#2003films

[pandabytes]

Unieke Inzichten in Filmgeschiedenis | Duik diep in de fascinerende wereld van de filmgeschiedenis. Ontdek verborgen juweeltjes uit het jaar 2003 en lees onze deskundige filmbeoordelingen. #Filmgeschiedenis, #2003Films, #FilmBeoordeling, #CultureelBewustzijn,...

[adamwatchesmovies]

Final Destination 2 (2003)

Final Destination 2 reminds me a lot of Halloween 2. Was there really a reason or need for another? I guess not, but, if you were determined to make one, if it absolutely needed to be done, this is as good as it’s going to get. Fans of the first will enjoy getting more. Specifically, more spectacular deaths. Isn’t that the reason you’re checking it out?

One year after the first film, Kimberly Corman (A.J. Cook) is driving with her friends when she has a premonition: a hideous car pileup will cause them and dozens of others to die. When Kimberly freaks out and prevents several of the people from getting on the highway, she interferes with Death’s “plan”. Now the survivors must figure out a way to escape their seemingly inescapable deaths.

The film starts with a bang. That car pileup Kimberly foresees is spectacular; easily the most impressive wreck I’ve ever witnessed in a film. It doesn’t matter that it’s “undone” by her interference. The kills that follow are so varied, so crazy they push the limits of what an R-Rated horror movie means. When this film's protagonists bite the dust, they're mega dead. You’re lucky if there’s enough of them left to fill a gym bag.

In many horror films, a bigger body count and gorier deaths is a sign of a franchise progressing towards trouble. Since you can't recreate the scares of the original, give the audience more blood and guts, right? What makes Final Destination 2 different is that director David R. Ellis saw an opportunity. The deaths in the first film were all plausible but improbably. Everything just happened to fall into place a little bit too nicely. This film makes it clear: Death is upset that its plan got messed up and is taking the opportunity to have fun. There are some sick bits of irony as people's deaths are caused by mundane things and clues of their incoming demises are foreshadowed. This film makes the right decision to be frequently funny, poking fun at the far-out premise before you get the chance to.

You’ve got some laughs, there are bits of good suspense as the Rube Goldberg-like chains of events unfurl, and the kills are both varied and impressive. A few elements prevent the film from being better than the first. Firstly, you don’t get attached to this cast as you did the original survivors. With the characters quickly figuring out what’s going on and no premise needing to be introduced, you'd think we’d get to know them better than the people in Final Destination, but you don’t. This time saved is counterbalanced with more people to bump off. I’ve also got mixed feelings about the lack of recurring characters. There is a nice little bit where they mix things up here (if you remember the ending of the first film, two people were left alive) and I can’t say too much without spoiling things. It’s not necessarily bad, as having 2 people informing this new group of survivors that they are going to die would be somewhat redundant, but there was a missed opportunity to do more. I’ll also add that Cook does not have the same acting chops as Devon Sawa, who was terrific at making you believe he was mourning the death of his friends while fighting for his life.

Unlike the first, Final Destination 2 is strictly for horror enthusiasts. That does not make it a bad movie. As a direct sequel to Final Destination, this 2003 horror flick is probably as good as you could get. The special effects are jaw-droppingly good, there’s a lot of imagination in the money shots and it mixes the dark laughs with the suspense effectively. (On Blu-ray, August 22, 2016)

[peterstanslizzie]

Did you know that the “Lizzie Mcguire Movie” and “What a Girl Wants” both premiered in theatres back in Spring of 2003? 💜❤🌷🌹

I was only 9 years old then and I was so hyped to watch both films that I persuaded my parents to take me to the cinema to watch them once they were released around the same time together in my city.

I was such a lucky kid because I actually watched both movies back to back on the same day!!!😍 I believe it was either on a Friday night or Saturday night 🌘. I watched the @hilaryduff movie first followed by Amanda Bynes’s movie. I had such a blast! 😃😄

Do you guys still remember your first time watching either film? Did you watch them in the cinema or only after they came out in CD or DVD form?

