Moviefone Editorial

Tag: inception

  • Best Leonardo DiCaprio Movies

    Leonardo DiCaprio attends the 'Don't Look Up' World Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 05, 2021 in New York City.
    Leonardo DiCaprio attends the ‘Don’t Look Up’ World Premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center on December 05, 2021 in New York City. Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix.

    Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the last of the truly great movie stars!

    The Oscar-winning actor has carefully constructed a body of work that includes such modern classics as ‘Titanic,’ ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ ‘The Departed,’ ‘Inception,’ ‘Django Unchained,’ ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ and ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.’

    DiCaprio has also worked with some of the greatest filmmakers in cinematic history including James Cameron, Baz Luhrmann, Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Clint Eastwood, Quentin Tarantino, and Martin Scorsese who he has worked with five-times including their latest, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ which also stars Robert De Niro and opens in theaters on October 20th.

    In honor of DiCaprio’s new film, Moviefone is counting down the 25 best movies of Leonardo DiCaprio’s impressive career.

    Let’s begin!

    25. ‘Don’t Look Up‘ (2021)

    Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jennifer Lawrence in 'Don't Look Up'
    Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jennifer Lawrence in ‘Don’t Look Up’

    Two American astronomers (DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) attempt to warn humankind about an approaching comet that will wipe out life on planet Earth.

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    24. ‘The Man in the Iron Mask‘ (1998)

    Years have passed since the Three Musketeers, Aramis (Jeremy Irons), Athos (John Malkovich) and Porthos (Gérard Depardieu), have fought together with their friend, (Gabriel Byrne) D’Artagnan. But with the tyrannical King Louis (DiCaprio) using his power to wreak havoc in the kingdom while his twin brother, Philippe (also DiCaprio), remains imprisoned, the Musketeers reunite to abduct Louis and replace him with Philippe.

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    23. ‘The Beach‘ (2000)

    Twenty-something Richard (DiCaprio) travels to Thailand and finds himself in possession of a strange map. Rumours state that it leads to a solitary beach paradise, a tropical bliss – excited and intrigued, he sets out to find it.

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    22. ‘J. Edgar‘ (2011)

    As the face of law enforcement in the United States for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover (DiCaprio) was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career, and his life.

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    21. ‘Revolutionary Road‘ (2008)

    A young couple (DiCaprio and Kate Winslet) living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their two children. Based on a novel by Richard Yates.

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    20. ‘Gangs of New York‘ (2002)

    Leonardo DiCaprio as Amsterdam Vallon, and Daniel Day-Lewis as William "Bill the Butcher" Cutting in director Martin Scorsese's 'Gangs of New York.'
    (L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio as Amsterdam Vallon, and Daniel Day-Lewis as William “Bill the Butcher” Cutting in director Martin Scorsese’s ‘Gangs of New York.’

    In 1863, Amsterdam Vallon (DiCaprio) returns to the Five Points of America to seek vengeance against the psychotic gangland kingpin, Bill the Butcher (Daniel Day-Lewis), who murdered his father (Liam Neeson) years earlier. With an eager pickpocket (Cameron Diaz) by his side and a whole new army, Vallon fights his way to seek vengeance on the Butcher and restore peace in the area.

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    19. ‘This Boy’s Life‘ (1993)

    When a son (DiCaprio) and mother (Ellen Barkin) move to Seattle in hopes for a better life, the mother meets a seemingly polite man (Robert De Niro). Things go south when the man turns out to be abusive, endangering their lives. As the mother struggles to maintain hope in an impossible situation, the son has plans to escape.

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    18. ‘Romeo + Juliet‘ (1996)

    In director Baz Luhrmann‘s contemporary take on William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, the Montagues and Capulets have moved their ongoing feud to the sweltering suburb of Verona Beach, where Romeo (DiCaprio) and Juliet (Claire Danes) fall in love and secretly wed. Though the film is visually modern, the bard’s dialogue remains.

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    17. ‘Body of Lies‘ (2008)

    The CIA’s hunt is on for the mastermind of a wave of terrorist attacks. Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) is the agency’s man on the ground, moving from place to place, scrambling to stay ahead of ever-shifting events. An eye in the sky – a satellite link – watches Ferris. At the other end of that real-time link is the CIA’s Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe), strategizing events from thousands of miles away. And as Ferris nears the target, he discovers trust can be just as dangerous as it is necessary for survival.

