My Top 10 Favorite Movies of 1993

 The year 1993 was one of my earliest and most special years … it was the year my sister was born, that says it all … but for the sake of this post, it was a year that delivered some of my favorite movies. It was also a year packed with films that have been preserved as classics, along with some critically acclaimed pictures including “The Piano”, “The Age of Innocence”, “El Mariachi” and “Fearless”. 

It was also a big year for comedies, with “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”, “Addams Family Values”, “Army of Darkness” and “Hot Shots! Part Deux” only being the tip of a very tall iceberg. There were also a number of childhood favorites like “Super Mario Fros.”, “Free Willy” and “Cool Runnings”, which I know aren’t masterpieces, but I still have a good deal of fondness for them. So, I felt it would be fun to try and rank my own personal favorite movies from the year 1993 … which was not easy to condense to simply ten, as there were so many excellent movies to highlight from this year. Still, here are the movies from 1993 that meant the most to me and have stuck with me for the long run.

 

#10 “Mrs. Doubtfire” 

Robin Willaims was a tremendous acting presence for his time, and his ability to deliver both big laughs and big tears resonated with many viewers. For me, I was just as big a fan or the actor and it was his 1993 hit comedy “Mrs. Doubtfire” that really shaped me into the fan I still am today. In this film, Williams plays a divorced dad who disguises himself as an old house maid in order to spend time with his kids. As far as Robin Willaims straight forward comedy offerings are concerned, this is the film I have the most fondness for, as it delivered the laughs with just enough seeds of heart to balance out. 

It also highlights the range of his talents, as he segues the emotional, theatrical, cheerful, heartfelt, and laugh out loud points perfectly. I’ve also seen this movie listed as a film that would either “never be made today”, or have a more device reaction from audiences, which for me makes the film all the more special as a time capsule of 1993, when viewers were more willing to go along with an outlandish, even morally questionable premise, for the sake of a healthy dose of laughter and good cheer.

 

#9 “Cliffhanger” 

When a skilled mountain climber gets roped into a heist plot, involving villains after bags of money, which has been scattered all across the Rocky Mountains, it becomes an exciting cat and mouse game to see who can get the prize, while maintaining their footing on the treacherous slopes. Before I ever saw “Rocky” or “Rambo”, this early 90’s action thrill ride was my introduction to Sylvester Stallone, and by extent, this is one of the earliest R rated movies I ever saw. 

In hindsight, it’s easy to criticize this movie for being derivative of other action movies of the time … “Die Hard” being the most obvious, but this was my early introduction to the formula, and for me, it still packs an exciting punch all these years later. The setting of the Rocky Mountains gives the film a distinct identity and adds a good deal more tension to the action. If for anything else, this film is a great showcase for the strengths of Sylvester Stallone when he’s not playing one of his iconic character roles.

 

#8 “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey” 

From one mountain themed adventure to another, we follow three pets battling the elements of nature on their journey to get back home to their owners. As far back as my earliest movie viewing memories are concerned, Disney’s 1993 remake of their original 1963 picture “The Incredible Journey” was one of my very first, and I still hold it very close as a nostalgic favorite. Having grown up with this version, my feelings are stronger, but putting that aside, this really is one of the rare cases in which I feel a Disney remake is superior to the original. 

Visually, the film looks sensational with its outdoor cinematography, and the music score by Bruce Broughton is an unsung triumph, which still rings in my ears all these decades later. More than anything, the vocal cast of Michael J. Fox, Don Ameche and Sally Field gave these pets distinct personalities and made them memorable movie characters in their own right.   

 

#7 “The Fugitive” 

A doctor is wrongly accused of killing his wife, so he sets off to find the real culprit, reveal the truth, and all while being fiercely pursued by a Deputy U.S. Marchal. It’s not often that a formulaic, action chase thriller gets nominated for Best Picture … but 1993’s “The Fugitive” was that one rare genera film that went the extra mile in quality film presentation. While I’ve never seen the original TV series that preceded this film, it’s not required to enjoy this as a riveting experience in of itself. 

This is back in the day when acting stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones were on top of the world, and this film highlights them both at their best, with Tommy Lee Jones winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting actor. It's a thrilling crime drama, an exciting chase and holds up exceptionally well all these years later. Director Andrew Davis was firing on all cylinders and again, this film highlights two of my favorite actors when they were at their peak.

 

#6 “Wayne’s World 2” 

I know I’m a minority on this, but I find “Wayne’s World 2” to be a criminally underappreciated comedy sequel. The first “Wayne’s World” is generally one of my favorite movies, and while the sequel doesn’t quiet reach those same high marks, I still look back on it as one of my favorite comedies, and just like its predecessor, I find it just gets funnier every time I watch it. To be honest, most of my favorite jokes from this series come from the sequel. I’m sure it was challenging to capture that same charismatic charm and laughter a second time around, but this sequel puts it’s all into making it work. The characters are still just as endearing as ever, the plot is completely fresh, new, and like I said, it really delivers some funny new jokes and sequences that help it stand apart. 

