Summer Blockbusters 2000

The summer blockbusters 2000 were a welcome sight, as many people didn’t even think we’d be here thanks to Y2K. But that monumental event came and went, no doubt thanks to the heroic efforts of time travelers like John Titor. The big hits from the summer of 2000 were a diverse lot, as everything from Martin Lawrence in a fat suit to Hugh Jackman with claws struck box office gold.

Now that you’re feeling good and nostalgic, let’s look back at the summer blockbusters 2000. These films are also available on Amazon, and the tiny commission we receive for sending you there helps us stay in business.

• What Lies Beneath – With a number of nods to the films of Alfred Hitchcock, this thriller stars Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer as a couple who’ve just moved to Vermont. Their neighbor (James Remar) is acting suspicious, and Claire (Pfeiffer) begins to suspect that he’s murdered his wife. Falling picture frames and flickering candles seem to indicate a supernatural presence, but is it the spirit of her butchered neighbor or someone else? Audiences loved the twists down the stretch, giving this film a final gross of just over $291 million.
• Big Momma’s House – Martin Lawrence gets plenty of opportunities to show off as an FBI master of disguise who’s posing as an overweight African-American woman. He’s determined to apprehend escaped killer Lester Vesco (Terence Howard), and he needs to get close to his ex-girlfriend (Nia Long) to do so. But will he fall in love along the way? Love it or hate it, Big Momma’s House was an undeniable hit to the tune of over $173 million. Paul Giamatti co-stars.
• The Perfect Storm – George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly and William Fichtner star as crew members of the fishing boat Andrea Gail. Making one last run before fishing season is over, they have the misfortune to encounter an epic storm at sea. The film chronicles their fight for survival. Based on the book by Sebastian Junger, the film grossed over $375 million at the summer box office.
• Mission: Impossible II – Tom Cruise returns as secret agent Ethan Hunt. This time around, he must match wits with Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), a rogue agent who’s got his hands on a lethal virus known as Chimera. Directed by action guru John Woo, the film grossed over $546 million worldwide, making it the biggest blockbuster of 2000. On a side note, Dougray Scott turned down the role of Wolverine to play the villain in this film. Whoops.
• Chicken Run – A group of chickens plot an escape before they get turned into delicious pies. They’re assisted in their plans by a new arrival, a charismatic rooster voiced by Mel Gibson. Made by the same people responsible for the popular Wallace and Gromit, the stop-motion animated tale grossed over $224 million against a budget of $45 million.
• Gladiator – Russell Crowe unleashes cinematic hell as a Roman general betrayed and reduced to the life of a gladiator slave. Filled with heart-pounding battle sequences, Gladiator marked the first of many collaborations between Crowe and director Ridley Scott. Prior to acting like a madman on national television, Joaquin Phoenix co-starred as the incestuous Emperor Commodus. The film grossed $457 million and won the Oscar for Best Picture.
• Dinosaur - The 39th animated film from Disney, Dinosaur centers on the harsh life of an Iguanodon named Aladar (were there any dinosaurs with normal names?) as he tries to survive in the prehistoric age. Kids who love dinosaurs will be beside themselves, as everything from the Velociraptor to Stygimoloch are one display. D.B. Sweeney heads up the cast of voice actors, but sadly no ice skating is involved. The film was a summer blockbuster for 2000, racking up over $349 million at the global box office.
• Pokemon: The Movie 2000 – Set during the Orange Islands saga, this hit animated film features Misty, Tracy and Ash as they attempt to save three legendary Pokemon from an unscrupulous collector. All your favorites are also featured, including Pikachu, Togepi and Marill. While it wasn’t as financially successful as the first film in the series, it still managed to gross just over $133 million and spawn yet another sequel. I choose you, Pikachu!
• X-Men – In this first entry of the superhero trilogy, Hugh Jackman pops his claws as Wolverine, Halle Berry commands lightning as Storm, and Anna Paquin siphons the powers of others as Rogue. The bad guys are led by Ian McKellen as Magneto, and he’s assisted by the sexy Rebecca Romijn (wearing very little but a coat of blue paint). The film grossed just over $296 million, easily qualifying it for blockbuster status.
• Scary Movie – 2000 was the summer that introduced the successful horror spoof franchise from the Wayans brothers. While this film focuses primarily on Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, everything from Amistad to The Usual Suspects gets the parody treatment. It made over $287 million, and the three sequels would push total box office earnings to $818 million.

If you’ve enjoyed this list of Summer Blockbusters 2000, click on the following links:

• Summer Blockbusters 2008
• 12 Good Movies Featuring the Cast of Lost
• Good Movies Coming in 2011
• Summer Blockbusters 1985

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