2008: A Review of the Year
As 2008 comes to an end, let us reflect on what was good, what was bad, what made money and what the future is about to bring.
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HERE to read about those movies that didn't quite make the top 10
CLICK HERE to discover the Top 10 Movies of 2008
CLICK HERE to read the predictions for the Oscars
CLICK HERE to see a preview of 2009
2008 has been a good year for the cinemagoers, with the multiplexes around the world filling to the brim, even with the credit crunch gripping the world and the hits have just kept coming and coming.
The year started with the Oscar nominees and winners, with the Coen Brother's 'No Country for Old Men' taking all the plaudits, with notable mentions for Paul Thomas Anderson's 'There Will Be Blood', with an Oscar winning performance from the brilliant Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Haggis's 'In the Valley of Elah', showed a differ side the veterans of the Iraq conflict. Diablo Cody made waves and raised a smile with 'Juno'. We also got to hear Johnny Depp sing in Tim Burton's adaptation of the hit musical 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' but he wouldn't be the only big star to sing this year.
Animation played a big part this year, providing fun for all the family. Jim Carrey and Steve Carrel brought Dr. Seuss' 'Horton Hears a Who!' to life, flies with into space and all 3D in 'Fly my to the Moon' and were joined by monkeys in 'Space Chimps'. We also saw the return of Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo in 'Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa' and a brave mouse save a kingdom in 'The Tale of Despereaux'.
Hollywood continued to turn out horror sequels and remakes with Jessica Alba seeing dead people in 'The Eye', Jigsaw continuing his game even after his death in the third film in 'Saw V', Vampires became cool again in 'Twilight' but the film that coined a new phrase in the horror genre the 'Terror movie' was 'The Strangers'. Debutant writer/director Bryan Bertino terrorised audiences and Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman, as he put the genuine scare back into horror cinema.
Romantic Comedies also played their part this year. Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler had you laughing and crying in 'P.S. I Love You', Simon Pegg continued to make it big in Hollywood in 'How to make Friends and Alienate People', George Clooney and Renée Zellweger had some laughs and played American Football in 'Leatherheads' and Will Farrell and John C. Reilly became related in the hilarious 'Step Brothers'. Stealing the show however was 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall', written by and starring Jason Segel with an excellent performance from Russell Brand.
The action adventure and comic book movies also did really well in 2008. 'Wanted' turned Scottish character actor James McAvoy into an action star, 'Vantage Point' showed that you can show a story from many different angles, Jason Statham continued to be Britain's best action star in 'Transporter 3' and 'Death Race', Edward Norton turned green with anger in 'The Incredible Hulk', Sylvester Stallone returned with his other famous character with 'Rambo', Nicolas Cage returned for another hunt for 'National Treasure: Book of Secrets' and the man in the hat returned for 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'. James Bond also continued the story that started in 'Casino Royale' but upped the action in 'Quantum of Solace'.
Period Dramas and true stories also made an impact with a new adaptation of Noel Coward's 'Easy Virtue' misbehaving, Natalie Portman losing her head in 'The Other Boleyn Girl', Clint Eastwood showed a mother's plight with an amazing performance by Angelina Jolie in 'The Changeling' and Keira Knightley donning the corset again for her best very performance in 'The Duchess'.
The 'Chick Flick' moved up to a new level in 2008 however. 'High School Musical 3' brought the hit franchise to the silver screen for the first time and teenage girls went mad. We returned to New York to see what Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda had been up to in 'Sex and the City' but the film no one could escape from was 'Mamma Mia!' Even with Pierce Brosnan's awful singing voice, this was the biggest grossing movie of 2008 in the UK and you either love it or hate but ABBA has never been more popular.
With some great movies to choose from, the top ten for 2008 was a hard decision but here it is…
10.
Iron Man
Marvel Studios debut feature showed you how a comic book movie should be
made and introduced a character that is going to become a firm box office
favourite. With Robert Downey Jr. perfectly cast as billionaire weapons
designer Tony Stark, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges joining the cast,
this is an extremely entertaining comic book movie.
9.
Kung Fu Panda
DreamWorks Animation has always provided the laughs with their computer
generated animated features and 'Kung Fu Panda' is one of there best yet.
Brilliantly mixing martial arts action with laugh out loud comedy, this
is great family entertainment with Jack Black's Po the Panda set to become
a famous as Shrek.