While some things are recycled from the original, it still powers through with a fully realized cartoony environment, which succeeds in bringing more to the table. I’d say, if you are a fan of the first film, make sure you have the second ready as a follow-up, as I feel it adds just as much charm and appeal to the franchise, and closed out this packaged deal of comedies on a high note!

 

#5 “The Nightmare Before Christmas” 

When Jack Skeleton of Halloween town decides to take a shot at Christmas, it becomes a crazy mash of two holiday worlds. In general, I adore holidays, with both Halloween and Christmas being my two biggest seasonal highlights. Naturally, a movie revolving around both is going to achieve something special and resonate with me for the holiday seasons to come. While the narrative of the film has always been weak, it’s the experience and feel of combining both Halloween and Christmas into one awesome package, with a fascinating animation design and memorable songs sustaining its yearly appeal. 

Without question, the novelty and charm of the film is that it’s mostly told through song and is brought to life with top-notch stop-motion animation. Two holidays are better than one, and this is that rare Halloween/Christmas film that you can watch twice in the holiday season. 

 

#4 “Schindler’s List” 

It’s near the start of World War II, and wealthy businessman Oskar Schindler, a known member of the Nazi Party, finds a way to manipulate the oppressive system for his own purposes. Introduced as a selfish, womanizing gambler, Oskar Schindler gradually finds himself won over by the plights of the Jewish people and risks his own life and fortune in an effort to rescue more than one thousand of them from the gas chambers. While there are still three other movies on my list that I have more personal feelings for … no other movie from 1993 was more deserving of the Academy Award for Best Picture then this Steven Spielberg classic. 

He accomplished the unthinkable, delivering a movie revolving around the Holocaust … and made it as disturbing, poignant, and impactful as it should be. The cast is sensational, with Liam Neeson dominating the scene in the lead role of Oskar Schindler. The black and white documentary style presentation was also a creatively brilliant choice and helped the events of the film feel more real. If I were ranking this list based on objective quality and importance … then “Schindler’s List” would be my number one pick by a mile.      

 

#3 “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” 

Adapted from the classic 90’s animated series, this film highlights a segment of Batman’s origin in which he almost escaped a life of crime fighting in favor of a life of happiness, only for everything to come crashing around him. In present day, he and the Joker are caught in a deadly game of revenge, revolving around a new masked villain, as well as a long-forgotten love interest from Bruce Waynes past, who can either bring him into the light … or push him back further into the shadows. 

In general, Batman is my personal favorite superhero, and had it not been for the 2008 movie “The Dark Knight”, this theatrical animated movie from 1993 would be my personal favorite. Having said that, actors Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are still my favorite talents to portray both Batman and the Joker. The film also sticks with me as one of Batman’s best focused stories with personal stakes as opposed to city stakes. 

It balances a very tight script, with multiple plot lines, character arcs, and it’s paced very well, allowing the atmosphere to sink in. It’s got everything I could want from a comic book movie … great action, drama, artistic style, sensational music and intriguing character complexities.

 

#2 “The Sandlot” 

When a young boy moves to a quiet little town, he makes friends with a small group of kids, who are all united by their shared love of Baseball. What ensues is a special Summer full of friendship, comedic mishaps, and small scale, backyard adventures ... with an occasional game thrown in for good measure. In general, I’m not much of a sports guy … but regardless, “The Sandlot” has always been one of my all-time favorite movies. 

It’s a sport movie that’s not really about the sport itself and doesn’t rely on old sports movie clichés. In essence, this film is about the innocents of youth, and a coming-of-age adventure. Watching “The Sandlot” is like looking through a window to the past, and it allows us to reflect on a time when you and your friends would play games, get into trouble, and go on your own little adventures that the adults were completely oblivious too. 

It’s such a genuinely sweet and wholesome film with lots of excitement, big laughs, quotable lines of dialog, memorable scenes, and I just feel so touched by it every time. It may not be a traditional sports movie … but it’s unmistakably my favorite of what the genre has to offer, and it would have absolutely been my personal favorite movie of 1993 … had it not been for one other movie which came out that same year.

 

Before I reveal my #1 favorite movie of 1993, here are some quick honorable mentions that I just didn’t have enough room for ...

“Groundhog Day”

“Tombstone”

“Gettysburg”

“Hocus Pocus”  

“The Three Musketeers”

 

#1 “Jurassic Park” (1993) 

As said above, “Schindler's List” was unmistakably the objective best film of the year … but my personal favorite is Steven Spielberg’s other classic. To say “Jurassic Park” is my favorite movie of 1993 would be underselling it, because this is truthfully one of my favorite movies. Along with the likes of “Star Wars” and “The Wizard of Oz”, “Jurassic Park” was one of those childhood experiences that helped shape my overall love for movies. It pushed the boundaries of special effects for its time and delivered the best and most real looking dinosaurs caught on film … which as far as I’m concerned still haven’t been surpassed. 

