Now that I have my best and worst lists out of the way, I think it's time for me to look at the movies I am the most interested in over the next 12 months.
Honorable Mentions:
Mulan, The Organ Donor, A Quiet Place Part II, Fast & Furious 9, Candyman, Soul, Top Gun: Maverick, Venom 2, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
#15: Bad Boys for Life: As far as Bad Boys 3 goes, I'm not expecting this to be high art. This movie is purely on my list because Will Smith and Martin Lawrence genuinely have good chemistry together. This is also the first movie in the Bad Boys series not to be directed by Michael Bay, so I'm curious to see how another director handles his style.
#14: Onward: Onward is an upcoming Pixar film that seems like it takes place in a fantasy world, but also has a mix of our current modern day look. This looks like it could be a movie right up Pixar's alley, and I love the additions of Chris Pratt and Tom Holland as the leads.
#13: The Eternals: The Eternals is one of two MCU movies coming out next year. This is one that has me incredibly curious because I know next to nothing about the Eternals as characters. At this point, there hasn't even been a trailer yet. I have no clue what to expect.
#12: Godzilla vs. Kong: Had I thought King of the Monsters was a better movie, this probably would have been a lot higher. However, I am still incredibly excited to see two of the ultimate classic giant monsters throw down on the big screen.
#11: Birds of Prey: DC is really starting to find their footing with their cinematic universe. I can't quite eke Birds of Prey into the top 10 simply because I still think this movie is such a wild card, but that's also why I'm so interested in this movie in the first place. If anything, there is still Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.
#10: Bill and Ted Face the Music: Keanu Reeves has been enjoying a career resurgence lately thanks to the John Wick movies. I'm both interested in Bill and Ted 3, as well as a little bit skeptical. Comedy sequels that happen several years later rarely work. But, I'm just excited to see these characters again.
#09: Free Guy: Until I saw a trailer, I had no idea that this movie was a thing. The premise is that Ryan Reynolds plays an NPC in a video game who becomes self-aware. The premise mixed with the star is enough to make me want to see this movie.
#08: No Time to Die: Supposedly, this is going to be Daniel Craig's last go-around as James Bond. As someone who actually enjoyed Spectre, I am happy to see that Christoph Waltz is returning as Blofeld. The villain this time around is being played by Rami Malek. All of this makes me interested in this movie.
#07: Wonder Woman 1984: Wonder Woman was the first movie in the DCEU that got people excited. The movie does have Gal Gadot returning to play Wonder Woman, as well as bringing back Patty Jenkins to direct. I also am really excited by the addition of Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord. There are a couple of things that hold it back ever so slightly for me. One of them is Kristen Wiig as Cheetah. I just haven't seen her do enough dramatic or villainous roles to really show me that she can pull this off. The other is Chris Pine coming back to play Steve Trevor.
#06: Halloween Kills: I really liked 2018's Halloween, and I'm really happy to see the same creative team coming back. It looks like Danny McBride and David Gordon Green have a clear plan. This movie is also bringing back some legacy characters from the original movie, namely Tommy Doyle and Lindsay Wallace.
#05: Dune: I pretty much have Dune this high because it is being directed by Denis Villeneuve, the same man who directed Sicario and Arrival, both of which are movies I enjoyed very much. This is also an interesting cast to me as well.
#04: Black Widow: Black Widow is as high on my list as it is because this is a movie I have been waiting for pretty much ever since Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Do I wish I got this movie sooner? Yes, but I'm honestly happy to be getting this movie at all.
#03: Last Night in Soho: I don't much about Last Night in Soho other than that it stars Anya-Taylor Joy from The Witch and Split and it's directed by Edgar Wright. To me, that is reason enough for me to want to check this movie out.
#02: Tenet: Similar to how Last Night in Soho has me excited just because of a couple of names involved, Tenet gets to be as high on my list as it is because it's the next movie from Christopher Nolan. The only other thing I really know about this movie is that it looks like it's some kind of mystery movie. Sign me up.
#01: Ghostbusters: Afterlife: This movie is going to follow the family of Egon Spengler as his grandchildren seem poised to follow in their grandfather's footsteps. Supposedly, the original cast is also set to come back in some way. It also helps that this film is being directed by Jason Reitman (the son of the director of the original movie). To me, this has a lot of potential, and is probably the movie I am looking forward to the most in 2020.
Showing posts with label Year end lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Year end lists. Show all posts
Friday, January 3, 2020
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Top 10 Worst Movies of 2019
Now, let's cover the movies I just didn't like from this year.
Honorable Mentions:
Girls with Balls, What Men Want, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Pet Sematary
#10: Dark Phoenix: Dark Phoenix is a movie I almost left off this list entirely because it just didn't leave that much of an impact on me. What ultimately secured it the number 10 spot was the fact that this is ultimately where the mainstream X-Men franchise ends. Yep, the X-Men series officially ends with a whimper, not a bang.
#09: The Fanatic: So, I think a movie that stars John Travolta as an Autistic man directed by the lead singer of Limp Bizkit could only show up on my worst of the year list. It's low on the list simply because I just thought it was hilariously bad. This is the film on the list that I really have to recommend giving a watch.
#08: Serenity: In a similar vein to The Fanatic, I have Serenity low on the list for a very specific reason. The movie's plot twist is so insane and out of left field that I actually kind of enjoyed it. Make no mistake, this is a bad movie, but it's also insane, and I have to recommend it for that reason.
#07: Anna: So, I actually forgot about this movie until I was trying to compile my worst of the year list. To me, that was enough of a sign that this movie truly deserved a spot on my worst of the year list.
#06: The Silence: Remember A Quiet Place and how good that movie was? Well, The Silence is a Netflix movie that feels almost like a carbon copy, right down to having creatures that attack based on sound and the protagonist being a teenage girl that's deaf. Yep, this movie's a thing and it's one you can easily skip over when you find it on Netflix.
#05: Wonder Park: This is a bad animated movie that actually started off okay, and then had a reveal that made the first twenty minutes mean nothing. Add on top that, an obviously half-awake Mila Kunis voicing one of the characters in the film, and you've got an animated movie that just doesn't need to exist.
#04: The Lion King: The biggest sin 2019's The Lion King commits is that it doesn't do anything new. It is literally the original movie beat by beat. Because the animals don't emote, it also just makes this version feel incredibly hollow.
#03: Black Christmas: Um, wow! This is a movie that just felt like it was the wrong kind of insane for me. I'll give the actors credit for actually trying. The movie tries to tackle some major and relevant issues. It just takes the approach of beating you over the end with them, and forgets to also be entertaining.
#02: Cats: I went this movie knowing it would be bad. I wanted Cats to be bad. The problem with this misguided movie is that it just isn't that interesting or entertaining. It's not a fun kind of bad. The music is good, but the music didn't originate from the movie. The final result was just a weird film that didn't have a plot, or anything beyond the songs to carry it through.
#01: The Haunting of Sharon Tate: I watched this movie back in March or April, and nothing I saw this year even remotely approached the sheer awfulness that was The Haunting of Sharon Tate. The ending is awful, as the film tries to have it two ways. The acting, writing, directing is all so bad.
Honorable Mentions:
Girls with Balls, What Men Want, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Pet Sematary
#10: Dark Phoenix: Dark Phoenix is a movie I almost left off this list entirely because it just didn't leave that much of an impact on me. What ultimately secured it the number 10 spot was the fact that this is ultimately where the mainstream X-Men franchise ends. Yep, the X-Men series officially ends with a whimper, not a bang.
#09: The Fanatic: So, I think a movie that stars John Travolta as an Autistic man directed by the lead singer of Limp Bizkit could only show up on my worst of the year list. It's low on the list simply because I just thought it was hilariously bad. This is the film on the list that I really have to recommend giving a watch.
#08: Serenity: In a similar vein to The Fanatic, I have Serenity low on the list for a very specific reason. The movie's plot twist is so insane and out of left field that I actually kind of enjoyed it. Make no mistake, this is a bad movie, but it's also insane, and I have to recommend it for that reason.
#07: Anna: So, I actually forgot about this movie until I was trying to compile my worst of the year list. To me, that was enough of a sign that this movie truly deserved a spot on my worst of the year list.
#06: The Silence: Remember A Quiet Place and how good that movie was? Well, The Silence is a Netflix movie that feels almost like a carbon copy, right down to having creatures that attack based on sound and the protagonist being a teenage girl that's deaf. Yep, this movie's a thing and it's one you can easily skip over when you find it on Netflix.
#05: Wonder Park: This is a bad animated movie that actually started off okay, and then had a reveal that made the first twenty minutes mean nothing. Add on top that, an obviously half-awake Mila Kunis voicing one of the characters in the film, and you've got an animated movie that just doesn't need to exist.
#04: The Lion King: The biggest sin 2019's The Lion King commits is that it doesn't do anything new. It is literally the original movie beat by beat. Because the animals don't emote, it also just makes this version feel incredibly hollow.
#03: Black Christmas: Um, wow! This is a movie that just felt like it was the wrong kind of insane for me. I'll give the actors credit for actually trying. The movie tries to tackle some major and relevant issues. It just takes the approach of beating you over the end with them, and forgets to also be entertaining.
#02: Cats: I went this movie knowing it would be bad. I wanted Cats to be bad. The problem with this misguided movie is that it just isn't that interesting or entertaining. It's not a fun kind of bad. The music is good, but the music didn't originate from the movie. The final result was just a weird film that didn't have a plot, or anything beyond the songs to carry it through.
#01: The Haunting of Sharon Tate: I watched this movie back in March or April, and nothing I saw this year even remotely approached the sheer awfulness that was The Haunting of Sharon Tate. The ending is awful, as the film tries to have it two ways. The acting, writing, directing is all so bad.
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Top 10 Best Movies of 2019
2019 has officially come and gone, and I've seen everything I'm going to be able to watch for the given year. Keep in mind, I haven't seen everything. I haven't movies like Toy Story 4, Marriage Story, and Ad Astra (just to name a couple).
Honorable Mentions: Shazam, Zombieland: Double Tap, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Happy Death Day 2U
#10: Alita: Battle Angel: My number 10 spot was a toss-up between this and John Wick. This movie's visual style wound up being too hard for me to overlook. And, the movie is pretty much carried by Rosa Salazar as Alita. That also shouldn't take way from some of the stellar supporting cast. This is something I would love to see continue on as a franchise if the possibility is there.
#09: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile: This Netflix movie is pretty much anchored by Zac Efron's performance, and actually gives him a chance to truly shine in a very different role for him that is a far cry from his High School Musical days.
#08: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World: How to Train Your Dragon 3 closed this off with a phenomenal trilogy that continues to progress its heroes forward, as well as having the best villain in the franchise. Add on top of that some beautiful animation, and you've got a film that truly deserves to be recognized.
#07: Joker: Joker may be one of the most surprising movies of the year for me. When I first heard about a standalone Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix, and directed by the guy who made The Hangover and Old School, I was curious, but not excited. Having seen the film for myself, this movie feels like an experience that could actually be game-changer for comic book movies.
