I was watching some stuff on the MCU earlier today, and my daughter was reading Harry Potter and it got me thinking about defining movie franchises of each decade. I think it is pretty clear that the MCU was the defining franchise of the 2010's. They released 21 movies in the decade, and all were massive hits.

The 2000s aren't as clear, but I think there's a good argument that Harry Potter was really the defining franchise. Six of the movies were released in the decade, and they were also all hits. The movies spanned the entire decade, too, from 2001-2010. Throw in the books, and I think that puts them over other franchises such as LOTR and Star Wars.

Star Wars was clearly the defining franchise of the 1980s. Even though only two movies came out in the 80s, the movies were still the pop culture movie icons well into the late 80s and early 90s. I feel like even though Star Wars was still popular in the 90s, it definitely seems more of an 80s thing.

For the 1990s, I can't really think of a movie franchise that really defined it. There were good movies, but not really big franchises that spanned the entire decade. Star Wars was still around, but it was really viewed as more of a nerd thing. There were quite a few Batman movies, but most of them sucked. Maybe you could say it was the Disney decade, as they had a very strong animated line up, even if none were really multi movie franchises.

Is there a franchise you think of when you think 1990s movies? Maybe the 90s is just a tv decade, as when I think of pop culture in the 90s, I think of MTV and Friends. Bonus question, any guesses on if there will be a new franchise for the 2020s? The MCU can't last forever, can it?

That's actually a great question cause nothing jumps to mind like the other decades.

I was going to say Batman, but the first was 89 so it misses the cut.

Still, the three that did come out were big summer events, although B&R obviously was not very good.

I can't think of big franchises in the 90s, I just remember a lot of big standalone films. Maybe Jurassic Park or Toy Story?

Got it. Scream.

Matrix was everywhere from 99-03, so not long enough to qualify, plus it straddles both decades.

American Pie does as well.

But those were both big ones for the late 90s early 00s era.

And of course the Spiderman trilogy, LOTR, and Pirates.

I think that era is still the best as far as blockbuster franchises go.

First mission impossible movie came out in '96

I thought about Scream, but it just doesn't seem like it was big enough to really define the decade. Although, there were a ton of copy cat teen horror movies in the late 90s (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legends, etc.)

I almost feel like Jurassic Park might be the movie, even though there were only two in the decade, and the second one really sucked.

Will Smith movies were pretty much a franchise to themselves.

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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Matrix was everywhere from 99-03, so not long enough to qualify, plus it straddles both decades.

American Pie does as well.

But those were both big ones for the late 90s early 00s era.

And of course the Spiderman trilogy, LOTR, and Pirates.

I think that era is still the best as far as blockbuster franchises go.

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Late 90s, early 2000s really did see a lot of franchise spawn. You also had The Fast and the Furious and Toy Story.

A case to be made for Jack Ryan?
Hunt for Red October (1990)
Patriot Games (1992)
Clear and Present Danger (1994)

One thing that has always stuck out to me about the 90's was the attempt to create franchises based on old properties or graphic novels that never really gained any traction or had attempts at sequels that just failed or went straight to video.

Dick Tracy
The Rocketeer (God, I love this movie)
Darkman (with straight-to-video sequels)
The Crow (with numerous bad sequels and tv spinoffs)
The Shadow
The Phantom
Barb Wire
Judge Dredd
Tank Girl
The Mask of Zorro (one of the best of the 90's that did spawn one sequel)
Spawn
Mystery Men
The Mask

To me, THAT was the 90's: every studio was very adventurous in trying to find the next "Batman" or the next Indiana Jones. Most of these movies listed were more 'family-friendly' in their approach which....was actually kind of refreshing.

I'd say it's either the Jurassic Park franchise ('93 and '97), the Austin Powers franchise ('97 and '99), or, as someone already smartly said, Will Smith as a franchise in and of himself ('95 = Bad Boys, '96 = Independence Day, '97 = Men In Black, '98 = Enemy of the State, '99 = Wild Wild West).

You could say the 90s were nearly the death of comic book movies…..looking this up didn't realize that: Batman & Robin, Spawn, and Steel all came out in the SAME YEAR (1997).

What a plethora of crap

AustinAg2K said:

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I thought about Scream, but it just doesn't seem like it was big enough to really define the decade. Although, there were a ton of copy cat teen horror movies in the late 90s (I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legends, etc.)

I almost feel like Jurassic Park might be the movie, even though there were only two in the decade, and the second one really sucked.

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Yeah, definitely more cause of influence than anything else. It really revitalized a dying genre.

jokershady said:

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You could say the 90s were nearly the death of comic book movies…..looking this up didn't realize that: Batman & Robin, Spawn, and Steel all came out in the SAME YEAR (1997).

What a plethora of crap

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It was the Atari/ET crash of the comic book movie, and Spiderman was definitely the Nintendo/Super Mario that brought it back to life.

You know, I never realized how many classic comedies we got in the 90s. Dumb and Dumber, Ace Ventura, Austin Powers, Happy Gilmore, There's Something About Mary...

All of those are all-timers. (For me anyway.)

The Blade movies?

John Grisham movies?

You all are missing the 2 most obvious answers.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and 3 Ninjas.

When did Die Hard come out?

birdman said:

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When did Die Hard come out?

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88. I was going to bring up Die Hard and Lethal Weapon but they both started in the 80s

Tarantino films were the big deal of the 90's as I remember it. Also, the whole Indy film thing seemed to blow up then - Clerks came out when, in 94 or so and then everyone wanted to do Independent films.

Ummm... first of all, agree to disagree on the '80's.

It's all about Back to the Future. I guarantee you most people associate Back to the Future with the 80's over Star Wars. When I think Star Wars, I think 70's.

As for the 90's, that was my childhood. To me, the Disney Renaissance is synonymous with the 90's..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_Renaissance

Better action star of the 90s?

Will Smith - Bad Boys, ID4, Men in Black, Enemy of the State, Wild Wild West

Keanu Reeves - Point Break, Speed, The Matrix

The least three posts are directors, studios, and actors. Not series/franchises.

And before those three posts, we pretty much established that there isn't *one* defining '90s franchise. So we're trying to define the decade cinematically by other means.

I'll throw another one out there… James Cameron.

'91 = Terminator 2: Judgment Day
'94 = True Lies
'97 = Titanic

TCTTS said:

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And before those three posts, we pretty much established that there isn't *one* defining '90s franchise. So we're trying to define the decade cinematically by other means.

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You obviously glossed over my post.

The true answer has to be TMNT.

You're right. Missed that.

That said, while TMNT '90 = under appreciated masterpiece, Secret of the Ooze = crap.

1980s - Indiana Jones
1990s - Batman
2000s - Star Wars
2010s - MCU

I went back and watched all 3 with my kids in years past.

OG was still pretty enjoyable but man it was dated.

SotO had definitely soured a bit but I still enjoyed it. 10 year old me was angry that they missed a Beebop and Rocksteady opportunity and wasted it on a dog and a snapping turtle? Then Michael Bay gave it to me 20 years later and was even more disappointing. 3 was unbearable.

Speaking of the original, I was looking it up and was surprised it made 200mm against a 13mm budget. Not bad for that day and age.

Sam Rockwell was one of the teenage goons in the first TMNT.

The Adam Sandler-verse.

Jurassic Park?