Added by The Mighty Celestial on 19 Sep 2016 11:27

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30 From 98: My Favorite Films From 1998

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2696

6.5

Antz (1998)

With the release of both Antz and A Bug's Life, it seemed at the time as though 1998 was the year of the computer-generated insect genre. However, the subject of lil' multi-limbed critters isn't the only thing the two movies shared. Both releases have been critically rated pretty much at the same level by both film critics and audiences alike (although, A Bug's Life did take in more in terms of the box office, but not so much that it would've considered a total squash). And I think a big part of that was because the creativity, enthusiasm and energy level of both could be felt crawling out of the screen as they played. Today, releasing two such similarly themed family features would never be allowed to happen between animation studios, but back then, it really made film fans get really excited with the potential that came from the duo sharing a movie going season.
Just like Bug's, Antz uses the highest level of cartooning tech at the time to take the idea of the macrocosm of the insect universe and transforms it into a cute, wonderful world of innocent anthropomorphic fun that was sure to entertain the elementary-level audience for which these kinds of animated adventures tended to depend on for effective box office returns. However, with the inclusion of some Woody Allen-like mannerisms into the presentation of this tiny titanic tale of rebellious nonconformity against totalitarian tropes, producers were hoping in making mountains out of anthills if they could somehow also inspire older fans of scintillian invertebrates into swarming towards the ticket booths of that year.

4617

6.7

7.2

A Bug's Life (1998)

The late 90's were the early part of Pixar Studios with this movie being only their second entry into the world of motion pictures. A Bug's Life, along with its sister computer-created crawlies cartoon Antz, was the next step in the advancing technology of 3D animation. However, the thing about these early computer animation films was that their level of tech had a very short shelf life. CGI was only getting better, and at an accumulated rate. Therefore, these movies could not depend solely on their graphics to sustain them. They needed solid stories behind the then eye-popping images to give ‘em some kind of longevity.

And that’s what A Bug’s Life manages to do. Don’t expect Oscar material in this sophomore effort from Pixar, but its tiny tale of insects imitating a slice of life of human society is one that is well worth a sit-through, even today. The script manages to set up the premise with enough metaphoric wit and endearing characters to keep viewers invested, and the dated visuals pack enough charming exaggeration to allow one to look past the quickly antiquated elements that have been leveled up past eleven by this point.

Sure today’s 3-dimensional animation may be mountains when compared to this 90’s anthill, but the life of this bug still crawls with the energy and enthusiasm that keeps it entertaining even to the most discernible eyes of any modern-day millennial.

7.5

7.1

Slam (1998)

Ray Joshua is a man who is always stuck. First, as a street kid who is torn between the hopeful potential of his talent and the confining bleakness of life in the 'hood. Then, after getting arrested for being at the wrong place at the wrong time, he finds himself a convict stuck between the rock of the prison system and the hard place of turning rat. His frustrations boiling over, Ray begins to "rap" his disgruntlement out towards his inmates with a poignancy that's both poetic and powerful enough to sway his fellow jailbirds.
And in the end he must decided between playing it safe in the slammer or voicing his opinions at the poetry slam.

815

6.4

Out of Sight (1998)

A bank robber on the lam with a the sexy U.S. marshall "hot" on his trail. From the get go, this makes Out Of Sight sound like a typical formula pic. But with a screenplay based on an Elmore Leonard book (whose books were also the basis for other films like Get Shorty and Jackie Brown), this is a romance story that goes beyond its basic description. Through the combination of Leonard's sharp script and Steven Soderbergh's steady direction, the wry dialogue, sly characters and not your typical situations, even for a cat and mouse type of manhunt, are all handled in an atmosphere of high "cool" confidence, that no matter what side of the caper they're in, everyone journeys their roles as though all of this was just everyday stuff.

