Back in 2005, the year I started secondary school, C. S. Lewis' legendary world of The Chronicles of Narnia took off on the fantasy genre wagon which the Lord of the Rings films brought to the forefront of filmmaking just a few years before.
The middle film of Nolan-Bale Batman trilogy has been hailed as one of the greatest films of all-time ever since it was released back in 2008. Of course, one of its most endearing elements was Heath Ledger's tragic performance as routine baddie, The Joker for which he won his one and only Oscar after his death, before the film's release.
Switching the world back on to sci-fi-fantasy post-2000 was the Transformers trilogy. Its origins are in the classic board game and much of its appeal came from the nostalgia. The film also catapulted its two small-time actors, Shia LeBeouf and Megan Fox to superstardom making them among the highest paid stars in the world.
Avatar is a film full of pioneer-ship. It was one of the most expensive films ever made and its ground breaking special effects created one of the most visually beautiful films in history. Known for making expensive films which bring in the big bucks, James Cameron brought us another gem with Avatar, being the highest-grossing film ever (over $2 billion) beating his own record held by Titanic back in 1997.
Fast forward to 2011 when a heartwarming and large part of our cultural lives came to an end with the final instalment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. It saw perhaps the most hated villain of many of our childhoods (notwithstanding Professor Umbridge from the same series) meet with his timely demise. It features a battle scene which has been hailed as one of the best ever and it earned the accolade of the highest grossing British film ever at the time.
More than a homage to the silent era, Michel Hazanavicius's The Artist is a dazzling tale of love and loss
Placed oddly in the middle of the timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers Assemble felt like a culmination of all the grandeur of the Marvel films which has since gone on from strength to strength. It was, alas, just a taste of what later came. The epic-ness of the film brought it huge success with a massive fanbase waiting with bated breath to either celebrate or trash the film that brought together so many beloved characters.
2012 was a huge year for popular film. Equally deserving for mentions are Skyfall and The Hunger Games. Skyfall marked the 50th anniversary of James Bond in film, was the only Bond film to win an Oscar, and the highest grossing Bond film ever. The Hunger Games brought to the silver screen a beloved teen-novel series which, in turn, made Jennifer Lawrence, its star, the biggest star in the world. 2012 also saw the death of Michael Clarke Duncan, who didn't have a huge repertoire of films under his belt but gave such a stellar performance in 1994's The Green Mile that his celebrity was sorely missed.
Justice prevailed when Peter Jackson - the magnificent mind behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy - decided to tell another piece of the tale of middle Earth by making three films out of The Hobbit books.
Twenty and thirty somethings around the world rejoiced with the release of Toy Story 3. Woody, Buzz, and the gang were brought back together to see Andy off to college. A point which all to many of us dealt with ourselves. Toy Story 4 was recently given a release date.
Last year, we were given an insight into why Prof. Stephen Hawking is the legend he is. Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of the brainbox brought unanimous praise and inevitably earned him the Oscar for Best Actor along with a string of other awards.
Disney's latest offering about the emotional goings-on of a regular family was only the most recent in their body of work which all of inspired us, enraged us, and brought a tear to the eyes of all of us.
Think we've missed something? Let us know in the comments and we'll add it to the selection!
What great films! I'd also like to add:
Whiplash
Darjeeling LTD
The Great Beauty