Compared to the 90s, the 2000s don’t have that many bangers as far as holiday movies go. The biggest example isElfwhich is a touchstone film that seemingly nobody behind the production imagined was going to happen. Every year there is a large release of shirts themed aroundElfnot tomention Will Ferrellappearing as Buddy on cookies and coffee creamers.
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There is no escaping that movie during Christmas. Most holiday movies like that tend to release in November so that families can have something for a good month to watch leading up to Christmas. Believe it or not, new movies do release on Christmas Day but they rarely have anything to do with the holiday. Between 2000 and 2009, these are some of the best and weirdest examples.
7Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmescame out right around the time ofIron Manwhen Robert Downey Jr. was back and better than ever. It’s a great modern adaptation of the great detective’s lineage which mixes comedy, action, and mystery and it manages to balance everything completely.
The sequel is also fun, but this original is infinitely more rewatchable thanks to a better core plot. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law play off of each other so well. It’s just a shame the two couldn’t reunite for a third movie to complete the trilogy.
6Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Canfollows the story of a con artist that fooled the government for years thanks to a check scheme. The film is like a cat-and-mouse game between Leonardo DiCaprio, the con artist, and Tom Hanks who is the agent going after him.
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For anime fansout there, the relationship could be likened to Lupin the 3rd and Inspector Zenigata except with less wacky capers. The plot may not be the most interesting but these two actors sell the movie hard. It’s a long one too, so buckle up for a charming time.
5The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissoucame out right afterThe Royal Tenenbaums, which was a highly acclaimed movie by Wes Anderson. It doesn’t have the sticking power of that film, but it is still another great drama-comedy from this oddball director. Bill Murray plays the titular Steve Zissou who is studying the ocean. That’s as basic as one can get with the plot of this one.
Anderson’s films are much likeepisodes ofSeinfeld. They’re about nothing and yet so much happens. Fans of Anderson keep coming back to his movies because of his visual storytelling and the actors he gets to be in his movies.The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, while not groundbreaking, is still an adventure.
4The Aviator
The Aviatoris another great filmstarring Leonardo DiCaprio. It’s based on the real aviation pioneer, Howard Hughes, who was both brilliant and troubled in his long career. It’s a great retro piece that takes place primarily between the 1920s and 1940s with some terrific costumes of the era.
The slow decline in Hughes’ mental state is a wild ride that is made all the more real thanks to DiCaprio’s performance. It’s a shame he didn’t win an Oscar for it, but that can be said about a lot of his movies.The Aviatorgoes off the walls from history as most biopics do and it makes it that much more watchable.
3Children Of Men
Children of Mentake place in the not-far future of 2027. War has devastated the planet as no one can seemingly find peace. The one standing nation that is still in power is the UK although citizens live in a police state, so it’s not much better than being at war.
Clive Owen plays a man who stumbles upon a baby which is like a miracle because the birth rate has plummeted significantly. It’s a lot like the premise ofThe Handmaid’s Taleexcept without all the shaming of women. It’s a powerful film to be sure and one of the first’s of its kind.
2The Producers
The Producersisa musical comedythat is also a bit of a crime caper. Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane are two washed-up producers on Broadway that can’t get a hit. One day they discover that the IRS will not look into a production that is a flop.
They decide to take advantage of this loophole and try to gain some money out of what they believe will be the worst show Broadway has ever seen akaSpringtime for Hitler. It’s a remake of a 1967 film based on the same plot. The remake may not be as good, but the cast gives the film a lot of pizazz as does some of the musical numbers.
1Valkyrie
Valkyrie is like a caper as well centered around Hitler although this movie is much more serious thanThe Producers.Tom Cruise isin charge of a small regiment that is trying time after time to kill Hitler. Do they pull it off in a weird alt-history event similar to how things played out inInglourious Basterds, one of Quentin Tarantino’s best films?
That much will not be spoiled here but it is a thrilling adventure to see the various ways Cruise tries to put an end to one of history’s greatest villains. The movie was panned a bit at the time because of the lack of accents and other dialogue snafus. It is a bit silly in that regard but other than that small gripe, it’s well worth a visit decades later.
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