The first half of 2017 wasn't great for movie-lovers. June was especially disappointing -- I was really hoping that All Eyez On Me would be an instant classic. With that said, it hasn't been all bad. These movies are the best that the year had to offer:
18. The Mountain Between Us
17. Molly's Game
16. The Man Who Invented Christmas
You know how "they" say, "The book is better than the movie"? Well, this movie is damn good and it's about a book -- a bonafide literary classic, in fact. And the film isn't an adaptation, it's an exploration of the story's creation. What story? Nothing much. Just a little tale by the name of A Christmas Carol.
The Man Who Invented Christmas examines writer Charles Dickens' -- already a celebrated author at the time -- struggles to come up with another marketable book in order to stop the flow of his hemorrhaging finances. After his publisher loses faith in him, the famed storyteller finds inspiration in various sources and he and agent --- secure funding and commission artwork independently in order to get his soon-to-be latest creation in stores in time for a holiday which, according to the film, people had become apathetic about.
15. Get Out
What a heck of a ride in the film, 'Get Out.' This is a movie that not only has comedy, suspense, and horror but also social satire, at a time when the political and social climate is ever changing and full of debate. Writer/director Jordan Peele did an excellent job of casting this film as everyone does a great job in their respective roles.
Especially creepy are the guests that arrive at the girlfriend's house in the film. Jordan Peele also does an excellent job of creating the tension that builds throughout the movie as it is nerve wracking and there are definitely plenty of scares, including 'jump in your seat' moments. It is definitely a great horror film on those merits alone.
But most important about this film are the subtle comments and commentary about society and racism and racial profiling. From the parents in the film who 'speak the language' to the use of African Americans as the 'hired hand' and 'maid' of the estate to the very subtle use of cotton in a key moment of the film, this is a very smart and well made film that everyone should pay attention to and learn from.
- John Z.
14. Crown Heights
13. Before I Fall
The Wall is the best sniper movie out there -- and that includes American Sniper, Enemy at the Gates and, of course, Sniper.
11. Sand Castle
Set during the second Iraq War, Sand Castle is the best film to cover that conflict.
10. Murder on the Orient Express
I could not wait to see “Murder on the Orient Express”, having gotten excited by the trailer with its all-star cast, so I made it out to the preview tonight to check it out. I had already read a couple of reviews and knew going in that they were mixed but I was determined not to let this damper my eagerness to see it.
Well, for the most part I have to agree with the reviews. The casting of himself, Kenneth Branagh, the films director, as the world famous detective Hercule Poirot, was a smart move. At first I was somewhat having issues with his accent but after a few minutes I finally was able to accept it. The only distracting and annoying thing was his moustache. Hideous to say the least. But as far as the character, and Branagh’s performance, it was great. Branagh is totally believable as the detective and I can see that he will be able to play this role for years to come. The setting and scenery in the film is remarkable and it was a clear reminder of the old film-noir type movies. The biggest issue with the film is the development of the other characters. I guess because of the number of people in the film it was hard to really build out their characters but it was somewhat of a let down that each star in the film only had smaller roles and minimal screen time. This is not to say that they were not good, but they just did not add much to the plot. This is a Branagh film all the way. The ending is something I did not see coming so that was a great surprise.
One of the biggest pluses for me though about the film is that it is a rarity today to see a movie with this type of cast and there is no sex, extreme violence or constant bad language. That made it an enjoyable film to watch and hope that more like this will be forthcoming.
- John Z.
9. Bright
8. Marshall
Thurgood Marshall made history in 1967 when he became the very first African-American U.S. Supreme Court justice. But the film that bears his name is set much earlier in the legal pioneer's career. Marshall takes place in 1940 and 1941 when a then 33-year-old Marshall was still a practicing attorney employed by the NAACP. The movie focuses on his involvment in the State of Connecticut v. Joseph Spell case. The case centered on a white woman, Eleanor Strubing, who accused her African-American chauffeur, Spell, of rape, kidnapping and attempted murder. Because the presiding judge, Carl Foster (a friend of prosecutor Lorin Willis' family), prohibited Marshall from speaking in the courtroom, he teamed with local, caucasian insurance attorney Samuel Friedman (in reality, Friedman was hired because it was believed that the white jury would more readily identify with him than with Marshall). Under Marshall's guidance, Friedman's cross-examination of Strubing exposed inconsistencies in her story. It was ultimately revealed in court that she and Spell had engaged in consensual sex and that Strubing made the false accusation out of fear that her extramarital liason with a Black man might be exposed by an accidental pregnancy. After more than 12 hours of deliberation, Spell was acquitted by the all-white jury, eliciting audible gasps in the courtroom.
