I've been enjoying re-watching and reviewing the movies on my list. Writing my thoughts down after a fresh look at the movie has been an amazing experience thus far. I hope you enjoyed the first part of the list. Now, I will begin delving into Part 2 of my list. With the exception of two movies in this part, it will consist mostly of superhero or comic book/graphic novel movies. This is going to be a really fun part of the list as I get to re-watch all these movies. Writing about them is going to be just as fun. There will be three instances of a tie. That's because I like the movies equally in the franchise.
Here is Part 2 of my 100 favorite movies of all time: #75-51.
75. THE BOONDOCK SAINTS (1999):
This is a fantastic movie looking at the positives and the negatives associated with vigilante justice! The action sequences are intense! The characters are larger than life! The music is incredible! That opening score during the credits is one of the most beautiful instrumental pieces of all time with it's Irish/Celtic flair. I love the dialogue between the characters. While people can definitely find some of it offensive, it's a movie with a controversial topic to begin with, so it's perfectly fine in the vein of this movie. For me, Willem Dafoe is the show stealer as FBI Agent Paul Smecker! He's intelligent, obscure, and charismatic! Watching him piece together crime scenes is artistic and cool to watch through classical music playing. His suits are well designed. His demeanor shows him to be the smartest in the room. When he is losing focus on the scene, he becomes disheveled and enraged. Dafoe makes everything about this character work, and I honestly couldn't see anybody else portray him. I also like the way they shot this movie in terms of presenting the aftermath of the scene first, and then went back and showed us how that scene came to look like it did. It's good movie storytelling done in an effective manner. Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus are excellent as Connor and Murphy McManus. They are two brothers that have a vision about taking out all the villainy in South Boston. While I think they take their views to an extreme level in what they do, at the same time I feel what they do could also be deemed as correct. Their acting in these roles was believable, and they both did a great job in a dramatic and comedic setting. Watching them in action presents some of the coolest visual scenes you'll find. There's a lot of innovative action going on...such as Connor dropping a toilet onto Chekov in the alley, or Connor and Murphy dangling from a rope taking out all the bosses and underbosses at the Copley Plaza by accident. I think David Della Rocco is a really entertaining part of this movie. He's one of my favorite characters in the movie. He's such an imbecile sometimes, but Rocco's charisma and dialogue is some of the best of the movie. He's a flawed character, but that makes him more likable. He wants to be a part of the McManus brothers mantra, and I like that he sees the positives in that. His impulsive reactions with his unbridled energy make him such an entertaining character on the screen. My favorite scene is the shoot-out that Connor, Murphy, and Rocco have with Il Duce. It's intense, bloody, and amazing to watch. Plus, Dafoe's introduction to the scene: THERE WAS A FIRE FIGHT is always epic! The music and slow motion action makes it such a visually amazing scene. I also think the showdown at Papa Joe's mansion is a good one. It has some great twists and turns involved in the narrative, and some great dramatic elements that definitely add to the intrigue of the movie. Dafoe showing up in drag is always entertaining, and the fact that his face kind of resembles a woman just sells the whole thing even better. He really commits himself to his roles, and his work as Paul Smecker is still one of his best. This is a movie that's definitely a cult classic due to the nature of it's movie, but it's definitely one that's been a favorite of mine for years. Due to the amazing characters, awesome action sequences, great music, intense dialogue, and fantastic cast, as well as it's overall plot make this one of the most intriguing movies I've ever seen, and it continues to resonate with me as a powerful piece of cinema with it's vigilante justice commentary, especially the interview pieces at the end. I think that was very well done as you see different viewpoints about the situation. Troy Duffy did a fantastic job with this!
74. AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000):
This movie is a great character study into the psyche of Patrick Bateman! As Patrick Bateman says about Su-Su-Sudio (what a scene this is exhibiting the ego of Bateman, as well as pure charisma between him and the girls), this movie is a personal favorite. What I really like about this movie is trying to determine whether the actions in the movie are happening or if they're all in his head. I think the movie is very convincing of influencing your view either way. I've always been fascinated with this movie's dark nature, as well as the social commentary on materialism in the 1980's. Christian Bale's performance as Patrick Bateman is still his best work, IMO. He was incredible in terms of showing a false facade as a harmless, nice guy just trying to fit in as a Wall Street broker in Manhattan, but he also does an incredible job presenting his inner thoughts as an emotionless, sociopathic monster intent on causing harm to others, especially women. Bale's facial expressions and his charismatic delivery of lines really make this his breakthrough performance. It's amazing to me that this was directed by a woman in Mary Harron based on the content. This actually makes this movie more artistic than it should, even with some of the crimson liquid that runs rampant through certain scenes. Some of my favorite scenes involve monologues about music like Phil Collins and Whitney Houston. I just like the split of these scenes discussing music in a calm setting followed by chaos. Also, his inner monologue brings us to what he's feeling internally while he presents the exterior facade, and he does so well with these lines presenting a man with zero emotions about what happens to people around him. It's always interesting to me that you never actually see Patrick Bateman do any work in his office despite him being a Vice President at Pearce and Pearce. The scarier part is that everybody gets confused for somebody else at Pearce and Pearce, so if somebody were to kill one of their friends for no reason whatsoever, that person would most likely be able to get away with it. Bateman gets confused for at least three people over the course of the movie. I always find that interesting. Sometims, you wonder if he actually says some of the lines he says or imagines a line he wished he said. There's shots in this movie where you can definitely make an inference that he didn't actually say the line. My favorite scene is definitely the Hip To Be Square scene. His scenes with Jared Leto's Paul Allen are a big highlight. TRY GETTING A RESERVATION AT DORCIA'S NOW!! The shine of the ax blade, Patrick's rage, followed by him calmly sitting down with blood on his face, and lighting a cigar is such an iconic scene, and shows just how gortesque this person is. Patrick Bateman doesn't really have any redeeming qualities to him, because anything nice he says or does is actually part of his facade, however, he's such a captivating character that I can't get enough of him. I think Bale is the biggest reason why this character works. Bale put himself in a psychopathic mindset and was able to create this great antagonist. I like that they actually cut a lot of the gruesome details from the book, and decided to focus more on a character study. It makes the movie more impressive. I also loved Willem Dafoe's work as Detective Donald Kimball. His conversations with Bale's Bateman in his office and Smith and Wollensky are fantastic dialogue scenes. I like the way Dafoe approached the dialogue. You get a sense that Kimball knows what's going on with Bateman. Both men are so good at what they do on screen that their dialogue scenes become more special than most. The delivery of lines and tone of voice, as well as Bateman sweating profusely is incredible to watch. Bale running through the hallway naked with a chainsaw is one of the most terrifying sights you'll see in a movie, because you see how nuts this man is. With an incredible breakthrough performance by Christian Bale, a great ensemble cast all around, a great character study of Patrick Bateman, an incredible 1980's soundtrack, and great dialogues and monologues about a variety of subjects, as well as psyche, this thriller stands as an ultimate favorite of mine!
73. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (2011):
Edgar Wright created one of the most exciting, randomly awesome movies I've ever seen with this movie! It's based off of Bryan Lee O' Malley's graphic novels (who I actually met at San Diego Comic-Con). I love how this movie has constant colorful images throughout combined with unique ways to battle an opponent whether it's conjuring up a yeti to battle a two headed dragon, Ramona operating Scott's arms to fight Roxie since he didn't want to fight a girl, the trick to take out Lucas Lee by making him literally burn out on his skateboad, the vegan powers, and the awesome final battle with Gideon. This cast is incredible all around. Michael Cera is excellent as Scott! He's definitely not an easy character to like, especially at the beginning, but through his physical battles, he changes for the better emotionally as well, and by the end, he's definitely somebody likable for fighting for himself, and the girls he loves. This movie stays entertaining no matter how many times you watch it just because of how creative and awesome it is! It's a fun movie filled with fun characters, hilarious dialogue that at times translates into really smart dialogue, and amazing visuals. I really like that Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Ramona Flowers. She is one of my personal favorite actresses, as well as being one of the legit most attractive girls in Hollywood. She's really good as this character. I love the look of the character with constant color scheme changes from pink to blue to green, the goggles, the roller blades, the quirky attitude, etc. She has great chemistry with Cera's Scott Pilgrim. I loved their dialogue scenes together, especially the first one where Scott talks about the origin of Pac-Man and tells her he'll leave her alone forever now, and Ramona simply replies with a Thanks. There are three good distinct conversations with them through every hair color change, which is great to see. Ellen Wong is very underrated as Knives Chau. She's so entertaining as Scott's high school girlfriend showing that persona of a teenager, being a fangirl, etc. I also think Cera had good chemistry with her. Wong has so much charisma whenever she's on screen. I also like watching her fight in the last battle. She's a really cool character. The Evil Exes all have unique personalities and different powers to get you more invested in the storyline. From Matthew Patel to Lucas Lee (Chris Evans is just so much fun in this role-his cockiness, tone of voice, and overall presence shows how fun the actor can be) to Todd (Brandon Routh is a scene stealer as this character with his vegan powers, and his lack of intelligence) to Roxie (Mae Whitman's look and attitude is so captivating for the screen time she has) to the Katayanagi Twins to Gideon (Jason Schwartzman is an absolute tool any time he's on screen as this character. He's an absolute dweeb, and a condescending jerk any time he's one screen. I really like how unlikable Schwartzman made this character), all of these characters go on to present some of the most exciting antagonists and some of the most incredibly entertaining scenes you'll find in any movie. I think I'd also be a fan of The Clash Of Demonhead if they were a real life band, simply because I like their sound and style of music. They remind me of No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom days. Envy Adams reminds me so much of Gwen Stefani. The comedy is so genuine in this movie. I personally find a lot of the lines to be some of the funniest dialogue I've heard in a movie. It's such a crazy world with so many memorable scenes. This movie hits all the marks for me, and I can't ever get enough of it. I really hope to see more movies from this world, because it's just so exciting! The movie operates as a real life video game combined with awesome storylines, interesting characters, a beautiful array of colors, and intense, original battle sequences, and an all around phenomenal cast!
72. WATCHMEN (2009):
I've been fascinated with this concept ever since I read the graphic novel. I think Zack Snyder did a fantastic job adapting the graphic novel from page to screen. He is a fantastic storyteller. The opening credits to Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A Changing are amazing to watch. I love the altered histories combined with the music setting the movie's elaborate stage. I am very impressed by all the different characters involved with this world. I like the tragic Superman persona of Dr. Manhattan, the Lex Luthor type business deals of Adrien Veidt/Ozymandias, the philosophical discussion of the essential need for masks to help uphold the law, and the reaction to everything surrounding The Comedian, Edward Blake (with a fantastic performance by Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Now, my favorite storyline and character is definitely anything dealing with Rorshach. However, the Doomsday story is really well done, and, in many ways despite the things that Veidt does to accomplish this dastardly deed, he might even be seen as somebody that isn't an antagonist. Matthew Goode is fantastic in this role. He has a good level of arrogance to him that makes him act like he's better than everybody else, but as the world's smartest man he has to have some sort of flair to him like that. I like his obsession with ancient Egypt. Billy Crudup is fantastic as the brooding indestructible man that is the key to saving everybody, but he feels lonely due to everything that happened to him that caused his mutation, and you can see that he just doesn't do well with relationships. His story is upsetting to listen to as he may be an all powerful being, but at times he definitely feels powerless. I call him a tragic Superman, because he doesn't have faith in humanity, and he's seen this through war. personal experience, and other factors. His story captivates me. I also love the look of the Dr. Manhattan character. The glowing blue hue is such an integral part of this story. As I said, Rorshach is definitely my favorite character. I think Jackie Earle Haley was just excellent in this role dealing with his dark past, and his penchant for vigilante justice as he grew older fueled him. His scenes are some of my favorite of the movie, and I love the voiceover of his journal telling us the story of the past of these characters, and what is currently going on in the city. The scenes in the prison are fantastic, and they also demonstrate how his upbringing caused him to become what he is. He has a psychopathic side, but to me as much of psychopath as he may be, I think he's a great protagonist. His need for a mask is great to watch, especially because he exposed and vulnerable to hate from those around him without it. He is also the one that promotes the protection of costumed heroes like himself. I like the chemistry with Patrick Wilson's Niteowl and Malin Akerman's Silk Spectre II. I think they were both thrust into this world of masks and superheroes early on, but I do think their identities are inextricably linked to this. I love their scenes together through conversations and the scenes where they get the urge to put on the costumes and take to the town to feel the rush, but also deliver good deeds by rescuing people from fires and getting Rorshach out of prison. There's definitely some underlying tension when they reunite early on, and Wilson sells it great every time he sees her. I love the use of Hallelujah for their passion scene. It worked well, and sold the fact that they've embraced who they really are. Each character has their own unique arc that connects to the bigger Doomsday picture. I think Snyder's storytelling, the cast, the great dialogue, and incredible scenes from the opening murder of the Comedian to Manhattan's story to Rorschach in prison to the showdown with Adrien all show a well made graphic novel movie that I absolutely love!
71. ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL (2019):
Based on the manga series Gunnm, this movie runs full speed ahead in such an exciting manner with incredible visuals, good characters, and an incredible plot with so much interwoven within it. Rose Salazar gives one of the best performances you'll find as Alita! She's a cyborg trying to find her identity and purpose in the world. The emotion she goes through each stage of the movie feels natural. Even though she's a cyborg, she feels more than most humans. She's got an incredible heart (in more ways than one). She's an absolute bad ass! She's legitimately one of the most layered, well developed female characters that we haven't seen for a while. The visuals for the character add to the emotional depth provided by Salazar to complete the picture. I just love this character! There's great world building discussing the Sky Cities (particularly Zalam), Iron City, and even the underworld of these cities. There's so many memorable scenes. Favorites of mine include: the collision in Kansas, the battles with Grewishka, and the motorball sequences. The chemistry with Rosa and Christoph Waltz (who takes on the role as an adoptive father) feels natural, and works well providing both dramatic and comedic moments. Waltz is a fantastic actor! His performance here as Dr. Dyson Ido showed a man suffering from things in the past, but through Alita he's able to pick up the pieces and keep moving forward. Great work by Waltz! I also really liked the romantic subplot with Alita and Hugo. Rosa and Keean Johnson worked well together. These subplots help shape Alita into an even more well rounded character, showing what her purpose is, and more importantly, who she is! Also, the motif of sacrifice was on full display in Alita and Hugo's relationship which is really what sold me on their subplot. James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez really did well creating this world and these characters in a live action setting. Two of my favorite people behind the camera really made something special here. Cameron is known for creating some of the strongest female characters in movie history, and along with Rodriguez, he did it again! Roberts film making styles has always been impressive, and I liked seeing a lot of familiar faces from his projects like Michelle Rodriguez who played She in Machete and Eiza Gonzalez who played Salamanca in From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series. This is a combination that hopefully gets to create more characters and stories in this world, because this world is just fascinating! I really liked Mahershal Ali's work as Vector/Nova! Ali's voice and demeanor shows that he knows how to play a hero and a villain. It shows versatility as an actor. The scene with Alita and Vector in his office was well done as it helped to create more tension for future installments if they choose to make them (which they definitely should). I love this movie for a phenomenal breakthrough performance by Rose Salazar as one of the coolest characters in some time in Alita, a fantastic story with many layers in the past, present, and definitely the future, incredible action sequences demonstrating speed and artistic, athletic battle strategy, a solid supporting cast that helps add layers to the character and world of Alita, and the incredible film making combination of James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez!
70. SUICIDE SQUAD (2016):
I think this movie does a great job focusing on characters, as well as delivering great action sequences. It's a movie where it's okay to root for the villain...even though, I tend to root for villains most of the time in movies. This is a movie that promotes the necessity of an anti-hero. It also does well providing back story for each member of the squad. The casting is really well done. Margot Robbie absolutely steals the show as Harley Quinn! I think she captured the zaniness and aura of the character the best possible way she could. Robbie's charisma and sex appeal is just phenomenal throughout this movie! She's so great in this role! This is her breakthrough performance! Will Smith is awesome as Deadshot! He is the defacto leader of the group, IMO. He had a commanding presence, while also delivering well placed comedic dialogue. His conscience throughout the movie helps us to keep seeing this rogue group as heroes. Jay Hernandez is underrated as Diablo. Delving into his power only creates the worst possible chaos. He captured the pain of using his fire power. However, it's also his power that ultimately serves as the catalyst to save the world. Jared Leto's Joker is a great take on the character. He's maniacal, intimidating, and hilarious-a blend of the Jokers from the past while putting his own unique spin on it. While he's only in the movie for a brief time, his connection to Robbie's Harley Quinn is shown, and they did a great job selling their romantic subplot. They touched on the positives and negatives of their relationship, which is captured brilliantly. Leto really nailed the Joker character here with his look and mannerisms. Cara Delevnigne's Enchantress is one of my absolute favorite parts of the movie. I love the effects that went into creating the character, combined with the dark nature of the character. Enchantress is truly awesome, and really creates some of the most intriguing parts of the movie. Delevingne does well as a woman caught between two souls-the light side of June Moon, and the dark side of Enchantress. Captain Boomerang and Killer Croc are fun additions to the group adding some more colorful personalities to an eccentric group to begin with. Viola Davis is fantastic as Amanda Waller, the commanding presence that puts the Suicide Squad together. She does well playing both sides of the fence here. Every character in the movie gets a moment to shine. The characters evolve over the course of the movie. The action sequences, particularly the Midtown Subway Station finale battle are excellent. While the Squad is being manipulated in more ways than one throughout the movie, they find that motive to keep going and save the day. They put their own twist on saving the day. Watching the battle between the dark and light within yourself is the biggest part of this movie. Enchantress is the physical version of watching that, while the Suicide Squad represent that internally. The characters are fun to watch. The battle scenes are awesome. The effects are incredible. The soundtrack is one of my absolute favorites. This is such a fun, colorful movie from my favorite comic book world: DC!
69. BIRDS OF PREY (2020):
This is such a fun entry into the DCEU! I've always been a big supporter of DC, particularly many of the female heroes and villains from that brand. This movie has a tremendous cast with larger than life characters. It's a movie filled with chaos, color, and unexpected camaraderie. This is Margot Robbie's movie! Her performance as Harley Quinn is so captivating! It's about as perfect a portrayal as you can get in a live action version of the character! She's so incredibly charismatic at every turn of this movie! Robbie is such a fantastic actress, and she has done such a good job shaping this character borrowing from the source material, as well as putting her own edge to it. Her weaving of the narrative echoes how her mind works in a tangled web of madness. Her mind is jumbled because of how The Joker has twisted it to his liking, but what I like is how Harley is learning to stand on her own and show everybody that she's being underestimated. What a performance that definitely shows just how good Robbie really is, but also shows just how exciting and intriguing the character of Harley Quinn is! Robbie made her the ultimate female anti-hero, and I absolutely love it! Watching Harley's bond grow with Cassandra Cain (brilliant young performance by Ella Rae Basco), we see her realize that she is her own person, and somebody that can be the leader. I really like watching Harley gain more confidence in herself, and become less of a terrible person as the movie proceeds. Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are fantastic in their roles as well. I love the backstory Harley gives on these two great female characters. I was so impressed with Bell's performance as Dinah Lance aka Black Canary. Bell is an incredible actress, who I've loved since her work on Friday Night Lights. Black Canary is a sassy, sexy, strong siren. Her ability to rise above her upbringing and make her world matter on her own terms is amazing to watch! Black Canary's fighting style here is truly bad ass! I love watching her just throw those kicks showing how awesome she is! Winstead has always been a solid actress, and, IMO is one of the more underrated actresses in the industry. She is fantastic as Huntress! I love her dialogue-she definitely has some good humor in her lines and delivery that had me laughing. She looked great, and I loved watching her battle through the obstacles she's had to overcome to be who she is! Once again, we have a woman standing strong taking down those who have tried to break her down. Her no nonsense personality actually adds such a great foil to Harley's intense charisma and Black Canary's sassy attitude. Beautiful women just battling back and showing everybody who the boss really is! I also think Rosie Perez gives a fantastic performance as Renee Montoya. She's a no nonsense cop intent on making things right, and she certainly accomplishes that. I think she serves as a good conscience throughout the movie. All four of the main girls have a good conscience in them, and we see it one way or the other. Ewan McGregor is absolutely menacing as Roman Sionis! His penchant for insecurity, insanity, and ingenuity as a villain make him a big threat. While The Joker is definitely the biggest villain Gotham City has, I think Roman is definitely somebody that has Joker tendencies. The way he conducts himself and the dark jokes make him somebody you don't want to have running amok on a city. Harley probably sees a lot of Mr. J in Roman, and each girl has some sort of vendetta with him in some way, because this guy constantly creates chaos around him. Chris Messina is extremely seedy as Victor Zsasz. I just love seeing these two guys get what's coming to them, because they really do well as antagonists here. They make you dislike them every time they're on screen, especially Messina's Zsasz. The action sequences are really fun to watch! There are a lot of innovative sequences in terms of what objects are used and what settings are used to fight in. The amount of color, dark humor, and witty dialogue mixed with excellent bad ass female action make these scenes so awesome! Watching these girls fight together despite their different personalities and means for being there make it even more special. With an incredible performance by Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, amazing side performances by Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, and Ella Rae Basco, larger than life characters, awesome colorful scenes filled with well written dialogue, artistic action sequences, and bad ass women make this a fun movie, and one that entertains me from beginning to end! Fantastic stuff here!
68. BLACK PANTHER (2018):
This movie has a darker tone, great characters, and fantastic performances. The action was amazing. The humor was well timed. The political storylines were well written and made the audience care about what was going on. I am honestly not too familiar with Black Panther overall, so I was able to appreciated it more, but it really is a fantastic movie celebrating African American and African pride as well as celebrating black history and culture. We are introduced to the world of Wakanda-an incredible advanced technological society fueled by vibranium with awesome warrior women and tribes following the aura of the Black Panther. Wakanda is visually amazing-all the colors and larger than life atmosphere make it unique. There are two big political viewpoints represented throughout the movie from respective characters. It's interesting watching where loyalties and beliefs lie as the movie unfolds. There are twists presented that give us insight into why characters are following a certain path. There is a fantastic depiction of African culture blended with a fantastical element of the advanced Wakanda. It's really a great dynamic! The performance of Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa is phenomenal-probably the best work of his career thus far. Michael B. Jordan was excellent as Erik Killmonger-his best work since Vince Howard in Friday Night Lights, IMO. I side with Wakanda, but fully understand where Killmonger's animosity is coming from. These are two solid male performances that presented shades of gray approaches to what we were watching. There was no black and white, right or wrong in what was going on. I agreed with both characters to an extent. Daniel Kaluuya was a great side character as W'Kabi with a lot of motivations and thoughts in the direction Wakanda should head. It all stems around Ulysses Klaue, who has caused so much grief for his family, and he wants to see some justice. Andy Serkis is absolutely nuts as Klaue, and I can't get enough of it. He really stole a lot of the scenes he was in just based on the character's eccentricity. Serkis has always created memorable performances through Gollum to Caesar in the new Planet of the Apes trilogy, and this proves that he's one of the more talented people in entertainment. Martin Freeman is great as Everett Ross-he's a CIA agent that had good comedic timing when he had to, and understood the cause of Wakanda, and stood with the troops even when he was out of his element. It's honestly something to respect. Winston Duke is excellent as M'Baku-an intimidating presence that leads his own tribe, and really steals the scenes he's in. He has some great humor to his character at times, but really has the look and discipline of a warrior king. He is a difference maker in many ways in Wakanda. While these male characters are great (especially T'Challa and Killmonger), you can't really talk about the greatness of this movie without mentioning the incredible females. It's hard to pick a favorite, because all three main female characters have their own strengths to love about them. I really enjoy Letitia Wright's Shuri-T'Challa's younger sister. She is hilarious, intelligent (very scientific), sarcastic, and cute. She has so much charisma, and is basically keeping Wakanda running. She is the woman with the iron fists! Her battle look is awesome! Lupita N'yongo (an actress that is truly one of the most fantastic in the industry) delivers a deeply layered performance in the character of Nakia. She is a war dog who basically spies around the world for Wakanda, and protects Wakanda. She never loses her belief system, and even her romantic connection to T'Challa doesn't derail her from the fact that if something doesn't seem right, you don't have to follow it. You can challenge it. She is a great voice for Wakanda. She has the guts to go against the grain. She walks into the lion's den on dangerous missions. Everything she does is for the betterment of Wakanda, and based on her peaceful viewpoints for aid to the other countries, the betterment of the world in general. She's conflicted sometimes, but even while she may be conflicted about what to do, she never loses her path, which I love. She is also one heck of a warrior! She really can do it all! Then, we come across the ultimate bad ass general, Okoye, played by Danai Gurira. Some may know her as Micchone from The Walking Dead, and she's even more fearless here. She is an incredible fighter. She's all business. She defends the throne. I think it speaks to her character that she will stand by the throne even if she doesn't respect the person sitting on it. In many ways, she is respecting tradition. She is loyal to tradition. It's definitely something to respect. All of these women are unique in their own ways, and at the same time, they're all such strong, intelligent, beautiful women that run and protect Wakanda! IMO, without these gorgeous Glamazons, Wakanda wouldn't be as strong as it is. The strength lies in the female. The action in this movie is so amazing to watch. The South Korea scenes are so gorgeous-the colors blended with the awesome technology helmed by Shuri and fast pace of T'Challa blended together to create something truly special. The challenge scenes are gritty, brutal, and well choreographed. The final battle scene is epic! T'Challa rising to reclaim Wakanda, like Sting in WCW from Hollywood Hogan and the nWo, leading the charge with the Dora Milaje against Erik Killmonger is very well done. The cinematography by Rachel Morrison is so fantastic and captured the grit and emotion of the battle. There are physical and emotional battles going on that resonates with the audience. Ryan Coogler directed an incredible movie with an awesome cast! Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, and Sterling K. Brown round out a wonderful cast in respective cameo roles that all mean something in terms of furthering the story. I mentioned these three, because each is a conscience to a main character, and Coogler made sure everything was fleshed out and told a complete story. IMO, everything was explained well. The characters are deeply layered, and I understood every character's stance and emotion through every step they took and every word they spoke. Black Panther will go down as a truly remarkable moment in cinema. It's one of the greatest comic book movies ever made, and simply one of the best movies I've seen in recent years. I'm so impressed with this cast. These characters have so many dimensions you don't even need the special glasses to see them in a 3D showing. The story and political perspectives are deeply layered and well written. I think Erik Killmonger's final sentence is perfect for what this movie represents for so many people of color, amd it honestly is one of the most powerful sentences in movie history. The action sequences capture raw physicality, feminine strength, as well as raw emotion. This movie is one of a kind, and in many ways changes the guard for movies! WAKANDA FOREVER!
67. (TIE)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014):
This is an excellent movie showing the MCU at it's best! Initially, I didn't know too much about this world and these characters, and walking out from the first viewing I couldn't get enough. Through multiple viewings, it's still such an awesome movie! The premise of the movie revolves around an orb that changes the balance of the universe. We encounter five unique individuals: Peter Quill (Starlord), Gamora (my favorite character, a green assassin with an incredible backstory), Drax (the Destroyer), Rocket (an enhanced raccoon), and Groot (an emotional tree). Quill initially steals the orb. Gamora is sent to retrieve it. The movie builds from that point. It is constantly flowing. For me, there are no slow moments. Each story, particularly Gamora's backstory was intriguing. I love the different personalities each character has. I think Guardians of the Galaxy represents how important being part of a team can be. Each member of the group has a strong point. They all have to put differences aside in order to be victorious in the end, and I loved that aspect of it. You learn to love these characters even if they're a thief, an assassin, or have rage problems. Zoe Saldana is one of my favorite actresses. I've always found her to work well in this type of environment. She's a true female action star, but she knows how to act as well! She did great as Gamora, and I absolutely love the look of this character. Chris Pratt was great as the official leader. He really grows into his role as the movie progresses. He provides a lot of great comedic moments, but when he has to turn up the volume, he does it well. Batista did a great job throughout the movie as Drax. He is a brute hell bent on revenge. Many of the great moments revolve around Rocket. Bradley Cooper did a really great job shaping the character's personality. Groot will make you feel incredible emotion! He's such a lovable character, and his unique powers are a highlight in action sequences. This was also written and directed by James Gunn, who I think is pretty good at what he does honestly. He perfectly blended the dark dramatic elements, comedic moments, and a heavily detailed story arc that kept everything flowing. I really like the Ronin character as well, despite how much of an antagonist he is. The look of the character combined with his aspirations about the galaxy and his deep voice really makes him an intriguing villain. Lee Pace is fantastic in the role. I like how he is aligned with Thanos as well initially-true galactic threat! There are incredible moments of drama here-two that immediately get to me are the WE ARE GROOT line and Peter reaching out to his mother's hand to vanquish Ronin. It's perfectly timed drama, especially in those scenes-two of my favorites of the movie. The comedy is properly timed as well. Some of the dialogue in the prison, especially Drax not understanding figurative meanings of things is fantastic comedy. The we're all losers speech by Quill before the final battle is comedy at it' best. I am always impressed at how great the visuals look in this movie. The CGI is actually fantastic. The emotion of each character is felt by the audience. I like that each piece of the puzzle connects to create a bigger picture. Details of the character's backstory fuel that character towards the conclusion of the movie. The battle scene whether they're physical fist fights or huge galactic battles are all tremendous. I am simply amazed at how well the scenes look. This movie has incredible storytelling, larger than life characters, awesome visuals, and solid acting. It can be rare to find great acting in comic book movies, but I felt it was on display here. With James Gunn at the helm, he hit a home run out of the park and opened audiences up to an incredible world!