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    16. ‘The Quick and the Dead‘ (1995)

    A mysterious woman (Sharon Stone) comes to compete in a quick-draw elimination tournament, in a town taken over by a notorious gunman (Gene Hackman).

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    15. ‘Killers of the Flower Moon‘ (2023)

    Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone in 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' coming soon to Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.

    When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one—until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.

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    14. ‘The Great Gatsby‘ (2013)

    An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Long Island-set novel, where Midwesterner Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) is lured into the lavish world of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby (DiCaprio). Soon enough, however, Carraway will see through the cracks of Gatsby’s nouveau riche existence, where obsession, madness, and tragedy await.

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    13. ‘The Aviator‘ (2004)

    A biopic depicting the life of filmmaker and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes (DiCaprio) from 1927 to 1947, during which time he became a successful film producer and an aviation magnate, while simultaneously growing more unstable due to severe obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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    12. ‘The Revenant‘ (2015)

    In the 1820s, a frontiersman, Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), sets out on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling.

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    11. ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape‘ (1993)

    Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp) is a small-town young man with a lot of responsibility. Chief among his concerns are his mother, who is so overweight that she can’t leave the house, and his mentally impaired younger brother, Arnie (DiCaprio), who has a knack for finding trouble. Settled into a job at a grocery store and an ongoing affair with local woman Betty Carver (Mary Steenburgen), Gilbert finally has his life shaken up by the free-spirited Becky (Juliette Lewis).

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    10. ‘Django Unchained‘ (2012)

    Quentin Tarantino on the set of 'Django Unchained.'
    Quentin Tarantino on the set of ‘Django Unchained.’

    With the help of a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz), a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) sets out to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner (DiCaprio).

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    9. ‘The Basketball Diaries‘ (1995)

    Jim Carroll (DiCaprio), a high school basketball player, has his life turned upside down after free-falling into the harrowing world of drug addiction.

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    8. ‘Shutter Island‘ (2010)

    World War II soldier-turned-U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by troubling visions and a mysterious doctor (Ben Kingsley).

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    7. ‘Blood Diamond‘ (2006)

    An ex-mercenary turned smuggler (DiCaprio). A Mende fisherman (Djimon Hounsou). Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman’s son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed countrywide.

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    6. ‘The Departed‘ (2006)

    To take down South Boston’s Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop (DiCaprio) curries favor with the mob kingpin (Jack Nicholson), a career criminal (Matt Damon) rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there’s a mole among them.

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    5. ‘Inception‘ (2010)

    Leonardo DiCaprio in Christopher Nolan's 'Inception.'
    Leonardo DiCaprio in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

    Cobb (DiCaprio), a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: “inception”, the implantation of another person’s idea into a target’s subconscious.

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    4. ‘Catch Me If You Can‘ (2002)

    Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale Jr. in 'Catch Me iI You Can.'
    Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale Jr. in ‘Catch Me iI You Can.’ Photo: DreamWorks Pictures.

    A true story about Frank Abagnale Jr. (DiCaprio) who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor. An FBI agent (Tom Hanks) makes it his mission to put him behind bars. But Frank not only eludes capture, he revels in the pursuit.

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    3. ‘Titanic‘ (1997)

    Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in 'Titanic.'
    (L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in ‘Titanic.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater (Gloria Stuart) tells the story of her life aboard the Titanic, 84 years later. A young Rose (Kate Winslet) boards the ship with her mother (Frances Fisher) and fiancé (Billy Zane). Meanwhile, Jack Dawson (DiCaprio) and Fabrizio De Rossi (Danny Nucci) win third-class tickets aboard the ship. Rose tells the whole story from Titanic’s departure through to its death—on its first and last voyage—on April 15, 1912.

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    2. ‘The Wolf of Wall Street‘ (2013)

    Leonardo DiCaprio is Jordan Belfort and Matthew McConaughey is Mark Hanna in "The Wolf of Wall Street,' from Paramount Pictures and Red Granite Pictures.
    (L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio is Jordan Belfort and Matthew McConaughey is Mark Hanna in “The Wolf of Wall Street,’ from Paramount Pictures and Red Granite Pictures.

    A New York stockbroker (DiCaprio) refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration. Based on Jordan Belfort’s autobiography.

