The ’90s Cool aesthetic — leather outfits, dark urban grunge settings, gun-fu, techno soundtracks, scifi swords, cyberpunk — didn’t die on December 31, 1999. It lived on well into the 2000s, and here are a half-dozen flicks that embody this spirit, for better or for worse:

Ultraviolet (2006)

From our review: “Director Kurt Wimmer seems to think of movies as confetti and fireworks (both of which are in Ultraviolet) to razzle, dazzle, and ultimately fall into nothingness. Plot? He don’t want any. Acting? Bargain basement. Swords and guns and swords attached to guns? More, please.”

The One (2001)

From our review: “The One is not and should not be taken for deep intellectual ponderings. It might not even be taken for a movie, depending on your requirements. But as flashy, straight-up action, you could do much worse. It inherits legacies from Highlander and that really bad Van Damme flick where Van Damme plays twin brothers.”

The Punisher (2004)

From our review: “It’s The Punisher, folks: a guy in a skull shirt who goes around punishing the criminals of the world with every weapon imaginable. Like Batman, only with guns and a death wish and no moral code. Yeah!”

Queen of the Damned (2002)

From our review: “While the plot may be hurried and horrible, and the dialogue more stilted and self-conscious than a 16 year old asking for his first date – doesn’t everyone look cool? All Goth and angsty and night-time and stuff. And listen to that killer soundtrack, kids.”

Charlie’s Angels (2000) 

From our review: “This movie kicks so much ass, I can’t even begin to describe it! It is a fantastic action movie: cool plot, awesome good guys, scary bad guys, great humor and it totally makes fun of itself in a groovy way.”

Sucker Punch (2011)

From our review: “At this point the audience is given a third version of Babydoll’s reality, wherein she and the other girls are gun-toting, sword-wielding valkyries battling hordes of otherworldly opponents. The girls are guided by the Wise Old Man, played by Scott Glenn, who lays out the missions and spouts soundbites of philosophical wisdom, and who may be more than just a figment.”