Wednesday, November 21, 2012

2012 – My Theatrical Movie Experiences Ranked


   Despite the growing success of online-streaming, I still savor my experiences in the theater, and those are the movie events I want to look back on. So, here’s my personal ranking of all the 2021 movies I saw in the theater this year, which means some other really good (and bad) films from 2021 won’t make the countdown. Again, this is my own personal opinion, these films aren’t ranked by the quality of the picture, but simply by how each left their impression on me. I saw 11 movies in total, and here's my personal ranking of each one from least to favorite.

#11 “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” 

Usually when a movie comes up last on my theatrical rankings, it’s not because it’s bad … I just liked it less then everything else I saw. Well, that is not the case with “Spirit of Vengeance” … this was the closest I came to walking out of the cinema in a while. Not only was this a pointless sequel, but it’s also a completely brainless film that suffers from stupid villains, uninteresting characters, hammy performances, a rushed plot, ugly landscape, and a very annoyingly shaky camera. It’s definitely one of my least favorite movies to come from Marvel, because it offers nothing special in its long run time.    

 


#10 “Men in Black 3” 


I’ve always had fondness for “Men in Black”, but really haven’t been asking for any more sequels. While this third film didn’t exactly surpass my expectations, this was never the less a welcomed addition to the series. This time it’s less about aliens and more about time-travel, which is certainly different. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are always a welcomed pairing, but this sequel as another surprise ace up its sleeve in the form of Josh Brolin … who basically steals the show, and makes this sequel worthwhile.   



 

#9 “Brave” 

This was the first original Pixar movie in years that really seemed to be taking the studio into new territory. Admittedly, the execution was far from great, but it’s not without some merit, and despite all its shortcomings, it's a film that fits quiet comfortably in my wheelhouse of mystical fantasy. The lead princess is also a winning main character, with an awesome design, but it’s also a double edge sword, as she’s better than the movie as a whole. Still, there’s a lot to love, as the animation is stellar, the mystical atmosphere is effective, the music is really nice, and I do like the set-world of this movie … I just wish the plot was more interesting.

 #8 “Rise of the Gradians” 


I don’t usually go into Christmas movies expecting action and adventure, but this was a welcome change-up, as all the classic holiday characters set-out Avenger’s style. The animation once again is terrific, with awe-inspiring worlds to explore, and the character designs are as unique as they get. However, while there’s certainly wonders to experience, it doesn’t possess quiet the same magic I like returning to in my holiday pictures. Still, I love when DreamWorks breaks out from their usual format, and delivered a worthwhile fantasy adventure.       

    

 

#7 “The Amazing Spider-Man” 


The original 2002 “Spider-Man” can certainly be looked back on as something special, a movie that got the ball rolling for further comic book adaptions, and has held up as something of a small classic in its own right. 2012’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” came, excited me for a little, but doesn’t feel like it has any real staying power. Yet, even with that said, it still has select details and highlights that are superior to the original, and I'll certainly enjoy watching this one again sometime. It may be a little short of “amazing”, but it’s perfectly okay, and for a comic book fan like me ... I’ll take it.

 

#6 Wrek-it-Ralph” 


In many respects, “Wrek-it-Ralph” is this generations “Who Framed Rodger Rabbit”, featuring an original world where famous video game characters all come together, while all the focus is on lovable new characters, and their journey. The comedy is great, the video game worlds made me feel like a kid again, and the animation is top notch. Needless to say, I love when Disney can deliver a solid animated offering without relying on their winning fantasy formula. It’s been a while sense I liked an animated Disney picture more than a Pixar offering … but this was it.

 

#5 “Skyfall” 


Daniel Craig hits it out of the park again with another smart, character driven, action thriller. The plot is less of a spy flick, and more of a redemption story, as Bond battles a former agent seeking revenge. Along the way, Judi Dench is given a layered story arc, as she deals with this rouge. Throw in some lavish locations, a slick direction, dazzling set pieces, subtle nods to classic Bond outings, a catchy theme song, and an exciting cat and mouse climax, it’s enough to make “Skyfall” a winning entry in the series, and one that 007 fans can be very pleased with.   

 



#4 “Les Miserables” 

As far back as I can remember, “Les Misérables” was the very first stage musical I feel in love with at a young age, and for years I’ve been waiting for it to receive the theatrical treatment. While there were movies based on the source material throughout the years, this 2012 picture marked the first time it was brought to life in musical form on the silver-screen ... and it didn’t disappoint in the final result. I found the cast mostly spot-on in representing these iconic stage characters, and they each brought the right level of humanity and heavy emotions to their respected roles. For me, it was just a satisfying dream come true, to finally see my favorite Broadway musical brought to life in film form … hopefully it won’t be too much longer for “Wicked” to receive the same treatment.    


