It's good. 2024 has bowed out and 2025 has just reared its ugly head. Like every year, we can't resist the idea of offering you a big oldie by looking back at twenty films which will celebrate their twentieth anniversary this year.
#1 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by Mike Newell
Until November 2005, the French public discovers the fourth part of the cinematographic saga Harry Potter. Directed by Mike Newell, who takes over as director of the franchise after Chris Columbus and Alfonso Cuaron, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire brings the universe created by JK Rowling into a new, much darker dimension. Became real teenagers, Harry, Ron and Hermione will be confronted with the first romantic feelings, the first arguments and especially the return of Lord Voldemort.. Less profound than the novel from which it is adapted, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire nonetheless remains one of the most spectacular films in the saga.
#2 Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, by George Lucas
In 1999, George Lucas makes his comeback with Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menacethe first part of what would later become the prelogy. Telling the past of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker before the latter became Darth Vader, the prelogy initially divided fans. It is today considered one of the monuments of entertainment cinema of the 2000s, and its fame owes a lot to its third and final part. Revenge of the Sith is not only the most spectacular opus of the entire saga Star Warsbut it also rivals in darkness with The Empire Strikes Back. The fall of Anakin Skywalker, his transformation into Darth Vader, the death of Padme Amidala and the duel against Obi-Wan Kenobi on the volcanic planet Mustafar remain great moments in our cinema history.
#3 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by Andrew Adamson
Following the immense success of the trilogy Lord of the Rings by Peter Jackson and the first parts of the saga Harry Potter, the Disney studio also decided to launch into the fantasy genre by adapting the second volume of Chronicles of Narniathe literary saga of CS Lewis, one of the popes of English fantasy and one of Tolkien's close friends. Rather faithful to the spirit of the novel, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a Nice attempt, which was crowned with success at the box office, since the feature film will exceed $740 million in revenue. It is a shame, however, that the following feature films revealed the Disney studio's lack of ambition.
#4 Brice of Nice, by James Huth
Before becoming the secret agent Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath in OSS 117: Cairo, nest of spies the following year, Jean Dujardin played Brice de Nice, the most insolent surfer in Nice. Already known at the time for his role in the comedy series One Guy, One GirlJean Dujardin joins director James Huth to adapt a character he created for a sketch by the troupe Nous Ç Nous. Excelling when he has to look stupid, Jean Dujardin has pulled off one of the French comedies of the year. A schoolboy humor which had anticipated the culture of clash which is now king in the age of social networks.
#5 Charlie and the Chocolatier & The Funeral Wedding, by Tim Burton
In 2005, director Tim Burton released not one film, but two: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory et The Funeral Wedding. In the first, he offers an adaptation of the cult novel by Welsh writer Roald Dahl and adapts an Eastern European tale in the second. And Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remains one of its biggest box office successes, we particularly prefer the gothic tale in frame-by-frame animation. Full of black humor, it's the great revenge of Tim Burton, who was unable to direct The Nightmare Before Christmas.
#6 King Kong, de Peter Jackson
Crowned with glory with the trilogy Lord of the Ringswhich won a total of 17 cinema Oscars, New Zealand director Peter Jackson returns with another pharaonic project: King Kong. Adapting the eponymous masterpiece by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack released in 1933, Peter Jackson sublimates the original film with his staging and special effects that surpass 90% of current productions. Absolutely beautiful, its King Kong is a gigantic film unfortunately forgotten by many spectators.
#7 Batman Begins, de Christopher Nolan
Before becoming one of the absolute masters of Hollywood cinema, American-British director Christopher Nolan has had a profound impact on fans of superheroes and comics thanks to the trilogy The Dark Knight. She started with Batman Beginsinspired by Batman: Year One by Frank Miller. If the project initially suffered some criticism because of the name of Christian Bale, Batman Begins finally convinced everyone. More realistic than Batman by Tim Burton, the feature film is greatly inspired by the post-September 11 trauma. It is further enhanced by the formidably effective score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard.
#8 Mr. et Mrs. Smith, de Doug Liman
In the mid-2000s, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were among the most iconic couples in Hollywood. In Mr. et Mrs. Smiththey play a couple of married hitmen, each member of whom is unaware of the other's activities. Model of action comedies of the 2000s, Mr. et Mrs. Smith was recently adapted into a television series by Amazon Prime Video, starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine. The series has been renewed for a season 2.
