So 2015 hasn’t been the year in animation 2014 was (still in my Oscar reviews 2014 is one of my favorites). The thing that made 2014 cool was even the silly comedies were solid. But that’s a post for another day. Let’s talk about the films of 2015 so far. Song of the Sea (still best film I’ve seen in 2014) doesn’t count because it is technically a 2014 release.
Not a good movie by any stretch but not as bad as any of last years bad animated films. It’s the script and the uncreative song choices that sink this magical fairytale
Terrible voice performances and characters that don’t really make sense with a tired plot spoil decent animation from a book I’m told is quite clever. Basically ends up being a lame road trip movie. A real letdown.
A big letdown. All good parts were in trailer. The animation is fine and there are cute moments but it didn’t make me laugh which is a problem in a comedy. Also the adult humor I could do without
A pleasant surprise, pretty good animation for 5 mil budget, creative, some decent laughs. Some strange characters but I think a lot of that comes with my unfamiliarity with the series. Didn’t like the PG-13 elements and the story is predictable but overall entertaining.
Kind of forgettable but entertaining comedy for kids. The animation is pretty good and I did laugh a fair amount. A nice message about accepting people for who they are, not who you hope they’d be.
Completely nuts but I kind of liked that. If you’ve seen as many animated films as I have it is cool to see something weird and insane every now and then. The ad campaign was so deceiving because out of water segment is extremely brief. A lot of laughs and I loved the 2D animation. It’s not for everyone but I liked it.
Aardman is back with a lovely dialogue free offering about Shaun, a sheep, wanting a day off from the farm. It is funny and sweet with great stop motion animation. There were a few sections where the laughs are too spread out but over all a fun film for the entire family. Wish Aardman could figure out their distribution problems so more people would see their films.
An animated film for adults but not gratuitous about love, marriage, infidelity, honesty and heartbreak. It also has little to no dialogue but the Bill Plympton visuals are so absorbing. You feel like you know the couple and neither Jake or Ella is a villain but 2 people who failed to communicate their hearts.
A movie about a young girl’s journey through depression and self-loathing through her friendship with a mysterious girl named Marnie. It is beautiful, lush, vivid, and absorbing with an amazing soundtrack. It’s really a story about a family saving a little girl even when they have seemingly abandoned her through death. You have to accept a little magical realism for the story to work but I was willing to take that leap.
What can I say that I haven’t already said about this film? I’ve seen it 4 times in theaters and each time I am more in awe of the richness of the storytelling. What a bold film from Pete Docter and Pixar that captures the emptiness of depression and how important being sad can be. The story arc that we get from Joy is astonishing for a character that should be one note and predictable. Bing Bong is so original and heartfelt. And yet it still is really funny in segments. Just about a perfect movie IMO
At the beginning of the year I posted my ‘best of 2014‘ but at that point I hadn’t seen many films from 2014. Now that it is August I have gotten through most of the releases and my best of list has changed a bit. I still really like all of the films I picked but they have just moved to honorable mentions. Maleficent is still my worst of 2014. None of those have changed.
Here’s the new video I made with my updated top 11.
And most of these we’ve hashed out to death but feel free to put your comments below anyway. Just one gals opinion!
Now we are getting down to the cream of the crop. Pretty much all of these movies could be first place on this list because I love them all for different reasons. So, don’t get too caught up in the rankings from here on out. They are all most beloved to me. 🙂
20. Finding Nemo– A film that has it all- real heart, humor, gorgeous animation, amazing vocal performances and more. They manage to keep both storylines of Nemo’s world in the tank and Marlin hunting for his son with Dory equally engaging and fun. So many moments surprise me like the AA sharks. It’s probably Pixar’s most rewatchable film and being a lover of the water it is a total delight.
19. Tale of Princess Kaguya– A movie that grows on me each time I see it. I loved it on an initial watch but have seen it several times since and now I LOVE it. Parts that seemed a little slow now feel like poetry. It’s one of the most unique and visually stunning animated film I’ve ever seen and I love the way it uses music to tell the story. It’s a very Japanese story of a woman who chooses to be obedient to her father no matter the personal cost. At times it is quite tragic and the ending is intriguing.
