifully. Yes, everyone will point out the critic’s speech in the end, but personally, I think the entire movie was spectacular from second one to second..whatever. This is the first animated movie to actually have the independent film touch, as it’s a very down-to-earth Cinderella story about an animal that wants to cook for people and creatures of all types. It’s inspiring, and it’s downright beautiful.
#12: Fahrenheit 9/11
Year: 2004
IMDB: 7.6/10
Here we go. Oh boy. We can (and most likely) will argue about the facts presented in this movie, and about just how biased or wrong Michael Moore is. But one fact remains: this movie was the FIRST piece of ANY type of work to combat against President Bush and his so-called War on Terror. Prior to this movie, nobody dared defy the president and the way things were being run. Moore has the guts to do it, and the end result was a movie opening up the eyes to many Americans. The documentary genre hit brand new heights, as it was fantastic filmmaking that spoke to a modern-day society without pulling any punches.
P.S. Prior to Moore, there had been only 2 documentaries that grossed over 10 million dollars. After Moore, there are a total of 11 documentaries with over 10 million earned.
#11: The Illusionist
Year: 2006
IMDB: 7.7/10
This movie was not supposed to be a hit. It was a movie about a magician set in the early 1900s in love with a higher-class female. Didn’t have a chance. $39 million later, we saw one of the most fantastic love stories in the last 20 years, full of mystical performances, moviemaking magic, and delightful surprises. Edward Norton is one of the top actors of our generation, and his performance here became more supporting evidence. Let’s not forget the beautiful cinematography, wonderful direction, and grand musical score by Phillip Glass.
#10: The Emperor’s New Groove
Year: 2000
IMDB: 7.4/10
Of all the Disney films in history, this one can proudly stand as the most underrated. It is not only random and hilarious, but accidentally started the anti-Disney fad in the early 2000s which consisted of animated movies undermined, mocked, and ridiculed Disney and Disney-esque animation. The movie isn’t detailed but is hilariously-drawn (and fulllll of visual humor). It is lacking musical numbers, but the best tune consists of Kronk’s improvised theme music. The main character isn’t necessarily likable, but the villains most certainly were. This movie fires on all comedic cylinders and absolutely nails the spot on all cylinders. To say that Disney Animation is better than Pixar is like trying to say that Kanye West is a better musical artist than Queen. However, this Disney animated movie dethrones nearly every CGI movie out there.
Seriously.
#9: The 40Year-Old Virgin
Year: 2005
IMDB: 7.5/10
The major success of The Hangover can be traced back to summer of 2005, when R-rated comedies took over. First there was the surprise smash Wedding Crashers, and that was followed by this superior movie. Judd Apatow spent over a decade around Hollywood before finally finding major success. The hilarious and successful mix of vulgarity and sweetness was something not seen since the early 80s, and Steve Carell’s performance was the icing on the cake. Very few movies can be both a date movie and also a movie to watch with a bunch of the guys, but this decade had a slew of them, and this one stands as the best one.
#8: Hot Fuzz
Year: 2007
IMDB: 8/10
Shaun of the Dead was a spectacular homage and spoof of the zombie genre that accidentally wound up being the absolute best of its genre. In this movie, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg nearly did it again as their spoof and homage to action movies wound up becoming one of the better works of comedy/action filmmaking in the last two decades. This movie also splices in a bit of mystery and horror. Hot Fuzz has way too many memorable moments, way too many clever references, and just contains so much in those 121 minutes that you need to see it at least twice to get all the humor. The Wright/Pegg combo is one of the best in movies today, and it’s a shame they’ve worked together only twice in the last 10 years.
#7: City of God
Year: 2002
IMDB: 8.8/10 (Top 250)
Think of the now-classic Goodfellas. Now, change the location to Brazil, remove all the glamour, and increase the age range from adults to mere 6-year-olds also becoming potential murderers. City of God is a purely powerful display of a tough world that very few people outside of Brazil even know about. The harshness and fragility of life was at full display here, as sometimes the real world and its reality can provide tales that not a single work of fiction could ever top. Riskily filmed at the site of such violence and hostility, City of God is the grittiest film on this list.
#6: Spider-Man 2
Year: 2004
IMDB: 7.7/10
Of all the blockbuster movies to come out in the summer, this one stands as the major action-packed movie with the most heart, the best humor, the best performances, the best musical score, and also the best usage of special effects. Unlike The Dark Knight, Spider-Man 2 never forgets its comic book origins as it provides just as many light moments as heavy moments. Then add the flawless direction of Sam Raimi (Example: The horror-filled hospital scene) and the special effects, which were at its peak in this installment (Spider-Man 3 didn’t have the same team---leading to weaker effects).
#5: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Year: 2004
IMDB: 8.5/10 (Top 250)
This movie totally flopped at the box office, because it wasn’t a goofy Jim Carrey we were seeing on the posters. Nonetheless, if you don’t see this, you’ll miss his best performance. If you don’t see this, you’ll miss the best script of the decade. Missing this, you’ll miss out on some of the best indie-touch special effects in the last decade. There will be so much you will be missing; I strongly recommend you give this one shot.
Romantic movies rarely ever dwell any deeper than feelings. But, Eternal Sunshine focuses on emotions, memories, ethics, you name it, this film focuses lightly on it. This love story is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, and its originality is why it stands out like a sore thumb. Give it a shot. You won’t regret (or forget) it.
