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, here’s my personal ranking of all the
2023 movies I saw in the theater this year, which means some other really good
(and bad) films from 2023 won’t make the countdown. Again, these are ranked by my
own personal feelings on them, they aren’t ranked by their objective quality,
but simply on how each left their impression on me. There are 13 movies in
total, and let’s just have some fun looking back at some of the films from 2023.
#13 “The Journey”
Andrea Bocelli has been a musical presence in my family, ever sense I was in the cradle, so I had to support this picture, and by extent his winning collection of music. The premise is as simple as they get, with Andrea traveling on horseback across Europe for twenty-three days, and at each destination, he reunites with a special friend, they discuss their passions, their faith, and the overall experience of their lives … culminating into one of his songs. It was all very familiar to me, yet so peaceful, relaxing, and even touching in its own humble way. While it was a very peaceful outing, it wasn't really a movie, and for that, I just can't place this any higher on my list.
#12 “Indiana
Jones and the Dial of Destiny”
When it comes to fictional characters in
movies, Indiana Jones remains one of my most treasured, and while I would never
expect a new film from decades after his prime to be on par with the original
classics, I just can’t dismiss how happy it made me feel to have one last
adventure with one of my all-time favorite characters. While this last outing is kind of dismal in its depiction of the iconic lead, and could have benefited from a tighter screenplay, as well as tighter run-time,
solid performances all around, welcome new ideas, and director James Mangolds
exceptional vision keep this entry in the realm of … not perfect, but still
good enough, and a passive escape at the movies.
#11 “Jesus
Revolution”
Inspired by a true movement in the early 1970’s, we
experience the journey of a young hippie, as he goes from drug attic, to
converted Christian, and finally helps lead a bold new crusade called the Jesus
Movement. The film walks a delicate tight rope of conveying a thoughtful
message without being overly preachy, as well as feature human struggles
without being too over dramatic, and while it’s not the most inspiring movie
ever made, it’s still plenty good for the heart, and will easily appeal to
anyone who’s been on their own path of religious conversion.
#10 “The
Little Mermaid”
While I didn’t ask for a remake of the animated Disney
classic, this did mark one of the rare occasions that I surprisingly found
myself happy to have a live-action version as an alternative. I dare even say
there were select elements that were superior to the original, including a
sweeter romance, and generally better developed human characters. Along with
some welcome new songs (excluding one really dumb wrap number), and an
exceptional star turn for Halle Bailey in the lead role (and her sensational
singing voice too) … this remake may not have been necessary … but it’s
honestly a welcome companion piece to the original.
#9 “Guardians
of the Galaxy Vol.3”
After nine years, writer and director James Gunn
brings finality to his “Guardians of the Galaxy” series, resulting in
their darkest, and most emotionally character driven volume yet … as well as
packing all the zany comedy, gorgeous imagery, witty character charms,
breathless action, and boundless creativity that have made these films such a
welcome inclusion to Sci-Fi cinema. I don’t know if I’d call this the best of
the series, but it certainly hit the landing as a send-off for these now iconic
characters, and it’s great how three film adaptions of a once lesser-known
comic-book source material turned out this strong.
#8 “Haunted Mansion”
I’ve loved the
Disney-Land Haunted Mansion ride my whole life, it’s probably my favorite, and
by extent, I’ve always enjoyed the expanded universe of the rides setting … as
such, I’m always open for a new movie or special based around the attraction.
While this latest version was no “Pirates of the Caribbean”, I felt it put
in the extra effort to be a good movie, balancing it’s fun, goofy and spooky
nature with mature themes of facing loss, grief, and a lead performance that
was honestly better than this film deserved. Needless to say, all the
creatively fun haunts were there, the cast was great, and it may not be on the
same high-bar of the attraction … but this was still a fun ride in its own
right, and worth riding again when Halloween comes around.