18. Wall-e– Another movie that grows on me each time I see it. I just reviewed it in my Pixar series but I think it is just about perfect. I love the love story between Wall-e and Eva. I love the artistry of their space ballet. I love the message about hope and that anyone can be a hero.
17. 101 Dalmatians- My favorite movie from the sketch era with one Disney’s most iconic villains in Cruella Deville. What makes her so great is she has this insane plan of killing all these puppies. It’s not a boring motive like Radcliffe or Clayton who just want money. No she just wants a dalmatian coat. She is also powerful and nearly wins time and again. I love little moments of humor thrown in and the real tension that is developed in scenes like when they are loading the van. Small characters like Sergeant Tibbs are a total delight.
16. Incredibles– a unusual combination of a movie about work and a superhero story. Bob is not happy in his life because he isn’t doing what he is called to do. His unhappiness affects his marriage which is portrayed in such a realistic way that I think is great for kids to see. I love the messaging and the villain is very evil (again almost wins which makes him menacing). Great voice casting, terrific pacing and story. I wouldn’t change a thing.
15. Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh– A criminally underrated film that is viewed by many as a movie only for small children. Each of the 3 stories is sweet and layered with great voice casting. They say Elmo means love whenever he is on stage and I think Winnie the Pooh means childhood. He is simple and yet thoughtful with a never ending desire for honey. We get the dry narration which is so funny and the ending in this film is perfect. It makes me cry every time I watch it. ‘Will you ever forget me Pooh Bear”. Not me! I won’t forget you on this list! 🙂
14. My Friend Totoro- Perhaps Studio Ghibli’s most iconic film and for good reason. It is in many ways like Winnie the Pooh, the story of in this case 2 little girls with a sweet lovable friend, the wood spirit Totoro. Totoro flies the girls around and just wants to protect them from harm or negative influence. It’s so inventive and good-natured I don’t mind the simpler story. Like Ponyo it is a Studio Ghibli film you can watch with even your youngest children and they will love it. It’s an adorable movie.
13. Inside Out– Don’t cry recency bias I loved Inside Out. I’ve seen it twice and the layers of character development are amazing. What Joy goes through in her understanding of happiness and Riley in dealing with the emptiness of having neither sadness or joy is so engrossing. I love how the entire world is 11 with Imaginationland changing and morphing before them. I love the islands of personality and their connection to memories. I love the other emotions especially Anger and Fear and how funny they were. The ending is perfection when Riley’s parents see her as an emotional equal and they bond. What they were able to do with Bing Bong is remarkable. And it’s also very funny to boot.
12. Princess Mononoke- One of Miyasaki’s most ambitious works with a battle between the humans and the spirits of the forest. Princess Mononoke is torn between both sides of the battle and we feel it as viewers. All the characters are layered and interesting and it looks so beautiful. It’s brutal at times and even violent but one of the most original fairytales I’ve ever seen.
11. Tangled– Disney’s first romantic comedy is so well done. I love Flynn and Rapunzel’s relationship. I love Mother Gothel and I think the songs are great. It has probably Disney’s biggest plothole but I will forgive it. I love the lanterns and the artistry throughout. I saw it in 3D and it blew me away. Great side characters as well and just a terrific rewatchable movie with real heart and lovely message about finding a new dream.
40. Aladdin- I know for some people Aladdin would make their top 10 but I’ve never been as big a fan as most people even though I do like it (hey it made this list!). It’s a ton of fun with one of the most iconic performances in all of Disney. The Menken/Ashman/Rice songs are wonderful.39. Batman Mask of the Phantasm- vastly underrated superhero movie with terrific vocal performances. Actually my favorite batman movie. I think the animation is also underrated. Get it on blu-ray studio!
