The Century So Far in Film Part Two

The Best Movies of the Century (So Far) #25-1

And now, the continuing story of my favorite films of the century……..so far. This time, I show the top 25 movies that were released between 2000 and 2024. Enjoy!

25. Wonder Woman (2017)

The first, but as you will clearly see, not the last superhero movie to be on this list. You might also notice that this is the only movie of the, for lack of a better term, Snyder-verse franchise that will appear on this list. That is because, IMHO, this is the only one in the franchise that fully qualifies as a good movie. It was directed by Patty Jenkins and starred Gal Gadot as the titular Amazon warrior, Chris Pine as Steve Trevor, David Thewlis as Ares, and Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta, among many other great performers. It was not nominated for any Academy Awards or Golden Globe Awards, however, it was the 10th highest grossing film of the year worldwide and the 3rd highest grossing in the United States.

24. X-Men (2000)

Another superhero film. This one was directed by Bryan Singer and based on the Marvel Comic team of mutants. It doesn’t really serve as an origin movie even though it was the first of the franchise. By the time the movie starts, the X-Men team has already been around for quite a while and Professor X and Magneto are already at odds with each other. The cast included Patrick Steward as Professor X, Ian McKellen as Magneto, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as Mystique, among others. This, of course, spawned a giant franchise. Worldwide, it was the 9th highest grossing film while in the U.S. it was the 8th highest.

23. Black Panther (2018)

Directed by Ryan Coogler, here is another superhero movie. I don’t kid when I said there would be more. And they will continue. I like superhero movies. Clearly. This was the 18th film in the MCU franchise and starred Chadwick Boseman (R.I.P.) as the titular character, Michael B. Jordan, and many many others. It tells the story of T’Challa being crowned the new king of Wakanda, losing it to his cousin in battle, and regaining it. I felt like there was a lot of important social commentary in this movie. It received Oscar nomination for best picture but did not win that title. It was the 2nd highest grossing film of the year (worldwide) behind another MCU film but beat that other MCU film for highest grossing film in the U.S. You will see that other film shortly.

22. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

The 3rd in the Guardians series and the 32nd in the MCU franchise, this one was directed by James Gunn (as were the other 2). In this one, the Guardians roam the galaxy to try and save the life of crewmate Rocket and fight off the High Evolutionary. It was nominated for an Academy Award for best visual effects. Worldwide it was the 4th highest grossing film of the year. Also, there’s an otter in it.

21. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

The 19th in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this one was directed by the Russo Brothers. It begins the 2 part story of the team in their attempt to stop Thanos from collecting all of the Infinity Stones in his bid to erase half the universe. Like Guardians 3, it got a nomination for best visual effects.

20. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

I remember when it was announced that this movie was being made. I was all like. What? Guardians of the Galaxy? They are reaching aren’t they? I mean, I’m a comic book geek and I knew who the Guardians were but a movie going audience? They’re not going to know who the hell these people are and even your random “casual” comic book fans might not know. Oh well, they know what they’re doing. And they certainly did. This team is a an MCU favorite and for good reason. James Gunn created a franchise within a franchise that people loved. It was the 3rd highest grossing film of 2014.

19. Thor (2011)

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, this one was a sort of origin movie about the character. It tells the story of the titular character, played by Chris Hemsworth, who is stripped of his godly powers and banished to earth by his father and the king of Asgard, Odin, played by Anthony Hopkins. These two actors were joined by an incredible cast of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Idris Elba as Heimdell, Rene Russo as Lady Frigga, and many other great actors. Worldwide it didn’t crack the top 10 of highest selling films but in the United States it came in at #10.

18. The Avengers (2012)

This Joss Whedon directed film was the 6th film of the MCU franchise and first to feature the team that is put together to stop Loki from taking over the planet. This was also the first film where we got the Mark Ruffalo version of The Hulk and the first MCU appearance of Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner. It was the highest grossing film in the world for 2012. No big surprise.

17. Iron Man (2008)

Here’s the MCU film that kicked it all off. Directed by (and starring as Happy Hogan) Jon Favreau, it is an origin film and tells the story of Tony Stark escaping captivity and becoming the mechanized superhero. I gotta say the casting of Robert Downey Jr in the lead role is absolutely amazing and perfect. To be fair, most of the casting in the MCU is damn near perfect but this one started that trend. Other members of the cast included Terrence Howard as James Rhodes (don’t get me started on that), Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, and Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane. It was nominated for 2 Oscars: best sound editing and best visual effects. It was the 8th highest grossing film of 2008.

16. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

When this movie, directed by Joe Johnston, came out, I liked it. Not a lot but I felt like it was a solid movie. Good origin story. No, great origin story. The casting of Chris Evans, although it took a bit at first to get used to because of him being Johnny Storm in that awful Fantastic Four movie, was, like RDJ as Stark, perfect. However, as time went on, this movie really started to grow on me more. Like, a lot. Really good cast including Hugo Weaving as the archenemy Red Skull, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes. A couple of somewhat smaller roles in the film were standouts as well. For instance, Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan was perfect and adding in Tommy Lee Jones as the curmudgeonly Army colonel was great.

15. The Batman (2022)

Yet another superhero film on this list. I warned you. Or at least I warned somebody. I like superhero films. And here’s Batman. One of my favorites (if not my absolute favorite superhero) in this reboot of the character directed by Matt Reeves. I have to admit when I heard that Robert Pattinson was going to be playing the character, I was less than thrilled. Although to be fair I wasn’t thrilled when I heard that Ben Affleck was going to be playing the character either and he wound up being my favorite iteration of the character (even though the movies he appeared in as the character were less than desirable). Anyway, after seeing Pattison in another movie, I decided that I would give him the benefit of the doubt and wait until I saw the movie. And he did a splendid job. Reeves opted not to do an origin story, which I think was a good idea. This one takes us through Batman’s 2nd year as the vigilante as he tracks down a mysterious serial killer in Gotham. The cast, besides Pattinson, included Zoey Kravitz as Selena Kyle, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, and in the standout role other than the titular character himself, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. This was the 7th highest grossing film of 2022.

14. Dune (2021)

Okay, here’s one that isn’t a superhero film. The sci-fi adventure based on the Frank Herbert novel that is directed by Denis Villeneuve. It’s sequel was earlier in this list. It is set in the future and tells the story of the Atreides family as they take over the spice mining operation on Arrakis and go to war against House Harkonnen. In addition to the sequel, it also spawned a prequel TV series called Dune: Prophecy. The film was nominated for 10 Oscars, 3 Golden Globes, and 11 BAFTAs. It won quite of few of those awards. As far as Oscars, it won the award for best score (rightfully so, that score was outstanding), best sound, best editing, best cinematography, best production design, and best visual effects. It was nominated for that year’s best picture award but lost to CODA. Strangely, it did not appear on the list of 10 highest grossing films of 2021. Very strange.

13. WALL-E (2008)

This animated Pixar film directed by Andrew Stanton tells the story of a trash robot that is working to clean up Earth while the population travels the galaxy. He is visited by another robot called Eve to check on his progress and he winds up chasing her back to the starship. It did pretty well at the box office, coming in at #9 of the year worldwide and #5 in the United States.

12. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

Okay, back to superhero films, this one is a mix of the original team (Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman, etc..) and the “new” team of James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, etc… It was directed by original X-Men director Bryan Singer and it loosely based on the 1981 Chris Claremont story arc of the same name. It is the story of 2 timelines: one in the future where mutants (and humanity) are on the brink of destruction and the 1970s, where Wolverine is sent back in time to try and prevent this future. It was the 6th highest grossing film of 2014.

11. The Incredibles (2004)

This Brad Bird directed animated superhero film produced by Pixar tells the story of a family of super powered individuals as they attempt to blend in with society and are drawn out of hiding by a confrontation with a former fan. The voice cast included Craig T. Nelson as Mr. Incredible, Holly Hunter as his wife Elastigirl, Samuel L. Jackson as Mr. Incredible’s best friend Frozone, and Jason Lee as the vengeful Syndrome. It won the Academy Award that year for best animated film and was nominated for several others. It also did very well at the box office, coming in as the 4th highest grossing film of 2004.

10. Lightyear (2022)

Another Pixar film, this one was directed by Angus MacLane and serves as a sort of prequel to the Toy Story films featuring the main character of this film, Buzz Lightyear. It follows the character as he and his team are stranded on a hostile planet and his attempts to get find a way back home. Chris Evans did the voice for Lightyear (taking over for Tim Allen from the Toy Story films).

9. Inside Out (2015)

Directed by Pete Docter, this was another animated film by Pixar. It tells the story of the inside of the mind of Riley, a young girl, as they try to work together to overcome and navigate her overwhelming emotions following a relocation of her family. The voice cast included Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, and Diane Lane, among others. It won that year’s Academy Award for best animated film and was the 7th highest grossing film of 2015.

