2002
World-Wide
Top-Grossing Films:
1.
The Lord of the Rings: The
Two Towers
2.
Harry Potter and the
Chamber of Secrets
3.
Spider-Man
4.
Star Wars Episode 2: Attack
of the Clones
5.
Men in Black 2
6.
Die Another Day
7.
Signs
8.
Ice Age
9.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
10.
Minority Report
Upon
Further Review: Most Inexplicable Top Grosser: Signs. Die Another Day was
so bad they re-launched Bond. But still, everyone loves Bond. Nothing is re-launching
M. Night’s reputation.
Best
Picture Nominees:
Chicago
Gangs of New
York
The Hours
The Lord of
the Rings: Two Towers
The Pianist
Upon
Further Review: Worst Nomination: The Pianist
Collectively
we were only able to say, “Maybe Holocaust movies are so powerful because of
the subject matter, not the movie’s quality,” one Holocaust movie too late.
Most
Overrated: Road to Perdition. Spielberg at the height of his power and the
nadir of his creative abilities. Google searches of prominent critics’ top 10
lists from this year are embarrassingly littered with this dreary flop.
Most
Underrated (Then): Star Wars Episode 2. Easily the best of the new trilogy.
The movie’s dismal dialogue backs the narrative into being a painfully accurate
rendering of teen romance. Unfortunately, Hayden Christiansen just can’t act
his way out of the dialogue the way Ewan MacGreggor does. If you strip away the
myth of the first trilogy, I would argue this is the second best of the Star
Wars movies, after The Empire Strikes Back, on its merits.
Most
Underrated (Now): The Count of Monte Christo. In your mind, you’ve run this movie together with the seemingly
endless Three Musketeers versions. Unfairly: this is the criminally underused
Guy Pearce entertaining you for two hours in that other Alexandre Dumas tale.
Most
Influential: The Ring. Horror is home to some of film’s most creative minds.
Burdened with derivative set-ups, horror is a gore arms race to push an
envelope that’s already been pushed. Horror movies have to deliver on
impossible expectations for a twist that is unforeseen yet believable. These challenges occasionally throw up a take that’s unique that
everyone then tries to incorporate and play off of. Last
decade, that was Scream and its self-referential humor. This decade, it was The
Ring and its media-bending dynamic (or more accurately the original Japanese version). Half the audience went home afraid to turn
on the TV. A decade later, Scre4m was playing off of The Ring.
Most
Representative of the Decade: The Transporter. The otts can’t pass without
mentioning the consistent yeomen’s work done by Jason Statham’s cueball and
stock accent. Here's to you, plotless action guy.
Best
Scene:
8 Mile – Final
Rap Battle
The Lord of
the Rings: The Two Towers – Final Battle Scene (narrowly over Gollum vs.
Smegol)
The Ring –
She comes through the screen
Roger Dodger
– Womanizing 101
Star Wars
Episode 2 – “I can’t breathe” Yoda Fight
(If you’re
morbidly curious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwlNUYjkg4o)
Winner:
8 Mile’s
Final Rap Battle
Top 10
Movies:
1.
Lord of the Rings: Two
Towers
2.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
3.
Spider-Man
4.
City of God
5.
Roger Dodger
6.
The Bourne Identity
7.
About a Boy (or maybe
Two Weeks’ Notice. Hugh Grant was
involved.)
8.
The Ring
9.
Jack Ass: The Movie
10.
Van Wilder
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