The rise of computer-generated special effects in the 2000s gave rise to the fantasy genre’s dominance during the decade, with hit franchises such as Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings taking the world by storm. However, the action genre continued to reign strong with proven sequels to hit franchises of prior decades and the emergence of the superhero genre with action elements.

Action films are known for their stunts and high-movement sequences, and the 2000s were full of impressive action films that dominated the box office. Here are 10 films from each year of the 2000s that made the box office explode.

2000 – Mission: Impossible II – $549 Million

The legendary Tom Cruise is one of the biggest names in modern Hollywood. Since his career kick-started in the 1980s, his films have garnered more than $11.5 billion worldwide, with 31 films earning over $100 million at the box office. Of these successes came the second-highest-grossing film of 2022, Top Gun: Maverick. While it may seem that Cruise’s success at the box office propelled in recent years, his long-lasting star presence has led to many of his lead movies breaking box office records and trends since his early days in the business.
In 2000, the Tom Cruise-led sequel to the commercial hit film Mission: Impossible (1996), called Mission: Impossible II, dropped in theaters. The adaptation of the television espionage series of the same name garnered massive commercial acclaim, grossing over $549 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing film of the year.
Mission: Impossible II proved to be yet another success for the action superstar and showcased how influential Cruise can be in getting fans into theaters.

2001 – Jurassic Park III – $368.8 Million

Universal Pictures

Steven Spielberg took the entertainment industry by storm with the release of his franchise-beginning hit, Jurassic Park, in 1993. The commercial and critical hit proved that Spielberg could develop a box office spectacle, as the original dinosaur flick would go on to become the eleventh highest-grossing film franchise in the world.
One sequel and eight years later, the third installment in the hit series, appropriately titled Jurassic Park III, was released in 2001. The year was full of first installments of some iconic series, such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Fast & Furious, and Shrek, but the year proved strong for the continuation of the Jurassic Park franchise. Jurassic Park III amassed $368.8 million at the box office against a budget of $93 million. Despite the high grossing numbers, the film was criticized among fans and critics for its contribution to the creative decline of the series.
The Jurassic Park franchise would not see another cinematic entry until 2015, with the release of the Chris Pratt-led Jurassic World. The film would go on to gross over $1 billion at the box office, proving to be a positive improvement commercially for the series.

2002 – Spider-Man – $825 Million

Sony Pictures Releasing

With a development cycle that spans back to 1975, the release of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man film in 2002 was met with commercial and critical acclaim. The film grossed over $825 million at the box office, as well as becoming the first film to earn $100 million in one weekend. In the year of its release, Spider-Man became the third-highest-grossing film of that year, following the second entry in the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings series.
The creative efforts of Raimi in the iconic entry to his hit superhero trilogy rejuvenated the superhero genre, giving way to the modern superhero film trend that has taken over the cinematic landscape in recent years.

2003 – The Matrix Reloaded – $731 Million

Warner Bros. Pictures

It is no secret that The Matrix (1999) is one of the most influential science fiction action films of all time. The film is rich in unique visuals, a memorable soundscape, and one of the best action sequences in all of cinema. It also gave birth to numerous pop culture references, including the iconic bullet time scene and the red and blue pill scenario. Fans and critics alike were eager to see what was in store for the franchise in the sequel, The Matrix Reloaded, in 2003, and many would say that the awaited film did not disappoint.
Upon its release, The Matrix Reloaded became another critical success for the innovative film franchise. The film scored a respectable 74% on Rotten Tomatoes and a B+ on CinemaScore. While viewers saw the film as inferior to its predecessor, the film still grossed more than $731 million at the box office and became the third-highest-grossing film released that year.
Related:Movie Stunts You Didn’t Know Were CGI

2004 – Spider-Man 2 – $788.6 Million

Sony Pictures Releasing

Following the hype of the influential Spider-Man (2002), the hit sequel to the film saw Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) back for another superhero story set two years after the first film. In Spider-Man 2, Peter is faced with the wrath of Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), whose plan to recreate the accident that killed his wife misfires and causes his body to fuse with robotic tentacles. Along with this gigantic threat, Peter must also grasp with the hatred of his best friend and the unrequited love of his crush.
Spider-Man 2’s many moving parts culminated in wide critical acclaim, with the film receiving a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, A- on CinemaScore, and 83 on Metacritic. Commercially, the film went on to amass $788.6 million at the worldwide box office and became the third-highest-grossing film of the year.

