Hey everyone! Welcome back to a brand new ranking that may seem very familiar. Yes I am indeed doing an update of the first big post I did on the blog which is of course my ranking of the movies from 2018. But the reasons why I am doing this is because well this is actually my 100th post since I’ve started doing this and I thought it would be neat to do something special for the occasion! Plus this post right here will be the start of a brand new series I’m doing where since we recently ended a decade I will go on and do movie rankings of every year of last decade and then cap things off with a ranking of the years themselves to see which ones really rocked, and which ones had a bit too many noteworthy misfires. This is just a fun way of looking back on the decade in terms of movies and given the state of the world right now, I now have just the time to get it done. A couple things before we start which are that we will be going backwards from 2018 to 2010, the 2019 one will be done once I get some more catch up reviews out, only movies I’ve seen in their entirety will make the list, and lastly I’m going to try and get these out after every couple of posts or so. And of course as always of you disagree with me on any of these choices that is totally fine as I am always all in for different perspectives, and opinions! So without further ado lets see if anything changed from last time and where some of the new additions land here! (Note: for most of the ones that were done last time, not much has changed in terms of my opinions so much of the text for those will be the same.)
45. Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom
Lets start with what was by far the worst movie I saw this year which was letdown of a sequel. Now I wasn’t a huge fan of the first Jurassic World, as it was an okay action movie at best, but one thing I liked about was that it did not feel like a setup for the next movie. No that honor had to go to this movie which was literally all about setting up Jurassic World, and does not work on its own term. It also retcons the other movies, and messes with the franchise a bit with a really stupid plot twist that easily could have been taken out of the movie, and was just there so something in the finale could occur. Also not mention this has some of the worst characterization I have seen this year witch ranges from annoying (Justice Smith’s scientist), to generic (Rafe Spall’s villain), to just plain stupid (Ted Levine’s military guy). Sure it has some decent CGI, and performances form Chris Pratt, and Bryce Dallas Howard but they can’t save this mess of a sequel.
44. The Predator
To be honest it was actually kind of tough choosing which one of these disappointing installments in classic Sci fi franchises would be the worst of the year, but while Fallen Kingdom is absolutely a better made film, I found The Predator to be more enjoyable in the moment. However even with some amusing moments here and there, some mostly solid acting, a fun villain performance from Sterling K. Brown (despite the character being one note) and a couple of cool ideas sprinkled throughout (I actually really like the reasoning for why the Predators are coming to Earth in greater numbers), overall I just found this one to be a big mess there are so many odd choices made throughout, in particular a confused tone as it feels like all the movie wants to do in crack a bunch of jokes and it mostly falls flat as there just is such a lack of urgency to the proceedings, and I just couldn’t get myself invested in the characters all that much with Trevante Rhodes’s former colonel being the most interesting (and even then he doesn’t get a whole lot to do). It also feels like certain scenes are missing parts that make the progression, and transitions fell awkward, and strange more than anything, and the even the CGI is very noticeable at points. Given all of the ingredients that Shane Black and co. had, this could’ve been something great but by the end it just left me wanting more and it’s easily my least favorite of the Predator franchise (it also commits a big franchise sin of ending on an intriguing cliff hanger which sets up a sequel that will probably never happen).
43. Fantastic Beasts the Crimes of Grindelwald
Now we come to what was probably the most disappointing movie of the year, as I quite like the first Fantastic Beasts, and thought it had tons of franchise potential. I wanted to love this movies so badly, as it had a lot going for it, the cast was great all around (especially Jude Law as a young Dumbledore), the effects were fantastic all around (especially the scenes with the many creatures), and I did like how it was trying to be a more dark and serious sequel which expands upon the universe it takes place in sort of like the underrated Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man’s Chest. Unfortunately it suffers from a messy story that is all over the place, a lack of much action (although the opening sequence was really neat), and way too many characters some many of which ended up being wasted potential. Also like Fallen Kingdom it does retcon the first movie in some ways, like with some characters not acting like they were in the first one (Although one of the choices made by ones of these characters was interesting in concept but was just not executed well.) So overall while not a terrible movie is sure is a big letdown. Hopefully Fantastic Beasts 3 redeems the franchise.