Plus, it was so cool to see both films be set in two gorgeous European cities, Rome and London 😍

#lizziemcguire #thelizziemcguiremovie #teencomedies #teenfilms #hilaryduff #disney #disneyfilm #disneychannel #teenromance #movienight #2003films #2000snostalgia #disneynostalgia #nickelodean #amandabynes #theamandashow #colinfirth #whatagirlwants #london #england #unitedkingdom #europe #italy #rome #europevacation #childhood #memories #nostalgia #spring #childhoodmemories (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1706fSHoPD/?igshid=qz94ylyehfqk

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Rundown (2003)

The first time I saw The Rundown, I was only moderately amused. Other people liked it and I could see why, but it wasn't for me. Seeing it again, I’m struggling to figure out what was wrong with me. This film is a lot of fun - and no, my heightened enjoyment didn't come from lowered expectations.

Dwayne Johnson (still being credited as “The Rock” here) plays a bounty hunter named Beck. He wants out of the business so he's given one last assignment, with the promise of an extra-large paycheck once the job is done. His mission is to retrieve his boss' son Travis (Seann William Scott) from a small mining town in Brazil. This proves more difficult than expected. Not only does Travis not want to go, but he's also mixed up with a local crime lord (Christopher Walken).

While today Dwayne Johnson is a big star, it must've been a shocker to see how good he is here. His most notable film roles prior were in The Mummy Returns (in which he has no lines) and the lame spinoff The Scorpion King. This picture shows what he has to offer in spades: great on-screen presence, decent acting chops, solid comedic timing, and the potential to be more than just a big barbarian-type in fantasy or sci-fi films.

Then you pair him up with Seann William Scott. With anyone else, this would've been a throwaway, who cares kinda movie. Together, they elevate it to a higher level. They're consistently funny and the inevitable direction their grudging relationship goes is believable, particularly once they confront Christopher Walken’s character, Cornelius Bernard Hatcher. There are points where the gags get a bit sophomoric, like a scene where the two have to fend off some horny monkeys, but otherwise, this is solid stuff.

Mixed in with the comedy are ample combat and sequences of peril. The highlight has to be a battle between Beck and some rope-swinging Brazilian rebels. This scene pits the swiftness and agility of these nimble fighters against the brute force of a behemoth like Beck. It makes for some cool visuals and will satisfy those who want to see their wrestling hero kick major butt. You can also look forward to the whip-totting minions Hatcher keeps with him at all times. We’ve seen guys with guns before (wait until you see Beck dual-wielding shotguns). We’ve seen people with knives or swords before. People with whips though? There’s so much you can do with that kind of weapon but you'll only find out after seeing this film.

Whenever the action comes in, the film really shines. The comedy works surprisingly well too. Walken makes a great villain. Dwayne Johnson was destined to be a likable hero. He plays well with his co-star Seann William Scott, who bridges the gap between the two genres. Rosario Dawson is enjoyable in a small role. The Rundown is a lot better than you'd expect it to be. If you weren't charmed by it the first time, trust me, it’s worth another look. (Full-screen version On DVD, September 13, 2015)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Beyond Re-Animator (2003)

If you’ve seen all three films in the Re-Animator trilogy, you may find my review of Beyond Re-Animator outrageous. I thought this was the second film in the series. I didn’t see Bride of Re-Animator before this final chapter. There’s a chance that Part 2 would've filled in the gaps; that with it, I would recognize stunning character arcs and subtle nuances around each corner. Either that or, this movie just thoroughly sucks.

For 13 years, Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) has been serving a prison sentence after one of his experiments ran amok. That hasn’t stopped him from playing God with the rats wandering in his cell. When a young doctor named Howard Phillips (Jason Barry) comes to work at the prison, he reveals he’s been a fan of West’s work ever since he saw it first hand. The two proceed to experiment with Nano-Plasmic Energy, which should allow them to bring the dead back to life without any ill effects.

I’m not saying everyone was sleepwalking through this production, that they didn't even try... but this horror-comedy is astonishingly poorly acted. It’s unbearable. Nobody is ever convincing in the least, except Jeffrey Combs who seems somewhat enthusiastic at getting a paycheck at the expense of die-hard horror movie fans. Rather than draw your attention away from the film's other flaws, it. highlights them. Beyond Re-Animator becomes a brief glimpse into cinematic hell. You can't even enjoy it as great trash.

