The '90s was a weird decade for movies. Hollywood had fully bought into the blockbuster model, with studios waiting until the summer to release their biggest movies. While the '80s saw the rise of the action star, the '90s was all about genre movies. With major stars still opening movies, the concepts were becoming more complicated. Also, budgets started to get bigger and bigger, raising the stakes on box offices returns. Probably the biggest achievement of the decade was the rise of CG effects. Now, filmmakers were able to take audiences to any world they could dream of, full of whatever characters or creatures they desired. Instead of basing movies off of some beefy action star, Hollywood now had CGI.
Of course, the switch from practical effects to CG wasn't easy. In fact, at times, it was pretty ugly. Directors and studios began to rely too heavily on the new technology. It became clear that films were being made solely based on their visual spectacle. At the time, audiences were wowed, and were willing to forgive bad acting and lackluster storytelling. Now, nearly 20 years after the decade ended, it's time to look back. A lot of great, innovative films came out during this time period. On the other side, there are plenty of movies that should be left behind, never to be spoken of again.
20 AGED WELL: MEN IN BLACK
This was the movie that cemented Will Smith as a megastar. While Independence Day (1996) was a big hit, Men in Black (1997) made him a household name. It wasn't just the movie, there was also the hit single he released along with the film. Audiences could watch Will Smith chase aliens and then rap about chasing aliens, and they loved it.
Loosely based on a minor comic book franchise, the film is a family-friendly comedy that pairs Smith with Tommy Lee Jones. The two save the Earth from a giant alien roach, portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio. While some of the special effects don't look so great now, the film still stands on the performances by the lead actors.
19 AGED WELL: BLADE
The '90s wasn't a great era for superhero movies. Studios were afraid of spandex-clad heroes and avoided anything that seemed too comic-booky. This is how Blade (1998) was able to slip through the cracks. Starring Wesley Snipes, the film told the story of a kung-fu trained vampire hunter who stalked goth-night clubs for bloodsuckers.
On one hand, the film is very much a '90s movie. Everyone is wearing black leather, and Blade wears sunglasses even when he's indoors at nighttime. Also, characters love to throw one-liners at every opportunity they get. Despite all that, this movie showed Hollywood that comic books could actually tell mature stories and make great movies.
18 AGED WELL: JURASSIC PARK
The original film in the Jurassic Park franchise claimed that it was 65-million-years in the making, and it shows. The 1993 film, directed by Steven Spielberg, asked a simple question: what if man could bring dinosaurs back to life? Apparently, the answer is: chaos. That's exactly what happens when John Hammond attempts to open a theme park filled with cloned dinosaurs.
The story is tense and suspenseful, and the characters are all engaging. What makes this film truly stand out, however, are the special effects. The combination of CGI and practical effects still holds up over 20 years later. Add in a classic score by John Williams, and Jurassic Park is a perfectly timeless classic.
17 AGED WELL: TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY
Coming out seven years after the original, Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) proves that not all sequels are worse. While the first film was made for a moderately small budget, the sequel would be considered expensive even by today's standards.
Years after a terminator tried to kill Sarah Connor, a new robot assassin is sent to target her son, John. The boy is destined to grow up and lead the human resistance, so they send a reprogrammed terminator of their own to protect him. The boy must fight to save his life, while trying to prevent the dark future from ever occurring. If the series had just ended here, the Terminator franchise would have been much better off.
16 AGED WELL: STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT
Star Trek: The First Contact (1996) took the series' scariest villains and gave fans exactly what they wanted to see. After the Borg attack Earth, they send a ship to the past to assimilate humanity before they had a chance of fighting back. The crew of the Enterprise must travel to the past to save the future.
Due to Picard's previous encounters with the Borg, the normally calm and rational leader is emotionally compromised. Star Trek: The Next Generation is at its best when it gives its actors some room to stretch, and Patrick Stewart takes full advantage of the drama.
15 AGED WELL: THE MUMMY
While Universal may be struggling to launch a reboot of its monsters-universe franchise, they nailed it during the '90s. In 1999, they released The Mummy, directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser. The film was less of a horror movie and focused more on the adventure aspect of the story.
