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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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
Best actor in a supporting role: Ben Affleck (Batman V Superman)
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