Scary Movie 2 

This sequel is mainly a send-up of The Haunting (1963), as the leading characters spend a weekend at a haunted house. But many other films are also desecrated, including The…

Scary Movie 

High school teens accidentally hit a stranger with their car; some time later, a murderer strikes at their school. This horror spoof looked to Airplane! (1980) for ideas, but came…

The Ring 

This surprisingly effective remake of Ringu (1998), a Japanese chiller, became a box office smash and helped elevate Naomi Watts to stardom. She is engaging as the reporter who watches…

Tomorrow Never Dies

The story in this 18th James Bond flick, about a media tycoon’s (Jonathan Pryce) attempt to jump-start a war between Britain and China, shows the dangerous potential of powerful media…

The X Files 

FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) try to find out why several fire fighters and a boy were placed inside a federal building that subsequently…

Hulk

After being exposed to gamma radiation, scientist Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) turns into a green giant whenever he loses his temper. Ang Lee (a surprising choice) shaped the entire movie…

Bad Boys 

The Miami Vice concept survives even without Michael Mann, it would seem. Michael Bay, in his directing debut, makes good use of the sun-drenched Miami scenery and guarantees that action…

Bad Boys II 

In this sequel, the story is even less memorable (something about smuggling ecstasy in corpses), but the action is good enough, especially a wild chase where cars are thrown off…

Friday the 13th 

As teenagers arrive at a summer camp on Crystal Lake, someone there decides that they all deserve to die... Inspired by Halloween (1978), this film has become the crowning achievement…

2 Fast 2 Furious 

Ex-cop Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) and his childhood buddy Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), who hates his guts, are hired to infiltrate the world of a dirty Miami businessman. The sequel…