Two Great Number Twos Top 2002
Oct 07 '08 (Updated Aug 28 '09)
The Bottom Line A pretty good year for movies. Hooray for Frodo and Harry!
After the excitement of Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, 2002 brought a continuation of the long-awaited Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Harry Potter kept pace right along with Tolkien. At the end of my junior year of college and the beginning of my senior year, I didn't catch too many other movies in the theater, but I got myself caught up later. Still, 2002 was all about the fantasy epics for me once again.
The Two Towers - While it was my least favorite of the three movies, there was a lot to love about this second installment. Gollum, and the amazing and under-appreciated performance of Andy Serkis. Rohan. Stirring new theme music. Ents. An inspiring speech by Sam. Faramir - though I wasn't too satisfied with his character until the extended edition made him more sympathetic. Eowyn. Theoden. I missed the beauty of the Shire and the Elven kingdoms, but this dark, fragmented middle portion kept me riveted.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Even more fun than the first, thanks in part to the hilarious addition of Kenneth Branagh as conceited Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Gilderoy Lockhart. There's also Dobby the house-elf, a flying car, a rip-roaring good mystery, an important lesson in the evils of bigotry and one of the last film appearances of Richard Harris.
A Walk to Remember - I liked the movie so much I read the book, and I was surprised to discover how different they were. Different setting, different plot details, different character traits. It's hard for me to say which I liked better. The movie has its hokey moments, mostly dealing with the capacity of teenagers to be cruel to each other, but the romantic thread about the transformative power of love is truly touching.
About Schmidt - It's a bit of a downer, but this Jack Nicholson movie about a man searching for meaning after his forced retirement and the death of his wife is quietly affecting, particularly the part dealing with Schmidt's curious correspondence with an African boy he sponsors.
Catch Me If You Can - A madcap Spielberg adventure about a con artist who gets himself in way over his head, taking the government for a huge ride in the process. It boasts a great cast, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks have especially good chemistry.
Jonah: A Veggie-Tales Movie - This was largely overlooked, but as a long-time Veggie fan, I couldn't wait to check it out. It's on the short side, but it does a good job of telling a Bible story in an entertaining and relatable fashion. It's also the film that established the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything as Veggie regulars.
Maid in Manhattan - There's nothing all that remarkable about this one, but I found it a sweet story, and all those unexpected Simon and Garfunkel references sweetened the deal.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding - A fun, life-affirming movie about the joys and trials of having a large, very involved family. It took me a long time to finally see this one, but once I did it was worth the wait.
Signs - M. Knight Shyamalan has yet to direct a film that I like more than The Sixth Sense, but this one was pretty good. It's probably the creepiest of his movies that I have seen, but as usual, he keeps it from becoming too depressing.
Spider-Man - I never was much of a Spider-Man fan before, but the movies got me hooked. Excellently filmed and heartfelt, this one started the franchise off right, and it also inspired Ode to a Superhero, one of my favorite Weird Al parodies.
All in all, not a bad year.
Other 2002 Movies I've Reviewed: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Best of Lists: 1999 * 2000 * 2001 * 2002 * 2003 * 2004 * 2005 * 2006 * 2007 * 2008
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Epinions.com ID:
bilbopooh
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 in Movies, Books |
 - Top 500 |
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Member: Erin McCarty
Location: Erie, PA
Reviews written: 2522
Trusted by: 196 members
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