8.
Somers Town
Shane Meadows is one of Britain best filmmakers, just watch 'This is England'
or 'Dead Man's Shoes' to discover why, and with this experimental short
film he shows that he really know how to get brilliant performances out
of young actors. Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello are fantastic as new
friends Tomo and Marek, as they have fun in London and learn some things
about love, friendship and life.
7. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
When director Guillermo Del Toro released 'Hellboy' in 2004, it didn't do
that well at the box office but became a cult hit on DVD and Universal gave
him the chance to continue the story of Big Red, Liz Sherman and Abe Sapien.
The sequel is just as good, if not better than the original and shows how
good a comic book movie and fantasy filmmaker Del Toro really is.
6.
Son of Rambow
The British film industry might not be as productive as it used to be but
it does have a habit of producing some real gems and this is one of them.
After failing to realise 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' in 2005,
Garth Jennings shows his true potential by writing and directing 'Son of
Rambow' and he has produced a joy of a film that captures what it was like
to be a kid.
5.
The Orphanage
When it comes to getting some genuine scares, you have to leave Hollywood
and head to either Asia or for this fright-fest Spain. Any horror movie
that has child ghost instantly raises the fear factor and 'The Orphanage'
does this extremely well but with a story that will touch you as well as
scare you to death.
4.
Cloverfield
When it comes to redefining cinema, producer J.J. Abrams and director Matt
Reeves took us in a whole new direction with 'Cloverfield'. Seen from the
point of view of a video camera, this film charts the impact of a monster
attack on New York City and creates a film that will have you talking about
it for many years to come.
3. In Bruges
British gangster films have been the stable of many a UK movie over the
last ten years but it is the ones that combine comedy and drama that have
been the most successful. With Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and a scene-stealing
role for Ralph Fiennes, this is a joy to watch and one that you will be
quoting from for a long time to come.
2.
Wall-E
Every year one of the most joyous events in the cinematic calendar is the
release of a Pixar movie and in 2008 the studio released another classic
in 'Wall-E'. The most romantic and charming films of the year, this shows
that even the love between two robots and move you to tears of joy and melt
even the coldest heart.
1.
The Dark Knight
The best comic book movie ever made and the biggest grossing movie worldwide
in 2008, Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' is a stunning piece of cinema.
A brilliant story combines with astonishing visuals to bring this story
of two sides of the same coin pulling Gotham city apart at its core. It
is the performance of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker that makes this
movie so compelling and one that will set the standard not only for comic
book movie but for summer blockbusters for many years.
And
finally…
The worst movie of the year by a long way was the incomprehensible, totally
disastrous 'The Happening'. Finally M. Night Shyamalan has been found
out and the public can finally see that he is a one trick pony and is NOT
the future of Hollywood filmmaking. Any filmmaker that has the plants and
the wind, as a villain deserves to be laughed at for the rest of his career!
Frost/Nixon
Oscar winning Director Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind) brings us the story
of David Frost's 1977 interview with ex-US President Richard Nixon in what
is bound to be one of the front-runners for the Academy Award for Best Picture
and Best Director, with Frank Langella up for a best actor award for his
portrayal of the President and Michael Sheen for best supporting as David
Frost. (Opens in the UK 23rd January)
The
Reader
The Director of 'Billy Elliot' and 'The Hours', Stephen Daldry brings us
a story set in Post-WWII Germany. Nearly a decade after his affair with
an older woman, played by Kate Winslet came to a mysterious end, law student
Michael Burk re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a
war-crime trial. Expect this to gain the British starlet a best supporting
actress nod. (Opens in the UK 2nd January)
Revolutionary
Road
The latest from British director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Jarhead and
Road to Perdition) stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in a story about
a young couple living in a Connecticut suburb during the mid-1950s struggle
to come to terms with their personal problems while trying to raise their
two children. Expect best Actor and Actress nods for DiCaprio and Winslet
(Opens in the UK 30th January)
The
Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Director David Fincher (Fight Club, Panic Room, Se7en, Zodiac) brings us
the tale of a man who ages backwards, been born old and then becoming younger
as gets older. Expect this to gain Best Picture, Best Actor for Brad Pitt,
Best Director and Best Supporting Actress for Cate Blanchett. (Opens in
the UK 6th February)
Slumdog
Millionaire
British Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Sunshine, Millions, 28 Days Later) brings
us a story of how impoverished Indian teen Jamal Malik became a contestant
on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be A Millionaire?" -- an endeavour
made without prize money in mind, rather, an effort to prove his love for
his friend Latika, who is an ardent fan of the show. Could be the outsider
for Best Adapted Screenplay and an outsider for Best Picture (Opens in the
UK 9th January)
Che Part One & Two
Steven Soderbergh labour of love charts the life of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara,
played by Benicio Del Toro in a career-defining role for the Oscar winning
actor. The first part is set in 1956, Che and a band of Castro-led Cuban
exiles mobilize an army to topple the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista.