Based on the Michael Crichton novel of the same name, “Jurassic Park” tells the story of what happens when man messes with nature. Thanks to cloning, scientists are able to bring back the dinosaurs and aim to present them to the world in a big theme park extravaganza. Things go south, and a small team of visitors find themselves at the mercy of a hungry T-Rex and a savage group of Raptors. 

While the dinosaurs themselves were a big draw to the film, I’m also very fond of the human cast, with Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum leading the charge. Also, Steven Spielberg’s cinematic direction and John Williams iconic music score gives the film a sense of “movie magic” that goes beyond impressive dinosaur encounters. I could talk about this movie all day, but I’ll simplify things by saying the original “Jurassic Park” for me goes above a fun action adventure … it’s an experience, with brilliant film-making techniques on display, rich themes, and great characters to boot.  

Thanks for reading my countdown … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) (Movie Review)

 I’ve loved comedies my whole life, and my personal favorite “sub-genera” of the category are the spoof movies, which are films that lampoon other known categories of film. One of the first greats of the spoof genera was the 1980 classic “Airplane!”, which parodied disaster movies, and launched the carriers of writer and directors David Zucker, Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams. Hot on their success of “Airplane!”, the team launched a TV series in 1982 titled “Police Squad!”, which was a lampoon of the pulpy crime and cop genera, and stared Leslie Nielsen as the stern but dimwitted Lt. Frank Drebin. The show didn’t last long, with only six episodes total, but the potential for greatness was still there. Eventually, the team adapted their failed TV show into a movie in 1988 titled “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!”, and just like “Airplane!” before it, the film sits in the halls of the great comedy spoof classics and is personally one of my all-time favorites.  

  Just like in the show, Lt. Frank Drebin is on the case of an underground drug smuggling operation, after his partner Nordberg was nearly killed. The investigation leads Frank to the much-respected Vincent Ludwig, who’s secretly conspiring with a league of assassins to kill Queen Elizabeth the second, during her visit to America. Caught in the middle is Ludwigs attractive assistant Jane, who’s sent to keep the detective distracted, only for the two to gradually fall in love. Truthfully, in a film like this, the plot doesn’t matter at all, and instead it’s the presentation of how everyone treats their roles like a grounded police story, while the world around them is a live-action cartoon where anything and everything goofy and random can happen.  

  The tone is instantly set with the opening credit sequence, which is an extension of the title card from the show, as we follow the POV of a siren from a cop car. It especially gets the energy going strong with the theme music by Ira Newborn. He previously composed the music theme for the “Police Squad” show, and it’s elevated into greatness here in the movie. 

Along with the iconic “Pink Panther” score, this is one of my favorite music themes for a comedy franchise. Speaking of the series, both this movie and its sequels make a running joke of this intro, in which the car is obliviously driving off the road, in the way of other people, into homes and then the joke gets funnier as the car seemingly appears in random places, like the tracks of a rollercoaster, or bumper cars, and even more outlandish settings as the series went on. It’s one of my favorite traditional opening credit sequences that’s part of a franchise, and they always get the hummer going on a high note. For me, I love it when the surrounding environment of a comedy becomes a character in-of itself, where visual gags and cartoony elements are commonplace, and the hummer comes from how characters either under react or go just as animated.  

 The film also knows how to set up jokes and then deliver funny pay off’s more than once. When our hero visits the villain, who’s basking in his valuable collection, we want to see things comedically fall apart. While we quickly get a satisfying payoff in the moment, an even bigger payoff comes much later. 

Needless to say, this movie never lets the momentum die down, as it’s constantly throwing joke after joke at the audience, sometimes direct and in your face, while other times it’s little details in either the background or foreground. This way the film is just as funny with repeat viewings, as you can laugh at the jokes you missed the first time. It's a presentation which the Zucker and Abrams team utilized brilliantly in “Airplane!”, but I feel was perfected with “The Naked Gun”, largely because of the characters. While the cast in “Airplane!” worked great at being straight faced genera types in a silly world, I feel the cast in “The Naked Gun” have just a little more personality to compliment the zany environment, while still acting like they belong in a serious cop film.

  Aside from the Zucker Brothers and Abrahams, credit also goes to screen writer Pat Proft, who together helped add some flair to the characters and make them stand out in this goofy landscape. Leslie Nielsen reprised his role from the show as Lt. Frank Drebin and for me, this is the character I most affiliate with the actor. While he already proved a funny talent in “Airplane!”, this is when his comedic chops were perfected. He once again keeps a serious demeanor, but with a joyous personality ready to take over at any moment, depending on how the situation around him changes. His expressions and reactions are consistently hilarious, but it’s not a one-note silly performance either, as they feel like the quirks of a character. Many of his quirky lines bring out the biggest laughs when he conveys them with a chill and sincere delivery: “I promise you, no man on this police force is going to rest until we find out who tried to kill my partner … now let’s go grab a bight to eat”.

