So let's roll with My Top 10 Movies of 2017...that I saw....
10.
Kong: Skull Island
I wasn't clamoring for another King Kong, but this turned out to be a fun surprise. The Vietnam spin on the story was an interesting approach, as well as incorporating Kong into the new Kaiju universe started with 2014's Godzilla. And how can you go wrong with a cast featuring John Goodman, John C. Reilly, Samuel L. Jackson, and Loki & Captain Marvel for good measure?
I'm looking forward to the inevitable Kong v. Godzilla.
I'm looking forward to the inevitable Kong v. Godzilla.
9.
Split
Another surprise considering M. Night Shyamalan's recent track record. But this wound up being an enjoyable little thriller. Most praise goes to James McAvoy's performance, and for good reason, but I think Anya Taylor-Joy deserves credit, too, as I was invested in what happens to her. The finale is kind of ludicrous—and maybe a little problematic for people who have DiD and/or survived abuse—but makes more sense when you consider the final twist, which I won't spoil even though the movie's been out for months.
8.
John Wick: Chapter 2
The first John Wick was one of those movies that came out of nowhere, but wound up being a lot of fun. The second one ups the ante in some pretty insane ways, but still works. I think one of my favorite things about this franchise is the universe it created—this bizarre underworld of assassins and their code. By the end of this movie I actually found myself thinking, "No, John! Don't break the rules of the assassin hotel!" That's effective world-building there.
7.
Gerald's Game
I once tried reading the book years ago. I didn't get far, but I was always intrigued by the premise, so I was looking forward to the movie when it was announced. I do enjoy a good 'one setting' suspense/thriller, and Carla Gugino carries this all the way. And I won't lie, the gruesome finale—if you've seen this, you know what I'm talking about—was really hard to sit through without looking away.
I mean that in a good way.
I mean that in a good way.
6.
Logan
Admittedly, I've never been a big X-Men guy...much less Wolverine. So this didn't hit me in the FEELS the way hit it others—and I think a lot of its emotional impact is dependent on being already invested in Logan, Xavier, and their relationship—but it was a damn good movie all the same. It's nice to see filmmakers try different things with the superhero genre, with more grounded personal stakes, and we got amazing performances from the three main characters.
Definitely a worthy send-off for Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart.
Definitely a worthy send-off for Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart.
5.
Baby Driver
I love Edgar Wright. He might be one of those directors, for me, where if he has a movie out, I have to see it. So I was looking forward to this, and when I saw one critic describe it as: "The 'Don't Stop Me Now' scene from Shaun of the Dead...except the entire movie and with car chases," I was sold. Style over substance perhaps, and I don't think as good as the Cornetto Trilogy, but this was still a fun flick with amazing direction.
4.
Get Out
Smarter people than me have already written a great deal about this movie. I have nothing really to add, so all I'll say is, at the end of the day, it's a solid, well-made thriller that's an interesting spin on the familiar "Body Snatcher/Stepford Wives" premise. It's got suspense, thrills, humor, and insight.
A testament to how a relatively simple film can have massive impact.
A testament to how a relatively simple film can have massive impact.
3.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
There is a lot to unpack with this one. To be honest, it's still too fresh in my mind to offer any concrete thoughts. I will say, however, that I liked how this movie played with expectation and took a somewhat deconstructive look at Star Wars as a saga. I dig the relationship/rivalry between Rey and Kylo Ren, and Mark Hamill killed it as a burnt out, cynical Luke Skywalker.
I'll admit my opinion might change after I see it few more times—for better or worse—but for now, I think if The Force Awakens was the necessary "safe" movie to reinvigorate the franchise, The Last Jedi was a needed kick in the ass.
I'll admit my opinion might change after I see it few more times—for better or worse—but for now, I think if The Force Awakens was the necessary "safe" movie to reinvigorate the franchise, The Last Jedi was a needed kick in the ass.
2.
Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2
I think one of the things I liked about Vol. 2 was how it was more character driven. Where the first one was carried by novelty and the dynamic of the team forming (and an awesome soundtrack), this one was carried more by their flaws driving them apart, which I liked. Whether it's Rocket's self-sabotage or Peter's immaturity, I enjoyed seeing these characters beyond "Funny jerk" and "Talking raccoon." It was also great to see Nebula more involved, and Michael Rooker stole the show as Yondu.
He is Mary Poppins y'all.
He is Mary Poppins y'all.
1.
Wonder Woman
If you follow this blog, this shouldn't be a surprise. Hell, I devoted an entire post to how much I loved this movie. Since I already wrote a thing on this, I won't repeat myself.
One thing I will say is, similar to how Logan probably meant something special for people who love Wolverine, this movie really felt special as a longtime fan of Wonder Woman. If you follow the character long enough, you know she gets a lot of shit. Plenty of lip service, but lots of shit and always with the same refrain: "She just doesn't work. She doesn't connect to audiences. She needs to be fixed or re-worked or re-imagined." And that's before you factor in the DCEU thus far has been, to put it kindly, less than stellar.
So to finally see Wonder Woman on the big screen in a good movie, done right (in the ways that matter), and go on to become a huge success...what can I say, it puts me in a happy place and is easily my movie of the year.
But fuck Justice League.
One thing I will say is, similar to how Logan probably meant something special for people who love Wolverine, this movie really felt special as a longtime fan of Wonder Woman. If you follow the character long enough, you know she gets a lot of shit. Plenty of lip service, but lots of shit and always with the same refrain: "She just doesn't work. She doesn't connect to audiences. She needs to be fixed or re-worked or re-imagined." And that's before you factor in the DCEU thus far has been, to put it kindly, less than stellar.
So to finally see Wonder Woman on the big screen in a good movie, done right (in the ways that matter), and go on to become a huge success...what can I say, it puts me in a happy place and is easily my movie of the year.
But fuck Justice League.
Honorable Mention
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Now again, because I'm sure there are people thinking, "But what about insert name here ," I want to reiterate this list is based on movies this year I've seen. In fact there are quite a few movies I want/plan to see, but haven't gotten the chance to for one reason or another. And I expect a few would've made my Top Ten.
So that's why I'm going to include a list of movies from this year I want to see but haven't yet. And I ranked them based on how much I want to see them:
8. Atomic Blonde
7. mother!
6. Colossal
5. I, Tonya
4. The Disaster Artist
3. War for the Planet of the Apes
2. Thor: Ragnarok
1. It
And finally, I'm going to throw in my Top 5 TV Shows of the year.
Admittedly, I'm not much for shows or binge-watching, so there's plenty of stuff I haven't seen, nor plan to. All the same, there were some shows this year, old and new, that had my attention.
5.
American Gods
I haven't read the book this is based on, but I was intrigued by the premise. It took a me a while though to get into it. It's incredibly stylish, but I thought the first few episodes were a little slow. With episode four, however, I was sold. Without spoiling, episode four gave me a character I could latch onto, and after that the plot really started to pick up. I'm looking forward to the next season, although hearing the show-runner has dropped out is concerning. Hopefully it won't hurt too much.
4.
Game of Thrones
I usually love Game of Thrones, but this past season had some pretty weak writing. There was plenty of spectacle this year, but I felt too many times the characters were dictated by plot rather than the other way around. As a result, we saw some bits that served toward contriving conflict just for the sake of conflict—the Arya/Sansa sub-plot probably the worst offender. It didn't really sink in for me how much the writing quality dropped until after re-watching Season 6—particularly the season finale. What we ended up with after what was set up in "The Winds of Winter"...wow, what a step down.
But there were some good bits, and I do still love the characters. I just hope the writers up their game for the final season.
But there were some good bits, and I do still love the characters. I just hope the writers up their game for the final season.
3.
GLOW
Pro-wrestling is such a bizarre...genre? Medium? Whatever you want to call it, if you really follow the behind-the-scenes stuff and what actually goes into making pro-wrestling work, it's legitimately fascinating. And at times mind-boggling.
