Without a doubt, this was the decade of movie magic and fantasy. One has to recognize the man behind the curtain as the real wizard generating Hollywood’s awesome splendor. That man, of course, is film technology.

Computer-generated (CG) animation made epic adventures like the “Harry Potter” series and Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy not only possible but visually magnificent for millions of demanding fans. The decade’s best fantasy films:

•“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (2001)

•“Big Fish” (2003)

•“Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” (2003)

•“MirrorMask” (2005) •“Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006)

•“Stardust” (2007)

Science fiction fared less well; a host of insipid remakes did little to extend 20th century visions. One might even blame CG: ’Twas only late in the decade that filmmakers realized throwing money into computer graphics couldn’t compensate for awkward storytelling and silly or incomplete scripts. Films like the horrid “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (2008) and the okay-but-not-great “War of the Worlds” (2005) made some of us scramble to renew our acquaintance with the original versions.

Thankfully there came a lastminute reprieve, a genre fantasy/ sci-fi masterpiece: James Cameron’s “Avatar” left us on a startlingly visual high note. This is a film that I have no doubt will become a classic of both 3-D and CG technologies.

The decade’s best science fiction:

•“Frequency” (2000)

•“Solaris” (2002)

•“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” (2004)

•“King Kong” (2005) •“Children of Men” (2006)

•“Avatar” (2009)

Nor would superheroes be quite so super without that CG infusion. The best of the decade’s superbunch:

•“Spider-Man” (2002) and “Spider-Man 2” (2004)

•“Sin City” (2005)

•“Batman Begins” (2005) and “The Dark Knight” (2008)

•“300” (2006) •“Superman Returns” (2006)

•“Iron Man” (2008)

Of course, one cannot mention CG without tripping over that creative behemoth of a little company named Pixar. That name changed our view of CG fantasy forever.

Trying to concoct a Top 10 list of best Pixar films is like trying to determine the best letter of the alphabet—it just can’t be done. Beginning with 1995’s “Toy Story,” Pixar has churned out a steady stream of near-flawless efforts. My favorite CG animated films, not all of which are Pixar releases:

•“Monsters, Inc.” (2001) •“Finding Nemo” (2003) •“The Incredibles” (2004) •“Robots” (2005) •“Flushed Away” (2006) •“Ratatouille” (2007) •“Coraline” (2008) •“WALL-E” (2008)

•“Up” (2009)

Interestingly, my selection of the best animated creation of the decade—perhaps one of the finest efforts in cinema, ever —hasn’t a lick of CG animation involved. Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” (2001) is a joyous, mystical fable steeped in Japanese lore. And yet this sweet saga of a lost girl on a magical island seeking self-awareness and friendship is extraordinary in any language, for any audience.

The horror genre also felt CG’s touch, although many intelligent efforts needed little gore to terrify. Sorry, but if it’s not intelligent horror, it won’t be on this list; slasher fans need not read further. I had no problem infusing horror with a little mirth, either; you’ll find some of my favorites are on the lighter side.

•“The Others” (2001)

•“Thirteen Ghosts” (2001)

•“The Devil’s Backbone” (2001)

•“28 Days Later” (2002)
•“Shaun of the Dead” (2004)
•“The Descent” (2005)
•“1408” (2007)
•“Cloverfield” (2008)
•“Drag Me to Hell” (2009)

•“Zombieland” (2009) Watch for Part II: The best dra mas and comedies of the decade.