8 Movies You Had No Idea Were 20 Years Old Already

It was the year Mike Tyson bit off a guy’s ear, rapper Notorious B.I.G. was killed in
a drive-by and Microsoft officially became the most valuable company in the world.
In other words, it was 1997.
And amid all those crazy events that we still remember twenty years later, it was also a
pretty great year at the box office.
From cultural phenomenons to ultimately disappointing sequels, here are some of the flicks celebrating
the big 2-0 in 2017.
Good Will Hunting
Back in 1997 the world got to see a little movie called Good Will Hunting — and it
quickly became one of the most beloved films in recent history.
"Look into my eyes…"
"Get out, Will."
"... I don't need therapy!"
Created by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the film tells the story of secret math genius
Will, played by Damon in the movie, who works as a janitor at MIT.
With the help of Robin Williams’ psychologist character, Will learns to overcome his demons
and make plans for the future.
Good Will Hunting is a truly amazing movie that delivers great performances and tells
a compelling story.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry — and if you really want to have a good time, treat yourself
and go re-watch Affleck and Damon freaking out at the Oscars after finding out they’d
just won Best Original Screenplay.
Men in Black
In this 1997 sci-fi comedy hit, Will Smith stars as a police officer who joins a secret
government organization that polices aliens on Earth.
It’s sort of like the plot of Suicide Squad, except completely different and actually much,
much better.
"You need to ease up out my face before something bad happens to you."
"Too late."
Smith costars alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the film, which resulted in two sequels that
didn't quite match up to the original's critical and commercial success.
Still — you can't beat the original, and it holds up great after 20 years.
Which is more than you can say about this next movie, which we'd rather forget...
Batman & Robin
Generally known as one of, if not the worst Batman film to date, Batman & Robin did have
a pretty great cast that included George Clooney, the talented Uma Thurman and even an in-his-prime
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In this installment, Batman and Robin face off against villains Poison Ivy and Mr. Freeze.
While few would argue that it's a very good adaptation of the legendary comic book hero,
the real tragedy here is the villains.
Twenty years later, fans are still waiting for a good big-screen version of Ivy and Mr.
Freeze.
With the DCEU expanding further and further each year, we're hoping Warner Bros. can eventually
bring some of these villains to life properly.
Of course, we may have to wait yet another twenty years for this one...
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Can you believe we've been subjected to mediocre Dr. Evil impressions for over two full decades
now?
"One million dollars!"
This James Bond parody stars Mike Myers in the dual roles of Dr. Evil and 1960s secret
agent Austin Powers.
The shagworthy spy whose name is in the title emerges from a cryogenic state in the '90s
to battle his arch nemesis, and the movie is jam packed with memorable lines — you
know the ones.
'Oh, behave!
Yeah.
Yeah, baby, yeah!"
Austin Powers really was Mike Myers at the height of his comedic powers and the film
was so good that it got two respectable sequels.
Since the trilogy, Myers has delivered a few other great — and not so great — performances.
But unfortunately he's never truly been able to re-capture his coveted mojo.
The Fifth Element
Dystopian futures and mysterious evil forces are nothing new to Hollywood.
And 1997’s The Fifth Element is an engaging movie that follows some regular folks doing
some remarkable things.
Bruce Willis plays the role of Korben Dallas, a taxi cab driver with serious military history,
who teams up with Milla Jovovich's Leeloo to save the planet Earth.
"Anybody else want to negotiate?"
To complete their mission, Korben and Leeloo must find four mystical stones that are essential
for saving humanity.
If that sounds like a contrived plot, it’s probably due to the fact that the writer/director,
Luc Besson, started writing The Fifth Element when he was only 16.
Alien: Resurrection
Picking up 200 years after where the action of Alien 3 left off, 1997’s Alien: Resurrection
was the fourth film in the ongoing Alien franchise.
Sigourney Weaver’s character Ellen Ripley returns, revived as a human/alien hybrid clone,
who must continue her war against the xenomorphs.
Winona Ryder also stars as Call, a terrorist disguised as a crew member aboard the ship.
The film features some solid action, but was ultimately was held back by its confusing
sci-fi ideas.
Alien: Resurrection received some pretty lukewarm reviews — though, upon reflection, maybe
it was so bad when you consider how Prometheus ended up with critics a decade and a half
later.
Titanic
This blockbuster film by James Cameron tells the tragic but inspiring story of star-crossed
lovers Jack and Rose.
It's the definition of a cinematic classic.
In fact, Titanic is tied with 2016's La La Land and 1950’s All About Eve for the most
Oscar nominations of all time, and it remains one of the highest grossing films ever made.
Titanic transformed the careers of stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
And its controversial ending is still hotly debated to this day.
Think about it: if the entire world can hold on to their love for this film for two full
decades, don’t you think that Jack could have held onto the floating door a little
bit longer?
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Despite some mixed reviews, the Jurassic Park sequel The Lost World was still a hit, and
actually made over $600 million — which is pretty crazy for 1997.
The Jurassic Park follow-up centers around the fictional island of Isla Sorna, where
the cloned dinosaurs have been roaming free since the end of the original movie.
Jeff Goldblum reprises his role as action-mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm, and he ends up facing off
against an InGen team hell-bent on transporting some of the clones back to the U.S. for a
new theme park.
Predictably, cinematic madness ensues.
While The Lost World may not be the best Jurassic Park movie, it’s still nothing to sneeze
at.
"God bless you!"
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8 Movies You Had No Idea Were 20 Years Old Already

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