Third time’s the charm

Posted by admin on Jan 23, 2007 in Arts & Culture | 1 comment

For years now, Hollywood has been stuck in a cycle of repetitive remakes and sequels, and 2007 is shaping up to be no exception. Here are a few of the most highly anticipated sequels of the year.

Ocean’s 13: Ocean’s 11 was an instant classic, a
brilliant send up to the rat-pack and heist films of old but Ocean’s 12 – while original and unique in its own right – was not really what the audience was expecting from director Steven Soderberg. Ocean’s 13 seems to be going back to what made 11 such a glitzy masterpiece.

Shrek the Third: The original was hilarious. Number
two is the highest grossing animated film of all time (take THAT Disney!). Shrek the Third will not disappoint, despite the exceptionally high expectations.

The Bourne Ultimatum: Before last year’s Casino
Royale re-conceived Bond, Bourne was re-inventing the spy genre. Based on the novel series by Robert Ludlum, Ultimatum will finish the series and is sure to serve up a level of depth that Bond films will never achieve. Paul Greengrass, who directed The Bourne Supremacy and Bloody Sunday, will direct this final film.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End:
I’ve heard grumblings that Dead Man’s Chest wasn’t as good as the original. Perhaps it wasn’t. But I think this series will ultimately be remembered in the same breath as Indiana Jones. By the way, Dead Man’s Chest is way better than Temple of Doom; so keep it in perspective.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:
Guaranteed to be the largest film franchise in the history of the world, Potter is back at it this summer to smash box office records and fill theatres everywhere with delighted muggles. This one will be the most frightening yet as Potter and his pals try to convince the world that dark Lord Voldemort is back.

Spider-Man 3: Director Sam Raimi has set the
standard for comic book films with the first two Spider-Man films, and looks to eclipse his previous achievements with this third installment. Spider-Man 3 sees Peter Parker up against forces of darkness all around and within himself. Anybody who knows comic books is salivating at the chance to finally see Venom in live-action.

Halo 3: What? A video game? Not only does this game
deserve to be on this list, but it will also make more money than almost all the others (except maybe that Potter kid). Halo 2 made more than $125 million dollars on its release day, whereas the Potter films have averaged about $90 million. If you haven’t seen a trailer for this game in with the movie trailers, you will soon enough. And if you don’t own an Xbox 360 yet, consider getting one just for this game.