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (2017):
Both Guardians of the Galaxy movies are epic, well constructed, deeply layered movies that deliver in terms of character development, action sequences, and entertainment value. James Gunn knows what he's doing with these movies! I think the overall storyline of Peter Quill/Starlord exploring his parentage is extremely well done! It was a tremendous story where Chris Pratt gave one of, if not, the best work of his career. He's a solid actor, but I think his work as Starlord is his best work. He was even better in the sequel as he dealt with even more things on an emotional level. Realistically, I think you can say that about all the characters. Emotions were at an all time high, and I though that was necessary since the group has become a closer unit than the first movie. Pratt went through an entire gamet of emotions reuniting with his father, Ego. Kurt Russell gave a fantastic performance as Ego. IMO, Russell is one of the most consistently good actors, and has been for years. His work here set the stage for the whole movie, and he succeeded in flying colors. Everything kind of revolved around the Starlord/Ego storyline. It was a well written story which provided the audience with great twists connecting both movies. Gamora is my favorite character. I have always been a big fan of Zoe Saldana. I think she's an absolute bad ass! The Gamora character is awesome looking, has amazing fighting skills, a personality that helps her rise above her past, , and in this movie, she presented a more emotional version of her character. As the characters become closer, it makes sense that she makes sure she can protect everybody around her, including Peter, and her estranged sister, Nebula. Saldana provides a great physical and emotional connection for the audience. She is a bad ass fighter, but she also shows that she can act on that screen! Great work, Zoe! I think we need to talk about the amazing Karen Gillan for a second! Since I first saw her as Amy Pond in Doctor Who, I knew she would be a big deal. This red headed Irish goddess is just dominating right now! She's just kicking butt as Nebula here. I think the Nebula charcter is extremely intriguing. The look of the character is awesome, but why is she constantly angry? This movie explores the reasons why. I fully empathize (thanks, Mantis!) with Nebula. Just thinking about the torture she suffered while Thanos reconstructed her is horrific to think about. Gamora understands the struggle as she had her own personal issues with Thanos for similar reasons. Gamora suffered physically, but Nebula suffered both physically and emotionally. Watching Gamora and Nebula team up is a truly amazing sight to see! They are the best sisters since Sarah Manning and her sestras on Orphan Black! Great performance by Gillan that should be discussed more. It was a standout role that shows how solid of an actress she is. Dave Bautista feels like the heart of the group at times. The line where Drax says they're not friends, they're family was received so warmly by the audience when I saw this in theaters, and rightfully so. They really are a little family, and I love each and every member so much! Drax has some great humor throughout this movie, particularly with Mantis. I think Drax needs it based on what he's been through in the past. He's been able to calm down since the first movie due to the connection he has with Gamora, Quill, Rocket, and Groot. Bradley Cooper delivers some of the best lines as Rocket, and he also shows how much the group means to him in his own way showing he really does care deep down. Rocket is a character that feels like Logan/Wolverine. They both were created by scientists/dangerous programs, and become agitated easily, but they are integral parts of their groups and try to find a way to ensure survival. Michael Rooker's Yondu is phenomenal! It's such a great performance by Rooker portraying a solid anti-hero in Yondu! I love this character, and the whole Ravager subplot in general! The expansion of this character's motivations and personality are explained and make you care even more about this character. Youdu definitely hits the audience on an emotional level. A lot of it has to do with Gunn's writing of the character, but Rooker's performance is what sells Yondu the best. Try not crying during the Ravager funeral. You won't be able to. It's such an incredible emotional scene, especially when the main theme of finding a true family when you weren't looking comes full circle! It's just phenomenal stuff! Guardians of the Galaxy is the most intriguing aspect of anything related to the MCU! I look forward to more stories in this universe, because it's so compelling!
66. (TIE)
X-MEN: FIRST CLASS (2011):
When it comes to Marvel Comics, X-Men is easily my favorite franchise associated with the brand. The X-Men First class trilogy is definitely my favorite superhero trilogy! I think Matthew Vaughn started off a tremendous trilogy with this movie, and it would continue through the next two installments. Every superhero team needs an origin, and this movie does a fantastic job of setting up one of the most iconic groups of characters not only in comics, but in pop culture. The casting in this movie is simply tremendous. If there was ever a movie where actors genuinely took the role they were cast in and completely understood every facet of that character, then this movie does that through the incredible James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. These are two of the absolute best actors in the industry. I think McAvoy's performance as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Fassbender's performance as Erik Lensherr/Magneto show two actors on top of their games giving two of the very best performances you'll find in any superhero genre film. I love that this is more of an ideological movie than a straight up action movie. In order for us to get to that action part, we need to establish the characters, and this movie accomplishes that in a fantastic manner. I love watching the dialogue scenes between McAvoy and Fassbender. You understand both view points. There are definitely times I see Magneto as more of an anti-hero than a straight up antagonist based on his experience with humanity in the past. Anybody could empathize with him on this front. I love the Frankenstein's monster scene in the bar. It's watching Erik turn into the character we'd know as Magneto. Also, you have to root for him in this instance as he's getting revenge on Nazi soldiers. McAvoy just feels like Xavier with every line he says, and every step he takes. I feel like McAvoy's performance could be taken straight from the comic book, because it's that accurate. Fassbender steals so many scenes with his metal manipulation and overall presence. I like seeing Jennifer Lawrence's Raven/Mystique character form bond with both Charles and Erik. Kevin Bacon plays a fantastic antagonist as Sebastian Shaw. He just makes the character so unlikable the moment he comes on screen. Bacon seems to excel as antagonists, especially here. I love the different characters like Angel, Banshee, Havoc, and of course, Beast. Each character adds something unique to the group based on abilities or personalities, and that has always been one of the most intriguing parts of X-Men. I also like Rose Byrne as Moira MacTaggart. I think she has good chemistry with McAvoy's Xavier. While Bacon represents the negative side of humanity, it's Byrne that presents the positive side. I like that they represent humanity with two viewpoints, which blends perfectly with the two viewpoints of Xavier and Magneto. I love the Charles and Erik friendship/rivalry-it's always been one of the most fascinating things in comics, and McAvoy and Fassbender just make that come to life on screen, and it results in so many memorable moments and dialogues. I also love that this whole movie takes place in a historical backdrop during the Cuban Missile crisis. By inserting X-Men into this interesting part of history, it shows just how much fun comic book and the movies that stem from it can be. I love the scenes on the beach. The final staredown with Erik and Shaw is one of my favorite moments in cominc book movies. The significance of the coin from the beginning to that epic final showdown is so awesome, especially as it's true restitution for Erik and his family. Also, the tension of the missiles with the United States and Russia, as well as the moment when Erik deflecting Moira's bullets leads to catastrophic events for his best friend, we watch in awe at the incredible emotion on screen. The storytelling here is fantastic! James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender took established characters, and through their performances showed their understanding of the characters and the world of X-Men in general! The look and abilities of characters like Mystique, Azazel, Angel (this was probably Zoe Kravitz' first big role, and she was fun here) are very cool to see! Watching these mutants use their abilities to save the world is awesome. The action is mostly used in this third act, and that makes everything feel more special. This is such a great first installment into a phenomenal trilogy!
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (2014):
If I had to pick a favorite movie in the X-Men: First Class trilogy, Days of Future Past would be the choice. This is one of the best made superhero genre movies ever! Combining the casts from the original trilogy and the new trilogy made for a very well made movie exploring the present, past, and future of the X-Men, I think this is really where you saw how integral the Wolverine character is to the whole canon of X-Men. Hugh Jackman's work as Logan/Wolverine is one of the best superhero performances ever. He understands the character, and translates that well on screen. James McAvoy is on top of his game here as Charles Xavier. He's such a fantastic actor, especially as we watch him deal with giving up his legs, so he can open his mind up to the calls of help from mutants. Xavier's anger and frustration when we first encounter him is amazing to watch, as McAvoy just knew how to sell losing his best friend and adopted sister. One of the biggest highlights of the movie is when McAvoy's Xavier interacts with Patrick Stewart's Xavier, with Stewart helping to free McAvoy's mind, setting him on the course to escape his fear, and embrace his calling as a leader for mutants, and creating the harmonious bond he envisions between humans and mutants. The dialogue is great, and the face to face between these two is true movie greatness. Michael Fassbender is tremendous as Erik Lensherr/Magneto. His continued penchant to preserve mutants, and rise above humanity is evident in every line and action he takes. Fassbender is really into this character's mindset. Watching him manipulate metal here is always intriguing to watch, like moving an entire stadium. I am not a big Jennifer Lawrence fan, but I think her work in this movie as Mystique is one of her best roles! She is still torn on what side to be a part of. Her actions lead to catastrophic events in the past. Watching her interact with McAvoy and Fassbender show an actress on top of her game. Seeing so many different emotions and sides to her personality here made Mystique a more layered character like the comics portray her. I like her in the Paris scenes and the Washington D.C. scenes the best. It shows a good character arc for her there. It's Lawrence that had to make it work, and she definitely did here, and I commend her for making the Mystique character matter so much in this movie. It was also great to see Ellen Page's Kitty Pryde involved in such a big way. Ellen Page is my favorite actress, and seeing her be a big reason why the past is able to be shaken up is great to see. Page is fantastic as Kitty Pryde. I loved her in The Last Stand as well, but in this installment her emotions for helping save the remaining mutants is so evident every time she's on screen. Great to see so many emotional cameos from the original series as well. Once again, what we have in this movie is a more ideological approach with well placed action sequences to round everything out. X-Men is a comic and movie series solely about ideology about humans and mutants and where characters stand. You can't discuss how incredible this movie is without the involvement of Evan Peters as Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver. The scene where he breaks Magneto out of the Pentagon is one of the most genuinely entertaining scenes I've ever seen. Watching him manipulate the guards and different objects in speed time while Time In A Bottle plays is amazing stuff. With so much incredibly deep emotional stories going on, Quicksilver provides that comedic part to balance it out, and he does so well with it. I love that this movie had a darker emotional tone as it should. It's about lost mutants finding themselves and realizing they are actually found and should embrace their gifts. I like the action sequences with the Sentinels in the future. The look of the Sentinels is different from the great Night of the Sentinels episode in the animated series, but I think the sleek design adapting to different abilities made them even more menacing. The action as we watch the X-Men use their powers, and the might of the Sentinels against them is a great battle to watch. When you think about well made superhero movies with a great plot combining the past, present, and future, solid performances, great writing, and awesome action scenes, Days of Future Past should be used as a template, because it's so well done!
X-MEN: APOCALYPSE (2016):
This movie is epic in every sense of the word! It's such an excellent addition to the X-Men franchise!As I've said, I feel the X-Men: First Class trilogy is the best trilogy in superhero/comic book movie history! I know I said if I had to pick a favorite in the trilogy, it would be Days of Future Past, but Apocalypse is just excellent! I've always found it to be underrated, and so much better than people make it out to be. It's legitimately one of the very best movies Marvel has ever produced. It's such a well constructed movie that makes you feel so much emotion about the X-Men universe! The movie has a great mix of story and intense, dark action that's perfect for the tone of the movie! It's an epic conclusion, and feels like a final chapter leading towards the creation of Charles Xavier vision of the X-Men! It's just tremendous! Apocalypse is one of the biggest threats in the X-Men universe. He has caused so much destruction around the world. He's not somebody that is just against humans. He's against anybody that he deems weak, which includes mutants. The premise of the movie focuses on the potential of all mutants and how powerful they can be. Oscar Isaac work as Apocalypse is simply excellent! I feel he's one of the best actors in the industry. His take on the character made the character truly menacing. He knows how to manipulate those around him to follow commands. I like his speech about following blind leaders. Isaac really helped the audience to understand the motivations of Apocalypse. He is an intimidating presence that has unlimited power, because of the souls he has amassed over the years. He's basically absorbed other powers to become a supreme mutant. That is the reason he has a mutated voice. Its the voices of all the souls. He's such a fitting villain for a final movie in a trilogy. As he's marching with his Four Horsemen (Magneto, Storm, Psylock, Archangel) you just feel intimidated. James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are simply incredible as Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr. Fassbender's Magneto makes you understand his struggle with his humanity. Magneto has suffered so much pain since he was a boy. McAvoy's Xavier shows you his struggle with his message of helping humanity, but also shows his hope that mutants and humans can live together in harmony. By opening Xavier's School For Gifted Youth, he is trying to help mutant hone their abilities to help mankind. Both of their performances have deep layers and create characters that are interesting to study. Sophie Turner's Jean Grey was really well done here. Turner's performance showed the complexity of Jean Grey. We see how events around the world affect her. The movie shows that her power is truly unlimited and exceedingly dangerous. I really liked how the movie focused on her being the most powerful mutant in the X-Men universe. She's a Class 5 mutant, which is more powerful than Xavier, and on even par with Apocalypse. Her telepathy is on a different level. Jean Grey has always been one of my favorite characters. It was great in general to see young versions of the characters we know like Cyclops, Storm, and Nightcrawler. I thought Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, and Kodi Smit-McPhee were all fantastic in their roles, especially Sheridan's Cyclops. Sheridan shows a Cyclops that matures over time to eventually become the leader of the X-Men. He looks so much like a young Steven Spielberg. Shipp uses her respect for Mystique to make a difference. We watch how important Nightcrawler is in terms of saving the X-Men as well as his religious beliefs (which works really well for the movie based on the antagonist). It;s also great to see more layers added to Nicholas Hoult's Beast. I also think Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique was developed better than ever here. She really developed as a character over the course of this trilogy. I think it's Lawrence's best work. Lawrence was on both sides of the fence here, ultimately choosing loyalty to Charles and Erik over everything. She also realizes the true potential of the X-Men. The whole movie is about realizing potential, so this is great. That's her journey-to accept her role as a mutant and a leader for the X-Men. Some of the best scenes in comic book movie history are here. While all of the movies have a philosophical, ideological approach to their narrative that works well for the mythos of X-Men, this is the movie in the franchise that features some incredible action. Apocalypse taking over Charles Xavier's mind, Quicksilver's rescue at Xavier's school (Evan Peters is just fantastic in this role), Weapon X aka Wolverine's epic bloody rampage at Alkali Lake, Apocalypse's formation of his Four Horsemen, the incredible telepathic battles between Xavier and Apocalypse, and that huge final battle between Jean Grey and Apocalypse (which results in a fun surprise for fans that know what happens when Jean really taps into her power) are incredible well done. The battle scenes are brilliant! There's so much raw emotion in these scenes. You feel the emotion when Magneto looks into Raven (Mystique's) eyes. You see the physical and mental exhaustion on Xavier's face as he battles Apocalypse. We cringe as Apocalypse breaks Quicksilver's leg. Every scene flows well and creates an epic final battle which ultimately finds a way to incorporate each character well. Everybody character gets a chance to shine. What you're seeing during this final battle is the true formation of the X-Men. Each member of the team is working together to take down a huge threat to preserve the security of the world. It's incredible to watch. The battle scenes loaded with intense, dark emotion, the complexity of each character, the performances by the cast, and the writing and directing by Bryan Singer (who seemingly just understands how to adapt X-Men to the screen) make this one of the all time best comic book movies ever, as well as one of my favorite movies in general. The X-Men: First Class trilogy is the best trilogy you'll find when it comes to comic book movies. They're all tied on my list, but each movie is so good on it's own merit in terms of establishing the X-Men!
65. LOGAN (2017):
Wolverine is in my Top 5 superheroes of all time! The X-Men trilogies are two of my favorite superhero movie installments! What Logan accomplishes is transcendence from a comic book to an action adventure, modern day western incorporating elements of the X-Men storyline based off the Old Man Logan comics. This is an amazing achievement in comic book movies! Hugh Jackman has done an amazing job in the role of Logan/Wolverine since 2000! Seventeen years in the role has shown Jackman make the character an extension of himself. In X-Men, Wolverine seems invincible due to his accelerated healing and adamantium skeleton. In Logan, we see a completely different side of him. He's battered, broken, vulnerable, and suffering with every step physically and emotionally. This is a performance deserving of an Oscar, and it's still frustrating he wasn't on the list for his work in this. Jackman's work in the movie really hits you hard. He's trying to navigate through the world feeling what human beings feel on a regular basis: pain. He is struggling to deal with that. He's struggling with his health. You have to remember that nobody quite knows how old Wolverine is. His bones, even with the adamantium skeleton, could be extremly brittle by 2029, which is the year this movie takes place. It's a performance that really combines the anger and rage brought out by his mutant side blended with the passion and loving side in his human heart. It's a layered, complete performance that was the perfect swansong for this character. He has a mission of protecting Laura, Charles Xavier, and the future of mutants throughout the movie, while maintaining his health and sanity. Where Logan is the focal point, we can't discount Patrick Stewart's as Charles Xavier. He was great in the original trilogy, and Days of Future Past, but his work here was some of the best of his career. Xavier acts as a father figure for Logan. We watch Xavier suffer much like Logan. He's the one telling Logan how to cope. He's the one telling him he still has a purpose (protecting the next generation of mutants and leading them to Eden), even if he's hard on him throughout the movie. He knows there's more to Logan, and it's been that way ever since he stepped into Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Logan has actually cared for Charles more than any of his other pupils, IMO! While Cyclops and Storm were leaders of the X-Men and listened to Charles advice, Logan always showed he cared by coming back to the mansion or what he's currently doing making sure Xavier doesn't suffer in his older years. I like their bond. It makes sense that both would get frustrated at each other, but at the same time, love each other to their core. You can sense it on all fronts. Jackman and Stewart were excellent. However, the person that steals the show for me is Dafne Keen as Laura/X-23! This young actress comes on the screen with such presence and fire that you immediately become enthralled by her. She already has a life time of pain and anger built up in her young life. The expression on her face tells us this. Her movements are quick and sudden with deadly purpose. Each movement is necessary to protect herself and those around her. She's a survivor-extremely intelligent, extremely resourceful, and quick to assess the situations around her. She has so many elements of Logan in her, but, at the same time, her core is not as damaged as his. She is a brilliant, young actress that has a bright future. I am so amazed by her interactions with Jackman and Stewart. To me, it's like a little family working together, and I think that's exactly what James Mangold was going for. You have Keen acting as the fragile daughter, Jackman acting as the father, and Stewart acting as the grandfather. There is so much natural chemistry between the three of them. Everything just seems to come naturally for Dafne. I love the dialogue scenes with her and Jackman. I was really into their conversations in the car on the road to Eden, and the finale of the movie (which definitely brings me to tears). This is a movie where performances of our heroes are some of the best you'll find in a comic book related movie. The action scenes are excellent-brilliantly choreographed with magnificent brutality. The slice and dice combination of Wolverine and X-23 is amazing to watch unfold whether it's in the compound at the beginning, the farm, or in the woods. I think they did a great job of incorporating subtle comedic elements, such as the dinner scene. I always laugh so much at how Laura eats her potatoes with her hand, and Logan handing her a fork. This is a serious, in your face comic book movie that gives Marvel an edge that it sorely needed. The performances, the action sequences, the mission, the dialogue, and the overall intense nature of Logan make this a phenomenal movie, and a definite favorite of mine! It's one of those movies that will make you feel the gamut of emotions-you'll laugh, and you'll damn sure cry at what you see! It's just an amazing movie that hits all the points it was supposed to, and then some!
64. BATMAN RETURNS (1992):
Tim Burton's darker vision of Batman in this sequel has always been intriguing! I think the overall stories of abandonment, empowerment, and duality are thoroughly written. Visually, it's such an impressive movie to look like based on make-up, costume design, and set design alone. Stan Winston's Penguin make-up remains some of the best effects you'll find in a movie. Creating a more avian appearance for Penguin always impressed me, and Danny DeVito's maniacal performance makes the effects and the character even more terrifying. I think this is DeVito's best work! He's a fantastic antagonist here. I get why we would be so crazed based on social isolation and being disowned by his parents. While his plans are diabolical, he's been a survivor and finds a way to be noticed in a world that ignores people like him. DeVito commands the screen every time he's on it, and the close up shots of him while delivering his lines is truly remarkable to watch. His performance is extremely captivating and charismatic. Michelle Pfeiffer is the show stealer for me as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. I love how Pfeiffer created two distinct characters here. When we're introduced to her she's this nerdy klutz who is extremely lovable. Clearly, she has ambitions, but seems to be too timid to make a move on things, which is something we all can identify with on some level in our lives. We watch her literally transform from the subservient, introverted Selina into the empowered, exotic CatWoman that makes you hear her roar. Her entry in full costume is a fantastic scene, showing how bad ass CatWoman is! The costume design is iconic as the use of leather mixed with stitched sewing just hits the light on the screen so well. Pfeiffer's mesmerizing blue eyes stick out here as well. The scenes where she enters the apartment with her two distinct personalities shows how good Pfeiffer is in this role. Watching her erase Selina from existence in the second entry into the apartment is simply amazing to watch. The triple threat stand-off with Catwoman, Batman, & Penguin is a great shot. Everybody has their own identity, but prefers to present the mask to the world because that is how they survive. I think Michael Keaton is a fantastic Batman. He captures the haunted past and suave debonair style of Bruce Wayne very well, and he is incredible in the cape and cowl. I love the chemistry with him and Pfeiffer in their conversations as Bruce and Selina and as Batman and Catwoman. It's a great study of duality between the characters, and watching their conversations are some of the biggest highlights of the movie. Christopher Walken has always entertained me here. Ultimately, he should probably be considered the biggest villain of the movie as he shapes so much chaos going on in the city. How epic is Walken's hair in this movie? That puffed up Founding Fathers white hair is larger than life. His look is definitely intimidating, almost looking like a mob boss demanding to be paid. He's a shrewd businessman that really does well as a side character dealing with all three main characters in some way. The action sequences are artistic and superbly shot. The crack of Catwoman's whip against Batman's rubber armor creates some great auditory substance to the visual battle. You also have big explosions at Arctic World that look fantastic, and mixed with the different personalities involved in hand to hand combat, everything looks visually amazing, especially with the innovative ways Batman handles the antagonists. It's a darker sequel that just works as Tim Burton's vision has always impressed me. The cast does really well in their roles. Each of them really makes their characters larger than life. The storytelling is great to watch as there are many layers that converge at a point in the finale! It's a well made sequel that still holds up well, and has always been one of those movies that seems to stay with you when you think about the different aspects of the characters and the story!
63. BATMAN FOREVER (1995):
I've always liked Joel Schumacher's vision of Batman. I think every director and producer that's created a Batman live action movie has brought their own flair to it, and I like everybody's different take on the character. The great thing about Batman is the character can be campy or dark, and there's not an issue with either presentation in my view. I love the colorful palette presented in his movies. The green motif is on full effect in this one. I also think this has a really good story overall as we watch Bruce Wayne cope with the psychological effects of what it truly means to be Batman. We watch as he struggles with the aftermath of his parent's death more as he delves deeper into his psyche about what creates the man and the hero. In reality, they are one and the same and his journey throughout in this movie solidifies that. Val Kilmer is underrated in the role. I think he pulls of a good Bruce Wayne, and works quite well in the cape and cowl. I think what really gives this movie it's substance other than Bruce's story of struggling with duality is the presentation of the antagonists. The villains in this movie are perfect physical representations of what Bruce Wayne is struggling with. Jim Carrey is definitely the highlight of this movie for me as Edward Nygma/The Riddle. His unique brand of comedy and mannerisms really create a fantastic interpretation of the character. It feels like an homage to the 1960's Batman series, but also gives it a modern flair. Carrey is on fire in such a charismatic way whenever he's on screen. The costume design is fantastic, and his obsessive drive to control the minds of Gotham's citizens make him a truly diabolical villain. Carrey is one of the best choices you could put in this role, and, in the mid '90's for the vision presented, there really wasn't a better choice. Fantastic work by Carrey here-one of his career best performances! It's also apropos that Two Face would be the other chief antagonist. I noted that Bruce is struggling with his identity as Bruce the man and Batman the hero. Two-Face represents the man Harvey Dent and the monster Two-Face. Interestingly enough, it's a criminal act that transforms part of Harvey Dent into a criminal, while a criminal act transforms part of Bruce Wayne into a hero as Batman. I don't think it was a conicidence that he was the antagonist for the movie since we really watch Bruce Wayne embrace who he is wholly by combining his two halves. Tommy Lee Jones is incredible in the role. I think he does well presenting both sides of the character as well-a refined gentleman when he's talking as Harvey, and crazed, maddening words as Two-Face. The purple and pink meshed with the dark is a great visual. I also commend Chris O'Donnell on a fantastic performance as Dick Grayson/Robin. Watching him transform into the character has always been great to watch. Both Bruce and Dick's families transform them into the heroes they would become. There's a lot of similarities between them. There's also a lot of differences, but that's what makes them such a dynamic duo. There's so many great scenes like the circus scene, the opening scene with Batman vs. Two-Face, the presentation of Two-Face's lair, the introduction of Riddler, the Nygmatech Gala, etc. There's a fantastic use of riddles, really well choreographed action sequences, a well written story with fantastic antagonist performances, and two underrated superhero performances for Batman and Robin. It's always been an enjoyable movie for me, and I've come to appreciate even more due to the realization that you really can go in different directions with the Batman character and succeed!
62. BATMAN & ROBIN (1997):
As I said in the Batman Forever review, I really enjoy Joel Schumacher's approach to Batman. It's a superhero that can go in different directions, and I love the fast paced, colorful style of these movies. It was one of my favorite movies to watch when it first came out in 1997. I thought the characters were larger than life, and the dialogue was fun. Re-watching it, I still find the dialogue fun, and I think the characters are amazing to watch. I think George Clooney does a fantastic job in the role of Bruce Wayne. He's always had a GQ style, and pulls off that billionaire persona well. He did a fantastic job in the cape and cowl as well, despite what people always seem to say. Chris O'Donnell is excellent as Dick Grayson/Robin. His role is even more fleshed out here, and O'Donnell does great in a modern live action interpretation of the role. The red color design looked cool, and I like watching his argument scenes with Bruce, as well as the scenes realizing the necessity of being a team. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Mr. Freeze is highly entertaining with his ice puns, and always looks intimidating when he's on screen. His back story actually paints him in a sympathetic light since he's ultimately trying to save his wife's life. The blue hue of the character really pops on screen as well. For me, the show stealer of this movie is Uma Thurman's Poison Ivy. This red headed femme fatale plays Batman and Robin against each other, truly operates as the chief antagonist in many ways, and looks gorgeous as well. Poison Ivy's introduction at the Botanical Gardens party is one of my favorite scenes in a Batman movie. It's seductive, colorful, and really captures the essence of what Poison Ivy is all about. Uma is amazing, and deserves more love for her work here, because she definitely put in a memorable performance. Alicia Silverstone's Barbara/Batgirl was always something I found to be cool when I was younger, and I love her rebellious nature in the movie even more now. She was bad ass in the motorcycle race, and when she donned the cape and cowl, it looked natural on her. I loved seeing Batman, Robin, and Batgirl all together. The action sequences are fun, especially the opening art museum scene with the diamond. I also like the dramatic elements of Bruce trying to save Alfred's life from McGregor's Syndrome, as Alfred raised him. Batman & Robin moves full speed ahead with memorable scenes, awesome characters, and an all around fun movie.
61. BATMAN (1989):
Where Christopher Reeve helped to make Superman movies a huge part of pop culture, I firmly believe that it was Tim Burton's Batman in 1989 that really cemented Batman as a huge part of pop culture. While the comic books were around for years in both cases (Batman actually appeared in a 1940's detective story) and Adam West's fun show in the 1960's were huge in selling the character, I think this movie was a big part of making the character and it's lore a bigger mainstream hit. To this day, I still think Michael Keaton is the absolute best Batman. He always looked great in the cape and cowl. The intimidation factor alone in the first scene really sold how much Batman strikes fear into the criminal underground of Gotham City. He is fantastic as Bruce Wayne as well. He pulls off the suave billionaire well. Keaton did so well establishing a darker, gritty Batman that fans instantly flocked to it. Initially, it was met with backlash, because he was only known for Mr. Mom, but if you think about it, people said the same thing about Heath Ledger when he played the Joker, and look how well that turned out. Keaton silenced detractors, and showed how cool a live action Batman really can be for a more modern era at that time, and it also showed that you can take the character in different directions, especially when comparing it to West's campier, but still, very fun version.. Burton's vision for Batman has always been grandiose and spectacular bringing a city to life with his storytelling. Gotham is a character in it's own way as it creates these characters. I always like how you can make different interpretations about the Joker character, and I think it was apropos for this movie to delve into what is arguably the biggest rivalry in comic book history. Yes, we have Superman vs. Lex Luthor, Xavier vs. Magneto, etc., but I think Joker vs. Batman has transcended so many decades with new generations anxious to see what's coming next. Jack Nicholson's performance as Jack Napier/The Joker is one of the most iconic performances, not just in comic book movies, but in any movie you can find. That gangster background has always been something comics back hinted at, even if you look at Batman: Mask of the Phantasm in 1993 (incredible animated movie if you haven't seen it). The Axis Chemical scene where we literally are watching Jack Napier transform into the Clown Prince of Crime has always been interesting. I think the scene where he comes into Carl Grissom's office in full make-up, purple, and the bright green hair is one of the most impressive introductions you'll find for a character. He literally takes out the boss in order to become the boss of organized crime in the city. The joke's on Grissom! I also love when he literally burns the head of the board right before our eyes while he's laughing at everybody else to come on board. Nicholson is so maniacal in the role. He's so good in that psychotic mentality, because Nicholson just has such a charismatic presence to him, and really is one of the best actors I've ever seen. It's also impressive to me how sometimes you'll find Batman interact with Jack Napier or you'll find The Joker interacting with Bruce Wayne in separate scenes. You get that incredible sense of duality as you watch. Kim Basinger does a pretty great job as Vicki Vale. I thought she looked great here, and had pretty good chemistry with Keaton over all. Michael Gough was always phenomenal as Alfred. I know people prefer Michael Caine, but I've always liked Gough's work in the role so much more. The art museum scene where Joker introduces himself to Vicki Vale is one of my all time favorite comic book movie scenes as Prince blasts through the stereo, and Joker, Bob, and his goons vandalize the paintings and statues. You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? is one of my favorite lines in a movie. The chess game between Joker and Batman is amazing to watch here. Through fantastic, memorable performances, phenomenal characters, awesome action sequences, cerebral ideologies, and incredible costume design, make-up, and writing, Batman remains as one of the greatest achievements in comic book movie history, but also firmly cements it's status as one of the best movies that helped define a decade in the 1980's, and helped create more mainstream attention to the world of comics, and helped carve an indelible path for future comic book movies to succeed and thrive.
