10 Best Movies of the Half Year and Awards

Honorable Mentions: The Witch, All the Way, Love & Friendship, Sing Street, Pervert Park.
Note: This list consists of the best movies I've seen so far this year, so any movie I have missed could not be included. Remember, this is my personal opinion.

Runner-Up: Finding Dory

In 2003 Pixar released the animated movie "Finding Nemo." An instant critical and box office hit, the movie has since become a modern classic. So when it was announced that a sequel was in the works I wasn't really sure about it. If there's anything in the film industry I hate, it would be unnecessary sequels; and Pixar's last sequel "Cars 2" is easily the studio's worst movie. Fortunately, "Finding Dory" is actually very good. The story follows Dory, the lovable blue fish with short term memory loss, as she travels the ocean in the hopes of finding her family after years of being separated. While "Finding Dory" is not in the same league as its predecessor, it's still a top notch animated movie that will be a serious contender for best animated feature at the Oscars. And I would not be surprised that years from now people will remember this movie as fondly as they do "Finding Nemo."

10. Eye in the Sky

U.S. general William Tecumseh Sherman was once quoted saying "war is hell," he said that during the Civil War and that phrase is still as relevant as ever. But obviously with the advancement of various technologies, war has changed. You can now kill someone on the other side of the planet using a plane piloted by some guy in a control room in Las Vegas. So with these new technologies come new dilemmas, and "Eye in the Sky" is one of the best movies to truly examine these issues. The story revolves around a drone operating team in England and a group of pilots operating out of Las Vegas. They are running surveillance using a drone over Kenya, spying on wanted terrorists. They are giving information to Kenyan soldiers that will move in and apprehend them. But when the targets unexpectedly move into a dangerous, militia controlled area, the plan is called off. Knowing that these terrorists are a threat the drone team argue whether they should conduct a lethal strike, even if it could kill innocent civilians in the area. "Eye in the Sky" surprised me; it was one of the best acted and written films of the year. But of everything, the way it approached real world issues was exceptionally done. It takes a respectful look at the technology, bureaucracy, and morals behind modern war.

9. The Jungle Book

In 1967, Disney released the animated musical comedy "The Jungle Book" based off the book of the same name. Since its release it’s generally considered to be a classic of Disney's filmography. So when it was announced that a live action remake was in the works, many had their doubts. Disney has been using this model for the past few years, remaking their animated classics into live action adaptations like they did with "Maleficent" and "Cinderella." Fortunately though, 2016's "The Jungle Book" ranks among the best movies of the year. The story follows Mowgli, a human boy living among the animals in the jungle; when he is suddenly forced to leave his adopted family after a human hating tiger decides to come for his life. Respectful to its source material, the film is highlighted by intense action sequences, beautiful cinematography, great voice acting performances, and some of the best CGI ever put into a movie. Originally I wasn't sure about this movie, I thought it was an unnecessary remake meant for easy money; but Disney proved me wrong with one of the most impressive movies of the year.

8. Deadpool
Going into 2016, "Deadpool" had to be one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Based off the comic of the same name, this movie was actually supposed to happen some time ago; but due to studio interference the project got scrapped. But in late 2014, CGI stunt footage leaked online showing what the film would look like and movie fans rejoiced. There was such an outpour of praise that Fox green lit a feature length film. The movie is about Wade Wilson, a former special ops soldier that suddenly discovers that his entire body is being ravaged by cancer. With no hope in site, he is approached by a mysterious man who claims to have a solution. Wilson joins his little science experiment, which involves giving test subjects drugs hoping to unlock any mutations dormant inside them. The procedure is successful, but it leaves Wilson scarred across his entire body; on top of that, he is then to be sold to the highest bidder as a weapon. He then manages to escape, and decides to hunt down the man who turned him into what he is. Without a doubt, "Deadpool" is the funniest, and one of the most entertaining superhero movies we've ever seen. With some great action sequences, and a respectful interpretations of the characters, the movie was a box office juggernaut and has already been approved for a sequel. So for all the Deadpool fans out there, get ready for the second round.

7. 10 Cloverfield Lane

In 2008 the world was met with "Cloverfield," a found footage monster movie made wildly successful due to a viral marketing campaign. While "Cloverfield" had many fans, I was not one of them. I thought it was an overstuffed and messy movie whose cinematography gave me a headache. So when I heard that a spiritual successor was in the works, I wasn't particularly interested. But to my surprise I fell in love with ambitiously small movie. The film follows Michelle, a young woman leaving her fiancé when she is knocked off the road by an unknown driver. She then wakes up in a bunker owned by Howard, a former military man who claims that the world has ended and that it's unsafe to leave the bunker. So Michelle decides to seek out the truth, while hoping the unstable Howard doesn't do something she'd regret. With exceptional performances from Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman, and a nail biting story, "10 Cloverfield Lane" is one of the year’s biggest surprises.

