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 10 movies
in total, and here's my personal ranking of each one from least to favorite.
#10 “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”
Even when a “Star Wars” movie doesn’t fully meet my expectations, it’s
hard for me not to enjoy it on some basic level. Gorgeously filmed, action
packed, and unafraid to take chances, "The Last Jedi" may
almost be too ambitious for its own good. Regrettably, for all its strengths,
it's also a rather unbalanced film at times. Both the tone and pacing are
inconsistent, there's ponderous detours, and some of the films daring risks
don't always pay off. Still, it has its electrifying moments, and its departure
from a predictable formula make it a "mostly" worthy companion to its
predecessor.
#9 “Wonder Woman"
The first of many terrific comic-book adapted movies a saw this year, "Wonder Woman" marks arguably the best DC adapted project sense "The Dark Knight" trilogy, as well as a great female centered super hero offering ... for once. Gal Gadot shines in the lead role, and has great chemistry with Chris Pine. The real strength of the film comes from its aw-inspiring middle act, while its final act regrettably left me feeling underwhelmed. I feel bad ranking this movie as low as it is, because it's all around quiet good, and just the movie the iconic heroine deserves ... I just have a few more feelings for the eight other movies I saw this year.
#8 “Coco”
It's Mexico's Day
of the dead, and a young boy is itching for music, even though it's going
against his families wishes. Soon, he finds himself trapped in the land of the
dead, and is on a journey to find the secrets of his past lineage. The initial
set-up didn't hook me, but give it time, and it stands as another solid piece
of work from Pixar. Truthfully, I think “Coco” is one of the best
original films the studio has ever produced, it has insight into another
cultures holiday, it talks about family ties, it has an imaginative setting, it
has visual marvels, and for once, a Pixar movie has terrific songs that really
stand out, and give the film some character. It’s yet again a very emotional movie
experience, and one that absolutely got me teary eyed by the end. While I feel
Pixar has gotten too comfortable making sequels to their earlier hits, “Coco”
proves that they’ve still got the talent, and means to provide both solid and
original family entertainment.
#7 “Logan”
“X-Men” in
general is my biggest fandom, and the character of Wolverine has always stood
out from the group as my personal favorite superhero. The fact that I’m now
living in a world with three live-action solo Wolverine films amazes me. This
third outing however is brutally violent, depressing, and some-what inconsistent
in pacing, but still a poignant, powerfully acted send-off for Jackman in his
final role as the iconic hero. It's also a deeply thrilling introduction to the
character X-23, who I’ve wanted to see in live action for years. It makes this
a "not-perfect", but satisfying, and strong entry in the series. I
know most fans would rank this film higher … like one of the top three best of
2017, but this is one case in which, I just need to be in the right mind-set to
watch it again and appreciate it. Otherwise, this film drained me with its
brooding nature, but still … I know a good movie when I see one, and this is
easily one of Wolverines most dignified ventures, securing his place as a
respected icon of the comic-book genera.
#6 “Gradians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”
Now here’s a Blockbuster sequel that respectfully takes a step back from
world building or formulaic plots, and puts more focus on characters … in some
respects even the human condition. With that said, it’s still entertaining as
hell, with lots of comedy, space shooting mayhem, and some of the most gorgeous
visuals from Marvel yet ... which is saying something considering how good
previous films have looked. Despite the Marvel brand, I view “The Gradians
of the Galaxy” series less as superhero fodder, and more like a needed
expansion on Sci-Fi cinema, which has been sourly lacking in recent years. It’s
kind of like this generations “Men in Black”, but this time I feel the
sequel is just as good … if not superior to its predecessor.
#5 “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”
I’ve always loved the original “Jumanji” from back in 1995, but I
honestly never would have imagined that a sequel released seventeen years later
could possibly work … yet it did! This film is far more lighthearted and fun in
tone, and cranks up’s the comedy to ten. There’s a new cast of likable
characters, and the premise is given an appropriate update. This time Jumanji
is a video game that transports a group of young players into its jungle
setting, in which they inhabit their own distinct avatars. It's a fun and
creative concept that lends to some funny material. While there’s noticeably
less animals than before, the film still provides a terrific variety of
exciting sequences, funny situations, and is just an all-around good time. Its
only real shortcomings are that the villain sucks, some of the comedy
over-stays its welcome, and I miss that edge which made the original such an
engaging adventure. Everything else surpassed expectations, and made for one of
the year’s most pleasant surprises.
#4 “The Lego Batman Movie”
I
love me some Batman, and “The Lego Movie” was one of the best animated
offerings of the decade … could this merging of the two win me over … possibly even
surpass it? The short answer is Yes, as it’s bursting with delightfully
colorful mayhem, numerous Easter Eggs for long time fans to spot, and no
shortage of comedy. In a nut-shell, “The Lego Batman Movie” celebrates
everything that is “BATMAN”, and surprisingly understands the deeper
humanity of the hero more than most other incarnations. Once again, this was
another movie I had little expectations for, but left me feeling extremely satisfied.
It takes a lot to surpass my feelings for a high-grade Pixar movie, but this
simple Lego flick managed to stand out as my favorite animated picture of the
year, and it probably wont get any recognition at the Oscars … to bad.
#3 “Stronger”
Oh wow … a fact-based drama, and
not another Blockbuster comic-book adaption … well, sometimes I’m encouraged to
watch genuinely good movies … and “Stronger” is absolutely one of the
most inspiring I’ve seen in years. It managed to overcome many of the same tired clichés most dramas of this sort fall into, it also honored the actual event, and
the performances were all top-notch. While Superhero movies keep me entertained,
this is the kind of movie that builds my confidence, and encourages me to push
myself through whatever mental or physical challenges come my way. This might
not have been my absolute favorite movie I saw in the theater this year … but I
do think it’s overall the best.
#2 “Spider-Man: Homecoming”
While this film doesn’t
reach the same emotional highs, or even subtext present in other Spider-Man
offerings, I still find it one of the most “joyful” of the web-heads movies to
date. It’s colorful, funny, exciting, and effectively fits within Marvels Cinematic
Universe, while never losing its identity as a standalone Spider-Man movie.
Spider-Man was always the superhero of my childhood, and I don’t think any
other Spider-Man movie has made me feel more like a kid again then this film.
Despite being limited on memorable battle scenes, it’s still a lot of fun, and
just a real delight to experience. The cast is great, the villain is memorable,
and over time, I could see this becoming my favorite of Spider-Man’s individual
film series. Let’s just hope the sequels can maintain the same spirit and charm
that makes “Homecoming” a winning entry in this lone running franchise,
and one of my favorite movie experiences of the year.
#1 “Thor Ragnarock”
Thor’s
movies have been consistently enjoyable for me, but “Ragnarok” closes
his trilogy on a high note that surpasses its predecessors by a mile, with a
strong other worldly atmosphere, a rewarding sense of fun, imagination,
colorful designs, and still no shortage of good character development balancing
out their funny interplay. I’d almost say this film borrows more personality
from “The Gradians of the Galaxy” series, but with enough of its own
identity to stand apart, and is easily the funniest of the Thor movies. It also
features my favorite ensemble of characters in a Thor film, with two memorable
villains, a terrific new potential girl-friend, and the Hulk in gladiator armor
… it’s perfect. Objectively, I can’t say this was the best movie of 2017, but
it was absolutely my favorite theater experience this year.
So,
concludes 2017 … and may the thrill of the theater stick-around next year.
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