60. POWER RANGERS (2017):
Growing up in the '90s, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was one of the most intriguing things to be a fan of. Luckily, I grew up with the original era of Power Rangers, which is what this movie is based off of. Power Rangers was always a constant favorite among me and my brothers. We watched the series, saw the movies, collected the toys, and even saw a big Radio City Power Rangers Live special on stage. I was waiting for years for a new version of Power Rangers borrowing influence from the original MMPR storyline. 2017 answered the call in a new light, with a more serious tone, and the results are amazing! This movie is split perfectly into character development and storytelling that make us care about the characters: Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, and Zack. The second hour provides fans with incredible Rangers action. The overall acting in this is really well done. Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, and RJ Cyler have the most character development of the five, however, Becky G, (who I've been a fan of for years as I like her music) and Ludi Lin are fantastic in their roles as well. Each of the characters has an interesting back story to make you care about them. I think Cyler gave the best performance as Billy. He really gets you on an emotional level in so many scenes. Naomi Scott as Kimberly and Dacre Montgomery as Jason are simply excellent in developing in developing their characters and making them feel real. Becky G gave more depth to the Trini character, and reshaped it into a new version of the character. Great work on her part! I love how sassy she is throughout the movie. Lin was kind of the comedic glue of the five, which makes sense since Zack was similar to that in the series. Each of the characters has complexities and flaws, which makes them easier to identify with. I felt like these five were actually friends on screen. They are all different in their own ways, but they are also able to put that aside and come together for the greater good. Elizabeth Banks is manical as Rita Repulsa. She did so well shaping the character. This Rita was so cerebral, and so much darker than we're used to. I like that Banks plays it over the top, which works so well as that's how Rita is in general. I am really impressed with the performances in this movie. Everybody made each character come off the screen, and put their all into shaping the characters for a new generation. The battle sequences are simply excellent! The morphing sequences, the zords, the battle with Goldar and Rita etc. are all amazing to watch on screen. Everything resembles the original series, but has an updated twist that works extremely well as a new era of Power Rangers. The graphics look great, and the battle feels like a real struggle. The zord battle with Goldar and Rita is one of the most impressive action sequences I've seen in the last few years. The zords charging forward as the Power Rangers theme blasts is a truly awesome moment! The Megazord looked awesome, and was the perfect symbol to show that these five started as total strangers with nothing in common (except for the fact that they are ostracized by everybody aroind them) into close friends that happen to save the world! Great performances by Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Becky G, Ludi Lin, and Elizabeth Banks, excellent character development, amazing graphics for the Ranger outfits and the zords, awesome battle sequences, amd the ability for a Power Rangers movie to make you shed a tear make this a truly remarkable movie in the superhero genre, and a definite place on my top 100 movies of all time!
59. (TIE)
KICK-ASS (2010):
There is nothing quite as awesome as Matthew Vaughn's adaptation of this comic book! This is a comic book/superhero movie that has always managed to stay with me as a memorable movie! These two movies really get at the core of what all human beings can be capable of, as well as the idea of living real life fantasies. It's such an epic piece of cinema! I like the idea of superheros operating without powers! The concept makes for incredible emotion, and even more intense situations. I like it's intense nature. I feel the characters are larger than life. With no powers, heroes have more vulnerability, but can still find a way to win! We've all fantasized at some point about being a superhero, but it's important to also note that you don't necessarily need powers to be a hero. We've seen this countless times whether it's police officers, fire fighters, etc. In Kick-Ass's case, you only need a heightened ability to take a kicking, and deliver your own brand of justice at the same time! Aaron Taylor-Johnson's performance as Dave Lizewski in this movie is just so well performed! Watching him navigate through the city with his geeky mannerisms and appearance makes him a fun character study right away. I think he really captured the comical nature of the movie when he had to, as well as selling the intense nature of the mantle he adopts to make his life feel more interesting. While being a superhero for a day would be awesome, the movie also does a great job of showing the consequences of that life style and how legitimately dangerous it would be. With Aaron's work throughout the movie, his dialogue, and his inner monologue we get to know the character more from beginning to end. Following his journey creates so much pulse-pounding tension as well, which is what makes this movie so great. The perfect blend of humor and dark content make this such a hit with me. I also like Christopher Mintz-Plasse's work in this as Chris D'Amico/Red Mist. I think it's one of his better roles. He entertains me at several points, and I think he really fit well into this world. In many ways, he's kind of a mirror image of Dave. Their both geeky nerds trying to find more excitement in their life. The only difference is their backgrounds, and the paths they'll take. Where Kick-Ass is the main attraction, my favorite part of this movie has always been Chloe Grace Moretz's Mindy McCready/Hit-Girl! It's a great performance blending human emotions of love with her father, and the intense rage of what Frank D'Amico has done to him. She will carry on her father's legacy, and she won't blink at any punch thrown her way, because she'll just grab that arm and toss them to the floor as her purple wig blows in the wind! It's such a great breakthrough performance! Moretz blended the superhero character with the young 11 year old girl she is bonding with her father, Damon MacReady/Big Daddy (one of Nicolas Cage's most enigmatic performances). You see the bond these two share, and Moretz shows how all girls need their fathers. It's important to show that, because is shows her innocent, young, naive side that we all feel at a young age. Then, there is the other side of her in your face, extreme fighting style, superhero alter ego in Hit-Girl! I feel she is the best of the principal heroes. Each one of them has a unique thing about them that makes them stand out. To me, Hit-Girl has the best fighting skills, and is able to take the fight right to Frank D'Amico's (fantastic antagonist performance by Mark Strong) goons. She shows no fear. You cannot help but cheer her on! I feel the best scene of the movie is the strobe rescue scene where she comes to her father's aid and saves Kick-Ass showing the world that girls can kick some butt as well, no matter what the age is. You have to remember she's 11 years old with no powers, so it's incredibly impressive to see her take down all these villainous henchmen. The emotion of the strobe rescue scene is just incredible. The music from Empire of the Sun connects so well to the scene. You just feel the pulse of the strobe, and the skills of Hit-Girl, Big Daddy shouting encouragement, and the music creates a heart beat for the scene, which is just amazing to complete the picture of the pulse of the moment. Moretz also showed great emotion dealing with the loss of her father, and vowing revenge against D'Amico leading to one of the most exciting final acts you'll find in a movie. The action scenes are gritty with amazing brutality that hinges on artistic perfection based on the way the scenes are shot. By combining solid performances, incredible characters, phenomenal action sequences, good storytelling and world building, a very layered plot that all connects to the final confrontation in a well constructed manner, as well as a perfect blend of drama and comedy, Kick-Ass hits all the right points, and succeeds as a unique brand of superhero movie that gives fans of the genre something different to watch.
KICK-ASS 2 (2013:
I like the sequel just as much as I like the original movie in 2010! It has it's own unique story, while at the same time, it connects to the original story really well! I think the structure of the movie is well organized, and I also like the darker emotional aspects of it as well. This movie focuses on the idea of revenge, duality, and bonds between family and friends. Both Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Chloe Grace Moretz added new elements to their characters. Dave Lizewski experiences so much emotional grief throughout this movie. Dave likes inspiring people to be heroes, and wants to maintain his hero lifestyle. He also realizes that his role as a hero harms those around him. Ultimately, a hero must live with sacrifices and Dave learns that the hard way more than once. Johnson does such an incredible job here as he seems very comfortable in the role. I liked Chloe's work so much in the first movie, but I think her work in the sequel may be her best performance to date. She blends her fighting spirit from the first movie with the struggles of blending in as a normal teenage girl in order to regain the childhood that her father took from her. Mindy McCready/Hit-Girl is one of my all time favorite characters. She's dealing with the loss of her father, the real world, high school, and those crazy queen bees that think they know everything. Both Dave and Mindy come to the realization that it doesn't matter if you're wearing the costume. Being a hero is a part of them. It's what makes them whole. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is absolutely insane here as Chris D'Amico. He was more mild-mannered and geeky just seeking the approval of his father. Here. he is extremely animated throughout. I think he plays a fantastic psychotic villain. I mean even his name in the movie (which I won't divulge here due to the vulgar language) is nuts. There's also a decent performance by Jim Carrey here as Colonel Stars and Stripes. His back story actually works very well into the central plot in terms of relating to Frank D'Amico from the first movie. I like that connection. He is great in terms of helping Kick-Ass become a better fighter. In many ways, Mindy and Dave realize how much they need each other. When they are together, they can conquer the world. When they are apart, they are only mildly successful. There are so many larger than life characters on both sides of the battle. In the end, the adage of an eye for an eye will hold true for both Dave and Chris. There is a great screen capture of Kick-Ass and the former Red Mist face to face before the first punches of the final battle that captures their rivalry so well. Frank D'Amico has actually been responsible for loss in both Dave and Mindy's lives, so the connection between them grows even stronger from that as well. It is great to see these two with a stare-down as the hardships they caused each other will spill over into this fight. It also seems at certain points that both Hit-Girl and Kick-Ass will meet their end giving it a more realistic approach as they do not have super powers, which has always been one of the most intriguing aspect of this world. I cringe watching Hit-Girl battle Mother Russia when we hear Hit-Girl's arm break. There is such great camera work during each action sequence, and much like the first movie you can definitely recall what happens in these scenes. My favorite scene is when Mindy rescues from Chris's goons following a funeral. I think a huge reason why I like this scene so much is that they aren't in their disguises. Hit-Girl and Kick-Ass are part of them, and the scene shows that well. It's also a scene where you get to watch Hit-Girl do what she does best, and that's win fights with her incredible bravado and fighting acumen. The character development, phenomenal action sequences, intense plots, great use of comedy (I laugh hysterically at so many pieces of dialogue like Mindy and the popular girls, and Chris's maniacal rants), and emotional realism throughout (especially in Dave's personal life) make this proof that a sequel can be good as the original, and also proving how amazing the world of Kick-Ass really is. Kick-Ass is different than your normal superhero movies, which makes it unique and helps it stand on it's own. I don't prefer one movie over the other, which is why they are tied. They're both equally epic, and they both tell a complete story that excites, entertains, and enthralls!
58. JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017):
I always have a blast watching this movie! It's such a fun movie utilizing some of my favorite characters of all time from my favorite comic book label. I think the actors are all tremendous in their roles! Their backstories and performances shows they know their characters to the core. The action sequences are so well done, and exciting to watch! Gal Gadot shows how strong Diana Prince is as a leader, as well as being a rational member of the group showing Wonder Woman to be an incredible superhero (my personal favorite superhero of all time), and a true inspiration to millions. Her conversations with Bruce Wayne display two interesting ideologies that show Diana thinks before she acts as a fighter, and I just find the conversations to be well written dialogue. Henry Cavill is excellent as Clark Kent/Superman. He's bringing back his soul here with the help of Lois Lane, and the realization of his belief that truth and justice will prevail. Ben Affleck is phenomenal as Bruce Wayne/Batman here bringing the Justice League together for the preservation of humanity and the world, while also showing the wear and tear of fighting crime. He also realizes the importance of Superman in society, and how important it is to have him be part of the group in order to ensure victory over the intimidating Steppenwolf. While he doesn't have any super powers, he's a very integral part of the group as a motivator, and definitely serves as a leader for the group. Ezra Miller is simply fantastic as Barry Allen/The Flash. He provides some great comedy throughout, while also showing The Flash's cool speed force powers that add a great deal of power to the League's cause. Jason Momoa/Aquaman is the cool, calm, collected member of the group with an intimidating presence, but realizes the serious nature of stopping Steppenwolf to protect his homeland of Atlantis, much like it's Diana's intent to protect Thermyscira. Ray Fisher gives a great performance as Victor Stone/Cyborg. I love his backstory about how he becomes what he is. He's almost like a Frankenstein's monster, but still maintains a level of humanity. Victor is one of the most important parts of the movie as his power is extremely essential in prevailing over Steppenwolf. STAR Labs is an essential component of Barry Allen's origin story as well. I like the scene they share where they talk about how they're accidents, but at the same time, those accidents could also be considered blessings for what they do for Central City. The actors just make me believe in these incredible characters! What's great about Justice League is that each character has a chance to shine. There is nothing quite like seeing the God Killer (Wonder Woman), The Man of Steel (Superman), The Dark Knight (Batman), The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg in live action, creating special moments for fans that have grown up loving DC Comics like I have. The dark serious tone is definitely there, and it creates a great emotional background for the Justice League to form. The comedic elements felt organic, and meshed well into the movie. Watching the incredible action scenes as the Justice League works together to stop Steppenwolf is amazing. Their powers are working together, fists are flying, and hope is being restored as these six amazing warriors put it all on the line. With the fantastic performances, excellent action sequences, and intriguing plot, Justice League succeeds as a well made comic book movie that shows me how fun these movies are to watch, and how much comic book movies can transcend being about the comics, and become a study of humanity as well.
57. SHAZAM (2019):
Shazam is one of those movies you go in expecting to like, but come out absolutely loving it! It's great when a movie exceeds your expectations. As a big DC fan, I'm a big fan of the DCEU movies and what they bring to the table. The movie combines magic, what the true meaning of family is, superhero tropes, and a solid dramatic story mixed with natural humor that balances out the story. Essentially, the movie is split into two stories: the world and character of Shazam and Billy Baston's journey to find love and family. The movie explores the mystic nature of Shazam, and what is power entails. Zachary Levi's performance as Shazam is perfectly cast! He's just so fun in the role! His comedic timing is great, and his dramatic performance comes off really well, also. I honestly think it's one of the better performances in a superhero movie, especially when you take into account that he always has to keep his inner self as a 14-15 year old part of the role at all times, and he never misses a beat! His scenes testing his powers are hilarious, and watching him evolve into his full potential is an amazing thrill ride! Amazing work by Zachary Levi! I really can't stress it enough! His performance is why movies are a great escape! He gives you escape into this fun world of fantasy and magic, but mixed in with the magnificence of the magic is a grounded story that carries the dramatic aspect of this movie! Asher Angel gives a great performance as Billy Batson! I'm familiar with his work from Andi Mack, where he gives another great performance as Jonah Beck. Billy's on a journey of his own to find his family, and luckily by the conclusion of this movie he finds it when he wasn't looking. His journey is emotional and gives a lot of heart to the movie, which is apropos since the movie is about finding one that is pure in heart! The dinner table scene towards the end of the movie shows that Billy finds where he belongs, and I definitely shed a tear every time I see the scene, because we're on this journey with him, and hope he finds what he's looking for. In the end, it's great to see he has found acceptance and love, and you can't help but enjoy that. One of the most entertaining aspects of this movie is Jack Dylan Grazer's performance as Freddy! He is absolutely hilarious at every turn of the movie! He provides some of the best lines, and I also feel for him based on things that are going on with him physically. At the same time, I think it's amazing that he's able to persevere through everything in his own way. His chemistry with both Zachary Levi and Asher Angel is fantastic! I feel like they are close friends based on their interactions. His constant discussion of everything comics was entertaining as well as helpful throughout the movie. In some ways, I look at Freddy and Billy's bond in a similar vein to Seth Cohen and Ryan Atwood in The O.C., and the parallels for the most part work really well. I love the whole magical elements of the seven kingdoms vs. the seven deadly sins story! The visual effects for the seven deadly sins are amazing! The board room where Mark Strong's Dr. Sivana reveals his dark half is such a visually amazing scene! At the same time, while Sivana is seen as an antagonist, there are aspects of his character you can sympathize with. He does take things to new levels, but, underneath all the envy, there's somebody just looking for acceptance the way Billy is. The carnival scene is incredible, and one of my favorite final acts of any superhero movie. I always get so excited when Billy reveals the true power of Shazam! The results of what happen are cool to see as a family fights together against Sivana! There's really awesome reveals, fun battle sequences, strong friendships coming together as one, well placed drama and comedy. It feels like a finale scene, which, IMO, DC is very good at delivering! This is one of the most fun experiences you'll have watching a movie! I just love the stories told throughout, the characters presented to us, the visuals, and of course, the power of Shazam! If you're a fan of comic books, and you like a perfect mix of drama and comedy, Shazam has all the bases covered!
56. AQUAMAN (2018):
James Wan did such a fantastic job directing this! The writing is spectacular all around as well! I've often said that I wish James Cameron's Aquaman movie from Entourage was a real movie, and honestly, I think Wan's vision is pretty close to what we would have gotten from Vincent Chase and Mandy Moore's version as well! The story in and of itself is so interesting and keeps you captivated throughout! There's essentially two different stories dealing with Arthur Curry's life on both land and sea. He was born of land, but ultimately, he is the king of the seas. Jason Momoa is excellent in the role of Arthur Curry/Aquaman! He has the look of an intimidating god king, but, at the same time his charismatic personality just makes him so likable in the role! He was great throughout this movie, showing great bits of comedy when he had to, because Momoa likes to have fun in general, but, man, he's fantastic with the dramatic elements of this movie, especially surrounding his place in Atlantis, his family, and who he is. Momoa has such a cool, suave aura about him. While Momoa is the star of the movie and does a tremendous job making the Aquaman character this incredibly layered character, it's Amber Heard's Mera that's my favorite part of this movie. I absolutely love her character! She's an absolute bad ass, and really helps steer the direction of Arthur throughout the movie. Mera's powers are incredible to watch as well. Amber looks great with red hair. I love the look of Atlantis, and how each of the seven kingdoms has it's own unique identity with different styles and looks. The visuals are some of the best you'll find in a movie! It's a beautiful movie just based on scenery alone! The visuals really make Atlantis look like a majestic ancient land! I love the advanced technology mixed with the neon color palette. The action sequences are phenomenal on both land and sea! The Ring of Fire battle has a big fight feel to it, and really shows us how incredible the world of Atlantis really is. I love the personal rivalry with Arthur and Patrick Wilson's Orm (who is truly underrated in his performance, because he is tremendous as the antagonist here). They both have unique ideologies, and fighting styles that makes their Ring of Fire confrontation and final battle something wondrous to experience. Atlantis also gives a great depiction of how big the ocean really is, and that's amazing to see. I think my favorite scenes are the Sicily action sequences with Arthur battling Black Manta, and Mera battling Atlantian guards. They're just so well made with intense action, as we watch Arthur and Mera show how cool their characters really are. Using the buildings and objects around them during the fight keeps everything really fun as well. I love that wine store scene. It just shows how powerful Mera is, plus, the cool visual of the red crystals is awesome to see. All the action sequences feel epic, and make the movie's story that much more fun and intriguing. The overall storyline is impressive with many twists and turns. This movie shows how intricate and interesting the world of Aquaman really is! It's a comic book movie that definitely deserves praise for how incredible it's storytelling is. Blending the action sequences, the look of Atlantis, the color palette, the costumes, the well layered characters, and an incredible ensemble cast, you get one of the finest achievements in comic book movies, and one of the most impressive looking movies that sells adventure, fantasy, and a little medieval lore that really defines what the word epic is all about!
55. MAN OF STEEL (2013):
This is one of the finest achievements in comic book movie history! The storytelling, writing, and directing of this movie is so well constructed and deeply emotional. Superman is, arguably, the most well known superhero of all time, and perhaps, the best superhero of all time. I know he's my second favorite superhero after Wonder Woman. This movie gets to me on so many levels. It's such a complete Superman movie woven into three intricate acts all adding to a well layered movie. You start the first act on Krypton giving us a glimpse of the amazing world of Kal-El, and his birth parents. I think they gave great detail and backstory here giving us a tremendous look at the technology and customs of Krypton, and the takeover of the planet at the hands of General Zod. The second act really focuses on Clark Kent, and the two personas he has. We watch him adjust to his life on Earth as a child, a teenager, and a man. The third act shows his transformation into Superman, and what he means for Metropolis, and the world on a grander scale. Each act is connected well through fantastic dialogue, glimpses into his past, his natural relationship with his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha, and his conversation about what he is meant to be by his biological father, Jor-El. I firmly believe that Henry Cavill is one of the best castings in a comic book movie. He understands the intricacies and core of who Clark Kent and Superman are. His conflicted views on who he is and what he stands for are just amazing to watch! He looks like Superman should look! He acts like Superman should act! You believe in Cavill, because Cavill makes you feel he IS Superman! His struggle between his humanity and his god-like self are a struggle he showcases very well in the roll. I think Michael Shannon gives an incredibly calculating performance as General Zod! I think it was apropos to make Zod the villain, as this is somewhat of an origin story for Superman, and the antagonist hailing from his home planet works even better for him to adjust to his role as a bridge between two worlds. I also think Shannon did a great job making the character feel like a military dictator, and hit all the right points to make him look like a power hungry dictator trying to conquer new found land. Amy Adams is headstrong and ambitious as Lois Lane! I think she really did well in that reporter role, and meshed very well with Cavill's Clark Kent. I think Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, and especially Diane Lane all were great in their parental roles. I like that Cavill's performance showed different relationships to the characters. You can tell how much of a mother Martha is to Clark, and I like watching their mother/son bonding moments. Jonathan raised him and helped him to put some pieces of his past together, and you get a real father/son bonding that feels natural. His relationship with Jor-El comes off well, because he recognizes his presence as his biological father, and discusses with him the pieces that complete he puzzle. The darker, more complex tone is phenomenal to watch throughout! The action sequences in this are truly epic! The final battle between Superman and Zod is in your face ferocity and unbridled aggression. Two Kryptonian warriors battle it out with superior strength, intellect, speed, and powers collide with steel, metal, concrete, and bare hands to create a memorable final act. I love the emotion on Clark's face pleading with Zod to stop, and I think Clark snapping Zod's neck was necessary to prevent further damage to humanity and Metropolis. His pain and anguish after having to complete the act shows how much good there is in Clark. To add to this, nothing gives you more hope when Superman takes flight for the first time. As he looks to the sky with his eyes closed, smelling the air, and his fist touches the ground it's the anticipation that something amazing is about to happen for the world's security, and he rises into the sky accepting his mantle as the Man of Steel, Kal-El, Superman! Through the storytelling, performances, ensemble cast, and intense action sequences Man of Steel stands as one of the great comic book movies, and, a movie befitting of how much Superman has meant to pop culture as a whole. I remember first seeing this in theaters beyond impressed by what I was seeing, and, I think every time I see it, the movie just hits me even more on an emotional level as a fan of Superman, and as a DC fan.
54. THE DARK KNIGHT (2008):
Through excellent writing, storytelling, and brilliant directing this is the best stand alone Batman movie ever made! While Batman is the core hero of this movie, I firmly believe this movie is all about it's principle antagonist, The Joker! The motif of this movie is unbridled chaos. While Christian Bale delivers an excellent performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman, this movie is all about Heath Ledger's stellar, groundbreaking performance as The Clown Prince of Crime! Ledger's manic charisma is on display in every delivered line or action throughout this movie! It's one of the finest achievements in a male performance in any movie! Ledger's performance here shows how naturally gifted as an actor he really was, and, his commitment to the role really created an incredible antagonist performance that will resonate with fans for years. His look with the smeared white face paint, the purple attire, and the greased green hair looked great as the outward appearance gives a tremendous glimpse into the scarred psyche of The Joker. While he likes to create a flood of anarchy in Gotham City, IMO, I think every plan he enacts here is organized in precise fashion, and shows how dangerous he really is. The opening bank scene is one of the best openings to any movie. It paints a picture of this crime thriller we're about to embark on, and gives us an insight into the maniacal madness of The Joker. I am so impressed with every scene Ledger is in! He entertains me in the bank heist, Harvey Dent's fundraiser, and of course one of the best dialogue scenes in any movie in the interrogation scene with Joker and Batman. In the interrogation scene, you get two ideologies-Batman presents the idea that there is more good than bad in Gotham, and the people of Gotham inspire hope, while Joker tells us everything is evil and scarred, and everything is hopeless. His brand of chaos makes things interesting, and presents people for who they are at their core. The heart of this movie is all about humanity to it's core, and nobody represents that more than Aaron Eckhart's criminally underrated performance as Harvey Dent. He's the symbol of hope Batman has been struggling to be. Bruce Wayne realizes this. He does everything in his power to propel Harvey as the face of Gotham, and the hero Gotham needs to halt organized crime, and create a more peaceful city. He's really at the heart of this movie in terms of hope, while also physically representing the other side of the coin so to speak as Two-Face: chaos. The Joker reaches deep inside, pulls the soul out of Gotham, completely tears it in half, and injects a lethal dose of poison that Harvey can never come back from. He takes the symbol of hope, laughs right in it's face, and sits as he watches the world burn. The physical look of Two-Face is a perfect embodiment of this entire movie. The symbolism is incredible to watch. Two-Face is a great representation of light and dark in Gotham City. Joker ultimately wins this round, because his plan comes to fruition, and while you think everything just happened in a string of insanity, everything was precisely timed on Joker's watch. Ledger shows us through his performance why The Joker is one of the most compelling characters ever created, and, while even though he's an antagonist, you can't get enough of him. Nolan's gritty realism through the performances, excellent action sequences, especially that SWAT team escort ambush shoot-out in the middle of the movie, phenomenal storytelling and writing, and an excellent ensemble cast helmed by one of the legitimately great performances of the 2000's in Heath Ledger's Joker, well layered plots of the potential of good and evil in all humans (particularly in the prisoner's dilemma scenario as a good example), and fantastic dialogue scenes created one of the best achievements in comic book movie history. It's ability to make you feel emotion through every situation is amazing. A great example is the prisoner's dilemma scenario The Joker creates. The Dark Knight is the perfect representation to show how much Batman has meant to pop culture! It's such a phenomenal achievement in movies as a whole from an acting, directing, and writing stand point! It's just an incredible piece of cinema that still enthralls me just as much as when I first saw it in July 2008!
53. JOKER (2019);
It's so tough to describe how great this movie truly is! It's an incredible character study of a man named Arthur Fleck descending further into madness, ultimately transforming into the Clown Prince of Crime! There are so many instances in this movie where I feel you can actually sympathize with Arthur! Yes, he is an absolute psychopath, but throughout the movie I do feel he does have some good intentions. He wants the world to be nicer, and he wants to make it better bringing laughter and joy to the world! While this eventually turns into utter chaos, which is calming and soothing for him, I still see where he's coming from initially. It's a study of society as well, mental illness, and questioning the role society plays in shaping characters like Arthur. Are we doing enough for them? Can we help more? There's definitely a lot to explore in terms of themes here, and that just makes this a better movie as a result. I love the slow burn towards the third act! Each scene matters to me! Todd Phillips impressed me here completely baffling me that this is the same guy that directed The Hangover series! The man created art here! Let's talk about Joaquin Phoenix! This man commands the screen when he's on it! I don't think anybody can deny that he's a fantastic actor! He's definitely eccentric, but that's perfect for a movie of this nature! He knows how he wants to approach a character, and put his mindset into it to create magic! Here he is as Arthur Fleck giving one of the absolute best male performances in years! It is truly satisfying to see him win the Oscar and Golden Globe for his work on this movie! It's just such a powerful performance on many levels that leaves you talking about gifted Phoenix really is! Joaquin put so much of himself into this performance, and it's just captivating, mesmerizing, enthralling, dramatic, and darkly comedic! His performance beckons us to come and watch it, because it's so well done on so many levels. There's so many fantastic scenes here, interactions between Arthur and somebody he'll come to know quite well in years to come (really awesome scene that DC fans will love), one of the best movie scenes you'll find in recent memory on the Murray Franklin show-the ideological discussion between Arthur and Murray is amazing to watch-this scene is what I think really presented how excellent Phoenix is in the role, and watching him finally transform into The Joker in a physical manner was a such a compelling, cool transformation process as well, the subway scene that was so well constructed, and the incredible riot scenes that shows The Joker ascend as the leader of total anarchy in Gotham City. Joker is a fantastic film noir movie reminiscent of anti-heroes of the 1970's, like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips put a new spin on the genre, and created one of the most incredible movies helmed by incredible character studies, gritty violence, and a movie that combines comic book lore with social commentary that resonates with audiences!
52. BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (2016):
This is such an incredible introduction into the beginning of the Justice League while also looking at real world political issues as well as motifs within the comic book genre! It's some of the best storytelling you'll find in a movie with so many intricate layers! Zack Snyder truly created a masterpiece with this, IMO! The movie does an amazing job exploring the positives and negatives of Superman. To me, Superman is definitely the overall focus of this movie. The whole mythology of Superman and the question of whether he is good or evil is presented so well! We look at how Superman has created so much destruction, but on the other hand the destruction that happened occurred as he is trying to save humanity. I think looking at the Superman vs. Zod battle from Bruce Wayen's vantage point is very interesting. You see how people are suffering while Superman is fighting to help the people. Henry Cavill is simply excellent here! I really think he's the best Superman since Christopher Reeve! Cavill's performance should be considered one of the best from any comic book movie. With Cavill, you feel like you're watching Superman come to life from the comics right before your eyes. His relationship with Lois Lane, his mother, Martha, and his dealings with Perry White show his humanity as Clark Kent. When he is in battle, we see the god come forth. Superman is the personfication of God vs. Man. Watching Cavill's performance as he contemplates whether he's more harm than good shows the complexity of the Superman character, and how much Cavill understands this role. It's really intriguing to watch! I think Ben Affleck does a tremendous job under the cape and cowl of Batman! He plays a great Bruce Wayne, and I love the grittier edge he brings to the Caped Crusader. His issues with Superman hinge back to what happened to Wayne Enterprises in Man of Steel. His mission is intially to bring down Superman, but as events unfold with people like Lex Luthor, he realizes Superman may not be the devil some paint him out to be. Jesse Eisenberg is underrated in his performance, IMO! He is played so manically well showing sheer mad genius throughout the movie. He basically pulls the puppet strings of Batman, Superman, and even Washington D.C. to bend to his will. It's a really solid antagonist performance that shows how big of threat Lex Luthor really is. The movie shows how similar Batman and Superman are in many ways. To me, the movie does a fantastic job showing that both can create so much damage, but at the same time, both believe they are making the necessary sacrifices for the greater good. I also think that even though Batman is a mortal man, I believe the fear he induces on his enemy can give the interpretation that he is seen as a deity as well, which parallels very well with Superman's aura! The battle scenes in this movie are excellent! They are so exciting and have you on the edge of your seat every time you watch them! They really do an excellent job of making it a fair fight between Batman and Superman. It is such an epic encounter to witness. Both Batman and Superman have their chance to shine in their big clash of the titans. Batman vs. Superman is such a girtty, in your face fight. The force and power in each punch is felt by the audience. God vs. Man was on full display in physical form, and it's so enthralling to watch. The action amplifies under the thumb of Lex Luthor introducing the element of science into the mix. What happens from here are some of the most epic battle sequences I've ever seen on film. Seeing the DC Trinity (Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman) together on screen for the first time brings tears to my eyes every time. They are my three favorite superheroes of all time. Gal Gadot is simply awesome as Wonder Woman! Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL did such a phenomenal job with the music capturing the mood and tone of each scene to match with the amazing visuals on screen! Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice has me smiling, laughing, crying, cheering, and enjoying every second of the movie. It's a definite emotional rollercoaster! It's a movie that does an amazing job exploring some of the most recognizable faces in comic book history. It's a movie that does an amazing job in terms of performances (particularly Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck), exploring real world issues through the lens of DC Comics, studying the Superman character, as well as the parallels it has to the Batman character, exploring the vengeance of Bruce Wayne, showcasing intense battle scenes that amplify the gritty nature of the movie, as well as phenomenal music score, and a movie that truly shows how the more adult oriented themes of DC Comics are why I am a fan of comic books as a whole. I know many critics disagree with me, but I really think this movie is well done and should be seen by everybody that appreciate comic books, excellent writing and storytelling, the mythology of superheroes, truly epic movie moments that still resonate with me, and a look at the world around us through a different lens.
51. WONDER WOMAN (2017):
Wonder Woman is my favorite superhero of all time! This movie is everything I ever wanted from a Wonder Woman movie and more! Wonder Woman has made me feel more than any comic book movie I've ever seen! I legitimately shed a tear or two seeing all of this amazing action and storytelling unfold! Patty Jenkins, Zack Snyder, and everybody else involved with this movie behind the scenes in terms of storytelling made an incredible movie that merits being called a film. Too many times in the past few years, we've seen comic book movies being considered excellent when they were subpar, but Wonder Woman is a true representation of good vs. evil, a protagonist faced with challenges that finds the courage to rise above, a role model for young girls that is appropriate to look up to and aspire to be: strong, confident, a leader, a symbol of hope, a beacon of truth, a role model for young boys to realize that women are just as incredible, if not, more so than men, as well as showing that there are good men in the world, and not all of us are chauvinists or misogynist pigs. Wonder Woman excels on all levels! Gal Gadot's performance in this is absolutely incredible! It was my favorite female performance of 2017 when it came out, and it still resonates with me as one of the best female performances of the 2010's. It's a performance that inspires. It's a performance that makes us remember why we watch movies. It's a performance that shows us women can kick just as much butt as men. Gal is a total package in my eyes...much like Wonder Woman! There's this perfect symbiosis where Gal IS Wonder Woman! The actress seemingly disappears, and the character becomes larger than life! That's the mark of a great performance when you're looking at the character forgetting it's another person entirely. Gal becomes Diana Prince as the movie progresses. Gal understands the strengths and struggles of the character. She is an absolute goddess of a woman that brings so much natural courage and valor to the character that I can't see anybody else as the character! Ever since Gal's first appearance as the Amazonian Bad Ass in Batman vs. Superman, I knew we'd be in for something amazing here. Gal is an absolute bad ass in her own right and it's been seen as a member of the Israeli army, and in her training sessions for this movie. Wonder Woman is a character I've always looked up to! I love strong female characters, and there's nothing stronger in my eyes than Wonder Woman! Gal really made that aura stand out throughout the movie! Her poise and grace mixed with her physical prowess and intensity make her a truly amazing woman! Thank you Gal Gadot! You're an incredible woman! Chris Pine's work as Steve Trevor might be the best work of his career so far. The struggle with being a good or bad man is always on display with his character as a spy. He's a smart man, but like all of us, he has his flaws. With Diana by his side, though, she is able to help him realize the good that does lie within us all. That's a major symbol of the Wonder Woman character throughout the years. Pine displays a level of vulnerability, but when it counts, he displays a level of courage most people wouldn't. Steve represents the struggle of good vs. evil in man, as well as the capabilities of human beings. What can we be driven to do? How can we do our part to make the world a better place? Why is there so much evil in the world? All of these questions are on full display with the Steve Trevor character. Diana's discussions with him about these issues and her upbringing as a goddess are very intriguing. There's two different view points, but both are struggling with the same things, however, at the same time, both are strong and compliment each other. There's some great comedy and drama between Gadot and Pine. I really like their chemistry in this! I think the action sequences are so well done! The No Man's Land scene is just excellent! When Wonder Woman climbs that ladder, you know business is about to pick up! Man, I love it, and I instantly get goosebumps from the amazing action unfolding. That battle sequence after she crosses No Man's Land sends hope, and watching her battle through the German soldiers has graceful movement, and amazing battle strategy, and shows how inspirational of a character Woman Woman really is! The Wonder Woman vs. Ares battle are some of the most epic scenes in a comic book movie. Incredible work by David Thewlis, who worked well in the role! These battles also show Diana physically and emotionally trying to decide who she should be fighting. Watching Diana rise above and choose the right path is incredible! It's at these moments where we see her at her strongest! Using all of her inner fire, courage, and strength, we watch her transform into a true goddess, a woman full of wonder that exudes pure confidence in the realization that there is good in the world based on Steve Trevor's character, and that Ares, chaos, war, and evil can be triumphed over! It's such a beautiful movie! Of course, there's also the incredible soundtrack, costumes, cinematography, scenery, and supporting characters that help the film progress as well. Through Gal Gadot's incredible interpretation, performance, and presentation of the Wonder Woman character, Chris Pine's great work as Steve Trevor, phenomenal action sequences that redefine the word epic, incredible musical scores, and excellent storytelling it proves that Wonder Woman is an absolute success on all fronts showcasing how great a comic book movie can be, as well as showing how inspirational a superhero really can be!
Monday, April 6, 2020
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Birds Of Prey Review
I saw Birds Of Prey on February 8, 2020! This was such a fun entry into the DCEU! I've always been a big supporter of DC, particularly many of the female heroes and villains from that brand. This movie has a tremendous cast with larger than life characters. It's a movie filled with chaos, color, and unexpected camaraderie.
This is Margot Robbie's movie! Her performance as Harley Quinn is so captivating! It's about as perfect of a portrayal as you can get in a live action version of the character! She's so incredibly charismatic at every turn of this movie! Robbie is such a fantastic actress, and she has done such a good job shaping this character borrowing from the source material, and putting her own edge to it! Her weaving of the narrative echoes how her mind works in a tangled web of madness! Her mind is jumbled because of how The Joker has twisted it to his liking, but what I like is how Harley is learning to stand on her own, and show everybody that she's being underestimated. What a performance that definitely shows just how good Robbie really is, but also shows just how exciting and intriguing the character of Harley Quinn is! Robbie made her the ultimate female anti-hero, and I absolutely loved it! Watching Harley's bond grow with Cassandra Cain (with a brilliant young performance by Ella Rae Basco), we see her realize that she is her own person, and somebody that can be the leader. I really like watching Harley gain more confidence in herself, and become less of a terrible person as the movie proceeds.
Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are fantastic in their roles as well. I love the back story Harley gives us on these two great female characters. I was so impressed with Bell's performance as Dinah Lance aka Black Canary! Bell is an incredible actress, who I've loved since I first saw her in Friday Night Lights. Black Canary is sassy, sexy, and strong! Her ability to rise above her upbringing and make her world matter on her own terms is amazing to watch! Black Canary's fighting style here is truly bad ass! I love watching her just throw those kicks and show how awesome she is! MEW has always been a solid actress, and, IMO is one of the more underrated actresses in the industry! She was fantastic as Huntress! Loved her dialogue-definitely had some good humor in her lines that had me laughing. She looked great, and I loved watching her battle through the obstacles she's had to overcome to be who she is! Once again, we have a woman standing strong taking down those who have tried to break her down. Her no nonsense personality actually adds such a great foil to Harley's intense charisma and Black Canary's sassy attitude. Beautiful women just battling back and showing everybody who the boss really is! I also think Rosie Perez gave a fantastic performance as Renee Montoya! She's a no nonsense cop intent on making things right, and she definitely is able to accomplish that. I thought she served as a good conscience throughout the movie. All four of the main girls have a good conscience in them, and we see it one way or the other.
Ewan McGregor was absolutely menacing as Roman Sionis! His penchant for insecurity, insanity, and ingenuity as a villain make him a big threat. While The Joker is definitely the biggest villain Gotham City has seen, I think Roman is definitely somebody that has Joker tendencies. The way he conducts himself and the dark jokes he tells make him somebody you don't want to have running amok on a city. Harley probably sees a lot of Mr. J in Roman, and each girl has some sort of vendetta with him in some way, because this guy constantly creates anarchy around him. Chris Messina was extremely seedy as Victor Zsasz. I just wanted to see these two guys get what's coming to them, because they really did well as antagonists. They made you dislike them every time they were on screen, especially Zsasz.
The action sequences were really fun to watch! There was a lot of innovative fight sequences in terms of what objects were used and what settings were fought in. The amount of color, dark humor, and witty dialogue, mixed with excellent bad ass female action made these scenes so awesome! Watching these girls fight together despite the different personalities and means for being there made it even more special.
I give Birds of Prey a definite 5/5 for an incredible performance by Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, amazing side performances by Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, and Ella Rae Basco, larger than life characters, awesome colorful scenes filled with well written dialogue, artistic action sequences, and an all around fun movie!
This is Margot Robbie's movie! Her performance as Harley Quinn is so captivating! It's about as perfect of a portrayal as you can get in a live action version of the character! She's so incredibly charismatic at every turn of this movie! Robbie is such a fantastic actress, and she has done such a good job shaping this character borrowing from the source material, and putting her own edge to it! Her weaving of the narrative echoes how her mind works in a tangled web of madness! Her mind is jumbled because of how The Joker has twisted it to his liking, but what I like is how Harley is learning to stand on her own, and show everybody that she's being underestimated. What a performance that definitely shows just how good Robbie really is, but also shows just how exciting and intriguing the character of Harley Quinn is! Robbie made her the ultimate female anti-hero, and I absolutely loved it! Watching Harley's bond grow with Cassandra Cain (with a brilliant young performance by Ella Rae Basco), we see her realize that she is her own person, and somebody that can be the leader. I really like watching Harley gain more confidence in herself, and become less of a terrible person as the movie proceeds.
Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are fantastic in their roles as well. I love the back story Harley gives us on these two great female characters. I was so impressed with Bell's performance as Dinah Lance aka Black Canary! Bell is an incredible actress, who I've loved since I first saw her in Friday Night Lights. Black Canary is sassy, sexy, and strong! Her ability to rise above her upbringing and make her world matter on her own terms is amazing to watch! Black Canary's fighting style here is truly bad ass! I love watching her just throw those kicks and show how awesome she is! MEW has always been a solid actress, and, IMO is one of the more underrated actresses in the industry! She was fantastic as Huntress! Loved her dialogue-definitely had some good humor in her lines that had me laughing. She looked great, and I loved watching her battle through the obstacles she's had to overcome to be who she is! Once again, we have a woman standing strong taking down those who have tried to break her down. Her no nonsense personality actually adds such a great foil to Harley's intense charisma and Black Canary's sassy attitude. Beautiful women just battling back and showing everybody who the boss really is! I also think Rosie Perez gave a fantastic performance as Renee Montoya! She's a no nonsense cop intent on making things right, and she definitely is able to accomplish that. I thought she served as a good conscience throughout the movie. All four of the main girls have a good conscience in them, and we see it one way or the other.
Ewan McGregor was absolutely menacing as Roman Sionis! His penchant for insecurity, insanity, and ingenuity as a villain make him a big threat. While The Joker is definitely the biggest villain Gotham City has seen, I think Roman is definitely somebody that has Joker tendencies. The way he conducts himself and the dark jokes he tells make him somebody you don't want to have running amok on a city. Harley probably sees a lot of Mr. J in Roman, and each girl has some sort of vendetta with him in some way, because this guy constantly creates anarchy around him. Chris Messina was extremely seedy as Victor Zsasz. I just wanted to see these two guys get what's coming to them, because they really did well as antagonists. They made you dislike them every time they were on screen, especially Zsasz.
The action sequences were really fun to watch! There was a lot of innovative fight sequences in terms of what objects were used and what settings were fought in. The amount of color, dark humor, and witty dialogue, mixed with excellent bad ass female action made these scenes so awesome! Watching these girls fight together despite the different personalities and means for being there made it even more special.
I give Birds of Prey a definite 5/5 for an incredible performance by Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, amazing side performances by Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, and Ella Rae Basco, larger than life characters, awesome colorful scenes filled with well written dialogue, artistic action sequences, and an all around fun movie!
Friday, February 7, 2020
My Top 100 Movies Of All Time-Part 1-#100-76
Movies have always been a big passion of mine! It's always been a great form of entertainment to escape and enjoy stories and characters that are larger than life! Whether I'm laughing, crying, or screaming so many movies resonate with me. Over the years, I've discussed movies in depth reviewing and sharing my thoughts on scenes, characters, themes, music etc. I've never shared my Top 100 movies with readers. I've decided as a new decade is upon us in 2020 that I would share that list. While this list can always change, this is what the list looks like as of now. New movies can get added on a yearly basis. I'm going to enjoy sitting back watching and reviewing for all of you. Sit back and take a journey through cinema over several decades in several genres! Hope you enjoy reading this! I will be releasing these in five parts: 100-76, 75-51, 50-26, 25-11, & the Top 10.
Here is Part 1 of my top 100 movies of all time: #100-76.
100. GREEN BOOK (2018):
Viggo Mortensen's performance as Tony "Tonylip" Vallelonga (I kept laughing at people pronouncing his last name wrong, because it's happened to be countless times being Italian-it seriously isn't that hard. Sound it out!) is one of his best. He played a very convincing Italian overall, and portrays the working class/blue collar aspect of his character really well. Mahershala Ali is excellent as the sophisticated musical genius, Dr. Don Shirley. Ali is becoming one of the best actors in the industry, IMO! I think Mortensen stole the movie, but Ali really gives the movie it's soul. The chemistry with Mortensen and Ali is excellent! The dialogue is entertaining when it has to be, and definitely provides great commentary on the racial tensions of the time in the 1960's. I really liked watching Tony's character change throughout the movie! Mortensen maintained what made the Tony character so entertaining, but there are definite moments where you can tell this is a different Tony two months later. Shirley's lessons on etiquette and society are enthralling! Ali makes the Dr. Shirley character feel larger than life! The initial meeting between Vallelonga and Shirley is a really good scene. You see two different ways of life, as well as two unique individuals that you want to take a journey with immediately! The music is amazing! Those piano concertos are so impressive! The acting is excellent! The dialogue is great! Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali felt like real life good friends as their bond grows throughout the movie! Peter Farrelly did a fantastic job directing this! It's also great seeing Linda Cardellini as Tony's wife, Dolores. It's a powerful movie about two men from different walks of life that find a common ground and persevere through several physical and emotional obstacles! Fantastic movie!
99. CON AIR (1997):
The late 1990's was known for some big action movies with intense explosives, larger than life action heroes, and entertaining antagonists. Con Air is one of the best from that time period, and the action movie genre in general! This is such an exciting, entertaining movie that goes at a fast pace. All the convicts have unique personalities and the cast is really impressive. Nicolas Cage is one of my favorite action stars ever. He's such a great protagonist here as Cameron Poe! His Southern accent works here, and his long hair and bad ass attitude are always on display! I also love how well rounded he is as he is constantly thinking about his wife and daughter, and his reason for getting involved with the shenanigans is simply to protect his two friends on the plane, showing he's a military man that doesn't leave his friends behind, and that family is his number one priority. He's a very likable character, and Cage's charisma was perfect for the role! John Malkovich's performance as Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom is one of the most entertaining antagonist roles you'll find! He's such an intelligent individual, and his lines are some of the best of the movie! Malkovich really makes Cyrus a cerebral character that always seems to want to cause chaos no matter what the situation is. He really carries the movie in terms of acting, while Cage carries the action, although, I think Cage does well in terms of acting as well. John Cusack shines as Federal Marshall Vince Larkin. He's an entertaining law enforcement official that clashes with Colm Meaney's Duncan Malloy about how to deal with the plane. You see two very different personalities, but like Poe & Grissom. Larkin is very calm and cares about what happens to the people on board, while Malloy is always aggravated and trying to figure out extreme measures to take down the plane. Steve Buscemi gives a disturbing, yet accurate performance as Garland Greene, a Hannibal Lecter type convict that has a creepy tea party and provides great commentary for certain scenes. Buscemi worked way too well in this role! Ving Rhames & Danny Trejo also add to the cast well as Nathan Jones and Johnny 23. It's a great ensemble cast in general helmed by Cage. The action is phenomenal! The Lerner air field scenes are some of the most impressive action sequences you'll find. It also shows strategy for both Poe and Grissom. Poe is trying to stop Grissom alerting law enforcement and stalling the plane, while Grissom is trying to get on a different plane and stop law enforcement. The explosions, hand to hand combat, guns firing, and Cage's great one liners make these action sequences incredible! The finale on the Las Vegas strip is awesome! Las Vegas is one of my favorite places to visit. I've been going to Vegas with my family since 1996, and the lights and aura of the city always impress me no matter how many times I see it. Landing the plane on the strip was a cool sight! The final chase with Cage, Malkovich, and Cusack was really good! The fire truck scenario is great as they try to veer it off the road by spraying water into it. Poe is able to incapacitate him physically. While Cyrus is extremely smart, Poe's physicality gets the best of him. Through a solid protagonist and antagonist in Nicolas Cage's Cameron Poe & John Malkovich's Cyrus Grissom, incredible action sequences, an incredible action movie score that flows with the fast pace of the excitement going on, and an all around exciting, entertaining movie make this one of my all time favorites! Just remember: Put...the bunny...back in the box!
98. FACE/OFF (1997):
John Woo did an incredible job creating this psychological action thriller! Nicolas Cage and John Travolta are at their absolute best here in two of their absolute best roles ever as Castor Troy and Sean Archer. What I find really intriguing about this building is both actors get to portray both the protagonist and antagonist throughout the movie! Cage's charisma as the antagonist Castor Troy is one of the most entertaining performances ever. His signature lines are always awesome. His outfits are epic, particularly that red suit he wears in the opening plane scene. His gold guns are cool. When we're first introduced to him as he enters the LA Convention Center dressed as a priest, I think it's one of the best introductions to a character ever! You can tell he just improvised whatever he did here, and it's amazing! We're supposed to hate Castor, but he's so cool that you just can't despite all the terrible things he's done! Cage has always been great as a protagonist, and for the bulk of the movie he is, which was the right call as he handles being the hero much better. John Travolta does well as the protagonist Sean Archer grieving at what Castor has done to his family, but, man this guy is born to be an antagonist. He's so on point with everything he does when he's supposed to be Castor. His introduction in Erewhon Prison when he's officially Castor is tremendous, and his conversations with Pollox are so entertaining. Watching both of them navigate the movie in both roles shows that both guys are talented actors-definitely two favorites of mine over the years! This movie excels in it's action sequences. There's three really epic action scenes throughout the movie: the opening plane chase and hangar face/off, the shootout between Sean (in the guise of Castor) and the actual antagonists of the movie (who actually are the protagonists in the scenario) and Castor (in the guise of Sean) with the FBI (who technically count as the antagonists in this scenario), and the speedboat battle in the suits are all incredible! That opening with Cage and Travolta immediately establishes what these characters are about, and the action is fast and amazing to watch-high octane explosions and pure charismatic energy from both guys! I think one of the best shots of the movie is the mirror scene where both are about to shoot through it, and are aiming at the person they're really trying to kill in the guise of their actual antagonist. It's fantastic film work. Gina Gershon is underrated here, and likable whenever she's on screen. I love her interactions with Cage when he's actually Sean. The battle scene that evolves from that with Over The Rainbow playing is incredible camera work and awesome action. There's a lot of great drama throughout this movie, and the dark humor always adds to this. The plastic surgery scenes are really cool as the visual effects for the actual face transplants have always been really impressive. It feels real when they're showing these scenes. That final encounter between the two is always great. The two arrive in their suits almost like a wild west showdown with that requiem style music playing. It's great stuff! The speedboat stuff is so cool with the water effects and intense explosions, followed by the harpoon to end Castor. From beginning to end the story is impressive, the action is awesome (some of the best action sequences you'll find, IMO).Nicolas Cage & John Travolta create two of my favorite male movie characters with the amount of charismatic energy and personality they put into these roles as both hero and villain, Watching them interact with their enemy's friends and family in their different personas is always interesting. Watching this movie always makes me realize just how fun movies can be! It's just such a solid action movie with a great story at it's core with good dramatic elements, definitely great comedic lines that I always find hilarious based on their delivery, and two actors at the top of their game with a visionary director mixing it all together to make something truly special!
97. KISS KISS BANG BANG (2005):
Shane Black did an awesome job here creating an intelligent mystery movie centering around two unique cases all blended together with great dark humor, excellent dialogue, as well as a really great use of sarcasm! From the beginning to Harry's introduction to the ending with Harry bidding us adieu in the end, this movie is exciting! The characters are all well written, and there's a plethora of creative scenes! This is my favorite performance of Robert Downey, Jr! This was the beginning of his comeback as a top actor in Hollywood, and you can tell he was ready with his performance here! He shines brightly in every scene delivering natural charm and wit with great biting sarcasm. His charisma comes natural. His presence is welcomed and lauded for reminding us just how good he can be on camera, and has been since this movie. Harry Lockhart is one of those characters that will always be underrated, and I think everybody needs to watch this movie just to see how fantastic he is here. Every scene he's in demonstrates his dramatic flair and excellent comedic timing. While RDJ is phenomenal as Harry what really makes his character excel is Michelle Monaghan's Harmony Faith Lane! She is gorgeous, intelligent, and captivating. Her extremely witty commentary on Hollywood as well as the friendship/relationship Harry provide lead to some of the best dialogue scenes you'll find. She does great here as the struggling actress also trying to figure out what happened to her sister. RDJ & Monaghan's chemistry came across so natural and provided so much entertainment. Monaghan looked really amazing here, especially when we're first introduced to her in the bar looking really seductive. She completely runs circles around Harry when she thinks he is trying to get in her pants. Her banter put him in his place. At the same time, Harry definitely cares about her and you see that vividly throughout the movie. Harmony is my favorite character, even though Harry is the main character. Monaghan's ability to really sell the situation in a time of peril is well done. Her eyes go wide, and she looks like she's in a state of shock. It's really awesome to watch her balance that sexy, intellectual side with a more vulnerable one showing how we're not perfect. I love her explanation of bad and badly. She's a different type of Hollywood girl that shows beauty, intelligence, spontaneity in the moment, and really helped shape great scenes with the fantastic RDJ. Val Kilmer is excellent in this as well as "Gay Perry." He is sarcastic at every turn, and his banter with RDJ is absolutely hilarious. He actually makes me laugh the most in terms of his GQ agent character and his great one liners. Harry, Harmony, & Perry are all unique personalities and really fun characters. There's also several fun side characters that add well to the overall plot. The Hollywood party scene immediately sets the tone of this movie well with voice over narration that immediately brought me into the movie the first time I came across it on HBO just based on RDJ's line: "Welcome to L.A">very sarcastically. The chase scene at the end to rescue Harmony is great, because it's well shot, original on the different things going on-caskets getting stuck on highway exit signs, Harry being able to defend himself while dangling above Hollywood Boulevard, the cool little "magic" moment to give him an advantage, and Harry Lockhart feeling like a great anti-hero as he's trying to save Harmony. It's one of the best finale scenes, because it's exciting and utilizes all of our main characters well. Three great standout lead performances by Robert Downey, Jr, Michelle Monaghan, and Val Kilmer, excellent characters, fantastic dialogue, dark humor, and entertaining scenes throughout make this true movie magic. It's apropos that Harry dabbles in magic as this movie makes us realize what makes Hollywood and movies in general have an intriguing aura that keeps us wanting more! Great work by everybody involved here!
96. THE NICE GUYS (2016):
This movie is a great mix of mystery, action, comedy, and dynamic characters! Shane Black created another fantastic movie in the vein of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The movie gives us a very intricate plot where every little detail connects in some way whether it's pornography, the environment, or even Richard Nixon. It has brilliant writing throughout. The dialogue is intelligent. Each piece of the movie flows. The characters constantly keep me invested in the story. I think Ryan Gosling's performance as Holland March is one of the better male performances you'll find. His work as the down on his luck private investigator was a fantastic character study. His imbecility blended with his drive to prove his worth to those around him, including his daughter, Holly, is a great story. His investigation eventually connects with Russell Crowe's brute of a character in a Jackson Healey. He also is on a mission to prove his worth where he truly belongs in society. Crowe is phenomenal here. He might have unorthodox, intense ways to get information, but at the same time he is doing these things for the right reason. The chemistry with Gosling and Crowe is excellent! They never miss a beat! The dialogue between them was timed perfectly. They shared tremendous comedic and dramatic scenes together. I think Angourie Rice deserves a lot of praise for her work as Holly! She is the glue that holds this team together through everything! She is intelligent and helps her father and Jackson at every turn! The action sequences are so well done. They are so over the top, but with the nature of the different stories going on it worked so well. The brutality in the action scenes was necessary for the tone of the movie. The auto show scenes keep you on the edge of your seat, especially watching Holland literally survive so many obstacles to retrieve the film the plot centers around. The scene at Sid Shaddick's house are incredible movie moments! The colors and costumes are so extravagant! Both Holland and Jackson's journey has a great ending that both deserve! The bumps and bruises accumulated along the way are necessary for them to feel whole. It also helps Holland become closer to Holly, which I definitely like seeing as a viewer. Jackson also bonds with Holly in his own way, which makes him feel meaningful, which is great to see! The excellent characters, brilliant dialogue, insane action sequences, genuinely funny moments, great dramatic elements, a phenomenal cast all around, and tremendous writing and directing from Shane Black makes this a huge reason why we go to the movies! So much fun!
95. SPLIT (2017):
With this movie, I am immersed in the story and characters on screen. Split will make you feel many emotions while watching it, which is the intention of this movie, IMO. M. Night Shyamalan is a director that always keeps the audience in mind. He always tries to connect them to the story. The story revolves around DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and what human beings are capable of whether it's good or bad. James McAvoy is one of the best actors in the business. I've always been a fan of his work. His performance here is absolutely amazing! His ability to switch between the personas he has is intriguing to watch. It also shows how incredible of an actor McAvoy is to delve into something so complex and succeed with flying colors. Whether he's playing Dennis, Barry, Hedwig, Ms. Patricia, etc. each personality has a memorable scene or storyline that pulls the audience in. McAvoy's talent really sells the physical and mental manifestations of the split between who you are and what you can become. The therapy sessions are phenomenal scenes. There's great dialogue scenes explaining his issues and how he is trying to protect himself at the same time. Another part of this movie that deserves big praise is Anya Taylor-Joy's mesmerizing performance as Casey Cook. ATJ is a bright, young talent with a tremendous future! She knows how to act, sell expression, and, obviously look great! She has "it" and I think her work here proves she is a breakout star! She does so well here selling fear, intelligence, and survival (which actually connects really well to the title as she is split in her own way). ATJ's interactions with McAvoy show an actress that knows what she's doing on screen. The close-up of her eyes in certain scenes show how much raw talent she has! I love Casey's scenes with Hedwig. These scenes portray Casey as the adult caring for the child, while also showing she is thinking one step ahead of the looming Beast! At the same time, both Casey and McAvoy's personas share a kindred spirit to me. They both know they're different in some way, which is why I think Hedwig and some of the other personas open up to her on occasion. While McAvoy commands the screen. ATJ helps anchor it to really sell the emotional layers of this movie! She was also incredible in a physical way as her action scenes were some of the most memorable moments of the movie, as well as portraying her mental acuity remaining sharp in the face of danger! The Casey character is important to show that all of us are split in some way, but while it may hinder us and bring us down, we can persevere, fight back, and embrace our differences knowing it's not necessarily our fault. We all have our own beast inside us. It's how we deal with it that helps us define it. Casey was able to find a way to deal with The Beast as she's been dealing with The Beast her whole life in certain ways most of her life. It's conveyed so well in a physical and emotional way. McAvoy is trying to bring forth, but, also hold back The Beast. while Casey is trying to quell the Beast she grew up with and the Beast inside her. This psychological thriller is simply amazing for it's two incredible lead performances by James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy, the complexity of the plot, the directing that took us right into the mind of our main characters, and haunting score.
