Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Lifestyle
David Prince

22 films that you won't believe are turning 20 in 2022

Nothing ages you as much as popular culture, so when you discover that films that only seem to have been released yesterday are now 20 years old then you probably feel very old indeed.

2022 marks the two-decade anniversary for many movie blockbusters, including The Bourne Identitly and About A Boy - yes, really - so we decided to take a look at those films and 20 others that have reached the milestone.

So grab your popcorn and enjoy feeling a little nostalgic...

Read more: The albums that will make you feel old as they celebrate their 20th anniversaries this year

1. About a Boy

About A Boy - starring Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult (Universal)

Adapted from Nick Hornby's 1998 novel of the same name, About a Boy saw Hugh Grant team up with Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collete and Rachel Weisz.

The film was a breakthrough role for Hoult - who went on to star in C4's Skins, and had roles in the prequel X-~Men films along with Max Max: Fury Road and 2019's Tolkien.

2. The Bourne Identity

Starring Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, The Bourne Identity is the first instalment in the Jason Bourne film series.

The action-thriller is based on Robert Ludlum's 1980 novel and starred Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen and Brian Cox.

3. Crossroads

There was a time when Britney Spears could do no wrong and this coming-of-age film cemented her icon status when it was released at the height of her popularity.

The film was a box-office success making $61 million from a $12 million budget.

4. We Were Soldiers

Released in 2002, We Were Soldiers was director Randall Wallace's retelling of Battle of Ia Drang from November 14, 1965.

Starring Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear and Sam Elliott, the film is adapted from New York Times bestseller - We Were Soldiers Once... And Young, written by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) and Joseph L. Galloway.

5. Ice Age

2002 saw the release of Ice Age and the beginning of the franchise that has seen four sequels and another two holiday specials.

The film introduced us to Manny, Diego, Sid, and Scrat who were voiced by Ray Ramano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo and Chris Wedge respectively.

6. Mr Deeds

Mr Deeds - WInona Ryder and Adam Sandler (Sony)

Back in the late '90s and early '00s, Adam Sandler was everywhere and whilst 2002 also saw the release of Punch Drunk Love, it was his remake of the 1936 film Mr Deeds Goes To Town that was the box office smash.

Also seen now as a return to form for Winona Ryder, the film, as usual for many Sandler films, features cameos from his friends including Steve Buscemi and even John McEnroe turns up as himself.

7. Lilo & Stitch

2002 saw another animated franchise begin and Walt Disney introduced us to the tales of Lilo & Stitch.

The plot revolves around Lilo Pelekai and Stitch, a blue extraterrestrial koala like creature and their adventures.

8. Red Dragon

Will Graham (Edward Norton) must face his old nemesis, Dr Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), as he hunts down a serial killer in Universal Studios' Red Dragon (AP Photo/Glen Wilson)

This year also saw a lot of prequels and sequels to box office smashes and we were drawn back once again into the world of Hannibal Lecter with Red Dragon starring Anthony Hopkins.

Following hot on the heels of The Silence of the Lambs sequel - 2001's Hannibal - Red Dragon saw Edward Norton's Will Graham work alongside Hopkins' Hannibal. The film also starred Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

9. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Continuing the story set up by 1999's The Phantom Menace as part of George Lucas' prequel trilogy telling the story of Anakin Skywalker's rise and fall from grace, 2002 saw the release of Attack of the Clones and fans got to witness the beginning of the fabled Clone Wars.

It starred Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker, along with Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Natalie Portman as Padmé Amidala.

10. Spider-Man

Whilst superhero films are everywhere now, it took Sam Raimi's version of the web-spinning Spider-Man to kickstart the genre back into action with Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin and Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson.

The film was a massive success and led to another two films, and eventually saw Maguire and Dafoe return in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home.

11. Minority Report

Pre-crime detective John Anderton (Tom Cruise) conducts an array of images that lead him to a murder that has not yet occurred in Minority Report (AP Photo/David James)

Tom Cruise teams up with Steven Spielberg in 2002's Minority Report which was loosely based on Philip K. Dick's 1956 short story.

Set as a futuristic 2054, the film is seen as a benchmark for tech noir, science-fiction thrillers that gained many nominations and awards.