42. The Hurricane Heist
This ones not so much bad as it is a disposable B-movie. It looks, and feels more like a direct to DVD movie more than anything and is ultimately a harmless watch if your in the mood for something on a rainy day. The plot goes about the way you’d expect from a movie like this, the characters are fine if unmemorable for the most part, the action looks hastily edited, and the CGI is very noticeable. That being said the villains while one note, are enjoyably over the top at times, there are is some cool imagery here and there, there is one chase scene that I thought it was pretty fun, and again it’s pretty harmless for what it is and you could do a lot worse.
41. Ocean’s 8
This was an interesting movie in that its extremely well made, and has great performances from the whole cast, and is relatively fun in the moment but there really isn’t anything that memorable about this movie. It is basically a remake of the first Ocean’s movie (which I love by the way) except the characters were just not as memorable this time around, and I did not find myself caring for them that much (Although I did like what they did with Anne Hathaway’s character). Plus the villain is not anywhere near as good as Andy Garcia’s Terry Benedict from the first movie or even Al Pacino’s Willy Banks in the third movie (heck I can’t even remember his name). Yes the performances do save this movie from being a complete waste of time, but in the end this is essentially an exercise of style over substance.
40. Venom
Out of all of the movie’s on this list, this was perhaps the hardest one to decide where to put it, because I did have a fun time with this movie. Now yes, I know that this is a deeply flawed movie with a painfully generic origin story that has a very slow first act, actors that are wasted with dull roles (Michelle Williams, and Riz Ahmed were especially underused), and a mess of a tone, that has no idea whether it wants to be serious, funny, or scary. But what really saves this movie from being a disaster is Tom Hardy’s crazy performance as Eddie Brock, and his weird but fun relationship with Venom. I do not know whether to call his work here good or hilariously bad, but I do appreciate him going all out here, and hopefully we see more of this in the sequel. Couple that in with fun action, and some decent CGI, and the final product here turned out to be a mess but a fun mess, that I would not mind watching again.
39. Sicario Day of the Soldado
The first Sicario in my opinion is a fantastic thriller that is very intense, well acted, beautifully directed, and shot and has a lot of things on it’s mind in regards to what it wants to say about the ongoing war on drugs, yet it didn’t really scream franchise potential. So while not bad, Day of the Soldado just ends up feeling like a more conventional action thriller, on that is trying to replicate what made the original work but doesn’t quite get there as it runs out of much story by the half way point, the relationship between Benicio Del Toro’s Alejandro (whose character is really inconsistent when you compare him here to in the first one, even though I get what was trying to be done), and Isabella Moner’s Isabel isn’t as fully developed as it should be, and it just lacks much of the moral ambiguity, and tension that made the original compelling. It’s still a well made movie on it’s own terms with strong performances all around (Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro are great once again as is Moner), some solid action beats here and there, and it does have some interesting ideas, and themes on it’s mind. I just felt it started better than it ended and overall it didn’t completely work for me as well as Sicario.
38. A Wrinkle in Time
Okay before we start, here I just want to say that I am a big fan of the source material, so I may be a bit biased on this one than most (but hey aren’t we all). With that out of the way, I will admit that this not a flawless movie, it has some pacing issues throughout, is sometimes inaccurate to the source material, has some wasted characters (including one of my favorite parts of the book which is the Man with Red eyes is in here for 3 minutes), and has some not so good effects here and there. But there is a lot to like about this movie, the performances were good all around (the kids in particular are very good at capturing their characters personalities in the books), the effects that work really work, and it has a good message about trying to find the light in the darkness of the world. There are also some scenes that are exactly how I pictured them to be in the book, and one thing this movie improves upon the books is the relationship between Meg, and her dad which I thought was very nice. It may not be nearly as good as its source material but it is an OK adaptation that was not nearly as bad as most people made it out to be.