1878

6.8

7.3

Enemy of the State (1998)

Out of all of Will Smith's action themed films so far, I would have to say that Enemy of the State is definitely my favorite of the bunch.
I mean, sure, the subject matter of the film doesn't exactly sport a rocket-science script, but it also didn't require that one completely leave one's brain at the door as much as most of his other feature films do. Plus, the premise also benefits from having Hollywood veteran Gene Hackman bring his brand of self-assured and seasoned acting to a story required his kind of heavyweight underscored presence to help counter Will's slaphappy approach which can sometimes dilute the sense of danger that's in needed to pull Enemy's premise off effectively.

The concept of Big Brother's eyes in the sky watching our every move is what really kept this movie's story interesting for me, and it was a great foundation that allowed the suspense to flow along all throughout the plot in a way that didn't completely dismiss the mentality of the viewer. And I really think that there was a solid chemistry between the starring duo of Gene Hackman and Will Smith, one that didn't come off as forced as most marquee names that are usually paired for the more for the sake driving a blockbuster film than for the sake of an honest pairing.
Obviously, EofS might not be the kind of motion picture that will enhance or enrich anyone's life, but it's a good example of the type of thriller escapism whose provocation towards thought isn't going to get in the way of the film's primary purpose is to kill a few hours just for the sake of killing a few hours.

1189

4.9

5.7

Babe: Pig in the City (1998)

Here's an animalistic tale that's about an Australian talking pig that moves from small time lifestyle of the farm to the bustling streets of the big city. And to whom everyone refers to as "Babe".
Take out the Australian part, and you could easily be describing my last girlfriend. ('Ey, who do I talk to about having a "ba-dum-tish!" emoticon installed around here, anyway?)
An underrated and good intentioned sequel that never seems to get the kind of fair shakes that it deserves.

2912

6.5

Rush Hour (1998)

If the 1980’s was the decade of the formula flick, the 1990’s was the decade that tried to exploit the formula to their biggest blockbuster potential. This was an era in which Hollywood was doing its best to take any rising star that came along the scene and tried to match him or her up with a proper franchise from which they and the rising star could profit the most. Tom Cruise had Mission Impossible, Michael Keaton had Batman, Mel Gibson had Lethal Weapon, Will Smith had Men in Black, and on and on and on. Comedian Chris Tucker popped up on the radar with his star turning role in the Friday film and had movie producers chomping on the bit to find him the kind of vehicle that could be spawned into sequels from which he could ride on. Luckily for both Tucker and the producers, at the same time that this was happening. International martial arts star Jackie Chan was now looking to expand his base further into English language films, beyond his typical Asian action comedies.
Seeing an opportunity here, movie makers teamed the two together into the ever-reliable buddy cop plot device, taking the sure-fire formula to the extreme of two law enforcers from completely opposite sides of the world. It was a move that turned out much better than anyone could have expected because the chemistry between Chris T. and Jackie C. was practically instantaneous. To the point that where not only was a new franchise born, but also a new friendship between the two actors that still exists today.

As a film, Rush Hour is very good. Admittedly, it has a very thin plot device, but it's flimsiness is held up by the strong points of each of the dynamic duo's specialties.... Tucker's talent for quick and chaotic urban-based colloquiums, and Chan's crazy and comedic combat choreography. It's a piece of empty escapism which is highlighted by the energetic "fuzz" of its two key components, and it was no surprise that it made the kind of money that it did. However, I will say that after I watched this first Hour, and as much as I enjoyed it, I instantly recognized that it had all the markings of series in which its sequels were going to sacrifice story over that of a quick and easy buck.
And that's exactly what happened.
But that doesn't hurt what this first installment of the franchise was able to accomplish as yet another a simple, fast-moving comedy that's non-stop fun from point A to point B.

1887

7.5

Pleasantville (1998)

Two siblings, a brother and a sister on the opposite side of the personality spectrum, find themselves trapped in another dimension that is of a 50's black & white television show. Unable to escape and in an effort to accept their new reality, they decide to try to make the most of it by introducing a little color to the set.
And of course, we're talking metaphorically here.

