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: ‘Bryan Singer’s first "X-Men" film helped pave the way for the current glut of comic book movies.
'Moulin Rouge' (2001)
Runners-up: ‘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: "Tom Cruise on the run from a crime he has yet to commit.
‘X2’ / ‘Finding Nemo’ (2003) - Tie
Runners-up: "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: "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: “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: "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. Paul Greengrass’ second “Bourne” movie packs an equal amount of emotional and physical punch.
'The Dark Knight' (2008)
Runners-up: "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: "Up” still makes us cry.
'Toy Story 3' (1999)
Runner-up: "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: “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: "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: "Chris Pratt and a talking raccoon into movie stars, giving Marvel yet another successful franchise.
