The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions (2003)

Tags

Action, Romance, Sci-fi, Thriller

One rule do franchises live by:
What makes a profit must not die.
If it did well the first time round,
Then more will make it more renowned.
If it filled seats, there’s clearly steam
To push through sequels, it would seem,
And even decades afterward,
Do not discount a loyal nerd.
If it should fumble with a bomb,
We must not panic, must stay calm.
What makes a profit can rebound;
We’ll just do better next time round.
_______________________

MPA rating for both: R

With the recent new installment in the Matrix series, it seemed like a good time to revisit the two parts of the initial trilogy that I never reviewed. There’s a reason that the first Matrix is the only one on my Top 365 movie list (currently #125 to be exact). The Matrix Reloaded and Revolutions, both released within months of each other in 2003, were an ambitious follow-up to the huge success of the original, and I certainly credit the Wachowskis for expanding their universe so imaginatively. Yet both films are also hopelessly flawed when explaining their own mythology, even as they both remain entertaining in their own way.

The first film stands on its own well and could have done without a sequel, but it’s also easy to see why the story of Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie Anne Moss), and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) warranted a continuation, with details about the machines left vague and the human stronghold of Zion only mentioned. With The Matrix Reloaded, we finally get to see Zion, and although it’s an engineering marvel with its gritty steampunk design, it becomes rather laughable when a stirring speech from Morpheus about humanity’s resilience is followed up by a giant orgiastic rave in a cave. Likewise, between the Oracle’s circular counseling and the Merovingian’s smug pontificating about choice, the dialogue ranges from intriguing to insufferable depending on one’s capacity for philosophy.

However, when people stop talking and start fighting, Reloaded proves to be an action thrill ride, upping the ante of the first film with wilder stunts and cleverly imagined powers, the freeway chase being the heart-pounding high point. Although the first film established Neo’s supremacy over the Matrix, Reloaded manages to create worthy threats to his Superman-like status. With the machines closing in on Zion, Neo is told by the Oracle to seek out the Source of the Matrix, with plenty of agents, self-serving programs, and clones of rogue Agent Smith (still excellent Hugo Weaving) in his way. As for the cast, some of the supporting players stand out more than others, like Lambert Wilson’s Merovingian or Randall Duk Kim’s Keymaker, and it was nice to see a pre-Lost Harold Perrineau stepping in for the absent Tank as the new Operator for Morpheus’ ship.

While Reloaded has its flaws, including an expository info dump toward the end that I doubt most people fully understood on the first viewing, it set the stage for what promised to be a potentially amazing finale, only for that potential to peter out in Revolutions. I don’t hate Revolutions the way some people decry the Star Wars prequels, but it does rank as one of the most disappointing threequels out there. For one thing, the padding is unmistakable, with Neo trapped for a while in a limbo train station for no plot-relevant reason. Yet I still must give Revolutions major props for its action; the defense of Zion remains one of the biggest, most epic battle scenes of all time, up there with Lord of the Rings and Avatar, while the final fight between Neo and Smith basically goes full Dragon Ball Z. By the end, though, it’s hard to look at this end of the trilogy as anything but a bummer; in one sense, Neo lives up to the many Christ-like parallels of his status as the One, but the intended bittersweetness is more bitter than sweet.

You could say The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions were ahead of their time. It wasn’t yet common for sequels to be filmed back-to-back, and CGI was still in its development stage. One astounding sequence from Reloaded with Neo being overrun by a growing horde of Agent Smith clones is audacious and exciting, yet it’s easy to spot the point when the real actors are replaced with video-game-quality doubles. Likewise, one just has to take in stride details like the absence of Tank (Marcus Chong) or the recasting of the Oracle (the late Gloria Foster reprising her original role for Reloaded, then replaced by Mary Alice in Revolutions).

How hard is it to forgive ambition falling short? I must find it rather easy, considering I love the Star Wars prequels, but I can see why others might have more objections. The Wachowskis didn’t need to give the world more Matrix films, with their convoluted storyline, excess of supporting characters, and philosophical pretention, but what they delivered is still pretty impressive in what it does well. Even a little more so when you factor in supplementary works like The Animatrix. They’re certainly not without merit; it’s just unavoidable for Reloaded and Revolutions that any Matrix follow-up is flawed compared with the original film’s now-classic reputation.

Best line from Reloaded: (Commander Lock) “Not everyone believes what you believe.” (Morpheus) “My beliefs do not require them to.”

Best line from Revolutions: (the Merovingian) “It is remarkable how similar the pattern of love is to the pattern of insanity.”

Rank:  List Runners-up

© 2022 S.G. Liput
752 Followers and Counting

My 2022 Blindspot Picks

Tags

Lists

It’s time once again for year 6 of the Blindspot series! I don’t know who started this idea for movie blogs, but I’ve enjoyed the annual incentive to clear out a little more of my ever-growing to-watch list. And at least this year, without school and interviewing, I can hopefully return to the intention of watching one pick a month.