The end result was a simple, yet fun summer movie. It turns out, fun is ageless. The plot basically revolves around Brendan Fraser charming his way through set piece after set piece. Seriously, it's impossible to hate a movie where Fraser gets eaten by a giant monster face in a sand storm.
14 AGED WELL: THE CROW
Based on the comic book by James O'Barr, The Crow (1994) is a gothic tale of revenge. After he and his fiance were targeted by a gang, Eric Draven is brought back to life by a mythical crow. After being granted special powers, he must get revenge against the gang that wronged him.
It's amazing that this movie turned out as well as it did. Brandon Lee, the main star, died during a tragic accident while filming. The movie had to be finished without him, giving the final product a haunting quality. While the sequels weren't warmly received by fans, the original still holds up as one of the few '90s comic book successes.
13 AGED WELL: GOLDENEYE
After a notably long absence, James Bond stormed back into theaters with 1995's GoldenEye. The previous Bond, Timothy Dalton, had left the series, so Pierce Brosnan was brought in to fill the spy's dapper shoes. The casting worked out, and it really felt like this was the role Brosnan was born to play.
The plot revolved around terrorists taking control of the GoldenEye satellites. They're led by an ex-MI6 agent and former friend of Bond, adding a personal stake to the story. This film helped bring Bond to the modern world (at the time), while still staying true to the spirit of the series. Director Martin Campbell would return years later to reboot Bond once again with Casino Royale (2006).
12 AGED WELL: SCREAM
The '80s was a great time for horror movies, but things had turned sour by the mid '90s. In 1996, Wes Craven teamed up with screenwriter Kevin Williamson for Scream. The slasher flick breathed new life into the genre by turning all of its tropes on their head. The story is pretty straightforward, with a masked madman targeting a group of teens in a small town.
The difference is that these teens grew up watching horror movies, and seemingly know all of the rules. This is a film for horror fans and for people that love to talk about horror movies. This film is both a great scary movie and a thoughtful deconstruction of that very genre.
11 AGED WELL: BATMAN RETURNS
After the massive success of Batman (1989), a sequel was guaranteed. Tim Burton returned, only this time with more control over the production. Batman Returns (1992) is the strangest Batman movie ever, but that's what makes it work. It's dark, gothic and (despite all the changes from the source material) it feels just like a comic book come to life.
This is a classic comic book movie that revolves around the Penguin running for mayor. His accomplice is a businessman who simply trying to maintain financial dominance over Gotham's power supply. Add Michelle Pfeiffer's amazing performance as Catwoman and this movie is a timeless classic.
10 SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN: INDEPENDENCE DAY
It's crazy how great the opening scenes of Independence Day (1996) are. The ominous build up works perfectly. By the time the giant, city-sized alien ships settle over New York, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, the terror is palpable. It's only after the initial attack that the movie starts to fall apart.
Sure, it's great watching Will Smith fly an F-18 fighter against the aliens, but there's not enough of that in the film. The plot follows way too many characters, and the finale is based on giving the aliens a computer virus. Decades later, computers aren't magical anymore and we all see how silly that idea is.
9 SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN: THE PHANTOM MENACE
The Star Wars franchise was beloved during the '90s. When it was announced that George Lucas would be bringing the series back to the big screen, fans were ecstatic. Of course, The Phantom Menace (1999) was a huge hit. It dominated the box office, and kicked off a new trilogy of films.
The film's story revolves around a young Obi Wan Kenobi meeting Anakin Skywalker, the future Darth Vader. There's also a plot about trade wars. It turns out, watching Darth Vader as an adorable little kid wasn't a great idea. On top of that, Lucas relied too heavily on CG effects, and the final result is a movie that's lost its wow factor.
8 SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN: AUSTIN POWERS
It's possible to make a movie character too quotable. Mike Myers' love letter to spy movies, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), wasn't actually a huge hit in theaters. While it was successful, it wasn't until it was released on home video that everyone started quoting "oh behave" or "one-million-dollars!" constantly.
