Top 25 Films of the 2000s – #19

#19 – Iron Man (2008)

Iron Man makes the list for several reasons.

First, nobody really saw it coming. Let’s face it, Iron Man has traditionally been a second-tier superhero, and most second-tier superhero movies, well, they suck (cough…Daredevil). And Jon Favreau? Before this movie, I think most people thought of him as the other guy in Swingers, not the director who would make one of the better action films of the decade.

Second, Robert Downey, Jr. The guy’s always been a brilliant actor, and he played Tony Stark perfectly. The other actors were all solid, but he carried the movie.

Third, it was fun. This has been a decade of the conflicted, brooding hero. Moments of levity, sure, but most of the big superhero flicks have shifted to a darker, grittier path. Iron Man, though, captured a sense of adventure that, in a way, reminded me of the Indiana Jones movies of the 80’s. And it’s a sense that lets Iron Man hold up really well over repeat viewings.

#20 – Monsters, Inc.

#21 – Inglourious Basterds

#22 – Hot Fuzz

#23 – Watchmen

#24 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

#25 – District 9