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Dan Owen reviews
2 0 0 3 R e t r o s p e c t i v eP a r t O n e
Here are some of the most notable movies of 2003 – in terms of notoriety(both bad and good)…
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28 DAYS LATERDanny Boyle needed a hit, particularly after The Beach threatened to end hisHollywood pass in the wake of Trainspotting. Thankfully, Boyle’scontemporary updating of the zombie movie – transplanting the action toLondon together with a Day Of The Triffids vibe – worked a treat.
28 Days Later became a success in the US – which is quite an achievement for aBritish movie without Richard Curtis involved somewhere…
2 FAST 2 FURIOUSThe first Vin Diesel racing action drama was a surprise hit a few yearsback, but even without Diesel aboard a sequel found its way ontomultiplexed. Paul Walker (the most wooden actor of 2003?) takes the lead.
Well, actually, the cars are the real stars. Sadly, while F&F2 is aserviceable sequel, all the best bits were revealed in the trailer andthere’s not much more to get excited about.
ADAPTATIONAfter the sublime Being John Malkovich, screenwriter Charlie Kaufman was indanger of being labelled a one-trick pony. His terrible Human Nature (acrass and lazy Tarzan-alike) could have signalled the end of a promisingcareer. Thankfully, reteaming with music-director Spike Jonze and an on-formNicolas Cage, rescued him.
Adaptation became one of the most original moviesof 2003 and a worthy Oscar nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay – which issadly didn’t win…
BAD BOYS IIUnwanted sequels abound in recent years – with none more unwanted than BadBoys II. Will Smith should be steaming ahead, not starring in trite re-runsof past glories (a la Men In Black II). Of course, for Martin Lawrence thismovie was just the shot in the arm he needed after dismal comedy effortslike Black Knight. Even director Michael Bay, still smarting after PearlHarbor’s critical drubbing, needed an easy hit.
To be fair, Bad Boys II isgorgeous to look at – with some impressive action sequences around everycorner… but there’s just very little else beyond posturing and dumbdialogue.
BRUCE ALMIGHTYJim Carrey’s career has wavered in the past five years. He hit a low withMe, Myself & Irene, didn’t find a particularly receptive audience for TheGrinch and then starred in total disaster The Majestic. Haven’t heard of it?There’s a reason.
So, Mr Carrey decided to star in a safe-bet – ahigh-concept comedy from the director of his first hit – Ace Ventura PetDetective. Bruce Almighty didn’t really satisfy those hungry for more bitingsatire, but it had a fairly high gag quotient and became 2003’s blockbustercomedy successes.
CHARLIE’S ANGELS – FULL THROTTLEStrangely, Charlie’s Angels was one of the most pleasantly dumb andentertaining action movies of 1999. So it’s even stranger that its sequel -now outfitted with a bigger budget and the presence of the shapely DemiMoore – should fail so pathetically.
It retains its sparkle and sass, butthe lead actresses are now utterly saccharine and false. McG ensures thefilm is overly-directed to cover-up the lack of plot, and theheadline-grabbing Moore barely features. A sad waste.
CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MINDGeorge Clooney is becoming a real player. Not only is he one of thebrightest and best Hollywood actors around, but he can also direct! This ishis debut, and he manages to craft a very witty and engaging “true” storybased on the autobiography of infamous US gameshow host Chuck Barris… whomay, or may not, have also been a hitman for the CIA.
Sam Rockwell isfantastic as Barris, while Charlie Kaufman’s screenplay is playful andinteresting.
DAREDEVILIn the wake of Spider-Man, superheroes are hot property in Hollywood. Somuch so that even the not-quite-so-famous comic-book stars can get a shot atgreatness. Ben Affleck achieves a boyhood dream to play the Man WithoutFear, a blind lawyer who actually has sonar-like super-senses.
Perhaps mostmemorable for Colin Farrell’s scenery chewing and the delicious presence ofJennifer Garner as sai-wielding assassin Elektra. Daredevil was a solid hitin the US, but struggled elsewhere.
DUMB & DUMBERERThere are unwanted sequels (see Bad Boys II) and then there are unwantedprequels. Jim Carrey comedy Dumb & Dumber was decent enough – heralding anera of bad taste comedy back to our screens – but did it really need aprequel?
Without Carrey of Jeff Daniels, the film has to rely on two unknownlook-a-likes – who actually aren’t that bad. But the script is infantilenonsense and a sad indictment on everything that’s wrong with cash-intitles…
FINDING NEMOPixar can’t go wrong. Since 1995’s Toy Story they have dominated the CGImovie-making world (with only DreamWorks’ Shrek offering a challenge).Finding Nemo was being quietly perceived as their worst film – and it’scertainly not their best, really – but that didn’t stop it becoming thebiggest grossing animated movie of all time!
Great voice talent, and evengreater animation ensure Nemo is a family film the kids will be watching onDVD for years to come…
2003 Retrospective – Part 2Page Content copyright © Dan Owen, 2003.
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Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.