Marshall retired in 1991, 16 months before his death, and was consequently succeeded by Clarence Thomas. Fifty-two years after Marshall's appointment, Thomas, who still sits on the Supreme Court bench, is the last African-American justice to join the court.
7. True to the Game
5. Blade Runner 2049
4. Sleight
The best 2017 release about an orphaned science whiz who uses his brains to fight criminals isn't Spider-Man: Homecoming, it's Sleight. Sleight could actually be considered the realistic version of the popular comic book. While the movie's hero, Bashir Wolfe, has some similarities to Peter Parker (not to mention Tony Stark and Magneto), his mentor is his high school science teacher, not a billionaire Avenger. He also doesn't have a nice aunt to take care of him -- he provides for himself and his little sister. And best of all, he doesn't wear tights.
3. Fist Fight
2. Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies
But its not all gloom and socio-politics. Best of Enemies sheds light onto the NBA's longest-running rivalry and reveals how it pit two legendary players and two cities with vastly different and distinct cultural identities against one another. Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Pat Riley and Jerry West are among the key figures who give their take on the matchup that has lasted for over four decades.
1. Logan
The title is simply, Logan. But the movie's partly based on the 2008 - 2009 Old Man Logan comics storyline, which sounds a hell of a lot better and also happens to be more accurate -- especially considering Hugh Jackman's look in the movie. The source material was inspired by Unforgiven and that influence is pretty clear in the film as well.
The movie does make a stark departure from the original story -- mostly due to corporate realities. Fox, the studio that holds the film rights to the X-Men and Wolverine, has no such claim on the Hulk, Hawkeye, the Red Skull, She-Hulk, Giant-Man, Thor, Captain America, the Kingpin, Doctor Doom, Iron Man and the Abomination -- all of whom are referenced (some play key roles) in the comics. Even so, the movie is just as good as the source material -- if not better.
Deadpool's position as the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time prompted Jackman to insist on the freedom to earn the same rating. Deadpool's $783 million box-office take certainly gave the studio suits something to think about. Its considerably more than the $414 million 2013's The Wolverine took home. Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds was also in 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine ($373 million). He wised up. Fortunately, Jackman did too. The R-rating has allowed us to finally see Wolverine being the best at what he does.
Logan isn't just the best X-Men movie -- it's better than all of the others combined. Jackman's always been pretty good as Wolverine, but until Logan, he's always been stuck portraying the most popular mutant in sh#tty movies with unconvincing special effects, terrible costumes and just overall slackness. But this time around there's no mute Deadpool, no giant samurai, no leather outfits and no wheelchair with X's on the wheels.
Speaking of which, Logan also provides the best movie showcase for Professor X.
A good bit of the story involves a guy, with the aid of an old friend, hitting the road in order to keep his super-powered kid from being reclaimed by federal agents. It's like 2016's Midnight Special -- except entertaining. Logan's time spent with the mutant kids is also reminiscent of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Wolverine even one-ups Batman by dying a hero's death the way the latter should've done in The Dark Knight Rises.
Maybe best of all, Logan himself explains that comic books and other media greatly exaggerate his and his fellow X-Men's accomplishments. He says, "It happened once and they turn it into..." But both he and the Professor acknowledge (at least some of) the events that took place at the Statue of Liberty (from 2000's X-Men). Consequently, Logan renders all but the very first X-Men movie null and void - and even negates most of the events in that film.
The movie's only real flaws are the Superman III-style Wolverine vs. himself nonsense and the lack of an explanation for the mysterious green "medicine" -- which is too important to the story not to get one.
Jackman has announced his retirement from the role that made him famous. He even refuses to make a cameo appearance in the upcoming Deadpool sequel. If he stands by his decision he'll be doing what Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan should've done before him -- walking away at the top of his game.
