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1.
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.)
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The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero
crime thriller film directed and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on
the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film
series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. Christian Bale reprises the
lead role. The film follows Bruce Wayne/Batman (Bale), District Attorney
Harvey Dent/Two-Face (Aaron Eckhart), Assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes (Maggie
Gyllenhaal), and Police Commissioner James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and their
struggles and journey in combating the new rising threat of a criminal who
goes by the name of the "Joker" (Heath Ledger).
Nolan's inspiration for the film was the Joker's comic book debut in 1940,
and the 1996 series The Long Halloween, which retold Two-Face's origin.
The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago, as well as in several
other locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong.
Nolan used an IMAX camera to film some sequences, including the Joker's
first appearance in the film. On January 22, 2008, after he had completed
filming The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger died from a toxic combination of
prescription drugs, leading to intense attention from the press and
moviegoing public. Warner Bros. had initially created a viral marketing
campaign for The Dark Knight, developing promotional websites and trailers
highlighting screen shots of Ledger as the Joker, but after Ledger's
death, the studio refocused its promotional campaign.
The film was released on July 16, 2008 in Australia, on July 18, 2008 in
North America, and on July 24, 2008 in the United Kingdom. Before its box
office debut in North America, record numbers of advance tickets were sold
for The Dark Knight. It was greeted with positive reviews upon release,
and became only the second film to earn more than $500 million at the
North American box office, setting numerous other records in the process.
It is also the fifth highest grossing film worldwide, and the fourth of
the only five films to earn more than $1 billion, worldwide. The film
received numerous awards nominations and two Academy Awards for Best Sound
Editing and Best Supporting Actor for Ledger's performance. On December
2009, the film was named #1 in IMDb's Top 25 Movies of the Decade. |
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2.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
(Paramount)
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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the
Crystal Skull is a 2008 adventure film. It is the fourth film in the
Indiana Jones franchise, created by George Lucas and directed by Steven
Spielberg. Released nineteen years after the previous film, the film
acknowledges its star Harrison Ford's age by setting itself in 1957. It
pays tribute to the science fiction B-movies of the era, pitting Indiana
Jones against Soviet agents – led by Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) – for a
psychic alien crystal skull. Indiana is aided by his former lover Marion
Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and their son Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf). Ray
Winstone, John Hurt, and Jim Broadbent are also part of the supporting
cast.
The film languished in development hell because Spielberg and Ford
disagreed over Lucas' original concept, which featured a more overt focus
on aliens. Screenwriters Jeb Stuart, Jeffrey Boam, Frank Darabont, and
Jeff Nathanson wrote drafts, before David Koepp's script satisfied all
three men. Shooting began on June 18, 2007, and took place in various
locations: New Mexico; New Haven, Connecticut; Hawaii; Fresno, California;
and on soundstages in Los Angeles. To keep aesthetic continuity with the
previous films, the crew relied on traditional stunt work instead of
computer-generated stunt doubles, and cinematographer Janusz Kamiński
studied Douglas Slocombe's style from the previous films.
Marketing relied heavily on the public's nostalgia for the series, with
products taking inspiration from all four films. Anticipation for the film
was heightened by secrecy, which resulted in a legal dispute over an extra
violating his non-disclosure agreement and the arrest of another man for
stealing a computer containing various documents related to the
production. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was
released worldwide on May 22, 2008, and was a financial success, grossing
over $786 million worldwide, becoming the second highest grossing film of
2008. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, but fan
reaction was mixed. |
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3.
Kung Fu Panda
(DreamWorks)
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Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American
animated film. It was directed by John Wayne Stevenson and Mark Osborne
and produced by Melissa Cobb and stars Jack Black as Po. The film was
produced by DreamWorks Animation's studio in Glendale, California and
distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film stars the voice of Jack Black
as the panda, Po, along with the voices of Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie,
Ian McShane, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, James
Hong and Jackie Chan. Set in ancient China, the plot revolves around a
bumbling panda who aspires to be a kung fu master. After a much-feared
ex-disciple is prophesied to escape from prison, Po is foretold to be the
Dragon Warrior by the head of the temple, much to his shock and surprise,
as well as the chagrin of the resident kung fu warriors.
Although the concept of a "kung fu panda" has been around since at least
1993, work on the film did not begin until 2004. The idea for the film was
conceived by Michael Lachance, a DreamWorks Animation executive. The film
was originally intended to be a parody, but director Stevenson decided
instead to shoot an action comedy martial arts film in the spirit of Hong
Kong action cinema that incorporates the hero's journey narrative
archetype for the lead character. The computer animation in the film was
more complex than anything DreamWorks had done before. As with most
DreamWorks animated films, Hans Zimmer (collaborating with John Powell
this time) scored Kung Fu Panda. He visited China to absorb the culture
and get to know the China National Symphony Orchestra as part of his
preparation.