37. Pacific Rim Uprising
A slightly better than expected follow up to a movie that I really enjoyed. While far from perfect, I thought the first Pacific Rim was a really fun monster mash with a cool concept, interesting, and fun characters, and of course awesome fight sequences between the Kaiju, and Jaegers. It took me awhile to check this one out mainly because the marketing didn’t really do much for as it seemed to lack a lot of the grandness, and rough and tumbleness of the original but now that I’ve seen I can say it’s enjoyable enough on it’s own terms. It’s largely buoyed by a fun leading turn from John Boyega (who I think I liked more than Charlie Hunnam’s character in the original), an okay relationship between him, and Cailee Spainy’s, some nice effects work, and very well staged, and fun action sequences. Other than that though the story is essentially a rehash of the original (though with a couple of interesting ideas), the rest of the character work is aggressively “fine, I guess”, and I was not a fan of what was done with Charlie Day’s character at all and found it was executed laughably poorly (shame because I really liked him in the original). So it may not quite be “good” per se, it does offer surface level pleasures and as a big budget Saturday morning cartoon it gets the job done well enough.
36. The Meg
Now we start getting into movies I thought were better than I expected. This is basically what I like to call a junk food movie where it is just made to entertain, while you throw popcorn in your face (sort of like the aforementioned Venom). But what makes this movie better than most is that it knows what it is and has fun with it, and does it really well. The action is fun, with a lot of surprisingly intense moments, Jason Statham shows why he is one of my favorite action movie stars working today easily being the best part of this movie, there was some good humor, and I did appreciate its attempts to make the audience care about the character, and it succeeds more often than not at this. Sure it has some fishy problems like the attempt at romance did not really work, some characters like Rainn Wilson’s billionaire went routes I pretty much expected them to go, and it does feel a little bit watered down in the gore department and probably would have benefited from an R rating. All in all its a fun time and it knows it.
35. Rampage
Similar to the Meg in that it’s a fun time that absolutely knows what it is, yet I may have enjoyed this one a bit more. I’m always a big fan of giant monsters duking it out and this one was pretty enjoyable for the most part as it absolutely delivers what you’d want from a movie like this with it’s third act showdown. It’s just such an awesome climax with a lot of creativity put into it, and it really does capture the spirit of the classic arcade game well. The movie is also smart to put in some likable characters into the mix like of course the Rock, and Jeffery Dean Morgan’s cowboy who chews a ton on scenery whenever he’s on screen. Naomi Harris is also okay as the lead scientist and I did appreciate the fact that there is some development, and backstory attempted here and there while the relationship between the Rock, and George the gorilla is easily a highlight with George himself being brought to life very well with the use of mo cap technology. It’s no masterpiece as the plot itself is pretty silly, the villains are straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon (though that may be a compliment in some respects) and the story itself does get bogged down in some familiar trappings in monster movie like this, but it gets the job done and is definitely one of the better video game based movies.
34. Tomb Raider
Another pretty solid video game adaptation that does a good job of capturing it’s source material, this time being the rebooted Tomb Raider games. What this movie does a really good job of is really immersing the audience in the action and making it feel like we’re experiencing these stunts, and action sequences first hand and it makes for some pretty intense action sequences (stand outs being the bike chase at the beginning, a sequence involving a plane, and some of tomb raiding itself). Alicia Vilkander is excellent as Laura Croft really imbuing the character with a strong personality and some sarcastic wit thrown in for good measure, and her relationship with her father is pretty well handled while Walton Goggins made for an interesting baddie with a surprising motivation. Sure I do wish Daniel Wu had more to do as the boat captain accompanying Laura, and it does fall into some origin story trappings that sets up a sequel that promises Laura will truly become Laura Croft Tomb Raider in the next movie (which is officially happening at least), but it works as a fun adventure movie that makes me a little more optimistic about the upcoming Uncharted movie.
