5. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Quentin Tarantino's homage (or rip-off depending on your viewpoint) to pretty much everything incorporates many of the elements that made his films so famous. The bloody violence, bad language, endless pop culture references, cool criminals, a contemporary soundtrack and a non-linear structure are all a key part in making Reservoir Dogs a successful movie. Reservoir Dogs, along with Steven Soderbergh's sex, lies and videotape revolutionised independent cinema and Tarantino's gritty and contemporary view of crime had him being compared to Scorsese. Reservoir Dogs is Tarantino's tightest and most effective film, constrained by a minimal budget, Tarantino had to get in and out fast - the plot moves forward at a pace and is a reminder of how good Tarantino used to be. The film was a word of mouth success - one of the first - and numerous filmmakers have tried to imitate Reservoir Dogs, with their protagonists in black suits riffing on pop culture, but none of them could capture the stylish essence of the movie. Reservoir Dogs was the start of a new moviemaking generation as those who grew up in video stores watching as many movies as possible started turning into their idols - Paul Thomas Anderson is the other notable example. With a mixture of gun shots, mexican stand-offs and Stealers Wheel, Tarantino and indie cinema were unveiled to the world.
4. Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story was the first feature-length computer animated film ever made. It was an audacious attempt to change cinema, and it changed cinema more than anyone could have imagined, but the true genius in the film is its story. The story of a desire to be loved resonates with every target audience, making laugh adults laugh and cry as much as the children. The characterisation of the toys is pure brilliance, each character is unique and immediately identifiable with its own personal traits - just like an actual toy. Toy Story's appeal is timeless and will still be being revisited for decades to come. Toy Story spurned two sequels that may actually be better than the first instalment. The sequels also mean that the first movie will keep being watched by new generations and therefore carry on increasing in popularity as time goes by. Toy Story should have been a one and done job. It was going to show off the brand new technology, but the film was going to be weak and be cast aside for completists only, but John Lasseter and his crew made sure that didn't happen. There are great jokes being fired at you throughout and the flawlessly drawn script transcends criticism, but most of all it has a great big heart that everyone can get involved in.
3. The Matrix (1999)
The Wachowki's take their love of Hong Kong cinema, the work of Lewis Carroll and sci-fi to create the most influential action movie of their generation. Pioneering the "bullet time" effect, which is a shot that takes place in slow-motion whilst the camera moves at a normal speed. Action filmmaking in Hollywood changed as a result, with directors forced to match the level of sophistication on display in The Matrix' action scenes. There was an improved focus on wire work and Asian fight choreographers were now in demand after The Matrix mesmerised audiences. There was also a resurgence in popularity for Asian martial-arts flicks and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a huge critical and commercial success in America a year later, which probably would not have happened without the popularity of The Matrix. Like another trilogy, Star Wars, The Matrix inadvertently changed cinema overnight and a thousand imitators were spawned. The two follow up movies were very poor in comparison to the groundbreaking original as they focus on pseudo-intelligent philosophical rabble that serves no purpose other than to prove the Wachowski's have read a bit of Plato. The Matrix is extraordinarily ambitious, its action being the benchmark for modern action movies. It catapulted Carrie-Anne Moss to stardom and the role of Neo perfectly fits Keanu Reaves' limited acting abilities. It's a significant, pioneering, ultra-cool modern masterpiece.