Top 50 Films of the 21st Century (to Date)

[SteVo+ 3,702]

Alright, it's been awhile since I lit a fire with King Kong so it's time to piss some people off. Oh, and be sure to read the disclaimer at the end of this post.

 

#27

 

I know, I know. Avatar has been called grossly overrated by many, and perhaps it was by some, but still deserves a place on this list. The common argument seems to be: take away all the CGI, and you've got a film of very basic storytelling. That may be true, but it's also true for much of the science fiction genre. The fact is that this film raises the bar for what movies can look like, and what they can do. It is a visual triumph, and who cares of James Cameron basically stole the story from Dances with Wolves and Pocahontas?

 

#26

 

"You haven't seen war until you've seen it through the eyes of Quentin Tarantino." So said the trailers for Inglourious Basterds, and they were right. Tarantino uses his classic blend of fast-talking humor, stylized graphic violence, and grand storytelling to tell the story of World War II in a way no one else can. It's a fictional story involving parallel plots to assassinate members of the Nazi high command, including Adolf Hitler, and proves that Tarantino is one of Hollywood's most audacious filmmakers.

 

50) George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck

49) Greg Mottola's Superbad

48) Terry George's Hotel Rwanda

47) David O. Russell's The Fighter

46) Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon

45) Edward Zwick's Blood Diamond

44) Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins

43) Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder

42) James Mangold's Walk the Line

41) Christopher Nolan's The Prestige

40) Peter Jackson's King Kong

39) Nicholas Stoller's Forgetting Sarah Marshall

38) Judd Apatow's Knocked Up

37) Peter Berg's Friday Night Lights

36) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

35) Jonathan Levine's 50/50

34) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

33) David Fincher's Zodiac

32) M. Night Shyamalan's Signs

31) Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive

30) James McTeigue's V for Vendetta

29) Ridley Scott's American Gangster

28) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

27) James Cameron's Avatar

26) Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds

 

DISCLAIMER: We're halfway home on our way to naming all fifty, and that means something significant. You may recall in the original post I said my thesis (what this list is based on) was the top 25 films of the 21st century to date, not the top 50. The countdown from here on is a list I have been researching and writing for awhile, and I am prepared to defend each individual ranking thoroughly. For my commentary I will be quoting directly from my thesis.

 

Again, my Internet access will be limited today and tomorrow, so I may not get another entry in until Friday.

[blotsfan 2,112]

I'm down with those. As meh as the story of avatar was, it was an amazing sight in theaters. I wouldn't say thats true of most science fiction though. Not nearly as dumb as king kong.

 

Inglorious basterds was awesome because fuck nazis.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Inglorious Basterd was so overrated....

 

But finally Stevo is going to defend all the shitty movies making the list. Can't wait...

[blotsfan 2,112]

You non-jews just dont appreciate it like us Jews do.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Ya, I dunno.. I just don't really get into many of Tarantino's flicks. Although, the new one with Jamie Foxx and Chrisoph Waltz looks pretty darn good.

 

But ya, Basterds is just one of those movies I just... really didn't "get". If that makes any sense.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Favre4Ever

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Ya, I dunno.. I just don't really get into many of Tarantino's flicks. Although, the new one with Jamie Foxx and Chrisoph Waltz looks pretty darn good.

 

But ya, Basterds is just one of those movies I just... really didn't "get". If that makes any sense.

 

Not a Black Comedy fan?

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

Inglorious Basterds would have been better if it were in, y'know, English.

[blotsfan 2,112]

Yeah, it really sucks being illiterate.

[Barracuda 629]

There Will Be Blood

Michael Clayton

or No Country for Old Men better be number one.

 

Mystic River better be up there too.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Barracuda

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Training Day better be up there as well.

Toy Story 3

UP

Finding Nemo

 

Michael Clayton

Oceans 11

Up In The Air

O Brother Where Art Thou

 

Slumdog Millionaire

Memento

Bourne Trilogy? (Ultimatum is the best, IMO)

 

The Departed

The Dark Knight

Kings Speech

 

Social Network

True Grit

Inception

 

And I am hoping Stevo surprises us with a couple off the wall type selections. Nothing more lame than a predictable list.

 

Also @ Zack. It's not really that it's a dark comedy that gets me... I just think its the direction and style of Tarantino.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Favre4Ever

[Vin+ 3,121]

3:10 To Yuma is another one I was thinking of, but it's probably not going to make it since it hasn't already.