12. Signs

Signs - Left to right: Rory Culkin, Mel Gibson, Abigail Breslin, and Joaquin Phoenix (Touchstone Pictures)

Mel Gibson turns up again, this time with writer and director M. Night Shyamalan for his science-fiction thriller Signs.

Joining Gibson for Signs was Joaquin Phoenix and Rory Culkin and is the biggest opening weekend box office of Gibson's career.

13. 8 Mile

8 Mile's Jimmy 'Rabbit' Smith Jr, played by rapper Eminem (AP Photo/Universal Studios, Eli Reed)

8 Mile is the film debut of rap superstar Eminem and is a somewhat autobiographical story of its main star.

The film stars Kim Basinger as Eminem's character Jimmy's mother, along with Brittany Murphy as Alex - Jimmy's love interest. The film was named in the various end of the year and all-time lists praising the music star's film debut.

14. Chicago

Starring Wales' own Catherine Zeta-Jones, alongside Renée Zellweger and Richard Gere in the award-winning musical black comedy about two murderesses fighting for their lives.

The film along with 2001's Moulin Rouge! brought a revival of musical films to the mainstream - and bagged CZJ her Oscar.

15. Catch Me If You Can

Catch Me If You Can saw the teaming up of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and Christopher Walken with superstar director Steven Speilberg.

The film is the biographical tale of Frank Abagnale with DiCaprio playing Frank and Tom Hanks as the FBI agent Carl Hanratty, who is chasing Frank.

16. Gangs of New York

Gangs Of New York (Mario Tursi/Entertainment Films.)

The Martin Scorsese masterpiece stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis and Cameron Diaz and is based on Herbert Asbury's 1927 book The Gangs of New York.

The film takes place in 1862 with the Catholic-Protestant feud in the forefront and New York as the backdrop of which the action is set.

17. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Sean Astin as Sam (left) and Elijah Wood as Frodo in Peter Jackson's The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers (Pierre Vinet/New Line Cinema)

Based on the second volume of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers follows on from the previous year's The Fellowship of the Ring.

Directed by Peter Jackson, the ensemble cast which features Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Christopher Lee, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban and Andy Serkis.

The film along with the others in the trilogy has been hailed as one of the greatest films ever made.

18. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in a scene from the first trailer for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Another film, another follow-up and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets became the second highest-grossing film of 2002.

Featuring the main cast from the previous film, although it is notable that Chamber of Secrets was the last film to star the late Richard Harris as Professor Albus Dumbledore, who was replaced by Michael Gambon in the remaining films.

19. Die Another Day

Die Another Day - Bond (Pierce Brosnan) (Keith Hamshere/United Artists Corporation)

Die Another Day is the 20th James Bond film to be made by Eon Productions and was the fourth and final outing for Pierce Brosnan as 007.

The film is noteworthy for marking the franchise's 40th anniversary and for having the only appearance of John Cleese as Q and the last film to have Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny.

20. Men In Black II

Men In Black II - (Left-Right) Will Smith, Rosario Dawson and Tommy Lee Jones (Sony)

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones reprise their roles as Agent J & Agent K respectively, with another film full of cameos from Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson and Rip Torn.

The film was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and nominated for various awards mainly for the visual effects.

21. My Big Fat Greek Wedding

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Sophie Giraud/Gold Circle Films)

The romantic comedy was the sleeper hit of the year, which saw Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos, a Greek American woman who falls in love with Ian Miller and their ensuing wedding.

The film was the start of a franchise that saw the short-lived TV show My Big Greek Fat Life and 2016's sequel My Big Greek Fat Wedding 2.

22. Jackass: The Movie

Brandon Di Camillo, Bam Margera, Johnny Knoxville and Ryan Dunn taken from the film Jackass : The Movie (PA Photo/Handout)

Jackass : The Movie saw Johnny Knoxville and friends move from the small screen to the big screen.

The reality slapstick MTV show had won millions of fans over with its own brand of juvenile humour. With the show finishing on MTV, the film was meant to be a farewell.

The film spawned three sequels and a spin-off movie Jackass presents: Bad Grandpa.

Love nostalgia? Have the best articles emailed to you for free with our nostalgia newsletter. Click here to see all the Wales Online newsletters.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.