Kung Fu Panda premiered in the United States on June 1, 2008, and has
since received very favorable reviews from critics. The film currently
garners an 89% "Certified Fresh" approval rating from review aggregator
Rotten Tomatoes. Kung Fu Panda opened in 4,114 theaters, grossing $20.3
million on its opening day and $60.2 million on its opening weekend,
resulting in the number one position at the box office. The film has
achieved DreamWorks's biggest opening for a non-sequel film, highest
grossing animated movie of the year, and the third-largest weekend overall
for a DreamWorks animated film, behind Shrek the Third and Shrek 2. |
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4.
Hancock (Columbia)
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Hancock is a 2008 American action-comedy superhero film directed by Peter
Berg and starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron. It tells
the story of a vigilante superhero, John Hancock, played by Smith, from
Los Angeles whose reckless actions routinely cost the city millions of
dollars. Eventually one person he saves, Ray Embrey, played by Bateman,
makes it his mission to change Hancock's public image for the better.
The story was originally written by Vincent Ngo in 1996. It languished in
development hell for years and had various directors attached, including
Tony Scott, Michael Mann, Jonathan Mostow, and Gabriele Muccino before
going into production in 2007. Hancock was filmed in Los Angeles with a
production budget of $150 million.
The film was widely released on July 2, 2008 in the United States and the
United Kingdom by Columbia Pictures. Hancock received mixed reviews from
film critics. To date, Hancock has grossed $624,386,746 in theaters
worldwide. |
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5.
Mamma Mia!
(Universal)
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Mamma Mia!, promoted as Mamma Mia!
The Movie, is a 2008 romantic comedy film/american film adaptation of the
1999 West End musical of the same name, based on the songs of successful
pop group ABBA, with additional music composed by ABBA member Benny
Andersson. Produced by Universal Pictures in partnership with Tom Hanks'
and Rita Wilson's Playtone and Littlestar, it became the highest-grossing
film musical of all time breaking the 30-year-old record of Grease. The
title originates from ABBA's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia". Meryl Streep
heads the cast, playing the role of single mother Donna Sheridan. Pierce
Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Stellan Skarsgård play the three possible
fathers to Donna's daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried).
On 29 August 2008, Mamma Mia!: The Sing-Along Edition, with lyrics to the
songs highlighted on the screen, was released in selected cinemas. Mamma
Mia! became the highest-grossing film of all time in the United Kingdom,
surpassing Titanic. |
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6.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
(DreamWorks)
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Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is the
2008 animated sequel to the 2005 film Madagascar, about the continuing
adventures of Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, and
Gloria the Hippo. It is directed by Eric Darnell and written by Etan
Cohen.
It stars the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada
Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy
Richter. Also providing voices are Bernie Mac, Alec Baldwin, Sherri
Shepherd and will.i.am. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and
distributed by Paramount Pictures, and was released on November 7, 2008.
The film starts as a prequel, showing a small part of Alex's early life,
including his capture by hunters. It soon moves to shortly after the point
where the original left off, with the animals deciding to return to New
York. They board an airplane in Madagascar, but crash-land in Africa,
where each of the central characters meets others of the same species;
Alex is reunited with his parents. Problems arise, and their resolution
occupies much of the remainder of the film.
The previous title was "Madagascar: The Crate Escape", which was featured
on a teaser trailer with Ben Stiller.
This, along with Soul Men (which was released on the same day as this
movie, November 7, 2008) and Old Dogs (which was released a year after
this movie was released, November 25, 2009), was Bernie Mac's last film
performance. Therefore, the movie made a special dedication to the
comedian stating: For our friend Bernie Mac, thanks for all the laughter.
There were many cultural references in this film, one being Sandy Koufax
on the cover of a Life magazine. |
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7.
Quantum of Solace (MGM / Columbia)
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Quantum of Solace (2008) is the 22nd
James Bond film by EON Productions and is the direct sequel to the 2006
film Casino Royale. Directed by Marc Forster, it features Daniel Craig's
second performance as James Bond. In the film, Bond battles wealthy
businessman Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a member of the Quantum
organisation posing as an environmentalist who intends to stage a coup
d'état in Bolivia to take control of the nation's water supply. Bond seeks
revenge for the death of his lover, Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), and is
assisted by Camille Montes (Olga Kurylenko), who is also seeking revenge.
Producer Michael G. Wilson developed the film's plot while Casino Royale
was being shot. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis, and Joshua Zetumer
contributed to the script. The title was chosen from a 1960 short story in
Ian Fleming's For Your Eyes Only, though the film does not contain any
elements of the original story. Location filming took place in Panama,
Chile, Italy, and Austria while interior sets were built and watched at
Pinewood Studios. Forster aimed to make a modern film that also featured
classic cinema motifs: a vintage aeroplane was used for a dogfight
sequence, and Dennis Gassner's set designs are reminiscent of Ken Adam's
work on several early Bond films. Taking a course away from the usual Bond
villains, Forster rejected any grotesque appearance for the character
Dominic Greene to emphasise the hidden and secret nature of the film's
contemporary villains.
