The Year 2001

Film

2001 wasn't a great year, in my opinion. There were a few massive blockbuster titles, like The Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring and Ocean's Eleven, but one film that stood out for me, and still does today, it the fantastic (yet another Ridley Scott title) Black Hawk Down, a modern war title set in surrounding markets ofMogadishu.In a raid, a task force ofDelta Forcesoldiers,Army Rangers, andSpecial Operations Aviation Regimentattempt to capture two ofMohamed Farah Aidid's senior subordinates in theBakaara Marketneighborhood of Mogadishu. The mission is led byMajor GeneralWilliam F. Garrisonand is supposed to take no more than half an hour. The extraction by the Delta team is successful, but the Somali militia, armed withRPGs, shoot down twoBlack Hawk helicopters, and the resulting rescue extends the mission to over 18 hours. It's an intense, action packed, emotional, powerful gem of a film, and it accounts the tragic situations the soldiers used to go through, and still go through now. Black Hawk Down is a well told story, and is acted with charm and pure talent by the various outstanding actors. Black Hawk Down isn't for the faint hearted, it's powerful, it's sad, it's gory and action packed, and it's everything a war film should of been, and should ever be!

Game

This is one of the hardest picks of the decade. It comes as no surprise that at least two Grand Theft Auto titles will be in my countdown throughout the years, but 2001 was a massive debate for me. With other amazing games like Max Payne, Halo: Combat Evolved, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Devil May Cry and Gran Turismo 3: A-spec, it was a damn hard decision. But, I finally got their, and Grand Theft Auto III was the winner.Grand Theft Auto IIItakes place inLiberty City, afictional cityon theEast Coast, which is loosely based onNew York City, but also incorporates elements of other American cities.The player character has robbed the Liberty City Bank with his girlfriend,Catalina, and a male accomplice. While running from the scene, Catalina turns to him and utters, "Sorry, babe, I'm an ambitious girl and you ... you're just small-time". She shoots him and leaves him to die in an alley; the accomplice is also seen lying nearby. It soon becomes apparent that the player character has survived but has been arrested and subsequently found guilty and sentenced to jail. While he is being transferred, an attack on the police convoy aimed at kidnapping an unrelated prisoner sets him free. Grand Theft Auto III was revolutionary for the time. The massive, detailed and realistic looking city, the unique range of drivable cars and usable weapons, the tons of in game cheats, the amazing, hilarious story, and well, every thing else. Grand Theft Auto III was, and still is, a fun, graphically stunning game, and will be in the record books for a very long time!