Box Office Prophets: The Bop 25 of Summer: 5-1

The Bop 25 of Summer: 5-1

5) The Hulk

Art Bell was right! The government is hiding little green men! What we said then:
It's almost impossible that a movie featuring a 20-foot tall green giant tossing an M1A2 Abrams tank over his head like a child throws its toy wouldn't be a hell of a good time, so we'll be there opening day.

What we say now:
If we learned anything from The Hulk, it was to never rule out the impossible, as this film was decidedly not a good time. Response to the picture was universally negative, though for varied reasons; some thought the story was too convoluted, others felt Ang Lee wasn’t the right man for the job, while still others felt it just plain sucked. It’s unfortunate to see such a hugely anticipated film become such a monumental letdown, but hey, at least we all got a pair of Hulk Hands out of it!

4) Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Overheard at the T3 fetish party: come with me if you like to give. What we said then:
There’s no point in telling you what we said then, because that was all PR.

What we say now:
No, not that PR (well, okay, that PR too). I’m talking about pre-recall. Honestly, is anyone going to remember T3 as anything other than the way Ah-nuld got himself back in the spotlight so he could run for governor of California? From the instant the flick came out, every minute detail was being analyzed for signs of Schwarzenegger’s political intentions. The movie itself became an afterthought, and it seems likely to stay that way at least until Arnie’s career in politics comes to a conclusion.

3) X2: X-Men United

No one believed Wolverine's fishing story. What we said then:
With the net abuzz with everything X-Men, and more marketable talent than any movie should be allowed to have, X2 looks hot, feels cool and is chock full of eye candy, and we're not just talking about the special effects here.

What we say now:
Much to the delight of comic book geeks everywhere, X2 turned out to be the most traditionally satisfying blockbuster of the season. Everything you expect in a big budget picture, from a big-name cast, to oodles of fantastic stunts and special effects, to just the right amount of humor was blended together perfectly to make a truly enjoyable movie. While the first film showed the franchise’s potential, the sequel proved that the series is faced with a long and wildly successful future.

2) Finding Nemo

It's a metaphor for the Yankees vs. the rest of the AL East. What we said then:
From toys to bugs to monsters, Pixar has consistently captured the imagination and the hearts of young and old alike, and from what we can see, Finding Nemo looks as though it will be following that tradition with aplomb.

What we say now:
Indeed. The wizards at Pixar once again delighted young and old with a beautiful film that had the added benefit of being extremely funny (with a terrific voice performance from Ellen DeGeneres) and touching as well. While it's no surprise that Nemo was a big summer movie, that it ended up being the season's number one film and passed The Lion King as the highest-grossing animated film in history (good for eighth all-time) was. All previous Pixar films had been fall releases, so the summer was uncharted waters for the computer animated films. As the $330 million gross showed, summer gave it a chance to find an even bigger audience via word-of-mouth. Though The Incredibles is already slated for the fall of 2004, it's a safe bet that summer will soon be the home to these amazing productions.

1) The Matrix Reloaded

Neo's Dark Side of the Moon laser lights show. What we said then:
The only downside of seeing The Matrix Reloaded will be waiting for hours in line. When the payoff is what will undoubtedly be the most exhilarating movie experience in ages, it is well worth the wait. May 15th cannot get here fast enough.

What we say now:
What was supposed to be an exhilarating experience turned into a cognitive one, as The Matrix Reloaded had more out-there philosophy than a class at Hampshire College. While it absolutely was not what we were expecting, it certainly dominated our discussions for much of the early summer. While many seemed to wish that Neo and company would just shut up and get on with the fight scenes already, most of us at BOP found the film’s temporal approach intriguing, if nothing else. Certainly it didn’t do a damn thing to diminish our rabid anticipation of Revolutions in November.

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