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Well, 2003 has come and gone but not before leaving us with some great movies and DVD’s, and some bad ones as well. If you think back, this year was all about the sequel as there were over 15 of them released. Bad Boys II, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, The Return of the King, and the two Matrix sequels are among the more popular ones. A lot of money was made at the box office this year and those numbers will more than likely be eclipsed next year. At the time of this article, there were 25 films that passed the $100 million mark, which is one more than last year and five more than 2001. There was pent up anticipation for several movies this year. Two were for the Matrix sequels in which the anticipation was really high, especially with the four year wait. The films opened to heavily mixed reviews and in some cases alienated some of the core fans. Reloaded ate up the competition at the box office while Revolutions is still trying to pass the $140 million mark. There were a couple surprises such as Pirates of the Caribbean which dominated the summer box office alongside the kiddie favorite, Finding Nemo. Finding Nemo is the only movie from 2003 to break into the all time top ten. It currently sits at number eight, a mere two million behind The Two Towers. I remember back in the summer of 1999 when all four Star Wars films were in the top ten. Currently, only two Star Wars movies reside in the top ten: Star Wars and The Phantom Menace. Finally, the other most anticipated movie of the year opened on December 17th. I am talking about the third film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King. The film opened up to very positive reviews and shattered box office records, and if all goes well, it will be garnering some Oscar’s come March. All in all, it was a good year for movies. What I think are the best movies of the year.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King This film was so good I can’t help but put it high above all the rest. It was fun and entertaining and everybody on the project did a great job. It is quite possibly the best out of the three movies. The sequel to the 2000 smash hit was the best movie of the summer. The action and story were fantastic and I look for more of the same in 2006 when X-Men 3 premieres. A sequel that took eight years to see the light of day. The first movie was good, but this one blows it away. The people involved expanded on all the things that worked in the first movie to make a fast paced, high adrenaline blockbuster. You can’t count out the tag-team duo of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Michael Bay is pretty good too. Some people did not care for this movie, but those same people did not care for the 1995 film either, so I don't value their opinions. What else can be said about Quentin Tarantino? He is the man and he is back in a big way after this film. Volume 2 cannot come soon enough Jack Black delivered the best performance of his career in this feel-gooder. If you are looking for inspiration, check this one out. I had to include a comedy on this list and this movie is the best comedy of the year. Billy Bob Thornton played the best damn department store Santa ever. It is a really dark comedy full of vulgar language, but it is absolutely great. Johnny Depp delivers another great performance in this summer blockbuster that exceeded all expectations. How could it not be with Jerry Bruckheimer producing? It’s a popcorn movie that has a lot of substance and will get repeat viewings in the living room. Finding Nemo I haven’t seen it, but how can you leave a movie out that cracked the top ten in all time box office dollars? Pixar makes some really good movies and this one, based on what I am hearing, is no different. This remake was the best horror movie of the year and the most disturbing. I really look forward to scaring some people who decide to watch it on DVD at my house. Some did not like this movie as much as I did, but
it was a very entertaining movie with great car chases. Even though
it’s a remake, it was still one of the best of this year. Just Plain Bad I try to not see the ones that look bad, but in some cases, I can’t help myself. Do yourself a favor and stay away. This movie was so pathetic that I still can’t believe it was made. It makes me wonder sometimes. The movie sounded like trash but I had to see it anyway because I am a special effects junky. It’s still not worth it. How can the core of the Earth stop spinning anyway? At least Aaron Eckhart is better in Paycheck It is a really bad Fast and the Furious for the motorcycle community I was quite surprised at this movie, especially since it had a good cast. Maybe they can try and rip off another movie next time. Who would have thought that the X-Files vets would
make a crappy movie? What could have been This movie could have been so much better than what it was. The Hulk is one of the coolest comic book heroes ever. The film was decent although it could have been one of the best of the year but a really long and drawn out story pretty much stopped that chance. All that talent does not go well with a poor movie. How Sony screwed up this movie is beyond me because it had so much potential. The Hunted is just another movie that wasted
the talents of its actors. Most notably, the acting chops of Tommy Lee
Jones, Annette Benning, and Benicio Del Toro. Top Ten Grossing Movies of 2003 1. Finding Nemo - $339.7 million The Best DVD’s of 2003
The Alien Quadrilogy Where else can you get nine discs with two versions of each film and over 50 hours of features and behind the scenes stuff? Exactly, nowhere. This is the must for every DVD collection and especially for the die-hard fans of the franchise. The Indiana Jones Trilogy Finally, after years of waiting for them, they have finally arrived and in a big way. The Indiana Jones trilogy was probably the second most requested DVD set right behind George Lucas’ other masterpiece. The box set comes with the THX stamp and four discs. They look and sound great so it was well worth the wait. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition This is a jam packed DVD set much like Fellowship. There are two discs containing the three hour and forty minute extended cut and two discs full of special features. Admit it, the more the better, and in the land of Middle-Earth it is a necessity. The Shield: The Complete 1st Season Let’s face it. The Shield is one of the coolest new shows on television today and with each passing episode, it only gets better. This box set takes you back to the beginning of this groundbreaking show that defies all the rules. The James Bond Collection: Volume 2 and 3 A bit pricey, but where else can you get a nice box set of 13 James Bond movies? Plus, if you have volume one then you owe it to yourself to get two and three. The Soprano’s: Season 4 Season four is touted by some fans as a big letdown for the hit mafia show on HBO. It is still The Soprano’s, which is why it made the list. Forget about it. The X-Files: Season 7 and 8 Without David Duchovny the show suffered over its 8th and 9th seasons, but they are still a must to long time fans. Even though it is gone, the aurora of Mulder and Scully can live on in our own houses. Pirates of the Caribbean This is a two disc special edition of one of the best summer movies. The special features contain hours and hours of bonus materials. Again, it’s a must. X2: X-Men United The movie was the best of the summer blockbusters. It would look great sitting next to X-Men. Now that 2004 is here, I can only hope that this year’s movies can compare to last year’s. Right now it looks like a big year for huge blockbusters and new box office records. I patiently wait for movies like Kill Bill: Volume 2, The Alamo, The Punisher, and Godsend and those aren’t even in the summer season. In the summer of ’04, look for big movies such as Troy starring Brad Pitt, The Chronicles of Riddick, Garfield, The Day After Tomorrow, Spiderman 2, I, Robot, The Bourne Supremacy, Blade 3, and Alien VS. Predator. Some of the more notable DVD’s to look for are The Shield: Season 2 in January, the extended cut of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and if we are lucky, The Star Wars Trilogy next fall. Bring on the movies in 2004!
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