Must-See Movies of 2007

By Annabelle Chua

2007 has come, and with it comes the release of many of the most-awaited films in Hollywood. I’m not saying that these films will walk away with Oscars in tow, but they’re sure to give you your money’s worth in comedy and suspense.

Here are some of the most popular films that just about everyone is waiting for. A lot of them are sequels to hit films, such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Spiderman and Evan Almighty (a follow-up to the 2003 Bruce Almighty). Others like Hairspray and Meet the Robinsons, though still unknown, offer a humorous and refreshing break from stress and tension of our busy lives.
           
To start the ball rolling:

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – After the 2003 Curse of the Black Pearl, and last year’s Dead Man’s Chest, Walt Disney brings the trilogy to a full circle with the third installment, which is scheduled for worldwide release in May 25, 2007. In Dead Man’s Chest, we see Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann about to rescue Jack Sparrow from his watery grave. At World’s End chronicles how the ensemble of Will, Elizabeth, Barbossa and Tia Dalma try to rescue Captain Jack. In the process, Elizabeth is captured by the notorious pirate Sao-Feng as Captain Barbossa and Will Turner enter an alliance for one last decisive battle. Actors Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Rush return to reprise their parts, with Chow Yun-Fat playing Sao-Feng.

Evan Almighty – This is a comedy about a self-obsessed congressman who learns the value of helping others when he is told by God to build an ark to prepare for a flood. Newly elected to Congress, Evan’s life gets turned upside-down when God appears and mysteriously commands him to build an ark because of a flood coming upon the earth. But his family just can't decide whether Evan is having an extraordinary mid-life crisis or is truly onto something of Biblical proportions. Steve Carell plays Evan and Morgan Freeman takes on the role of God in this lighthearted film. It has already been released in the U.S. last January 1, so it’s bound to come out soon here.

 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix –We may claim to have already grown up, but face it – we’re all excited about the movie version of J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novel about an orphaned boy with magic powers. Daniel Radcliffe reprises his role as the boy wizard about to begin his fifth year of school in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Dursleys are despicable, he has little contact with the magical world, and to top it all, Lord Voldemort has returned. After such a rotten summer, returning to Hogwarts ought to be a relief. But will it be so? Catch it in cinemas on its worldwide release on the 13th of July (incidentally Daniel Radcliffe’s birthday.) Also starring Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry’s friends Ron and Hermione, and Ralph Fiennes as the evil Lord Voldemort.

 

 

 

Spiderman 3 – This is the 3rd film based on the Marvel Comics character Spiderman. Sam Raimi, director of the first two films, directs this film on Peter Parker and his newest adventures and problems as Spiderman. After police tell Peter that Sandman is responsible for killing his Uncle Ben, Peter personally goes after him, battling both Sandman and his former friend Harry Osborne. At the same time, astronaut John Jameson returns with an alien life form from space, which attaches itself to Peter’s costume and influences him for the worse. Just as Peter succeeds in removing the alien life form, it merges with someone else, and forms the monster Venom. By the way, one more thing on our hero’s mind? Proposing to Mary Jane. Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco return for the third installment of the franchised series.

 

 

Hairspray –This film is based on the Tony award-winning Broadway musical Hairspray, which in turn was based on the John Waters’ 1988 comedy with the same title. Set in Baltimore, Maryland, in the 1960s, a "pleasantly plump" high school adolescent, Tracy Turnblad goes from being an outsider to celebrity trendsetter. It is the story of a girl, Tracy, whose dream is to dance on the Corny Collins Show. She gets a chance on the show, becomes a celebrity overnight, and launches a campaign to racially integrate the Corny Collins Show, at the same time having to deal with discrimination and prejudices. At the same time, humorous lyrics, upbeat songs and snappy, well-choreographed dance moves will certainly make this film worth watching and hard to forget. From the producers of the Oscar-winning musical Chicago, and starring John Travolta (of Grease and Saturday Night Fever fame back in the 1970s), Zac Efron from High School Musical, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer and Amanda Bynes.

Ocean’s 13 – Like Pirates, Ocean’s 13 is the third installment in the trilogy about Danny Ocean and his gang of high-class thieves. In order to pull off their most ambitious heist yet, Danny Ocean’s gang teams up with – surprise, surprise – former nemesis Terry Benedict in order to con Willie Banks – in high style. The movie was filmed in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, features a star-studded cast like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Al Pacino, and is scheduled for worldwide release on June 8, 2007.

 

 

Meet the Robinsons – After action-packed Ocean’s 13, let’s take a break and turn to Walt Disney’s newest offering about a boy genius who creates a machine to recover the lost memory of the past and unlocks a future, a family and a world whose survival depends on him. When Lewis, a brilliant twelve-year-old, meets a mysterious boy from the future named Wilbur Robinson, the two travel forward in time where Lewis discovers the amazing secret of the Robinson family. Unfortunately his invention gets stolen by the evil Bowler Hat Guy. Wilbur Robinson whisks our bewildered hero away in a time machine and the two travel forward in time to spend a day with Wilbur’s eccentric family. In a world filled with flying cars and floating cities, they hunt down Bowler Hat Guy, save the future and uncover the amazing secret of Lewis future family. It’s scheduled to be released on March 30, 2007 – right after graduation. So take a break – try it!
           

These movies are hardly the heavy, intellectual type that will really make you question your beliefs. They are however perfect for the time of the day when you just want to sit down, relax and have fun. And considering the breakneck pace at which life is going, these movies will definitely make our day.