#06: Ready or Not: Most people know that I am a horror fan through and through. For me, Ready or Not might have been my favorite of the year. The film truly knows how to balance dark comedy and thrills. Samara Weaving in the lead continues to prove herself as a scream queen. I love how the characters actually have some depth to them, even if it might not appear that way on initial glance.
#05: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: I don't know if this list would be complete without Quentin Tarantino's latest film. It's one of those movies where it simultaneously feels like it has his signature style, as well as being slightly more reserved. Once again, the actors he gets all give spectacular performances, and his knack for dialogue really shines through.
#04: Ford v Ferrari: This feels like a classic underdog story that is exceptionally well-told. I didn't know much of anything about this story going in. At the center of a great movie is the chemistry between Christian Bale and Matt Damon.
#03: Jojo Rabbit: I said in my review that I felt like Jojo Rabbit was something unique. I still stand by that. The acting is excellent on all accounts. There's sort of a darkness to the satire and humor that works because of the World War II era setting. Between this and Thor: Ragnarok, I can't wait to see what else Taika Waititi has in store.
#02: Avengers: Endgame: Avengers: Endgame gets to be this high on the list because it feels earned, especially for someone like me who has kept up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the past 11 years. This feels like a natural conclusion for the heroes who have been there from the very beginning.
#01: Knives Out: Even as I looked through some of my catch up movies for the end of the year, nothing quite came close to the experience I felt watching Knives Out. Everything from the writing, to the acting, to the direction, to the characters, to the mystery itself, just worked for me on a level that kind of surprised me.
Honorable Mentions: Shazam, Zombieland: Double Tap, John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Happy Death Day 2U
#10: Alita: Battle Angel: My number 10 spot was a toss-up between this and John Wick. This movie's visual style wound up being too hard for me to overlook. And, the movie is pretty much carried by Rosa Salazar as Alita. That also shouldn't take way from some of the stellar supporting cast. This is something I would love to see continue on as a franchise if the possibility is there.
#09: Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile: This Netflix movie is pretty much anchored by Zac Efron's performance, and actually gives him a chance to truly shine in a very different role for him that is a far cry from his High School Musical days.
#08: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World: How to Train Your Dragon 3 closed this off with a phenomenal trilogy that continues to progress its heroes forward, as well as having the best villain in the franchise. Add on top of that some beautiful animation, and you've got a film that truly deserves to be recognized.
#07: Joker: Joker may be one of the most surprising movies of the year for me. When I first heard about a standalone Joker movie starring Joaquin Phoenix, and directed by the guy who made The Hangover and Old School, I was curious, but not excited. Having seen the film for myself, this movie feels like an experience that could actually be game-changer for comic book movies.
#06: Ready or Not: Most people know that I am a horror fan through and through. For me, Ready or Not might have been my favorite of the year. The film truly knows how to balance dark comedy and thrills. Samara Weaving in the lead continues to prove herself as a scream queen. I love how the characters actually have some depth to them, even if it might not appear that way on initial glance.
#05: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: I don't know if this list would be complete without Quentin Tarantino's latest film. It's one of those movies where it simultaneously feels like it has his signature style, as well as being slightly more reserved. Once again, the actors he gets all give spectacular performances, and his knack for dialogue really shines through.
#04: Ford v Ferrari: This feels like a classic underdog story that is exceptionally well-told. I didn't know much of anything about this story going in. At the center of a great movie is the chemistry between Christian Bale and Matt Damon.
#03: Jojo Rabbit: I said in my review that I felt like Jojo Rabbit was something unique. I still stand by that. The acting is excellent on all accounts. There's sort of a darkness to the satire and humor that works because of the World War II era setting. Between this and Thor: Ragnarok, I can't wait to see what else Taika Waititi has in store.
#02: Avengers: Endgame: Avengers: Endgame gets to be this high on the list because it feels earned, especially for someone like me who has kept up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the past 11 years. This feels like a natural conclusion for the heroes who have been there from the very beginning.
#01: Knives Out: Even as I looked through some of my catch up movies for the end of the year, nothing quite came close to the experience I felt watching Knives Out. Everything from the writing, to the acting, to the direction, to the characters, to the mystery itself, just worked for me on a level that kind of surprised me.
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Top 15 Most Anticipated Movies of 2019
Honorable Mentions:
Happy Death Day 2U, It: Chapter Two, Kingsman: The Great Game, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Joker, The New Mutants, Dark Phoenix, Alita: Battle Angel
#15: Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw: I am a fan of the Fast and Furious franchise. That said, the budding bromance between the Rock and Jason Statham was the best part of The Fate of the Furious. Naturally, giving these two a spin-off is going to interest me. To top it off, Idris Elba has been cast as the movie's main villain.
#14: Us: Us is about a family that has to fight off dopplegangers of themselves. This is the horror movie follow-up from Jordan Peele. I loved Get Out, so I'm curious to see how this film goes for him.
#13: Hellboy: While I wish Hellboy III would have happened, I will still take what I can get. David Harbour looks like he'll be a good replacement for Ron Perlman, and I kind of love the idea of casting Milla Jovovich as the villain. Whether it turns out to be good or bad, I'm still interested in seeing what the final product turns out to be.
#12: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World: I kind of look at the How to Train Your Dragon films as the animated version of Lord of the Rings. Here's hoping that the size, scope, and scale continues in this third and final entry of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy.
#11: Men in Black: International: This movie seems keen on expanding the world of Men in Black. Instead of bring back J and K, the film will focus on new characters played by Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth (who have already proven to have good chemistry in Thor: Ragnarok). The movie's also going to be directed by F. Gary Gray. Yeah, I'm definitely curious to see how this is going to go.
#10: Captain Marvel: Captain Marvel is set to take place in the 1990s. Captain Marvel herself is supposed to be the most powerful hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot feels like it's only told me what I need to know, and nothing more.
#9: Shazam!: Zachary Levi is kind of the perfect choice to play Shazam in my opinion. More importantly, I'm excited to see this movie because it looks like it could be the superhero version of the movie Big, and I really have to see what that's going to look like.
#8: John Wick 3: Parabellum: The John Wick franchise feels like the best homage we've got to the action movie cult classics of the '80s and '90s. This one looks like it might be the last film in the John Wick series. Whether this is true or not, I can't wait to see this one.
#7: Godzilla: King of the Monsters: This sequel to 2014's Godzilla is going to be directed by Michael Dougherty (the same man who directed Trick 'r Treat and Krampus), and I want to see what he can do with a big budget feature. The cast features Millie Bobbie Brown and Vera Farmiga. Godzilla is going to fight the likes of King Ghidora and Mothra.
#6: Spider-Man: Far From Home: With this one, we're right back to the MCU. I don't know a lot about the plot, and except that it's going to follow the events of Avengers: Endgame and that Jake Gyllenhaal is supposed to play the main villain in the movie. Supposedly, it's going to be Mysterio.
#5: Glass: Glass is the crossover sequel to both Unbreakable and Split. That's about all I needed to know to be on board with this movie. I also am happy that I can start feeling somewhat confident in M. Night Shyamalan as a filmmaker again.
#4: Zombieland Too: I absolutely love the first Zombieland movie, and I have been waiting to see this for close to ten years now. The plot rumors say that our heroes from the first film may have to deal with new survivors and mutated zombies. No matter what, I am completely on board for this movie.
#3: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: This is as high on the list as it is for one simple reason. It's the new movie from Quentin Tarantino. This movie's also going to deal with the Manson Family murders and Sharon Tate in some way, shape, or form.
#2: Star Wars: Episode IX: This is going to close out the Star Wars sequel trilogy. How is that going to happen? I have no idea. I love these characters, and I am really excited to see how J.J. Abrams wraps the trilogy up.
#1: Avengers: Endgame: Endgame is set to follow the events of Infinity War. How are the Avengers going to stop Thanos for good? Who knows? What deaths will and won't stick in this one? We'll just have to wait and see.
Happy Death Day 2U, It: Chapter Two, Kingsman: The Great Game, Are You Afraid of the Dark, Joker, The New Mutants, Dark Phoenix, Alita: Battle Angel
#15: Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw: I am a fan of the Fast and Furious franchise. That said, the budding bromance between the Rock and Jason Statham was the best part of The Fate of the Furious. Naturally, giving these two a spin-off is going to interest me. To top it off, Idris Elba has been cast as the movie's main villain.
#14: Us: Us is about a family that has to fight off dopplegangers of themselves. This is the horror movie follow-up from Jordan Peele. I loved Get Out, so I'm curious to see how this film goes for him.
#13: Hellboy: While I wish Hellboy III would have happened, I will still take what I can get. David Harbour looks like he'll be a good replacement for Ron Perlman, and I kind of love the idea of casting Milla Jovovich as the villain. Whether it turns out to be good or bad, I'm still interested in seeing what the final product turns out to be.
#12: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World: I kind of look at the How to Train Your Dragon films as the animated version of Lord of the Rings. Here's hoping that the size, scope, and scale continues in this third and final entry of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy.
#11: Men in Black: International: This movie seems keen on expanding the world of Men in Black. Instead of bring back J and K, the film will focus on new characters played by Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth (who have already proven to have good chemistry in Thor: Ragnarok). The movie's also going to be directed by F. Gary Gray. Yeah, I'm definitely curious to see how this is going to go.
#10: Captain Marvel: Captain Marvel is set to take place in the 1990s. Captain Marvel herself is supposed to be the most powerful hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot feels like it's only told me what I need to know, and nothing more.
#9: Shazam!: Zachary Levi is kind of the perfect choice to play Shazam in my opinion. More importantly, I'm excited to see this movie because it looks like it could be the superhero version of the movie Big, and I really have to see what that's going to look like.
#8: John Wick 3: Parabellum: The John Wick franchise feels like the best homage we've got to the action movie cult classics of the '80s and '90s. This one looks like it might be the last film in the John Wick series. Whether this is true or not, I can't wait to see this one.
#7: Godzilla: King of the Monsters: This sequel to 2014's Godzilla is going to be directed by Michael Dougherty (the same man who directed Trick 'r Treat and Krampus), and I want to see what he can do with a big budget feature. The cast features Millie Bobbie Brown and Vera Farmiga. Godzilla is going to fight the likes of King Ghidora and Mothra.
#6: Spider-Man: Far From Home: With this one, we're right back to the MCU. I don't know a lot about the plot, and except that it's going to follow the events of Avengers: Endgame and that Jake Gyllenhaal is supposed to play the main villain in the movie. Supposedly, it's going to be Mysterio.
#5: Glass: Glass is the crossover sequel to both Unbreakable and Split. That's about all I needed to know to be on board with this movie. I also am happy that I can start feeling somewhat confident in M. Night Shyamalan as a filmmaker again.
#4: Zombieland Too: I absolutely love the first Zombieland movie, and I have been waiting to see this for close to ten years now. The plot rumors say that our heroes from the first film may have to deal with new survivors and mutated zombies. No matter what, I am completely on board for this movie.