#3 “ParaNorman” 

This is one of the scarier animated movies to show your kids, but it’s an incredible motion picture that I highly recommend. “ParaNorman” takes the familiar concepts of a boy with a supernatural ability to talk to the dead, a witch’s curse, a zombie epidemic, and weaves them all together in a brilliant story with surprising emotional depth, deep conflicts, and plenty of comedy along the way. The visual effects and stop-motion animation are big spectacles, which alone make the film worth viewing, but with an enduring lead character, an especially heartwarming ending and competent storytelling make this something really special. Truthfully, I feel this film deserves to be called a modern Halloween classic.


 #2 “The Dark Knight Rises” 


Following after the high that was 2008’s “The Dark Knight”, I was beyond stoked to see how Director Christopher Nolen would conclude his masterful series of Batman films. With an awesome ensemble, including some memorable villains, high stakes, and some of Batman’s most epic action sequences put to screen yet … this third instalment delivered. While some plot details could have been touched up on, Batman's closing arc is still strong and “Rises” is without a doubt a powerful, action packed, and poignant finale to this epic superhero trilogy. 

        

 

#1 “The Avengers” 


Back when I was a little kid, I fantasized what a live-action crossover with multiple superheroes would be like, but I never imagined in my wildest years that I’d not only see one on the big screen … but that it would also be this good. Outside of the stellar novelty of having a number of Marvels greatest hero’s sharing a movie together, it’s a very competent film, finding that perfect balance between huge, explosive action scenes, subtle character depth and a fun sense of hummer. It lives up to its hype and stands as solid Marvel entertainment.

 

So, concludes 2012 … and may the thrill of the theater stick-around next year. 

 

 

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

The Shrek series


      Shrek is one of the most successful and long lasting kid’s franchises I can think of and with the new “Puss in Boots” movie opening this weekend, I thought it would be fun to look at all the movies and spinoffs. P.S. I’m not including DVD shorts like “Donkey's Christmas Shrektacular”, “Shrek’s Thriller” or “Far, Far Away Idle”.
Shrek (2001)
  I’m one of the few kids that didn’t love the first Shrek, I thought the plot was dumb, standard and I couldn't understand why everyone loved it so much. Well, it’s certainly grown on me over the years, the characters are charming and there’s a nice sense of hummer. I just don’t think that it’s the master piece everyone claims it to be. 
Shrek 4-D (2003) 
 This was one hell of a fun special, the story was honestly more exciting than the first movie, it’s great to have Farquaad as the villain one last time, I love all the creative visuals and it made for a really entertaining and fast passed 3D experience. If you have the opportunity to see it at the theme park then definitely check it out and if not then just settle for it on DVD.
Shrek 2 (2004) 
  Hands down the best in the series, the casting is perfect, the returning characters are back and better than before, only this time we get some outstanding new supporting characters to join the fun, most notably Puss in Boots who completely steals the show. The animation is great, the story is sweet and romantic and best of all, this film is one of the funniest animated kids films I’ve ever seen and worthy of being called one of the funniest comedies ever made. “Shrek 2” is simply one of the best sequels to a kid’s film ever.
Shrek the Third (2007) 
  I’ve seen worse films but it is a disappointing follow up to an excellent film. The jokes were to over blown, the plot was pointless and had no bearing on our lead character, most of it was embracing and the characters just weren't as fun.
 Shrek the Halls (2007) 
  One of the worst holiday specials I’ve ever seen. Where suppose to look at Shrek as a jerk when really he’s the victim. The jokes are tiered, lacks music and there’s just nothing charming or magical about this holiday stinker. The short film Donkey's Christmas Shrektacular” (on the “Shrek Forever After” DVD) was a better holiday treat then this.
Shrek Forever After (2010) 
 Not as good as “Shrek 2” but it’s one of the few children's sequels that I liked more than the original. It may not be that funny but everything that made Shrek great is celebrated in this very entertaining, alternate reality film. It’s just an excellent cheery to be placed on top of the series and brings everything to a satisfying conclusion.
 Scared Shrekless (2010) 
  It may not be the most recommended Halloween special but as far as Shrek spinoffs go, this is one of his best and a huge improvement over his terrible Christmas special. The animation was fantastic, the jokes were fast and funny, there are plenty of references on things I actually liked from the first film and the many different stories told in this special are inventive and fun.
Puss in Boots (2011) 
  What it lacks in originality, it makes up for with wit, energy, great animation and plenty of charms. Plus it makes for a terrific film adaption for my favorite character in the series. See my full review for more details. 

Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos (2012) 
   The best way to describe this film is cute, unbelievably cute, it’s just Puss in Boots becoming a father figure to three rebellious young kittens and watching them go on a fun little adventure, so honestly, cute is all you can really say about it.
  
            The End