There’s not a whole lot of imagination in this script. It’s basically a remake of the original. Dr. Herbert West wants to experiment on the dead but has limited access to equipment thanks to the prison warden (Simón Andreu), who might as well be the dean from the original film. His roommate (in this case, co-worker) Dr. Phillips is enthusiastic about the experiments but wary that something might go wrong, and he’s in love with Laura (Elsa Pataky), the hot reporter who’s doing some kind of exposé on the prison. It’s evident early on that no one knew how to tackle another Herbert West adventure, so they threw in a bunch of clichés to pad out the running time. Make way a boring love plot featuring two actors with no chemistry, a sadistic Warden that is just as bad as the inmates, and a rapist to boot! Will West and Phillips take the proper precautions to ensure their experiments go according to plan, or will the film end in a bloody riot as zombies tear everyone in sight to pieces and devour their flesh? I’ll give you one guess.

This is the kind of film that goes in one ear and out the other immediately. I remember feeling bored and frustrated, but I can’t recall what it is that made me sigh in desperation over and over. If a severed penis sounds like pure hilarity to you, then check it out. Maybe then you’ll learn to raise your standards. Aside from some decent zombie effects, there’s nothing to like in Beyond Re-Animator. I didn’t expect it to be good, but I also didn’t think I’d hate it as much as I did. (On DVD, July 11, 2016)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

Part of the reason why we have so many Christmas films is that there are so many facets of the holiday to explore. Gifts and commercialism, family, rebirth, charity, etc. One theme that often gets forgotten is "miracles" but even we had dozens of them every year, Tokyo Godfathers would still stand out. Heartwarming, heartbreaking, hilarious, harrowing, and unconventional, it’s an instant favorite.

After watching a nativity play, three homeless people - alcoholic Gin (voiced by Tooru Emori), drag queen (or perhaps transgender) Hana (Yoshiaki Umegami), and teenage runaway Miyuki (Aya Okamoto) - discover an abandoned newborn among nearby garbage. As they follow clues to find the child’s parents, the group encounters all sorts of strange adventures.

In most films, coincidences are a sign of the writers’ laziness. “How do I get these characters out of a jam? They happen to bump into the right person, at the right time.” There are many coincidences in Tokyo Godfathers but on December 25th, these events mean something different. As the trio walks through the lonely snow-covered streets of Tokyo, they are forced to confront the past that drove them to homelessness through the unlikeliest scenarios. A man they rescue happens to be tied to Gin’s past. This discovery sends the group spiraling in unexpected directions like beams of light through crystals. You never know where things are headed next and each encounter is so wild they should feel out of place but instead feel perfectly at home. There’s something special about this night, this child, this specific group of people on this specific quest. Every chance is a one-in-a-million chance, which makes each discovery epic. All of these interconnected lives are being changed by this one mysterious child.

It's uplifting but Tokyo Godfathers is not light as snow. The harsh truths of homelessness are addressed frankly. While the miracle of a virgin birth permeates every frame, some people we encounter are cruel and still see the destitute as if it were any other day. Christmas is a magical day but that doesn’t make hospital bills, alcoholism, loneliness, or trauma disappear. Just when you think you’ve got this movie figured out, it’ll pull this jaw-dropping revelation out of left field. It fits perfectly with everything else but there’s no way you could’ve seen it coming.

I nearly forgot to mention a crucial aspect to the picture’s success: the animation. The visuals remove you slightly from reality - making all the happenstances feel organic - and then bring you back to reality by having characters who look "real”. Each design gives the members of the mismatched family so much personality you could “get” what they’re all about without hearing them utter a word. It’s beautiful but also ugly; a perfect harmony of style and story.

Every aspect of Tokyo Godfathers feels like it was meticulously considered. It’s so much more than the sum of its parts, a movie that fills you with all sorts of emotions and delivers a holiday tale like no other. You’ll see it once and feel compelled to return to it over and over. (Original Japanese with English Subtitles, December 11, 2020)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Scream Bloody Murder (2003)

2003's Scream Bloody Murder is yet another crappy horror film that doesn’t have a Wikipedia page, meaning I have to do a whole bunch of homework to accurately tell you how much it sucks. On the upside, this film is not a zero-effort waste of everyone's time. At least it’s got some self-deprecating humor here and there - unlike pictures like Wedding Slashers or S.I.C.K.: Serial Insane Clown Killer.