33. The Grinch
This was one of those movies this year that I was not expecting much from, as Dr Seuss adaptations are extremely hit or miss (mostly miss) and the last time Illumination did one was with the Lorax which did not really turn out that great. Fortunately not only is this adaptation much better than most of the others but it is a decent family film for the holidays. I liked the interactions between the Grinch and Max, the animation is beautiful and probably the best I have ever seen from Illumination, Cindy Lou was a nice character that was really well done, there are some legitimately funny moments, the ending was extremely well done and sweet, and I like that it was not trying to be like the other adaptations. That is a bit of a double edged sword however, as this Grinch is not as mean as previous interpretation, which of course is a defining feature of this story, so more of him like that would have been better. Plus some unfunny moments drag on for awhile, Fred the reindeer while cute was completely useless to the story, and there are a couple of missed opportunities (like more of the relationship between Grinch, and Bricklebaum would have been nice). So while I may preferred Jim Carey’s performance more, this is probably the better movie, and definitely on the good half of Dr. Seuss movies, though not quite as good as the surprisingly great Horton Hears a Who!
32. Bohemian Rhapsody
I am a huge fan of Queen and their music so it was really great to see them finally get a movie, and what this movie did well it did really well. Rami Malek is perfect as Freddie Mercury and the movie is worth seeing just for his performance. In fact all of the performances were excellent across the board from the rest of the band members, to Mike Myers in a pretty hilarious cameo. Also anything to do with the music was amazing, and really fun to watch, like them making music, or them performing in concert. I do also appreciate this movie going into Freddie Mercury’s sexuality and addressing it. So this movie is amazing right? Well there are some things preventing this from true greatness. First it does follow a story done many times before, with the whole getting the band together plot, and there were a lot of predictable moments. It struggles trying to cram the story of Queen into one movie as it goes quickly through a lot of important things in Freddie’s life, and the rest of Queen is not as much of a focus as Freddie despite superb performances. So while this movie is not quite a champion it is still going to rock you in many places.
31. Ant Man and the Wasp
Or as I like to call it the years best palate cleanser. I think I liked this movie more when I first saw it in theaters mostly because I was watching/playing some really depressing stuff (don’t ask) and this was one of the movies that really put a smile on my face. Sure I do acknowledge this movies problems as the tone can be pretty inconsistent at times, Scott seems like a buffoon compared to the first movie, and it seems really inconsequential in the grand scheme of things in the MCU, thus being filler. But this was still a really fun movie with some great comedy (Michael Pena is still a scene stealer), a really sympathetic villain whose story did not go the way I expected, some well done and creative action sequences, fun performances, and a great emphasis on the relationships between the characters. While its not winning any awards for best superhero movie of the year, it still shows that Marvel still know how to make a satisfying (mostly) Standalone story.
30. Hotel Transylvania 3 Summer Vacation
Here’s one that moved up a bit as it holds up quite nicely on a re watch. Now I really like the first Hotel Transylvania as it was a fun, heartwarming, and extremely well animated movie. Hotel Transylvania 2 however in my opinion was not quite as good as it had some serious flaws but still a fun time. This third one I think is better than the second one, but not quite as clever as the first one, but if I’m going to be honest I laughed the most in this one. There were a lot of funny jokes (the gremlin airline, the werewolves, the singing kracken etc.), and some great animation, that shows how Genndy Tartakovsky knows how to take full advantage of animation as a medium and just goes all out with the movements, designs, and so much more. There is also a very good message about accepting one another, and trying to make peace with one another despite long grudges, and I did like the interpretation of the Helsing family here as it was really clever. Sure some jokes do not always land, and go on for some time, some characters felt underutilized despite playing big roles in the previous movies (looking at you Johnny), and I felt the main romance could have been developed more, but overall a fun time at the movies and a nice appetizer to Sony Animations other big movie.