38. Persepolis- One of most unique animated films I’ve ever seen. About a girl growing up in the Iranian Revolution. It looks striking, with an extremely likable lead character and a story with a lot of layers of family, personal and political drama.37. Big Hero 6- I was really moved by the relationship of Hiro and Tadashi. A lovely film about grief and remembering those who have past on while also being a superhero movie with a diverse, funny group unlike any I’ve seen before. I love Baymax so much and SanFransokyo was so creative and beautiful.36. Snow White and 7 Dwarves- I realize this is a little out of sync with my Disney rankings but this where I felt it fit in this list. Snow White is not just great because it was first but it holds up remarkably well. It’s funny, sweet, scary and has great songs. I love how the Queen is the queen but it isn’t enough for her. She also has to be prettiest in the land.35. Iron Giant- A lovely animated story by Brad Bird about a boy in 1950s who finds a giant and has to keep it from the government. Love the animation, story, everything. 34. Mulan- Underrated Disney movie with a strong female heroine, good laughs, strong ensemble of characters, sweeping battle animation, great score and fun songs. Only weakness is lame boring villain. 33. Corpse Bride- a beautiful ghost story with haunting music and a visual style that I actually like even better than Nightmare Before Christmas. The story isn’t quite as layered or interesting and the characters not as good as Nightmare but I still love it. There is enough story of the unlikely match thrown together for me to love it. 32. Lion King- Another one I’m sure people will be upset having so low but I love Lion King. That’s why it beat out 18 other films. It’s epic, beautiful, heartfelt and has an amazing villain. Some of the pop elements, juvenile humor and way they handle Can You Feel Love Tonight I could do without. Still hugely satisfying engaging film about whether we take the easy way out or the tough one that we are destined for. It’s also some of Disney’s most glorious animation they ever did. 31. Dumbo- It depresses me that so many outside the animation community see Dumbo as a racist Disney movie. That or it is ‘too sad’. It has its perhaps questionable segments but at its core is a message about acceptance of people and their differences. The relationship between Timothy Q Mouse and Dumbo is sweet. The watercolor artwork is lovely capturing the bright colors of the circus. The elephants dream is weird and a delight. I love it! Here’s my video on this list:
The most prolific list site watchmojo.com came out today with their list of 10 Greatest Animators of All Time. It’s a pretty good list. If it was up to me I would have put Don Bluth on the list and maybe given an honorable mention to Ralph Bakshi, Patrick McHale, Glen Keane, Tomm Moore and Bill Plympton. That said it’s always tough to make a top 10 list (believe me I know) and good stuff always gets left behind. But Don Bluth? He’s so big and practically kept animation alive when Disney was struggling in the 80s.
What do you think? Who would you add or take away? I admit I am a little less familiar with a few of the modern TV animators like Genndy Tartakovsky but I am sure they are very talented.
So on my recent post debating the merits of CG vs Hand Drawn animation I made the bold statement ‘if I made a list of the most artistic animated movies close to half would be CG’. Well, it got me wondering and it turns out I lied. Only 4 out of my Top 20 Most Artistic Animated Films are CG but that’s not half bad given the medium has been around way less time.
To me each of these 20 films are artistic masterpieces and stunning however they are drawn or created. Art is completely subjective so I thought it would be kind of futile for me to try and explain what I think is beautiful or artistic. I will just let the images speak for themselves. If you haven’t seen any of these movies I highly recommend it.
Since again art is in the eye of the beholder please share with me your lists instead of merely critiquing mine (I mean what am I going to say ‘I think it is stunning and you don’t and there you have it).
My Top 20 Most Artistic Animated Films 20. Secret of Nimh
Happy April Fools! I’m honestly not a big fan of practical jokes but I do enjoy a good laugh. I thought given the day I would share with all of you 10 of my favorite comedies.
For these 10 I tried to pick all out comedies, not romantic comedies, dark comedies or movies like the Apartment that have comedic elements. These are roll on the ground, laugh out loud, make me laugh every time films. Humor is completely subjective (all films are but especially comedies) so these are just what I find most funny. You may not and that’s cool. Instead of just critiquing my list (easy to do) share with me your favorites and what makes you laugh.