The problem with this movie is that the joke wears thin fairly fast. Everyone could do impressions of the main character, along with Dr. Evil, and it got old real quick. It's not the film's fault that hacky comedians ruined it, but it's still hard to watch it now without cringing.
7 SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN: SPAWN
The problem with basing an entire movie on how cool the effects are is that, if those effects don't age well, then neither does the movie. Based on the insanely popular comic book, Spawn (1997) tells the story of Al Simmons. After being resurrected, he finds himself imbued with super powers. He must protect humanity from the forces of evil, which includes a shadowy government bureaucrat and an evil clown.
At the time, the movie looked amazing. Now, it just looks like Spawn is wearing a cartoon cape. It also doesn't help that some of the CGI monsters have mouths that don't move when they talk.
6 SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN: STAR TREK: INSURRECTION
After Star Trek: First Contact (1996) successfully brought The Next Generation crew to the big screen, Paramount followed up with Star Trek: Insurrection (1998). This time, the Enterprise had to protect the innocent inhabits of a planet from a group of plastic surgery obsessed aliens. Also, the planet causes people to stay young forever.
This film took a much more light-hearted approach than its predecessor. Unfortunately, the serious tone of First Contact was one of the things fans loved about it. In comparison, Insurrection just comes across as silly. Even worse, most of the jokes don't hit, which is never a good thing.
5 SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN: LOST IN SPACE
During the '90s, New Line Cinema decided to turn a campy TV show from the '60s into a slick sci-fi/action film. The result was Lost in Space (1998), a film about a family that blasts off into space and, as the title suggests, gets lost. It starred William Hurt and Gary Oldman, along with Heather Graham and Matt LeBlanc. It turns out, casting Joey from Friends as an action star wasn't a great idea.
The film's biggest flaw, however, is overcomplicating the story and taking the concept too seriously. By the time Gary Oldman turns into a giant monster spider-robot, the audience had checked out completely.
4 SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN: BATMAN FOREVER
While Batman Returns (1992) may have aged well, it wasn't beloved when it was released. Parents were upset that the film was too dark, and the studio apparently wanted a more kid friendly approach to the sequels. As the story goes, they essentially wanted a long toy commercial.
The result was Batman Forever (1995), a movie that turned the dark knight into the neon lights night. The film leaned into Batman's campy history, and is infamous for introducing the batsuit with nipples on it. While the movie did sell a lot of toys, the cost was at the quality of the film itself, and it would be a decade before Batman recovered his reputation at the movies.
3 SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN: PREDATOR 2
The first Predator (1987) pitted Arnold Schwarzenegger and his team of commandos against the universe's greatest hunter. While the original was set in Central America, the sequel moved the action to Los Angeles. On paper, this seemed like a great idea, as there would be much more opportunity for the alien to cause mayhem in the middle of a city.
The problem with this movie is that it almost doesn't take itself seriously. All of the human characters come across like parody versions of cops and criminals. Unfortunately, the film wasn't meant to be a parody, so the final result is just an awkward mish-mash of cliches.
2 SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN: THE MATRIX
This was the coolest movie of the '90s. When The Matrix (1999) came out, it blew audience's minds. The effects were amazing and, more importantly, the concept was incredibly unique. While the sequels were disappointing, the original should've held up, right?
There are several problems. First of all, the effects haven't aged well, and the movie just isn't that impressive anymore. Secondly, it turned out the story wasn't all that unique, and plenty of obscure works of fiction had already touched on many of the themes. Lastly, this movie introduced the world to bullet time, the most overused special effect from the early '00s. That's just unforgivable.
1 SHOULD BE FORGOTTEN: THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
James Bond is constantly straddling the line between breathtaking action and over-the-top silliness. Fans expect thrilling chases, amazing set pieces and an arsenal of spy gadgets. While the lesser Bond movies are usually overly goofy, The World is not Enough (1999) is actually just rather dull.
Tasked with catching an assassin, 007 finds himself caught up in a plot to raise gas prices by setting off a nuclear bomb. Bond's best gadget in the film is a suit that inflates into a giant ball, which is pretty lame. Worst of all, Denise Richards was cast as a nuclear scientist, which is the exact opposite role she was born to play.