2005 – War of the Worlds – $603.9 Million

Paramount Pictures 

Tom Cruise makes another appearance on this list in the Steven Spielberg-directed movie, War of the Worlds (2005). The science fiction thriller action film follows Ray Ferrier (Cruise), a stevedore forced to protect his children from extraterrestrials who invade Earth with war machines.
The film, believed by some fans to be one of the best giant monster movies, became a box office hit and set many records for both the film and Cruise himself. The film grossed $603.9 million worldwide, becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of 2005 in the process, and became the 38th biggest weekend opening for any film. For Cruise, the film became his biggest opening weekend for seventeen years before the release of the 2022 hit Top Gun: Maverick.

2006 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest – $1.066 Billion

Beuna Vista Pictures Distribution

Three years after the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and the pinnacle of Johnny Depp’s career, the long-awaited sequel to the hit Disney franchise was released. Titled Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, the film follows Depp’s Jack Sparrow as he struggles with repaying his debt to Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) while reconciling with the spirit’s ruining of his friends’ wedding.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest received mixed reviews from fans and critics after its release, contrarily to the first film, but was lauded by critics for its impressive visual effects and became another box office success for the franchise. The film grossed $1.066 billion at the worldwide box office, a strong improvement over the box office of the first film, and earned the top spot as the highest-grossing film of 2006.

2007 – Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – $963 Million

Walt Disney Pictures

The continuation of box office glory remained strong for the Pirates of the Caribbean series when the third installment in the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, released in 2007. The film was conceived in conjunction with its predecessor in 2004, while shooting of the film occurred in 2006. When the film was finally released in theaters a year after its development partner, the garnered financial acclaim of the series carried over.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End became the highest-grossing film of 2007 after grossing more than $963 million at the box office. The film also continued the impressive visual effects of the previous film, earning the Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects awards at the 80th Academy Awards.
Related:Pirates of the Caribbean 6: Everything We Know

2008 – The Dark Knight – $1.006 Billion

Warner Bros. Pictures

Like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy is also considered one of the best film trilogies and influential in superhero media. In 2008, the Christopher Nolan directed sequel to 2005’s Batman Begins released in theaters to massive critical and commercial fame. The film, appropriately titled The Dark Knight, saw an evolution of Christian Bale’s Batman in a unique light to many fans. The film was praised for its gripping screenplay and iconic performance of Joker by the late Heath Ledger.
At the box office, The Dark Knight earned $1.006 billion worldwide and became the highest-grossing film of 2008. The film set a major precedent for superhero films to follow, leading to another massive shift in storytelling for the emerging genre that Spider-Man (2002) helped to facilitate.

2009 – Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $836.8 Million

DreamWorks Pictures

When it comes to blockbusters and box office hits, no name has become as synonymous with those aspects of filmmaking as Michael Bay. The American filmmaker is mostly known for the extensive special effects and grandiose explosions within his films, and no other franchise is more evident of that than the Michael Bay-led Transformers film series.
Based on the 1980s media franchise of the same name, Transformers follows two alien robotic groups that can transform into vehicles and other objects. The first Transformers film was released in 2007 and grossed more than $700 million worldwide. Two years later, in 2009, its sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, was released to much less critical fanfare. Despite this, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen went on to become one of the bestselling films of the year. It amassed $836.3 million worldwide against a budget of $200 million.