With the turn of the 21st century, Western films inevitably took a backseat in Hollywood. However, with the release of the critically acclaimed hit movie True Grit in 2010, this genre may be back on the rise. In honor of this classic genre of film, this article takes a look back at some of the best Western movies the past decade has to offer. Here are the top 5 Western films released in the 2000s based on a comprehensive ranking methodology that takes into account film critic reviews, audience likability and box office performance. Note: This methodology is explained at the end of this article.
Top 5 Western Movies of the 2000s
1. Brokeback Mountain – Considered one of the best and one of the most controversial films of the year, Brokeback Mountain tells the story of two men who are bound together in a romantic relationship. This movie was directed by the Academy Award winning Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; The Hulk) and it stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as the two lovers. This film earned high praise from critics and went on to receive eight Oscar nominations from which it took home three awards including Best Director. [Rank Score: 18.28]
2. 3:10 to Yuma – This movie is a remake the 1957 film of the same name and it stars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. This film received high marks from critics who overall enjoyed the film and were impressed with its quality and its intelligence. It was a modest hit at the global box office having earned a grand sum of $70 million. [Rank Score: 17.50]
3. Open Range – This Western movie starring Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner is set in the American West during the late 19th century when “range wars” were fought. These wars were fought between farmers and ranchers over unowned and unfenced land which were primarily used for watering and grazing. This film was well liked by critics and audiences alike and it was a modest hit at the box office with $68 million earned globally. [Rank Score: 16.08]
4. Shanghai Noon – Eastern martial arts and the Wild West collide in this immensely funny action film starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson. A Chinese imperial guard (Jackie Chan) and a former American outlaw (Owen Wilson) team up to rescue a kidnapped princess (Lucy Liu) and in the process are involved in a series of hilarious adventures. This movie was well received by critics and well liked by audiences. It was a hit at the box office with nearly $100 million taken at the worldwide box office. [Rank Score: 15.49]
5. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford – This film is a historically accurate account of the last days of Jesse James before his eventual death at the hands Robert Ford. Brad Pitt stars as Jesse James in this movie, which focuses on the psychology of the criminal’s mind in the final days, and Casey Affleck plays Robert Ford. This movie was well received by critics and audiences, but it was a relative failure at the box office with just $15 million grossed worldwide, reclaiming just half of the film’s total budget. [Rank Score: 15.35]
Movie Ranking Methodology
Movies were ranked based on three quantitative factors: 1) Internet Movie Database user ratings, 2) Aggregate ratings on Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer) and 3) global box office revenue. The formula deriving a rank score for each movie is shown below.
Rank Score = IMDb User Rating + Tomatometer Percentage/10 + Global Box Office Revenue/$100 million
References
Box Office Mojo
Rotten Tomatoes
The Internet Movie Database