1. Monty Python and the Holy Grail- Almost everyone I know thinks this is funny. There are so many jokes and the script is so well written. Some highlights are the Sir Bevedere and King Arthur debating about the witch, the knights that say ni, the black knight with no arms and legs screaming ‘Come on ya pansy!’, The Castle of Aaaauuuggghhhh (he must have died while carving it), “Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!”… So funny.
2. Napoleon Dynamite- A somewhat polarizing movie that some either think is hilarious or it drives them nuts. I’m in the hilarious camp. Maybe partly because everyone involved is from my alma mater (for the most part) and I really relate to the rural Idaho setting? Who knows? It’s so likable and has one of the most endearing lead characters in modern movies so I love it.
If you haven’t read my character profile on Napoleon please do. When you really think about it he has a sad life. They are obviously poor, his parents are nowhere to be seen, his brother and uncle are a mess, his grandma has just been injured and he get’s rejected by the girl he asks out. But you’d never know about it from watching Napoleon. He’s walking around, looking at things and happy with his life.
There are so many great lines like “I told you! I spent it with my uncle in Alaska hunting wolverines!”, “A liger…It’s pretty much my favorite animal. It’s like a lion and a tiger mixed”, “How was school? The worst day of my life, what do you think?”, “You know, there’s like a boat-load of gangs at this school. This one gang kept wanting me to join because I’m pretty good with a bo staff”, “No, but who would? I don’t even have any good skills…You know, like numchuk skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills… Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills.”
When he dances and shows the ultimate confidence it is hilarious and such a great victory.
3.It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World – The dream cast that will never be beat and the ultimate cat and mouse chase story that has every kind of humor. It’s a mad cap race to find the treasure and hilarious all the way through it. Jonathan Winters , Ethel Merman and Buddy Hackett are particular favorites.
It’s the kind of movie that could never be made today because the studios would be so lazy. Movies like New Years Eve, Movie 43, and Grown Ups figure all we have to do is have a bunch of famous people and it will get folks in the theater. They don’t have a good script or funny setups. It’s just disgusting crass and vulgar and not funny! It’s a Mad Mad World did it right.
4. What About Bob- What makes What About Bob one of the funniest movies ever made is it is a classic example of someone driving another human being nuts and being completely oblivious. Bob is having a great time. He’s happy as a clam, and he isn’t intentionally annoying, but just trying to be loving and his shrink’s biggest fan. But the shrink played by Richard Dryfuss lets one thing get to him and then another and another until it is this huge volcano. So often in life do we allow someone to get under our skin and they are completely unaware. That is funny and totally rings true. Bill Murray is so likable in the role and has an innocence that makes you root for him all the while he is making Dryfuss crazy.
It is so well written with great scenes like the dinner ‘um, this corn is delicious. Is this hand shucked?’ or “There are two types of people in this world: Those who like Neil Diamond, and those who don’t. My ex-wife loves him”. “It reminds me of my favorite poem, which is, “Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m a schizophrenic… and so am I!”
5. Clueless- My favorite comedy for many years. Based on Jane Austen’s Emma it tells the story of rich socialite Cher and her best friend Dion as they try to do a little matchmaking with their friends in high school. I love scenes like the Haitians and the dinner party or Cher’s description of her diet- “I feel like such a heifer. I had two bowls of Special K, 3 pieces of turkey bacon, a handful of popcorn, 5 peanut butter M&M’s and like 3 pieces of licorice”. Ha.
Almost every line of this movie makes me laugh and yes I think it is funnier than Mean Girls although that is also great. Amy Heckerling does such a brilliant job making Cher and Dion, who would be the mean girls, into likable endearing characters.
My favorite scene by far is when Dion ends up on the highway for the first time. I love his scene because I remember when a similar event actually happened to me in high school and I freaked out.
6. Better Off Dead- this is an admittedly stupid movie but it makes me laugh every time. It’s about this kid named Lane Meyers played by John Cusack who obsesses over his girlfriend. When she dumps him he doesn’t think it is worth living until he challenges her boyfriend to ski the K12.