791

6.7

7.3

Rounders (1998)

Okay, first things first. What is a “rounder” that the title of this movie is referring to? Basically, it’s a nonprofessional poker player who makes the rounds. Or, in other words, it’s a player who goes to different places looking to get into a card game with easy marks. With the obvious purpose of making some quick and easy money. Now what I particularly like about this movie is that not only does it work a nice story around the specific subject of rounding, but also the way that the story is utilized in a way that explains in detail how the world of scamming amateur players during these card games work. Even if you don’t have a clue about what poker or playing cards is about, there’s a good chance that you will learn something about the game and the stakes and strategy that are involved. I myself used to play a little with my college buddies back when we should’ve been concentrating more on high education studies but I didn’t know much about things like Texas Hold-Em poker until this movie. On top of that, Rounders also a pretty effective job of demonstrating how upper level poker is much more a game of skill than it the game of luck that many people (particularly those who are not very good at it) are convinced that it is. We see here what goes through the mind of an advanced player who is adept at reading the tiny little “tells” that reveal what kind of hand an opponent is holding. IMO, the fact that this is a motion picture that manages to do all that within the framework of a story of rounder who is trying to go “straight” makes this a movie that I think is somewhat underrated. Yeah, Rounders may not strictly be what most critics would call award level material, but I do think it is above the rating of “so-so” cinema that many have thrust upon it. Add on to it the stellar cast of Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Turturro, Martin Landau, and a badly accented yet engagingly mocky John Malkovich, and I believe that what we have here is a very fun watch that is a much more of a winning hand than it gets credit for.

6120

7.8

8.6

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Stephen Spielberg.
Tom Hanks.
Matt Damon.
A World War II epic.
You do the math.

4331

7.9

8.1

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Los Hermanos Coen slap together a cult classic about some Dude who goes through alot of shit just to get his rug back.
And as anyone knows, the Dude needs his rug.
It's what ties the whole room together.

Okay, so I am someone who does everything he can to avoid spoilers whenever I'm discussing cinema in any manner. However, for this entry, I' going to go there. So, if you wanna avoid having this Big Lebowski spoiled all over you, I highly suggest you stop reading here and simply move on to the next movie entry....

The Big Lebowski is a movie that shares something with the Seinfeld television series.... and that is that it has a premise that is, in actuality, about nothing. Hoever, unlike Seinfeld, Lebowski isn't upfront about it. It's so-called stories has many elements that fool the viewer into thinking that what hey are watching is indeed a story that is being unfolded.

1682

7.5

7.6

Dark City (1998)

A man awakens in a bathtub with no memory of who he is. He soon comes to discover that he is a man on the run in a city of darkness. A darkness that envelopes the people's will as well the sky. A darkness bought about by a group of "Strangers". A darkness that the man must bring to light if the city is to "awaken".
Dark City is a stylishly gloomy sci-fi quasi-noir that features cool comic book style plot-lines bought to the silver screen with a keen integration of bold visual designs with shadowy and suspenseful intrigue.

1881

7.4

7.6

The Thin Red Line (1998)

After twenty years of silence, Terrence Malick is back behind the camera. His first full feature film since the critically acclaimed (although, at the time of the movie's release it had more mixed reactions) Days Of Heaven.
A fictionalized version of World War Two's Battle of Mount Austen. the plot follows the soldiers involved in the campaign, not just physically, but also mentally as throughout the pacing of the story, the script is interjected with the thoughts of various combatants.

517

7.2

7.5

A Simple Plan (1998)

While a solid performance is given by every major player in this film (Bill Paxton, Bridgette Fonda and Brent Brisco) my fave has to go with Billy Bob Thornton's.
This movie is another example of one of the roles that BBT has done in which he tends to approach the role with such a distinct character that, no matter what the quality of the film is, it's just interesting to watch as a vehicle for an actor who utilizes the diversity of his acting abilities to it's farthest extent. Therefore, with other films like Sling Blade, One False Move, Bandits, The Apostle and Monster's Ball, A Simple Plan comes off as just another quality flick that came out at a time when Mr. Thornton really seemed to be cruising on quite the cinematic streak.