The students from the all-girl Cherry Mount Academy are on their way to a dance with the nearby all-boys school when their “bus” (actually just a van) breaks down. While they kill time waiting for the creepy mechanic to get it fixed, they are stalked by a mysterious killer.

This movie is almost good. From the beginning, you can tell it’s terrible. The performances are abysmal. It’s clear the actresses were picked for their ability to look good rather than any promising futures in the film industry but that’s ok, there are some decent jokes here and there. Nicole Elane Andris as Star has some funny lines as she makes it clear she'll be welcoming the boys at the dance with open legs. There’s promiscuous and then there’s this girl, whose every line is about sex, but in a manner that’s so outrageous, you laugh.

The camera work is shoddy, the special effects unconvincing, and the story predictable as the hands on a clock. About 5 minutes in, I predicted (correctly) who the killer was going to be. There’s a character whose actions clearly label them as the killer immediately and the idea that you won’t be able to guess is ludicrous. Everything about the film sucks so bad you can see Scream Bloody Murder digging its own grave at an inhuman speed. Then, suddenly, it goes ALL THE WAY with its idiocy. That grave it’s been digging bursts through to the other side of the planet. It works as a horror-comedy… but then it keeps going. Up and up, defying all logic, it keeps shoveling air and propelling itself forward until it breaches the atmosphere and lands on the sun, where it suffers a horrible (but deserved) fiery death.

This film wants to make you laugh, but the acting is so awful it becomes insufferable. People are usually exaggerating when they say “I’ve seen better acting than this in a porno!”. I’m being serious. For nearly 10 years, I worked in a video rental store that carried adult films. I had to check a number of them when customers complained that the discs skipped. When I say that the scenes in which the obligatory sexually confused student discusses her curiosity with Miss Beaver (Tara Thompson), you'll be begging them to take off their clothes so they can just shut up.

For years, a friend of mine swore up and down that Scream Bloody Murder was the worst movie ever. It isn’t, but anyone with any sense of self-preservation would turn if off within 10 minutes. Even with the intentional laughs Scream Bloody Murder is not worth it. Sure the ending is so crazy it becomes fun, but they don't compensate for the scariest part of this horror-comedy: the performances. If you’re curious, like so curious you’re tempted to see it no matter what I saw, just watch the trailer instead. The plot is so simple you’ll be able to fill in the blanks while it shows you every single death scene, the best jokes, the worst jokes… and the ending too! That's a much better use of your time. Scream Bloody Murder is a bucket of vomit on your doorstep, but there are a few quarters at the bottom. (On DVD, August 23, 2016)

[adamwatchesmovies]

S.I.C.K. Serial Insane Clown Killer (2003)

When you review movies seriously (or as seriously as you can when you’re not getting paid), it’s important to give every title a chance. Despite knowing deep down that S.I.C.K.: Serial Insane Clown Killer was going to suck, I would've given it a positive review if it did what it does well. Even with low expectations, I wasn't ready for this.

Forget what the back of the cover tells you. This film is about two couples - one married, one on their first date - who pick up a hitchhiker before going to stay in a cabin. Upon arrival, they're disturbed by strange events before finally getting picked off one by one by a killer clown… that looks nothing like the one on this miserable DVD's menu. The cast includes Ken Hebert, Melissa Bale, Amanda Watson, Hank Fields, Chris Bruck, and Charlie Fenwick as the slasher.

We all know Marvel’s S.H.I.E.L.D. only has such a cool name because the original comic book authors worked their way backward. Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division didn’t happen by coincidence. That’s fine, I’ll let it go. I can’t do that for “S.I.C.K.” because of the title... it's just wrong. "Serial Insane Clown Killer" shouldn't be a clown that kills people, it should be a person that kills clowns! If that doesn't tell you to give up all hope, I don't know what will.