#3: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: This is as high on the list as it is for one simple reason. It's the new movie from Quentin Tarantino. This movie's also going to deal with the Manson Family murders and Sharon Tate in some way, shape, or form.
#2: Star Wars: Episode IX: This is going to close out the Star Wars sequel trilogy. How is that going to happen? I have no idea. I love these characters, and I am really excited to see how J.J. Abrams wraps the trilogy up.
#1: Avengers: Endgame: Endgame is set to follow the events of Infinity War. How are the Avengers going to stop Thanos for good? Who knows? What deaths will and won't stick in this one? We'll just have to wait and see.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Top 10 Worst Movies of 2018
Yesterday, I went through my favorite movies of the year. Today, I'm doing the opposite. These are the 10 movies I saw this year that I hated the most.
Dishonorable Mentions:
Woody Woodpecker, Billionaire Boys Club, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Terminal, Acrimony, Chokehold
#10: The Predator: I honestly didn't expect to be putting The Predator in this number 10 spot. It was probably the movie that disappointed me the most this year, especially coming from someone as talented as Shane Black.
#9: Fifty Shades Freed: Am I being a little kinder to this one because it's supposedly the last movie in this franchise? Yes. Don't get me wrong. All of the flaws that were there for the first two films are still here. At the very least, this one got some unintentional laughs out of me.
#8: A Wrinkle in Time: This was one of the hardest movies for me to sit through this year. The visuals are nice. Storm Reid and Chris Pine are really good in the film. Those are probably the positives I could muster out of this movie. The rest of it just felt kind of empty. It comes off as trying to be the next big family movie instead of just trying to be a good movie.
#7: Deep Blue Sea 2: This is a movie I kind of contemplated on whether or not to put on the list. Did I really feel okay with picking on a direct to video movie like this? Yes. Yes I did. The effects are awful. The acting is atrocious. The writing is garbage. This feels like a near carbon copy of Deep Blue Sea without any of the guilty pleasure charm that the first movie had.
#6: Truth or Dare: Truth or Dare was one of the absolute worst horror movies of the year. However, it was also one of the best comedies of the year. If you do happen to watch this movie, you'll enjoy yourself if you go into it expecting a comedy. The faces that the characters make when they offer "truth or dare" are some of the funniest things I have ever seen try and fail to be scary.
#5: Robin Hood: Robin Hood was, hands down, the most misguided movie of 2018. Almost every decision felt wrong in some way. The movie relied on gimmicks that are about ten years old. The cast is clearly trying, but they seem to have nothing of actual substance to work with. The filmmakers also desperately wanted this to be the launching pad for a cinematic universe (even if it doesn't fit Robin Hood).
#4: Nobody's Fool: I personally found Tyler Perry's Acrimony to just be sort of bland. I can't say the same about his other movie that came out in 2018. Nobody's Fool suffers from the same problems that all of Tyler Perry's movies tend to suffer from. This isn't funny. It's just obnoxious.
#3: Gotti: From the very first frame, Gotti was a mess of a movie. It was badly written and badly acted. But, this movie's crowning achievement of awfulness has to be Kevin Connolly's directing. Gotti seemed to be inept on just about every level possible.
#2: Slender Man: As bad as Truth or Dare was, at least it was entertaining. The same can not be said of Slender Man. This was a dull, plodding waste of time. The character of Slender Man is interesting enough to have a horror movie of his own. I just wish it could have been something better than a xerox of the far superior The Ring.
#1: Show Dogs: I said in my review for this movie that "there isn't a single frame of this movie that can be enjoyed on any level." I first watched this in mid-November. I hated when I first saw it for the lazy piece of shit that it was. My opinion has only grown more negative the the more I thought about it.
Dishonorable Mentions:
Woody Woodpecker, Billionaire Boys Club, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Terminal, Acrimony, Chokehold
#10: The Predator: I honestly didn't expect to be putting The Predator in this number 10 spot. It was probably the movie that disappointed me the most this year, especially coming from someone as talented as Shane Black.
#9: Fifty Shades Freed: Am I being a little kinder to this one because it's supposedly the last movie in this franchise? Yes. Don't get me wrong. All of the flaws that were there for the first two films are still here. At the very least, this one got some unintentional laughs out of me.
#8: A Wrinkle in Time: This was one of the hardest movies for me to sit through this year. The visuals are nice. Storm Reid and Chris Pine are really good in the film. Those are probably the positives I could muster out of this movie. The rest of it just felt kind of empty. It comes off as trying to be the next big family movie instead of just trying to be a good movie.
#7: Deep Blue Sea 2: This is a movie I kind of contemplated on whether or not to put on the list. Did I really feel okay with picking on a direct to video movie like this? Yes. Yes I did. The effects are awful. The acting is atrocious. The writing is garbage. This feels like a near carbon copy of Deep Blue Sea without any of the guilty pleasure charm that the first movie had.
#6: Truth or Dare: Truth or Dare was one of the absolute worst horror movies of the year. However, it was also one of the best comedies of the year. If you do happen to watch this movie, you'll enjoy yourself if you go into it expecting a comedy. The faces that the characters make when they offer "truth or dare" are some of the funniest things I have ever seen try and fail to be scary.
#5: Robin Hood: Robin Hood was, hands down, the most misguided movie of 2018. Almost every decision felt wrong in some way. The movie relied on gimmicks that are about ten years old. The cast is clearly trying, but they seem to have nothing of actual substance to work with. The filmmakers also desperately wanted this to be the launching pad for a cinematic universe (even if it doesn't fit Robin Hood).
#4: Nobody's Fool: I personally found Tyler Perry's Acrimony to just be sort of bland. I can't say the same about his other movie that came out in 2018. Nobody's Fool suffers from the same problems that all of Tyler Perry's movies tend to suffer from. This isn't funny. It's just obnoxious.
#3: Gotti: From the very first frame, Gotti was a mess of a movie. It was badly written and badly acted. But, this movie's crowning achievement of awfulness has to be Kevin Connolly's directing. Gotti seemed to be inept on just about every level possible.
#2: Slender Man: As bad as Truth or Dare was, at least it was entertaining. The same can not be said of Slender Man. This was a dull, plodding waste of time. The character of Slender Man is interesting enough to have a horror movie of his own. I just wish it could have been something better than a xerox of the far superior The Ring.
#1: Show Dogs: I said in my review for this movie that "there isn't a single frame of this movie that can be enjoyed on any level." I first watched this in mid-November. I hated when I first saw it for the lazy piece of shit that it was. My opinion has only grown more negative the the more I thought about it.
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Top 10 Best Movies of 2018
These are the 10 movies I saw this year that I personally enjoyed the most. There are going to be movies you agree with. There are going to be movies you disagree with. It's all just my personal opinion
Honorable Mentions:
These are the movies I really liked, but they just didn't make the cut
Bumblebee, Deadpool 2, A Star Is Born, Creed II, Ready Player One, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Sorry to Bother You
#10: Black Panther: Black Panther had some really solid scope to its story, and some of the battle sequences. You understood where both our hero and our villain came from in their sides to the same argument. The movie is chock full of standout performances (most notably Michael B. Jordan as the villain Killmonger).
#9: Incredibles 2: This may be the Pixar movie I was anticipating the most, and I am so happy it didn't disappoint. Once again, these movies prove to be the Fantastic Four movies that fans want. The family dynamic, animation, heart, action, and comedy all manage to blend together nearly perfectly
#8: A Quiet Place: This may have been one of the most tense viewing experiences I have ever had in a movie. I like that this movie really made me think about how I would fare in a situation like the one presented in this movie. I also find it interesting just how capable comedians have been proving themselves to be with horror.
#7: Widows: I am somebody who enjoys a solid heist film, and this may have been the best one of the entire year. Every performance is strong. Daniel Kaluuya and Elizabeth Debicki really prove to be the standouts. The heist itself is really interesting, especially because you have these characters who honestly have no idea what they are doing because they aren't professionals.
#6: BlacKkKlansman: In my eyes, BlacKkKlansman deserves a spot on this list because it is such a unique (and completely true story). Drama and comedy are so well blended thanks to how unbelievable this story is. The acting from John David Washington, Adam Driver, and Topher Grace is excellent, made all the better with Spike Lee's direction and script.
#5: Halloween: I feel like Halloween did everything I wanted it to do. David Gordon Green and Danny McBride took the franchise back to basics, and really wanted to just make a Halloween movie. It was tense. It was funny. It was scary. It was really well acted. It is probably the best film in the series since the original.
#4: Bad Times at the El Royale: This movie is how you do a Tarantino clone right. There are intertwining stories in this film held together by the performances by the cast and Drew Goddard directing and writing this film. Special notice should be given to Chris Hemsworth as the film's villain Billy Lee.
#3: Mission: Impossible - Fallout: Fallout may just be the best film in the Mission: Impossible franchise yet. The action is still incredible. Tom Cruise is as committed as ever. The way things left off with this movie feels like it closed off one chapter of the franchise with room for a new one to grow, and I can't wait to see where this franchise goes from here. How many franchises can you say that about when you're six movies in.
#2: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: I've let this one sit with me for the last couple of weeks, and I just keep loving it even more. The animation is so unique and stylish. The characters all get their moments to shine (while the movie never takes away from the fact that this is a Miles Morales movie through and through). There are some really funny, goofy moments. But, this film also isn't afraid to delve into some of the more serious dramatic moments because the filmmakers know how important they are.
#1: Avengers: Infinity War: I saw Infinity War on opening night back in April. Nothing really came around that dethroned it as my favorite movie of the year. This movie gives your typical hero's journey arc (and some of the most emotional moments) to Thanos. Josh Brolin is incredible in the role. As usual, the action is amazing. The characters all have this back and forth that is really nailed throughout the entire thing. This movie feels like the first Avengers movie times ten, and truly delivered on everything it promised.
Honorable Mentions:
These are the movies I really liked, but they just didn't make the cut
Bumblebee, Deadpool 2, A Star Is Born, Creed II, Ready Player One, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Sorry to Bother You
#10: Black Panther: Black Panther had some really solid scope to its story, and some of the battle sequences. You understood where both our hero and our villain came from in their sides to the same argument. The movie is chock full of standout performances (most notably Michael B. Jordan as the villain Killmonger).
#9: Incredibles 2: This may be the Pixar movie I was anticipating the most, and I am so happy it didn't disappoint. Once again, these movies prove to be the Fantastic Four movies that fans want. The family dynamic, animation, heart, action, and comedy all manage to blend together nearly perfectly
#8: A Quiet Place: This may have been one of the most tense viewing experiences I have ever had in a movie. I like that this movie really made me think about how I would fare in a situation like the one presented in this movie. I also find it interesting just how capable comedians have been proving themselves to be with horror.
#7: Widows: I am somebody who enjoys a solid heist film, and this may have been the best one of the entire year. Every performance is strong. Daniel Kaluuya and Elizabeth Debicki really prove to be the standouts. The heist itself is really interesting, especially because you have these characters who honestly have no idea what they are doing because they aren't professionals.
