Happy New Year!
But before we get too far into it, let's take a look back at the best of what I saw and reviewed around these here parts.
Ready?
Set...
Go!
First, let's give some Honorable Mentions.
These movies are good.
Really. Good.
However, they aren't "Great", and I put great in quotes to say that one viewing was probably enough.
These are the Schindler's Lists...Saving Private Ryan...etc. etc... the big epic dramas that one viewing was enough. Powerful viewing, enjoyed it a lot, but can't see myself wanting to sit down and watch it again.
Through no fault of their own, sometimes that's just how movies are.
First-
Django Unchained -
I officially no longer hate Quentin Tarantino films. This movie was amazing on many levels. Hilarious. Heartbreaking. Disgusting. Sometimes at the same time. It's a powerful movie that is definitely worth a viewing if you have not seen it.
Argo -
Why I no longer give Ben Affleck any grief on anything. He's really a good actor, and his tenure behind the camera has helped him hone his craft in front of it. It's a gripping drama, and well worth a viewing.
Now, on to the ones that I want to sit down and watch again.
And again.
;)
These are 10 of the Best Movies I Watched in 2013:
Here Comes the Boom-
Every list should have some "What the heck?!?" candidates. My entire list could qualify in many critic circles. However, that's okay. I like what I like, and I'm fine with that. Leading off the list is a comedy that shouldn't work with Kevin James a high school teacher who goes into Mixed Martial Arts to make some money to help his school. Again, there's a heart in this film that you're not expecting when you go into it, and it sneaks up and grabs you. You leave the movie feeling good, and that's a wonderful way to feel after any movie.
Dredd-
The best comic book adaptation of the year that you may have missed. Gone is Sylvester Stallone. Insert Karl Urban, a great actor who, again, if memory serves, never has one minute of screen time without his helmet on. That's impressive, and note-worthy in Hollywood where actors insist that their mug be shown as much as possible. Urban owns the screen as Dredd, and I would love to see a sequel with him donning the helmet once again.
Pitch Perfect -
Yep, I admit it. This movie was hilarious, and I just watched it again recently, and I still found it incredibly funny. The songs are well done. The dialogue is crackling. There's very little that I don't like about this movie. Except that my wife doesn't enjoy it as much as I do. But I get that a lot. ;)
Iron Man 3-
A Marvel movie in the Top 10? This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. We cap off the Iron Man trilogy with a Christmas present that wraps up Robert Downey Jr's tenure as Tony Stark in his own films...at least for now. Things go out with a bang, as the many armors of Iron Man are put to rest. This is both a good and bad thing. I understand that the point of this movie was to show that Tony Stark IS Iron Man, whether he is in the suit or not in the suit. A little forced and clichéd throughout, but overall, I enjoyed it. Yes, including the Mandarin. :)
42 -
A baseball movie? I don't even like baseball! Except when it is well done in movie form. This is one of those instances. However, it is so good, it couldn't just get an honorable mention, it deserves to be put into rotation with Field of Dreams and other cinematic masterpieces that celebrate America's pastime. Also, an important look at how America used to be, and how far we've come (and how far we've yet to go) as a people.
Rise of the Guardians -
How about that, Rise of the Guardians wound up cracking the final list after all. So you've had 3 opportunities to hear that this was the best animated movie of the year. Hopefully you've managed to believe me on at least one of those occasions and have watched it for yourself. You're in for a visual treat.
Fast and Furiou 6 -
What a bittersweet moment this is. Losing Paul Walker puts this franchise into a tailspin. I have some ideas on how they should proceed with # 7 to write him out of the storyline and allow the franchise to grow and evolve with this loss. Back to # 6 though, and this was a great romp that built on the incredible Fast Five and took it to the next level. Setting up # 7 with the closing moments of this film just built on how great this franchise has become. The change in directors was going to be something different, and now that the entire tone is going to shift, it will be interesting to see what Vin Diesel and company have in store for us.
Now You See Me -
I love a good heist film. At its center, that's exactly what this film about magicians truly was: a heist film. It was very well done and I enjoyed every twist and turn that the movie took us on. Even the predictable plot twists were enjoyable, aided by a remarkable all-star cast that didn't doom the movie to failure. The inevitable sequel is coming, and it's got some big shoes to fill, but I'm certainly looking forward to them trying.
Life of Pi -
You could stop and say that this was the most beautiful movie that has been shot in years, and that could be enough. When you factor in the story that goes along with it, that's the icing on a great cake. Some people may not like the message that the film delivers, but it's a message that people haven't liked for a long, long time. I liked it, and the movie has gotten better with repeated viewings.
Thor: The Dark World -
The best movie of the year, and it happens to be a Marvel film. My bias must be showing. :) That's okay, this movie was an amazing triumph for the franchise. It's the sequel that is superior to the original, which bodes well for the future of Marvel films. Iron Man was unable to pull that off. Whether there will be a third Thor movie or not, the franchise at least goes out on a high note, but hopefully it's not done yet. And if the studio is taking notice, they will realize that what the fans want is more Loki.
Possibly even a Loki movie?
Yes please!
So that concludes 2013 in movies.
I'll be back tomorrow to begin tackling the 300 + movies that will add up to the best and worst, and everything in between for 2014.
As always, thanks for reading!
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