94. EX MACHINA (2015):
This movie is a brilliant look at artificial intelligence blended with the ego of humanity. Movies like this place an emphasis on story and substance, as well as acting. In this movie, we follow Caleb, played by Domnhall Gleason, a computer programmer that works at an Internet corporation. He is selected as a winner of a competition to spend a week long retreat with Nathan (who is the CEO living in recluse), played exceptionally well by Oscar Isaac. He's one of the best actors on the scene. He usually plays a great dark character. His work as Nathan here is one of, if not, his best roles! His reclusive nature and eccentric personality make Nathan such an awesome character to watch. Isaac's chemistry with Gleason felt natural. The dialogue is strong throughout between these two. Nathan has put all of his scientific knowledge into creating a state of the art robotic female named Ava, played by the beautiful Alicia Vikander! IMO, Vikander steals the show here! I really think she should have been nominated for her work in this movie instead of The Danish Girl, because this is her true breakout performance! Her ability to differentiate between being a robot and a human female is amazing to watch! Her chemistry with Gleason is incredible! I like movies like this that focus on a few characters, because it allows the performances to develop the plot better. This was the best movie when I first saw it in 2015! It's definitely still incredible, and one of the best best science fiction movies I've ever seen! I enjoyed every second of this! As I've pointed out, the acting is excellent! The twists are presented in an intelligent manner! Caleb uncovers so many secrets in Nathan's house. Ava ultimately ends up being the definition of artificial intelligence. I really like the Ava character! Where Isaac's Nathan created the universe, it's Vikander's Ava that gives the movie it's voice! Gleason's Caleb provides the bridge between these two characters bringing out the voice of Ava and the eccentricity of Nathan. This phenomenal movie presents three incredible performances that split the movie into three neat arcs, an awesome science fiction environment, great twists, particularly in that phenomenal third act, and a great score synthesized through the code of the movie all helmed by the incredible writing and directing of Alex Garland.
93. THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984):
I have always been a big fan of the fantasy genre, and this is the movie that started it all! When I saw it as a kid, I was enthralled by the effects! Watching it as an adult makes me appreciate the story of holding onto our imaginations, and a truly epic hero's journey! Noah Hathaway's performance as Atreyu is one of the most physical, as well as emotional young actor performances you'll find! Watching the nature vs. man...or, in this case boy as he battles the black soul of The Nothing has always been an incredible story to watch unfold! Fantasia is such a beautiful place with bold colors, incredible set pieces (particularly the Ivory Tower-you have to love the theme music for the Ivory Tower! It's so majestic and, in a way, you get a sense of hope hearing it as well)! Watching Atreyu accept the quest through sheer wit and true bravery makes you instantly like the character! Hathaway had an incredible charm in the role. The different types of unique creatures such as The Rock Biter, The Night Hob, Falkor, Gmork, etc. are all incredibly detailed and feel larger than life! These are all creatures that are still resonating with audiences today. We watch Atreyu go through the Swamps of Sadness (in one of the most emotionally draining scenes you'll find in a movie with Artax), encountering Morla The Ancient One (what a cynical, wise cracking character), encountering his true self with the Southern Oracle and the Magic Mirror gate getting past his doubts and fears crossing the threshold. As tough of a journey as it is, Atreyu keeps persevering through this journey in one way or the other even when all seems lost! There's great tension as well, particularly when Gmork is hunting Atreyu, but is saved by the incredible presence of our favorite luck dragon, Falkor! Falkor is the best non-human character ever! He's such a fun looking character that takes care of good people. His dialogue, big eyes, scaly skin, and deep laugh are always a big highlight of the movie for me! I also think it's important to talk about Barret Oliver's Bastian. Oliver's portrayal of Bastian was fantastic portraying a timid, but, intelligent kid that enjoys reading! I was always an avid reader as well, so I always identified with Bastian. His list of books he had read at his age to Coriander is definitely impressive, and indicative of a brilliant mind later in life! While Atreyu is going through this hero's journey, it is really Bastian shaping everything going on. In a way, he's expanding his imagination. Perhaps Atreyu is actually what Bastian wants to be like, so he creates the character. The ensuing adventure is unfolding the second he opens the mysterious orange book with the awesome Orin symbol on the cover (of which Steven Spielberg has a replica of in his office)! The look of Gmork was always terrifying when I was younger! The big, black wolf with the intense, glowing green eyes matched with his immense size made for a truly intimidating look. Watching it as an adult, I find the look of Gmork to be awesome! He makes a great antagonist trying to purge the world of imagination and possibility! The dialogue between Atreyu & Gmork about boundaries of imagination is a truly great philosophical debate! The intensity of their exchange is quick, but, leaves a big impact as Atreyu is soaked in the crimson liquid! I also think Tami Stronach was incredibly enchanting as the Child Like Empress! She had this incredible innocence to her! It makes perfect sense that the ruler of Fantasia would be a young child! This would make the power of Fantasia even more impressive! Her costume design with the bright jewels, and her big blue eyes, mixed with a soft voice was a fantastic look for what the movie was trying to achieve! One of the most powerful scenes you'll find in a movie is when the Child Like Empress is looking right at the camera pleading for Bastian's help! What I love about that is she's talking to all the Bastians of the world that it's alright to have your head in the clouds, because it helps us expand our creative impetus! Through incredible world building, awesome characters like Falkor & Gmork, amazing scenery in Fantasia, standout young performances by Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, & Tami Stronach, a great hero in Atreyu mirrored through the eyes and mind of Bastian make this one of the most iconic movies in the fantasy genre, one of the best movie songs of all time by Limahl (very catchy, great beat) and, simply a great movie with a powerful message of believing it yourself!
92. THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK (1998):
ONE FOR ALL...ALL FOR ONE! This movie combines the majesty of the historical time period of one of my all time favorite world leaders <Louis XIV with the incredible aura of the Three...in this case, Four Musketeers! Each member of this group has a unique personality that makes them likable. The French scenery is beautiful to look at, especially the luxurious Versailles palace, which is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world! Louis XIV had such an extravagant flair! Leonardo DiCaprio is my favorite actor of all time, and this is when he started really gaining traction as a top billed star following some big releases in the late 1990's. He was excellent here as both the naive, innocent, kind protagonist in Philipe, and as the arrogant, boisterous, regal antagonist Louis! These roles show how talented he truly is! His ability to change his personality in these characters in such an effortless manner was impressive to watch! His innate charisma commanded the camera! Watching him try to navigate the world he is thrust into as Phillipe in his conversations and personality make him extremely likable! Watching him command a room and scoff at anybody in his path as Louis is fantastic! He definitely had fun in this villainous role! It's tough for an actor to pull off one major personality, but DiCaprio being able to pull off two incredible characters is indicative of how good he would be in years to come! While DiCaprio was fantastic, my favorite part of this movie is Gabriel Byrne's D'Artagnan! This man's conscience makes him such a good soul! He stays true to his oath, protects what he knows in his heart is right, and is a beacon of hope for France! His performance in the role makes him feel like a real life hero! I love watching Byrne in this role navigate his feelings of duty and loyalty between king, friendship, and love! John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons, & Gerard Depardieu are fantastic as Athos, Aramis, & Porthos! All three really excelled in their characters! You have Malkovich's Athos intent on revenge for what happened to Raoul, and you definitely sympathize with him! Malkovich is such a bad ass as Athos! He takes the fight to whoever is in his way no matter who it is, because his focus is avenging Raoul, while also developing a type of fatherly bond with Philippe, which I think is cool to watch over the course of the movie! You have Irons' Aramis devotion to his faith, and it's always on full display in every scene! Irons voice really works well in this time period in France! He feels like a man that can deliver change, and we see through his intellect and commitment to change through his plan to restore order to the French throne! Depardieu's Pathos is great as a man that is down on his passion in life, but finds that spark through Aramis's cause. I also think Depardieu provides some great comedy at times. The four main Musketeer actors had incredible chemistry and camaraderie. You felt like these four fought together through thick and thin for king and country! The music is beautiful! It blends in well with the scenes. For instance, the music played during the Versailles party scene early in the movie is regal, lighthearted, and indicative of a time when frivolity was the law of the land! The masked ball scene is one of my absolute favorites of the movie! Athos, Aramis, & Porthos playing tricks on Louis by flashing iron masks causing Louis to get flustered is so awesome! It's really cool to watch the mind games in this scene! Mixing these mind games with the beautiful gowns, and the regal robes of Louis/Philippe,, and the Queen Anne is why these historical dramas become favorites of mine! The drama of Louis & Philippe demonstrates just how different somebody can be depending on the environment they are raised in! D'Artagnan realizing what is truly right siding with his three best friends is one of the most exciting moments in the movie! Their bond is strong, and as they charge that music hits you hard! You're rooting for these men as great warriors with incredible consciences and good men that are fighting the good fight for France! Magnificent Valor! The twist is excellent, and makes the movie even deeper on an emotional level! This movie did really well navigating drama and well placed comedy! DiCaprio's incredible duel performance, the whole mantra and personality of Byrne, Malkovich, Irons, & Depardieu as the larger than life Four Musketeers, the beautiful scenery and time period of Louis XIV's France, and elaborate plans to shake things up at Versailles make this a truly remarkable movie! It's just such an incredible watch! I always get so caught up in the story when I watch this, because I'm so into the characters, and that's because the cast knew how to shape them, which resonated so well on camera! Great work by Randall Wallace here!
91. DONNIE DARKO-DIRECTOR'S CUT (2001):
This is an excellent psychological thriller that you can still make interpretations about through multiple viewings. There isn't one set interpretation. Movies with multiple interpretations can make things interesting as a viewer. IMO, this is still Jake Gyllenhaal's best performance. It's definitely his breakout performance for sure. He has definitely had several great ones over the years, but this is the role that defined him as one of the better actors in the industry! Watching this character is always intriguing as Donnie is definitely struggling with mental illness, but he's extremely intelligent and makes a lot of good points in his dialogue throughout the movie. There are so many different themes here in terms of emotion. The fear/love exercise is actually a huge part of the movie overall, especially in terms of Donnie's relationship with Frank, Gretchen, and his family. The philosophy of time travel in this movie through discussions, portals, etc. is always interesting! Many say that Donnie Darko is actually a superhero through the idea of using time travel to save people. I can see that, but I also see him as a marty sacrificing himself in order to save Gretchen. There are some political undertones with the 1988 election between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis taking place around the time period in this movie. Now, Donnie is a schizophrenic and the doctor is giving him placebos which means the whole movie could be a hallucination to him. It's very interesting to try and piece scenes together. The director's cut (which is the version I have) is far better in terms of presenting a bigger picture. Some of my favorite scenes are the opening school montage, the fantastic movie theater scene (it's such a great scene with Donnie and Frank sitting on either side of Gretchen while she's sleeping-it's just a cool shot! Also, Frank's line: "Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?" is one of my favorite lines ever in a movie!), as well as burning down Jim Cunningham's house (the whole Cunning Visions program seems like an absolute cult to me), and the Darko family dinner scenes with Donnie, Elizabeth, Samantha, Rose, & Eddie (I feel like this family definitely loves each other despite all their differences). I love the look of Frank! The rabbit costume is extremely terrifying, but the look of the character and the echoing, deep voice is one of the coolest things you'll find in a movie! You also notice little things like the red car that crashes in the arcade game is the same kind of red car that eventually kills Gretchen! You make new discoveries all the time. I noticed that Rose was reading It at the beginning of the movie and it foreshadows a few things in terms of the fear theme, as well as Frank's friend dressed up in a clown costume towards the end. To me, it's a very cool observation! There are all these clues as to how Donnie is ultimately going to save the tangent universe. The first time I saw this movie was in Politics & Film in Professor Ewing's class at Elmira College. I've been interpreting it ever since. I like how Richard Kelly presented the movie as you're looking at each aspect through Donnie's eyes. The soundtrack is phenomenal in this movie! Aforementioned, I love the school scene with Head Over Heels playing! The song works really well and I like the montage of the characters. It follows each character introducing us to everyone, and somewhat subtly hinting at the future of all their arcs. Mad World is a song associated with this movie that's always great to hear. It's hauntingly amazing for the tone of the movie at this scene! It shows the characters possibly as the timeline gets reset, and where they are at that particular moment in their thoughts and time. It's all really well done! These are just two examples of using a soundtrack well in the movie. If I had to pick a scene that I think is the overall best, it would probably be the movie theater scene. I feel like Gretchen sleeping in that scene is on purpose based on what we see when Frank unmasks in the theater, and we know where that certain event happens. I also have always found the last scene to be interesting with Gretchen and Rose waving at each other. I mean, I know they're just waving at each other, but I always feel there's something else going on. That's why I love Donnie Darko so much! You're always thinking about something! It's one of the most interesting movies I've ever seen! Analyzing this movie is very intense, but, it makes you appreciate Richard Kelly's work even more!
90. ARMAGEDDON (1998):
I think this is one of the most underrated movies you'll ever find! I love the cast-it's such a great ensemble cast all around that rounds out every aspect of this movie! I think the plot is interesting! I love the musical score! I like the genuine emotion between the main asteroid storyline, and the qualities of humanity within our main characters! IMO, Harry Stamper is one of Bruce Willis's best roles ever! Harry Stamper is a true cinematic hero! Here's a man that sacrifices himself to preserve his planet, his family, and his friends! He's a roughneck oil man , but he has good morals, cares about his team, and cares deeply for his daughter, Grace-who is an incredible strong, steadfast female character played wonderfully by Liv Tyler. Ben Affleck is fantastic as A.J. Frost! He's such a rebellious hero that you can't help but root for! This is one of Affleck's best roles as well. I've personally never understood why people dislike Affleck. He's one of the better actors in the industry, IMO! I love the tension and respect deep down that Harry and A.J. have for each other. I really like the AJ/Grace relationship. They have great romantic chemistry! There's so much great emotional dialogue and scenes that accompany these three! I love Will Patton's Chick as the loyal friend trying to keep things together. Steve Buscemi's Rockhound provides so many great comedic lines throughout here. The scenes showing the asteroid affecting New York City, Paris, and Shanghai are great cinematic visuals! The speech by the President of the United States and montage as Harry leads the crews to their respective shuttles: Freedom & Independence as the entire world regardless of culture, race, or religion watches with a glimmer of hope in global solidarity that everything will be safe always makes me shed a tear! The music in that scene, the slow motion walk sends chills up my spine in a good way, and, of course: "Mom, that salesman's on TV!" line hits me on so many emotional levels! That whole montage is extremely inspirational! Yes, I definitely get emotional watching movies, but that's because I get so invested in these cinematic journeys. Let's not forget when all hope seems lost, and A.J. shows up in the other armadillo and you cheer with so much enthusiasm that hope is still there! Billy Bob Thornton is fantastic as NASA director Dan Truman with so much fire and passion, especially in that fantastic rant on Keith David's General Kimsey. Grace yelling: "That is my father up there!" will always make me start shedding tears no matter what. Liv's expression and gutteral reaction hits you hard! I think Harry & Grace's conversation towards the end when they say goodbye to each other has to be one of the best emotional scenes ever! Bruce and Liv gave everything they had here, and I truly believed they were father and daughter in this moment! Armageddon has something for everybody: a great ensemble cast, great characters, an intriguing science fiction plot, good romantic subplots, family dynamics, teamwork, good action sequences, and blockbuster written all over it! I'm not a huge fan of Michael Bay, but he did a great job with this movie!
89. FORREST GUMP (1994):
I love this movie! The character of Forrest Gump is so fascinating! He has so much innocence! He has such a big heart! I also love how he gets involved with a lot of major historical events through civil rights, The Vietnam War, etc. As a history nerd, I really enjoy that! Watching him get involved with Vietnam developing a friendship with Mykelti Williamson's Bubba is always great to watch! Watching him meet several United States Presidents like John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon is entertaing. I love when he tells JFK he has to go pee after drinking about 15 Dr. Peppers. I am glad that Tom Hanks won an Oscar for this movie! He did such a great job in the role, and Hanks is one of my favorite actors of all time! His interactions with Robin Wright's Jenny are always great scenes! He always tries to rescue her and sees the good in her despite the drug use and questionable events she gets involved with. His partnership with Lieutenant Dan when they become shrimp boat captains is one of my favorite scenes. Hanks and Gary Sinise have great chemistry and every time they unload the shrimp nets, I clamor for shrimp scampi or shrimp cocktail! I've eaten at Bubba Gump before and it's actually pretty decent. You get to play trivia from the movie, which is awesome and the menu of course features several seafood items. You can also see a ping pong racket signed by Tom Hanks. For a film nerd like me, you appreciate the little things! Forrest Gump is one of my favorite male characters in movie history! The different scenes taking place throughout his life as a kid, teenager, and an adult all add to the incredible character. Different scenes of him rescuing people physically and emotionally display a genuine good character! You feel good watching this movie! You definitely feel moments of sadness as well, but the Forrest Gump character always finds a way to keep you smiling. In many ways, Forrest is a truly inspirational character that helps us escape from so much negativity in the world! Forrest Gump is one of the most iconic movies in cinematic history and deserves high praise as it still stands as a beacon of hope and truth for society as a whole! Hanks is a genuinely good person as well, so it makes the Forrest Gump character that much more believable! Forrest Gump's journey through his life is one of the most exciting cinematic journeys of any character!
88. GONE GIRL (2014):
David Fincher created a masterpiece with this adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel! Flynn's story combined with Fincher's directing, as well as the incredible cast creates an amazing movie experience! The movie is absolutely amazing! It's dark, intense, and filled with great performances! The dark nature of this movie really pulls audiences in. The actors really did well shaping their characters. The basic premise of the movie follows a man named Nick Dunne. His wife Amy Dunne goes missing. The movie takes you on a crazy, haunting journey from there. Gone Girl is split into two stories, which really keeps the story flowing. You're following two different character perspectives. You're looking at two different character's journeys within the current situation. I loved the mystery and intrigue of the story, the mind games between Amy & Nick, as well as the amazing twists that occur throughout the movie. Ben Affleck was excellent as Nick Dunne. His performances over the last few years have especially shown that he is a fantastic actor. While Affleck is great, the performance that that captivates me the most here is Rosamund Pike's work as Amy Dunne! She's such a great femme fatale character. Pike really took the femme fatale persona to a whole new level here. She is so dark and twisted. Many of my favorite scenes involve her. Pike is epic, awesome, insanely good (description is on purpose), It still bothers me that she didn't win the Oscar for her phenomenal performance here! It's really one of the better performances in recent years for sure. I also really like Margo Dunne, Nick's twin sister. Carrie Coon was great providing some of the best lines in the movie. Audiences loved her at the side of her brother throughout the entire ordeal. She gave a performance showing how petrified she is for her brother, but at the same time showing how strong she is fighting to show her brother is a good guy. Nick really isn't a good guy, but Margo is there for him. She's his family. Two other notable performances here are Neil Patrick Harris as the wealthy Desi Collings (nice back story with him). In fact, I would say the most awesome scene of the movie involves him! The scene I'm referring to is so intense-the camera work, the music, and acting performances made it work so well. The other performance I actually liked which initially shocked me when I first saw it was Tyler Perry's Tanner Bolt. He was a fun lawyer character helping Nick and Margo on their journey. The movie is this huge dramatic ordeal that also turns into a darker comedy at the same time. I love that aspect of this movie a great deal! The movie itself, the acting performances, Fincher's directing, Flynn's script, and a phenomenal score all worked together to create something truly great!
87. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988):
This is one of the most entertaining movies ever balancing animation and live action! I always found it interesting watching real life people interact with the cartoon characters in this movie. The concept is interesting and makes for a great movie with so many elements. You have a great detective mystery reminiscent of old time Hollywood movies in the 1940's, which is apropos as this takes place in Hollywood, California in 1947. You also have corporate corruption of Judge Doom with the Cloverlead/Red Car storyline, as well as the feud between R.K. Maroon & Marvin Acme. Lastly, you have Eddie Valiant's journey to find joy in a world that's seemingly taken that all away from him. Charles Fleischer entertains from the beginning credits to the end credits with his zany accent, hyper personality, and sarcastic, well delivered comedic lines as Roger Rabbit throughout this movie. The look of Roger is a great mix of Walt Disney animation as well as Warner Brother's Looney Tunes cartoons in terms of appearance, colors, and clothing. Roger Rabbit is a big reason why movies are so much fun. He's a larger than life personality that entertains people of all ages from young kids to older adults. My favorite part of this movie is definitely the beautiful femme fatale red head, Jessica Rabbit! I think the look of this character is absolutely iconic. This movie made us think animated characters are some of the most beautiful women in the world. I mean, yes, she's animated, but she's an absolute goddess. I love how the movie sold how much she has an effect on both cartoon characters and human beings. It shows how influential, charismatic, and intelligent the character is. Jessica's initial entrance in the Ink & Paint club is one of the most impressive introductions to a character ever as she sults in with that glittery red dress, the purple gloves, and the voluptuous figure. Kathleen Turner adding that sultry voice to her made the character a big deal. I love watching her protect her husband, Roger, while dealing with Maroon & Acme, as well as interacting with Valiant. Bob Hoskins is fantastic as Eddie Valiant. His dislike for toons is well founded, but through Roger's antics and need to bond with somebody, Valiant finds why he loves being a detective in the first place. Hoskins being able to interact so well with a character that's seemingly not there when you think about says something about how good this actor is. Hoskins voice and accent mixed with Roger's was a great pairing. Christopher Lloyd is extremely creepy and terrifying as Judge Doom. You can tell Lloyd loved playing the antagonist here. The long black cloak, the glasses, and the cane was an intimidating sight. The revelation of who he is connects all the storylines well in the final act. The whole Dip scenario would be horrifying as Judge Doom is basically planning to erase a whole town and group of people to make way for his "lame freeway idea." There's little things that make this fun throughout like the Frank Sinatra singing sword, cartoon characters from rival companies sharing screen time like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny or the great dueling pianos scene with Donald Duck and Daffy Duck, little details in the dialogue between Roger and Eddie, Jessica's quirks, Judge Doom's scary presence, and witty remarks that make the dialogue clever and have audiences smiling in approval. It's a fun adventure to save Toon Town, preserve old era Hollywood, and finding yourself again amidst terrible loss. This movie makes us realize that movies are an important medium as entertainment and means of escape from a sometimes negative world is necessary, and Roger Rabbit has all the ingredients to ensure that we're entertained 100%!
86. DICK TRACY (1990):
I have always had a great liking for this movie! It's the very first movie I saw in theaters at five years old in the theater! I was fascinated by this bright, colorful landscape and larger than life characters! Watching it when I was younger that's what caught my eye and kept it memorable in my head. Over the years, I've seen it multiple times and came to appreciate the crime story of gangster warfare between Big Boy Caprice & Lips Manlis, as well as one of the best male protagonists you'll find in a movie! Warren Beatty is phenomenal as Dick Tracy! He fits so well into the role of Dick Tracy! He does everything by the book, and exemplifies the word good in so many ways. I love the bright yellow colors he's always decked in. It makes him stand out in a dark world of crime. He's doing everything to clean it up! What an incredible detective! You believe in his city, because he is a beacon of light and justice. The yellow hue helps to define that. I think Al Pacino is extremely entertaining as Big Boy Caprice. I didn't realize that Pacino actually played him until I was in my 20's, and seeing as Pacino is one of my favorite actors of all time, it made me appreciate the movie that much more when I realized it! His over the top personality and amazing charisma really makes him an awesome antagonist! I don't really dislike this antagonist despite a lot of the criminal activities he's involved with. Pacino just makes the character so fun and, honestly, easy to like despite his role as the villain. I love his red and green hues. Red represents the blood he spills to stake his claim at the top of the heap. Green represents his greed for more money. I definitely think he's supposed to be Al Capone, while Beatty's Tracy is an Eliot Ness type role. I think William Forsythe's Flattop is somebody who always sticks out as well with his blue hues, and loyalty to Big Boy. Honestly, if he wanted to, Flattop could easily be the leader of organized crime. The guy is definitely cunning enough. Charlie Korsmo gives a great young actor performance as The Kid. I love watching his bond with Beatty's Tracy grow throughout the movie. We also see how The Kid has good morals as he pals around with Tracy. I like how Tracy also helps The Kid out throughout the movie and doesn't leave him to fend for himself in a dangerous world. Madonna is actually pretty good as Breathless Mahoney. Her purple hue, seductress role, and the twist of who else she is here is great to watch! She does well as a seductress towards Tracy, I thought her and Beatty had good chemistry. Glenne Headley is likable as Tess Trueheart. I like how dedicated Tracy is to his job, but by the end he also realizes how important Tess is to him making him a well rounded hero. The old Hollywood shootout scenes are really awesome to see! It sells the mythos of the comic strip Dick Tracy originated in. The characters make-up and clothing designs are some of the best you'll find in a movie. Danny Elfman's score is fantastic. A larger than life protagonist in Warren Beatty's performance, great antagonist performance by Al Pacino, entertaining action scenes, incredible use of color, solid page to screen adaptation, and overall excitement value make this one that always will stay with me as a reason why I love movies so much! The only thing I try to block out is Lips Manlis eating clams. Nobody really wants to see that sight!
85. JURASSIC PARK (1993):
I saw this movie for the first time in 1993 when it came out in theaters with a family friend I've known since pre-school. I remember making a Lego version of the Ingen lab. I always thought the concept of the film based on Michael Crichton's book was phenomenal. The cast is great here, particularly Jeff Goldblum's work as Ian Malcolm. He has most of the best lines of the movie as the wise-cracking, but intelligent chaos theory scientist. Sam Neill is the movie's primary protagonist as Alan Grant. While he's primarily an archaeologist digging up fossils, in the second half of this movie he serves as a protector for Lexi and Tim. I like how he changes over the course of the movie as he's navigating these kids through the park, and protecting them at all costs. He grows to form a bond with these kids and seems to change his stance on kids from the beginning, which was a negative viewpoint overall. This was great character development with him. Ian and Alan are two of the better male movie characters you'll find. They're both protagonists, but very different personalities which is always great to see. The best scene is when the Tyrannosaurus Rex shows up for the first time in the pouring rain. The details put into the dinosaur animatronic are always amazing. They used the same creature effects that created the giant King Kong effects in the fantastic Kongfrontation ride that used to be in Universal Studios in Orlando. The cool roar and intimidating presence made moviegoers of all generations look in awe as this scene unfolds. Those animatronic effects made things feel more real than typical CGI. CGI was used well here as well, though. I think one of the most incredible moments of emotion in this movis is when Alan turns his head, stands up cautiously, fumbles with his sunglasses, and looks in amazement when he sees the Brachiasaurus walk into the frame for the first time. It's just a beautiful site, especially for a man dedicated to finding the bones of these animals. I loved Laura Dern's reaction to it as well. It really felt like the animal was really there the way they both sold it. I like the stories broken down into the dinosaur aspect of the park, Alan literally evolving over the course of the movie into a better person, and Richard Attenborough's John Hammond's greed getting the best of him (at times, he was too blind to see it, but eventually realizes through death and destruction that maybe everybody is right), The velociraptor attacks are incredible movie moments. They create incredible tension, and firmly establish the raptor as the antagonist...even though, they're carnivores and hunting is what they do. It's their nature-accept it! The raptor designs are very cool-intimidating, the big claw on their toes, insane intelligence, extremely fast. Lexi and Tim trying to evade them in the kitchen and through the visitor's center are great action scenes. The T-Rex essentially becomes a hero of the movie saving the humans from the raptors. The T-Rex is the King of the Dinosaurs afterall. That shot of the T-Rex roaring with the banner: When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth falling behind him as the fossil skeletons break is one of the coolest shots in any movie. This is definitely a classic movie and it will stand the test of time. Introducing new generations to this movie is a great idea and kids will like it just as much as our generation did when we first saw it. The idea of human beings and dinosaurs co-existing is a decent plot in itself. Steven Spielberg did a tremendous job bringing this amazing world to the screen!
84. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991):
James Cameron really helped redefine how good the action genre can be with this movie! With incredible action sequences and a fantastic story, this movie proved that a sequel can be as good as, or in this case, even better than the original movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance as the T-1000 is one of the most iconic male movie performances of all time! I've always been a fan of Schwarzenegger's work, and I think this is definitely his best. He is the ultimate hero in this movie protecting John Connor, and battling Robert Patrick's T-800 at all costs. I honestly don't think any other actor in the action genre at the time could have made this character as amazing as Schwarzenegger did. I love watching him balance being a machine while trying to pass as a human being. James Cameron has always been good at creating strong female characters with his projects, and, Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor is one of this best. Hamilton is so bad ass and hellbent on protecting John at all cost and preventing Judgment Day on August 29, 1997. She was fantastic in every scene! The prison scenes with her show how good Hamilton really is in this role! She's physically (she's in amazing shape here) and emotionally (she was so in the mindset of this character that you believed this was a real person) focused in this role, and really made it her own. I think Hamilton also shows that in the era where it was mostly male action heroes, that females can be just as bad ass, and in many instances she really takes it to the T-800 just as much as the T-1000. This is also Edward Furlong's first role, and he was great as John Connor. You already see signs of the resistance leader he'll be in this movie in terms of giving commands, thinking of solutions on his feet, and being adept at countering technology for his benefit. His chemistry with Schwarzenegger was amazing! Their bond felt real. I liked watching them become friends. It also shows that even though there's a war with machines coming, that not all of them are an issue. Cyberdyne is such a looming threat in this movie! Cameron is so good at presenting that throughout the movie! There's so many great scenes, but I think my favorite one is the big freeway chase with Schwarzenegger and Furlong on the motorcycle battling Patrick in the semi-truck! It's a fantastic chase sequences, and the explosives and motorcycle sound effects blend so well! I also love Arnold flipping the shotgun before he fires it. It's such a cool visual to set up the next big spark in the battle. Other scenes like the rescue at Pescadero State Hospital, the Cyberdyne stand-off, and the final battle at the plant are all really well done scenes that demonstrate fantastic action, but really help elevate the plot in a big way, which is just as important. This movie has great emotion as well. I think when the T-1000 realizes he has to be destroyed to save mankind, even Sarah doesn't want that for John's sake. When Sarah lowers him into the lava below and the music starts playing louder, it creates a great send-off for Schwarzenegger's character. John crying as he slowly disappears actually gets to me, too. We've followed him as he's done nothing but good this whole movie for Sarah and John, and we don't want to see him go. We realize it's the best thing, though, in order to save humanity as a whole. That thumbs up before he shuts down makes me smile at how cool this character is, and it's almost like a sign that evetything's going to be okay to Sarah, John, and the audience! This movie has some of the best visual effects! The make-up designs for Arnold when his human face and machine face are exposed at the same time was so believable. The steel with the glowing red eyes, and Arnold's face makes you realize how cool movie magic is. I think it's one of the best uses of make-up ever. It looks natural, and it really changed the game for complex make-up designs. I also think the score is one of the best instrumental themes you'll find in a movie! With fantastic writing and directing, incredible action sequences, a brilliant plot, three stand-out lead performances by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Edward Furlong, and great visual effects, this is an example of how good the action genre can be! It's one of the most impressive, iconic, and inspirational movies of all time!