This is the kind of torture that was put together by a bunch of film school wannabees who thought “We love horror movies. That means we could make one!” I say they couldn't identify bad acting, writing, directing, or camera work if their heads were about to get sawed off. The performances are comparable to a high school drama class on their first reading. The dialogue feels like it was translated from some other language by a robot. Characters act illogically; as if manipulated by unseen puppet masters that dictate where people must go for the unimaginative plot to continue. Their intelligence varies from scene to scene. It even pulls tricks so baffling you’d never see them anywhere else, like having still frames as establishing shots. It’s exhausting just thinking about this film and the worst part comes at the end.

I don’t want to spoil the ending. I don’t know why. It would probably discourage you further from seeing this cinematic equivalent to eye crusties collected and mixed with vinegar to form a stomach-churning yellow goo. At the same time, I can’t take the chance that you’d read what happens and go “I don’t care what he says, I HAVE to see this!” Let’s just put it this way. There’s a twist; the kind of revelation that seems clever at first because you couldn’t have seen it coming, like not in a million years. The author and director must've been patting themselves on the back at the audiences’ reaction, not realizing WHY no one saw it coming. The ending makes no sense. If you keep the ending in mind when viewing the film a second time (I’m speaking theoretically, no one could actually sit through "S.I.C.K." twice), so many actions and developments make no sense or can only be attributed to the biggest series of coincidences in the world, not to mention either very little foresight on the part of the killer, or a mountain of bribes to the police, conspiracies with the families of the deceased, hours of hacking into computers to erase records, reports, and evidence of peoples’ existence, not to mention deneuralizing an untold number of random witnesses during this “Grim Weekend”.

I’ll admit that S.I.CK. is technically better than Mr. Jingles, the previous coulrophobia-themed horror movie I saw - but this one has other points against it. First, that ending. Second, the lack of a Wikipedia page. What's worse than having to watch this kind of movie? Having to do all sorts of homework afterward.S.I.C.K.: Serial Insane Clown Killer is a sin that must be accounted for. You deserve to have your revenge upon it and everyone involved in its production just for being aware of its existence. (On DVD, March 21, 2016)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Beyond Borders (2003)

I don’t want to say that Beyond Borders has an unworkable premise but I have no idea how you would make it successful - and I've seen the movie.

When Sarah Jordan (Angelina Jolie) witnesses Dr. Nick Callahan (Clive Owen) burst into a prim and proper socialite party to beg for humanitarian funding, she's moved to act. Although naïve and way out of her league, she leaves her job and sheltered life to join his cause. Amid the crisis, a romance between them blossoms.

I get it. This movie wants to be like Titanic in the sense that it wants to lure people in with the romance and once they’re firmly invested, get them with the real-life drama. Big mistake. What we have in the end is essentially a movie where two lovers are separated and doomed to never truly be together because of those pesky Ethiopians, Cambodians, and Chechnyans. If only they didn’t need humanitarian relief Sarah and Nick could just live together and be happy! You never get to know the people in need. You only get to know the mighty whiteys who come in and do their best to save the day. I approve of the intentions but that's not enough to make a good movie.

What Beyond Borders needed was to stick to a single location instead of bouncing all over the world. When we meet Nick, he's working in Africa. Things are tough there, but they somehow make it work. They leave and we assume someone managed to build homes, find food, that the mission was a “success”. Essentially, it becomes an infomercial you see on TV. You feel bad for sitting on your couch while other people are struggling… but it doesn’t paint the people who are starving as people. They’re props; wide-eyed, big-bellied skinny little children used to further a cause. It's emotional to see, but only because it would be impossible not to be heartbroken. You resent the picture for its use of cheap tactics and then it moves on to another similar scenario.

This is the definition of a soap opera drama. Though light as air, the romance hogs all of the screentime while bigger things happen in the background. Even if Sarah wasn’t married with children, you still wouldn’t want her and Nick to get together because you've seen it so many times. Mixing scenes of passionate romance with human rights violations and famine doesn’t exactly put you in the mood.

