It is here that films finally reached their peak. The 2000s marked some of the greatest achievements of the film industry so far, including the revitalization of 3-D in film. Thanks in part to James Cameron, there was a resurgence in 3-D movies, but with a much deeper and more laborious process. The result was immersive films that put the viewer into the films.
In the same vein, this decade also marked the return of the superhero film, with movies like Spider-Man, X-Men, and Batman Begins bringing the genre back to life in a big way. But as impressive as these films were, it was Iron Man that put everything on the line and created the most massive franchise in cinematic history, paying off splendidly and setting the bar for every franchise since.
My picks for each year are as follows:
- 2000 – Memento; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Gladiator
- 2001 – The Lord of the Rings; A Beautiful Mind; The Royal Tenenbaums
- 2002 – The Pianist; Punch-Drunk Love; Gangs of New York; Chicago
- 2003 – Lost in Translation; The Station Agent
- 2004 – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Million Dollar Baby; Sideways
- 2005 – Brokeback Mountain; Crash; The New World
- 2006 – Pan’s Labyrinth; The Departed; The Queen
- 2007 – No Country for Old Men; There Will Be Blood
- 2008 – The Dark Knight; Wall-e; Iron Man; Slumdog Millionaire
- 2009 – Avatar; Up; Crazy Heart; Up in the Air
Movies 