The film premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square on 29 October 2008,
gathering mixed reviews which mainly praised Craig's gritty performance
and the film's action sequences while feeling that Quantum of Solace was
not as impressive as the predecessor Casino Royale. It is also the second
highest grossing James Bond film, without adjusting for inflation, making
$586,090,727 worldwide, while becoming the higher grossing Bond film
domestically. |
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8.
Iron Man (Paramount)
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Iron Man is a 2008 American
superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name.
Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, a
billionaire industrialist and master engineer who builds a powered
exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron Man.
Gwyneth Paltrow plays his personal assistant Pepper Potts, Terrence Howard
plays military liaison James Rhodes and Jeff Bridges plays Stark
Industries executive Obadiah Stane.
The film was in development since 1990 at Universal Studios, 20th Century
Fox, and New Line Cinema, before Marvel Studios reacquired the rights in
2006. Marvel put the project in production as its first self-financed
film. Favreau signed on as director, aiming for a naturalistic feel, and
he chose to shoot the film primarily in California, rejecting the East
Coast setting of the comics to differentiate the film from numerous
superhero films set in New York City-esque environments. During filming,
the actors were free to create their own dialogue because pre-production
was focused on the story and action. Rubber and metal versions of the
armors, created by Stan Winston's company, were mixed with
computer-generated imagery to create the title character.
Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures, the distributor, planned a $50
million marketing campaign for the film, which was modeled on Paramount's
successful promotion of Transformers; Hasbro and Sega sold merchandise,
and product placement deals were made with Audi, Burger King, LG and
7-Eleven. Reviews were very positive, particularly praising Downey's
performance. Downey, Favreau and Paltrow will return in the sequel Iron
Man 2, scheduled for release on May 7, 2010. Downey also made a cameo
appearance as Stark in The Incredible Hulk. |
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9.
WALL-E (Disney/Pixar)
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WALL-E, promoted with an interpunct
as WALL•E, is a 2008 computer-animated science-fiction film produced by
Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows
a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth
far in the future. He eventually falls in love with another robot named
EVE, and follows her into outer space on an adventure that changes the
destiny of both his kind and humanity.
After directing Finding Nemo, Stanton felt Pixar had created believable
simulations of underwater physics and was willing to direct a film largely
set in space. Most of the characters do not have actual human voices, but
instead communicate with body language and robotic sounds, designed by Ben
Burtt, that resemble voices. In addition, it is the first animated feature
by Pixar to have segments featuring live-action characters.
Walt Disney Pictures released it in the United States and Canada on June
27, 2008. The film grossed US$23.1 million on its opening day, and $63
million during its opening weekend in 3,992 theaters, ranking #1 at the
box office. This ranks as the fourth highest-grossing opening weekend for
a Pixar film as of May 31, 2009. Following Pixar tradition, WALL-E was
paired with a short film, Presto, for its theatrical release. WALL-E has
been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews among critics, scoring an
approval rating of 96% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. It
grossed $534 million worldwide, won the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best
Animated Feature Film, the 2009 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation,
Long Form, the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature as well as being
nominated for five other Academy Awards at the 81st Academy Awards. WALL-E
ranks first in TIME's "Best Movies of the Decade". |
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10.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Disney/Walden
Media)
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The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince
Caspian is a 2008 epic fantasy film based on Prince Caspian, the second
published novel in C. S. Lewis's fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia.
It is the second in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden
Media, following The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe (2005). The four Pevensie children (William Moseley, Anna
Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley) return to Narnia to aid
Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) in his struggle for the throne against his
corrupt uncle, King Miraz (Sergio Castellitto). The film was released on
May 16, 2008 in the United States, in Australia on June 5, 2008, and on
June 26, 2008 in the United Kingdom.
Prince Caspian is also the last Narnia film distributed by Walt Disney
Pictures, as it was announced in January 2009 that Disney will no longer
distribute the Narnia film series due to 20th Century Fox taking over the
film series. Work on the script began before The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe was released, so filming could begin before the actors grew too
old for their parts. Director Andrew Adamson wanted to make the film more
spectacular than the first, and created an action sequence not in the
novel to up the ante. The Narnians were designed to look wilder as they
have been hiding from persecution, stressing the darker tone of the
sequel. The filmmakers also took a Spanish influence for the antagonistic
race of the Telmarines. Filming began in February 2007 in New Zealand, but
unlike the previous film, the majority of shooting took place in Central
Europe, because of the larger sets available in those countries. To keep
costs down, Adamson chose to base post-production in the UK, because of
recent tax credits there. |
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