6. Captain America: Civil War
Since 2008, Disney has basically ruled the box office with the "Marvel Cinematic University." Since then, the 13 installments in the franchise have grossed over $10 billion dollars worldwide. With those 13 movies, we've seen some of the best superhero films of all time; and after eight years, Marvel might have just produced their magnum opus. "Captain America: Civil War" takes place a short time after "Age of Ultron," and follows the remaining Avengers as they travel the world trying to save it. But after an incident in Nigeria that left over a dozen civilians dead, world powers meet and decide that the Avengers need to be regulated by the United Nations. While this is going on, Captain America's lifelong friend Bucky Barns reappears and is believed to be behind a terrorist attack. So it's up to the Captain to keep the team together while trying to find his friend. I honestly believe that "Civil War" is the best Marvel movie to date, and behind "The Dark Knight" it might just be the best superhero movie ever made. Filled with incredible action pieces, an engaging story, and non-stop excitement, many will look back at "Civil War" as their favorite movie of the year.

5. Green Room
Back in 2014, one of the most pleasant surprises of the year was a little film titled "Blue Ruin." Funded on Kickstarter, this revenge-thriller was one of the best movies of the year that no one saw. Despite making less than one million dollars at the box office, it put director Jeremy Saulnier in the spotlight as a filmmaker to watch out for. Shortly after finishing "Blue Ruin," he started work on a new horror-thriller called "Green Room." The film follows a young punk band as they are hired for a gig at a backwoods skinhead bar, but after they witness a murder they are hunted by the bar owner and his neo-Nazi militia. No movie released this year had me on the edge of my seat like this one did. Incredibly tense, with haunting atmosphere and great direction, "Green Room" might end up being the indie hit of the year.

4. Everybody Wants Some!!

Richard Linklater is one of America's most underrated directors. Making critical acclaimed movies since the early 90s, some of his career highlights include "The Before" trilogy, "Boyhood," "School of Rock," and "Bernie," he has cultivated a career of quirky, down to earth movies. But his most recognizable film has to be the 90s stoner classic "Dazed and Confused." For years Linklater expressed interest in producing a follow up movie, but it never came to fruition. After years of failed attempts he finally got a green light for a script he wrote in the mid-2000s, "Everybody Wants Some!!." The story revolves around a college baseball team during the last few days of summer before the new school year. Trying to get as much partying in as possible, the team begins to build rapport and strong friendships with each other. The best way I can describe this movie was that it was fun. While the acting, directing, and writing were great, the movie was just a good time to watch. And really, there was nothing more I could ask for from the spiritual successor to "Dazed and Confused."

3. The Nice Guys

Over the course of many years, we've seen a great decrease in the number of buddy-cop style movies released in theaters. Gone are the days of the 80s and 90s where this genre was a major hit with audiences; while they come along every once in a while, it's been a long time since we've had one worth remembering. And considering it's #3 on this list, this one is worth remembering. "The Nice Guys" takes place in 1970s Las Angeles, and follows a private detective and enforcer as they are hired to find a young woman who has gone missing and gets caught up in a weird conspiracy. Directed by Shane Black, "The Nice Guys" is a serious contender for the best comedy of the year. Great performances from the leads, an Oscar worthy original screenplay, a compelling mystery, and a great use of its 70s backdrop, "The Nice Guys" is one of my favorite movies of the year.

2. Zootopia

I don't think any movie released so far this year took the industry by storm quite like this one did. The last Disney animated film; "Zootopia" dominated the box office much of the year; so much so it became the second movie in 2016 to gross over $1 billion dollars. And if you've seen the movie, it's not hard to imagine why. The plot revolves around Judy Hopps, a bunny from the countryside who movies to Zootopia, a large city where prey and predators live in harmony. Not long after arriving she learns of a string of disappearances around the city, so she decides to team of with a con-artist fox named Nick to solve the case. While the movie was lauded for its script, performances, and animation quality, what really made headlines was the film's commentary of racism and stereotyping. The second I left the theater after finishing the movie, I realized that Disney had another classic on its hands. "Zootopia" is one of the best animated movies released in years, and easily one of the best films of 2016.

1. Midnight Special
There are only a handful of directors that are currently working who are consistently great; Richard Linklater, Wes Anderson, and Denis Villeneuve to name a few. But I have to say the director that stands above all others in the industry right now has to be Jeff Nichols. Making his directorial debut in 2008, "Midnight Special" is his fourth movie in the past eight years. While this film might not be his best, I'd still say it's the best overall movie I've seen in 2016 so far. The story follows a young boy with mysterious powers and his father as they run far from a cult that they belonged to for years. And along the way the boy must find out who he is and what destiny has in store for him. "Midnight Special" was inspired by the work of John Carpenter, and acts as a love letter to Steven Spielberg. Highlighted by strong performances, a unique premise, a well written script, and lovely cinematography, I'd be surprised if this didn't appear on my "Best of the Year" list.