#6: BlacKkKlansman: In my eyes, BlacKkKlansman deserves a spot on this list because it is such a unique (and completely true story). Drama and comedy are so well blended thanks to how unbelievable this story is. The acting from John David Washington, Adam Driver, and Topher Grace is excellent, made all the better with Spike Lee's direction and script.
#5: Halloween: I feel like Halloween did everything I wanted it to do. David Gordon Green and Danny McBride took the franchise back to basics, and really wanted to just make a Halloween movie. It was tense. It was funny. It was scary. It was really well acted. It is probably the best film in the series since the original.
#4: Bad Times at the El Royale: This movie is how you do a Tarantino clone right. There are intertwining stories in this film held together by the performances by the cast and Drew Goddard directing and writing this film. Special notice should be given to Chris Hemsworth as the film's villain Billy Lee.
#3: Mission: Impossible - Fallout: Fallout may just be the best film in the Mission: Impossible franchise yet. The action is still incredible. Tom Cruise is as committed as ever. The way things left off with this movie feels like it closed off one chapter of the franchise with room for a new one to grow, and I can't wait to see where this franchise goes from here. How many franchises can you say that about when you're six movies in.
#2: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: I've let this one sit with me for the last couple of weeks, and I just keep loving it even more. The animation is so unique and stylish. The characters all get their moments to shine (while the movie never takes away from the fact that this is a Miles Morales movie through and through). There are some really funny, goofy moments. But, this film also isn't afraid to delve into some of the more serious dramatic moments because the filmmakers know how important they are.
#1: Avengers: Infinity War: I saw Infinity War on opening night back in April. Nothing really came around that dethroned it as my favorite movie of the year. This movie gives your typical hero's journey arc (and some of the most emotional moments) to Thanos. Josh Brolin is incredible in the role. As usual, the action is amazing. The characters all have this back and forth that is really nailed throughout the entire thing. This movie feels like the first Avengers movie times ten, and truly delivered on everything it promised.
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Top 10 Worst Movies of 2017
Dishonorable Mentions:
Transformers: The Last Knight, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, The Bye Bye Man, The Circle, The Snowman
There also bad movies like Boo 2! A Madea Halloween, Geostorm, The Nut Job 2, Sandy Wexler, and Wish Upon that I didn’t see this year. So if you’re wondering why none of them are on the list, that’s why.
#10: The Mummy: The Mummy is one of those movies I was hoping against hope was going to be good. I wanted to see a cinematic universe based on the Universal movie monsters succeed. Tom Cruise was completely miscast. References to the original movies were just crammed in there carelessly. The one thing that keeps it fairly low on the list for me is the mummy herself. At the very least, I found the title character interesting. Everything else was just kind of a mess.
#9: Baywatch: The movie's three leads have some good chemistry with one another, and occasionally the movie got a laugh out of me. However, Priyanka Chopra (a capable actress) is awful as the film's main villain, and a lot of the comedy just falls flat. This is a case of everything coming together to make a movie that should work, and just plain doesn't.
#8: The Dark Tower: Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey are trying. Unfortunately, the story is a mess. The directing is bland. The pacing is terrible. The writing never seems to work. Similar to the previous two movies I mentioned, this should have worked, but didn't.
#7: Rings: This is a movie where a subplot involving Johnny Galecki is far more interesting than the actual main plot of this movie. Part of that easily could be that Johnny Galecki has more talent and charisma in his thumb than the two main leads of the movie. The opening scene is one of the absolute worst I think I have ever seen because it pisses all over the lore of the original Ring movie.
#6: Flatliners: Flatliners is pretty poorly acted by a very talented cast. The direction feels conflicted. I don’t know if this movie wanted to be psychological or popcorn fun, whether or not it wanted to be a horror movie or a sci-fi movie. If anything, Flatliners has one of the most appropriate titles ever.
#5: All Eyez on Me: Most of the bad movies I saw this year were mostly disappointing more than anything else. I am a huge fan of rapper Tupac Shakur. This is a guy who had a fascinating life. A biography based on him deserves far better than the equivolance of a greatest hits album in movie form
#4: Unforgettable: I feel like you get a movie like this every year. Last year, it was When the Bough Breaks. The thing they all seem to have in common is that they are just awful. What sets this one apart for me is that it stars Katherine Heigl. This may just be the most inappropriately titled movie of the year. The one thing this movie has going for it is Rosario Dawson.
#3: CHiPs: I can’t say enough just how much I hated CHiPs. If Baywatch at least had the chemistry between its leads, this movie doesn’t even have that. The comedy doesn’t work. The mystery doesn’t work. The action doesn’t work. CHiPs doesn’t work.
#2: The Emoji Movie: This is nothing more than a corporate sellout with awful jokes, uninteresting characters, and a lazy, played-out story. The only reason this isn’t number one is that I honestly thought the animation was decent
#1: Fifty Shades Darker: This movie is even worse than the first film. Somehow, the two leads are even less likable, and have less chemistry. I know nothing compared to this movie for me this year because it was the only movie this year that I couldn’t even find one redeeming thing in this steaming dumpster fire of dogshit.
Transformers: The Last Knight, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, The Bye Bye Man, The Circle, The Snowman
There also bad movies like Boo 2! A Madea Halloween, Geostorm, The Nut Job 2, Sandy Wexler, and Wish Upon that I didn’t see this year. So if you’re wondering why none of them are on the list, that’s why.
#10: The Mummy: The Mummy is one of those movies I was hoping against hope was going to be good. I wanted to see a cinematic universe based on the Universal movie monsters succeed. Tom Cruise was completely miscast. References to the original movies were just crammed in there carelessly. The one thing that keeps it fairly low on the list for me is the mummy herself. At the very least, I found the title character interesting. Everything else was just kind of a mess.
#9: Baywatch: The movie's three leads have some good chemistry with one another, and occasionally the movie got a laugh out of me. However, Priyanka Chopra (a capable actress) is awful as the film's main villain, and a lot of the comedy just falls flat. This is a case of everything coming together to make a movie that should work, and just plain doesn't.
#8: The Dark Tower: Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey are trying. Unfortunately, the story is a mess. The directing is bland. The pacing is terrible. The writing never seems to work. Similar to the previous two movies I mentioned, this should have worked, but didn't.
#7: Rings: This is a movie where a subplot involving Johnny Galecki is far more interesting than the actual main plot of this movie. Part of that easily could be that Johnny Galecki has more talent and charisma in his thumb than the two main leads of the movie. The opening scene is one of the absolute worst I think I have ever seen because it pisses all over the lore of the original Ring movie.
#6: Flatliners: Flatliners is pretty poorly acted by a very talented cast. The direction feels conflicted. I don’t know if this movie wanted to be psychological or popcorn fun, whether or not it wanted to be a horror movie or a sci-fi movie. If anything, Flatliners has one of the most appropriate titles ever.
#5: All Eyez on Me: Most of the bad movies I saw this year were mostly disappointing more than anything else. I am a huge fan of rapper Tupac Shakur. This is a guy who had a fascinating life. A biography based on him deserves far better than the equivolance of a greatest hits album in movie form
#4: Unforgettable: I feel like you get a movie like this every year. Last year, it was When the Bough Breaks. The thing they all seem to have in common is that they are just awful. What sets this one apart for me is that it stars Katherine Heigl. This may just be the most inappropriately titled movie of the year. The one thing this movie has going for it is Rosario Dawson.
#3: CHiPs: I can’t say enough just how much I hated CHiPs. If Baywatch at least had the chemistry between its leads, this movie doesn’t even have that. The comedy doesn’t work. The mystery doesn’t work. The action doesn’t work. CHiPs doesn’t work.
#2: The Emoji Movie: This is nothing more than a corporate sellout with awful jokes, uninteresting characters, and a lazy, played-out story. The only reason this isn’t number one is that I honestly thought the animation was decent
#1: Fifty Shades Darker: This movie is even worse than the first film. Somehow, the two leads are even less likable, and have less chemistry. I know nothing compared to this movie for me this year because it was the only movie this year that I couldn’t even find one redeeming thing in this steaming dumpster fire of dogshit.
Friday, December 29, 2017
Top 15 Best Movies of 2017
At this point, I have seen everything I think I can possibly see this year. There are movies that aren't going to be on my list like War for the Planet of the Apes, Coco, The Shape of Water, All the Money in the World, Molly's Game, and Blade Runner 2049 that aren't on my list because I just didn't get to see them. These are the movies I did see and loved this year. I watched a lot of good movies this year, and couldn't quite whittle it down to a top 10.
Honorable Mentions:
Happy Death Day, John Wick: Chapter 2, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2, Little Evil
#15: Star Wars: The Last Jedi: This is one of those movies that has really split the fan base. I think there some problems and flaws, but they were very minor for me. The overall experience I had was something that progressed the characters who needed to be progressed. I like that this movie took more chances than The Force Awakens, and because of that, I think I enjoyed this one more.
#14: Free Fire: Free Fire truly felt like an early 90s Scorsese or Tarantino movie. It was fairly small scale, and dealt with the two groups stuck in a shootout in a warehouse for the whole movie, and had something of a jazz flair to it that I really liked.
#13: Wonder Woman: Wonder Woman took a very different approach to the DCEU. It was set in a different time period, and didn't worry about trying to set up Justice League or any of the other ten movies yet to come in this universe. It told a story about a hero and her journey, and did it really well.
#12: Lady Bird: I thought Lady Bird was a great coming-of-age, time capsule sort of movie. The performances were really strong all-around. I have it pretty low on the list for myself just because I don't see it having a lot of replay value for me personally.
#11: Spider-Man: Homecoming: In my opinion, this is the best Spider-Man movie Spider-Man 2. It felt like a superhero movie told through a John Hughes lens. As far as I'm concerned, Tom Holland is the first actor I truly felt encompassed both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. This also the movie I think truly began to break the MCU movie villains curse. Michael Keaton as the Vulture was somebody you really understood and sympathized with.
#10: The Lego Batman Movie: I feel like I missed out on a lot of the animated movies this year. Fortunately, this wasn't one of them. This movie truly understood the relationship between Batman and the Joker. It was funny, but had a lot of depth to it, and proved that good satire isn't dead yet.
#9: It: It is the most recent movie I reviewed, and already I knew it deserved a spot on my best of the year list. The movie had some genuinely good creepy moments, but it didn't solely rely on them. The movie remembered to actually have characters you understood and related to. It also made you feel Pennywise's presence, even when he wasn't onscreen.
#8: Thor: Ragnarok: Taika Waititi truly put his stamp on the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a movie that easily blows the other two Thor films out of the water. The movie had yet another fantastic Marvel villain in Hela, whose motivations were really easy to understand. This is a movie that laced a lot of its comedic elements with heart, but also knew when and where to pump you up for the ride you're going to go on.
#7: Split: Split makes me happiest because it gave us a really good M. Night Shyamalan movie for the first time in over a decade. It is a movie that has genuine suspense and is carried by two excellent lead performances by James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy. The twist ending is also amazing, and isn't something you'd ever really be able to see coming.