Everyone involved in the project had their hearts in the right place. It somewhat successfully makes you feel the horrors that humanitarians in the field of duty face. It also trivializes this suffering by never making the starving, oppressed, or brutalized people actual people. They’re just window dressing for a strained romance. This is the kind of melodrama that people will say is a great movie because it's "important" but it isn’t. Beyond Borders bullies you by throwing all of this guilt your way until you surrender and proclaim it to be a moving 5-star film, or take a stand and say "ENOUGH!". This is junk and at over 2 hours, way too long. (On DVD, August 17, 2015)

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Cat in the Hat (2003)

In 1991, Theodor Seuss Geisel died of cancer. His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean but if he had been buried you'd hear him rolling in his grave every time someone brings up 2003's The Cat in the Hat. It’s the stuff of nightmares; an ugly, unfunny, badly written film that rambles as it suffocates your soul.

Conrad and Sally Walden (Spencer Breslin and Dakota Fanning) are sitting bored at home when a talking cat in a hat (Mike Myers) comes in and tells them that it’s time to play! With the help of his assistants Thing 1 and Thing 2, the fun turns out to be a bit too much for the children to handle.

Who was clamoring for The Cat in the Hat to be turned into a full-length film? At 82 minutes, you’re padding out the story so much it isn’t even the original work anymore. The cracks are filled by the lame gags courtesy of writers Alec Berg, David Mandell, and Jeff Schaffer and director Bo Welch getting on his knees and praying that Mike Myers' comedic stylings will keep the audience engaged long enough for them to reach the end credits.

Watching Myers' performance is like swallowing a sheet of sandpaper. Just thinking about it makes you wince. Not only does he look incredibly creepy - more like a man sticking his face in a painted wooden panel of a cat with a hole in its face than an actual believable creation like Jim Carrey’s Grinch - he's hardly ever funny. Three laughs. That's what you get. They're nearly ruined - but not quite - by the way he makes those phony, self-deprecating laughs of his. As though he knows we're sitting through gags that were rejected both out of his Austin Powers and Love Guru films.

My mind is swarming with half-thoughts. I’m just going to list some of the other things I disliked in no particular order. Alec Baldwin’s character, an unnecessary villain you can't even cheer for despite his hatred of Conrad. The boy and his sister. Could you find more worn-out characters than them? They're as phony as Mike Myers’ tail. Even the minor characters fill you with disdain, like Mrs. Walden's boss, played by Sean Hayes. He's another made-up character far removed from reality.

What were they thinking? Who thought the racist Asian babysitter was a good idea? Why the Paris Hilton cameo? Why the pop-culture references and obvious product placement?

Everything feels fuzzy and watered down, like a haze has engulfed my mind and I’m lost trying to feel my way through my own thoughts. Here’s another criticism: the rhyming. They don’t even try. Literally, you think they're going to but then the Cat says “I can’t do this rhyming thing”. Drawing attention to your bad screenplay doesn't suddenly make it good.

There’s just no other way to put it; The Cat in the Hat is an abomination. It’s an abortion that somehow made it through the procedure. Someone should've pulled the plug and cut their losses. Its only value is as a way to give you an out-of-body experience. Your mind will be so desperate to escape you may suddenly realize your has shifted from the screen to yourself, sitting on the couch slowly decaying. Even if you’re a fan of Mike Myers, forget about it. I bet Myers wishes he could. (On DVD, February 20, 2015)

[peterstanslizzie]

Lizzie and Daphne walking side by side with their respective European love interests, Paolo from Italy and Ian from England ❤💛💜💙💚

But notice how Lizzie and Paolo aren’t holding hands in this photo whereas Daphne and Ian are. And look how things turned out in the end 😅 😂

Paolo turned out to be a liar and a fraud and Daphne and Ian shared a romantic kiss towards the end of their movie.

#thelizziemcguiremovie #lizziemcguire #whatagirlwants #amandabynes #hilaryduff #moviecouples #romanticcomedies #teencomedies #teenfilms #britishmen #italianmen #goodlookingcouple #handholding #kissing #oliverjames #yanigellman #lizzieandpaolo #daphneandian #2003films #parallels #italy #england #london #rome #love #romance #teenromance #teenfilms #chickflick https://www.instagram.com/p/B19Xoagn9-1/?igshid=t609j4ca98gj