Memorable movies of 2008

Looking back, Hollywood movies in 2008 focused more on fantasy, sci-fi and comic super heroes, although action and comedy movies were also produced. Musicals also found their way to the movie screens; while animation never lost its ability to become topgrossers. As for suspense and horror films, we did not see much of them the way we did in 2007.

Here’s 2008’s memorable movies (in no particular order):

High School Musical 3. The movie-musical that became a phenomenon brought out the musical talents of children and teenagers worldwide, as they try to imitate the characters in the movie. It reminded us of the Sound of Music.

Kung-fu Panda. It gave a lot of credit to pandas and martial arts. Just seeing the panda do his kung-fu moves drove a lot of viewers crazy.

Wall-E. The animation focused on environmental awareness which was creatively combined with a touching love story and adventure of a futuristic, innocent trash collector robot.

007: Quantum of Solace. James Bond came back with a vengeance. After being betrayed by Vesper (his love, from Casino Royale), he is determined to get payback. Things got complicated when he found out that Vesper was blackmailed by a dangerous organization.

Chronicles of the Narnia: Prince Caspian. The Pevensie children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy) came back for another adventure and mission in Narnia. This time they helped search for the right ruler of Narnia, Prince Caspian.

Hell Boy 2: The Golden Army. Hellboy and his team is back to protect the human race. This time they needed to stop evil creatures from destroying humans.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. After its last 1989 sequel, Prof. Indy (Indiana Jones) surprisingly came back with an archeological adventure in search for the answer to the mystery behind the Crystal Skull.

Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. The O’ Connors seem to have such an attraction for mummies. This time, they woke up another mummy but from a different race: A Chinese emperor. The whole family went for another mummy chasing experience.

Twilight. The novel-turned-movie is about a girl in love with a vampire — which complicates it. The movie ended the year with a romantic yet intense ambiance.

Sex and the City. Fans can’t have enough just watching them on TV. So the “4” fabulous women (Carrie, Amanda, Charlotte, Samantha) of New York City finally made its way to the movie screens complete with the glamour, fashion and their complicated lives.

X-Files 2. X-Files was originally a TV series that became a movie in 1998. After 10 years, Agent Mulder and Scully came back on the big screen, taking and sharing with us another dose of their X-files.

Hancock. Ever heard of a super hero-turned-menace? The movie showed us how John Hancock needed to deal with the people’s rage about his destructive ways during rescues. Luckily, he got a second chance. Was it a good idea?

Iron Man. A genius makes weapons and is forced to make an armored suit to escape his captors. He also used his invented suit to fight his newfound enemies.

Batman: The Dark Knight. It is an entirely different Batman movie. Unlike the traditional Batman movie which seemed to be too comical, The Dark Knight gave it a touch of reality but still didn’t lose its “action-hero” ambiance which everyone enjoys.

Sweeney Todd. Although the movie is violent, odd and dark, its musical aspect brightened up the scenes. Not ideal to watch when you’re eating, but a surely must-see.

Jumper. The intriguing movie triggered the viewers’ interest about the possibility of teleportation and made them realize what a cheap way it is to travel all over the world. But everything in excess is dangerous, just like what happened to the protagonist.

Bolt. A dog actor, playing a super hero with great powers, was lost in a city outside the studio. Only then did the dog realize that he’s ordinary after all. He met friends who helped accept the truth and find his way home.

Body of Lies. The action movie is about a CIA agent determined to search for terrorists behind a series of bombings. He laid out a plan. But he doesn’t know whom to trust.

The Day the Earth Stood Still. A remake of the 1951 movie of the same title, the “year-ender” disturbed viewers. Is the end near? Who will end it — God or aliens?

Mirrors. It made people think twice about their fascination at looking at mirrors. Remembering how the mirrors destroyed the protagonist’s life makes one think twice about staring at a mirror.

Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa. Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria have come back for yet another adventure — this time in Africa. The gang was all complete with a touch of family reunion for Alex.

Mama Mia. It is a star-studded musical about a girl who’s getting married and wants to invite her father. Problem is, she doesn’t know who among her mom’s three past lovers her father, so she invites them all. What a riot!

Incredible Hulk. A number of versions of the movie has been released, but as always it never failed to catch viewers’ attention. Bruce Banner’s story is re-told with a more improved green-colored monster.

The Happening. A strange happening in a city made a scientist, his wife and a friend’s daughter to use science as their only guide in finding the answers and surviving. But science seemed inadequate in dealing with the odd event.