15 Best Summer Movies From the Last 15 Years
As Summer 2015 continues at the box office, we look back at the last 15 years of summer blockbusters (in order of release) to find the best of the best.
'Gladiator' (2000)
Runner-Up: ‘X-Men’Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning comeback was a huge hit with audiences, one of the few Best Picture winners to come out during summer. Bryan Singer’s first "X-Men" film helped pave the way for the current glut of comic book movies.
'Moulin Rouge' (2001)
Runners-up: ‘Shrek,’ ‘The Others’ The summer that gave us such bland, low-quality entries as “The Mummy Returns” and “Pearl Harbor” also produced one of the most original counter-programming offerings ever. Baz Luhrmann’s romantic musical is equal parts tragic and manic, but with a strong emotional core. The cure for the sameness of summer blockbusters.
‘Minority Report’ / ‘Spider-Man’ (2002) - Tie
Runners-up: "Road to Perdition," "The Bourne Identity" One of Spielberg’s most underrated films, and one of Sam Raimi’s best, split the vote for Summer 2002. "Spider-Man" was the summer’s biggest hit, playing in theaters long after its May launch. “Report” is a movie that only gets better with age, putting Pre-Crime cop Tom Cruise on the run from a crime he has yet to commit.
‘X2’ / ‘Finding Nemo’ (2003) - Tie
Runners-up: "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Seabiscuit" Another tie! Bryan Singer’s best X-Men entry (sorry, “Days of Future Past”) is the "Wrath of Khan" of the series. “Nemo” was Pixar’s unstoppable hit that summer, further cementing the studio’s quality brand with both audiences and critics.
'Spider-Man 2' (2004)
Runners-up: "Collateral," "Bourne Supremacy," "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" Before “The Dark Knight,” Sam Raimi’s compelling and crazy-inventive sequel reigned as the best comic book movie ever. For some, it’s still the champ.
'Batman Begins' (2005)
Runners-up: “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Wedding Crashers”Christopher Nolan’s first Batman film successfully re-launched the franchise, delivering a confidentially-executed popcorn movie with more on its mind than just explosions.
'Mission: Impossible III' (2006)
Runner-up: "Little Miss Sunshine" 2006 was a crap summer. With titles like “Nacho Libre” and “X3” in the mix, it’s not hard for J.J. Abrams’ feature directorial debut to rise above the rest. This solid entry in the franchise gives Ethan Hunt his most personal Mission yet, along with the series’ best opening scene ever.
‘Ratatouille’ / ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ (2007) - Tie
Runners-up: ‘Knocked Up,’ ‘Superbad,’ ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’’ It’s a Sophie’s Choice here. Brad Bird’s effortlessly endearing film is an underrated jewel in Pixar’s crown, and Paul Greengrass’ second “Bourne” movie packs an equal amount of emotional and physical punch.
'The Dark Knight' (2008)
Runners-up: "Wall-E," "Iron Man" This is the movie we need and deserve (reference!). Seven years since its release, “The Dark Knight” still holds up as a crime epic that just happens to star Batman and the Joker.
‘Star Trek’ / ‘Up’ (2009) - Tie
Runners-up: "District 9," "Inglourious Basterds"J.J. Abrams delivered the first “Trek” to ever capitalize on the anamorphic promise of space being “The Final Frontier,” while also successfully rebooting the franchise with this very entertaining entry. And that early flashback scene in “Up” still makes us cry.
'Toy Story 3' (1999)
Runner-up: "Inception" As “braaaam”-tastic as “Inception” is, the character-first “Toy Story 3” has it beat. One of the best threequels ever, the movie makes us laugh and cry in equal measure -- pushing and pulling our favorite characters into even more rich relationships.
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ (2011)
Runners-up: “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “Bridesmaids,” “X-Men: First Class” The final Harry Potter film is a favorite of both fans and critics, full of impressive spectacle and even more impressive emotional beats that service each and every main character.
'The Avengers' (2012)
Runners-up: "Ted," "Magic Mike" If there’s a better time at the movies than Joss Whedon’s very re-watchable film, we don’t wanna know about it.
‘Iron Man 3’ / ‘Fast & Furious 6’ (2013) - Tie
Runners-up: "The Conjuring," "World War Z" “The Avengers” effect rubbed off on “Iron Man 3,” wiping away the bad taste left by the messy “Iron Man 2.” And “Fast Six” levels-up the series' already-insane set pieces by having a speeding car get sneezed out the nose of an exploding plane.
'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)
Runners-up: "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," "How to Train Your Dragon 2" While “Dawn” is Summer 2014’s most dramatically satisfying blockbuster, “Guardians” is its most entertaining and refreshing hit. It turned Chris Pratt and a talking raccoon into movie stars, giving Marvel yet another successful franchise.