I always try to choose an eclectic mix of films I’ve been meaning to see, often long-delayed recommendations from family and fellow bloggers. This time around, I’ve included a cult musical, a sports classic, a horror comedy, a critically acclaimed dystopia, a few dramatic ensembles, a Chinese import, and a couple underseen comedies. I even bent the rules to include a trilogy of Indian classics as one pick. I can’t wait to see what these potential favorites have in store.

In alphabetical order, the Blindspot picks for 2022 are:

Apu Trilogy (1955, 1956, 1959)

Better Off Dead (1985)

Chef (2014)

Children of Men (2006)

The Frighteners (1996)

Grand Canyon (1991)

Murder by Death (1976)

National Velvet (1944)

The Road Home (1999)

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Short Term 12 (2013)

Shutter Island (2010)

2021 Blindspot Ranking

Tags

Lists

For my fifth year of the Blindspot series, I was relieved to wrap it up (barely) before the end of the year. You would think one movie a month wouldn’t be so hard to fit in, but college inevitably put me behind, only starting on these in April and having to play catch-up in the last few months. Now that that I’ve seen all these films for the first time, I can close out 2021’s Blindspots with my annual ranking before announcing the 2022 list tomorrow.

Like 2020, only one film ended up becoming an instant favorite and winning entry onto my Top 365 movie list. Even so, I still consider this an excellent selection of cinema, with even my bottom-ranked picks having their good points. I’m glad to have finally crossed these films off my to-watch list, especially so I can move on to the next batch.

12. Don’t Look Now (1973)

Psychological horror about psychic dangers in Venice; very atmospheric but also strange and unsatisfying

11. Apocalypse Now (1979)

Coppola’s Vietnam war classic is masterfully executed but also off-putting and anticlimactic.

10. Shin Godzilla (2016)

Modern “realistic” Godzilla thriller where bureaucracy is just as much a problem as the monster; special effects are both good and not quite good enough.

9. The Village (2004)

Atmospheric Shyamalan thriller with a twist that isn’t that hard to predict

8. Anthem of the Heart (2015)

Anime school drama posing as fantasy with some poignant themes

7. Office Space (1999)

Cult comedy that I can relate to now that I’ve worked in an office

6. The Apartment (1960)

Oscar-winning classic with an unappealing premise that yields to a highly satisfying end

5. Total Recall (1990)

Violent and bizarre, but thought-provoking action sci-fi is my jam nonetheless.

4. Sunshine on Leith (2013)

Scottish musical highlighting The Proclaimers’ discography; sweet but mostly predictable romance drama

3. A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

Unsung romantic classic with intriguing fantasy elements of the afterlife; like Soul but older and British

2. Coming to America (1988)

Second-tier Eddie Murphy rom com that still reminds me why ’80s comedies are the best

1. My Left Foot (1989)

First-rate acting for a first-rate biopic of Irish painter and author Christy Brown

Encanto (2021)

Tags

Animation, Comedy, Disney, Family, Fantasy, Musical

If I had a sister,
I would resist her.

If I had a brother,
“Why?” I’d ask Mother.

But since I do not,
I alone call the shots.

This child is only,
Perhaps a bit lonely.

It might have been nice
To have brothers’ advice.

I’d be a good sport
For a sister’s support.

Perhaps I’d not mind
That our lives intertwined.

To have more relations…
That’s just more frustrations!

If I had had brothers,
They’d deny me my druthers.

If I had a sister,
I’d cease and desist her.

I’d hate him, refund her…
And yet, I still wonder.
_______________________

MPA rating:  PG

It’s always nice or at least assuring when you can watch a movie and know exactly how you feel about it by the end. Whether you loved everything about it or found it a waste of time or just have that all-too-common meh reaction, at least you know your own opinion. But what about the gray space where you’re torn between a film’s merits and its problems, never sure which outweighs the other to turn the thumb up or down. Encanto is just such a film for me, a Disney animation that is equal parts marvel and mess but ultimately left me glad to know that a flawed film can still be a good one.

Set in Colombia seemingly in the early 1900s, Encanto focuses on the amazing Madrigal family, whose matriarch/Abuela (María Cecilia Botero) founded the town decades before with the aid of a magical candle that granted her a sentient house to live in and later supernatural abilities to her children and grandchildren. For every child growing up, a ceremony imparts a magical “gift” for their and the town’s benefit, but young Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) was spurned and left feeling anything but special. A few years later, when the candle’s magic seems to be dying, she decides to prove her worth by saving her family’s miracle.

There’s a lot going on with Encanto and its large cast, and, like Eternals, I’ve seen some suggest that it would have been better suited for a miniseries instead of a film to help flesh out the characters. Yet the film is a wonder at fast-paced characterization, in large part due to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s outstanding soundtrack of original songs. More than any other Disney film since Tangled, the songs are deeply integrated into the storyline, with musical numbers introducing and resolving entire subplots while making the exposition catchy and fun. Miranda’s Latin-inspired beats and trademark rapid-fire rhymes are first-rate Disney tunes, as evidenced by how often I’ve replayed them, especially “We Don’t Talk about Bruno” and the surprisingly deep and relatable “Surface Pressure.”