#6: Get Out: I am amazed that a man who is only really known for comedy can make his directorial debut with a phenomenal horror-suspense film. This is a movie that tackles the idea of racism in America in an incredibly unique and subversive way. The acting, writing, and directing all make this a movie worth talking about.
#5: Wind River: This is an incredibly heavy movie with the best acting I think I have ever seen from Jeremy Renner. It is a story that is based on true accounts, and actually can be eye-opening for a story you may not have known about.
#4: Logan: Logan was the perfect send-off for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, but it still leaves the potential for more stories to still be told. It's a comic book movie that doesn't feel like a comic book movie. There's actually a sense of heartbreak to Logan, and sense of realism you might not have expected from a movie like this.
#3: The Disaster Artist: I am a fan of the movie The Room, and this is one of those movies I was excited about from the minute I heard it was happening. From both an acting and directing standpoint, James Franco owns this movie, and gives one of the best performances of his career. The Disaster Artist is a movie that truly is about the American dream, and does in a very unique way.
#2: Baby Driver: Baby Driver is the most recent movie from Edgar Wright. This is stylish adrenaline rush backed up by an awesome soundtrack.
#1: I, Tonya: I honestly don't know a ton about Tonya Harding beyond the incident. This was a movie that showed that maybe Tonya Harding wasn't a monster, but was a human being. I don't know how much of this was based in fact, and how much of it was based in fiction. I just know I saw a movie with a great story and fantastic lead performance from Margot Robbie.
Honorable Mentions:
Happy Death Day, John Wick: Chapter 2, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2, Little Evil
#15: Star Wars: The Last Jedi: This is one of those movies that has really split the fan base. I think there some problems and flaws, but they were very minor for me. The overall experience I had was something that progressed the characters who needed to be progressed. I like that this movie took more chances than The Force Awakens, and because of that, I think I enjoyed this one more.
 |
| image source |
#14: Free Fire: Free Fire truly felt like an early 90s Scorsese or Tarantino movie. It was fairly small scale, and dealt with the two groups stuck in a shootout in a warehouse for the whole movie, and had something of a jazz flair to it that I really liked.
 |
| image source |
#13: Wonder Woman: Wonder Woman took a very different approach to the DCEU. It was set in a different time period, and didn't worry about trying to set up Justice League or any of the other ten movies yet to come in this universe. It told a story about a hero and her journey, and did it really well.
 |
| image source |
#12: Lady Bird: I thought Lady Bird was a great coming-of-age, time capsule sort of movie. The performances were really strong all-around. I have it pretty low on the list for myself just because I don't see it having a lot of replay value for me personally.
 |
| image source |
#11: Spider-Man: Homecoming: In my opinion, this is the best Spider-Man movie Spider-Man 2. It felt like a superhero movie told through a John Hughes lens. As far as I'm concerned, Tom Holland is the first actor I truly felt encompassed both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. This also the movie I think truly began to break the MCU movie villains curse. Michael Keaton as the Vulture was somebody you really understood and sympathized with.
 |
| image source |
#10: The Lego Batman Movie: I feel like I missed out on a lot of the animated movies this year. Fortunately, this wasn't one of them. This movie truly understood the relationship between Batman and the Joker. It was funny, but had a lot of depth to it, and proved that good satire isn't dead yet.
 |
| image source |
#9: It: It is the most recent movie I reviewed, and already I knew it deserved a spot on my best of the year list. The movie had some genuinely good creepy moments, but it didn't solely rely on them. The movie remembered to actually have characters you understood and related to. It also made you feel Pennywise's presence, even when he wasn't onscreen.
 |
| image source |
#8: Thor: Ragnarok: Taika Waititi truly put his stamp on the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a movie that easily blows the other two Thor films out of the water. The movie had yet another fantastic Marvel villain in Hela, whose motivations were really easy to understand. This is a movie that laced a lot of its comedic elements with heart, but also knew when and where to pump you up for the ride you're going to go on.
 |
| image source |
#7: Split: Split makes me happiest because it gave us a really good M. Night Shyamalan movie for the first time in over a decade. It is a movie that has genuine suspense and is carried by two excellent lead performances by James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy. The twist ending is also amazing, and isn't something you'd ever really be able to see coming.
 |
| image source |
#6: Get Out: I am amazed that a man who is only really known for comedy can make his directorial debut with a phenomenal horror-suspense film. This is a movie that tackles the idea of racism in America in an incredibly unique and subversive way. The acting, writing, and directing all make this a movie worth talking about.
 |
| image source |
#5: Wind River: This is an incredibly heavy movie with the best acting I think I have ever seen from Jeremy Renner. It is a story that is based on true accounts, and actually can be eye-opening for a story you may not have known about.
 |
| image source |
#4: Logan: Logan was the perfect send-off for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, but it still leaves the potential for more stories to still be told. It's a comic book movie that doesn't feel like a comic book movie. There's actually a sense of heartbreak to Logan, and sense of realism you might not have expected from a movie like this.
 |
| image source |
#3: The Disaster Artist: I am a fan of the movie The Room, and this is one of those movies I was excited about from the minute I heard it was happening. From both an acting and directing standpoint, James Franco owns this movie, and gives one of the best performances of his career. The Disaster Artist is a movie that truly is about the American dream, and does in a very unique way.
 |
| image source |
#2: Baby Driver: Baby Driver is the most recent movie from Edgar Wright. This is stylish adrenaline rush backed up by an awesome soundtrack.
 |
| image source |
#1: I, Tonya: I honestly don't know a ton about Tonya Harding beyond the incident. This was a movie that showed that maybe Tonya Harding wasn't a monster, but was a human being. I don't know how much of this was based in fact, and how much of it was based in fiction. I just know I saw a movie with a great story and fantastic lead performance from Margot Robbie.
 |
| image source |
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Top 15 Most Anticipated Movies of 2018
Honorable Mentions:
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Super Troopers 2, Mission: Impossible 6, Creed 2, Soldado, Ant-Man and the Wasp
This year, I struggled to keep it to just ten movies I can't wait for, so I bumped it up to 15.
#15: Solo: A Star Wars Story: Of all the ideas to come out of the new crop of Star Wars movies, this one interests me, but not on the level that Force Awakens, Rogue One, and The Last Jedi interested me.
#14: Jungle Book: I don't know much about this movie except it's an adaptation of The Jungle Book and it's going to be directed by Andy Serkis. I'm very curious to see what the man is capable of behind the camera
#13: Venom: This movie is going to be Sony's launching point for their own cinematic universe. Supposedly, the idea will be based of the Lethal Protector story arc. Venom will have made a deal with Spider-Man not to hurt anyone and moves to San Francisco to carve out a new identity. The idea of building a cinematic universe around Venom does worry me a little bit. However, I do think Tom Hardy is a good choice for Eddie Brock, and the rumors that Carnage will be the main villain of the movie have me intrigued.
#12: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald: I will always welcome more from this universe. I have it fairly low on the list because I'm not that sure how I feel about Johnny Depp yet. He's only in the first movie for about ten seconds. Hopefully, the director can rein him in, but we'll just have to wait and see.
#11: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: A animated Spider-Man movie? OK. One that introduces Miles Morales and the Spider-Verse? Yes, please.
#10: Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2: I loved the first Wreck-It Ralph so much, and I am incredibly curious to see what Ralph and his friends going through the internet is going to look like.
#9: X-Men: Dark Phoenix: So, the last time they attempted the Dark Phoenix saga, it didn't go very well. I am anticipating this one because I am hoping beyond hope that this is going to try and fix the problems of the last attempt.
#8: Ready Player One: I didn't know just how much I was going to anticipate this movie until I saw the trailer. This looks like it could be one of the coolest experiences ever, and maybe one of Steven Spielberg's best movies in a long time.
#7: The New Mutants: The New Mutants is another movie in the X-Men franchise following Deadpool and Logan that looks like it's going to take a risk. The cast is something that excites me, including Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Heaton from Stranger Things. What I've heard is that is going to be a horror movie more than anything.
The New Mutants Trailer
#6: The Predator: It's a new Predator movie, and I've enjoyed all of them. Yes, that includes the two Alien vs. Predator movies. Naturally, I'm excited for this movie.
#5: Deadpool 2: The movie is being directed by David Leitch of John Wick and Atomic Blonde this time instead of Tim Miller. What really has me sold that this sequel is still in good hands is the marketing campaign. There is literally a trailer where Deadpool is dressed up like Bob Ross for no apparent reason, but that's the kind of thing that gets me excited. It feels like Deadpool.
#4: Halloween: I've made it no secret that I love me some slasher movies. This movie is going to do something similar to what Halloween H20 did when that movie came out. It's bringing back Jamie Lee Curtis and ignoring everything except for John Carpenter's original. Danny McBride and David Gordon Green are handling the behind the scenes stuff. Yes, they are mainly known for comedies. This movie has John Carpenter's blessing, though, and both have said they are legit horror fans (and that includes the original Halloween).
#3: Incredibles 2: Of all the Pixar movies, The Incredibles is the one that I wanted to see a sequel to the most. Finally, after nearly fifteen years, a sequel is happening. I don't know what exactly is going to happen with the plot, but Pixar has made good sequels (that aren't Cars) to their movies in the past, so I do have faith in this.
#2: Black Panther: Last year, Wonder Woman was the first movie in the DC Cinematic Universe to focus on a female hero. Black Panther will be the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to focus on a black superhero. Chadwick Boseman carried his own in Civil War, and I can't wait to see what he does in his own movie. Throw in the director of Creed and you've got what looks like it could be another big win for Marvel Studios.
#1: Avengers: Infinity War: This is that movie Marvel has been building up to for almost ten years. Every still living hero (and almost every still living villain) we've seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe up to this point will be in this movie. Is there a chance it could be overstuffed? Maybe. But, here's the thing. The Russo Brothers proved that with Captain America: Civil War, they could make a movie with a ton of characters and keep the focus where it needed to be, so I have faith in this movie.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Super Troopers 2, Mission: Impossible 6, Creed 2, Soldado, Ant-Man and the Wasp
This year, I struggled to keep it to just ten movies I can't wait for, so I bumped it up to 15.
#15: Solo: A Star Wars Story: Of all the ideas to come out of the new crop of Star Wars movies, this one interests me, but not on the level that Force Awakens, Rogue One, and The Last Jedi interested me.
#14: Jungle Book: I don't know much about this movie except it's an adaptation of The Jungle Book and it's going to be directed by Andy Serkis. I'm very curious to see what the man is capable of behind the camera
#13: Venom: This movie is going to be Sony's launching point for their own cinematic universe. Supposedly, the idea will be based of the Lethal Protector story arc. Venom will have made a deal with Spider-Man not to hurt anyone and moves to San Francisco to carve out a new identity. The idea of building a cinematic universe around Venom does worry me a little bit. However, I do think Tom Hardy is a good choice for Eddie Brock, and the rumors that Carnage will be the main villain of the movie have me intrigued.
