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Fav films of 2016 (So far...)
9 years ago
General
Taking a load off.
By rating, here are my favorite films for the first half of 2016. Enjoy!
1. 10 Cloverfield Lane (A+)
A tight thriller from producer J.J. Abrams and writer/director Dan Trachtenberg, 10 Cloverfield Lane features a plot that feels like a classic Twilight Zone episode in the best possible way (we’re just short of having a chain smoking J.J. Abrams walk onto the screen, “For your consideration, imagine three strangers trapped in a room…”). The film is tightly paced, features effective performances from its three leads (the stand-out being an uncharacteristically chilling John Goodman). I could talk more, but this is a film best seen blind. Suffice to say, this is the sort of low-budget genre film I wish Hollywood produced more of.
2. Captain America: Civil War (A)
As if a direct answer to the much maligned Batman v. Superman, Captain America: Civil War delivers a proper prizefight between beloved heroes. You understand the ideologies of both sides, and when the characters fight you know they all wish this didn’t have to happen (the biggest set-piece features a lot of pulled punches). The conflict is palpable, the characters on both sides of the issue are likable, and the movie remembers that we go to superhero films to be entertained.
3. The Nice Guys (A)
Writer/Director Shane Black, who made his name for writing scripts like Lethal Weapon, returns to the buddy-action genre he helped create for the first time since Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005). As one would expect from Mr. Black’s work, the dialogue is as witty as it is funny, but above that, I was surprised by how much chemistry Russel Crowe and Ryan Gosling shared on screen.
4. Zootopia (A)
After going through constant re-writes, scrapping entire subplots, and flipping lead characters, Walt Disney Animation Studio’s latest animated feature miraculously emerges as what could arguably be their best film since making the jump to all-computer-animated features. Fun characters, a fully realized anthropomorphic world that tops the many that have come before it, and a surprisingly deep ideological center, Zootopia is one of 2016’s best, and the current frontrunner for Best Animated Feature of 2016.
5. Deadpool
“The merc with a mouth” finally gets his due. Admittedly, I’m not much of a Deadpool fan, only knowing him through internet memes (and interning under the producer of the film), but 2016’s Deadpool undeniably earns its place as one of the most entertaining superhero films of the past eight years. In an era where Marvel’s characters are at civil war, the X-Men are facing apocalyptic events every other film, and Superman can’t smile, Deadpool’s blood-splattered, sophomoric shenanigans are a breath of fresh air.
6. Finding Dory (A-)
This film surprised me. I was expecting this to be another extraneous Pixar sequel along the lines of Monsters University—fun, well-animated, but wholly unnecessary. While Finding Dory doesn’t reach the emotional highs that made Finding Nemo an instant classic, Pixar still brings their winning charm through a wonderful cast of new aquatic characters.
7. The BFG (B+)
Spielberg’s return to family filmmaking after years of historical and political dramas is a magical experience that’s certain to delight children and adults. Admittedly, I have an inherent pro-Spielberg bias, and, yes, this doesn’t reach the heights of E.T., but Spielberg remains unmatched in his skills as a director. It’ll be a sad day indeed when this expert direction merged with the magical music of John Williams doesn’t whisk me off to a world of wonder.
8. The Witch (B+)
The Witch is one of the most unnerving films you’ll see. Its period details are on point, the premise believable—really, the only complaint I have is that I didn’t feel engaged throughout. Some sequences go on for too long and cause scenes that might have been tense at 1-2 minutes to lose steam. Still, writer/director Robert Eggers will be one to watch going forward.
9. Central Intelligence (B)
Sometimes all you need to have a good time at the movies is some wonderful chemistry between two very funny actors. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart star in this surprisingly effective buddy comedy from the director of Dodgeball and We’re The Millers. While the script isn’t anything to write home about, there’s something to be said about actors chemistry. Johnson and Hart both play against type, with Johnson playing the screwball and Hart playing the straight man, and the result is fantastic. I’ve always thought Johnson had natural comic timing and it was great to see him cut loose as this fanny pack wearing CIA agent (who may or may not be crazy), and Kevin Hart also proves that he doesn’t have to overact in order to get a laugh.
10. Hail, Caesar (B-)
The latest film from the Coen Brothers is a divisive one. Its cast’s extraordinary, and it boasts exquisite production design that would fool you into believing it had three-times its production budget, but the plot never meshes together the way the brothers’ best work often does. Still, I’ve only seen this film once, and I’ll look forward to seeing it again to see if, perhaps, like The Big Lebowski, it may be a film that becomes better through repeat viewings.