Among the film’s other strengths are its vibrant animation that turns the often poorly depicted nation of Colombia into a land of bright colors and magic, as well as a diverse Hispanic cast that includes the first Disney musical protagonist to wear glasses. So with all these pros, what’s so wrong with the film that it left me initially torn? Well, what’s left? The plot. Encanto has a good story and themes about suppressed familial trauma, the pressure of expectations, and the ripples caused by violence and displacement, which I’ve seen struck a chord with people of Latin American descent but are universal enough to be appreciated by folks like me as well, who may not have a large, close-knit family unit.

Oddly enough for Disney, the magic is where it stumbles. Little to no clear explanation is given for basically anything magical that happens, like how the candle became magical, why Mirabel was excluded, why the magic began to fade, or why the prophetic visions of Mirabel’s uncle Bruno (John Leguizamo) become vague and hard to interpret when he foresees the events of the film. This has resulted in an abundance of headcanons and theories about the film’s open-ended elements (“maybe Mirabel’s gift is her connection to the house”, “maybe she’s meant to be the successor to Abuela, who also lacks superpowers”, etc.), which are honestly fascinating, but I would have preferred that the film itself actually answer some of these questions. (One theory I liked was that, at her door ceremony, Mirabel touched the candle and then wiped her hands on her dress before touching the doorknob, perhaps transferring the magic to herself. It’s a good theory, but the film doesn’t bring any attention to it to indicate that was the filmmakers’ intent.) I realize this lack of explanation supposedly ties into the Colombian literary genre of “magical realism” where fantastical elements are often left unexplained, but these are aspects inherent to the plot.

Ultimately, the film simply wants the audience to “go with it” and accept what it presents without overthinking, and doing so certainly helped my enjoyment on a second viewing. Many of the family members’ gifts reflect their personality and character, such as Mirabel’s sister Luisa using her super-strength to bear every family burden or their mother being able to heal injuries with her meals (mom-cooked meals have definitely helped me feel better before). So on some level, the magic could be viewed as a giant metaphor for the roles and talents of any large family, but without more explanation, it’s something of a mixed metaphor. Yet it still clearly speaks effectively to the pressures on older siblings and feelings of inadequacy in younger ones.

While I wrestled with it for a while, I eventually decided that Encanto’s strengths outweigh its weaknesses. Some naysayers have pointed out its flaws and extended them to the good parts to make the film seem like a total catastrophe, which it’s not. It’s almost surprising that Disney would be behind a comparatively small-scale, introspective feature like this, boasting largely unknown voice actors and the rarity of a large and intact family, albeit one with issues. (Some friends of mine said they ought to do a follow-up short featuring the whole cast going through a therapy session.) For both entertainment and plot progression, it relies on Miranda’s music to do much of the heavy lifting, but the songs are up to the task, and there are so many cultural details and fast-moving gags amid the gorgeous animation that it’s well worth repeat viewing. Encanto is far from perfect, but, as Mirabel’s sister Isabela finds, perfection does not define one’s worth.

Best line: (Mirabel, to Abuela) “We are a family because of you, and nothing could ever be broken that we can’t fix together.”

Rank:  List-Worthy

© 2022 S.G. Liput
751 Followers and Counting

Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021)

Tags

Drama, Musical, Netflix

We hear all these tales of unlikely success,
Of thousands of no’s that resulted in yes,
Of people achieving their triumph with less
Than anyone else could have guessed was required.

They seem the exception to that wretched truth
That work is not always rewarded, nor youth,
And even those weary and long-in-the-tooth
Have little to show for their being so tired.

But who could have guessed what those blessed ones would do?
What low expectations observed their debut?
And who says that I can’t be one of those few?
And who says that you aren’t exceptional too?
__________________________

MPA rating:  PG-13

I suppose the first order of business for 2022 should be reviewing the films that made it onto my end-of-year list for 2021. Considering my fondness for animation, musicals, and superhero films, it’s not surprising that these dominated much of the list, and the only musical of last year that didn’t disappoint at the box office (since it was released on Netflix) was my favorite of the bunch.

Tick, Tick… Boom! is the other Jonathan Larson work, a one-man musical monologue that never made it to Broadway like his hit Rent did five years later. Considering I doubt anyone was clamoring for a film version of this lesser-known “rock monologue” from thirty years ago, it’s clear that this was a passion project. First-time director Lin-Manuel Miranda has written that Tick, Tick… Boom! inspired him when he saw a reworked version performed after Larson’s untimely death, and he even played Larson himself in a 2014 production. It makes sense that Larson’s semi-autobiographical take on the stresses of chasing success in musical theater resonated with Miranda, whose Hamilton shared the role of someone writing “day and night like [they’re] running out of time.” In the case of Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield), he struggled to produce his futuristic rock opera Superbia and wrote Tick, Tick… Boom! as an outlet for his creative frustration, even as the 1990s and his thirtieth birthday loomed before him.

