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 Iron Man in 2008. Young adult movies were also a big craze thanks to the wickedly successful 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 remembers those movies. And while they deserve to be remembered, 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)
Saving Private Ryan proved incredibly successful in 1998, and it launched a re-invigorated interest in war films. One of these films was Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down, which depicts the Battle of Mogadishu during the Somali Civil War. The movie was made for an exorbitant $110 million, and while it slightly underperformed at the box office (taking in just $173 million), it still earned praise for its visceral filmmaking and kinetic action. 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 Eleven holds up, considering it's now twenty years old. The movie could be released today and fit right in with the current line-up of blockbusters - a fact it owes to its legendary cast, which includes George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle, and Julia Roberts. The movie was a huge success in 2001, taking in $450 million. However, it seems to have fallen from memory in recent years - although it briefly enjoyed a resurgence thanks to the 2018 female-centric Ocean's 8.
Minority Report (2002)
When it comes to Steven Spielberg movies, Minority Report is by far one of the lesser-known. While it grossed a solid $350 million at the box office, Minority Report seemingly fell from memory and isn't often regarded among Spielberg's best (or most famous). But it's a fantastic movie nonetheless, complete with an imaginative story, thought-provoking themes, brilliant sci-fi-based imagery, and 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)
The Day After Tomorrow is pure Roland Emmerich - loud, crazy, bombastic, utterly nonsensical, but ultimately entertaining and memorable. Like most 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, War of the Worlds suffered for its anticlimactic and disappointing ending. While the ending remained faithful to H.G. Wells, many people found it disappointingly abrupt and anticlimactic. For some, the final five minutes ruined everything that came before, 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. The Lord of the Rings had concluded in 2003, and everyone was anticipating his next thrilling, visually groundbreaking creation. 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)
The Da Vinci Code was all the rage back in 2006. Dan Brown's iconic novel was released in 2003 to incredible fanfare and popularity, and the 2006 movie adaptation 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 Hancock isn't more popular, considering the involvement of 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 remember it, and it has long been overshadowed by Gilligan's stellar TV work.