2017 – My Theatrical Movie Experiences Listed

  Despite the growing success of online-streaming, I still savor my experiences in the theater, as those are the movie events I want to look back on. So, to keep things simple, I’m listing off each movie I saw in the theater in 2017, and they'll be listed in order of which film I saw first to the movie I saw last and give my quick opinions on them. I viewed 10 movies at the theater in total this year, so let’s just have some fun looking back at some of the films from 2017.

February ... 

“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 won't get any recognition at the Oscars … to bad. 

THUMBS UP!   

March ... 

“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. Great film, but 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.

THUMBS UP!    

May ... 

“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.    

THUMBS UP! 

June ... 

“Wonder Woman" 

2017 certainly gave me a lot of terrific comic-book adapted movies to chew on, and next we have "Wonder Woman" ... arguably the best DC adapted project sense "The Dark Knight" trilogy, as well as a great female centered superhero 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. The film didn't astonish me, but it's quite good all the same, and just the movie the iconic heroine deserves. 

THUMBS UP! 

July ... 

“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. 

THUMBS WAY UP!       

September ... 

“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.

THUMBS WAY UP!     

November ... 

“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. 

THUMBS WAY UP ... and personally my Favorite Theatrical movie experience of 2017!

“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.  

THUMBS UP!   

December ... 

“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. 

MIXED THUMBS ... and probably the Least Best Theatrical movie I saw in 2017  

“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. 

THUMBS UP!    

So, concludes 2017 … and may the thrill of the theater stick-around next year.