I knew nothing about the story going in and was amazed at how fitting it was that I watched it on my own birthday. The very first (and very catchy) song “30/90” laments how quickly the years are outpacing Jonathan’s dreams of making his mark on the world, a sentiment that I can certainly relate to, along with most other twenty- or thirtysomethings out there. Andrew Garfield delivers one of his best performances yet in the lead role, demonstrating he’s a double threat of acting and singing (for the first time apparently). Whether he’s ecstatic over small achievements, harried working for every cent and every note he can muster for the sake of his workshop, or heartbroken by tragic news, he runs the full spectrum of emotions and well deserved his recent Golden Globe win.

Also outstanding are Alexandra Shipp as his girlfriend Susan and Robin de Jesús as his friend Michael, both of whom suffer being left behind by Jonathan’s mania of chasing success even as they sincerely want him to find it. Plus, like Zac Efron in The Greatest Showman, it was nice to see Vanessa Hudgens returning to her movie musical roots as one of the key singers for the show/workshop. The film also incorporates elements that would clearly go on to influence Larson’s next musical Rent, such as several of Jonathan’s gay friends falling to the AIDS epidemic.

Tick, Tick… Boom! has an unusual structure; while most of it is the expected movie musical format (drama with interspersed musical numbers), it’s mixed with scenes of Larson/Garfield narrating on stage with piano and band as if performing the show live to an audience. As a sort of blend of stage play and film memoir, it excels at folding the songs into the narrative as embellishments of the first-person storytelling. There’s really only one moment where the song seriously fails to match the tone, when a sardonically poppy song about relationship problems clashes with an otherwise very serious scene. Regardless of such minor hiccups, the quality of Larson’s music and lyrics speaks for itself, from the gentle guitar of “Johnny Can’t Decide” to the stark piano of “Why” to the full rock ensemble of “30/90” and “Louder Than Words.” In particular, “Why” struck me as an emotionally exhausting performance akin to Anne Hathaway’s “I Dreamed a Dream” in Les Miserables, so Garfield had better get an Oscar nomination.

Every now and then, a movie about creativity and chasing art comes along and speaks to me on an especially personal level, films like Whisper of the Heart or La La Land that often are appreciated by some more than others. Tick, Tick… Boom! is just such a film. I have my own latent plans for a musical that I’ve been toying with for years, and while I have yet to put full effort toward it, watching Larson’s grueling journey and eventual vindication gives me hope that my own efforts won’t be in vain, even if it seems so.

The film is a tribute to both Jonathan Larson and the creative process of musical theater, elevated by Miranda’s personal direction and lots of cameos from Broadway legends that not everyone will recognize. Some cool trivia: Bradley Whitford plays Larson’s idol, the late great Stephen Sondheim, but when Sondheim leaves an encouraging voice mail toward the end of the film, Sondheim himself recorded the lines. All these layers make Tick, Tick… Boom! a clear labor of love and, for me at least, a film to love as well.

Best line: (Jonathan, after a rejection) “So what am I supposed to do now?” (Rosa, his agent) “You start writing the next one. And after you finish that one, you start on the next. And on and on, and that’s what it is to be a writer, honey. You just keep throwing them against the wall and hoping against hope that eventually something sticks. Listen. Little advice from someone who’s been in this business a long, long time. On the next one, maybe try writing about what you know.”

Rank: List-Worthy

© 2022 S.G. Liput
751 Followers and Counting

THE LIST (2022 Update)

Tags

Lists

A little later than I usually like, but here is my start-of-2022 update to THE LIST, my top 365 movie list that first got me started blogging eight years ago and has been revised every year since. Of course, there are technically more than 365 since I group most film series together, as well as a few other pairs of similar films that equate to a tie. Now added are the 15 films listed in my Blogiversary post that I watched for the first time last year and are listed in bold below. Nothing was able to crack the Top 100 this time around, but you’ll find both high and low rankers, including Blindspots and Oscar winners. As always, these are my personal and subjective favorites that can easily change with time, and I welcome both agreement and disagreement.

Not that I expect anyone to notice, but there was some shuffling of the order for several films already on the list. The biggest rise went to the MCU’s Spider-Man series, thanks to the boost of No Way Home bringing it from #213 to #113, and other risers include Treasure Planet, Doc Hollywood, and To Sir, with Love (RIP Sidney Poitier). In contrast, Rogue One and Cars lost some ground, but the biggest loss was suffered by Dunkirk, falling from #293 right off the list entirely. (Still a great film, just not one I’ve had much inclination to see again.) It’s almost become a joke that I always leave Psycho at #365 every year, so I just decided to raise it up a few spots since it’s clearly not going anywhere.

Finally, it always tears me up inside, but let’s give a special salute to those formerly List-Worthy entries that had to be cut to make room for new blood:  Cloak and Dagger, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Peanuts Movie, The Wind Rises, Captain Marvel, Minority Report, The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), Cowboy Bebop: The Movie,  A Bug’s Life, and Dunkirk. They will be missed, but they still count as favorites in my book.