#12: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald: I will always welcome more from this universe. I have it fairly low on the list because I'm not that sure how I feel about Johnny Depp yet. He's only in the first movie for about ten seconds. Hopefully, the director can rein him in, but we'll just have to wait and see.
#11: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: A animated Spider-Man movie? OK. One that introduces Miles Morales and the Spider-Verse? Yes, please.
#10: Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2: I loved the first Wreck-It Ralph so much, and I am incredibly curious to see what Ralph and his friends going through the internet is going to look like.
#9: X-Men: Dark Phoenix: So, the last time they attempted the Dark Phoenix saga, it didn't go very well. I am anticipating this one because I am hoping beyond hope that this is going to try and fix the problems of the last attempt.
#8: Ready Player One: I didn't know just how much I was going to anticipate this movie until I saw the trailer. This looks like it could be one of the coolest experiences ever, and maybe one of Steven Spielberg's best movies in a long time.
#7: The New Mutants: The New Mutants is another movie in the X-Men franchise following Deadpool and Logan that looks like it's going to take a risk. The cast is something that excites me, including Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Charlie Heaton from Stranger Things. What I've heard is that is going to be a horror movie more than anything.
The New Mutants Trailer
#6: The Predator: It's a new Predator movie, and I've enjoyed all of them. Yes, that includes the two Alien vs. Predator movies. Naturally, I'm excited for this movie.
#5: Deadpool 2: The movie is being directed by David Leitch of John Wick and Atomic Blonde this time instead of Tim Miller. What really has me sold that this sequel is still in good hands is the marketing campaign. There is literally a trailer where Deadpool is dressed up like Bob Ross for no apparent reason, but that's the kind of thing that gets me excited. It feels like Deadpool.
#4: Halloween: I've made it no secret that I love me some slasher movies. This movie is going to do something similar to what Halloween H20 did when that movie came out. It's bringing back Jamie Lee Curtis and ignoring everything except for John Carpenter's original. Danny McBride and David Gordon Green are handling the behind the scenes stuff. Yes, they are mainly known for comedies. This movie has John Carpenter's blessing, though, and both have said they are legit horror fans (and that includes the original Halloween).
#3: Incredibles 2: Of all the Pixar movies, The Incredibles is the one that I wanted to see a sequel to the most. Finally, after nearly fifteen years, a sequel is happening. I don't know what exactly is going to happen with the plot, but Pixar has made good sequels (that aren't Cars) to their movies in the past, so I do have faith in this.
#2: Black Panther: Last year, Wonder Woman was the first movie in the DC Cinematic Universe to focus on a female hero. Black Panther will be the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to focus on a black superhero. Chadwick Boseman carried his own in Civil War, and I can't wait to see what he does in his own movie. Throw in the director of Creed and you've got what looks like it could be another big win for Marvel Studios.
#1: Avengers: Infinity War: This is that movie Marvel has been building up to for almost ten years. Every still living hero (and almost every still living villain) we've seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe up to this point will be in this movie. Is there a chance it could be overstuffed? Maybe. But, here's the thing. The Russo Brothers proved that with Captain America: Civil War, they could make a movie with a ton of characters and keep the focus where it needed to be, so I have faith in this movie.
Friday, December 30, 2016
Top 11 Worst Movies of 2016
Now it's time for the flip side of the coin.
Dishonorable Mentions:
These are bad movies that just didn't quite make the cut (and they feel lucky because of it.)
Zoolander 2, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Inferno, Assassin's Creed, When the Bough Breaks, Little Dead Rotting Hood, Cell
#11: Gods of Egypt: Gods of Egypt is hilariously bad for a number of reasons (the reason it's so low on my list.) The movie is completely miscast and overacted on all counts. The effects are laughably bad. It's certainly bad, but I can't say I was ever mad.
#10: God's Not Dead 2: God's Not Dead 2 suffers from bad acting, writing, and directing. The characters are thinly written, and the cast is bloated all to hell.
#9: Meet the Blacks: One of the worst attempts at parody I think I've ever seen (and I've seen Scary Movie 5.) The jokes aren't funny and the acting sucks.
#8: Boo! A Madea Halloween: If there's anything that the latest Madea movie proves to me, it's this: Tyler Perry shouldn't be allowed to make movies anymore. The story here meanders, and the actors just ramble and talk all over each other.
#7: The Other Side of the Door: The Other Side of the Door is an awful horror movie that strands a talented cast in the middle of this crap. The scares are forced, lazy, and tired. Everything else, meanwhile, is just plain dull.
#6: The Last Heist: I thought this movie would be a lot higher than it ended up being. The actors were awful. The directing was cheap. The writing was atrocious. The idea was interesting, but the execution did nothing with this movie.
#5: Norm of the North: So, this movie was originally supposed to be direct-to-DVD. Instead, it was shoved into a theatrical release in January. The makers of this movie seem to think a twerking polar bear and a forced environmental message go hand-in-hand.
#4: The Disappointments Room: The Disappointments Room is one of those awful, awful movies that goes absolutely nowhere. Kate Beckinsale is totally wasted in the movie(AND SHE PLAYS THE MAIN CHARACTER!) The entire thing is just dull and pointles.
#3: Shut In: This movie might've been a lot lower on my list. Unfortunately, it has one of the the absolute worst twists I've ever seen. What came before was already bad, but that twist just sank everything even lower.
#2: Nine Lives: This is a Shaggy Dog rip-off starring Kevin Spacey (whom I can only assume was blackmailed into being in this movie.) The acting is terrible. The effects are shit. I have no idea why this movie exists.
#1: Max Steel: As soon as I saw the final result of what these people seemed to think a Max Steel movie should've been, I knew exactly what the worst movie of 2016 was going to be.Max Steel offers nothing of value. There are no redeeming qualities to be found. This movie was so bad, I actually had to break down why this movie didn't work.
Dishonorable Mentions:
These are bad movies that just didn't quite make the cut (and they feel lucky because of it.)
Zoolander 2, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Inferno, Assassin's Creed, When the Bough Breaks, Little Dead Rotting Hood, Cell
#11: Gods of Egypt: Gods of Egypt is hilariously bad for a number of reasons (the reason it's so low on my list.) The movie is completely miscast and overacted on all counts. The effects are laughably bad. It's certainly bad, but I can't say I was ever mad.
#10: God's Not Dead 2: God's Not Dead 2 suffers from bad acting, writing, and directing. The characters are thinly written, and the cast is bloated all to hell.
#9: Meet the Blacks: One of the worst attempts at parody I think I've ever seen (and I've seen Scary Movie 5.) The jokes aren't funny and the acting sucks.
#8: Boo! A Madea Halloween: If there's anything that the latest Madea movie proves to me, it's this: Tyler Perry shouldn't be allowed to make movies anymore. The story here meanders, and the actors just ramble and talk all over each other.
#7: The Other Side of the Door: The Other Side of the Door is an awful horror movie that strands a talented cast in the middle of this crap. The scares are forced, lazy, and tired. Everything else, meanwhile, is just plain dull.
#6: The Last Heist: I thought this movie would be a lot higher than it ended up being. The actors were awful. The directing was cheap. The writing was atrocious. The idea was interesting, but the execution did nothing with this movie.
#5: Norm of the North: So, this movie was originally supposed to be direct-to-DVD. Instead, it was shoved into a theatrical release in January. The makers of this movie seem to think a twerking polar bear and a forced environmental message go hand-in-hand.
#4: The Disappointments Room: The Disappointments Room is one of those awful, awful movies that goes absolutely nowhere. Kate Beckinsale is totally wasted in the movie(AND SHE PLAYS THE MAIN CHARACTER!) The entire thing is just dull and pointles.
#3: Shut In: This movie might've been a lot lower on my list. Unfortunately, it has one of the the absolute worst twists I've ever seen. What came before was already bad, but that twist just sank everything even lower.
#2: Nine Lives: This is a Shaggy Dog rip-off starring Kevin Spacey (whom I can only assume was blackmailed into being in this movie.) The acting is terrible. The effects are shit. I have no idea why this movie exists.
#1: Max Steel: As soon as I saw the final result of what these people seemed to think a Max Steel movie should've been, I knew exactly what the worst movie of 2016 was going to be.Max Steel offers nothing of value. There are no redeeming qualities to be found. This movie was so bad, I actually had to break down why this movie didn't work.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Top 10 Best Movies of 2016
2016 was something of an interesting year all around. Before I get into my list, I want to say that I did not get a chance to see everything I wanted to see. I just didn't get the time to see Manchester By the Sea, Moonlight, Silence, or La La Land.
Honorable Mentions:
I had a couple movies I actually liked quite a bit that just couldn't quite make the cut.
Hell or High Water, Suicide Squad, Rogue One, Lights Out, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Hail, Caesar, Moana
#10: Sing Street: Sing Street told a classic story in a unique way, and was backed up by a pretty damn good soundtrack to boot. It's a lesser-known movie, so if you are able to, check this one out.
#9: Hacksaw Ridge: Mel Gibson returns to directing for a harrowing, yet uplifting war story about Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector who lists in World War II to save lives as a medic. He saved 75 men, without ever firing a weapon.
#8: 10 Cloverfield Lane: Much of 10 Cloverfield Lane is a small, tense thriller. The whole time, you follow three people. John Goodman in this movie is as frightening and uneasy as it can possibly get.
#7: Star Trek Beyond: A lot of People were utterly worried when the trailer for this movie dropped. The final result was actually a really damn good movie with a fantastic cast that worked off each other unbelievably well.
#6: The Nice Guys: The Nice Guys is a wonderful, neo-noir crime comedy written and directed by Shane Black. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe work off each other excellently, and are both perfectly cast. But, the absolute scene stealer is newcomer Angourie Rice as Gosling's daughter.
#5: Zootopia: Zootopia has this amazing world set up with excellent characters, a story that tries far harder than it probably would've in lesser hands, and fantastic animation that breathes life into my favorite animated movie of the year.
#4: Don't Breathe: There were points where I felt legitimately claustrophobic watching Don't Breathe. There were points in this movie where I wanted to cringe. I say all of this with the utmost praise and enthusiasm. This was easily my favorite horror movie of the year, with amazing tension and great performances by Jane Levy and Stephen Lang.
#3: Captain America: Civil War: Civil War raised the stakes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by literally tearing these heroes we've seen for years as friends apart. There's a legitimate grey area explored in this movie where you understand both sides clearly, and may find yourself switching sides constantly.
#2: Deadpool: I think Deadpool may just be the shot of adrenaline superhero movies need right now. This is a hard-R superhero movie that made over $700 million at the worldwide box office. It was a great movie because it stuck to the character it was trying to portray.
#1: Arrival: Arrival was a movie that really made me think. I watched this movie once. I loved it. It's actually grown on me quite a bit the more I've thought and thought about it. The actors are excellent. The story is intriguing. It's slow-paced, but it's never boring.
Honorable Mentions:
I had a couple movies I actually liked quite a bit that just couldn't quite make the cut.