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    1. ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood‘ (2019)

    Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.'
    (L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’

    Los Angeles, 1969. TV star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), a struggling actor specializing in westerns, and stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), his best friend, try to survive in a constantly changing movie industry. Dalton is the neighbor of the young and promising actress and model Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who has just married the prestigious Polish director Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha).

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  • Every Christopher Nolan Movie, Ranked

    Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of 'Oppenheimer.'
    Writer, director, and producer Christopher Nolan on the set of ‘Oppenheimer.’

    Christoper Nolan is one of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers working today.

    The director first gained attention for his groundbreaking film ‘Memento,’ and has since helmed such beloved movies as ‘Inception,’ ‘Dunkirk,’ ‘Tenet,’ and ‘The Dark Knight‘ series.

    In honor of his new film ‘Oppenheimer,’ which opens in theaters on July 21st, Moviefone is counting down every film Christopher Nolan has directed, including his latest.

    Let’s begin!

    12. ‘Following‘ (1998)

    Bill (Jeremy Theobald), an idle, unemployed aspiring writer, walks the crowded streets of London following randomly chosen strangers, a seemingly innocent entertainment that becomes dangerous when he crosses paths with a mysterious character.

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    11. ‘The Dark Knight Rises‘ (2012)

    Tom Hardy as Bane in 'The Dark Knight Rises.'
    Tom Hardy as Bane in ‘The Dark Knight Rises.’

    Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman (Christian Bale) assumes responsibility for Dent’s crimes to protect the late attorney’s reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years later, Batman encounters the mysterious Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) and the villainous Bane (Tom Hardy), a new terrorist leader who overwhelms Gotham’s finest. The Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has branded him an enemy.

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    10. ‘Interstellar‘ (2014)

    Matthew McConaughey in director Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar.'
    (Center) Matthew McConaughey in director Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar.’

    The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.

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    9. ‘Insomnia‘ (2002)

    Two Los Angeles homicide detectives (Al Pacino and Martin Donovan) are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn’t set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.

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    8. ‘Batman Begins‘ (2005)

    Liam Neeson in Christopher Nolan's 'Batman Begins.'
    Liam Neeson in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Batman Begins.’

    Driven by tragedy, billionaire Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) dedicates his life to uncovering and defeating the corruption that plagues his home, Gotham City. Unable to work within the system, he instead creates a new identity, a symbol of fear for the criminal underworld – The Batman.

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    7. ‘Tenet‘ (2020)

    John David Washington and Robert Pattinson in Christopher Nolan's 'Tenet.' Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
    (L to R) John David Washington and Robert Pattinson in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

    Armed with only one word – Tenet – and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist (John David Washington) journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.

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    6. ‘The Prestige‘ (2006)

    Andy Serkis and Hugh Jackman in Christopher Nolan's 'The Prestige.'
    (L to R) Andy Serkis and Hugh Jackman in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Prestige.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

    A mysterious story of two magicians (Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale) whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy — full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences.

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    5. ‘Inception‘ (2010)

    Leonardo DiCaprio in Christopher Nolan's 'Inception.'
    Leonardo DiCaprio in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

    Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: “inception”, the implantation of another person’s idea into a target’s (Ken Watanabe) subconscious.

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    4. ‘Dunkirk‘ (2017)

    James D'Arcy and Kenneth Branagh in Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk.'
    (L to R) James D’Arcy and Kenneth Branagh in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

    The story of the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk between May 26th and June 4th 1940 during World War II.

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    3. ‘Memento‘ (2001)

    Guy Pearce and Joe Pantoliano in Christopher Nolan's 'Memento.'
    (L to R) Guy Pearce and Joe Pantoliano in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Memento.’ Photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment.

    Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife’s killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he’s going, or why.

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    2. ‘The Dark Knight‘ (2008)

    Batman (Christian Bale) raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker (Heath Ledger).

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    1. ‘Oppenheimer‘ (2023)

    Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in 'Oppenheimer,' written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
    Cillian Murphy is J. Robert Oppenheimer in ‘Oppenheimer,’ written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.

    The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s (Cillian Murphy) role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.

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  • Action Movies With Practical Stunts Are the Way to Go. Here Are Our Favorites

    Action Movies With Practical Stunts Are the Way to Go. Here Are Our Favorites

    Paramount Pictures

    Special effects technology has advanced to the point where there’s pretty much no idea too crazy that it can’t be brought to life on the big screen. But just because you have all that power doesn’t necessarily mean you should use it. That’s been one of the lessons of the “Mission: Impossible” franchise over the years.