The last few months have been a whirlwind, but I’m finally through with interviews and intense studying. With hopefully more time to relax, I should be able to seek out some great old and new films in the coming year and get back to compiling more lists as well. Thanks again to all readers, likers, followers, commenters, and lovers of film and/or poetry! I truly hope and pray 2022 will be a better year overall than the last two, but either way, we’ll always have movies.

1.  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)

2.  Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

3.  Forrest Gump (1994)

4.  It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

5.  The Sound of Music (1965)

6.  Star Wars Trilogy (1977, 1980, 1983)

7.  Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016)

8.  Titanic (1997)

9.  Toy Story Series  (1995, 1999, 2010, 2019)

10.  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

11.  The Princess Bride (1987)

12.  Beauty and the Beast (1991)

13.  Groundhog Day (1993)

14.  The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

15.  The Prince of Egypt (1998)

16.  You’ve Got Mail (1998)

17.  The Wizard of Oz (1939)

18.  The Avengers (2012), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Infinity War (2018), and Endgame (2019)

19.  Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

20.  War Horse (2011)

21.  The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018)

22.  Cast Away (2000)

23.  Heart and Souls (1993)

24.  Pirates of the Caribbean (2003, 2006, 2007) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

25.  Tarzan (1999)

26.  Les Miserables (2012)

27.  Ben-Hur (1959)

28.  Elizabethtown (2005)

29.  Star Trek (2009)

30.  The Chronicles of Narnia (2005, 2008, 2010)

31.  The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001)

32.  Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

33.  Oliver! (1968)

34.  Whisper of the Heart (1995)

35.  Spider-Man Trilogy (2002, 2004, 2007)

36.  The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2004)

37.  Doctor Zhivago (1965)

38.  Babe (1995)

39.  The Blues Brothers (1980)

40.  Jurassic Park (1993)

41.  84 Charing Cross Road (1987)

42.  National Treasure (2004) and National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

43.  Ratatouille (2007)

44.  The Fugitive (1993)

45.  True Grit (1969, 2010)

46.  Evita (1996)

47.  The Lion King (1994)

48.  Inception (2010)

49.  When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

50.  The Family Man (2000)

51.  Chariots of Fire (1981)

52.  Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

53.  Lilies of the Field (1963)

54.  Life of Pi (2012)

55.  Mary Poppins (1964)

56.  Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

57.  Glory (1989)

58.  Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

59.  The Sixth Sense (1999)

60.  Back to the Future Trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)

61.  Aliens (1986)

62.  Life Is Beautiful (1997)

63.  Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

64.  The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

65.  Awakenings (1990)

66.  Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

67.  Paulie (1998)

68.  Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

69.  The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

70.  Big (1988)

71.  Jumanji (1995)

72.  Somewhere in Time (1980)

73.  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

74.  A Christmas Story (1983)

75.  Speed (1994)

76.  Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

77. Little Women (1994, 2019)

78.  1776 (1972)

79.  High School Musical Trilogy (2006, 2007, 2008)

80.  Wit (2001)

81.  Serenity (2005)

82.  Miracle on 34^th Street (1947)

83.  Gone with the Wind (1939)

84.  Aladdin (1992)

85.  The Greatest Showman (2017)

86.  Saints and Soldiers (2003)

87.  La La Land (2016)

88.  Fantasia (1940)

89.  Shadowlands (1993)

90.  Hook (1991)

91.  Young Frankenstein (1974)

92.  The Truman Show (1998)

93.  The Ten Commandments (1956)

94.  Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (1999, 2002, 2005)

95.  October Sky (1999)

96.  Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

97.  Holes (2003)

98.  The Martian (2015)

99. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

100.  About Time (2013)

101.  Mr. Church (2016)

102.  Taking Chance (2009)

103.  Signs (2002)

104.  The Blind Side (2009)

105.  Star Trek: Generations (1994)

106.  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

107.  The Santa Clause (1994)

108.  Starman (1984)

109.  My Fair Lady (1964)

110.  The Passion of the Christ (2004)

111.  Train to Busan (2016)

112. 1917 (2019)

113.  Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Far from Home (2019), and No Way Home (2021)

114.  On Golden Pond (1981)

115.  Brother Bear (2003)

116.  WALL-E (2008)

117.  The Green Mile (1999)

118.  Air Force One (1997)

119.  Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2013)

120.  Shrek 2 (2004)

121.  The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

122.  Star Trek into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016)

123.  Big Hero 6 (2014)

124.  To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

125.  The Matrix (1999)

126.  The Right Stuff (1983)

127.  Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

128.  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

129.  Shuffle (2011)

130.  The Mask of Zorro (1998) and The Legend of Zorro (2005)

131.  The Color Purple (1985)

132.  Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

133.  Ready Player One (2018)

134.  Shrek (2001)

135.  The King’s Speech (2010)

136.  X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

137.  Iron Man Trilogy (2008, 2010, 2013)

138.  The Hunger Games series (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)

139.  Yentl (1983)

140.  Men in Black Trilogy (1997, 2002, 2012)

141.  Skyfall (2012)

142.  The Music Man (1962)

143.  Ghostbusters Trilogy (1984, 1989, 2021)

144.  Regarding Henry (1991)

145.  Alien (1979)

146.  The Polar Express (2004)

147.  Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

148.  Julie and Julia (2009)

149.  Airplane! (1980)

150.  Castle in the Sky (1986)

151.  Darkest Hour (2017)

152.  Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021)