 The same charm also applies to love interest Jane, played by Priscilla Presley, who puts on a seductive femme fatale persona, but is deep down too bubbly and emotional to keep up appearances. The two have surprisingly cheerful chemistry, and their banter provides some of the best chuckles. After coming home from a date night, Jane asks “Can I interest you in a nightcap”, to which Drebin pleasantly responds with “No thanks, I don’t where them”, and for me, little details like that go a long way. Speaking of their date, we also get a funny music montage set to Herman’s Hermits “I’m into Something Good”, complete with music video credits, and a great punchline at the end.

 Richardo Montalban is also perfectly cast as the sinister Vincent Ludwig, who feels like a genuine villain out of any real pulpy crime thriller. It makes the comedy surrounding him all the better, as he conveys a genuinely intimidating presence, yet still has all the right reactions to the silly mishaps of our hero. The character of Captain Ed Hocken carries over from the show, but is now played by George Kennedy, and all the better for it. We also have O. J. Simpson as Det. Nordberg, who exists only to be horribly punished in every scene he’s in. Lastly, Weird Al Yankovic, who was a big fan of Zucker and Abrams comedies, makes a cameo, and would continue to make appearances in the series moving forward … as well as providing the theme song for “Spy Hard”.  

 When it comes to funny highlights in the film, one of my favorites is a silly car chase, which features our hero stuck in the back seat of a teen driving lesson, with the late John Houseman in his final role as the unflinching driving teacher, who’s hilariously calm about all the cause unfolding around him. The majority of the jokes stick a landing with me, and like I said earlier, there’s perfect variety and detail in which the hummer is presented. Comedy of course is subjective, and like any film from the genera, I can see the crass jokes on display either working for viewers or turning them off. Speaking from my own viewing experiences with the film, one particular scene involving our hero under cover as an opera singer brought out equal reactions of both big laughs and absolute disgust. Probably the one moment I could have done without involves exposed human statues on a building, which was a bit much.

 The whole third act of the movie revolves around a baseball game, and even though the movie didn’t start this way, I can’t help but look back on this film as one of the funniest sports movies I’ve ever seen. Everything at this ballgame is comedy gold, and features my favorite moment of our hero under cover as an umpire, looking for a potential assassin among the players. He starts taking this mission seriously but quickly gets caught up in the fun of the moment and ends up putting on a show for the crowd. We also get another great music montage set to Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.”, and amusingly features our hero oblivious to some illegal items on the field while investigating the players.    

 On a side note, I first saw this movie recorded off of TV, in which it was an extended cut, featuring jokes either expanded on or absent from the theatrical version. 

With that said, it also omitted most of the adult jokes, and thus, I missed the original punch line to the classic stuffed beaver scene. While it took me a minute to adjust to the trimmed down theatrical presentation on DVD, it’s obviously still the superior version, and paced better, allowing for the jokes to hit harder and faster, without overstaying their welcome. Following after the first movie came a sequel in 1991 titled “The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell Of Fear”, which I actually saw before the original classic, it got me hooked on the series, and is exceptionally funny in its own right. The original trilogy of films concluded in 1994 with “Naked Gun 33 ½: The Final Insult”, and once again, was another hilarious outing with these characters. In 2025, we got a legacy sequel simply titled “The Naked Gun”, this time staring Liam Neeson … and surprisingly, it was a hilarious outing that matched the high points of the original and is one of the better legacy sequels. Without question, this is my favorite long running comedy franchise, and I feel each instalment works and delivers some big laughs.  

 Going back to the original classic movie “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!”, it not only earns its status as one of the great comedy classics, but for me, it has a comfortable place among my all-time personal favorite comedy movies. 

As film critic Roger Ebert put it, it’s a movie that will either make you laugh or not, and how much you like the film depends on how much it makes you chuckle. For me, I’ve been around the block with comedies that lose their hummer over time, but the original “Naked Gun” still gets me howling even on repeat viewings to this day. It’s relentlessly funny, with its non-stop jokes, detailed environments, and an excellent cast. I honestly think this was the greatest performance of Leslie Nielsen’s career, as he manages to pull off a convincing yet hilarious performance all at the same time. With competent writing, fast past hummer, and a fantastic performance from one of my favorite actors, “The Naked Gun: From: The Files of Police Squad!” holds up for me as one of the greatest “Spoof movies” and hits its target with a perfect bullseye. 

Thanks for reading my review of the 1988 comedy classic “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!