The plot is really just an excuse for a lot of hilarious gags like the newspaper boy who menaces Lane for his $2, the taxi drivers who learned English from Howard Cossell, Lane’s stoner best friend who says ‘this is pure snow. Do you realize the street value of this stuff?’, his brother who collects coupons before the cereal is done, his neighbor who is teaching a foreign exchange student ‘the international language’, his mother who is such a bad cook it walks off the plate. It’s hilarious and I love it.
7. Bringing Up Baby- This movie starring Kathrine Hepburn and Cary Grant taking care of a Leopard named Baby is hilarious from start to finish. Grant is the uptight paleontoglist professor and Hepburn is a rich doner’s daughter who is a massive klutz. They have to transport this leopard and all hell breaks loose and it has great dialogue, slapstick, hijinks, and mistaken identities. It’s one you could watch with the entire family and all have a hearty laugh.
8. The General- A movie that has to be seen to be believed. What Buster Keaton does with physical stunts is unbelievable. Most of this movie is shot on a moving train and all to get the gags. It’s an adventure and incredibly funny at the same time. Very few title cards are needed because Buster Keaton is so expressive in his eyes and face. It’s brilliant and hard to believe they could make a movie that holds up so well with action comedies of today, if not even slicker and more polished because it is actual people risking their lives instead of CGI.
Keaton can make picking up a log and putting it on the train hilarious It’s without a doubt one of the best movies ever made and that’s not just nostalgia. I’m telling you it still holds up today in every way. Trust me on this one. If you think you will never like a silent movie give The General a shot.
9. Office Space- I love movies about work and that includes laughing about work. I so related to this movie when I was stuck in the stupefying nothingness of cubicle life. (Cubicle Hell as I like to call it). The useless company protocol like TPS reports, the cheap attempt to replicate family celebrations like birthdays, having 5 different bosses who have no idea what your actual job is, the worst boss in movie history, the ridiculous employee reviews, and wanting to smash the tar out of the office copier. All of that rings true. I watch it and thank the Lord for a job I love. Thank you, thank you. At least this movie made me laugh when it was rough.
I love the ridiculousness of the plan they come up with ‘Isn’t that in Superman 4…” and when they get the magazine guy to tell them about money laundering or the flare at the chain restaurant ‘I want you to want to wear more flare’. It’s hilarious but it is the only R rated movie on this list and it earns the R so be forewarned.
10. Best in Show- My favorite of the Christopher Guest troop films although they are all hilarious. Using the mockumentary style to cover a dog show and their owners it is funny from start to finish. The entire team is at the top of their game including Jennifer Coolidge, Eugene Levy (literally has 2 left feet), Catherine O’Hara from Home Alone (which I could have put on this list but I already profiled it), Jane Lynch and more. I especially love Fred Williard as the commentator who has me in near tears laughing at his frequently improvised lines.
I have yet to show this movie to someone who didn’t laugh. (I’m sure there will be a barrage of comments saying they didn’t laugh but in my real life everyone loves it).
Over at AMC Movie News they are doing a fun project in honor of March Madness which is a college basketball bracket tournament but in this case it is Animation Madness! They have selected 32 animated films and you have the chance to vote on different pairings at their website
Here John Campea and the team debate the value of different movies and what their picks would be. I especially liked when all the girls started singing Little Mermaid (I would have done the same). Some of the pairings are unfortunate as films would go a little farther if not initially up against such strong competition. But here’s what they have to say.
I watched Akira tonight so I have seen all of the films in the bracket and they are all worthwhile although I would have made a few changes but there isn’t a bad film in the bracket IMO. So I have filled out my bracket with their 32 and I also created a bracket with my own 32 films. The interesting is that despite being very different I ended up with the same final 4, 2 and winner on both! I guess my favorite animated movies are Up, Little Mermaid, Spirited Away and Fantasia however you shake it.
AMC Bracket-
My Best 32 Bracket
My top 32 Bracket
It would be fun if a bunch of my fellow bloggers put up their own brackets. You might be surprised with how things work out. Brackets are different than making a list because you are thinking about 2 movies at a time instead of an overall top 10. Anyway, it’s all in fun so go and vote for your favorites and share your brackets.