Hell or High Water, Suicide Squad, Rogue One, Lights Out, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Hail, Caesar, Moana
#10: Sing Street: Sing Street told a classic story in a unique way, and was backed up by a pretty damn good soundtrack to boot. It's a lesser-known movie, so if you are able to, check this one out.
#9: Hacksaw Ridge: Mel Gibson returns to directing for a harrowing, yet uplifting war story about Desmond Doss, a conscientious objector who lists in World War II to save lives as a medic. He saved 75 men, without ever firing a weapon.
#8: 10 Cloverfield Lane: Much of 10 Cloverfield Lane is a small, tense thriller. The whole time, you follow three people. John Goodman in this movie is as frightening and uneasy as it can possibly get.
#7: Star Trek Beyond: A lot of People were utterly worried when the trailer for this movie dropped. The final result was actually a really damn good movie with a fantastic cast that worked off each other unbelievably well.
#6: The Nice Guys: The Nice Guys is a wonderful, neo-noir crime comedy written and directed by Shane Black. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe work off each other excellently, and are both perfectly cast. But, the absolute scene stealer is newcomer Angourie Rice as Gosling's daughter.
#5: Zootopia: Zootopia has this amazing world set up with excellent characters, a story that tries far harder than it probably would've in lesser hands, and fantastic animation that breathes life into my favorite animated movie of the year.
#4: Don't Breathe: There were points where I felt legitimately claustrophobic watching Don't Breathe. There were points in this movie where I wanted to cringe. I say all of this with the utmost praise and enthusiasm. This was easily my favorite horror movie of the year, with amazing tension and great performances by Jane Levy and Stephen Lang.
#3: Captain America: Civil War: Civil War raised the stakes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by literally tearing these heroes we've seen for years as friends apart. There's a legitimate grey area explored in this movie where you understand both sides clearly, and may find yourself switching sides constantly.
#2: Deadpool: I think Deadpool may just be the shot of adrenaline superhero movies need right now. This is a hard-R superhero movie that made over $700 million at the worldwide box office. It was a great movie because it stuck to the character it was trying to portray.
#1: Arrival: Arrival was a movie that really made me think. I watched this movie once. I loved it. It's actually grown on me quite a bit the more I've thought and thought about it. The actors are excellent. The story is intriguing. It's slow-paced, but it's never boring.
Monday, December 5, 2016
Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2017
Honorable Mentions:
The Lego Batman Movie, Ghost in the Shell, Beauty and the Beast, War for the Planet of the Apes, Kong: Skull Island, It, Justice League, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Friday the 13th, Saw: Legacy
#10: Spider-Man: Homecoming: I loved Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man in Civil War. I can't wait to see what happens in this movie now that Marvel has some say. I love the idea of Michael Keaton playing the villain, and can't wait to see more back and forth between Spider-Man and Iron Man.
#9: Dunkirk: Dunkirk is a World War II era drama that will tell the story of the storming of one of the beaches. The thing that really sells my excitement for this movie is director Christopher Nolan, who is one of my personal favorites.
#8: John Wick: Chapter 2: John Wick was one of the biggest surprises of 2014. I was incredibly excited for this movie when I first heard it was happening, and that first trailer got me even more excited.
#7: Thor: Ragnarok: I enjoy the first two Thor movies quite a bit. I'm excited to see Thor and Loki again. Tessa Thompson from Creed is playing the new love interest for Thor. That said, there hasn't been much of a plot reveal, So I don't know what to expect story-wise.
#6: Fast 8: I've been a longtime fan of the Fast and the Furious franchise. However, it wasn't until Fast Five that this franchise really found its footing. With cast additions that include Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren, including the returning actors, I'm curious to see how this movie turns out.
#5: Alien: Covenant: Here's what I know about this movie. Michael Fassbender's in it, and its an Alien movie. Really, that's all I need to know.
#4: Wonder Woman: I know a lot of people haven't cared too much for the DC Extended Universe. Honestly, the only one I've outright loved so far has been Suicide Squad. But, the trailer for Wonder Woman and the lack of Zack Snyder in the director's chair gives me a lot of hope.
Wonder Woman Trailer
#3: Star Wars: Episode VIII: I've yet to see a trailer for Episode VIII, but with The Force Awakens being a good movie, and Rian Johnson, the director of Looper, taking the mantle from J.J. Abrams, I'm definitely interested in seeing what's coming next in the Star Wars franchise.
#2: Logan: Logan is definitely going to carry an R rating. This will also be the swan song for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Patrick Stewart as Professor X. There's also going to be an introduction of fan favorite X-23.
Logan Red Band Trailer
#1: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Seeing as how I ranked Guardians of the Galaxy as my favorite movie of 2014, of course I'm excited for this movie. I love the characters, and the trailers seem to be carrying the same tone as the first movie.
The Lego Batman Movie, Ghost in the Shell, Beauty and the Beast, War for the Planet of the Apes, Kong: Skull Island, It, Justice League, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Friday the 13th, Saw: Legacy
#10: Spider-Man: Homecoming: I loved Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man in Civil War. I can't wait to see what happens in this movie now that Marvel has some say. I love the idea of Michael Keaton playing the villain, and can't wait to see more back and forth between Spider-Man and Iron Man.
#9: Dunkirk: Dunkirk is a World War II era drama that will tell the story of the storming of one of the beaches. The thing that really sells my excitement for this movie is director Christopher Nolan, who is one of my personal favorites.
#8: John Wick: Chapter 2: John Wick was one of the biggest surprises of 2014. I was incredibly excited for this movie when I first heard it was happening, and that first trailer got me even more excited.
#7: Thor: Ragnarok: I enjoy the first two Thor movies quite a bit. I'm excited to see Thor and Loki again. Tessa Thompson from Creed is playing the new love interest for Thor. That said, there hasn't been much of a plot reveal, So I don't know what to expect story-wise.
#6: Fast 8: I've been a longtime fan of the Fast and the Furious franchise. However, it wasn't until Fast Five that this franchise really found its footing. With cast additions that include Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren, including the returning actors, I'm curious to see how this movie turns out.
#5: Alien: Covenant: Here's what I know about this movie. Michael Fassbender's in it, and its an Alien movie. Really, that's all I need to know.
#4: Wonder Woman: I know a lot of people haven't cared too much for the DC Extended Universe. Honestly, the only one I've outright loved so far has been Suicide Squad. But, the trailer for Wonder Woman and the lack of Zack Snyder in the director's chair gives me a lot of hope.
Wonder Woman Trailer
#3: Star Wars: Episode VIII: I've yet to see a trailer for Episode VIII, but with The Force Awakens being a good movie, and Rian Johnson, the director of Looper, taking the mantle from J.J. Abrams, I'm definitely interested in seeing what's coming next in the Star Wars franchise.
#2: Logan: Logan is definitely going to carry an R rating. This will also be the swan song for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Patrick Stewart as Professor X. There's also going to be an introduction of fan favorite X-23.
Logan Red Band Trailer
#1: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Seeing as how I ranked Guardians of the Galaxy as my favorite movie of 2014, of course I'm excited for this movie. I love the characters, and the trailers seem to be carrying the same tone as the first movie.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Top 10 Worst Movies of 2015
Dishonorable Mentions:
My dishonorable mentions are going to be broken down into subcategories
They didn't get a theatrical release, so they don't count, but I still want to mention them:
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
Ghost Shark
My Guilty Pleasure Movies That didn't make the cut:
Wild Card
Jupiter Ascending
Goosebumps
Pan
Pixels
Mostly just Meh:
The Cobbler
Seventh Son
The Movies I actually felt bad that I had to cut:
Get Hard
Unfinished Business
The Gunman
Tak3n
#10: Terminator Genisys: As I said in my review, Terminator Genisys was a big, loud, stupid guilty pleasure movie. However, it was clear when I was watching it that it was a great big hot mess of a movie. So, I do think it deserves a spot on my list.
#9: Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse: I genuinely think that the people who wrote this movie had a funny idea for a title, but didn't know what to do to put a story around it, or how to write said story, so they just threw a bunch of random ideas on paper in the hopes that something would stick.
#8: Fant4stic: At first, I thought this movie had no chance of being memorably bad. But, then, the more I thought about things like the origin of The Thing's catchphrase and the look of Doctor Doom, the more I started to get mad.
#7: The Boy Next Door: The Boy Next Door is one of those rare movies where every single actor is miscast, so absolutely nobody is able to give a good performance. Least of all, Ryan Guzman, the dude playing the title boy next door.
#6: The Ridiculous 6: I saw three of Adam Sandler's four starring movies this year. I can say without a doubt, that was his worst one. This first one I've seen in the past couple of years that I think was almost as bad a Jack and Jill, and that's no small feat.
#5: Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension: This isn't as bad The Marked Ones or Paranormal Activity 4, it's even worse. This is the movie that actually took away the one frightening thing this franchise still had going for it.
#4: Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2: Paul Blart 2 was one of those sequels we got, even though I'm pretty sure nobody was actually asking for it. This was easily the worst thing Happy Madison shit out and put in theaters this year, for a lot of reasons.
#3: Hot Pursuit: In a year that had a lot of bad comedies, the worst, by far was Hot Pursuit. I like Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara, but man, did this "thing" just not work, in any way, shape, or form.
#2: Fifty Shades of Grey: I have so many problems with this movie on both a technical level, and a moral one. Christian Grey has got to be one of the worst characters I have ever seen. Period.
#1: The Loft: Maybe the most surprising thing about Fifty Shades of Grey is that, as bad as it was, I still didn't find it nearly as much of an awful, loathsome, disgusting pile of steaming crap as I did The Loft. This was a movie that seemed content on asking you to give a shit about these five despicable people who all cheat on their wives, and somehow, get very lenient punishments in the end, when they deserve far worse.
My dishonorable mentions are going to be broken down into subcategories
They didn't get a theatrical release, so they don't count, but I still want to mention them:
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!
Ghost Shark
My Guilty Pleasure Movies That didn't make the cut:
Wild Card
Jupiter Ascending
Goosebumps
Pan
Pixels
Mostly just Meh:
The Cobbler
Seventh Son
The Movies I actually felt bad that I had to cut:
Get Hard
Unfinished Business
The Gunman
Tak3n
#10: Terminator Genisys: As I said in my review, Terminator Genisys was a big, loud, stupid guilty pleasure movie. However, it was clear when I was watching it that it was a great big hot mess of a movie. So, I do think it deserves a spot on my list.
#9: Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse: I genuinely think that the people who wrote this movie had a funny idea for a title, but didn't know what to do to put a story around it, or how to write said story, so they just threw a bunch of random ideas on paper in the hopes that something would stick.
#8: Fant4stic: At first, I thought this movie had no chance of being memorably bad. But, then, the more I thought about things like the origin of The Thing's catchphrase and the look of Doctor Doom, the more I started to get mad.
#7: The Boy Next Door: The Boy Next Door is one of those rare movies where every single actor is miscast, so absolutely nobody is able to give a good performance. Least of all, Ryan Guzman, the dude playing the title boy next door.