153.  Secondhand Lions (2003)

154.  A Christmas Carol (any version)

155. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

156. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

157.  Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

158. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

159.  E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

160.  The Little Mermaid (1989)

161.  Die Hard trilogy (1988, 1990, 1995)

162. Soul (2020)

163.  Source Code (2011)

164.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

165.  Planet of the Apes Trilogy (2011, 2014, 2017)

166.  Inside Out (2015)

167.  Extraordinary Measures (2010)

168.  Overboard (1987)

169.  Cinderella (1950) / Cinderella (2015)

170.  A League of Their Own (1992)

171.  The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)

172.  Tangled (2010)

173.  Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

174.  Zootopia (2016)

175.  The Untouchables (1987)

176.  Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

177.  Treasure Planet (2002)

178.  Ella Enchanted (2004)

179.  Splash (1984)

180.  Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013)

181.  Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)

182.  How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

183.  Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Vol. 2 (2017)

184.  Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)

185.  Mission: Impossible III (2006), Ghost Protocol (2011), Rogue Nation (2015), and Fallout (2018)

186.  Selma (2014)

187.  Doc Hollywood (1991)

188. Knives Out (2019)

189.  The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)

190.  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

191.  Enchanted (2007)

192.  Up (2009)

193.  What’s Up, Doc? (1972)

194.  Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

195.  Wolf Children (2012)

196.  Jojo Rabbit (2019)

197.  Your Name (2016)

198.  Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)

199.  Pocahontas (1995)

200.  Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

201.  Rudy (1993)

202.  Mulan (1998)

203.  Hidden Figures (2016)

204.  As Good As It Gets (1997)

205.  King of Thorn (2010)

206.  In the Heights (2021)

207.  Les Miserables (1998)

208.  Spaceballs (1987)

209.  My Left Foot (1989)

210.  The Way (2010)

211.  Labyrinth of Lies (2014)

212.  The Prestige (2006)

213.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

214.  Blinded by the Light (2019)

215.  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

216.  Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

217.  Saving Private Ryan (1998) / The Longest Day (1962)

218.  To Sir, with Love (1967)

219.  Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019)

220.  The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012)

221. Harriet (2019)

222.  The Father (2020)

223.  United 93 (2006)

224.  Joyeux Noël (2005)

225.  Woman in Gold (2015)

226.  Twister (1996)

227.  Foul Play (1978)

228.  Coco (2017)

229.  Funny Girl (1968)

230.  Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), and Creed (2015)

231.  Hello, Dolly! (1969)

232. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

233. Weathering with You (2019)

234.  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

235.  April and the Extraordinary World (2015) / Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

236.  Déjà Vu (2006)

237.  Out of Africa (1985)

238.  Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

239.  The Hobbit Trilogy (2012, 2013, 2014)

240.  Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

241.  Hoosiers (1986)

242.  Gravity (2013)

243.  The Great Escape (1963)

244.  The Naked Gun (1988)

245.  Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986)

246.  Philadelphia (1993)

247.  Raising Arizona (1987)

248. The Jerk (1979)

249.  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

250.  Ghost (1990)

251.  Misery (1990)

252.  School of Rock (2003)

253. 42 (2013)

254.  Other Daniel Craig Bond films – Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021)

255.  Captain Phillips (2013)

256.  Vantage Point (2008)

257.  Peter Pan (1953)

258.  The Terminal (2004)

259.  Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980)

260.  Eddie the Eagle (2016)

261.  Soul Man (1986)

262.  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

263.  Jane Eyre (1970)

264.  Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2^nd Dimension (2011)

265.  The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

266.  The Girl Who Leapt through Time (2006)

267.  Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Waterworld (1995)

268. Ride Your Wave (2019)

269.  Cloud Atlas (2012)

270.  Anastasia (1997)

271.  Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020)

