The 80s are remembered for coming of age gems like Stand by Me, Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club, as well as movie franchises such as the Back to the Future and Indiana Jones.
The 90s however, was more diverse. It was an exploratory era for incorporating cutting-edge technology into the art of movie-making, and the results are epics such as Titanic and Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Robert Patrick’s sleek T-1000 still gives us the chills today. While we look forward to more exciting movies that await us in 2018, let’s rewind two decades to 1998 to take a look at 8 movies that gripped us then and still entertain us now.
The combination of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker is a match made in heaven. Sharing palpable chemistry and sense of humour, the pair made a couple of bumbling cops likeable. Chan stars as Lee, a Hong Kong inspector who had to team up with a loud-mouthed LAPD detective Carter (Tucker) to unmask a kidnapping case that involves the Chinese Consulate in the US. They meet with obstacle after obstacle along the way, including a dangerous crime lord.
Why you should watch it:
While Jackie Chan may be a familiar name in the US especially after his 1995 hit Rumble in the Bronx, it was this 1998 movie that marks his Hollywood debut. Since then, Chan has starred in other Hollywood movies, like the 2000 Shanghai Noon (Owen Wilson), Karate Kid (Jayden Smith) in 2010, and his latest, The Foreigner (2017) with Pierce Brosnan. He also made time to lend his voice to the Kungfu Panda movies. Chan shows no signs of slowing down. He’s had The Karate Kid 2 and the second sequel to Shanghai Noon, Shanghai Dawn, lined up.
Loosely based on the Marvel comic of the same name, Wesley Snipes is Blade, a half-vampire, half-mortal man who hunts down vampires to protect humans. Shunned by humans and spurned by vampires, Blade lives a lonely existence. The movie was such a huge success that it spawned two sequels, reviving Snipes’ career in the late 90s.
Why you should watch it:
Before The Avengers, before the X-Men and before the Fantastic 4, the part man, part vampire and all superhero Blade was the movie that made Marvel comic-turned movies cool. According to Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) head honcho Kevin Feige, there might be a Blade rebirth somewhere on the horizon. Will we really see Blade join the MCU?
Anything that Steven Spielberg touches turns to gold, as is the case with Saving Private Ryan, a movie about the devastating effects of war. But this is no ordinary war movie. With it, Spielberg juxtaposes disturbingly realistic combat scenes with a touching human story. And he does it with such finesse. In the thick of World War II, it was discovered that in the Ryan family of four boys, three have died in a single week, with the youngest still on the war front. The military decides to retrieve the youngest Ryan (Matt Damon) to prevent his ageing mom from receiving any more bad news. Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) gets the assignment and together with his team, they go behind enemy lines to salvage the hopes of one grieving mom.
Why you should watch it:
The realism of the battle scenes is unlike most war movies you’ve seen. And at the heart of this anti-war movie is a heart-warming story that illustrates humanity at its best amidst the worst situations. Let’s also not forget, this is a Spielberg movie.
When The Truman Show came out in 1998, the Kardashians were still in their teens, oblivious to the phenomenon called the reality show we are so familiar with today. Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) is a man who grew up on national television. He’s everyone’s favourite guy, except that he doesn’t know it. If there’s a product that’s been used on his show, it’s bound to be a hot-seller. But all Truman knows is that his life should be more than a daily routine that neither excites or inspires him, and he’s desperate to shake free of this ennui. And when the truth unravels, it shakes Truman to the core and gives audiences this lingering thought- what if The Truman Show is true? Wouldn’t that be scary?
Why you should watch it:
The Truman Show is one of the most riveting films to come out of 1998. And knowing what we know now, the movie was ahead of its time and correctly predicted the future of entertainment shows. Since the explosion of reality shows like Survivor and Big Brother, we have seen an influx of this genre that has overtaken our TV watching habits. If you’ve seen the movie back in ’98, revisit it now, and you’ll realised that while you felt repulsed at having one’s personal life invaded like Truman’s, you’re more accepting of the fact now.
Armageddon
You can already see the Michael Bay signature in this one. Explosions, a really hot girl and a movie largely disliked by critics but loved by fans. Armageddon, like its name suggests, is an end-of-the-world movie that follows a motley crew of deep-core drillers sent by NASA to stop a gigantic asteroid from colliding into earth and end it all. The magnificent explosions, the telegenic pairing of Liv Tyler and Ben Affleck and the star power of Bruce Willis is a winning concoction for a great movie. But what Armageddon has over Deep Impact, a movie with the same premise and released in the same year, is the awesome “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith, written for and featured in the movie. Played on heavy rotation on the radio during the film’s running, it’s hard to not know about Armageddon then.
Why You Should Watch it:
Two words: Liv Tyler. It’s hard to imagine a rocker like Steve Tyler could have such a vision for a daughter. Pre The Lord of the Rings, Liv is at her prime in Armageddon. The raven-haired, alabaster-skinned beauty with the pouty lips is a sight to behold. And to be honest, the exaggerated explosion sequences and overdramatic scenes are what made Armageddon such a joy to watch.
Prince of Egypt
Disney is a pro at making animated movies, but DreamWorks gave them a run for their money with Prince of Egypt. This animated epic takes us on a history class, back to the days where the ancient Pharaoh ruled the lands. It follows the life of Moses, from where he was found by the queen, and raised to be a prince of Egypt, only to have him seek his roots, and eventually fulfilling his destiny of leading the children of Israel away from Egypt. With a haunting yet uplifting score from Hans Zimmer, Prince of Egypt is an exquisite story that also features a star-studded cast, including Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren and more.
Why you should watch it:
While the story-telling is crisp and the animation attractive, it’s the songs in the movie that you should watch out for. The theme song, “When you Believe” is spellbinding, and sets the stage for the other songs in this animated musical. “When You Believe” went on to win Best Original Song at the 1999 Academy Awards.
There’s Something About Mary
This is a well-loved hair-raising romantic comedy that stars Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller and Matt Dillon. In fact, it’s such a hit that it’s ranked high on the list of the 100 funniest movies of the 20th century by the American Film Institute. Ted (Stiller) is your average man who is still in love with the girl of his dreams since high school, and hires an investigator to track her down. Except that things did not go according to plan, and when Ted eventually meets Mary (Diaz), he finds himself in sticky situations again.
Why you should watch it:
There’s Something About Mary is the Farelly Brothers’ labour of love. Thinking that this might be the last movie that they would ever direct, they went all out, without any inhibitions, to produce this black comedy that balances the right amount of laughs and romance to deliver a well-balanced hit.
Mulan
We’re used to seeing familiar Princess classics brought to live by Disney, but Mulan offers a much-welcome diversity. The story follows the famous Chinese folktale of Hua Mulan (Ming-Na Wen), who secretly takes her ailing father’s place in the army and go on to become one of China’s greatest heroes with her wit and skills.
Why you should watch it:
20 years did little to diminish the movie’s charm. Touching on subjects like family pride and duty, personal honour, obedience and ingenuity, Mulan shines in its storytelling as well as its vibrant colours and angular animation.