6266

7.6

8.2

The Truman Show (1998)

This here is film that was certainly a sign of its time. While these days, reality shows are just a regular part of entertainment programming, at the time of this film's release, reality-based entertainment was new and huge and only getting huger. Combined with the onslaught of online services that allowed ordinary people to make it possible for world wide web "audiences" to view their lives for 24 hours a day, the tail end of 1990's was starting to feel like it was "reeling" as the result from all the "over-exposure". So, it was only a matter of time before eventually, someone over there in LaLa Land had to come up with the idea of using the subject matter as a basis for a movie.
Fortunately, the movie was a good movie, called The Truman Show (by the way, i went for a couple of years before I got the metaphorical setup pf that film title... yeah, yeah, I know...."D'uh!"...). Not only was it a good movie, but it was also a perfect vehicle for the pliable comedic actor Jim Carrey to step away from the zany antics of his more fruitful flavor of frenetic farce, and into something which provided him with the flexibility to tap into something that was centered more on "reality". That is, "reality" as it was captured by the zeitgeist of the 90's. And a reality that was the opposite of the cartoonish background that his more laugh-minute film work was usually set against.

4359

6.4

7.1

There's Something About Mary (1998)

Yeah, there's something about Mary alright. And that something is in her hair. A scene that, while to most people is considered iconic, I honestly didn't think it was all that funny. Just gross. (And in my opinion, that scene set the tone for the kind of schtick that Ben Stiller goes for in his movies that followed.... not that I think he does disgusting humor, just the kind of gags that seem a little too obvious for me).
However, that doesn't take away from the fact that I found the rest of About Mary to be one of the best comedies to "come" out of the year of 1998.

940

7.5

7.7

Happiness (1998)

Here is a film called Happiness that is directed by indie film-maker and bon vivant Todd Solondz. This is the same guy who directed Welcome To The Dollhouse (which takes a look at the kind of dark realities of the coming-of-age stage of life), Palindromes (a runaway's dark journey through a series of "palindromes") and Life During Wartime (which follows up certain characters from this movie and depicts the dark paths that have transpired by the mundaneness of their lives).
In other words, Happiness is a film about anything but.
Not that I would could consider this to be a depressing piece of cinema,
it's just an acquired taste, even for the most ardent of art-house appreciandos.

356

7.2

7.3

Gods and Monsters (1998)

James Whale was a director of cinema during the 1930's, most famous for his work on the first full feature film depicting Mary Shelly's Frankenstein Monster and on it's sequel, the Bride Of Frankenstein. Fronted with exceptional performances from it's major players, this movie is a story that focuses on a fictionalized version of his last troubled days before the director was found dead in his pool. Pigeonholed as a maker of mostly "monster flix", living an open life as a homosexual, and after suffering a series of strokes, Whale spent the end of his life painting as a way of dealing with his not-yet acceptable orientation, his weakened physical state and his constraining reputation as a creator of "gods and monsters".

The Mighty Celestial's rating:

185

6.3

6.6

Slums of Beverly Hills (1998)

When living within the slums of Beverly Hills, you'll find that every once in awhile, you just have to pack up the family and move. Particularly, when the rent is due.
Oh, and when this does happen, as a courtesy to the next tenants,
please don't forget to remove the cat from the oven.

754

8.1

The Celebration (1998)

Over at a dynastically run hotel, a high ranking family is holding a celebration for their father's 60th birthday.
And one of the patriarch's major surprise gifts, "given" to him by his only son, is the unveiling news that he is responsible for the suicide death of his daughter as a result of a family history of sexual abuse.
Although, considering the other troubled revelations that reveal themselves as the party chugs along, it wouldn't surprise me if "Big Daddy" would have just settled on just getting a tie.

8.3

42 Up (1998)

The Up Series is a continual set of documentary films that literally lasts a life time. Started in 1964, it documents the lifespans of a select group of individuals, starting at the age of seven and constantly returning to their respective lives every seven years to update their progress in this journey that we all share.
Therefore, there's an updated installment released after the seventh year of the previous film, each titled after the age of the subjects involved in this long-running project.
By the time of 1998, they're up to the age of 42.