The Biggest Disappointments of 2017
Wonder Woman
The hypocrisy of the year's biggest movie celebrated for its diversity was glaring. While the studio took advantage of every opportunity to tout its female director and mostly-female cast and crew, the filmmakers were apparently unaware that non-caucasian women crave representation on-screen as well.
Sure, there were a handful of dark-skinned women sprinkled throughout the film's opening scenes. A couple of them were even granted minimal spoken lines. But a Black character integral to Wonder Woman's development and holding a prominent place in Amazon society (Philippus) -- no less than a general -- was inscrutably replaced by a white one (Antiope). While Antiope has been Wonder Woman's aunt since 1987 in the comics, Philippus has been the Amazon's general (and later, queen) and WW's combat instructor for the same length of time. Wasn't there enough room in the movie for both characters? There certainly is in the comics.
Justice League
I would be done with DC movies if it weren't for the villains. Justice League is all about putting together a superhero team but Steppenwolf, the leader of an alien invasion, stole the show. His cameo in the Special Edition Blu-Ray of Batman v. Superman is barely the tip of the iceberg. It's hard to imagine that Darkseid -- his nephew and boss -- can top him. I'd love to see a Steppenwolf edition in which Batman, Cyborg, Aquaman, Flash and Wonder Woman only show up when they're fighting the big man.
It's obvious that the people over at Warner Bros. made the mistake of taking the advice of the critics and ordered up the least mature DC movie since 2011's Green Lantern. The result is something that's almost unwatchable during the scenes where only the good guys are onscreen. Suicide Squad was good (Will Smith killed it) and Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman were even better. But because critics thought they were too serious the studio execs ignored the combined $1.6 billion they brought in and switched up the formula. Thus, you have this bucket of dishwater.
It's obvious that the people over at Warner Bros. made the mistake of taking the advice of the critics and ordered up the least mature DC movie since 2011's Green Lantern. The result is something that's almost unwatchable during the scenes where only the good guys are onscreen. Suicide Squad was good (Will Smith killed it) and Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman were even better. But because critics thought they were too serious the studio execs ignored the combined $1.6 billion they brought in and switched up the formula. Thus, you have this bucket of dishwater.
The ridiculousness here is off the charts. They've got Batman and Superman cracking jokes...there's even a reference to The Penguin. Wtf. Wonder Woman helps the police to violate some dude's civil rights; and Flash is like an annoying version of C-3PO -- with a cheesier costume. On top of all that -- six people -- each with their own supporting cast, are crammed into one movie and competing for the spotlight; half of them never said two words onscreen before. The only team that successfully pulled off this many introductions at once is Wu-Tang. At this point, I'm not sure I'll even bother with the Flash and Aquaman solo movies -- or Wonder Woman 2 (I may still take a chance on Cyborg's solo mission). But of all the stupid shit that takes place in this flick, Superman's resurrection is probably the lamest. We all would've been better off had the writers stuck to the 1992 storyline from the comics. At the end of the day JL is closer to Batman Forever than The Dark Knight. But as dumb as it is, Justice League is still 100 times better than Thor: Ragnarok.
And like I said, the villains are the ones that make this thing worth watching. Steppenwolf outshines everyone but if you're gonna give JL a shot -- don't miss the Deathstroke cameo during the post-credits scene.
The Last Jedi
The Last Jedi should be rated HG for Hot Garbage. It may have even supplanted Attack of the Clones as the Worst Episode Ever. It's not just that it sucks ass -- it's that it's an enormous step back in quality after it seemed as though the franchise had learned some hard lessons in what not to do and had finally gotten it right. It's the Justice League, Spectre and Star Trek Beyond of the Star Wars saga.
Last year's Rogue One is the grittiest and most mature entry of the series but for some reason writer/director Rian Johnson thought it would be a good idea to "fix" what worked so well and to go in the opposite direction. The Last Jedi's chronological predecessor, The Force Awakens, notoriously remixes 1977's Star Wars. TLJ, meanwhile, cast a much wider net and recycles not only Star Wars but also imitates The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and, believe it or not, Mary Poppins. The result is a nonsensical mish-mash that more closely resembles Spaceballs than Star Wars. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and skip it. I'm just gonna pretend that it never happened.
Updated 12/22/17
Related:
The 14 Best Movies of 2014
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