originally jcphoenix entertainment
Appropriately enough, in this season of sequels, that my top ten be filled with well, sequels. Last year’s inaugural installment of this column turned out to be quite good for me, except of course for our number three, Hero, which was sadly a no show in Canadian theatres. Minority Report, The Two Towers, Attack of the Clones, Insomnia, The Bourne Identity, Signs, Goldmember, Men In Black 2 and Spider-Man did not disappoint in their designations to thrill and entertain us, making 2002 one of the most profitable years in the history of Hollywood. 2003 is looking better.
10. Terminator 3. Arnold is the Energizer bunny of the Action world. Post fifty, and he still fits in that tight leather biker outfit. Lets just hope this isn’t as much a Rocky V as it is a Die Hard: With a Vengeance. The tension could be cut with a knife.
9. The Incredible Hulk. Another obvious summer blockbuster on our list of movies that we most want to see, you have to expect films that have been advertised since last summer. Like the Hulk. What might make it stand out is its impressive director (Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger) and the bold choice to make the star almost completely CGI. Spider-man was almost completely CGI as well, but most people don’t know that. It’s going to be harder to sneak the five hundred pound green man past that same public than it was the teenager in the pajamas.8. Kill Bill. Three words. Tarantino. Samurais. Blockbuster. You heard it here, don’t say that you didn’t!
7. Bruce Almighty. Jim Carrey has a God Complex. His first real comedy since Me, Myself & Irene, which has been just too long for this cowpoke. Finally he has returned to what it is that the Father put him on this Earth for: Ass Jokes.
6. X-Men 2. Thanks to savvy marketing and shrewd business practices (the cast was signed for multiple films), we have another installment in what is perhaps the greatest Marvel Comic franchise, those Uncanny Incredible X-Men. New mutants, special effects and costumes will be sure to heat up those air-conditioned theatres this summer.5. Howl’s Moving Castle. Our first international installment, it should come as no surprise that it is the next film from Miyazaki, creator of Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke. Everything old is new again, as Filmview’s favourite import filmmaker is back in business, it should come as no surprise that he is back on our list of acclaimed films for this upcoming year. This film will be based on the novel by Diane Wynne Jones, and will feature something that Miyazaki holds the title as reigning champion in portraying: flying castles (Laputa).
4. LXG (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen). the uncomprisingly fictional (read: nerdfest 2k3) story of the alliance of 20th century literary heros and villains, including the Invisble Woman, Mr. Hyde and more, brought together in an epic clash that will no doubt threaten the very Earth, not to mention the allowances of the world’s A/V and Drama clubs. I’ll be in the front row.
3. The Matrix Reloaded. I was at one of the first screenings in Toronto for the original Matrix. In my adult life, that remains the one time the audience actually applauded during the film. We did it twice. Boom or bust, this is easily the most anticipated American film of the new decade, if not for...
2. The Matrix Revolutions. Yes that’s right. Rather than punish its fans (and their gnat-sized attention spans), the good people at Warner Brothers have decided to conclude their epic three part saga in 2003. the Matrix is nothing, if not cutting edge. Which brings us at last to the conclusion of the Year of the Sequel.1. The Return of the King. I never could stand a story half finished. I’ve surfed the net, bugged countless friends and done far more shameful things to reveal to me plot fragments, missed endings, secrets from Final Fantasy III that I may have overlooked. That being said, I can now admit to you, dear reader, that I loathe the people at New Line for making me wait three years to see the conclusion of this beautiful, superfluous, transcendental trilogy. Peter Jackson is Lucifer himself for making me covet it so. At least, until 2005…