Of course you don't need to know the wrestling industry to enjoy this show. It's a familiar story of a bunch of misfits and losers coming together. The wrestling angle offers a unique take on it, and it's carried by an entertaining cast of characters. All in all, it was a fun watch.
Added bonus, speaking as someone who doesn't usually binge-watch anything: half-hour episodes are a perk. Compare to the Marvel Netflix shows, that I do usually like, but can be a slog. Even the best of them do not need to be 13 episodes long. GLOW, on the other hand, you can breeze through in a day no problem.
Of course you don't need to know the wrestling industry to enjoy this show. It's a familiar story of a bunch of misfits and losers coming together. The wrestling angle offers a unique take on it, and it's carried by an entertaining cast of characters. All in all, it was a fun watch.
Added bonus, speaking as someone who doesn't usually binge-watch anything: half-hour episodes are a perk. Compare to the Marvel Netflix shows, that I do usually like, but can be a slog. Even the best of them do not need to be 13 episodes long. GLOW, on the other hand, you can breeze through in a day no problem.
2.
Twin Peaks
I did watch Twin Peaks back in the day, even though I was only about six or seven years old at the time. Like most everyone else, I wanted to know who killed Laura Palmer. And like many, once we did find out, my interest in the show waned.
I hadn't paid much mind when they announced it was coming back, but then I started hearing the buzz around it and was intrigued. So I binged the original series (and holy shit does it drop off a cliff in the second season), Fire Walk With Me, and finally The Return...and felt like my brain had melted.
I mean that in a good way. I'm honestly still not 100% sure how I'll interpret what was going on (although reading various theories around the internet has been fun), but this was a unique and bonkers show I don't regret experiencing at all.
And I have to say, without spoiling anything, "I am the FBI" might be one of the most surprisingly awesome pay-off moments in a show I've seen.
I hadn't paid much mind when they announced it was coming back, but then I started hearing the buzz around it and was intrigued. So I binged the original series (and holy shit does it drop off a cliff in the second season), Fire Walk With Me, and finally The Return...and felt like my brain had melted.
I mean that in a good way. I'm honestly still not 100% sure how I'll interpret what was going on (although reading various theories around the internet has been fun), but this was a unique and bonkers show I don't regret experiencing at all.
And I have to say, without spoiling anything, "I am the FBI" might be one of the most surprisingly awesome pay-off moments in a show I've seen.
1.
Stranger Things
I enjoyed the first season of Stranger Things well enough. I didn't love it the way a lot of other people did, but I got a kick out this little pastiche/homage to 80's Stephen King, Spielberg, John Carpenter, and various other stuff from that era.
But I thought the second season was superior in just about every way. I thought the pacing was better. The characters felt more like actual characters as opposed to a collection of tropes...for the most part. The overall arc of the season was stronger and more satisfying. It still has plenty of 80's references and homage, but this season felt like it became more than just nostalgia and references.
And I love that Steve emerged as the best character in the show.
But I thought the second season was superior in just about every way. I thought the pacing was better. The characters felt more like actual characters as opposed to a collection of tropes...for the most part. The overall arc of the season was stronger and more satisfying. It still has plenty of 80's references and homage, but this season felt like it became more than just nostalgia and references.
And I love that Steve emerged as the best character in the show.
Honorable Mention
Vice Principals
Like I said, I don't watch much TV or Netflix. The only thing around right now that I haven't seen yet but plan to is Netflix's The Punisher.
I've also started paying attention to Dragonball Super. I was a fan of Z back in the day, but hadn't paid much mind to Super until recently. I'm digging the Universal Tournament story-arc and marking out every time Frieza does something. I also like new characters Caulifla and Cabba and hope we get to see more of them in the future.
So that's that...on to 2018. Off the top of my head, I'm looking forward to Black Panther and Infinity War. And on the television front, we got Jessica Jones and Westworld coming back.
So even though the reality of this past year—and 2016, to be honest—has been...draining to say the least, we got some damn good entertainment. Hopefully things will be better next year.
Have a good one.
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