If I haven't lost some of you yet for not picking a single Lord of the Rings movie for this list, I figure I probably will now. As I said regarding Fellowship of the Ring, it's tough to just watch one of those movies separately from the rest of them, and when it comes to The Return of the King, there are just enough things about the movie that kind of annoy me to keep it from being my top pick for 2003. It's still among my favorites, though.

With that said, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is something special. Forget the fact that it's inspired by a theme park ride, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is a really great action/adventure comedy that gave us Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow AND Keira Knightley. The franchise has been a rocky one, but this first movie is really solid.

"This is either madness... or brilliance." -- Will Turner
"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide." -- Jack Sparrow

Honorable Mentions: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (see above) and Bruce Almighty. Bruce Almighty is actually a great comedy with more reverence than you'd expect from Jim Carrey or the film's director (who happens to be a believer). Bruce Almighty was the first movie I saw in the theaters after Amy and I got back from our honeymoon, and it was an experience that left an impression on me. Although the movie does have some crass Jim Carrey humor, it still hits you with a good message that's unexpected and inspiring.
        - John DiBiase