Another year down with a lot of films watched, but much fewer reviewed than in year's past. We'll see if that's a continuing trend, or if I can find some time in my busy days to keep reviewing the movies that I see.
So with 2018 officially over, these were the movies I found to be the most entertaining and worthwhile bang for my buck over the year.
Without further ado, here they are!
10) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
Starting things off with a critically acclaimed drama that was most critics pick for the Best of 2017, well, too bad, I get to them as I can. :)
The film is deserving of all the kudos it received, it's funny, it's touching and it's a shame that Harrelson and Rockwell couldn't both win for their respective performances in the film. It's a film that will have you laugh, cringe and cry all within the span of minutes.
9) It
The good Stephen King adaption of the year, someday I'll have to watch the original miniseries to compare the two, and mainly to watch Tim Curry. :) The movie itself, I didn't really find it scary. Suspenseful, yes, but not really scary.
At least to me.
However, still really well done, and I look forward to the sequel.
8) The Christmas Chronicles
A Netflix Original.
A Christmas film.
Why Not?
It's the role that you never knew you wanted to see Kurt Russell portray, but it's a role that he's tailor made for. One of the better Christmas films in recent years, it will take its rightful place on annual Christmas viewings during the holiday season.
It has that little bit extra oomph in production values that raises it above the typical Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movie and feels like it very well could have played in theaters.
7) Happy Death Day
Groundhog Day meets horror film.
That sells it short on how much fun it really is, but if you want to boil it down to a basic elevator pitch, well, there you go.
You never quite know who the killer is, or why our poor lead is getting killed every night.
Also, not overly bloody, so a good one to share for those that like (or dislike) their horror a little less gory and a lot more funny.
6) Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
I never saw the original, but that didn't bother me in the least as I stepped up to the sequel/franchise reboot.
A stellar cast, a fun premise, and the twist in the way they were portrayed that made the movie infinitely more fun to watch, and has a great rewatchability factor.
I've heard rumblings that there will be another sequel in the future. I'm not sure exactly how they will pull it off, but I'll at least give it a try.
5) Coco
Someday I'll be able to watch this film without crying.
Who am I kidding?
I will always cry like a baby when I watch this one.
The power of happy tears.
Thanks Pixar!
4) Deadpool 2
Top of the charts, and here come the superhero movies.
Truth in advertising, Deadpool 2 is really a family movie.
As long as you have a family that swears like a bunch of sailors!
We shall see what happens to the franchise as it shifts to Disney, but I have a feeling it will be more along the lines of it it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Or at least, as long as it makes fat stacks of cash, we're happy.
3) Black Panther
You're mileage can and will vary on what Marvel Studios offering was the best of the year.
I really enjoyed Black Panther, and am in awe of the box office success it enjoyed early this year, and hope the sequel enjoys even greater success and continues to greenlight other heroes into their own movies that we never expected to see on the big screen.
2) Avengers: Infinity War
Oh Snap!
How could this not be the # 1 film of the year?
After much internal debate, I figuratively had to flip a coin and at the end of the day, I'm going to slide this back to # 2.
It's a great film and a wonderful cliffhanger to ten amazing years at the box office.
But for the top honors, I'm going to go with the MCU's wild card, and the hero most likely to set things right in the sequel to Infinity War...
1) Ant-Man & The Wasp
As much fun, or more, as the original, this time we get 2 size-shifting heroes out to save the day, and the most fleshed out, top to bottom supporting cast that you could hope for in the MCU.
If things don't get turned around for the better thanks to Scott being stuck in the Quantum Realm, well, I'll be really shocked. :)
It was a great year for movies, and I'm already penciling in 2019s top 3:
Into the Spider-Verse
Captain Marvel
Avengers: Endgame
We'll see if I'm right, and in which order, and what other films are going to join them in about a year.
Thanks for reading!
