At the turn of the 21st century, the moviegoing experience has been irreversibly marked by the blockbuster and franchise mentality of the filmmaking industry, ushering an age of an endless cycle of sequels, prequels, and spinoffs.
While the age of franchises will seem to carry for the time being, here’s a look at some shining pieces of cinema that honored the craft of filmmaking, elevated the blockbuster and etched a place in the minds of audiences.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
With passion and enthusiasm of the source material backing his directorial sensibilities, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is an opulent, rich and mesmerizing adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world, filled with awe-inspiring scale and world-building, alongside powerful, memorable and ensemble cast of characters to seamlessly carry the audience into this timeless cinematic epic adventure.
Spider-Man 2
Featuring smaller stakes with the same sense of awe and wonder as its predecessor, Spider-Man 2 turns its attention to the man behind the mask. By focusing on Peter Parker’s personal and heroic struggles as he is caught in a web between his duties as Spider-Man, and his desire for a normal life, director Sam Raimi proves superhero cinema can offer action-filled spectacle and still succeed as an endearing character based drama.
The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan’s 2005 reboot of Batman proved to be an unconventional undertaking for superhero cinema, and its 2008 sequel continues in that stride. Fashioned and structured as a crime drama, The Dark Knight is a bleak and uncompromising complex tale of morality and anarchy, with the film keeping the audience on edge with its twisty plot and seeing Batman go toe-to-toe against the Joker, with Christian Bale and Heath Ledger giving acclaimed performances in the process.
Inception
Nolan’s 2010 mind bending science fiction heist spectacle is a powerhouse of unlimited cinematic potential and value. Inception is an ambitious (and layered) film that introduces the audience to its world and established rules of shared dreaming, while also showcasing some of the most inventive and imaginative action sequences put to screen. While audiences are enveloped in its elaborate dreamscape, Inception also works a thematic piece revolving around reconciliation, guilt and catharsis, providing a well-rounded emotional experience as well.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol & Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Fast-paced, adrenaline fueled and sleek, the fourth and sixth installments of the Mission: Impossible franchise reinvigorated the series and cemented Tom Cruise as a blockbuster action maestro. From anxiety inducing sequences such as scaling the Burj Khalifa to death defying ones of the likes of jumping out of an aeroplane, Ghost Protocol and Fallout offer it all, leaving audiences enthralled and having witnessed new milestones in action-adventure escapism.
Skyfall
Prioritizing story over spectacle, Skyfall provides a deeper look at the iconic super spy. Director Sam Mendes showcases a film that explores Bond’s morals, psyche and ethos interspersed with action set pieces that expertly choreographed and impeccably captured by Roger Deakins. Along with Javier Bardem’s snarky villain Silva, Daniel Craig gives a performance worthy of Bond and of his filmography. The resulting film is the best of Craig’s Bond tenure, and arguably one of the high points of the Bond franchise.
Mad Max: Fury Road
A cinematic personification of the phrase “show, don’t tell”, George Miller’s 2015 post-apocalyptic endeavor is unrelenting action at its best. With little established world building, Miller still succeeds in conveying his vision to the audience through its visuals, and lets the action do all the talking, treating it as its own character within the film. Through its protagonists struggling against a harsh landscape, and even harsher tyrannical rulers, Fury Road also contains a message of empowerment – for all those oppressed within the confines of society. Featuring expertly choreographed and coordinated practical action set pieces, marvelous sense of production and the combined star power of Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road is like a wildly entertaining graphic novel come to life.
Blade Runner 2049
A slow burn mystery at its core, Denis Villeneuve’s 2017 sequel to a seminal science fiction classic questions the concepts of faith, duties and the nature of existence in society, while also functioning as metaphors for oppression, imperialism, reproductive rights and the dark side of technological corporatism. Aided by powerful performances, impressive production values and gorgeous visuals, Blade Runner 2049 is truly a pinnacle of science fiction filmmaking.
Joker
An eerie and unsettling look into the deterioration of one’s mental state being brought about by a decaying society, director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is a veiled commentary on the healthcare system, that sadly remains as relevant today. By drawing from historical countercultural revolutions against the ones in power, Phillips also treats the film as a commentary on class differences, and as a psychological drama thriller, Joker leaves its audiences of the true root and nature of its story until the very end. With Joker, Phillips proved that comic book based films still have a lot of narrative fuel to offer when the right creative forces are in charge.
Dune
With his love and passion for the source material being present within each frame, director Denis Villeneuve expertly adapts Frank Herbert’s classic novel with breathtaking epic scope, fantastic visuals, fascinating lore and a horde of characters wonderfully brought to life with its ensemble cast. Taking its time to develop its world and invite the audience, Dune truly is a unique blockbuster in today’s times that earns its acclaim.
The Batman
Matt Reeves’ 2022 reboot of the Caped Crusader saw the character being edged towards a decidedly and appropriately darker direction, employing a different style and aesthetic gorgeously brought to life and a performance expertly rendered by Robert Pattinson. As a clinical dissection of Batman, and an unnerving mystery thriller, Reeves also sheds a commentary on class inequality, media influence, vigilantism and systemic corruption within the society, while revamping the superhero genre for the better in the process.
Top Gun: Maverick
By employing a stripped down and simple story that relies on the strength of its characters, this sequel to a 36-year-old cult classic proves that bigger doesn’t always equal to better returns. Tom Cruise remains in top form and Maverick benefits from improved film making techniques that truly immerse the audience into the action and delivers a simple yet powerful summer blockbuster that stays in the mind long after the final credits roll.
Texts of A Pop Culture Buff 