    These movies prove that the best way to stand the test of time is to do things the old fashioned way and use practical effects over fancy computers.

  • Every Christopher Nolan Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

    Every Christopher Nolan Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best

  • Christopher Nolan’s Top Rated Movies

    the dark knight 2008Christopher Nolan is one of the most inventive directors of his generation, pushing the envelope with each movie. He casts brilliant actors and allows them to demonstrate their courage, humanity, and passion, making for powerful and emotional storytelling. Nolan is never locked into one genre — he has tackled period pieces, outer space thrillers, even dramas that feature the ability to shape people’s dreams. He also successfully rebooted the Batman movie franchise, creating a new take on Bruce Wayne along with the best Joker audiences have ever seen. This list doesn’t cover all the movies Nolan has directed, but it highlights some of his — and cinema’s — finest to date.

    ‘Inception’ (2010)

    “Inception,” is creative and cutting edge, with visual effects that showcase dream worlds where the rules of gravity and physics don’t apply. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a cast that explores the exciting and dangerous realm of dreams. Wrapped within this visually mind-bending futuristic film is a deeply personal story of loss. As his team invades the mind of a young businessman, DiCaprio’s character must come to terms with the tragic suicide of his wife. Until he is able to do so, his mind’s projection of her threatens to destroy every dream he is in and every person within the dream. The cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, and Marion Cotillard, who all demonstrate fearlessness in the face of achieving the impossible.

    ‘Interstellar’ (2014)

    A remarkable family drama, “Interstellar” also explores the realms of physics, faith, space exploration, and time travel. Matthew McConaughey leads a team of astronauts through a wormhole to investigate three possibly inhabitable planets. At the time of his departure, his daughter (played by Jessica Chastain) is a young and curious girl who has a knack for science and the ability to see what others cannot. As her father is away in space, time passes very slowly for him (because, science) and very quickly for her, so when his crew is stuck outside a black hole with no way home, she becomes an adult back on earth. Through a series of incredible events, McConaughey must find a way to communicate with his daughter, find his way home, and ultimately save Earth. The profoundness of “Interstellar” will have you wanting to call the people you love, and the ending will leave you breathless.

    ‘Memento’ (2001)

    One of Nolan’s first movies, “Memento” has a creatively mind-blowing plot, essentially telling the story in reverse order. The protagonist, played by Guy Pearce, suffers from a type of amnesia that stops him from creating any new memories. As Pearce’s character attempts to investigate the murder of his wife, he must write down clues using a series of hand-written notes and tattoos. Eventually, his body is covered in tattoos and his clues help him build his case, but the memory loss allows him to be manipulated by some very dangerous people, including Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano. The jaw-dropping ending reveals the frightening truth of what Pearce learns. “Memento” is a masterclass in reverse storytelling that will leave you equally disturbed and intrigued.

    ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

    Through his work on “Batman Begins,” Christopher Nolan officially “grounded” superhero movies and set them in a reality more plausible than spandex and capes. His versions of Batman and Gotham City were darker, more rooted in the comic books, and more realistic than in previous “Batman” movies. In “Batman Begins,” Nolan explores Bruce Wayne’s League of Assassins martial arts training, his inspiration for wanting to rebuild Gotham, and his transformation into Batman. Christian Bale is a pensive Bruce Wayne; Michael Caine is a delightful and meddling Alfred; Liam Neeson is a quick-witted and deadly Ra’s al Ghul. After being haunted by his parents’ deaths for years and going on a quest of self-discovery, Bruce Wayne decides to use his skills to save his city from impending destruction. “Batman Begins” revived a dying franchise, which Nolan then turned into a successful trilogy.

    ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

    “The Dark Knight” is the second of Nolan’s Batman trilogy. The story starts by featuring a corrupt city when the District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and Police Commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) decide to clean it of organized crime. An optimistic Bruce Wayne believes he can give up his alter ego to live with Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal) — until the Joker (Heath Ledger) throws a large, murder-filled wrench in his plans. The movie follows the Joker and Wayne as the Joker threatens to cause more and more mayhem, and Wayne must make some tough decisions on who he can save. Combined with Ledger’s haunting performance — and tragic death — it’s easy to see why “The Dark Knight” grossed over $158 million opening weekend.

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