#4: Minority Report
Year: 2002
IMDB: 7.7/10
Steven Spielberg spent the 90s conquering the box office but also spent it pursuing that Best Director Oscar that he was snubbed on way too many times before. Examples: Amistad, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List were all 90s movies that were so tightly directed, he should have won for all three. In this past decade however, we went more experimental. In the 2000s, he directed the mildly-controversial War of the Worlds, deeeeeeeeep A.I., controversial Munich, and the surprisingly low-key The Terminal. However, if there was one experimental movie that worked and delivered for sure, it was Minority Report.
Minority Report was vibrant, intense, relentless, crazy, and absolutely unpredictable. It deals with an average crimefighter who must run from the law because of a murder he had not committed---yet. How on earth do you defend yourself against this? How on Earth do you run from the law, when in this bleak future, you are always on sight? Unlike most run-from-everyone movies, this one literally had all the odds against our hero, and as the audience, there was no way we could possibly see him winning. The movie is a mix of old-school film-noir with a cryptic, futuristic outlook on how the world is going to be not too long from now. Spielberg, you never cease to amaze us.
#3: Before Sunset
Year: 2004
IMDB: 8/10
Of all the movies on this list, this is the only one that not only lacks a single special or a visual effect shot, but was quietly responsible for the divorce of one of the main actors. Won’t tell you which one, because that would spoil a little of the best romantic movie in the last 10 years. A blogger online mentioned that the absolute best way to enjoy this sequel is to watch Before Sunrise, the underrated 1995 prequel; and then wait around 2 weeks before watching this one. This masterpiece of a love story concerns an American and a French woman that encountered a magical evening together, but sadly was during the American’s last day in Europe. Before Sunset is about these two meeting again years later.
It may sound simple, but the movie is so deep, engaging, complex, and beautiful, you will be horrifically mad at the ending not because it was bad, but because the movie has to be over. Before Sunset ends perfectly, yet has you begging for more, has you pondering about the futures of the two ex-lovers. Unlike almost all the romantic comedies out there, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy looked, talked, reacted, and resembled a perfect romantic couple. Their chemistry oozes out from the screen to your heart. The writing was beautiful, the scenery was spectacular, and the pacing was smooth as silk (the movie is done in real-time).
This is not only one of the best films of the decade, but also one of the best romantic movies I have ever seen. And they say Americans don’t know how to weave a good love story…
#2: Finding Nemo
Year: 2003
IMDB: 8.2/10 (Top 250)
Finding Nemo is the best Pixar movie of all-time. Does that make the ones following it disappointing? Not in the least bit. What actually happened was, Finding Nemo set the bar so high for animated films to try to top, that not even Pixar themselves could duplicate such magic, even if they tried to. It takes the participation from every single person working on the film to be at their best in order to make a perfect film work, and it doesn’t always happen. Such magical participation and teamwork happens once in a blue moon.
Nonetheless, in Finding Nemo, we are as close to animated perfection as humanely possible. The music, the comedy, the drama, the emotion, the cast of characters, the beginning, the ending, the character development, the one-liners, and the little details were all the small things that led up to one of the 15 best films I’ve ever seen. Oh my goodness, and the animation, how on earth did they pull off such beautiful scenery? Its one thing to remember the movie, its another thing to remember the entire first experience in the movie theater and the constant cheering and hoping that it would make more money at the box office. Its one thing to make money and it’s another thing to increase the entire tourism of another country because of what you displayed (Australia…in case you didn’t know).
Finding Nemo has the special Walt Disney touch; it has that sparkle of Disney magic that had been lacking in the Disney (and overall) animation department at that time. Pixar’s throne as the top animation studio in the business has never been even closely threatened since this movie, and it is because of this movie. Those that know me best know just how much I praise this movie. And those that know me best know that whenever I see an animated movie past and present, I’ll wind up comparing its impact to Finding Nemo. That’s how high and mighty I think this movie is.
#1: Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2
Year: 2003
IMDB: 8.2 & 8.0 (Top 250)
Nobody loves movies more than Quentin Tarantino. Nobody. Not even me. The astounding evidence of this fact and statement is Kill Bill. Off the top of my head, Kill Bill volumes 1 and 2 are a mix of at least 6 genres, ranging from anime to spaghetti western to kung fu to even a bit of wuxia and 70s African-American cinema. These movies are more than 2 intense hours of powerhouse filmmaking; they are a celebration of all types of movies, especially those that we rarely see anymore. Kill Bill set the bar for movies everywhere to attempt to top, and almost every single movie within the past 15 years failing. You would have to set your clocks back to 1994 to find a year that had at least 3 movies that was quality-wise up there with Kill Bill---that’s how good this movie is.
If you need more evidence from me, I guess we can continue. The acting was phenomenal, the directing was some of the best I’ve seen anywhere, the music is a nice blend of new-school (RZA), old-school (Ennio Morricone and Quincy Jones), the action was relentless and well-choreographed (Best fight of the 2000s: The Bride vs. Elle Driver), the pacing was slick, the tension was forever-high, the dialogue was incredible (Bill’s Superman speech and eventual final conversation with The Bride), the introduction was amazing (Bang Bang by Nancy Sinatra, leading straight to a massive fight scene), and the ending was spectacular (won’t spoil it), and the overall production was clearly done by a person who knows movies, loves movies, and will not continue filming to the next scene until the current scene is done with absolute perfection.
Down the road, if I do become successful in the industry and people ask me what was the movie that made me want to make my own, Kill Bill would be my answer. Not just because it was spectacular in every possible way, but because it was made by a man who didn’t receive extensive formal training or went to school for a major portion of his life, but instead relied on the viewings of hundreds of different movies spanning a century, and relied on a mind that requires thinking outside the box. Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 (especially 2) is a man thinking outside the box, leading to a film that’s outside the average box, and leading to a spot as my absolute favorite movie in the last 10 years, hands-down.
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