8. Moneyball (2011)

Not a superhero film, science fiction film, or animated film, this one is a biopic. It was directed by Bennett Miller and stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the general manager of the baseball team the Oakland Athletics. It is a story, based on a 2003 book of the same name about his attempt to reinvent how baseball teams recruit players by using a different type of player analysis with the help of his new assistant Peter Brand, played by Jonah Hill. While the character of Peter Brand is a fictional character for the movie who is based on the baseball strategist Paul DePodesta, the other characters in the movie are all real people. The movie also featured the talents of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, and Stephen Bishop. It received 6 Academy Award nominations, including best picture and best actor.

7. The Dark Knight (2018)

Back to superhero films, this is the 2nd of the Christopher Nolan directed Batman films. It follows the vigilante as he tries to bring the Joker, played amazingly by Heath Ledger (R.I.P.) to justice. It was the highest grossing film of 2018 and received several Academy Award nominations, winning a posthumous best support actor award for Ledger and the award for best sound editing.

6. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Closing out the Infinity saga for the MCU, this was the 22nd film of the franchise. Following 2018s Infinity War, it finishes the story of the team’s battle against Thanos. It received an Academy Award nomination for best visual effects and was the highest grossing film worldwide for 2019.

5. Revenge of the Sith (2005)

Directed by Star Wars creator George Lucas, this was the 3rd and final installment of the prequel trilogy. It is set 3 years after the start of the Clone Wars and tells the tragic story of the fall of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and how he became the evil Darth Vader. It was the 2nd highest grossing film of the year, barely falling behind Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

My absolute favorite of the MCU films, this Russo brother directed film is the 9th in the MCU and tells the story of the superhero discovering a conspiracy within the SHIELD organization and facing a mysterious assassin that turns out being someone from his past. It is loosely based on the comic book story arc of the same name written by Ed Brubaker. It was nominated for the Academy Award for best visual effects and was the 7th highest grossing film of the year.

3. High Fidelity (2000)

Another film that is NOT a superhero film, this one was directed by Stephen Frears. It is a romantic comedy/drama based on a novel of the same name by Nick Hornby and tells the story of a record store owner as he traverses his past relationships in order to salvage his most recent. It stars John Cusack as the record store owner Rob Gordon, Iben Hjejle as his most recent breakup Laura, Jack Black as Barry, one of his employees, and many others. The soundtrack for this movie was amazing. Although it did not do well at the box office, I remember watching this movie in the theater several times and I just absolutely love it.

2. Batman Begins (2005)

The last superhero film on the list and the first of Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise, Batman Begins is an origin story of the vigilante told in a way that no other Batman franchise has told. It tells the story of his early life, his training with Ra’s al Ghul, and his eventual battle with the latter as he (Ra’s) tries to destroy Gotham. While many favor the 2nd film in the franchise over this, Batman Begins has always held a special place in my heart not only for the trilogy but for Batman films in general. It was nominated for the Oscar for best cinematography and placed #9 of the highest grossing films of the year.

I had a really difficult time deciding if this one would end up as my #1 against the film that ultimately did take the #1 spot and if I’m being really honest with myself and all of you, these two films could switch places depending on the day that you ask me.

So without further ado, here is my #1 favorite film of the century so far……

1. Rogue One (2016)

Not only is this film my favorite film of the century so far, it is my favorite Star Wars movie of all time. I could not tell you how many times I have watched this movie but it is a lot. I can tell you that I have seen it in the theaters at least 7 times, 3 of those in one weekend. I absolutely love love love this movie. It is set just a few days before the events that transpire in A New Hope and tells the story about the spies that you might remember reading about in the opening crawl of A New Hope that steal the Death Star plans. It was directed by Gareth Edwards and written by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. Let’s go through the absolutely amazing cast. Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso, Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, Ben Mendelsohn as Orson Krennic, Donnie Yen as Chirrut Imwe, Mads Mikkelsen as Galen Erso, Alan Tudyk as the voice of droid K-2SO, Jiang Wen as Baze Malbus, and Forest Whitaker as one of my favorite Star Wars characters, Saw Gerrera. Great cast. Great storytelling. Great visuals. Just overall great. It was nominated for Academy Awards for best visual effects and best sound mixing. It did well at the box office too. It was the 2nd highest grossing film of 2016 (only behind Captain America: Civil War).

Well, that’s it. My favorite movies of the century so far. Like it or hate it. Agree or disagree. I don’t care. It is MY list.

But seriously, let me know your thoughts on my picks.

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed (or loathed) putting it together.