#7 “John
Wick: Chapter 4”
I've never called myself a hard-core John Wick fan, but I'm always thrilled to watch one of his movies in the theater. Impressively, at four movies in, this series continues
to one-up itself … and I think they might have finally hit the peak with “John Wick: Chapter
4” … as it featured my favorite ensemble of supporting characters thus far,
the most striking imagery, and set design … and of course, breathless action
stunts that shattered my senses. If the series chooses to end here, I’d call it
a perfect finale … if there’s more to come … they have a new high-bar to match.
#6 “The
Super Mario Bros. Movie”
Back when I was a little kid in the 90’s, the
Nintendo 64 entertainment system was my absolute favorite video game system,
and Mario was one of my biggest childhood hero’s. As far back as I can
remember, I imagined seeing an animated CGI Super Mario movie on the big screen
… now it’s finally here … and it matched my expectations perfectly. Despite
being a grown adult now, the eight-year-old deep within me was having the time
of his life. It looks great, it’s devoted to pleasing fans, the energy is high,
the characters are charming, and even with a bare-bone plot, I feel it executed
everything just the way a faithful and entertaining Mario movie should do ...
Wahoo!
#5 “Oppenheimer”
Christopher Nolan leads us on another extraordinary tour de force in top-tier
filmmaking, with brilliant editing, stunning visuals, and both the emotional
weight and suspense that the historical event and people deserve. Ever sense I
first learned of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project way back in my
school years, I found him a fascinating individual, and often pondered if it
was brilliance, madness, or maybe even misguided ambition that led to the
creation of the Atom Bomb, and this film effectively highlights a little bit of
everything. At the center of it all is a strong cast delivering A-list
performances, and Cillian Murphy’s portrayal in the title role could well be
his magnum opus.
#4 “The
Creator”
A valiant effort at creating an original, non-IP related, Sci-Fi
epic, with emotion rich action, an engaging future setting, imaginative
marvels, and Gareth Edwards signature vision of something grand, immersive, and
exciting on the big screen. While the final product wasn’t perfect, and
probably won’t be labeled as any new classic, I still felt the ambition,
creativity, and passion behind this film far more than the majority of big
franchise films that tend to come and go. While I obviously still enjoy my
franchise comfort-food, this is the kind of genera picture I’d like to see
Hollywood aim for.
#3 “Sound of Freedom”
Jim Caviezel’s emotionally driven screen presence leads us through the inspiring true story of Tim Ballard, a man committed to rescuing abducted children from sex-trafficking, and by extent the movie asks for any support in the efforts to end sex-trafficking around the world. Based on the subject matter alone, this is one of the most emotionally potent movies I’ve experienced in recent years, and is hard to watch, but very impactful, informative without going too far in its execution, and very inspiring. Rarely dose a film leave me feeling so inspired to take action, and provide whatever support I can to a meaningful cause … and this film did it. While certainly not a pleasant experience at the movies … “Sound of Freedom” still felt the most meaningful and important to me.
#2 “Spider-Man:
Across the Spider-Verse”
All right, let’s do this recap one-more time …
back in 2019, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” surpasses
expectations, won the Academy Award for best animated picture, set a new
high-mark for comic-book movies to aspire from, and it was absolutely my
favorite movie going experience of that year … which raises even higher
expectations with its sequel. Thankfully, this film managed a brave, bold, and
ambitious leap even further into greatness, in which it’s a visual marvel, not
just in spectacle, but also in transcending emotions, and presenting something
distinctly unique from other animated films. The action and thrills are all
there … but like all the best superhero movies, it remembers to put complex
themes, character emotions, and that extra touch of a human journey to go along
with the insane adventure, outlandish comedy, and all-out imagination on
display. While I like the first a little more for its tight three-act
structure, this is still a top-tier middle instalment of what could well be one
of cinemas new great movie trilogies.
#1 “Godzilla:
Minus One”
Thanks for
reading my countdown, and may the thrill of the theater continue on next year!
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