Personally, I found it almost spooky and universally telling on the kind of perspective that arises from being a spectator of some else's life other than my own.
After every incarnation of this series, I can't help but ask those deep kinds of questions that are much easier to ask from the outside looking in.
For example, taking the film segments of the various people of this project when they were just children and watching 'em up against the segments of them as adults, I found myself genuinely wondering at what point in life do most of us, as humans, lose the zest and free-spiritedness that naturally comes with being a child, and then have it replaced by the more restrained walking representative of a crushed spirit that we have as adults?
And I can't remember when was the last time any film had the ability to make me get that introspective.

2916

6.5

7.1

Blade (1998)

Did you know that there was once a time when there was no such thing as the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
I did. Because ever since I was a kid, I had wished that there was such a thing. But, realistically speaking, I thought that such an idea was too far away from Hollywood's ability, creatively, resourcefully and financially, to produce such a good movie based on a Marvel character, let alone a whole Universe.
But, it happened. Despite all the uphill obstacles, the loonies in La La Land had managed to pull it off. They didn't spawn one film about a Marvel character, not two, not three, but a whole slew of 'em. Heck, they've made more films about Marvel superheroes than a kid from the 1970's would see on a local grocery store's spinner rack. They created an entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
And even though most people tend to think that it all started with the very first Spider-Man flick back in 2002, we hardcore fans knew that it started earlier than that. In 1998, with a much more obscure character known as Blade, the Vampire Slayer.
Blade was a superhero whose powers were the same as those of a typical vampire, with the exception that he had the advantage of being able to walk around in the daylight, thus earning him the nickname of "The Day-Walker". His actual first appearance was naturally in one of Marvel's horror comics called "The Tomb of Dracula". And it was pretty obvious that he was an antagonist to the King of vampires. What wasn't obvious was that Blade, a character so little known, even by Marvel Comics Fans (traditionally known, coincidentally enough as "Marvel Zombies") themselves, that he would eventually get one of the very first big screen treatments before any of the more well-known Marvel heavyweights, such as Spider-Man, Captain America or the Avengers.
Now, to be honest, even as someone who was a tried and true "True Believer" (another nickname for any "friends of ol' Marvel" {that's an inside joke, BTW}), I'm not sure how it came to be that the Day-Walker became the first from the massive roster that came outta the "House of Ideas" (one of just a whole slew of nicknames for the company that was Marvel Comics Group), but least ta say, I was truly overjoyed that he did. I was even more overjoyed when I saw just how awesome the movie turned out. And I didn't love it just because I was a "Keeper of the Flame (yet another nickname for hardcore fans). I loved it because I truly believed that it was a good action movie. Along as a good vampire flick. As a matter of fact, it's within my top five favorite vampire motion pictures of all time, not to mention, as this list shows, one of my top ten films of 1998 (and BTW, just to completely fill out my point here, Blade ranks as #5 as my favorite comic book-based movie of all time, which I have somewhere on this site...).

757

7.6

7.4

Buffalo '66 (1998)

Teenage tap dancing student Layla (played by Christina Ricci, who in my personal opinion, looks at her cutest ever in this film) gets kidnapped by Billy, a recently released ex-con.
Almost immediately, she finds herself attracted to her captor as he "forces" her to pretend that she is his wife-to-be in order to impress Billy's disassociated parents.
And thus a budding dysfunctional relationship gets it's dysfunction off the ground running.
Buffalo '66 is an indie flick about a kind of germinal romance that gives hope to even the most love-lorn maladjusted.

983

6.5

The X Files: Fight the Future (1998)

A sci-fi thriller that remains true as a chapter to the on-going television series yet with enough self-containment in it's story to allow non-followers of the TV show (a la me) to enjoy it as stand-alone feature.