Best Actor in a Leading Role: Michael Shannon (Midnight Special)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane)
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Mary Elizabeth Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Kristen Dunst (Midnight Special)
Best Animated Feature: Zootopia
Best Cinematography: The Neon Demon
Best Costume Design: The Other Guys
Best Director: Jeff Nichols (Midnight Special)
Best Documentary Feature: Pervert Park
Best Film Editing: The Jungle Book
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: The Neon Demon
Best Original Score: Sing Street
Best Original Song: Drive it Like You Stole it (Sing Street)
Best Picture: Midnight Special
Best Production Design: The Jungle Book
Best Sound Editing: 10 Cloverfield Lane
Best Sound Mixing: Sing Street
Best Visual Effects: The Jungle Book
Best Adapted Screenplay: Tie- The Jungle Book/Captain America: Civil War
Best Original Screenplay: The Other Guys

Finding Dory Review

     From the mid 90s to 2010, Pixar animation was the unquestionable king of animation studios. With the "Toy Story" Trilogy, "Up," "Wall-e" and many more under their belt, the studio dominated the box office as well as the award season. Yet of their stoic filmography, the studio was arguably at their best in the early to mid 2000s. During that time they produced the beloved films "Monsters, Inc." and "The Incredibles." But in 2003 they released a game changer, "Finding Nemo." Following the story of a fish named Marlon trying to find his son Nemo, the movie has since grossed near $1 billion and was the studio's first movie to win the Oscar for "Best Animated Feature." A seminal part of an entire generation's childhood, "Finding Nemo" has become a modern classic. But a few years back it was announced that a sequel was in the works, one that no one asked for. Pixar is hit and miss with sequels, the "Toy Story" sequels were great but "Cars 2" is easily their worst movie. So since its announcement I have been hesitant, especially considering that Pixar has only had one truly great movie in the past five years ("Inside Out"). So here we are with "Finding Dory," but can Pixar recapture the magic that made "Finding Nemo" so good?

     Dory is the lovable little fish suffering from short term memory loss. After helping out Marlon find his son Nemo, she settled down on the same reef as them. While on one of Nemo's school trips she is asked about her family, which she has no recollection of. After getting caught in an undertow and thrown around the current she ends up having a flashback. All of a sudden she remembers her parents, whom she was separated from as a child in a similar incident. She starts remembering bits and pieces of her past, and decides to go to the last place she saw her parents hoping to find them. While reluctant to come along, Marlon and Nemo agree to help; so the three set out on another adventure to reunite Dory and her family.

     When I first heard about this movie, I didn't want them to make it. "Finding Nemo" was such a good movie in its own right, it didn't need a sequel. The only sequel I want from Pixar is for "The Incredibles" (which is fortunately happening in 2019 though). But I do have to give Pixar props, because they did a great job with "Finding Dory." As with all of Pixar's movies, the animation is gorgeous. It's the same style of animation as "Finding Nemo," but a bit more crisp and colorful. And again, as always, the voice acting is top notch; stars Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neill, as well as the rest of the cast did a great job. One of Pixar's greatest strengths would have to be their ability to create likable characters. "Finding Dory" introduces several memorable new characters, as well as feature cameos from a few characters from the previous film. It helps that the screenplay is well written like all of Pixar's best movies. It has tons of funny moments, but has several emotional scenes that may bring a tear to your eye. It's not as sad as "Finding Nemo" was at times, but you'll feel some genuine emotions. As well as a few scenes that are intense and heart pounding. And like "Finding Nemo," the movie does a good job illustrating some lovely themes; the importance of family and home, as well as never giving up. Despite everything I liked about this movie, which was a lot, "Finding Dory" has its problems. The film ends rather abruptly; one minute we're at the movie's climax, the next there's a happy ending scene that wraps a nice little bow on top of everything which lasts for like three minutes. It goes from 60 to 0 real quick. And like the problem many sequels suffer from, it just doesn't feel as special as its predecessor. "Finding Nemo" was fresh and original, but at its core "Finding Dory" has the same basic plot (a fish trying to find their family). But the movie's biggest problem is that it relies on its comedic bits for longer than necessary. The joke about Dory having short term memory is funny for a while, but after an hour of them going back to that joke every thirty seconds it got old. While that same bit was part of "Finding Nemo," it wasn't the backbone of the 90% of its jokes. Despite these issues, I still loved this movie. It’s funny, emotional, beautiful, and an all around great time. Most of the credit has to go to the man behind the curtain, Andrew Stanton. He did a great job directing this movie, and for nearly 20 years he has proven himself as one of the best directors for animation in the business. While "Finding Nemo" won't be remembered as fondly as "Up," "Toy Story," "Inside Out," or even its own predecessor, it’s still another strong installment in Pixar's filmography.

Pros: Gorgeous animation, many very funny moments, several emotional moments, great voice acting from the whole cast, well written screenplay, great direction from Andrew Stanton, several memorable new characters, nice to see some old characters again, a few suspenseful moments, illustrates some lovely themes.

Cons: Abrupt ending, some bits get old after a while, doesn't feel as special or original as "Finding Nemo."

4/5 Stars