The 2000s contained a string of great blockbusters. The superhero craze was in full bloom, although the Marvel Cinematic Universe had yet to be established - that was officially started with Harry Potter franchise, particularly near the end of the decade. And like the 2010s, the decade was filled with sequels to popular movies.
However, everyone re those movies. And while they deserve to be ed, the 2000s was actually filled with a lot of great blockbusters - many of which (including these ones) have seemingly been forgotten.
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Scott Ridley is a master director, and he proved it yet again with Black Hawk Down.
Ocean's Eleven (2001)
It's amazing how well Ocean's 8.
Minority Report (2002)
When it comes to Steven Spielberg movies, a typically excellent star turn from Tom Cruise. It's not one of Spielberg's most famous, but it deserves to be.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
popular disaster movies, The Day After Tomorrow has seemingly been left behind in its own time period, an artifact of the mid-2000s.
While it was incredibly popular in its day - grossing $550 million - it is barely referenced or mentioned today (aside from the odd mention in climate change discussions). It is definitely worth a watch - or a re-watch.
War Of The Worlds (2005)
Another forgotten Tom Cruise-Steven Spielberg collaboration, and War of the Worlds' legacy quickly became that of a good movie with a bad reputation. 110 of the movie's 116 minutes are exciting, emotional, and visually stunning, and it deserves another chance.
King Kong (2005)
By 2005, the world's eyes were on Peter Jackson. That creation was King Kong. While maybe a tad over-long, King Kong was both an emotionally involving movie and a visually resplendent one. Watching it in theaters in 2005 was unlike anything seen at the time. However, the movie quickly faded from memory, and it's now completely forgotten thanks to the 2017 reboot Kong: Skull Island and resulting MonsterVerse.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
starring Tom Hanks grossed over $750 million at the box office. For such a cultural "event", The Da Vinci Code was quick to fade from memory.
A few sequels and prequels followed, but none matched the acclaim or popularity of The Da Vinci Code, and the movie became nothing but a cultural hallmark of the mid 2000s.
Inside Man (2006)
When it comes to the greatest and most popular heist movies of all time, Inside Man is rarely mentioned. Which is a shame, because it really is an excellent movie. Starring an unbelievable cast consisting of Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, and Christopher Plummer, Inside Man is one of Spike Lee's greatest accomplishments. And that's saying something. Despite its obvious intelligence and quality, it's never mentioned in either the Spike Lee or bank heist movie pantheon.
V For Vendetta (2006)
Written by The Wachowskis (and directed by James McTeigue), V for Vendetta is a dystopian political thriller adapted from David Lloyd and Alan Moore's graphic novel of the same name. It concerns an anarchist named V, who uses violent terrorist acts in the hopes of inciting political and social revolution. He befriends an employee of a state-run television network named Evey, who is played to typical perfection by Natalie Portman. It's a great film, but it's hardly ever mentioned outside of November 5.
Hancock (2008)
It's amazing that Breaking Bad's Vince Gilligan. Gilligan co-wrote the script alongside Vy Vincent Ngo, and it concerns an aging, alcoholic superhero whose wanton acts of destruction only serve to irritate the city's citizens. Not only is the concept funny and original, but the script contains a lot of that signature Gilligan/Breaking Bad humor. Unfortunately, not too many people it, and it has long been overshadowed by Gilligan's stellar TV work.