83. DEATH PROOF (2007):
I have always found this movie to be extremely underrated! Quentin Tarantino's camera work here is incredible harking back to 1970's B movies in terms of grainy film. I love that this movie primarily revolves around groups of unique women of different cultures, races, and personalities. I think Kurt Russell plays one of the best antagonists you'll find in movies as Stnntman Mike! He's such a sleazy, calculating, manipulative horror of a human being./His look to the camera at times just makes you want to punch him. Russell was so good at making this character just grotesque in so many ways in both physical and mental ways. He has these scars on his face, and his mind is just psychotic. I love the girls in this movie. Their dialogue scenes are so entertaining discussing a variety of topics from sex to working on movie sets to being women in general! It's such insightful dialogue into the minds of women, and how charismatic they are. I think Sydney Poitier who plays Jungle Julia is an absolute goddess in this-love her sassy attitude, and her delivery of lines has so much cool bravado to it. She's so sexy throughout her scenes in this movie. You just want to sit next to her and have a conversation, because she's so cool to talk to. Vanessa Ferlito has that tough New York girl exterior as, and looks great as Arlene. She's a strong, independent woman (as all these girls really are, which is awesome to see-Tarantino makes good female characters in a lot of his movies, IMO). Her lap dance scene with Kurt Russell is extremely awesome to watch in terms of how Tarantino shot it, and the use of music throughout to the dance. It synced up so well with it, and Ferlito looks amazing the whole time! Tracie Thoms was absolutely hilarious and charismatic as Kim-such a loud mouthed fun person that really knows how to tell a story. Her delivery of her lines felt like she was having a natural conversation. Zoe Bell is always bad ass, and I love watching her show off how cool she is with stunts throughout here. Rosario Dawson is fantastic as Abernathy-such a fun, sassy girl that doesn't take anything from her friends. Her chemistry with Thoms and Bell was so natural-they felt like good friends. All the conversations have such well written dialogue. I'm so into everything these girls are talking about, and all of it just feels natural. I love the car sequences. The murder scene of Rose McGowan's Pam is so gritty and visceral with great use of the crimson liquid. The maniacal laughter and sinister grin by Russell just makes it that much better as a scene. I also love the head on collision scene with Jungle Julia's girls and Stuntman Mike. Hold Tight blaring through the stereo with Jungle Julia flipping her hair and banging her head, Arlene relaxing, etc. with the cars revving closer to each other at a quick pace is amazing use of film. The quick paced violence that occurs in the collision is shot well, and displays how despicable Stuntman Mike really is. The car chase with Kim and Stuntman Mike is 20 minutes of fantastic road action. The camera follows behind as the cars go through rolls, and the cast sells the effects of bumping into each other, and the effect of different terrain. Mike just laughing at everything is fantastic, because he just doesn't care about hurting these girls. Those last two minutes are some of the best moments you'll find in a movie. The girls getting sweet, bloody revenge on Mike is so satisfying and bad ass with bare knuckled punches amongst other things. It's exactly what we want to see happen to Russell's character as he's made us hate him so much for his brutality towards women, and the women uniting together to take him down is so awesome to watch! Through incredible writing, great dialogue driven scenes, an awesome soundtrack, an incredible antagonist performance by Kurt Russell, and three unique groups of women that are all extremely cool, sexy, and bad ass we see a truly underrated piece of cinema that deserves more watches and respect.
82. JACKIE BROWN (1997):
This is a fantastic crime noir movie with incredible writing and a fantastic cast. It's such an underrated movie just based on performances alones.Pam Grier's performance as Jackie Brown is one of the best female performances you'll find. She's such a well layered character. She's legitimately cool, sassy, gorgeous, and intelligent. She's always thinking one step ahead of everybody she's involved with whether it's Ordell Robbie, the ATF, or even Max Cherry. Grier dictates the pace of this movie, and she does such an amazing job navigating through complex situations in Los Angeles! Grier's acting is impeccable! We're so into the character because watching her weave her web is so intriguing. Quentin Tarantino created one of cinema's strongest female protagonists in this movie. She's making alliances, planning her moves, and showing how clever she is at all times. Samuel L. Jackson is a fantastic antagonist as Ordell Robbie! He's very intimidating, because his actions of what he might do to somebody that threatens his illegal activities is unpredictable. It's great to watch, because as an audience you want to see how he'll react next. This is some of Jackson's finest work. His look here is interesting. The long hair look somehow worked here for Jackson's cool demeanor throughout the movie. His dialogue scenes with Grier, Chris Tucker, and Robert DeNiro show how great he is adapting to everybody's acting styles. Robert Forster was excellent as Max Cherry. This is his best performance as the bail bondsman who seemingly knows the relationship between all the characters including Jackie and Ordell's initial arrangement, and Jackie's meetings with the ATF. He's always very calm which is really awesome to watch. He just takes this character that could otherwise be boring in a movie, and makes it such an intriguing part of the movie. His chemistry with Grier was phenomenal. They felt like close friends with a hint of romantic vibes lingering between them. You can tell Forster's Cherry definitely empathizes with Jackie. He does everything he can to help her through her ordeal. I like that Jackie can ultimately trust him as well. Michael Keaton is also really well casted as ATF agent, Ray Nicollete. Keaton always has this insane charisma to him, and every time he's on the screen here you see it just by the way he sits in a chair. I love that objects like chairs, desks, etc. somehow become a character in Tarantino's movie. They add to the emotion of the moment, and actually sell a character's emotions in some instances. It's quite impressive. One of my favorite aspects of this movie is showing the different perspectives of the money drop from Jackie, Louis (played brilliantly by Robert DeNiro), and Max. We get a little more of the whole picture from each of these vantage points. The different dialogue scenes and personality shifts is great. It also shows the ingenuity of Jackie's intellect. I love watching her play tricks with Ordell. She's definitely not somebody to mess with, and her suave demeanor is always on display. Even in the face of danger, there isn't a hair out of place, because she's so bad ass! Watching Tarantino's characters talk in a movie are always some of the most exciting conversations. They can be about random things about music like the Delfonics which becomes a huge part of selling the story with Jackie & Max. Tarantino loves telling stories on screen, and with Jackie Brown, he did a fantastic job adapting Rum Punch and making it something special. IMO, Pam Grier should have been nominated for and won for Best Actress for this movie. She is fantastic in this. It's a performance everybody should watch if they want to see a female character at it's absolute best! Great work by everybody involved here all led by the incredible performance of Pam Grier, solid performances by Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Forster, great dialogue scenes, intriguing crime scenes unfolding, and an overall fantastic movie showing how well stories can be told on screen!
81. INTERSTELLAR (2014):
This is a highly complex movie that makes me appreciate it even more! It tackles the mysteries of time and space as well as giving audiences a deep study into the core of humanity: emotions, what makes us who we are, why we do what we do, etc. The plot revolves around Earth becoming a planet that will not be able to sustain future generations within the next 25 years or so. The mission is to find a sustainable planet for future generations to survive. What evolves from this is one of the most intricate, intriguing, and impressive movies you'll find. It's truly a modern epic! We are explorers by nature. This movie shows us how we do that physically and emotionally. The cast is physically exploring the vastness of space, while at the same time the characters are exploring the unpredictable and intricate nature of their humanity. It's really a great parallel throughout! This has a fantastic ensemble cast. Matthew McConaughey was the perfect casting that has to make the sacrifices not only for himself, but for his family as well. He showed the deep flaws of man as well as displaying the fact that he can definitely act. He really filled the role of what Cooper was all about. He really had a great understanding of what this movie was about, and he showed it with his performance. It's also great seeing one of my all time favorite actresses, Anne Hathaway, involved in this huge project. She's an incredible actress, and has been since she was the Princess of Genovia. Brand is gorgeous, intelligent, and did great showing a woman completely devoted to her father and the vast mission they're embarking on. At the same time, the revelations of everything happening really shows how great she is at selling intense emotion! I think Matt Damon's Dr. Mann is excellent. He did really well displaying the effects of space dementia, as well as how much his humanity was affected as a result of being in space for an elongated period of time. The movie really revolves around Murph. Both Jessica Chastain and Mackenzie Foy were incredible portraying this character that is always concerned with discovery in some way. Between the two performances, Murph is able to piece together so many of the mysteries of the movie. I love the cuts between Chastain and Foy. Foy's facial expressions and selling of momentary decisions is perfect. Her bond with McConaughey was established early on and we see that evolve, and it continues to be echoed through Chastain's incredible performance. Nobody quite knows the limitations of space travel, just like we don't know our own limitations. Christopher Nolan never keeps the two entities separate. You could see how both themes were intertwined throughout the movie. The huge twist that tied so many things together had me going from enjoying this movie to absolutely loving it! I literally sit on the edge of my seat every time it comes. I really like the complexity of it and how humanity, space, seem to converge in one point here. It is simply brilliant! The score is absolutely amazing! The music gives the movie even more of a pulse. If you really listen to it, it sounds like you're listening to a clock ticking by seconds, and this movie celebrates how precious time really is. The music crescendos at the perfect at the perfect time, and each note matters. Not only are you witnessing incredible performances throughout this movie, but you're watching an amazing story explode in front of you. While I knew there there had to be a connection to certain events in the movie, the journey and initial moment of revelation are just so well done! This movie has incredible performances, especially by McConaughey, Hathaway, Chastain, and Foy, a highly interesting and complex story involving space, time, and humanity, a beautiful score that becomes a living, breathing character in it's own way, and cinema at it's absolute best!
80. PARASITE (2019):
Director and writer Bong Joon Won created a fantastic character study movie with important themes and commentary on the world. His visual look alone is so impressive! He created the upper class set from scratch! His color palettes and scenery between the upper and lower class homes had so much attention to detail, and essentially made non-living objects become an underlying pulse to the whole movie! There are so many intriguing themes-the dynamics between rich and poor, class warfare itself, plans in life, a fantastic look at South Korean culture, and an excellent cast! All the actors are South Korean, and everybody delivers a stellar performance from start to finish! The story focuses on two families, their lives, interactions, and so much more in between. I love the dialogue-it's all subtitled, but you can follow the story very easily! There's good storytelling throughout here. The charisma of the actors and actresses jumps off the screen at all times! There's some really intense moments as well increasing the dramatic effect of the movie! My favorite performances in this are So-Dam Park's Kim Ki-Jung (such a smart, fun, cerebral character), Yeo-Jeong Ho's Park Yeon-Kyo (very high strung, stressed, but her energy and affection caring for her family is amazing), Woo Sik-Choi's Kim Ki-Woo (overall, he's the main character, and ultimately he's the barrier between both families), and Kang Ho-Sun's Kim Kai-Tek (the patriarch of one of the families). The women in this movie are absolutely gorgeous! The elegance of Asian women is amazing! The movie combines great drama, well placed comedic moments, amazing family dynamics, good storytelling and writing, fantastic directing, and an incredible cast making these characters stand out in a big way! Parasite is why I love movies! It's thought provoking, and will stay with you, because it's that impressive! Very impactful! Very good cinema!
79. BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985):
This movie really helped make science fiction an even cooler genre in entertainment. It had been around for years, but they were mostly B movies that people didn't really accept in the mainstream. This is a movie that became popular with kids and adults for it's time travel elements, and Michael J. Fox's likable protagonist as Marty McFly. I admittedly didn't see this movie until I went to college. I was instantly fascinated the first time I saw it. I loved the DeLorean's look and the effects to make time travel believable. I love Christopher Lloyd's zany antics as Doc Brown. Lloyd has incredible charisma in this movie. He definitely portrayed him as a mad scientist in many ways, and he had fun with it as all audiences can tell. His chemistry with a career defining performance for Fox was impeccable. They worked well together. Their dialogue was fun, and I felt like they definitely got along off camera as well on camera. Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover are fantastic as Marty's parents, Lorraine and George. I love watching Marty in 1955 interacting with his parents, like the scene with Marty in Lorraine's bedroom as he feels extremely uncomfortable for obvious reasons. Thompson and Fox had good repartee in this scene. I thought Glover's awkward, nerdy personality was excellent. Thomas F. Wilson is always great as Biff. Wilson portrays a perfect film antagonist. We just want to see him get punched in the face. Watching Marty try to navigate through 1955 to get his parents to become a couple is really cool to watch. Imagine being able to go back in time to be a part of the process of your parents meeting for the first time. It's a very intriguing concept, and Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis did great with it. My favorite scenes are at the Enchantment Under The Sea dance. Watching Marty's plan work in an unpredictable way really makes the scene great with George ultimately decking Biff and rescuing Lorraine, followed by their first kiss on the dance floor as Marvin Berry sings Earth Angel, and Marty comes back into full existenece. It's an incredible sequence of science fiction and movie storytelling done right. Fox playing Johnny B. Goode is always a highlight as well. He does a great job with the guitar playing and displaying some great stage presence as he plays. I like that each interaction and second of his time in 1955 ultimately changes the course for a lot that happens in the present in 1985 for him. The music is phenomenal as I think the main instrumental theme is one of the absolute best in movie history. I also like Huey Lewis and The News providing some of the songs like Power Of Love and Back In Time to the soundtrack helping sell the tone and mood of the movie. There's incredible science fiction elements with the fantastic time travel sequences at the Twin Pines Mall and, of course the iconic clock tower scene, a great protagonist in Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly, an entertaining performance no matter what he's doing on screen in Christopher Lloyd's Doc Brown, watching Lorraine and George become a couple through Marty's influence and other factors (meaning it really is destiny), great use of comedy, and great set designs as well as great writing make this a truly iconic movie. It's a feel good movie that helps us appreciate the medium even more.
78. PLEASANTVILLE (1998):
This is one of the most amazing movies I've seen! I am completely fascinated with the storyline of this movie of things moving from the conventional, "normal" black and white era to the more modern, "chaotic" colorful era. It's a movie that explores the rebel in all of us as well as the curiosity of how society really functions. This gives us a good example of civil rights, as well as society in two different eras: the 1950's and the 1990's. My favorite part of the movie is Joan Allen's Betty. She wants to be an independent woman, and with Jennifer/Mary Sue's help she will explore this physically and emotionally. I also love how David/Bud helps Jeff Daniels Mr. Johnson break tradition and helps him explore the importance and intrigue of the artistic world. He helps him to see how you can approach things a different way rather than the same way the whole time such as preparing the soda shop for the day's intake. I love watching how David and Jennifer's influence completely transforms the town, as each small item from one red rose to the whole town grows into a beautiful spectrum of color! There's such a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors here to be impressed by! For David and Jennifer, I like how they change colors based on the opposite of who they were when they arrived in Pleasantville! When David gets angry and runs to the defense of Betty as well as protecting Margaret, this is when we see him change as opposed to his timid, defenseless version of him earlier on. I see David as the leader of the new movement in Pleasantville society. I love how Jennifer changes her promiscuous ways and becomes more of a "good" girl and becomes color because she embraces that there's more to her than getting boys and acting like an airhead, realizing her mind can get her far. I like the painting that David & Mr. Johnson paint on the side of the soda shop in terms of color, messages, and showing the divide between ideologies. In the painting the portray books like Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn-which are two books widely banned in the United States (or, at least they used to be). I also like the portrayal of old time rock and roll as a new music medium that the youth of the town is intrigued by. In the 1950's, it was considered the Devil's music, and the older generation viewpoint is presented to balance out both sides. I love when David plugs in the jukebox in and says they can do whatever they want. David presents that this new music and reading sre two things that give the youth of Pleasantville ideas and the chance to move outside of the town bubble. It didn't matter what was written on that decree-they weren't wrong, and David and Jennifer are going to show everybody. The courtroom scene where David and Mr. Johnson are put on trial for disturbing a town of a pleasant nature was a really nice visual resembling To Kill A Mockingbird. The acting in this movie is great. I feel this is some of Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon's best work. For me, it's both of their breakout roles, although, you can argue other movies are. I think they really felt how important their roles were and the passion in their performances was evident throughout. Maguire did well as the rebel leader of the youth, while Witherspoon did well as she becomes more of a conformist than a rebel, but was still rebellious in her own way. At the same time, both are discovering who they really are while in Pleasantville. Great work by both of them! Maguire and Witherspoon really started growing into their acting skin here, and along with Joan Allen, William H. Macy, Jeff Daniels portraying great characters this incredible cast was able to create compelling roles. There's great dialogue, phenomenal scenes, excellent themes, brilliant use of color, and a fantastic soundtrack make this underrated movie a definite favorite of mine.
77. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, & THE WARDROBE (2005):
I was first introduced to the world of Narnia in 5th grade when we read the book as part of our reading unit, and instantly became fascinated by it. It's still one of my favorite books. I always liked the animated movie a great deal, and always was hoping for a good live action version. Luckily, we saw that happen in 2005. I think this is a fantastic movie adaptation of a great book! C.S. Lewis's words and characters were presented so well on the screen. I think that Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Mosely, and Anna Popplewell all were great representations of the Pevensie quartet. Mosely presented a brave leader, Popplewell was great as the logical thinker, Keynes was great as the bratty, yet misunderstood Edmund, while Henley stole the show as Lucy with her youth and exuberance, and passion for imagination and adventure. The four blended well together and felt like real life siblings. Tilda Swinton is excellent as Jadis, The White Witch. She's cold, calculating, and methodical. Her outfits and look matched with her voice and demeanor made her a memorable antagonist. I really like the White Witch character as she is able to show many different sides of her personality to maintain control in Narnia. Liam Neeson was an excellent choice for Aslan! His voice matched the regal, yet tough exterior of the great lion. His first appearance is one of awe, and the cast sells it well. James McAvoy is one of the best actors, and we see it here as Mr. Tumnus-one of his first big acting roles. He had great chemistry with Henley's Lucy, and also presented somebody that captured the essence of Tumnus well. The visuals are fantastic, especially for the winter wonderland of Narnia, the look of Aslan and Jadis, the costume design, and, the brilliance of the Stone Table and battle scenes. The battle is beautifully shot with great color and artistic swordplay, as well as wondrous mythical creatures. Aslan and Jadis represent so much of what good and evil represent in animal and human form. I love their rivalry. I love the symbol of hope that the four Pevensie children represent for humanity and Narnia. The writing and directing is fantastic. The soundtrack is excellent-amazing score throughout that matches the mood of the scenes well. The cast all know their roles well either from reading the book or extensive notes, and it's noticeable in their exceptional performances. This is a movie I can always appreciate as it not only takes me back to childhood, but it also perfectly blends storytelling, family dynamics, incredible action sequences, and larger than life protagonists and antagonists! It also celebrates the importance of imagination and how you should always hold on to it no matter how young or old you are!
76. THE SHINING (1980):
This is an iconic movie that fits perfectly into two genres: horror and psychological thriller! Stanley Kubrick created an artistic horror piece here that transcends the genre and makes the audience think about what they're watching. He's a fantastic director in general always caring about attention to detail. It's a tremendous character study of a man descending further into madness due to isolation and bleakness. Jack Nicholson was the perfect casting choice for the role of Jack Torrance. I think he's absolutely amazing in terms of showing a drastic change from when we first meet him in that interview with his calm demeanor into the maniac he devolves into. Nicholson's facial expressions and voice tone mirrored his physical and mental psyche perfectly. Watching Nicholson just walk around the Overlook Hotel shows how charismatic this man is. I think this is a performance that deserved to win an Oscar. It's one of the best male performances you'll find. Watching Nicholson in the bar scene with Lloyd and in the bathroom scene with Grady are two of the most impressive dialogues you'll find in a movie. They are simple conversations about alcohol as well as the history of the Overlook and it's guests, but the intrigue in the delivery of the conversations and the subtle changes in tone from Jack, Lloyd, and Grady are impressive. I think while this movie has good jump scares (I mean, we all freak out at the sight of the old woman in Room 237, and if you don't, you're basically fearless), it relies more on symbolic imagery to further the story. While Kubrick does veer from Stephen King's book, I believe the movie stands on it's own as an amazing piece of artistic expression, and should be commended as such. I like that Kubrick took King's interpretation and made it his own vision, and, it's definitely worked for movie fans for 40 years. I think Shelley Duvall deserves more accolade for her work as Wendy Torrance. While Nicholson is definitely the show stealer in every scene he's in, you have to commend Duvall's amazing performance of showing fear as Jack descends further into madness. Her selling of his changes physically and mentally present Jack in an even more sinister light. Duvall's look of shock and sheer terror is a brilliant performance, and it quite honestly one of the most underrated performances you'll find. I absolutely love the use of color in the movie. The red in the bathroom scene with Grady represents the discussion of "dealing with their families". The purple and green in Room 237 represents a nice facade of something visually stunning, but walk or look deeper in the room, and you'll see some shocking things. The floor and carpet designs are really intriguing in terms of patterns and darker shades of red and orange. As Jack transforms, we notice his outfit change from serene blue to intense red. The brightness of the gold room leads Jack to realize certain things about himself and the Overlook. The design of the Overlook Hotel is really cool. I love the staircases inside, and the exterior is unique much like the content of the movie. The hedge maze is amazing to look at. The different twists and turns mixed with the dark green is menacing, but beautiful at the same time, just like the movie. Watching Jack chase Danny through the hotel, dispose of Halloran with that axe right to the chest, and torment Wendy in a threatening manner display a man transforming into a feral beast. His limp almost makes it look like he's a werewolf on the prowl. Fantastic imagery! In the maze, his speech is almost transforming into growls and unintelligible ramblings. With an iconic performance by Jack Nicholson-one of the best character studies in movie history, an underrated performance by Shelley Duvall, fantastic imagery, use of color, intriguing dialogue that you need to pay attention to, a great interpretation of Stephen King's work, and some of the most memorable scenes you'll find not only in the horror genre, but the medium of cinema. Now crank Midnight (The Stars and You) and book your room at the Overlook Hotel! It seems like a HELL of a good time!
Here is Part 1 of my top 100 movies of all time: #100-76.
100. GREEN BOOK (2018):
Viggo Mortensen's performance as Tony "Tonylip" Vallelonga (I kept laughing at people pronouncing his last name wrong, because it's happened to be countless times being Italian-it seriously isn't that hard. Sound it out!) is one of his best. He played a very convincing Italian overall, and portrays the working class/blue collar aspect of his character really well. Mahershala Ali is excellent as the sophisticated musical genius, Dr. Don Shirley. Ali is becoming one of the best actors in the industry, IMO! I think Mortensen stole the movie, but Ali really gives the movie it's soul. The chemistry with Mortensen and Ali is excellent! The dialogue is entertaining when it has to be, and definitely provides great commentary on the racial tensions of the time in the 1960's. I really liked watching Tony's character change throughout the movie! Mortensen maintained what made the Tony character so entertaining, but there are definite moments where you can tell this is a different Tony two months later. Shirley's lessons on etiquette and society are enthralling! Ali makes the Dr. Shirley character feel larger than life! The initial meeting between Vallelonga and Shirley is a really good scene. You see two different ways of life, as well as two unique individuals that you want to take a journey with immediately! The music is amazing! Those piano concertos are so impressive! The acting is excellent! The dialogue is great! Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali felt like real life good friends as their bond grows throughout the movie! Peter Farrelly did a fantastic job directing this! It's also great seeing Linda Cardellini as Tony's wife, Dolores. It's a powerful movie about two men from different walks of life that find a common ground and persevere through several physical and emotional obstacles! Fantastic movie!
99. CON AIR (1997):
The late 1990's was known for some big action movies with intense explosives, larger than life action heroes, and entertaining antagonists. Con Air is one of the best from that time period, and the action movie genre in general! This is such an exciting, entertaining movie that goes at a fast pace. All the convicts have unique personalities and the cast is really impressive. Nicolas Cage is one of my favorite action stars ever. He's such a great protagonist here as Cameron Poe! His Southern accent works here, and his long hair and bad ass attitude are always on display! I also love how well rounded he is as he is constantly thinking about his wife and daughter, and his reason for getting involved with the shenanigans is simply to protect his two friends on the plane, showing he's a military man that doesn't leave his friends behind, and that family is his number one priority. He's a very likable character, and Cage's charisma was perfect for the role! John Malkovich's performance as Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom is one of the most entertaining antagonist roles you'll find! He's such an intelligent individual, and his lines are some of the best of the movie! Malkovich really makes Cyrus a cerebral character that always seems to want to cause chaos no matter what the situation is. He really carries the movie in terms of acting, while Cage carries the action, although, I think Cage does well in terms of acting as well. John Cusack shines as Federal Marshall Vince Larkin. He's an entertaining law enforcement official that clashes with Colm Meaney's Duncan Malloy about how to deal with the plane. You see two very different personalities, but like Poe & Grissom. Larkin is very calm and cares about what happens to the people on board, while Malloy is always aggravated and trying to figure out extreme measures to take down the plane. Steve Buscemi gives a disturbing, yet accurate performance as Garland Greene, a Hannibal Lecter type convict that has a creepy tea party and provides great commentary for certain scenes. Buscemi worked way too well in this role! Ving Rhames & Danny Trejo also add to the cast well as Nathan Jones and Johnny 23. It's a great ensemble cast in general helmed by Cage. The action is phenomenal! The Lerner air field scenes are some of the most impressive action sequences you'll find. It also shows strategy for both Poe and Grissom. Poe is trying to stop Grissom alerting law enforcement and stalling the plane, while Grissom is trying to get on a different plane and stop law enforcement. The explosions, hand to hand combat, guns firing, and Cage's great one liners make these action sequences incredible! The finale on the Las Vegas strip is awesome! Las Vegas is one of my favorite places to visit. I've been going to Vegas with my family since 1996, and the lights and aura of the city always impress me no matter how many times I see it. Landing the plane on the strip was a cool sight! The final chase with Cage, Malkovich, and Cusack was really good! The fire truck scenario is great as they try to veer it off the road by spraying water into it. Poe is able to incapacitate him physically. While Cyrus is extremely smart, Poe's physicality gets the best of him. Through a solid protagonist and antagonist in Nicolas Cage's Cameron Poe & John Malkovich's Cyrus Grissom, incredible action sequences, an incredible action movie score that flows with the fast pace of the excitement going on, and an all around exciting, entertaining movie make this one of my all time favorites! Just remember: Put...the bunny...back in the box!
98. FACE/OFF (1997):
John Woo did an incredible job creating this psychological action thriller! Nicolas Cage and John Travolta are at their absolute best here in two of their absolute best roles ever as Castor Troy and Sean Archer. What I find really intriguing about this building is both actors get to portray both the protagonist and antagonist throughout the movie! Cage's charisma as the antagonist Castor Troy is one of the most entertaining performances ever. His signature lines are always awesome. His outfits are epic, particularly that red suit he wears in the opening plane scene. His gold guns are cool. When we're first introduced to him as he enters the LA Convention Center dressed as a priest, I think it's one of the best introductions to a character ever! You can tell he just improvised whatever he did here, and it's amazing! We're supposed to hate Castor, but he's so cool that you just can't despite all the terrible things he's done! Cage has always been great as a protagonist, and for the bulk of the movie he is, which was the right call as he handles being the hero much better. John Travolta does well as the protagonist Sean Archer grieving at what Castor has done to his family, but, man this guy is born to be an antagonist. He's so on point with everything he does when he's supposed to be Castor. His introduction in Erewhon Prison when he's officially Castor is tremendous, and his conversations with Pollox are so entertaining. Watching both of them navigate the movie in both roles shows that both guys are talented actors-definitely two favorites of mine over the years! This movie excels in it's action sequences. There's three really epic action scenes throughout the movie: the opening plane chase and hangar face/off, the shootout between Sean (in the guise of Castor) and the actual antagonists of the movie (who actually are the protagonists in the scenario) and Castor (in the guise of Sean) with the FBI (who technically count as the antagonists in this scenario), and the speedboat battle in the suits are all incredible! That opening with Cage and Travolta immediately establishes what these characters are about, and the action is fast and amazing to watch-high octane explosions and pure charismatic energy from both guys! I think one of the best shots of the movie is the mirror scene where both are about to shoot through it, and are aiming at the person they're really trying to kill in the guise of their actual antagonist. It's fantastic film work. Gina Gershon is underrated here, and likable whenever she's on screen. I love her interactions with Cage when he's actually Sean. The battle scene that evolves from that with Over The Rainbow playing is incredible camera work and awesome action. There's a lot of great drama throughout this movie, and the dark humor always adds to this. The plastic surgery scenes are really cool as the visual effects for the actual face transplants have always been really impressive. It feels real when they're showing these scenes. That final encounter between the two is always great. The two arrive in their suits almost like a wild west showdown with that requiem style music playing. It's great stuff! The speedboat stuff is so cool with the water effects and intense explosions, followed by the harpoon to end Castor. From beginning to end the story is impressive, the action is awesome (some of the best action sequences you'll find, IMO).Nicolas Cage & John Travolta create two of my favorite male movie characters with the amount of charismatic energy and personality they put into these roles as both hero and villain, Watching them interact with their enemy's friends and family in their different personas is always interesting. Watching this movie always makes me realize just how fun movies can be! It's just such a solid action movie with a great story at it's core with good dramatic elements, definitely great comedic lines that I always find hilarious based on their delivery, and two actors at the top of their game with a visionary director mixing it all together to make something truly special!
