Best of the decade: Movies

Decade-defining movies.

Now there's a topic for heated debate.

This list doesn't reflect our favorite films. It's not what we'd call the best of the decade, either.

Instead, we chose 10 movies for 10 years, each of which represents a film category that struck a chord or epitomized a trend between 2000 and 2009.

1.

“Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” 2003

The decade was marked by nothing so much as the blockbuster franchise. Peter Jackson's trilogy of movies, made all at once, proved audiences will keep coming back if the formula is right. From Harry Potter to Batman, the Bourne trilogy to James Bond, the last of “Star Wars” to the beginning of “The Chronicles of Narnia,” studios clung to familiar characters with proven box- office power.

2.

“Avatar,” 2009

The rise of digital special effects meant moviemakers were freed as never before to imagine new worlds, new creatures, incredible flights of fantasy. James Cameron's epic about the Na'vi people on distant moon Pandora is great storytelling. So were many others, including “Pan's Labyrinth,” “Star Trek,” “District Nine,” the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, a new “King Kong” and “Children of Men.” Cameron's “Avatar” represents another big trend of the decade: the return of 3-D and funny glasses.

3.

“Brokeback Mountain” 2005

Director Ang Lee was one of many who managed to make small-budget independent movies that struck a chord and found an audience because they touched on issues of our time. It's unclear how many minds “Brokeback” changed when it comes to gay marriage, but it sure got people talking. Other little indies that could: “Sideways,” “Away From Her,” “The Savages,” “You Can Count on Me,” “Half Nelson,” “Precious,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “About Schmidt.”

4.

“The Incredibles” 2004

Digital animation so dominated cartoon features that for five years Disney didn't even release a hand-drawn movie until this year's “The Princess and the Frog.” And the decade's indisputable king of digital animation was Pixar with megahits like “The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,” “Finding Nemo,” “Cars,” “WALL-E” and “Up.” Many others tried, but few rose to the heights of Pixar digital animation.

5.

“The Dark Knight,” 2008

This Batman sequel marked the convergence of critical acclaim and box office ka-ching for a comic-book movie. But studios were so enamored of comic-book characters' earning power they reached beyond Batman, Superman and Spider-Man to lesser knowns like the X-Men, Hellboy and Iron Man. Those gambles all paid off, too. Once again, digital drove the genre to new possibilities, though critics said special effects too often eclipsed story and character.

6.

“Fahrenheit 9/11” 2004

Documentaries made a splash at the multiplex like never before. Director Michael Moore led the charge with his indictment of the Bush administration's response to the World Trade Center catastrophe, plus “Bowling for Columbine,” “Sicko” and more. Others weighed in with passion as well, including Al Gore with “An Inconvenient Truth” and a slew of movies indicting the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. And who could forget the endearingly profitable “March of the Penguins”?

7.

“The 40-Year-Old Virgin” 2005

The gross-out comedy came back with a vengeance, and writer-producer-director Judd Apatow was the leader of the pack. “Superbad,” “Knocked Up,” “Pineapple Express,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and a string of Will Ferrell comedies all have Apatow's name on them. But others were happy to jump on this bandwagon, as last summer's megahit “The Hangover” proved again. How low can they go? It will probably take the next decade to answer that one.

8.

“Moulin Rouge” 2001

Director Baz Luhrmann's musical movie celebrating musical movies broke the mold but also renewed audience fervor for this faded genre. Following close behind were best-picture winner “Chicago” and multiple award nominees “Dreamgirls,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Hairspray” and the Irish alt-rocker “Once,” which won a best-song Oscar. This year's contender is “Nine,” featuring a cast stacked with Academy Award winners.

9.

“Saw,” 2004

Horror flicks have long been popular, but the decade saw an escalation in how graphically the movies were willing to portray suffering and death. “Torture porn” was the new label given movies like the “Saw” series, two “Hostel” movies, “The Devil's Rejects,” “Turistas,” “Untraceable” and many more. They even remade “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” as if the original wasn't horror enough.

10.

“No Country for Old Men” 2007

Dramas got so dark, and were so often celebrated during award season, millions stopped watching the Academy Awards. That didn't stop the Coen Brothers' movie from winning best picture. So did Martin Scorsese's “The Departed,” Clint Eastwood's “Million Dollar Baby” and Paul Haggis' “Crash.” Look for more dark movies in this year's mix of best-picture contenders, though the field has now been expanded from five movies to 10, presumably to let the sunshine in.

Nebraskan of the decade: Alexander Payne

A 2004 Oscar win (best adapted screenplay for “Sideways”) combined with critical praise for 2002's “About Schmidt” solidified Payne as a premiere-level auteur in Hollywood. More recent work included a segment in “Paris, je t'aime” and the pilot episode of HBO's “Hung.”

Key directors of the decade
Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Peter Jackson, Steven Soderbergh, Alexander Payne, Judd Apatow, Joel and Ethan Coen, Jason Reitman, Michael Moore, Pedro Almodovar

Key actors of the decade

Sean Penn, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Will Smith, Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Tommy Lee Jones, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Russell Crowe, Brad Pitt

Key actresses of the decade

Meryl Streep, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Helen Mirren, Amy Adams, Laura Linney, Cate Blanchett, Renée Zellweger

Worst movies of the decade
“Gigli,” 2003 A lesbian hit woman (Jennifer Lopez) and a mob lackey (Ben Affleck) are thrown together to kidnap a mentally disabled guy for some reason. If you stick around to find out, don't say we didn't warn you.

“Cabin Fever,” 2002 College kids camping, a horrible virus and vicious locals combine in the most painfully pointless example of torture porn available. If you've had to endure it, consider yourself a victim.

“Corky Romano,” 2001 The dunce son of a mob boss, played by Chris Kattan, goes undercover for the FBI; high jinks (weird, awkward and sort of entrancing high jinks) ensue.

“Crossroads,” 2002 Britney Spears' big-screen vehicle was unveiled shortly before her descent into what looked like madness. Mariah Carey's “Glitter” (2001) was just before her own meltdown. That's no coincidence.

“Meet Dave,” 2008 Eddie Murphy (at right) stars as a human-shaped spaceship — controlled by tiny aliens — that falls in love with a human woman. It plays as bad as it sounds.

Honorable Mentions: “Epic Movie,” “House of the Dead,” “From Justin to Kelly,” “Say It Isn't So,” “Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector,” “Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2.”

Contact the writer:

444-1269, bob.fischbach@owh.com

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