EJ Moreno looks at the biggest movies from 2003 and 2013…
As blockbusters return to proper form post-pandemic, it’s incredible to see what we’ve missed in the last few years. But it goes further than that; the landscape of big-budget spectacles hasn’t been the same in a while. There have been peak eras regarding fan reception and the box office that have stuck with us for decades, and this is a journey back to those periods.
Looking back ten & twenty years ago paints quite the picture; this is a time before the MCU shifted the landscape of things entirely, but it was still as IP-heavy as we complain about these days. We still see plenty of sequels, remakes, and superheroes, but there’s room for a few original outings. The films included here are often cited as what inspired today’s landscape.
2003 vs. 2013: Which year had the bigger & better hits? Let’s find out…
Hulk vs. Man of Steel
Ang Lee is one of the most interesting directors; he always makes surprising choices and is known for doing what he wants to do…sometimes to a fault. 2003’s Hulk is a prime example of just that, as Lee makes bold choice after bold choice with this superhero film. The Eric Bana-led Hulk film came at an early rise in the genre but felt too artsy compared to its more “serious” peers.
Speaking of bold choices, Zack Snyder is a filmmaker not afraid of doing whatever he feels. Man of Steel from 2013 sees Snyder take Superman in a different direction than anything before, crafting a polarizing experience that forever shifted the state of the DC Universe. Even in 2013, when we’d seen plenty of genre entries, it was surprising to see a simple Superman movie shake up so much.
Looking at the careers of both Ang Lee and Zack Snyder, their spells in the superhero genre really shifted their careers for decades to come. When peering at the films themselves, Man of Steel is a tighter movie with more to offer comic book fans.
Winner: Man of Steel
The Matrix Reloaded vs. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Being the second entry in a franchise is no easy task. Your hype level is upped because of the first installment, but you know there’s a “to be continued” in your future. That hurt The Matrix Reloaded especially; the Wachowskis had to follow up an iconic movie but were stuck trying to build toward the end instead of telling a singular story.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was in a similar boat, having to follow up a popular movie but still give fans more to look forward to in the future. Thankfully, fans knew what would come with the films based on wildly popular books. Catching Fire also sported impressive box office numbers, making almost a billion dollars. For all that, it feels a bit forgotten over time.
Both films have the distinction of being the last time their franchises saw such success, but for this writer, The Matrix Reloaded stands the test of time a bit better than Catching Fire.
Winner: The Matrix Reloaded
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King vs. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
A Tolkien battle is upon us, but this fight has a clear winner. Not to spoil the rest of this entry, but undoubtedly, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is one of the best blockbusters ever. An Oscar-winning box office titan, there’s nothing you can say against the film. It’s an epic in every sense of the word and something every fantasy film has tried to recreate.
The Desolation of Smaug isn’t as bad as you’d remember; that would be The Battle of the Five Armies, but there’s still something missing here that made the original Lord of the Rings run so special. Still, you can’t take away the successes of The Desolation of Smaug, with the film making nearly a billion dollars in a fairly crowded year. Just try to ignore the horrible 48-frames-per-second gimmick.
Sadly, you can post most movies next to The Return of the King, and it would struggle to take the W. Over a billion at the box office, and Best Picture at the Oscars makes you a film that will live on forever.
Winner: The Return of the King
Finding Nemo vs Frozen
On paper, both of these movies have so much in common. But from the Disney umbrella, we know these movies as tried and true hits that shaped animation for some time. Finding Nemo was all the rage in 2003, making Pixar an Oscar winner for the first time. The underwater adventure kept Pixar’s winning streak alive with fans, something we wouldn’t see falters until about three years later.
There’s simply no other word to describe Frozen than an inescapable hit. If you thought Finding Nemo was having a moment in 2003, Frozen created a phenomenon in 2013 that we are just now getting over. The music was massive, the accolades rang high, and it was genuinely one of the more interesting films from Disney Animation when it felt like they were growing a bit stale. This flick saved the House of Mouse for some time.
Again, both of these films are extremely comparable. We are looking at two animated smash hits that helped push their medium forward, but Frozen wins because you know you’re still trying to forget “Let It Go.”
Winner: Frozen
Pirates of the Caribbean vs. Gravity
What these two films have in common will surprise you. Looking at Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, you’d think it wouldn’t stand next to prestige cinema, but it’s one of the few blockbusters that has improved with time. We have an Oscar-nominated Best Actor performance from Johnny Depp with a style and scope that has often been intimated but never duplicated. This was a spectacle with heart, soul, and good acting.
Besides his Harry Potter movie, Alfonso Cuarón has never made a film bigger than Gravity. It’s a bombastic blockbuster that gave 2013 a prestige entry that also found moderate mainstream success. This time, we got another Oscar-nominated acting performance from a stellar Sandra Bullock, with even stronger effects and style than its competitor. 2013’s Gravity feels larger than life in so many ways.
Sadly, Gravity hasn’t stayed in the pop culture world as much as Pirates of the Caribbean. Excluding its sequels, The Curse of the Black Pearl defined a moment, and it’s hard to deny its power amongst movie lovers.
Winner: Pirates of the Caribbean
Something about 2003 feels special. Not only does some nostalgia play a factor, but it’s just a year packed with impressive outing after impressive out. We didn’t mention 2003 blockbusters like X-2, Bruce Almighty, or The Italian Job. 2013 isn’t bad by any means, it still has plenty to offer movie lovers, but you can’t take away what 2003 did for cinema.
Genre-defining moments were made, and franchises were created; there’s no denying that 2003 had some of the best blockbusters of any year.
What are your thoughts? Let us know on your social channels @FlickeringMyth…
EJ Moreno