Now that I’ve been thoroughly depressed by the Oscars let’s talk about movies that will never get a live action Oscar- superhero movies. I have actually not been a huge superhero movie fan. In fact, in 2011 I wrote a post on my other blog called ‘Thumbs Down to Summer Movies’. I had recently seen Green Lantern and it was the tipping point. Here’s what I said
“It’s at this point I must make a confession- I don’t like super hero movies. It’s hard to explain why but I have never liked them. With the exception of Harry Potter, I can’t think of a super hero/fantasy franchise I’m a fan of (I’m a marginal fan of Lord of the Rings). I also like the original Star Wars and Indiana Jones, but they have been sullied by mediocre follow-ups in recent years.
Despite all the special effects I find most super hero movies boring and I don’t like 3D”
So, yes I had sworn off superhero movies and all their progeny but then Avengers happened and I smiled at these likable fun characters with witty dialogue. And we got 2014 and I saw Captain America 2 which was actually a spy movie, Xmen Days of Future Past which is actually a time travel story, Guardians of the Galaxy which is actually a space opera, and Big Hero 6 which is a movie about loss and grief in the guise of a superhero movie.
It was then I had a revelation ‘I like superhero movies when they aren’t superhero movies’. Ding, ding, ding! Fortunately for me Hollywood has figured this out and aside from the odious Man of Steel and the cluttered Amazing Spiderman 2 they have had a remarkable track record of late to the point where I’m actually looking forward to superhero movies now (although highly skeptical about Batman v Superman but we will see). Marvel at least has made me a believer.
I feel like I also have to give a caveat that I am actually not a big Dark Knight fan. It’s super well made and acted but it was just too violent for me and I found it cynical, dark and Batman is such a bore. I wanted him to lose the whole way through. You can all hate me now but it’s really how I felt….
So with all that what are my favorite superhero movies? Here goes.
10. Superman- Christopher Reeves is so charming as Superman and he makes an ok Clark Kent. It doesn’t get bogged down in exposition but is light and fun with great music and decent if hokey special effects. Gene Hackman is good as Lex Luther . Superman is kind of a boring superhero because he’s so perfect but this film finds the balance of embracing the silly while not being too silly (aka Superman 3 and 4…). We also don’t get too much of the Savior metaphors like we do with Man of Steel or Superman Returns that take themselves way too seriously.
9. Batman Mask of the Phantasm- Yep friends this is my favorite Batman movie. Maybe that won’t be a surprise because I love animation but I honestly think this is the best movie depiction of Batman. He’s not just a bore but he gets jealous, frustrated, happy, a mixture of emotions. Kevin Conroy is great as Batman and perhaps it is only in animation that you can pull off the mixture of Bruce Wayne and Batman because you can draw whatever you want it to be where an actor may just be better at one side than the other (same problem so far with Peter Parker). Mark Hamil is wonderful as Joker. It’s a well written script with a bit of a mystery involved but it isn’t too grim or violent. Now I just wonder when the heck it will come out on blu-ray!
8. The Rocketeer- A movie too often forgotten but a very sweet homage to 40’s action movies. It stars Billy Campbell as a stuntman who finds a rocketpack that was designed by Howard Hughes. Jennifer Connely plays his girlfriend and the rest of the cast is stellar with Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton as our Nazi bad guy, Terry O’Quin and more. I defy you to not be charmed by it.
7. X-men: Days of Future Past- Of the big franchises Xmen has always been my favorite. Even when I had sworn off the genre I still kind of liked the X-men movies. Maybe partly because they are the only franchise to pull of interesting female characters and they almost always deal with something thoughtful and complex without getting mean spirited and who doesn’t like Hugh Jackman? I think the recent X-men Days of Future Past is the best of the 7 (including the Wolverine movies) to have come out. It has it all- amazing ensemble (Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Michael Fassender, Hugh Jackman, Jennifer Lawrence, James McEvoy I could go on. Almost every member of the cast has an Oscar nomination or win. Not bad for a superhero movie).
