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It’s been almost a year since the A-List discussed the vaunted and dreaded event movie. Near the end of last June, I talked about five event movies that disappointed; frankly, that list is far too easy to come up with, as we can all remember some of the true let-downs of cinematic experiences. Putting the first new Star Wars sequel on that list may have seemed like overkill to some of you; true, any discussion of disappointing event movies seems to be crystallized in full with The Phantom Menace. Still, it’s almost a cinematic faux pas to not mention that film. However, with the 2010 summer film season upon us, and Iron Man 2 hopefully kicking our collective asses, I figured it was high time for us to have some positivity in these parts.

So, today, we’re talking about five event movies that did not disappoint, movies that plenty of people were excited to see that didn’t suck. That’s probably not being fair: I’d argue that all five of the films on this list didn’t just not suck, but they’re all pretty classic in their own right. It’s hard to know beforehand what makes a great event movie or not, and some of them have been left off this list, if only so I didn’t clog the list with all sequels (you could easily argue that The Godfather: Part II, Spider-Man 2, and the Indiana Jones trilogy - and just those three - could be on the list). We’ve all been lucky enough to witness the successful event movie, not just movies like the original Iron Man, which was anticipated, but not to the same level as the films on this week’s list. Let’s get to it!

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

James Cameron seems to succeed in the biggest way, every time. I’m no fan of his 1994 spy comedy True Lies (which appears to be on the way for a couple remakes this summer, with Killers and Knight and Day), but even that film was a hit. However, when it comes to solidifying how successful the man can be, look no further than 1991’s sci-fi actioner Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Cameron had written and directed the 1984 film that preceded T2, but I’m not sure anyone expected this film to dominate and permeate the popular culture as it did. The special effects of the T-1000, played by Robert Patrick, were revolutionary; what’s more, they hold up incredibly well nearly 20 years later. The effects are complemented by a familiar but well-told story, one of a surrogate father and son.

If you’ve seen the movie, you know the arc: young John Connor, soon to be the leader of the human revolution, is guided on his quest by a T-800, played by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the first film, this guy was the bad guy; now, he’s on the side of the angels, even if he needs to be told not to kill anyone. Cameron is able to make the scenes that fit between the intense and mindblowing action sequences not feel like lulls; as cheesy as it may be, it’s hard not to be a bit charmed by Connor teaching the Terminator to say things like “Hasta la vista, baby.” The relationship is why this movie is thought of as more than just an action film. There’s heart here (maybe pushing into corniness, but I don’t care), and it pokes through all the bullets, which helped the movie be wildly successful in that summer of 1991.

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