Another year has come and gone, and with that come some of the best and worst movies of all time. Since there were too many for one list, I will be listing my top 5 of each category so if yours is missing from the list, it isn't that I forgot I simply have no room. Let me know in the comments what movies you thought were the Best, Worst, or just Okay. Without any further delay, let's get down to our 5 Best.
The Good
A sequel that no one asked for, but still managed to pleasantly surprise me this year was Denis Villenauve's 'Blade Runner 2049'. The director keeps the same tone and basic themes of the 1982 original, while cementing his own mark in the world of Replicants. While the film was met with a polarizing critical reception from fans and the general public, I felt that it kept what worked and improved on some aspects and like the original, is destined for cult classic status and appreciation in time.
Edgar Wright always manages to entertain and bring us something new with each film and 'Baby Driver' is what I consider his best. Taking the heist movie and giving it some much needed new blood and a slick style all its own, 'Baby Driver' makes for a thoroughly fun and action packed film that I enjoy more and more with each repeat viewing.
A late entry but may slowly becoming one of my favorite films of all time, 'The Disaster Artist' is a film for filmmakers. Like 1994's 'Ed Wood' it tells a similar tale of a group of passionate but naive folks thinking their making a masterpiece when the end result is quite the opposite. But through all of it, they still gave their all and never gave up on their dreams of making movies even when everyone told them they'd never make it. That hits home with me and really gets me motivated in my own works. If you need a confidence boost, I highly recommend 'The Disaster Artist'.
The surprise of this year, Steven Soderberg's 'Logan Lucky' came and went without much noise or fanfare, and that's a real shame. Like 'Baby Driver', this film is a funny, clever, and unique take on robbery and getaway flicks and seeing how its the director of the 'Oceans' trilogy it's not hard to see where his talents lie. It may be more laid back and subtle, but its nonetheless a fun ride and one you really should seek out, if for nothing else than to see James Bond with a southern accent or Kylo Ren as a one armed bartender.
The final entry here goes to my favorite superhero film of all time 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'. Funny, action-packed, and a killer soundtrack keeps this entry high above others in the superhero genre. Marvel took a big gamble with the first 'Guardians' film, but it paid off in spades and gave us one of the best sequels and films of the year. 'I'm Mary Poppins Y'all!'
The Bad
These aren't meant to be good, and I am aware of that. You may even be asking why I bothered to even see 'Fifty Shades Darker' and the simple answer is that it's my job. Adding nothing to the previous film and filled with more cringe-worthy dialogue, bad characters, and an overall mean spirited and idiotic attitude towards romance, 'Darker' is by far the worst movie this year, and in the last ten years, and maybe in the history of fiction.
Okay, I will say that while I am not a fan of Dwayne Johnson his movies can be entertaining or even genius like 'Moana'. But did anyone really think an 'R' rated comedic take on the 1990's show 'Baywatch' was going to be good? Even with the clear talent behind and in front of the camera, this film seemed doomed to fail. Making well below expectations and receiving scathing reviews from both sides, 'Baywatch' is full of crude humor, graphic nudity, and very little else. Even the crudest comedy can still have a few laughs here and there guys.
Two TV show adaptations this year? Man, what a year of clever filmmaking right? Written, directed, and starring Dax Shepard (Remember that guy? No? Me either) I don't know a single soul who asked for a film based on 'CHiPS'. And again, this is taking the route of making the crudest and most brain dead comedy possible but without the same talent behind 'Baywatch' which makes this film somehow even worse. If you want a funny 'CHiPS', check out the show 'Robot Chicken' which has much funnier sketches based upon the show.
'The Lego Movie' was a movie I never expected to be so good. It felt like a shameless product placement disguised poorly as a full length film, but turned out to be clever, funny, and heartwarming leading to a great sequel this year (Batman). However, the same cannot be said for 'The Emoji Movie', a flick that everyone knew going in was going to be a painful experience. This movie treats you and your children like their complete morons that need keys constantly waved in their face to keep them entertained. Flashy effects and poop jokes shoves this movie so far down the bar, it's in Hell where it belongs.
The biggest shot to the gut this year was director George Clooney's 'Suburbicon', a film that gave off a Coen Brothers vibe in all the right ways and could have been an awards show sweeper. Then you actually watch the flick, and realize that its a long winded allegory for racism in America. How a movie about blackmail, the Mafia, and revenge became about racism is beyond me other than Clooney wanted a platform to bash current trends and politics rather than make a good film. Such a shame this one turned out this way.
The 'Meh'
I never read the novel 'The Circle' but the teaser trailer for the film adaptation showed some promise. Starring Tom Hanks and Emma Watson looked to be a surefire combo but in the end, 'The Circle' becomes a real bore. Essentially a two hour put down of social media and the Internet in general 'The Circle' is mean spirited with a really unsympathetic antagonist surrounded by even worse people. The few 'good' people in this world are quickly taken out of the picture and overall I just felt really depressed after leaving the theater.
While I wanted to put this on the 'Bad' category, as a Stephen King fan I feel the let down department felt more appropriate for 'The Dark Tower'. A film years in the making quickly became one of the worst adaptations of King's work with a confusing retconning of the novel, unwelcome changes to characters, and instead of focusing on the Gunslinger they divert our attention to the young boy from the first novel leaving the novel's main lead feel secondary. An excellent cast, crew, and all the money in the world couldn't save 'The Dark Tower' and sadly this may be the last time we see these classic novels come to the big screen.
I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed 'Ghost in the Shell' even giving the film an A rating at the time of its release. Going back and reviewing it now for this list, I will say that I have my issues with it. I still disagree with the overwhelming negativity thrown at the film, but I won't deny that Scarlett is not the best choice for this role as I don't think she brings the emotional weight needed. Yes, her character is a cyborg but she has a human brain and soul which is the biggest story aspect of GITS. The film's visuals, the rest of the cast, and the surprisingly faithful story makes up for it but I can't say it wasn't somewhat of a letdown.
'Trainspotting' was a film I discovered back in my High School days and instantly fell in love with it. While I didn't fully understand the deep layers of it, I saw in it a visual style like no other and was an inspiration for my desire to work on my own films. So in hearing that a sequel was being made nearly twenty years after the fact I understandably had some reservations. Danny Boyle does manage to work his magic and bring a film that's much better than expected, with everyone returning as their respective characters and a story that feels like a true continuation and conclusion to the story of these four friends. It's just that I can't shake the feeling that this was totally unnecessary. Even though the novel did get a sequel titled 'Porno' which this film takes some elements from, the first 'Trainspotting' had a pretty conclusive end and just leaves me wanting rewatch that film instead.
2012's 'Prometheus' split the 'Alien' fanbase with some loving the different take on the long running series, while others felt it wasn't even an 'Alien' film not having any familiar elements from those previous films. This year's 'Alien: Covenant' tries to please both fans of the previous film and longtime fans and in doing so hurts itself as a whole. The film throws away many of the positive elements of 'Prometheus' such as Noomi Rapace's character and plot points and somehow shoehorns in the Xenomorph in its own franchise. Still, it's just as entertaining as 'Prometheus' and overall is one of the better sequels in the series, but one can't help thinking that 'Covenant' could have been so much better had it not tried to please everyone at once.
And that's my list for 2017 folks. Like I said above, if you didn't see a film you think deserved a spot let me know in the comments section. Let me know what you agree with, disagree with, or if you have your own list. I'd be happy to see what you folks liked, hated, or were indifferent to this year. HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM SPLICE HERE!
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