What better time to look at the world of movies over the last 10 years. As I was thinking about my favorite films of the 00s, I was reminded of not only the great accomplishments but also some of the failures and over-hyped during this period. So let's begin the discussion by remembering the promises that were never fulfillied.
This was supposed to be the decade that:
-Borat would go down as a landmark comedy and change the way movies were made. It is now as re-watchable as last week's Giants game.
-Russell Crowe was going to dominate movies for the entire decade after 1999's The Insider, 2000's Gladiator (Best Actor, Best Picture), 2001's A Beautiful Mind(Best Picture, Best Actor nominee), 2003's Master and Commander(Best Picture nominee). Then came the disappointing response to Cinderlla Man and the forgettable A Good Year. Not many can keep up that great pace, but the sudden fall-off was still surprising.
- Musicals were supposed to make a big comeback after the success Moulin Rouge! and Best Picture winner, Chicago. This was immediately followed by the failures of The Producers, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, and of course From Justin to Kelly. Even the much hyped Nine has now faced a backlash of negative press. Dreamgirls may have won Jennifer Hudson an Oscar, but even tat musical failed to live up to box office expectations. This was certainly not a rebirth of the Musical.
- My brother, Matt, was supposed to win his Natalie Portman wager. He bet a friend back in the 90s that Portman would win an Academy Award at some point in her career. There's still time, but I thought this was going to be the decade. It's a shame the Academy overlooked Mr. Magorioum's Wonder Emporium.
- Vin Diesel was supposed to be kicking ass as the world's biggest action movie star. He's now the anchor of the unstoppable Fast and Furious franchise. With a baby on the way, I just have to worry about seeing him in a sequel to The Pacifier.
-M. Night Shamalan was supposed to be God's gift to cinema (I'm pretty sure those were his words, not mine). I'd be interested in seeing a line graph chart the popularity and quality of his movies starting with A Sixth Sense It would compare to a graph of the value of my baseball card collection over the same time period.
What are some other examples?
Are there any actors/actresses you thought were going to be huge but fizzled instead?
Thursday, December 31, 2009
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Musicals made a mini-comeback. Mama Mia did fairly well (I think) and Hairspray is a hit in the Pollock household. Plus, it paved the way for Glee on TV. I think the most lasting thing from the 00's movie-wise might be technology, with digital theatres and 3D releases becoming more mainstream.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Mama-Mia. I don't remember how Hairspray ultimately did at the box office although I guess it faired ok. I think High School Musical and American Idol(old songs performed as karaoke) set the stage for Glee more than any movie musical did though. I just think there were expectations after Chicago won Best Picture that musicals would be as big as they were in the early 60s when we had Mary Poppins, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, etc. Since Chicago, no other musical has been nominated for a Best Picture. Most pundits would have predicted otherwise back in 2002.
ReplyDeleteYou might be right about what might end up being this decade's biggest contribution to movies. I think the best success story of the decade is Pixar. Even though I didn't like some of their movies, they've done a remarkable job of not just relying on amazing visuals.