97. KISS KISS BANG BANG (2005):
Shane Black did an awesome job here creating an intelligent mystery movie centering around two unique cases all blended together with great dark humor, excellent dialogue, as well as a really great use of sarcasm! From the beginning to Harry's introduction to the ending with Harry bidding us adieu in the end, this movie is exciting! The characters are all well written, and there's a plethora of creative scenes! This is my favorite performance of Robert Downey, Jr! This was the beginning of his comeback as a top actor in Hollywood, and you can tell he was ready with his performance here! He shines brightly in every scene delivering natural charm and wit with great biting sarcasm. His charisma comes natural. His presence is welcomed and lauded for reminding us just how good he can be on camera, and has been since this movie. Harry Lockhart is one of those characters that will always be underrated, and I think everybody needs to watch this movie just to see how fantastic he is here. Every scene he's in demonstrates his dramatic flair and excellent comedic timing. While RDJ is phenomenal as Harry what really makes his character excel is Michelle Monaghan's Harmony Faith Lane! She is gorgeous, intelligent, and captivating. Her extremely witty commentary on Hollywood as well as the friendship/relationship Harry provide lead to some of the best dialogue scenes you'll find. She does great here as the struggling actress also trying to figure out what happened to her sister. RDJ & Monaghan's chemistry came across so natural and provided so much entertainment. Monaghan looked really amazing here, especially when we're first introduced to her in the bar looking really seductive. She completely runs circles around Harry when she thinks he is trying to get in her pants. Her banter put him in his place. At the same time, Harry definitely cares about her and you see that vividly throughout the movie. Harmony is my favorite character, even though Harry is the main character. Monaghan's ability to really sell the situation in a time of peril is well done. Her eyes go wide, and she looks like she's in a state of shock. It's really awesome to watch her balance that sexy, intellectual side with a more vulnerable one showing how we're not perfect. I love her explanation of bad and badly. She's a different type of Hollywood girl that shows beauty, intelligence, spontaneity in the moment, and really helped shape great scenes with the fantastic RDJ. Val Kilmer is excellent in this as well as "Gay Perry." He is sarcastic at every turn, and his banter with RDJ is absolutely hilarious. He actually makes me laugh the most in terms of his GQ agent character and his great one liners. Harry, Harmony, & Perry are all unique personalities and really fun characters. There's also several fun side characters that add well to the overall plot. The Hollywood party scene immediately sets the tone of this movie well with voice over narration that immediately brought me into the movie the first time I came across it on HBO just based on RDJ's line: "Welcome to L.A">very sarcastically. The chase scene at the end to rescue Harmony is great, because it's well shot, original on the different things going on-caskets getting stuck on highway exit signs, Harry being able to defend himself while dangling above Hollywood Boulevard, the cool little "magic" moment to give him an advantage, and Harry Lockhart feeling like a great anti-hero as he's trying to save Harmony. It's one of the best finale scenes, because it's exciting and utilizes all of our main characters well. Three great standout lead performances by Robert Downey, Jr, Michelle Monaghan, and Val Kilmer, excellent characters, fantastic dialogue, dark humor, and entertaining scenes throughout make this true movie magic. It's apropos that Harry dabbles in magic as this movie makes us realize what makes Hollywood and movies in general have an intriguing aura that keeps us wanting more! Great work by everybody involved here!
96. THE NICE GUYS (2016):
This movie is a great mix of mystery, action, comedy, and dynamic characters! Shane Black created another fantastic movie in the vein of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The movie gives us a very intricate plot where every little detail connects in some way whether it's pornography, the environment, or even Richard Nixon. It has brilliant writing throughout. The dialogue is intelligent. Each piece of the movie flows. The characters constantly keep me invested in the story. I think Ryan Gosling's performance as Holland March is one of the better male performances you'll find. His work as the down on his luck private investigator was a fantastic character study. His imbecility blended with his drive to prove his worth to those around him, including his daughter, Holly, is a great story. His investigation eventually connects with Russell Crowe's brute of a character in a Jackson Healey. He also is on a mission to prove his worth where he truly belongs in society. Crowe is phenomenal here. He might have unorthodox, intense ways to get information, but at the same time he is doing these things for the right reason. The chemistry with Gosling and Crowe is excellent! They never miss a beat! The dialogue between them was timed perfectly. They shared tremendous comedic and dramatic scenes together. I think Angourie Rice deserves a lot of praise for her work as Holly! She is the glue that holds this team together through everything! She is intelligent and helps her father and Jackson at every turn! The action sequences are so well done. They are so over the top, but with the nature of the different stories going on it worked so well. The brutality in the action scenes was necessary for the tone of the movie. The auto show scenes keep you on the edge of your seat, especially watching Holland literally survive so many obstacles to retrieve the film the plot centers around. The scene at Sid Shaddick's house are incredible movie moments! The colors and costumes are so extravagant! Both Holland and Jackson's journey has a great ending that both deserve! The bumps and bruises accumulated along the way are necessary for them to feel whole. It also helps Holland become closer to Holly, which I definitely like seeing as a viewer. Jackson also bonds with Holly in his own way, which makes him feel meaningful, which is great to see! The excellent characters, brilliant dialogue, insane action sequences, genuinely funny moments, great dramatic elements, a phenomenal cast all around, and tremendous writing and directing from Shane Black makes this a huge reason why we go to the movies! So much fun!
95. SPLIT (2017):
With this movie, I am immersed in the story and characters on screen. Split will make you feel many emotions while watching it, which is the intention of this movie, IMO. M. Night Shyamalan is a director that always keeps the audience in mind. He always tries to connect them to the story. The story revolves around DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and what human beings are capable of whether it's good or bad. James McAvoy is one of the best actors in the business. I've always been a fan of his work. His performance here is absolutely amazing! His ability to switch between the personas he has is intriguing to watch. It also shows how incredible of an actor McAvoy is to delve into something so complex and succeed with flying colors. Whether he's playing Dennis, Barry, Hedwig, Ms. Patricia, etc. each personality has a memorable scene or storyline that pulls the audience in. McAvoy's talent really sells the physical and mental manifestations of the split between who you are and what you can become. The therapy sessions are phenomenal scenes. There's great dialogue scenes explaining his issues and how he is trying to protect himself at the same time. Another part of this movie that deserves big praise is Anya Taylor-Joy's mesmerizing performance as Casey Cook. ATJ is a bright, young talent with a tremendous future! She knows how to act, sell expression, and, obviously look great! She has "it" and I think her work here proves she is a breakout star! She does so well here selling fear, intelligence, and survival (which actually connects really well to the title as she is split in her own way). ATJ's interactions with McAvoy show an actress that knows what she's doing on screen. The close-up of her eyes in certain scenes show how much raw talent she has! I love Casey's scenes with Hedwig. These scenes portray Casey as the adult caring for the child, while also showing she is thinking one step ahead of the looming Beast! At the same time, both Casey and McAvoy's personas share a kindred spirit to me. They both know they're different in some way, which is why I think Hedwig and some of the other personas open up to her on occasion. While McAvoy commands the screen. ATJ helps anchor it to really sell the emotional layers of this movie! She was also incredible in a physical way as her action scenes were some of the most memorable moments of the movie, as well as portraying her mental acuity remaining sharp in the face of danger! The Casey character is important to show that all of us are split in some way, but while it may hinder us and bring us down, we can persevere, fight back, and embrace our differences knowing it's not necessarily our fault. We all have our own beast inside us. It's how we deal with it that helps us define it. Casey was able to find a way to deal with The Beast as she's been dealing with The Beast her whole life in certain ways most of her life. It's conveyed so well in a physical and emotional way. McAvoy is trying to bring forth, but, also hold back The Beast. while Casey is trying to quell the Beast she grew up with and the Beast inside her. This psychological thriller is simply amazing for it's two incredible lead performances by James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy, the complexity of the plot, the directing that took us right into the mind of our main characters, and haunting score.
94. EX MACHINA (2015):
This movie is a brilliant look at artificial intelligence blended with the ego of humanity. Movies like this place an emphasis on story and substance, as well as acting. In this movie, we follow Caleb, played by Domnhall Gleason, a computer programmer that works at an Internet corporation. He is selected as a winner of a competition to spend a week long retreat with Nathan (who is the CEO living in recluse), played exceptionally well by Oscar Isaac. He's one of the best actors on the scene. He usually plays a great dark character. His work as Nathan here is one of, if not, his best roles! His reclusive nature and eccentric personality make Nathan such an awesome character to watch. Isaac's chemistry with Gleason felt natural. The dialogue is strong throughout between these two. Nathan has put all of his scientific knowledge into creating a state of the art robotic female named Ava, played by the beautiful Alicia Vikander! IMO, Vikander steals the show here! I really think she should have been nominated for her work in this movie instead of The Danish Girl, because this is her true breakout performance! Her ability to differentiate between being a robot and a human female is amazing to watch! Her chemistry with Gleason is incredible! I like movies like this that focus on a few characters, because it allows the performances to develop the plot better. This was the best movie when I first saw it in 2015! It's definitely still incredible, and one of the best best science fiction movies I've ever seen! I enjoyed every second of this! As I've pointed out, the acting is excellent! The twists are presented in an intelligent manner! Caleb uncovers so many secrets in Nathan's house. Ava ultimately ends up being the definition of artificial intelligence. I really like the Ava character! Where Isaac's Nathan created the universe, it's Vikander's Ava that gives the movie it's voice! Gleason's Caleb provides the bridge between these two characters bringing out the voice of Ava and the eccentricity of Nathan. This phenomenal movie presents three incredible performances that split the movie into three neat arcs, an awesome science fiction environment, great twists, particularly in that phenomenal third act, and a great score synthesized through the code of the movie all helmed by the incredible writing and directing of Alex Garland.
93. THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984):
I have always been a big fan of the fantasy genre, and this is the movie that started it all! When I saw it as a kid, I was enthralled by the effects! Watching it as an adult makes me appreciate the story of holding onto our imaginations, and a truly epic hero's journey! Noah Hathaway's performance as Atreyu is one of the most physical, as well as emotional young actor performances you'll find! Watching the nature vs. man...or, in this case boy as he battles the black soul of The Nothing has always been an incredible story to watch unfold! Fantasia is such a beautiful place with bold colors, incredible set pieces (particularly the Ivory Tower-you have to love the theme music for the Ivory Tower! It's so majestic and, in a way, you get a sense of hope hearing it as well)! Watching Atreyu accept the quest through sheer wit and true bravery makes you instantly like the character! Hathaway had an incredible charm in the role. The different types of unique creatures such as The Rock Biter, The Night Hob, Falkor, Gmork, etc. are all incredibly detailed and feel larger than life! These are all creatures that are still resonating with audiences today. We watch Atreyu go through the Swamps of Sadness (in one of the most emotionally draining scenes you'll find in a movie with Artax), encountering Morla The Ancient One (what a cynical, wise cracking character), encountering his true self with the Southern Oracle and the Magic Mirror gate getting past his doubts and fears crossing the threshold. As tough of a journey as it is, Atreyu keeps persevering through this journey in one way or the other even when all seems lost! There's great tension as well, particularly when Gmork is hunting Atreyu, but is saved by the incredible presence of our favorite luck dragon, Falkor! Falkor is the best non-human character ever! He's such a fun looking character that takes care of good people. His dialogue, big eyes, scaly skin, and deep laugh are always a big highlight of the movie for me! I also think it's important to talk about Barret Oliver's Bastian. Oliver's portrayal of Bastian was fantastic portraying a timid, but, intelligent kid that enjoys reading! I was always an avid reader as well, so I always identified with Bastian. His list of books he had read at his age to Coriander is definitely impressive, and indicative of a brilliant mind later in life! While Atreyu is going through this hero's journey, it is really Bastian shaping everything going on. In a way, he's expanding his imagination. Perhaps Atreyu is actually what Bastian wants to be like, so he creates the character. The ensuing adventure is unfolding the second he opens the mysterious orange book with the awesome Orin symbol on the cover (of which Steven Spielberg has a replica of in his office)! The look of Gmork was always terrifying when I was younger! The big, black wolf with the intense, glowing green eyes matched with his immense size made for a truly intimidating look. Watching it as an adult, I find the look of Gmork to be awesome! He makes a great antagonist trying to purge the world of imagination and possibility! The dialogue between Atreyu & Gmork about boundaries of imagination is a truly great philosophical debate! The intensity of their exchange is quick, but, leaves a big impact as Atreyu is soaked in the crimson liquid! I also think Tami Stronach was incredibly enchanting as the Child Like Empress! She had this incredible innocence to her! It makes perfect sense that the ruler of Fantasia would be a young child! This would make the power of Fantasia even more impressive! Her costume design with the bright jewels, and her big blue eyes, mixed with a soft voice was a fantastic look for what the movie was trying to achieve! One of the most powerful scenes you'll find in a movie is when the Child Like Empress is looking right at the camera pleading for Bastian's help! What I love about that is she's talking to all the Bastians of the world that it's alright to have your head in the clouds, because it helps us expand our creative impetus! Through incredible world building, awesome characters like Falkor & Gmork, amazing scenery in Fantasia, standout young performances by Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, & Tami Stronach, a great hero in Atreyu mirrored through the eyes and mind of Bastian make this one of the most iconic movies in the fantasy genre, one of the best movie songs of all time by Limahl (very catchy, great beat) and, simply a great movie with a powerful message of believing it yourself!
92. THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK (1998):
ONE FOR ALL...ALL FOR ONE! This movie combines the majesty of the historical time period of one of my all time favorite world leaders <Louis XIV with the incredible aura of the Three...in this case, Four Musketeers! Each member of this group has a unique personality that makes them likable. The French scenery is beautiful to look at, especially the luxurious Versailles palace, which is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world! Louis XIV had such an extravagant flair! Leonardo DiCaprio is my favorite actor of all time, and this is when he started really gaining traction as a top billed star following some big releases in the late 1990's. He was excellent here as both the naive, innocent, kind protagonist in Philipe, and as the arrogant, boisterous, regal antagonist Louis! These roles show how talented he truly is! His ability to change his personality in these characters in such an effortless manner was impressive to watch! His innate charisma commanded the camera! Watching him try to navigate the world he is thrust into as Phillipe in his conversations and personality make him extremely likable! Watching him command a room and scoff at anybody in his path as Louis is fantastic! He definitely had fun in this villainous role! It's tough for an actor to pull off one major personality, but DiCaprio being able to pull off two incredible characters is indicative of how good he would be in years to come! While DiCaprio was fantastic, my favorite part of this movie is Gabriel Byrne's D'Artagnan! This man's conscience makes him such a good soul! He stays true to his oath, protects what he knows in his heart is right, and is a beacon of hope for France! His performance in the role makes him feel like a real life hero! I love watching Byrne in this role navigate his feelings of duty and loyalty between king, friendship, and love! John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons, & Gerard Depardieu are fantastic as Athos, Aramis, & Porthos! All three really excelled in their characters! You have Malkovich's Athos intent on revenge for what happened to Raoul, and you definitely sympathize with him! Malkovich is such a bad ass as Athos! He takes the fight to whoever is in his way no matter who it is, because his focus is avenging Raoul, while also developing a type of fatherly bond with Philippe, which I think is cool to watch over the course of the movie! You have Irons' Aramis devotion to his faith, and it's always on full display in every scene! Irons voice really works well in this time period in France! He feels like a man that can deliver change, and we see through his intellect and commitment to change through his plan to restore order to the French throne! Depardieu's Pathos is great as a man that is down on his passion in life, but finds that spark through Aramis's cause. I also think Depardieu provides some great comedy at times. The four main Musketeer actors had incredible chemistry and camaraderie. You felt like these four fought together through thick and thin for king and country! The music is beautiful! It blends in well with the scenes. For instance, the music played during the Versailles party scene early in the movie is regal, lighthearted, and indicative of a time when frivolity was the law of the land! The masked ball scene is one of my absolute favorites of the movie! Athos, Aramis, & Porthos playing tricks on Louis by flashing iron masks causing Louis to get flustered is so awesome! It's really cool to watch the mind games in this scene! Mixing these mind games with the beautiful gowns, and the regal robes of Louis/Philippe,, and the Queen Anne is why these historical dramas become favorites of mine! The drama of Louis & Philippe demonstrates just how different somebody can be depending on the environment they are raised in! D'Artagnan realizing what is truly right siding with his three best friends is one of the most exciting moments in the movie! Their bond is strong, and as they charge that music hits you hard! You're rooting for these men as great warriors with incredible consciences and good men that are fighting the good fight for France! Magnificent Valor! The twist is excellent, and makes the movie even deeper on an emotional level! This movie did really well navigating drama and well placed comedy! DiCaprio's incredible duel performance, the whole mantra and personality of Byrne, Malkovich, Irons, & Depardieu as the larger than life Four Musketeers, the beautiful scenery and time period of Louis XIV's France, and elaborate plans to shake things up at Versailles make this a truly remarkable movie! It's just such an incredible watch! I always get so caught up in the story when I watch this, because I'm so into the characters, and that's because the cast knew how to shape them, which resonated so well on camera! Great work by Randall Wallace here!
91. DONNIE DARKO-DIRECTOR'S CUT (2001):
This is an excellent psychological thriller that you can still make interpretations about through multiple viewings. There isn't one set interpretation. Movies with multiple interpretations can make things interesting as a viewer. IMO, this is still Jake Gyllenhaal's best performance. It's definitely his breakout performance for sure. He has definitely had several great ones over the years, but this is the role that defined him as one of the better actors in the industry! Watching this character is always intriguing as Donnie is definitely struggling with mental illness, but he's extremely intelligent and makes a lot of good points in his dialogue throughout the movie. There are so many different themes here in terms of emotion. The fear/love exercise is actually a huge part of the movie overall, especially in terms of Donnie's relationship with Frank, Gretchen, and his family. The philosophy of time travel in this movie through discussions, portals, etc. is always interesting! Many say that Donnie Darko is actually a superhero through the idea of using time travel to save people. I can see that, but I also see him as a marty sacrificing himself in order to save Gretchen. There are some political undertones with the 1988 election between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis taking place around the time period in this movie. Now, Donnie is a schizophrenic and the doctor is giving him placebos which means the whole movie could be a hallucination to him. It's very interesting to try and piece scenes together. The director's cut (which is the version I have) is far better in terms of presenting a bigger picture. Some of my favorite scenes are the opening school montage, the fantastic movie theater scene (it's such a great scene with Donnie and Frank sitting on either side of Gretchen while she's sleeping-it's just a cool shot! Also, Frank's line: "Why are you wearing that stupid man suit?" is one of my favorite lines ever in a movie!), as well as burning down Jim Cunningham's house (the whole Cunning Visions program seems like an absolute cult to me), and the Darko family dinner scenes with Donnie, Elizabeth, Samantha, Rose, & Eddie (I feel like this family definitely loves each other despite all their differences). I love the look of Frank! The rabbit costume is extremely terrifying, but the look of the character and the echoing, deep voice is one of the coolest things you'll find in a movie! You also notice little things like the red car that crashes in the arcade game is the same kind of red car that eventually kills Gretchen! You make new discoveries all the time. I noticed that Rose was reading It at the beginning of the movie and it foreshadows a few things in terms of the fear theme, as well as Frank's friend dressed up in a clown costume towards the end. To me, it's a very cool observation! There are all these clues as to how Donnie is ultimately going to save the tangent universe. The first time I saw this movie was in Politics & Film in Professor Ewing's class at Elmira College. I've been interpreting it ever since. I like how Richard Kelly presented the movie as you're looking at each aspect through Donnie's eyes. The soundtrack is phenomenal in this movie! Aforementioned, I love the school scene with Head Over Heels playing! The song works really well and I like the montage of the characters. It follows each character introducing us to everyone, and somewhat subtly hinting at the future of all their arcs. Mad World is a song associated with this movie that's always great to hear. It's hauntingly amazing for the tone of the movie at this scene! It shows the characters possibly as the timeline gets reset, and where they are at that particular moment in their thoughts and time. It's all really well done! These are just two examples of using a soundtrack well in the movie. If I had to pick a scene that I think is the overall best, it would probably be the movie theater scene. I feel like Gretchen sleeping in that scene is on purpose based on what we see when Frank unmasks in the theater, and we know where that certain event happens. I also have always found the last scene to be interesting with Gretchen and Rose waving at each other. I mean, I know they're just waving at each other, but I always feel there's something else going on. That's why I love Donnie Darko so much! You're always thinking about something! It's one of the most interesting movies I've ever seen! Analyzing this movie is very intense, but, it makes you appreciate Richard Kelly's work even more!
90. ARMAGEDDON (1998):
I think this is one of the most underrated movies you'll ever find! I love the cast-it's such a great ensemble cast all around that rounds out every aspect of this movie! I think the plot is interesting! I love the musical score! I like the genuine emotion between the main asteroid storyline, and the qualities of humanity within our main characters! IMO, Harry Stamper is one of Bruce Willis's best roles ever! Harry Stamper is a true cinematic hero! Here's a man that sacrifices himself to preserve his planet, his family, and his friends! He's a roughneck oil man , but he has good morals, cares about his team, and cares deeply for his daughter, Grace-who is an incredible strong, steadfast female character played wonderfully by Liv Tyler. Ben Affleck is fantastic as A.J. Frost! He's such a rebellious hero that you can't help but root for! This is one of Affleck's best roles as well. I've personally never understood why people dislike Affleck. He's one of the better actors in the industry, IMO! I love the tension and respect deep down that Harry and A.J. have for each other. I really like the AJ/Grace relationship. They have great romantic chemistry! There's so much great emotional dialogue and scenes that accompany these three! I love Will Patton's Chick as the loyal friend trying to keep things together. Steve Buscemi's Rockhound provides so many great comedic lines throughout here. The scenes showing the asteroid affecting New York City, Paris, and Shanghai are great cinematic visuals! The speech by the President of the United States and montage as Harry leads the crews to their respective shuttles: Freedom & Independence as the entire world regardless of culture, race, or religion watches with a glimmer of hope in global solidarity that everything will be safe always makes me shed a tear! The music in that scene, the slow motion walk sends chills up my spine in a good way, and, of course: "Mom, that salesman's on TV!" line hits me on so many emotional levels! That whole montage is extremely inspirational! Yes, I definitely get emotional watching movies, but that's because I get so invested in these cinematic journeys. Let's not forget when all hope seems lost, and A.J. shows up in the other armadillo and you cheer with so much enthusiasm that hope is still there! Billy Bob Thornton is fantastic as NASA director Dan Truman with so much fire and passion, especially in that fantastic rant on Keith David's General Kimsey. Grace yelling: "That is my father up there!" will always make me start shedding tears no matter what. Liv's expression and gutteral reaction hits you hard! I think Harry & Grace's conversation towards the end when they say goodbye to each other has to be one of the best emotional scenes ever! Bruce and Liv gave everything they had here, and I truly believed they were father and daughter in this moment! Armageddon has something for everybody: a great ensemble cast, great characters, an intriguing science fiction plot, good romantic subplots, family dynamics, teamwork, good action sequences, and blockbuster written all over it! I'm not a huge fan of Michael Bay, but he did a great job with this movie!
89. FORREST GUMP (1994):
I love this movie! The character of Forrest Gump is so fascinating! He has so much innocence! He has such a big heart! I also love how he gets involved with a lot of major historical events through civil rights, The Vietnam War, etc. As a history nerd, I really enjoy that! Watching him get involved with Vietnam developing a friendship with Mykelti Williamson's Bubba is always great to watch! Watching him meet several United States Presidents like John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon is entertaing. I love when he tells JFK he has to go pee after drinking about 15 Dr. Peppers. I am glad that Tom Hanks won an Oscar for this movie! He did such a great job in the role, and Hanks is one of my favorite actors of all time! His interactions with Robin Wright's Jenny are always great scenes! He always tries to rescue her and sees the good in her despite the drug use and questionable events she gets involved with. His partnership with Lieutenant Dan when they become shrimp boat captains is one of my favorite scenes. Hanks and Gary Sinise have great chemistry and every time they unload the shrimp nets, I clamor for shrimp scampi or shrimp cocktail! I've eaten at Bubba Gump before and it's actually pretty decent. You get to play trivia from the movie, which is awesome and the menu of course features several seafood items. You can also see a ping pong racket signed by Tom Hanks. For a film nerd like me, you appreciate the little things! Forrest Gump is one of my favorite male characters in movie history! The different scenes taking place throughout his life as a kid, teenager, and an adult all add to the incredible character. Different scenes of him rescuing people physically and emotionally display a genuine good character! You feel good watching this movie! You definitely feel moments of sadness as well, but the Forrest Gump character always finds a way to keep you smiling. In many ways, Forrest is a truly inspirational character that helps us escape from so much negativity in the world! Forrest Gump is one of the most iconic movies in cinematic history and deserves high praise as it still stands as a beacon of hope and truth for society as a whole! Hanks is a genuinely good person as well, so it makes the Forrest Gump character that much more believable! Forrest Gump's journey through his life is one of the most exciting cinematic journeys of any character!
88. GONE GIRL (2014):
David Fincher created a masterpiece with this adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel! Flynn's story combined with Fincher's directing, as well as the incredible cast creates an amazing movie experience! The movie is absolutely amazing! It's dark, intense, and filled with great performances! The dark nature of this movie really pulls audiences in. The actors really did well shaping their characters. The basic premise of the movie follows a man named Nick Dunne. His wife Amy Dunne goes missing. The movie takes you on a crazy, haunting journey from there. Gone Girl is split into two stories, which really keeps the story flowing. You're following two different character perspectives. You're looking at two different character's journeys within the current situation. I loved the mystery and intrigue of the story, the mind games between Amy & Nick, as well as the amazing twists that occur throughout the movie. Ben Affleck was excellent as Nick Dunne. His performances over the last few years have especially shown that he is a fantastic actor. While Affleck is great, the performance that that captivates me the most here is Rosamund Pike's work as Amy Dunne! She's such a great femme fatale character. Pike really took the femme fatale persona to a whole new level here. She is so dark and twisted. Many of my favorite scenes involve her. Pike is epic, awesome, insanely good (description is on purpose), It still bothers me that she didn't win the Oscar for her phenomenal performance here! It's really one of the better performances in recent years for sure. I also really like Margo Dunne, Nick's twin sister. Carrie Coon was great providing some of the best lines in the movie. Audiences loved her at the side of her brother throughout the entire ordeal. She gave a performance showing how petrified she is for her brother, but at the same time showing how strong she is fighting to show her brother is a good guy. Nick really isn't a good guy, but Margo is there for him. She's his family. Two other notable performances here are Neil Patrick Harris as the wealthy Desi Collings (nice back story with him). In fact, I would say the most awesome scene of the movie involves him! The scene I'm referring to is so intense-the camera work, the music, and acting performances made it work so well. The other performance I actually liked which initially shocked me when I first saw it was Tyler Perry's Tanner Bolt. He was a fun lawyer character helping Nick and Margo on their journey. The movie is this huge dramatic ordeal that also turns into a darker comedy at the same time. I love that aspect of this movie a great deal! The movie itself, the acting performances, Fincher's directing, Flynn's script, and a phenomenal score all worked together to create something truly great!
87. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988):
This is one of the most entertaining movies ever balancing animation and live action! I always found it interesting watching real life people interact with the cartoon characters in this movie. The concept is interesting and makes for a great movie with so many elements. You have a great detective mystery reminiscent of old time Hollywood movies in the 1940's, which is apropos as this takes place in Hollywood, California in 1947. You also have corporate corruption of Judge Doom with the Cloverlead/Red Car storyline, as well as the feud between R.K. Maroon & Marvin Acme. Lastly, you have Eddie Valiant's journey to find joy in a world that's seemingly taken that all away from him. Charles Fleischer entertains from the beginning credits to the end credits with his zany accent, hyper personality, and sarcastic, well delivered comedic lines as Roger Rabbit throughout this movie. The look of Roger is a great mix of Walt Disney animation as well as Warner Brother's Looney Tunes cartoons in terms of appearance, colors, and clothing. Roger Rabbit is a big reason why movies are so much fun. He's a larger than life personality that entertains people of all ages from young kids to older adults. My favorite part of this movie is definitely the beautiful femme fatale red head, Jessica Rabbit! I think the look of this character is absolutely iconic. This movie made us think animated characters are some of the most beautiful women in the world. I mean, yes, she's animated, but she's an absolute goddess. I love how the movie sold how much she has an effect on both cartoon characters and human beings. It shows how influential, charismatic, and intelligent the character is. Jessica's initial entrance in the Ink & Paint club is one of the most impressive introductions to a character ever as she sults in with that glittery red dress, the purple gloves, and the voluptuous figure. Kathleen Turner adding that sultry voice to her made the character a big deal. I love watching her protect her husband, Roger, while dealing with Maroon & Acme, as well as interacting with Valiant. Bob Hoskins is fantastic as Eddie Valiant. His dislike for toons is well founded, but through Roger's antics and need to bond with somebody, Valiant finds why he loves being a detective in the first place. Hoskins being able to interact so well with a character that's seemingly not there when you think about says something about how good this actor is. Hoskins voice and accent mixed with Roger's was a great pairing. Christopher Lloyd is extremely creepy and terrifying as Judge Doom. You can tell Lloyd loved playing the antagonist here. The long black cloak, the glasses, and the cane was an intimidating sight. The revelation of who he is connects all the storylines well in the final act. The whole Dip scenario would be horrifying as Judge Doom is basically planning to erase a whole town and group of people to make way for his "lame freeway idea." There's little things that make this fun throughout like the Frank Sinatra singing sword, cartoon characters from rival companies sharing screen time like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny or the great dueling pianos scene with Donald Duck and Daffy Duck, little details in the dialogue between Roger and Eddie, Jessica's quirks, Judge Doom's scary presence, and witty remarks that make the dialogue clever and have audiences smiling in approval. It's a fun adventure to save Toon Town, preserve old era Hollywood, and finding yourself again amidst terrible loss. This movie makes us realize that movies are an important medium as entertainment and means of escape from a sometimes negative world is necessary, and Roger Rabbit has all the ingredients to ensure that we're entertained 100%!