 

Also, 14/25

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Vin got one that I was saving in my Bag o Tricks for later. 3:10 to Yuma is one of my favorite movies ever... And definitely one of the best Westerns of the last 12 years or so.

 

Well you also have to consider the Iron Man, The Avengers... Maybe Thor, although I might be the only one who likes it as much as I do. And did you count The Bourne titles as all 3 or just one? I could see multiple hitting the Top 25, although I am not sure how likely that is.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Favre4Ever

[Barracuda 629]

Forgot about 3:10 as well...should be on there.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

How about a Denzel Spree....

 

The Great Debaters (probably doesn't belong in Top 25)

The Manchurian Candidate

Inside Man

 

And even Unstoppable was REALLY good.

 

Not saying these all will or deserve to be on there... But you have to give it some though, IMO.

Edited June 27, 2012 by Favre4Ever

[Bay 2,003]

I'd like to add Both Kill Bills and Sin City.

[Barracuda 629]

Again, adding to the list of movies that need to be on here:

 

Cast Away

Black Hawk Down

Lost in Translation

Almost Famous

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

You have to believe that Crash is going to be up there quite a ways as well. Nice call on Kill Bill. Not 100% sure on Sin City.. But it was so stylistically unique that you can't rule it out.

[Socal 524]

Ya, I dunno.. I just don't really get into many of Tarantino's flicks. Although, the new one with Jamie Foxx and Chrisoph Waltz looks pretty darn good.

 

But ya, Basterds is just one of those movies I just... really didn't "get". If that makes any sense.

 

Great movie, sorry you didn't "get" it, bruh...

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Great movie, sorry you didn't "get" it, bruh...

 

Don't be... I'm not. lmao.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

@F4E: Tarantino's style is definitely hit-or-miss for most people, so I'm not surprised at your feelings on Inglourious Basterds. Tell me you liked Pulp Fiction, though...

 

 

Also, 3:10 to Yuma is one of the few movies that I have yet to see, so it's not on here. Sorry guize.

[Vin+ 3,121]

I give this list an incomplete, then.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

#25

 

"A muscular, efficient standout that simultaneously conveys the feeling

of combat from within as well as what it looks like on the ground."

–-Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

 

Alfred Hitchcock once said, "A bomb is under the table, and it explodes: that is surprise. The bomb is under the table but it does not explode: that is suspense." Ready-to-explode bombs are the foundation of The Hurt Locker (2009), a war drama about bomb technicians and their disposal teams in Iraq.

 

The bomb disposal scenes are every bit as hair-raising as you would expect them to be—and them some. Every tangible detail—from the cinematography, dialogue, and background noise—keeps the viewer’s heart pulsing to an incredible degree. For my money, this is the most suspenseful film I have ever seen.

 

The film suffers from Mark Boal's repetitious script, uniformly structured to the point that the entire movie unfolds in a repetition of: go out, diffuse a bomb, come back, talk about it, repeat. Nevertheless, this film should not be ignored. The relentless suspense makes every minute worth watching, and there is a lot more to like about it than dislike.

 

50) George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck

49) Greg Mottola's Superbad

48) Terry George's Hotel Rwanda

47) David O. Russell's The Fighter

46) Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon

45) Edward Zwick's Blood Diamond

44) Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins

43) Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder

42) James Mangold's Walk the Line

41) Christopher Nolan's The Prestige

40) Peter Jackson's King Kong

39) Nicholas Stoller's Forgetting Sarah Marshall

38) Judd Apatow's Knocked Up

37) Peter Berg's Friday Night Lights

36) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

35) Jonathan Levine's 50/50

34) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

33) David Fincher's Zodiac

32) M. Night Shyamalan's Signs

31) Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive

30) James McTeigue's V for Vendetta

29) Ridley Scott's American Gangster

28) Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

27) James Cameron's Avatar

26) Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds

25) Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker

Edited June 28, 2012 by SteVo

[Milla4Prez63 678]

I don't have a major problem with Avatar being that high tbh. I thought it was overrated, but still very fun to watch. It is a million times more deserving of its' ranking than King Kong though lol.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Minority Report has got to be on there for the fricking cool factor it has going for it.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

You haven't seen 3:10 to Yuma...NDUIWNSWHOJSW