#6: The Ridiculous 6: I saw three of Adam Sandler's four starring movies this year. I can say without a doubt, that was his worst one. This first one I've seen in the past couple of years that I think was almost as bad a Jack and Jill, and that's no small feat.
#5: Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension: This isn't as bad The Marked Ones or Paranormal Activity 4, it's even worse. This is the movie that actually took away the one frightening thing this franchise still had going for it.
#4: Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2: Paul Blart 2 was one of those sequels we got, even though I'm pretty sure nobody was actually asking for it. This was easily the worst thing Happy Madison shit out and put in theaters this year, for a lot of reasons.
#3: Hot Pursuit: In a year that had a lot of bad comedies, the worst, by far was Hot Pursuit. I like Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara, but man, did this "thing" just not work, in any way, shape, or form.
#2: Fifty Shades of Grey: I have so many problems with this movie on both a technical level, and a moral one. Christian Grey has got to be one of the worst characters I have ever seen. Period.
#1: The Loft: Maybe the most surprising thing about Fifty Shades of Grey is that, as bad as it was, I still didn't find it nearly as much of an awful, loathsome, disgusting pile of steaming crap as I did The Loft. This was a movie that seemed content on asking you to give a shit about these five despicable people who all cheat on their wives, and somehow, get very lenient punishments in the end, when they deserve far worse.
Top 10 Best Movies of 2015
So, at this point, 2015 has just about come and gone. These are my personal favorite movies I saw in the past year.
Honorable Mentions:
Kingsman: The Secret Service, Ant-Man, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Furious 7, Jurassic World, Spotlight, Spectre, Krampus
#10: The Martian: The Martian was this incredible and unexpectedly funny story of an astronaut who is accidentally stranded on Mars and uses his intelligence and botany skills to try and survive while back on Earth, NASA struggles to bring him home.
#9: Avengers: Age of Ultron: Does Age of Ultron have some flaws? Sure. Were there parts that could have been smoothed over a little bit? Most likely. Do I care? No, because the second Avengers movie, and 11th in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still a fun summer action movie that still held a lot of depth and was able to progress characters forward.
#8: It Follows: I have stated multiple times that I am a horror fan. Out of all of the movies I saw this year, my absolute favorite had to have been It Follows. It looked and felt like a John Carpenter movie from the 80s that was shelved and rediscovered several years later, and I mean that in the best way possible.
#7: The Hateful Eight: What would a best of the year list be without a Quentin Tarantino movie? This year, he brought us The Hateful Eight, a really damn good movie that is basically what you would get if you asked Quentin Tarantino to combine a murder mystery and a western.
#6: Inside Out: If there was one thing that Inside Out was able to prove to me, it's that Pixar struck back with a vengeance this year, delivering what I'm sure will become one of their future classics. Inside Out made laugh, and nearly made me tear up. It grabs you right where a movie like this needs to, which just makes it even better.
#5: Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Of course I had to put Star Wars on my top 10 favorite movies of 2015 list. This movie had a couple noticalbe flaws, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good by any means. It was great to see Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher back. I liked the new characters to the franchise, especially Rey. As far as I'm concerned, J.J. Abrams knocked it out of the park.
#4: Sicario: Sicario was an unrelenting action thriller anchored by Oscar-worthy performances by Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro.
#3: Mad Max: Fury Road: Fury Road is one big action set-piece filled with visual storytelling, strong characters, and absolutely breathtaking practical visual effects. This one absolutely comes highly recommended from me.
#2: Straight Outta Compton: I saw this movie twice in the theater, and I loved it even more the second time. The actors who played the core members of N.W.A were perfectly selected, and the soundtrack was just plain awesome.
#1: Creed: Creed was a movie I excited to see from the minute I saw that first trailer, and I'm not somebody who is very familiar with the Rocky franchise. Michael B. Jordan is great in the movie, and Sylvester Stallone is at the best he's been in a very long time.
Honorable Mentions:
Kingsman: The Secret Service, Ant-Man, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Furious 7, Jurassic World, Spotlight, Spectre, Krampus
#10: The Martian: The Martian was this incredible and unexpectedly funny story of an astronaut who is accidentally stranded on Mars and uses his intelligence and botany skills to try and survive while back on Earth, NASA struggles to bring him home.
#9: Avengers: Age of Ultron: Does Age of Ultron have some flaws? Sure. Were there parts that could have been smoothed over a little bit? Most likely. Do I care? No, because the second Avengers movie, and 11th in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still a fun summer action movie that still held a lot of depth and was able to progress characters forward.
#8: It Follows: I have stated multiple times that I am a horror fan. Out of all of the movies I saw this year, my absolute favorite had to have been It Follows. It looked and felt like a John Carpenter movie from the 80s that was shelved and rediscovered several years later, and I mean that in the best way possible.
#7: The Hateful Eight: What would a best of the year list be without a Quentin Tarantino movie? This year, he brought us The Hateful Eight, a really damn good movie that is basically what you would get if you asked Quentin Tarantino to combine a murder mystery and a western.
#6: Inside Out: If there was one thing that Inside Out was able to prove to me, it's that Pixar struck back with a vengeance this year, delivering what I'm sure will become one of their future classics. Inside Out made laugh, and nearly made me tear up. It grabs you right where a movie like this needs to, which just makes it even better.
#5: Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Of course I had to put Star Wars on my top 10 favorite movies of 2015 list. This movie had a couple noticalbe flaws, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good by any means. It was great to see Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher back. I liked the new characters to the franchise, especially Rey. As far as I'm concerned, J.J. Abrams knocked it out of the park.
#4: Sicario: Sicario was an unrelenting action thriller anchored by Oscar-worthy performances by Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro.
#3: Mad Max: Fury Road: Fury Road is one big action set-piece filled with visual storytelling, strong characters, and absolutely breathtaking practical visual effects. This one absolutely comes highly recommended from me.
#2: Straight Outta Compton: I saw this movie twice in the theater, and I loved it even more the second time. The actors who played the core members of N.W.A were perfectly selected, and the soundtrack was just plain awesome.
#1: Creed: Creed was a movie I excited to see from the minute I saw that first trailer, and I'm not somebody who is very familiar with the Rocky franchise. Michael B. Jordan is great in the movie, and Sylvester Stallone is at the best he's been in a very long time.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2016
These are just the movies coming out in the next year that I personally am looking forward to the most.
Honorable Mentions:
The Huntsman: Winter's War: While I didn't hate Snow White and the Huntsman, I can admit that cutting out Kristen Stewart (replacing her with the much more talented Jessica Chastain), and putting more focus on Chris Hemsworth all seem like good steps in the right direction.
Zoolander 2: The trailers for Zoolander 2 really did make me laugh, a lot. That being said, extreme stretches between a movie and a sequel don't always turn out for the best. So, I'm cautiously optimistic with this one.
The BFG: After seeing the teaser trailer for this one, I got excited. The trailer followed the opening of the book, from what I remember, and it's directed by Steven Spielberg, so looking forward to thi one for sure, but I just have others I'm more excited for.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: From what I can tell, this movie takes place in the Harry Potter world, but will feature an entirely new cast of characters. I'm very curious to see where this movie's going to go.
My Top 10
#10: Untitled Fifth Bourne Film: I like these movies. Matt Damon's coming back to play Jason Bourne. Paul Greengrass, who directed the second and third movies, is coming back to direct. I can't wait to see what comes next for Jason Bourne.
#9: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: This could easily end up being a lot higher on my list if I end up loving Force Awakens. The idea is that this movie will follow the team of rebels that initially set out to find and steal the Death Star plans.
#8: Finding Dory: Finding Nemo is one of my favorite Pixar movies. Will this movie be good? Will it be awful? Who knows? Will I see it? Most definitely.
Honorable Mentions:
The Huntsman: Winter's War: While I didn't hate Snow White and the Huntsman, I can admit that cutting out Kristen Stewart (replacing her with the much more talented Jessica Chastain), and putting more focus on Chris Hemsworth all seem like good steps in the right direction.
Zoolander 2: The trailers for Zoolander 2 really did make me laugh, a lot. That being said, extreme stretches between a movie and a sequel don't always turn out for the best. So, I'm cautiously optimistic with this one.
The BFG: After seeing the teaser trailer for this one, I got excited. The trailer followed the opening of the book, from what I remember, and it's directed by Steven Spielberg, so looking forward to thi one for sure, but I just have others I'm more excited for.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: From what I can tell, this movie takes place in the Harry Potter world, but will feature an entirely new cast of characters. I'm very curious to see where this movie's going to go.
My Top 10
#10: Untitled Fifth Bourne Film: I like these movies. Matt Damon's coming back to play Jason Bourne. Paul Greengrass, who directed the second and third movies, is coming back to direct. I can't wait to see what comes next for Jason Bourne.
#9: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: This could easily end up being a lot higher on my list if I end up loving Force Awakens. The idea is that this movie will follow the team of rebels that initially set out to find and steal the Death Star plans.
#8: Finding Dory: Finding Nemo is one of my favorite Pixar movies. Will this movie be good? Will it be awful? Who knows? Will I see it? Most definitely.
#7: Star Trek Beyond: I have been really digging the Star Trek reboots. The script will be written by
Simon Pegg, who I am a fan of, and I want to see what he can do with an action-sci-fi script. Besides that, the villain is going to be played by Idris Elba. Yeah, I want to see this one.
#6: Independence Day: Resurgence: Umm, it's the sequel to Independence Day. I don't think I need to say any more.
#5: X-Men: Apocalypse: I think it helps that this will be the fourth film in the franchise directed by Bryan Singer. He also directed the previous film in the franchise, Days of Future Past, my personal favorite in the franchise thus far.
#4: Doctor Strange: At this point, I think Honest Trailers said it best "We'll see anything if they slap Marvel's name on it." Doctor Strange will be Marvel's first major foray into the world of mysticism. On top of that, the movie has an awesome cast attached to it, including Benedict Cumnerbatch and Tilda Swinton.
#3: Captain America: Civil War: I think I'm just a little more excited for Captain America than Doctor Strange for a very simple reason. This looks like it could be a very big gray area for the Marvel movies, something we haven't seen a lot of. I'm also excited to see Black Panther for the first time in a Marvel movie, and because Spider-Man will be making his official debut into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
#2: Suicide Squad: I'll admit that there are a couple things regarding Suicide Squad I'm not sure about, but there's just so much that gets me excited. I like the idea of Jared Leto as The Joker, and I think he'll do a pretty good job. Will Smith is gonna play Deadshot, which should be interesting because we've never really seen Will Smith take on a more villainous role before. But, I'll be honest I'm mostly excited for one name: Harley Quinn.
#1: Deadpool: I've been curious about this movie for awhile. I was definitely one of those people up in arms about the idea of trying to make this movie PG-13. But, it won't be. I'm not gonna lie. Every bit of marketing and advertising I have seen for this movie has told me it's probably in the right hands. Of course, it also helps that Ryan Reynolds is actually a huge Deadpool fan, and was one of the people pushing for this movie to be closer to the comic book.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)