Top 10 Iconic Films of the ’00s

One story, three films, a monument. Peter Jackson translated Tolkien's world with heart and craftsmanship: fellowship, friendship and sacrifice on a scale we never knew before. From the Shire to Minas Tirith everything breathed believable magic. The trilogy became a cultural anchor of the '00s, concluding with eleven Oscars for Return of the King. It doesn't get more iconic.

Heath Ledger's Joker became an icon of pure anarchy: scary, witty and unpredictable. Nolan turned the superhero film into a crime epic about chaos and choice. IMAX, practical stunts, moral dilemmas The Dark Knight set the bar so high that the genre watched it for years.

James Cameron did it again: build a world you want to live in. Pandora was not an effect, but an experience. 3D as it was meant to be. Avatar became the money machine of the decade and showed how far motion capture and worldbuilding could go.

“Are you not entertained?” Yes. Ridley Scott revived the sandal epic with Russell Crowe as a vengeful warrior and Joaquin Phoenix as a treacherous emperor. Epic arenas, mud, blood and a heart that beats in every beat.

Scorsese's nerve-wracking game of doppelgängers and betrayal: an undercover agent in the mafia, a mole in the police. DiCaprio, Damon and Nicholson do a power dance that makes every scene spark. Tight, villainous and finally the Oscar that Scorsese has deserved for years.

The beginning of a cultural era. With the first step into Hogwarts, millions became lifelong fans. Chris Columbus filmed the magic with warmth and wonder: the sorting hat, quidditch, Hagrid, it all became instant canon. The film launched a franchise that would help define the decade.

Jack Sparrow waddled into the '00s and stole the show. Johnny Depp created an instant icon; adventure blockbuster became old-fashioned fun again. Curses, swords, undead pirates and a Hans Zimmer theme that keeps hammering into your head.

The starting gun of the MCU. Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark: witty, brilliant and larger-than-life. Iron Man gave superhero cinema a new, sparkling compass: character-driven, with humor and its own face. The after-credits scene with Nick Fury? Pure history in 30 seconds.

The ogre that turned the animation world upside down. Shrek fills fairytales with tongue-in-cheek humor, pop culture references and a soundtrack that would survive any children's party. It won the first-ever Oscar for Best Animated Feature and proved that animation is just as good for adults.

“On Wednesdays we wear pink.” Tina Fey's screenplay gave the teen movie a smart, sarcastic reboot that is still quoted today. Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron navigates between the 'Plastics' and the rest of the jungle that is high school. Mean Girls is razor-sharp about status, friendship and ruthless group dynamics, while being irresistibly funny.