#9 Lady Vengeance, by Park Chan-wook
After having triumphed with Oldboy and opened the doors to the international market for South Korean cinema, the gigantic Park Chan-wook tackles the final part of his Vengeance Trilogy: Lady Vengeance. It tells the story of a woman unjustly accused of the kidnapping and murder of a child and who plots bloody revenge against the real culprit. Noted for its casting, with the magnetic Lee Young-ae and Choi Min-sik in the lead, Park Chan-wook impresses us once again with an absolutely virtuoso production, enhanced by Jo-Yeong-wook's original soundtrack..
#10 Wallace & Gromit: The Mystery of the Were-Rabbit, by Nick Park and Steve Box
The 2000s marked the arrival of the legendary British studio Aardman Animations in cinemas. If the studio had stood out with its hilarious stop-motion short films, a deal signed with DreamWorks allowed it to produce Chicken Run in 2000, then Wallace & Gromit: The Mystery of the Were-Rabbit in 2005. The film, which took five years to produce, is a true gem, paying homage to the horror cinema of Hammer, the famous English studio which produced the films Dracula with Christopher Lee. Full of visual ideas and English humor, Wallace & Gromit: The Mystery of the Were-Rabbit won the Oscar for best animated film. And it is well deserved. We also remind you that the next Aardman Animations film will mark the return of Wallace and Gromit. See you on Friday January 3, 2025 on Netflix to discover Wallace & Gromit: La Palme de Vengeance !
#11 A Bittersweet Life, by Kim Jee-woon
Ranked alongside Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho and Na Hong-jin among the greatest South Korean directors, Kim Jee-woon was already taken seriously by critics and the public in 2005, notably thanks to the terrifying Two Sistersreleased two years earlier and which is considered one of the peaks of K-Horror. With A Bittersweet Lifethe director does not pay homage to Hong Kong cinema as we have sometimes read, but rather to the cinema of Jean-Pierre Melville. Both melancholy and very violent, A Bittersweet Life is undoubtedly its director's greatest masterpiece. It was recently released in a new Director's Cut version restored in 4K, distributed in France thanks to the monumental work of The Jokers Film. Thanks to them!
#12 Kingdom of Heaven, de Ridley Scott
With Gladiatorthe great Ridley Scott his immense talent for historical reconstructions and epic films. In 2005, the British director embarked on a crazy challenge: to give his vision of the Crusades. A crazy bet, insofar as Ridley Scott offers a peaceful speech to an America ravaged by post-September 11, 2001 hatred and by the War in Iraq. First criticized upon its release, Kingdom of Heaven was then rehabilitated thanks to its long version which reveals the true nature of the film. Today, there is no longer any doubt that Kingdom of Heaven is a masterpiece, and undoubtedly one of the most monumental works of Ridley Scott's career. Which is saying something, considering his CV.
#13 A History of Violence, de David Cronenberg
The pope of body horror David Cronenberg has carried out one of the most beautiful metamorphoses in cinema with A History of Violence. Marking his first film with the exceptional Viggo Mortensen, who would become his favorite actor, the director of The Fly and of Crash adapts the British comic book by John Wagner and Vince Lockeand tells the story of a model family man, whose secrets and relationship with violence will come to light when a man shows up in his restaurant and calls him by a name other than his own. Ultimately, in many ways, A History of Violence is a pure Cronenberg film: because A History of Violence ultimately speaks of transformation; not physical this time, but moral. One of the best crime films of the 2000s!
#14 Sin City, by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller
After being considered one of the greatest comic book authors in history alongside the British Alan Moore, notably thanks to his comics Batman: Year One, The Dark Knight Returns or even Daredevil: Born Again, Frank Miller launches into cinema by adapting the first volume of his own comic alongside Robert Rodriguez Sin City. Both violent and aestheticized, Sin City is a very popular film, which also received the help of Quentin Tarantino, who directed a short chase scene.
#15 Kaamelott, by Alexandre Astier
Yes. We know. We cheat. Kaamelott is not a film, but a series, launched on M6 on January 3, 2005. But what do you want, we are big fans of Kaamelottand could we ignore Alexandre Astier's series while Kaamelott: Second Part will be released in cinemas on October 22? Moreover, we recently published an article in which we review everything we know about the sequel to Kaamelott.
