Movies

7 Classic Blockbusters Turning 20 Years Old in 2025

2005 was home to a slew of beloved blockbusters that are now turning 20 years old.

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Anakin and Obi-Wan begin their Mustafar confrontation in Revenge of the Sith (2005)

2005 was a famously challenging year for the domestic box office, but that doesn’t mean this year didn’t produce some blockbuster movies that are still leaving a profound mark on the film industry. On the contrary, 2005 was home to a slew of costly titles that have developed passionate fanbases still going strong well into the 2020s. Part of that is due to nostalgia from current adults who grew up on these 2005 movies. Part of it, though, is simply that these titles have qualities that made them profoundly latch onto people.

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After all, if all it took was nostalgia for a 2005 blockbuster to become beloved or inspire academic essays in 2025, then the likes of Stealth and The Island would’ve already inspired a legacy sequel or two. These seven 2005 blockbusters, in particular, have garnered esteemed reputations over the years that are well worth appreciating now that they’re all turning 20 years old. All of us are getting older, but these enduringly popular 2005 blockbusters aren’t going anywhere.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

2005’s biggest movie by a considerable margin, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith capped off the Star Wars prequel trilogy with darker storytelling material and narrative beats distinctly connecting these titles with the original three Star Wars installments. Though decently reviewed at the time of its release, Revenge of the Sith has become an outright masterpiece for viewers of a certain age. Phrases like “pathway to many abilities” or “I have the high ground” forever belong to this feature to many moviegoers. Plus, elements of Sith’s story, namely Order 66, keep getting referenced in all kinds of modern Star Wars media.

King Kong

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At the time of its release, King Kong made a pretty penny at the box office, but its initial reception was intertwined with criticisms over its lengthy run time and comparisons to director Peter Jackson’s earlier The Lord of the Rings movies. Two decades later, King Kong has garnered a loyal following thanks to its critical contributions to the history of motion-capture animation. Andy Serkis delivering such excellent Planet of the Apes performances doesn’t happen without the technological breakthroughs of King Kong. Also, those divisive The Hobbit movies have made people extra appreciate what Jackson did get right with King Kong.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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The general public was clearly more eager for a proper Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe adaptation than anyone could’ve expected. This inaugural live-action blockbuster Narnia movie was the second-biggest movie of 2005 domestically. Since its debut, it’s garnered a cozy reputation as by far the best Narnia feature ever brought to the screen. James McAvoy’s Mr. Tumnus character, meanwhile, proved quite formative for an entire generation of audiences. Tumblr is still awash with fan-fiction and loving art of this Wardrobe character.

War of the Worlds

Initially, critics were largely cold on War of the Worlds. The movie was perceived as falling prey to generic thrills and sentimental urges while maintaining the ending of the original H.G. Wells novel inspired divisive responses. Today, that perception has radically changed. Like many early 2000s Steven Spielberg features, War of the Worlds is now praised for a tone evoking a world directly existing in the shadow of 9/11. Its bleaker aesthetic, not to mention having Tom Cruise inhabit a more vulnerable character, has been more appreciated with time.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Out of all the movies on this list, Mr. and Mrs. Smith is the most that resembles a time capsule of a bygone era. We’re still making Batman and Star Wars movies. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, though, was a star-driven original concept banking on the public’s ceaseless love for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. These two stars are now divorced and movie stars no longer sell features in a cinematic landscape dominated by pre-existing franchises. Even Mr. and Mrs. Smith has become a Prime Video show in the 2020s. 20 years later, the original Mr. and Mrs. Smith may as well be a movie from another planet.

Constantine

Gripes about how Constantine doesn’t really evoke its comic book source material undeniably and understandably endure today. However, Constantine has amassed its own unique fanbase two decades after its release. They’re more interested in Tilda Swinton’s gender-challenging performance or Rachel Weisz’s captivating turn rather than fidelity to the comics. Keanu Reeves getting such a late-career resurgence certainly hasn’t hurt Constantine’s reputation.

Batman Begins

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After two smaller-scale movies, director Christopher Nolan blew up his profile with the 2005 reboot Batman Begins. A stark new take on Batman and superhero movies in general, blockbuster movies would never be the same after Batman Begins. Gritty reboots were now all the rage in Hollywood. Nolan had a specific style of filmmaking that other directors would begin aping immediately. Warner Bros., meanwhile, saw a path forward for DC characters on the big screen in the 21st century that it’s been chasing ever since. Out of all of 2005’s blockbusters, Batman Begins is the one that most overhauled the pop culture zeitgeist.