The second part is set in 1964, as Argentine revolutionary travels to New
York City to address the United Nations. (Part 1 opens on January 2nd and
Part Two opens on February 20th)
The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan's comic book opus might be the outside runner for a best
picture nomination but expect Heath Ledger to get a nod in the best supporting
actor category.
What to look forward to in 2009
February
The
Soloist (6th February)
From 'Atonement' director Joe Wright comes the story of a Los Angeles Journalist
(Robert Downey Jr), befriends a homeless Julliard trained musician (Jamie
Foxx), while looking for a new article for the paper.
Push
(6th February)
The action packed sci-fi thriller involves a group of young American ex-pats
with telekinetic and clairvoyant abilities, starring Chris Evans, Dakota
Fanning and Djimon Hounsou.
March
Watchmen
(6th March)
From '300' director Zack Snyder comes the adaptation of the graphic novel
by Alan Moore. Set in an alternate 1980s were superheroes are banned but
when an ex-superhero is murdered, a vigilante named Rorshach begins an investigation
into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion.
Monsters
Vs. Aliens (27th March)
The latest from DreamWorks animation just looks like it could be the most
fun you will have at the cinema in 2009. When an alien invasion threatens
the Earth, the US Government call in a group of Monsters to save the world
with hilarious results and this one is also in 3D.
The Rest of the Year
Star
Trek (May 8th)
J.J. Abrams starts the Star Trek franchise again as we meet Kirk, Spock,
McCoy, Scotty and the rest of the original series crew as Star Fleet cadets.
With Time Travel, the Romulans and Leonard Nimoy returns as Spock.
Angels
And Demons (15th May)
Tom Hanks returns Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon works to solve a murder
and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican.
Terminator
Salvation (June 5th)
The start of a new trilogy, that sees John Connor (Christian Bale) take
the leadership of the resistance to fight against Skynet but this isn't
the future his mother warned him about.
Transformers:
Revenge Of The Fallen (June 26th)
A new threat arrives from times of old...a threat that must be stopped...
no matter what the cost. With Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro,
Tyrese Gibson and Megan Fox
Ice
Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (July 3rd)
Sid, Diego, Manny and Scrat return and this time they are in 3D and they
discover the last valley of the dinosaurs
Harry
Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (July 17th)
As Harry Potter begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry, he discovers an old book marked mysteriously "This book is the
property of the Half-Blood Prince" and begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort's
dark past.
Up
(July 17th)
The latest from Pixar. By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old
Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds
of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone
on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior,
has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip
Sherlock
Holmes (20th November)
British director Guy Ritchie brings a new look at the Arthur Conan Doyle
character with Robert Downey Jr. as the detective and Jude Law as Doctor
Watson.
The
Wolfman (6th November)
Joe Johnston remakes the classic Universal horror movie with Benicio Del
Toro and Anthony Hopkins with 'An American Werewolf in London' visual effects
guru Rick Baker creating the transformation scenes.
Avatar
(18th December)
James Cameron returns to cinema after a 12 year wait to bring us a story
of a band of humans are pitted in a battle against a distant planet's indigenous
population in 3D.
Here's to 2009!
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2008
Star
Wars Memories
Share
your feelings about the end of the Star Wars Saga
Something
Wicked This Way Comes
A
look at Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
What was the best in 2003?
What was hot and what was not in 2002
Harry Potter enters the Chamber
The young wizard's second year at Hogwarts
A look back at the Star Wars Phenomenon
Five Guidelines for making a movie a hit
Who should go home with a Golden Statue?
What was hot and what was not in 2001
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
A Muggles Guide to witchcraft and wizardry