In the movie industry, there are so many advancements that time flies by, and it hardly feels like 15 years have ed since these 2007 movies were released. However, at the same time, because of those advancements, some of the movies feel dated because of their effects and storytelling, but they are still just as entertaining as ever.
Between a horror movie with one of the most shocking twists ever, a surprisingly mature coming-of-age teen movie, and not one but two so-bad-they're-good Nicolas Cage movies, these movies turned 15 very quickly. Juno's baby is now almost the same age as Juno is in the movie, and that's enough to make anyone feel old.
Knocked Up
Knocked Up was a huge hit, as it made over $200 million worldwide, which doesn't happen often for a comedy where most of the dialogue is improvised marijuana and fart jokes. However, there's more to the 2007 movie than crude jokes and vulgar language, as it's actually rather insightful and thought-provoking with its approach to unplanned pregnancies.
The movie manages to tell a meaningful story without having the comedy slow down. It's a laugh-a-minute film and one of This Is 40, which attempts to tell the next step in parenthood.
The Mist
There are many great adaptations of Stephen King novels, whether it's The Mist is one of those movies, but it doesn't get the credit it deserves and is massively overlooked relative to those other films.
The Mist's ending is still considered one of the most shocking and depressing movie finales ever. And as the ending is different from the ending of King's novel, it's one of the few movies adaptations that's better than its source material. According to Cinema Blend, King himself firmly approved of the change.
I Am Legend
I Am Legend is one of Will Smith's highest-grossing movies, which is an incredible feat given how he's essentially the only actor in the movie. Not only that, but the film has such a depressing concept too. But despite that, it has become somewhat of a classic and easily the best PG-13-rated zombie apocalypse movie.
However, what makes I Am Legend's age more jarring is what the film came to be known for most, the hype-building Batman and Superman team-up poster hanging in the dystopian ruins of the city. That's all audiences could talk about after the credits rolled, but, unfortunately, it led to nothing, and audiences wouldn't actually see the superheroes go head to head until 2016 in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Juno
2007 saw a micro-trend in the movie industry where comedy movies attempted to tackle tough, real-life struggles and events. It's a surprise that more studios didn't capitalize on it, as, along with Knocked Up, Juno was a huge success. The film was a phenomenon at the box office, as it's a low-budget indie movie that went on to gross an incredible $230 million off a production cost of just $6.5 million.
While Knocked Up tackles the subject of unplanned pregnancy, Juno tackles the same subject only the characters are teenagers. The result is one of the best coming-of-age movies, and few others are as hard-hitting as they are funny.
The Bucket List
The Bucket List follows two best friends who go on a road trip together to fulfill everything they ever wanted to do in life before they kick the bucket. The movie is charming, even if it does force audiences to think about what they haven't done and how long they have to do it before they kick the bucket too. And that makes it scarily ironic that 15 years have ed since the movie's release already.
Viewers should enjoy The Bucket List as much as they can, as it's one of the last ever movies starring Jack Nicholson before his retirement. And as his very final movie, How Do You Know, was critically scathed, the 2007 movie could be considered Nicholson's swan song, especially as it tackles themes of mortality.
National Treasure: Book Of Secrets
Book of Secrets was hated by critics, audiences loved it. In this case, the 15 years since its release feels like much longer, as fans have been waiting for a third National Treasure movie all that time.
Unfortunately, it has been stuck in development for so long, and it's looking more unlikely with each ing year. As a key storytelling rule is to leave the audiences wanting more, Book of Secrets does exactly that, as fans are desperate to know what's on page 47 of the President's book. However, there is a National Treasure TV show in production that will be released on Disney+ later this year.
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Bourne Supremacy popularized shaky-cam. And while the third movie didn't influence the action genre and change the way movies were made, it was the perfect finale to Jason Bourne's story arc.
Though the movie's legacy was tarnished by two inferior sequels, Ultimatum forced film buffs to discuss the series when debating the best movie trilogies of all time. It answered questions that viewers had ever since the first movie, and it's the best alternative to James Bond there is.
American Gangster
The early 2000s were a great time for movies, but the industry was lacking in one major department. There hadn't been a great gangster movie for years, but then came the one-two punch of 2006's American Gangster.
The 2007 Ridley Scott-directed movie is especially fascinating, as it follows the real-life gangster Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington,) who ran the heroin trade in New York for years. It's one of the best gangster movies of the 21st century, and Washington gives a terrifying performance of the evil drug lord.
Ghost Rider
It seems as if 2007 was Cage's year, as, along with the second National Treasure movie, he played a Marvel superhero. Ghost Rider is one of Nicolas Cage's most entertaining movies, and even though it wasn't loved by critics, general audiences found it endlessly entertaining. It's almost as if Cage was born to play a man who transforms into a flaming skeleton.
There are rumors that he might show up in Doctor Strange 2. The MCU movie is bringing back Patrick Stewart's Professor Xavier and Peggy Carter, and as it's diving into the multiverse, there's a chance that Cage could be part of the roster. There'd be nothing more entertaining than Cage being inducted into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There Will Be Blood
While writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson has several movies that could be considered epic, There Will Be Blood is his magnum opus. Between Daniel Day-Lewis's horrifying depiction of oil tycoon Daniel Plainview, the almost-panoramic scope of the western, and the sweeping music of composer Jonny Greenwood, the movie is a modern classic.
Even though There Will Be Blood is 15 years old and is set even further in the past, taking place in the late 1800s, it's just as relevant today. The movie is a commentary on capitalism and greed, which could be construed as a cautionary tale, and, in some ways, it's even more relevant now than it was 15 years ago.