This is a movie that I feel very lucky to have not just on this list, but more specifically, within the top ten of my faves of 1998.
Because, now, whenever I play any kind of "Name your fave flix from A to Z" games and the letter "x" comes up, which usually causes other participants much pause, I have The X-Files: Fight the Future fastidiously at the ready.
Oh sure, I guess I could use either X2: X-Men United or X-Men: First Class,
but the truth is,
as much as I liked those two films,
they still didn't make within the top ten of their particular years.
And with X-Files, now I can answer with a bit more X-uberance in my enthusiasm.

1388

6.9

7.2

Ronin (1998)

The always reliable Robert Deniro, cool french actor Jean Reno, the ever beautiful Natascha McElhone and a kick-ass car chase, all directed by John Frankenheimer.
An action and suspense spy thriller with a MacGuffin so prominent to the story-line that I couldn't help but wonder,
what was in the case?

316

7.2

7.6

The Red Violin (1998)

The plot hook of this "anthological set piece" is one that follows along the lines of those "follow the history" of a dollar/coin/object that is continuingly passed from one person to another, each involving it's own unique story-line, and each centered upon the object of focus in some angular manner. It's a technique that I've always had a liking for, and probably b'cuz , I've been lucky enough in that almost all of the films I have seen that have used this storytelling technique have been pretty well above average. Each story set in a different time period of the violin is of a high quality and solidly crafted in it's individual linear structure.
And even though Samuel Jackson is probably the most famous of the ensemble cast, he is still but one in an ensemble cast. Each separate story entry is strung together to flow with a such a great sense of harmony, that no matter which character role any of these actors have in The Red Violin,
the movie is strong enough for any of 'em to be proud to have this work included in their filmography.

2277

7.4

7.6

Run Lola Run (1998)

After watching this movie, a viewer's movie-enjoying senses can easily feel depleted, but in a good way. Because just when the story seems like it's about to slow down, it picks up it's velocity again, for one more lap around the track. A plot-line whose simplicity can appear to be much more than it actually is due to the layered formula in which it is energetically executed. It is a result that can make one appreciatively smile with a sense of satisfaction that such a tense & thrilling film could've been made from such a simple idea.

4663

8.1

8.5

American History X (1998)

My favorite of Ed Norton's performances in his career so far. The only thing that kept this movie from making it to the number one spot on this particular list is that while the story did a fair job of getting it's intention through, is still came off a bit clunky & broken in some parts (which may due to the editing that got this film into so much trouble with it's director). With its glaring look into the world of radical racist organizations, American History X is a tense piece of captivating cinema accompanied with the contradictory feeling that in the end, it still had the potential to be even more than it was.

2223

7.9

8.1

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

The British try their hand at imitating some of the Tarantinoisms of Pulp Fiction. Or maybe Reservoir Dogs. I dunno. But what I do know is the way that my smile tends to crook as a result of listening to the way Lock Stock's script manages to continually weave up, down and sideways to finally coalesce into an English flavored "duck soup", full of chunky bits of quips, guns and sometimes-almost-hard-to-decipher-yet-humorously-satisfying East End slang. This film proves that despite their pasty skin pigment, drab skies and even drabbier food,
even the English can have style.

Not to mention that among the vast cast is included a small but solid bite-strewn and really cool role for Sting (the former Police-man, not the clown-faced wrestler .....you buncha nerds). The singer who, after filming was done, supposedly was responsible for introducing Guy Ritchie to Madonna.
Which later would result in a relationship 'tween said director and material girl.
Which later would result in marriage.
Which later would then result in the movie Swept Away.
Which later would then result in the conclusion that Sting needs to learn to mind his own business.

262

6.1

6.6

Primary Colors (1998)

Primary Colors is somewhat of a satire based on the real life behind the scenes shenanigans that can go on when one in occupying The White House. The kind that can get a Commander In Chief into trouble no matter how close he is to the constituents or how closed the doors of the oval office may be. Featuring some really solid performances from a really solid ensemble cast of some really solid actors (including John Travolta, B.B. Thornton, Cathy Bates, Paul Thompson and Larry Hagman).
In fact, the solidity of this upstanding political drama is so dense that it almost has a feel that seems like could it be more solid than Travolta's big ol' Clinton-like tummy.