But its also the Inception of Superhero movies. The time travel element creates layers of a puzzle to figure out and Quicksilver is an amazing villain with special effects. It’s great!
6. Spider-man 2- For my money it is the only good Spider-man movie that has come out so far. The others have good elements but this is the only one that fires on all four cylinders. The special effects still hold up, the large set pieces like the train fight is gripping, Tobey McGuire is charming enough to get me to ignore Kirsten Dunst and James Franco and him have good rivalry. But really the reason the movie is special is Dr Octopus who is such a great, engaging villain. He has really positive motivations through a lot of the movie but he has no self control . It makes him very interesting and fun to watch.
5. Captain America 2: Winter Soldier- A great superhero movie because it’s not really a superhero movie. It’s a spy flick like Mission Impossible with an amazing villain for Winter Soldier, great action fight sequences, a car crash sequence which felt so real, Robert Redford is great (that’s the quality of actors we are getting now!). The Nick Furry twist was very clever and it is so well paced. It never lost my interest or got boring. They build the case with very minimal exposition typically housed within a trip to the museum or some other outing so it doesn’t feel like exposition. Captain America is likable and Chris Evans keeps the character innocent like a man from the 40s might be while still being tough.
4. Big Hero 6- I just got Big Hero 6 on blu-ray and watched it and loved it all over again. It is a superhero movie with real heart. I loved the connection of the two brothers through Baymax. It reminds us that those we love never really leave us because the love continues on. I also loved the diversity of the Big Hero 6 and I thought the motivation of the villain was really clever and surprised me. Also Sanfransokyo was gorgeously drawn and a fun new setting. Overall a huge win for Disney.
3. Guardians of the Galaxy- Don’t worry this is my last from last year. Guardians has everything I want in my superhero movie. It is a likable band of misfits that are gathered together to fight a bad guy. I love the friendship between Groot and Rocket. Chris Pratt is great as Starlord. It’s fun, keeps you guessing and has the best soundtrack I’ve heard in years. It really reminded me a lot of Star Wars with a much weaker villain, and that’s really its only mark against it. I think they actually picked the wrong villain. Nebula is much more complex than Ronan. Still I loved it!
2. Incredibles- Even when I had sworn off Superhero movies I still loved The Incredibles. What’s so great about this movie is it includes so many of my favorite genres all in one. It’s a family movie with a stay at home Mom and her 3 kids who all have their struggles, it’s a movie about work and how when we aren’t doing what we are made to do we aren’t happy, and its gorgeous animation. Every choice they made works. The villain is very scary with a believable and brief backstory. Edna is hilarious (no capes!), and the ending is perfect with everyone learning just the right lesson. Also love Samuel L Jackson as Frozone! It’s actually the first movie I saw when I came home from my 20 month mission for my church and it was a great choice to get reintroduced to cinema.
1. Avengers- This actually came out when I was in my ‘I hate superhero movies’ phase but it was the biggest movie ever so of course I ended up seeing it and to my surprise I loved it. What I liked most is it didn’t take itself too seriously. It was fun without being stupid. I hadn’t seen most of the precursor films leading up to Avengers except Ironman but I don’t think you need to enjoy the movie. Joss Whedon is such a great writer creating likable characters that we can root for and a team dynamic that is unpredictable.
I like that the destruction isn’t too bad and its not really trying to teach us anything. Just give us a team we can root behind and see them seriously challenged by a formidable villain in Loki, who I love. Tom Hiddleston is my favorite performance in the movie. He has motivation behind what he is doing and he never gets mean or too violent like the Joker can. He’s probably my favorite comic book villain, maybe because he doesn’t really see himself as a villain. In the end the script is well written and funny with good action. That’s enough to get 1 on my list.
So there you go! What do you think of my list? I know all of you would put the Dark Knight so maybe give me some other one’s besides Dark Knight you would have included? I’d love to hear.
What are the worst superhero movies? Well, I haven’t seen all of the worst but I’d probably say (does Howard the Duck count as superhero movie? If so than he’d be 1):