1. 10 Cloverfield Lane (A+)
A tight thriller from producer J.J. Abrams and writer/director Dan Trachtenberg, 10 Cloverfield Lane features a plot that feels like a classic Twilight Zone episode in the best possible way (we’re just short of having a chain smoking J.J. Abrams walk onto the screen, “For your consideration, imagine three strangers trapped in a room…”). The film is tightly paced, features effective performances from its three leads (the stand-out being an uncharacteristically chilling John Goodman). I could talk more, but this is a film best seen blind. Suffice to say, this is the sort of low-budget genre film I wish Hollywood produced more of.
2. Captain America: Civil War (A)
As if a direct answer to the much maligned Batman v. Superman, Captain America: Civil War delivers a proper prizefight between beloved heroes. You understand the ideologies of both sides, and when the characters fight you know they all wish this didn’t have to happen (the biggest set-piece features a lot of pulled punches). The conflict is palpable, the characters on both sides of the issue are likable, and the movie remembers that we go to superhero films to be entertained.
3. The Nice Guys (A)
Writer/Director Shane Black, who made his name for writing scripts like Lethal Weapon, returns to the buddy-action genre he helped create for the first time since Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005). As one would expect from Mr. Black’s work, the dialogue is as witty as it is funny, but above that, I was surprised by how much chemistry Russel Crowe and Ryan Gosling shared on screen.
4. Zootopia (A)
After going through constant re-writes, scrapping entire subplots, and flipping lead characters, Walt Disney Animation Studio’s latest animated feature miraculously emerges as what could arguably be their best film since making the jump to all-computer-animated features. Fun characters, a fully realized anthropomorphic world that tops the many that have come before it, and a surprisingly deep ideological center, Zootopia is one of 2016’s best, and the current frontrunner for Best Animated Feature of 2016.
5. Deadpool
“The merc with a mouth” finally gets his due. Admittedly, I’m not much of a Deadpool fan, only knowing him through internet memes (and interning under the producer of the film), but 2016’s Deadpool undeniably earns its place as one of the most entertaining superhero films of the past eight years. In an era where Marvel’s characters are at civil war, the X-Men are facing apocalyptic events every other film, and Superman can’t smile, Deadpool’s blood-splattered, sophomoric shenanigans are a breath of fresh air.
6. Finding Dory (A-)
This film surprised me. I was expecting this to be another extraneous Pixar sequel along the lines of Monsters University—fun, well-animated, but wholly unnecessary. While Finding Dory doesn’t reach the emotional highs that made Finding Nemo an instant classic, Pixar still brings their winning charm through a wonderful cast of new aquatic characters.
7. The BFG (B+)
Spielberg’s return to family filmmaking after years of historical and political dramas is a magical experience that’s certain to delight children and adults. Admittedly, I have an inherent pro-Spielberg bias, and, yes, this doesn’t reach the heights of E.T., but Spielberg remains unmatched in his skills as a director. It’ll be a sad day indeed when this expert direction merged with the magical music of John Williams doesn’t whisk me off to a world of wonder.
8. The Witch (B+)
The Witch is one of the most unnerving films you’ll see. Its period details are on point, the premise believable—really, the only complaint I have is that I didn’t feel engaged throughout. Some sequences go on for too long and cause scenes that might have been tense at 1-2 minutes to lose steam. Still, writer/director Robert Eggers will be one to watch going forward.
9. Central Intelligence (B)
Sometimes all you need to have a good time at the movies is some wonderful chemistry between two very funny actors. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart star in this surprisingly effective buddy comedy from the director of Dodgeball and We’re The Millers. While the script isn’t anything to write home about, there’s something to be said about actors chemistry. Johnson and Hart both play against type, with Johnson playing the screwball and Hart playing the straight man, and the result is fantastic. I’ve always thought Johnson had natural comic timing and it was great to see him cut loose as this fanny pack wearing CIA agent (who may or may not be crazy), and Kevin Hart also proves that he doesn’t have to overact in order to get a laugh.
10. Hail, Caesar (B-)
The latest film from the Coen Brothers is a divisive one. Its cast’s extraordinary, and it boasts exquisite production design that would fool you into believing it had three-times its production budget, but the plot never meshes together the way the brothers’ best work often does. Still, I’ve only seen this film once, and I’ll look forward to seeing it again to see if, perhaps, like The Big Lebowski, it may be a film that becomes better through repeat viewings.
stokerbramwell
~stokerbramwell
An excellent list, even if I've only seen about half of them so far.