272.  Something the Lord Made (2004)

273.  X-Men (2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003)

274.  Green Book (2018)

275.  Surrogates (2009)

276.  Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

277.  WarGames (1983)

278.  Hidden (2015) / A Quiet Place (2018) and Part II (2021)

279.  Cars (2006) and Cars 3 (2017)

280.  My Girl (1991)

281.  Chronesthesia (or Love and Time Travel) (2016)

282.  The Ultimate Gift (2006)

283.  The Way Back (2010)

284.  Memphis Belle (1990)

285.  Dances with Wolves (1990)

286.  The Terminator (1984)

287.  The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

288.  The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

289.  Casablanca (1942)

290.  Rain Man (1988) and Dominick and Eugene (1988)

291.  One Cut of the Dead (2017)

292.  Pinocchio (1940)

293.  City Slickers (1991)

294.  The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

295.  Patema Inverted (2013)

296.  Forget Paris (1995)

297.  A Silent Voice (2016) / Hear Me (2009)

298.  Doctor Strange (2016)

299.  Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

300.  Murphy’s Romance (1985)

301.  Shenandoah (1965)

302.  The Red Violin (1999)

303.  Arrival (2016)

304.  A View to a Kill (1985)

305.  Wonder Woman (2017)

306.  Con Air (1997)

307.  Shazam! (2019)

308.  Annie (1999)

309.  The Elephant Man (1980)

310.  The River Wild (1994)

311.  A Beautiful Mind (2001)

312.  Finding Forrester (2000)

313.  Unbreakable (2000)

314. The Big Year (2011)

315.  Starter for 10 (2006)

316.  Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

317.  Dave (1993)

318.  The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

319.  Wayne’s World (1992)

320.  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

321.  The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010)

322.  Steel Magnolias (1989)

323.  Encanto (2021)

324. Mean Girls (2004)

325.  Searching (2018)

326.  The Nativity Story (2006)

327.  Dancer in the Dark (2000)

328.  Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

329.  Please Stand By (2018)

330.  Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

331.  Music and Lyrics (2007)

332.  Sister Act (1992)

333.  The Abyss (1989)

334.  The Breakfast Club (1985)

335.  Places in the Heart (1984)

336.  Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

337.  Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

338.  Klaus (2019)

339.  In Time (2011)

340.  Galaxy Quest (1999)

341.  Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

342.  Scrooged (1988)

343.  A Monster Calls (2016)

344.  Wuthering Heights (1970)

345.  News of the World (2020)

346.  Coma (1978)

347.  Trading Places (1983)

348.  Ordinary People (1980) and Rabbit Hole (2010)

349.  Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

350.  Remember the Titans (2000)

351.  Seven Samurai (1954) / The Magnificent Seven (1960/2016)

352.  Citizen Kane (1941)

353.  Psycho (1960)

354.  Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

355.  The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016)

356.  Sneakers (1992)

357.  The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

358.  Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)

359.  Baby Boom (1987)

360.  Chicken Run (2000)

361.  Hercules (1997)

362.  Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

363.  The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

364. The Last Days (or Los Ultimos Días) (2013)

365.  The Majestic (2001)

My 8th Blogiversary and 2021 List Additions

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Lists

Has it been another year already? Maybe it’s the ongoing pandemic, but it seems like 2021 has flown by in a flurry of studying, work, and the occasional movie. Unfortunately, my review output was the lowest it’s been in my 8 years of blogging (has it really been that long?!), but there was good reason. I know 2021 was a rough year for many, but it was a banner year for my family. Not only did I earn my Bachelor’s Degree, but I got the software job I’ve been working toward for over two years! Now that school is finally behind me, I hope to expand my movie-watching and posting and find more hidden gems.

This year still provided plenty of great films, so it’s time to celebrate my 8^th blogiversary with my annual list of favorites. Take note that this isn’t my top films of 2021, though most are from 2021, since I’m always behind on new releases and have surely missed some good ones from award season (patience, please). Instead, these are my Top Twelve films, old and new, that I saw over the last year. There’s a total of 15 List-Worthy films this time around, better than last year’s 12, so I’ll be posting my updated Top 365 Movies list soon enough.

With the mental anguish that comes with removing films from my Top 365 list every year, I feel like I’m getting more and more nitpicky over what qualifies as List-Worthy. Indeed, there were quite a few films this year that might have qualified in prior years but didn’t quite make the cut this time. So I will preface this list with a mention for the quality List Runners-Up that deserve attention, including Make Way for Tomorrow, A Hidden Life, Resistance, Blade Runner 2049, The Lost Battalion, Coming to America, Sunshine on Leith, Raya and the Last Dragon, Notting Hill, Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar, Geronimo: An American Legend, Love and Monsters, Dune, The Matrix Resurrections, Hilda and the Mountain King, and Black Widow (which was supposed to be List-Worthy but has been demoted after more consideration). Plus, the filmed stage performance of Hamilton would probably top this whole list, but, as with documentaries, I can’t quite bring myself to count it as a “movie,” which I know is debatable. And just a quick shout-out to the movie-quality TV shows that also aren’t eligible but still awesome, such as Loki, Hawkeye, and Arcane.

I’m always curious to hear what other people’s favorites are, so feel free to share what you liked from the last year of movie-watching. Now, on to the Top Twelve!

12. One Cut of the Dead (2017)

Practically the definition of a hidden gem, this carried-over Blindspot from last year lured me in with its 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, intrigued me with its 37-minute-long tracking shot, and finally won me over with the constantly inventive comedy of the second half. It may look like a low-budget Japanese zombie flick, but there are layers of meta entertainment under the surface.

