2003 Movies : Action

With Tom Cruise • Timothy Spall • Aoi Minato • Billy Connolly • Tony Goldwyn • Ken Watanabe • Hiroyuki Sanada • Shun Sugata • Edward Zwick • Shin Koyamada • Seizo Fukumoto • Schichinosuke Nakamura • Koyuki • Masato Harada • Sosuke Ikematsu

Set in the late 1870s, this epic film depicts the beginnings of the modernization of Japan, as the island nation evolved past a feudal society, as symbolized by the eradication of the samurai way of life. We see all this happen from the point of view of an alcoholic Civil War veteran turned Winchester guns spokesman, Captain Woodrow Algren (Tom Cruise), who arrives in Japan to train the troops of the emperor, Meiji, as part of a break away from the long-held tradition of relying on employed samurai warriors to protect territories, as the emperor's new army prepares to wipe out the remaining samurai warriors. When Algren is injured in combat and captured by the samurai, he learns about their warrior honor code from their leader, Katsumoto, which forces him to decide which side of the conflict he actually wants to be on.

With Kevin McNally • Naomie Harris • Louise Mardenborough • Mark Locke • Enzo Cilenti • Perry Fitzpatrick • Madhav Sharma • Ulrika Jonsson • Bob Mason

Normally, the mantis shrimp only grows to about a foot long or so, but in this movie, a seven-foot-long one shows up in England (by way of the Philippines). Pub owner and failed boxer Bill (Kevin McNally) buys the creature, seeing it as his chance to become rich and famous, training the ferocious crustacean to box. Hitting the road with his amateur boxer best friend, Steve (Perry Fitzpatrick), a trainee hairdresser (Louise Mardenborough) and the giant sea creature, Bill heads to London to convince a TV network to feature the crustacean on an 'American Gladiators'-style event hosted by Ulrika Jonsson.

With Cate Blanchett • Karl Urban • Ian McKellen • Viggo Mortensen • Elijah Wood • Sean Astin • Peter Jackson • Marton Csokas • Billy Boyd • Philippa Boyens • Dominic Monaghan • Hugo Weaving • Stephen Sinclair • Liv Tyler • Bernard Hill • John Noble • Barrie M. Osborne • Fran Walsh • Phillippa Boyens

The third of the trilogy. As the shadow of Mordor grows across the land, Aragorn is revealed as the hidden heir to the ancient kings. Gandolf miraculously returns and defeats the evil wizard, Saruman. Sam leaves his master for the dead after a battle with the giant spider, Shelob; but Frodo is still alive--in the hands of the Orcs. And while the armies of the Dark Lord are massing--and the one ring comes ever closer to the Cracks of Doom.

With Judy Greer • Mario Van Peebles • Andy Dick • Peter Coyote • Adam Goldberg • Rachel Dratch • Nora Dunn • Melvin Van Peebles • Jonathan Kesselman

This action comedy spoof, said to be in the same vein as "Undercover Brother", but for Orthodox Jews, Adam Goldberg ("Saving Private Ryan") stars as a superhero detective who's out to stop Santa's evil son Damien (Andy Dick) from eliminating Hanukkah forever. It's based on the short of the same name, written and directed by Jonathan Kesselman during his days as a student at USC's Film School.

With Ben Affleck • Uma Thurman • Michael C. Hall • Paul Giamatti • James Gray • John Davis • Kathryn Morris • Aaron Eckhart • Scott Frank • Terence Chang • Dean Georgaris • Michael Hackett • Colm Feore • Joe Morton • John Woo • Philip K. Dick

Based on the short story by Philip K. Dick, "Paycheck" is about world famous genius Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck), who does specialized projects for high-tech corporations. Once a job is complete, his memory is erased so as not to divulge any company secrets. Highly paid for his work, Jennings expects to earn $4.4 billion for his latest 5-year project, but upon completion of the job, instead of a big paycheck, he is given an envelope full of random objects and told that he has agreed to forfeit all payment. With his memory erased per usual, Jennings has no defense, until he discovers that the objects are clues to his past. Now, with the help of Rachel (Uma Thurman), the woman he has worked with and loved for the last three years, Jennings is in a race against time to put the pieces of his past together before the people he once worked for have him killed.

With Amy Pascal • Jason Isaacs • Jeremy Sumpter • Lucy Fisher • Olivia Williams • Douglas Wick • Richard Briers • Ludivine Sagnier • Rachel Hurd Wood • Harry Newell • Freddie Popplewell • Rupert Simoneon • P.J. Hogan • Patrick McCormick • Michael Goldenberg • J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan is the boy who won't age, who lives in Neverland with other ageless kids, the Lost Boys. Tinkerbelle, a fairy, gives three children: Wendy, John, and Michael Darling the ability to fly; and soon they're off to Neverland, where they're soon in battle with the evil Captain Hook and his band of pirates.