86. DICK TRACY (1990):
I have always had a great liking for this movie! It's the very first movie I saw in theaters at five years old in the theater! I was fascinated by this bright, colorful landscape and larger than life characters! Watching it when I was younger that's what caught my eye and kept it memorable in my head. Over the years, I've seen it multiple times and came to appreciate the crime story of gangster warfare between Big Boy Caprice & Lips Manlis, as well as one of the best male protagonists you'll find in a movie! Warren Beatty is phenomenal as Dick Tracy! He fits so well into the role of Dick Tracy! He does everything by the book, and exemplifies the word good in so many ways. I love the bright yellow colors he's always decked in. It makes him stand out in a dark world of crime. He's doing everything to clean it up! What an incredible detective! You believe in his city, because he is a beacon of light and justice. The yellow hue helps to define that. I think Al Pacino is extremely entertaining as Big Boy Caprice. I didn't realize that Pacino actually played him until I was in my 20's, and seeing as Pacino is one of my favorite actors of all time, it made me appreciate the movie that much more when I realized it! His over the top personality and amazing charisma really makes him an awesome antagonist! I don't really dislike this antagonist despite a lot of the criminal activities he's involved with. Pacino just makes the character so fun and, honestly, easy to like despite his role as the villain. I love his red and green hues. Red represents the blood he spills to stake his claim at the top of the heap. Green represents his greed for more money. I definitely think he's supposed to be Al Capone, while Beatty's Tracy is an Eliot Ness type role. I think William Forsythe's Flattop is somebody who always sticks out as well with his blue hues, and loyalty to Big Boy. Honestly, if he wanted to, Flattop could easily be the leader of organized crime. The guy is definitely cunning enough. Charlie Korsmo gives a great young actor performance as The Kid. I love watching his bond with Beatty's Tracy grow throughout the movie. We also see how The Kid has good morals as he pals around with Tracy. I like how Tracy also helps The Kid out throughout the movie and doesn't leave him to fend for himself in a dangerous world. Madonna is actually pretty good as Breathless Mahoney. Her purple hue, seductress role, and the twist of who else she is here is great to watch! She does well as a seductress towards Tracy, I thought her and Beatty had good chemistry. Glenne Headley is likable as Tess Trueheart. I like how dedicated Tracy is to his job, but by the end he also realizes how important Tess is to him making him a well rounded hero. The old Hollywood shootout scenes are really awesome to see! It sells the mythos of the comic strip Dick Tracy originated in. The characters make-up and clothing designs are some of the best you'll find in a movie. Danny Elfman's score is fantastic. A larger than life protagonist in Warren Beatty's performance, great antagonist performance by Al Pacino, entertaining action scenes, incredible use of color, solid page to screen adaptation, and overall excitement value make this one that always will stay with me as a reason why I love movies so much! The only thing I try to block out is Lips Manlis eating clams. Nobody really wants to see that sight!
85. JURASSIC PARK (1993):
I saw this movie for the first time in 1993 when it came out in theaters with a family friend I've known since pre-school. I remember making a Lego version of the Ingen lab. I always thought the concept of the film based on Michael Crichton's book was phenomenal. The cast is great here, particularly Jeff Goldblum's work as Ian Malcolm. He has most of the best lines of the movie as the wise-cracking, but intelligent chaos theory scientist. Sam Neill is the movie's primary protagonist as Alan Grant. While he's primarily an archaeologist digging up fossils, in the second half of this movie he serves as a protector for Lexi and Tim. I like how he changes over the course of the movie as he's navigating these kids through the park, and protecting them at all costs. He grows to form a bond with these kids and seems to change his stance on kids from the beginning, which was a negative viewpoint overall. This was great character development with him. Ian and Alan are two of the better male movie characters you'll find. They're both protagonists, but very different personalities which is always great to see. The best scene is when the Tyrannosaurus Rex shows up for the first time in the pouring rain. The details put into the dinosaur animatronic are always amazing. They used the same creature effects that created the giant King Kong effects in the fantastic Kongfrontation ride that used to be in Universal Studios in Orlando. The cool roar and intimidating presence made moviegoers of all generations look in awe as this scene unfolds. Those animatronic effects made things feel more real than typical CGI. CGI was used well here as well, though. I think one of the most incredible moments of emotion in this movis is when Alan turns his head, stands up cautiously, fumbles with his sunglasses, and looks in amazement when he sees the Brachiasaurus walk into the frame for the first time. It's just a beautiful site, especially for a man dedicated to finding the bones of these animals. I loved Laura Dern's reaction to it as well. It really felt like the animal was really there the way they both sold it. I like the stories broken down into the dinosaur aspect of the park, Alan literally evolving over the course of the movie into a better person, and Richard Attenborough's John Hammond's greed getting the best of him (at times, he was too blind to see it, but eventually realizes through death and destruction that maybe everybody is right), The velociraptor attacks are incredible movie moments. They create incredible tension, and firmly establish the raptor as the antagonist...even though, they're carnivores and hunting is what they do. It's their nature-accept it! The raptor designs are very cool-intimidating, the big claw on their toes, insane intelligence, extremely fast. Lexi and Tim trying to evade them in the kitchen and through the visitor's center are great action scenes. The T-Rex essentially becomes a hero of the movie saving the humans from the raptors. The T-Rex is the King of the Dinosaurs afterall. That shot of the T-Rex roaring with the banner: When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth falling behind him as the fossil skeletons break is one of the coolest shots in any movie. This is definitely a classic movie and it will stand the test of time. Introducing new generations to this movie is a great idea and kids will like it just as much as our generation did when we first saw it. The idea of human beings and dinosaurs co-existing is a decent plot in itself. Steven Spielberg did a tremendous job bringing this amazing world to the screen!
84. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991):
James Cameron really helped redefine how good the action genre can be with this movie! With incredible action sequences and a fantastic story, this movie proved that a sequel can be as good as, or in this case, even better than the original movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger's performance as the T-1000 is one of the most iconic male movie performances of all time! I've always been a fan of Schwarzenegger's work, and I think this is definitely his best. He is the ultimate hero in this movie protecting John Connor, and battling Robert Patrick's T-800 at all costs. I honestly don't think any other actor in the action genre at the time could have made this character as amazing as Schwarzenegger did. I love watching him balance being a machine while trying to pass as a human being. James Cameron has always been good at creating strong female characters with his projects, and, Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor is one of this best. Hamilton is so bad ass and hellbent on protecting John at all cost and preventing Judgment Day on August 29, 1997. She was fantastic in every scene! The prison scenes with her show how good Hamilton really is in this role! She's physically (she's in amazing shape here) and emotionally (she was so in the mindset of this character that you believed this was a real person) focused in this role, and really made it her own. I think Hamilton also shows that in the era where it was mostly male action heroes, that females can be just as bad ass, and in many instances she really takes it to the T-800 just as much as the T-1000. This is also Edward Furlong's first role, and he was great as John Connor. You already see signs of the resistance leader he'll be in this movie in terms of giving commands, thinking of solutions on his feet, and being adept at countering technology for his benefit. His chemistry with Schwarzenegger was amazing! Their bond felt real. I liked watching them become friends. It also shows that even though there's a war with machines coming, that not all of them are an issue. Cyberdyne is such a looming threat in this movie! Cameron is so good at presenting that throughout the movie! There's so many great scenes, but I think my favorite one is the big freeway chase with Schwarzenegger and Furlong on the motorcycle battling Patrick in the semi-truck! It's a fantastic chase sequences, and the explosives and motorcycle sound effects blend so well! I also love Arnold flipping the shotgun before he fires it. It's such a cool visual to set up the next big spark in the battle. Other scenes like the rescue at Pescadero State Hospital, the Cyberdyne stand-off, and the final battle at the plant are all really well done scenes that demonstrate fantastic action, but really help elevate the plot in a big way, which is just as important. This movie has great emotion as well. I think when the T-1000 realizes he has to be destroyed to save mankind, even Sarah doesn't want that for John's sake. When Sarah lowers him into the lava below and the music starts playing louder, it creates a great send-off for Schwarzenegger's character. John crying as he slowly disappears actually gets to me, too. We've followed him as he's done nothing but good this whole movie for Sarah and John, and we don't want to see him go. We realize it's the best thing, though, in order to save humanity as a whole. That thumbs up before he shuts down makes me smile at how cool this character is, and it's almost like a sign that evetything's going to be okay to Sarah, John, and the audience! This movie has some of the best visual effects! The make-up designs for Arnold when his human face and machine face are exposed at the same time was so believable. The steel with the glowing red eyes, and Arnold's face makes you realize how cool movie magic is. I think it's one of the best uses of make-up ever. It looks natural, and it really changed the game for complex make-up designs. I also think the score is one of the best instrumental themes you'll find in a movie! With fantastic writing and directing, incredible action sequences, a brilliant plot, three stand-out lead performances by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and Edward Furlong, and great visual effects, this is an example of how good the action genre can be! It's one of the most impressive, iconic, and inspirational movies of all time!
83. DEATH PROOF (2007):
I have always found this movie to be extremely underrated! Quentin Tarantino's camera work here is incredible harking back to 1970's B movies in terms of grainy film. I love that this movie primarily revolves around groups of unique women of different cultures, races, and personalities. I think Kurt Russell plays one of the best antagonists you'll find in movies as Stnntman Mike! He's such a sleazy, calculating, manipulative horror of a human being./His look to the camera at times just makes you want to punch him. Russell was so good at making this character just grotesque in so many ways in both physical and mental ways. He has these scars on his face, and his mind is just psychotic. I love the girls in this movie. Their dialogue scenes are so entertaining discussing a variety of topics from sex to working on movie sets to being women in general! It's such insightful dialogue into the minds of women, and how charismatic they are. I think Sydney Poitier who plays Jungle Julia is an absolute goddess in this-love her sassy attitude, and her delivery of lines has so much cool bravado to it. She's so sexy throughout her scenes in this movie. You just want to sit next to her and have a conversation, because she's so cool to talk to. Vanessa Ferlito has that tough New York girl exterior as, and looks great as Arlene. She's a strong, independent woman (as all these girls really are, which is awesome to see-Tarantino makes good female characters in a lot of his movies, IMO). Her lap dance scene with Kurt Russell is extremely awesome to watch in terms of how Tarantino shot it, and the use of music throughout to the dance. It synced up so well with it, and Ferlito looks amazing the whole time! Tracie Thoms was absolutely hilarious and charismatic as Kim-such a loud mouthed fun person that really knows how to tell a story. Her delivery of her lines felt like she was having a natural conversation. Zoe Bell is always bad ass, and I love watching her show off how cool she is with stunts throughout here. Rosario Dawson is fantastic as Abernathy-such a fun, sassy girl that doesn't take anything from her friends. Her chemistry with Thoms and Bell was so natural-they felt like good friends. All the conversations have such well written dialogue. I'm so into everything these girls are talking about, and all of it just feels natural. I love the car sequences. The murder scene of Rose McGowan's Pam is so gritty and visceral with great use of the crimson liquid. The maniacal laughter and sinister grin by Russell just makes it that much better as a scene. I also love the head on collision scene with Jungle Julia's girls and Stuntman Mike. Hold Tight blaring through the stereo with Jungle Julia flipping her hair and banging her head, Arlene relaxing, etc. with the cars revving closer to each other at a quick pace is amazing use of film. The quick paced violence that occurs in the collision is shot well, and displays how despicable Stuntman Mike really is. The car chase with Kim and Stuntman Mike is 20 minutes of fantastic road action. The camera follows behind as the cars go through rolls, and the cast sells the effects of bumping into each other, and the effect of different terrain. Mike just laughing at everything is fantastic, because he just doesn't care about hurting these girls. Those last two minutes are some of the best moments you'll find in a movie. The girls getting sweet, bloody revenge on Mike is so satisfying and bad ass with bare knuckled punches amongst other things. It's exactly what we want to see happen to Russell's character as he's made us hate him so much for his brutality towards women, and the women uniting together to take him down is so awesome to watch! Through incredible writing, great dialogue driven scenes, an awesome soundtrack, an incredible antagonist performance by Kurt Russell, and three unique groups of women that are all extremely cool, sexy, and bad ass we see a truly underrated piece of cinema that deserves more watches and respect.
82. JACKIE BROWN (1997):
This is a fantastic crime noir movie with incredible writing and a fantastic cast. It's such an underrated movie just based on performances alones.Pam Grier's performance as Jackie Brown is one of the best female performances you'll find. She's such a well layered character. She's legitimately cool, sassy, gorgeous, and intelligent. She's always thinking one step ahead of everybody she's involved with whether it's Ordell Robbie, the ATF, or even Max Cherry. Grier dictates the pace of this movie, and she does such an amazing job navigating through complex situations in Los Angeles! Grier's acting is impeccable! We're so into the character because watching her weave her web is so intriguing. Quentin Tarantino created one of cinema's strongest female protagonists in this movie. She's making alliances, planning her moves, and showing how clever she is at all times. Samuel L. Jackson is a fantastic antagonist as Ordell Robbie! He's very intimidating, because his actions of what he might do to somebody that threatens his illegal activities is unpredictable. It's great to watch, because as an audience you want to see how he'll react next. This is some of Jackson's finest work. His look here is interesting. The long hair look somehow worked here for Jackson's cool demeanor throughout the movie. His dialogue scenes with Grier, Chris Tucker, and Robert DeNiro show how great he is adapting to everybody's acting styles. Robert Forster was excellent as Max Cherry. This is his best performance as the bail bondsman who seemingly knows the relationship between all the characters including Jackie and Ordell's initial arrangement, and Jackie's meetings with the ATF. He's always very calm which is really awesome to watch. He just takes this character that could otherwise be boring in a movie, and makes it such an intriguing part of the movie. His chemistry with Grier was phenomenal. They felt like close friends with a hint of romantic vibes lingering between them. You can tell Forster's Cherry definitely empathizes with Jackie. He does everything he can to help her through her ordeal. I like that Jackie can ultimately trust him as well. Michael Keaton is also really well casted as ATF agent, Ray Nicollete. Keaton always has this insane charisma to him, and every time he's on the screen here you see it just by the way he sits in a chair. I love that objects like chairs, desks, etc. somehow become a character in Tarantino's movie. They add to the emotion of the moment, and actually sell a character's emotions in some instances. It's quite impressive. One of my favorite aspects of this movie is showing the different perspectives of the money drop from Jackie, Louis (played brilliantly by Robert DeNiro), and Max. We get a little more of the whole picture from each of these vantage points. The different dialogue scenes and personality shifts is great. It also shows the ingenuity of Jackie's intellect. I love watching her play tricks with Ordell. She's definitely not somebody to mess with, and her suave demeanor is always on display. Even in the face of danger, there isn't a hair out of place, because she's so bad ass! Watching Tarantino's characters talk in a movie are always some of the most exciting conversations. They can be about random things about music like the Delfonics which becomes a huge part of selling the story with Jackie & Max. Tarantino loves telling stories on screen, and with Jackie Brown, he did a fantastic job adapting Rum Punch and making it something special. IMO, Pam Grier should have been nominated for and won for Best Actress for this movie. She is fantastic in this. It's a performance everybody should watch if they want to see a female character at it's absolute best! Great work by everybody involved here all led by the incredible performance of Pam Grier, solid performances by Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Forster, great dialogue scenes, intriguing crime scenes unfolding, and an overall fantastic movie showing how well stories can be told on screen!
81. INTERSTELLAR (2014):
This is a highly complex movie that makes me appreciate it even more! It tackles the mysteries of time and space as well as giving audiences a deep study into the core of humanity: emotions, what makes us who we are, why we do what we do, etc. The plot revolves around Earth becoming a planet that will not be able to sustain future generations within the next 25 years or so. The mission is to find a sustainable planet for future generations to survive. What evolves from this is one of the most intricate, intriguing, and impressive movies you'll find. It's truly a modern epic! We are explorers by nature. This movie shows us how we do that physically and emotionally. The cast is physically exploring the vastness of space, while at the same time the characters are exploring the unpredictable and intricate nature of their humanity. It's really a great parallel throughout! This has a fantastic ensemble cast. Matthew McConaughey was the perfect casting that has to make the sacrifices not only for himself, but for his family as well. He showed the deep flaws of man as well as displaying the fact that he can definitely act. He really filled the role of what Cooper was all about. He really had a great understanding of what this movie was about, and he showed it with his performance. It's also great seeing one of my all time favorite actresses, Anne Hathaway, involved in this huge project. She's an incredible actress, and has been since she was the Princess of Genovia. Brand is gorgeous, intelligent, and did great showing a woman completely devoted to her father and the vast mission they're embarking on. At the same time, the revelations of everything happening really shows how great she is at selling intense emotion! I think Matt Damon's Dr. Mann is excellent. He did really well displaying the effects of space dementia, as well as how much his humanity was affected as a result of being in space for an elongated period of time. The movie really revolves around Murph. Both Jessica Chastain and Mackenzie Foy were incredible portraying this character that is always concerned with discovery in some way. Between the two performances, Murph is able to piece together so many of the mysteries of the movie. I love the cuts between Chastain and Foy. Foy's facial expressions and selling of momentary decisions is perfect. Her bond with McConaughey was established early on and we see that evolve, and it continues to be echoed through Chastain's incredible performance. Nobody quite knows the limitations of space travel, just like we don't know our own limitations. Christopher Nolan never keeps the two entities separate. You could see how both themes were intertwined throughout the movie. The huge twist that tied so many things together had me going from enjoying this movie to absolutely loving it! I literally sit on the edge of my seat every time it comes. I really like the complexity of it and how humanity, space, seem to converge in one point here. It is simply brilliant! The score is absolutely amazing! The music gives the movie even more of a pulse. If you really listen to it, it sounds like you're listening to a clock ticking by seconds, and this movie celebrates how precious time really is. The music crescendos at the perfect at the perfect time, and each note matters. Not only are you witnessing incredible performances throughout this movie, but you're watching an amazing story explode in front of you. While I knew there there had to be a connection to certain events in the movie, the journey and initial moment of revelation are just so well done! This movie has incredible performances, especially by McConaughey, Hathaway, Chastain, and Foy, a highly interesting and complex story involving space, time, and humanity, a beautiful score that becomes a living, breathing character in it's own way, and cinema at it's absolute best!
80. PARASITE (2019):
Director and writer Bong Joon Won created a fantastic character study movie with important themes and commentary on the world. His visual look alone is so impressive! He created the upper class set from scratch! His color palettes and scenery between the upper and lower class homes had so much attention to detail, and essentially made non-living objects become an underlying pulse to the whole movie! There are so many intriguing themes-the dynamics between rich and poor, class warfare itself, plans in life, a fantastic look at South Korean culture, and an excellent cast! All the actors are South Korean, and everybody delivers a stellar performance from start to finish! The story focuses on two families, their lives, interactions, and so much more in between. I love the dialogue-it's all subtitled, but you can follow the story very easily! There's good storytelling throughout here. The charisma of the actors and actresses jumps off the screen at all times! There's some really intense moments as well increasing the dramatic effect of the movie! My favorite performances in this are So-Dam Park's Kim Ki-Jung (such a smart, fun, cerebral character), Yeo-Jeong Ho's Park Yeon-Kyo (very high strung, stressed, but her energy and affection caring for her family is amazing), Woo Sik-Choi's Kim Ki-Woo (overall, he's the main character, and ultimately he's the barrier between both families), and Kang Ho-Sun's Kim Kai-Tek (the patriarch of one of the families). The women in this movie are absolutely gorgeous! The elegance of Asian women is amazing! The movie combines great drama, well placed comedic moments, amazing family dynamics, good storytelling and writing, fantastic directing, and an incredible cast making these characters stand out in a big way! Parasite is why I love movies! It's thought provoking, and will stay with you, because it's that impressive! Very impactful! Very good cinema!
79. BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985):
This movie really helped make science fiction an even cooler genre in entertainment. It had been around for years, but they were mostly B movies that people didn't really accept in the mainstream. This is a movie that became popular with kids and adults for it's time travel elements, and Michael J. Fox's likable protagonist as Marty McFly. I admittedly didn't see this movie until I went to college. I was instantly fascinated the first time I saw it. I loved the DeLorean's look and the effects to make time travel believable. I love Christopher Lloyd's zany antics as Doc Brown. Lloyd has incredible charisma in this movie. He definitely portrayed him as a mad scientist in many ways, and he had fun with it as all audiences can tell. His chemistry with a career defining performance for Fox was impeccable. They worked well together. Their dialogue was fun, and I felt like they definitely got along off camera as well on camera. Lea Thompson and Crispin Glover are fantastic as Marty's parents, Lorraine and George. I love watching Marty in 1955 interacting with his parents, like the scene with Marty in Lorraine's bedroom as he feels extremely uncomfortable for obvious reasons. Thompson and Fox had good repartee in this scene. I thought Glover's awkward, nerdy personality was excellent. Thomas F. Wilson is always great as Biff. Wilson portrays a perfect film antagonist. We just want to see him get punched in the face. Watching Marty try to navigate through 1955 to get his parents to become a couple is really cool to watch. Imagine being able to go back in time to be a part of the process of your parents meeting for the first time. It's a very intriguing concept, and Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis did great with it. My favorite scenes are at the Enchantment Under The Sea dance. Watching Marty's plan work in an unpredictable way really makes the scene great with George ultimately decking Biff and rescuing Lorraine, followed by their first kiss on the dance floor as Marvin Berry sings Earth Angel, and Marty comes back into full existenece. It's an incredible sequence of science fiction and movie storytelling done right. Fox playing Johnny B. Goode is always a highlight as well. He does a great job with the guitar playing and displaying some great stage presence as he plays. I like that each interaction and second of his time in 1955 ultimately changes the course for a lot that happens in the present in 1985 for him. The music is phenomenal as I think the main instrumental theme is one of the absolute best in movie history. I also like Huey Lewis and The News providing some of the songs like Power Of Love and Back In Time to the soundtrack helping sell the tone and mood of the movie. There's incredible science fiction elements with the fantastic time travel sequences at the Twin Pines Mall and, of course the iconic clock tower scene, a great protagonist in Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly, an entertaining performance no matter what he's doing on screen in Christopher Lloyd's Doc Brown, watching Lorraine and George become a couple through Marty's influence and other factors (meaning it really is destiny), great use of comedy, and great set designs as well as great writing make this a truly iconic movie. It's a feel good movie that helps us appreciate the medium even more.
78. PLEASANTVILLE (1998):
This is one of the most amazing movies I've seen! I am completely fascinated with the storyline of this movie of things moving from the conventional, "normal" black and white era to the more modern, "chaotic" colorful era. It's a movie that explores the rebel in all of us as well as the curiosity of how society really functions. This gives us a good example of civil rights, as well as society in two different eras: the 1950's and the 1990's. My favorite part of the movie is Joan Allen's Betty. She wants to be an independent woman, and with Jennifer/Mary Sue's help she will explore this physically and emotionally. I also love how David/Bud helps Jeff Daniels Mr. Johnson break tradition and helps him explore the importance and intrigue of the artistic world. He helps him to see how you can approach things a different way rather than the same way the whole time such as preparing the soda shop for the day's intake. I love watching how David and Jennifer's influence completely transforms the town, as each small item from one red rose to the whole town grows into a beautiful spectrum of color! There's such a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors here to be impressed by! For David and Jennifer, I like how they change colors based on the opposite of who they were when they arrived in Pleasantville! When David gets angry and runs to the defense of Betty as well as protecting Margaret, this is when we see him change as opposed to his timid, defenseless version of him earlier on. I see David as the leader of the new movement in Pleasantville society. I love how Jennifer changes her promiscuous ways and becomes more of a "good" girl and becomes color because she embraces that there's more to her than getting boys and acting like an airhead, realizing her mind can get her far. I like the painting that David & Mr. Johnson paint on the side of the soda shop in terms of color, messages, and showing the divide between ideologies. In the painting the portray books like Catcher in the Rye and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn-which are two books widely banned in the United States (or, at least they used to be). I also like the portrayal of old time rock and roll as a new music medium that the youth of the town is intrigued by. In the 1950's, it was considered the Devil's music, and the older generation viewpoint is presented to balance out both sides. I love when David plugs in the jukebox in and says they can do whatever they want. David presents that this new music and reading sre two things that give the youth of Pleasantville ideas and the chance to move outside of the town bubble. It didn't matter what was written on that decree-they weren't wrong, and David and Jennifer are going to show everybody. The courtroom scene where David and Mr. Johnson are put on trial for disturbing a town of a pleasant nature was a really nice visual resembling To Kill A Mockingbird. The acting in this movie is great. I feel this is some of Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon's best work. For me, it's both of their breakout roles, although, you can argue other movies are. I think they really felt how important their roles were and the passion in their performances was evident throughout. Maguire did well as the rebel leader of the youth, while Witherspoon did well as she becomes more of a conformist than a rebel, but was still rebellious in her own way. At the same time, both are discovering who they really are while in Pleasantville. Great work by both of them! Maguire and Witherspoon really started growing into their acting skin here, and along with Joan Allen, William H. Macy, Jeff Daniels portraying great characters this incredible cast was able to create compelling roles. There's great dialogue, phenomenal scenes, excellent themes, brilliant use of color, and a fantastic soundtrack make this underrated movie a definite favorite of mine.
77. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, & THE WARDROBE (2005):
I was first introduced to the world of Narnia in 5th grade when we read the book as part of our reading unit, and instantly became fascinated by it. It's still one of my favorite books. I always liked the animated movie a great deal, and always was hoping for a good live action version. Luckily, we saw that happen in 2005. I think this is a fantastic movie adaptation of a great book! C.S. Lewis's words and characters were presented so well on the screen. I think that Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Mosely, and Anna Popplewell all were great representations of the Pevensie quartet. Mosely presented a brave leader, Popplewell was great as the logical thinker, Keynes was great as the bratty, yet misunderstood Edmund, while Henley stole the show as Lucy with her youth and exuberance, and passion for imagination and adventure. The four blended well together and felt like real life siblings. Tilda Swinton is excellent as Jadis, The White Witch. She's cold, calculating, and methodical. Her outfits and look matched with her voice and demeanor made her a memorable antagonist. I really like the White Witch character as she is able to show many different sides of her personality to maintain control in Narnia. Liam Neeson was an excellent choice for Aslan! His voice matched the regal, yet tough exterior of the great lion. His first appearance is one of awe, and the cast sells it well. James McAvoy is one of the best actors, and we see it here as Mr. Tumnus-one of his first big acting roles. He had great chemistry with Henley's Lucy, and also presented somebody that captured the essence of Tumnus well. The visuals are fantastic, especially for the winter wonderland of Narnia, the look of Aslan and Jadis, the costume design, and, the brilliance of the Stone Table and battle scenes. The battle is beautifully shot with great color and artistic swordplay, as well as wondrous mythical creatures. Aslan and Jadis represent so much of what good and evil represent in animal and human form. I love their rivalry. I love the symbol of hope that the four Pevensie children represent for humanity and Narnia. The writing and directing is fantastic. The soundtrack is excellent-amazing score throughout that matches the mood of the scenes well. The cast all know their roles well either from reading the book or extensive notes, and it's noticeable in their exceptional performances. This is a movie I can always appreciate as it not only takes me back to childhood, but it also perfectly blends storytelling, family dynamics, incredible action sequences, and larger than life protagonists and antagonists! It also celebrates the importance of imagination and how you should always hold on to it no matter how young or old you are!
76. THE SHINING (1980):
This is an iconic movie that fits perfectly into two genres: horror and psychological thriller! Stanley Kubrick created an artistic horror piece here that transcends the genre and makes the audience think about what they're watching. He's a fantastic director in general always caring about attention to detail. It's a tremendous character study of a man descending further into madness due to isolation and bleakness. Jack Nicholson was the perfect casting choice for the role of Jack Torrance. I think he's absolutely amazing in terms of showing a drastic change from when we first meet him in that interview with his calm demeanor into the maniac he devolves into. Nicholson's facial expressions and voice tone mirrored his physical and mental psyche perfectly. Watching Nicholson just walk around the Overlook Hotel shows how charismatic this man is. I think this is a performance that deserved to win an Oscar. It's one of the best male performances you'll find. Watching Nicholson in the bar scene with Lloyd and in the bathroom scene with Grady are two of the most impressive dialogues you'll find in a movie. They are simple conversations about alcohol as well as the history of the Overlook and it's guests, but the intrigue in the delivery of the conversations and the subtle changes in tone from Jack, Lloyd, and Grady are impressive. I think while this movie has good jump scares (I mean, we all freak out at the sight of the old woman in Room 237, and if you don't, you're basically fearless), it relies more on symbolic imagery to further the story. While Kubrick does veer from Stephen King's book, I believe the movie stands on it's own as an amazing piece of artistic expression, and should be commended as such. I like that Kubrick took King's interpretation and made it his own vision, and, it's definitely worked for movie fans for 40 years. I think Shelley Duvall deserves more accolade for her work as Wendy Torrance. While Nicholson is definitely the show stealer in every scene he's in, you have to commend Duvall's amazing performance of showing fear as Jack descends further into madness. Her selling of his changes physically and mentally present Jack in an even more sinister light. Duvall's look of shock and sheer terror is a brilliant performance, and it quite honestly one of the most underrated performances you'll find. I absolutely love the use of color in the movie. The red in the bathroom scene with Grady represents the discussion of "dealing with their families". The purple and green in Room 237 represents a nice facade of something visually stunning, but walk or look deeper in the room, and you'll see some shocking things. The floor and carpet designs are really intriguing in terms of patterns and darker shades of red and orange. As Jack transforms, we notice his outfit change from serene blue to intense red. The brightness of the gold room leads Jack to realize certain things about himself and the Overlook. The design of the Overlook Hotel is really cool. I love the staircases inside, and the exterior is unique much like the content of the movie. The hedge maze is amazing to look at. The different twists and turns mixed with the dark green is menacing, but beautiful at the same time, just like the movie. Watching Jack chase Danny through the hotel, dispose of Halloran with that axe right to the chest, and torment Wendy in a threatening manner display a man transforming into a feral beast. His limp almost makes it look like he's a werewolf on the prowl. Fantastic imagery! In the maze, his speech is almost transforming into growls and unintelligible ramblings. With an iconic performance by Jack Nicholson-one of the best character studies in movie history, an underrated performance by Shelley Duvall, fantastic imagery, use of color, intriguing dialogue that you need to pay attention to, a great interpretation of Stephen King's work, and some of the most memorable scenes you'll find not only in the horror genre, but the medium of cinema. Now crank Midnight (The Stars and You) and book your room at the Overlook Hotel! It seems like a HELL of a good time!
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