11. No Time to Die (2021)

I’ll admit I’m conflicted by this finale to Daniel Craig’s run as James Bond, but it is in line with the more dour tone of recent Bond flicks. Even if it doesn’t have much of a sense of fun, it adds unprecedented depth to Bond’s world-saving efforts and brings a fitting close to the interconnected storyline of the last five films.

10. A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

The long-delayed sequel to John Krasinski’s breakout horror hit delivered even more of what made the first so good and injected it with a more original storyline. We have to wait longer to see if it gets the conclusion it deserves, but the Quiet Place films are a perfect example of horror tension done right.

9. Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020)

My heart! The feels! This emotional conclusion to the Violet Evergarden anime series lays on the melodrama pretty thick at times, but it’s all still utterly poignant. With drop-dead gorgeous animation and a tear-jerking plot that can stand on its own, it’s everything I could have wanted in an ending.

8. Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Resurrecting classic film franchises has become old hat by now, but Afterlife proved to be that rare cash grab with heart. Transplanting the ghost action to small-town Oklahoma and injecting just the right amount of fan service (some critics disagreed), this final(?) Ghostbusters flick took a page from Stranger Things and made ghost-hunting the kid wish fulfillment it always has been.

7. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

While Black Widow and Eternals have gone down in my estimation the more I think of them, Shang-Chi has only gone up. The welcome Asian representation, outstanding martial arts action, and likable protagonists combined into proof that Marvel can still nail an origin story.

6. The Father (2020)

I honestly considered not including this film and keeping it a Runner-Up, simply because it’s a film that hurt to watch. Anthony Hopkins’ Oscar-winning performance as a man suffering from dementia is exceptional, as are the direction and casting that keep the audience guessing what is real, but it also brought back painful memories of my dad’s mental decline. Ultimately, though, I had to give the film its due as List-Worthy.

5. My Left Foot (1989)

The only Blindspot from this year to earn a place on this list, My Left Foot is an exemplar of biographical films. It utilizes a bravura, Oscar-winning performance from Daniel Day-Lewis to elucidate the life of a troubled but admirable man, Irish painter Christy Brown, who was almost fully paralyzed by cerebral palsy. Equally praiseworthy is Brenda Fricker’s Oscar-winning role as Christy’s long-suffering mother.

4. In the Heights (2021)

This film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical may have flopped at the box office, like most musicals this year sadly, but it certainly impressed me as a newcomer to his pre-Hamilton hit. What In the Heights lacked in famous star power, it made up for in Hispanic pride, slick choreography, and Jon Chu’s exhilarating direction.

3. Tick, Tick…Boom! (2021)

Lin-Manuel Miranda returns once more, this time with his directorial debut of (surprise, surprise) another musical! Andrew Garfield is marvelous in Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical account of chasing his elusive Broadway dreams, tapping into the latent unease of all twenty- and thirtysomethings still waiting to make their mark on the world, me included.

2. The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

The best animated film of the year surprisingly didn’t come from Disney or Pixar but Sony, utilizing a similar vibrant animation aesthetic as Into the Spider-Verse. Despite a plot that seems well-worn, the rapid-fire jokes and feel-good family themes meld into a robot apocalypse road trip worth watching again and again.

1. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

It feels alternately obvious and prosaic to stick this Marvel juggernaut at #1, but I honestly can’t think of a better theater experience or a film that appealed to my inner movie geek more than this one. No Way Home not only wrapped up Tom Holland’s MCU trilogy (for now) with the highest stakes yet but provided closure to Spider-Man films of the past. It’s the best bit of fan service since Endgame, and luckily I’m a fan.

Along with the twelve above, these three films also managed to earn a place on THE LIST:

Encanto (2021)

Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

News of the World (2020)

And that wraps up another year of movie-watching. As always, below are my unofficial awards for the List-Worthy films.

Best opening scene:  In the Heights

Best final scene:  Tick, Tick…Boom!

Coolest scene:  The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Biggest emotional impact:  Violet Evergarden: The Movie

Oldest film:  My Left Foot (1989)

Most recent film:  Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Longest film:  No Time to Die (163 minutes)

Shortest film:  One Cut of the Dead (96 minutes)

Best soundtrack:  In the Heights or Encanto (Miranda gets it either way.)

Best score:  Violet Evergarden: The Movie

Best special effects:  Spider-Man: No Way Home

Most mind-bending: The Father

Most family-friendly:  Encanto

Most mature:  Judas and the Black Messiah

Scariest:  A Quiet Place Part II

Funniest:  The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Best VC Pick:  Cocoon (also the only one this year)

Best male performance:  Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot

Best female performance:  Brenda Fricker in My Left Foot

Personal favorite poem written: Total Recall

Most represented year: 2021, with ten films

In the next day or two, I’ll post the latest version of THE LIST, my Top 365 movies list updated with the new additions above. And with an old year behind us and a new one ahead, I just want to take a moment to thank all readers, likers, commenters, and followers, particularly any who are still reading this post to the bottom. You are wonderful for even checking out my humble poetry and movie blog, and I wish the best for all of you in 2022.

Finally, here’s a little lookback at the strong cinematic year that was 2021.