29. My Hero Academia Two Heroes
As someone who is a big fan of the My Hero Academia franchise in general, this was a fun watch as it ‘s always a treat seeing all of these characters together, and it is able to stand on it’s own as a movie fairly well. Now of course when it comes to movies that are in the same universe as the TV show it’s always better if you have seen the series beforehand and this one is no different in that regard, yet I still feel like even non fans could still be entertained by the proceedings nonetheless as it does contain some great, big, action sequences, and animation that take advantage of it being a movie, some fun comedy, well handled emotional moments, and fun characters both familiar, and new. It’s not the best the series has to offer though due to the familiar Die Hard like plot, a weak villain, and the fact that it doesn’t really affect the series in many notable ways, yet it still will more than please fans of the iconic anime series.
28. Peter Rabbit
Now this one was turned out to be a very pleasant surprise for me as I admittedly wasn’t expecting much from it. It looked like one of those generic modern day live action adaptations of a popular character that was trying to be in touch with the kids of today. Color me surprised then when I found the movie to be a very charming, and often times quite funny comedy that is able to stay true to it’s source material and actually doesn’t really try to be all hip, and cool and be it’s own thing. Peter himself makes for a fun lead whose actions, and attitude are actually understandable (and often looked down upon when they’re wrong) and the same goes for Domhnall Gleeson’s Mr. McGregor as well as I did appreciate the fact that the movie doesn’t try to antagonize one or the other. The CGI for the animals is very well done, everyone in the cast seems to be having fun, it’s leisurely paced, there are a number of good jokes (there is one gag involving a rooster that failed to not crack me up every time), and it has a good message. It may not break any new storytelling molds, it does have a bit of an overreliance on it’s soundtrack of recognizable songs and some jokes don’t entirely land, but it did put a nice smile on my face and stands on it’s own two feet along with the other CGI animal flick of the year (which we’ll discuss more on later). I’m also now weirdly looking forward to Peter Rabbit 2 the Runaway whenever it comes out.
27. Mowgli Legend of the Jungle
Originally intended to be a theatrical release courtesy of Warner Bros., they instead sold it to Netflix and it became another one of their big streaming releases. While I do understand why that decision was made and it probably was the smartest thing to do as this was a huge financial question mark, it is a shame as this is a really good adaptation of the Jungle Book story that I feel is able to stand side by side with Disney’s 2016 re imagining. I appreciated the darker tone of the story and how it’s not afraid to be brutal in it’s action, and show off the harshness of the wild, the way the setting, and the time period is shown is interesting, the cinematography is gorgeous, and I found the CGI to be great as the animals themselves have a lot of expressions, and it’s very impressive motion capture and well acted by all (Andy Serkis, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Christian Bale are the stand outs) including Rohan Chand as Mowgli himself. It does suffer from some slow moving scenes, I wish Matthew Rhys had more to do as the hunter, and I don’t know if this was a problem I had with my TV or if it was the movie itself, but there was this long stretch at night that I could barely see what was going on, and while it didn’t completely derail the movie it was very distracting for a while. That being said in terms of Netflix’s big blockbuster type movies, this is definitely among the best of them.
26. Solo a Star Wars Story
Speaking of fun inconsequential stories, we have one of the biggest bombs of the year as this movie sadly did not do well at all at the box office. Now I know there are many reasons why (I blame those re-shoots that skyrocketed the budget, I mean who spends $275 million on a movie like this), but I think people really missed out on this one. While it certainly isn’t the best Star Wars movie ever made, as it does suffer from plotting issues (the first act could have been an entire movie if it chose to be), some characters with great potential that get very little screen time, and like Ant Man and the Wasp it feels very inconsequential in the grand scheme of things , and plays it a bit too safe. But unlike Ant Man and the Wasp the tone here was much more consistent, with a nice western feel to it that makes it stand out from the other movies. It also benefits from stunning visual effects (I mean its Star Wars), extremely well done action sequences, a fantastic ensemble cast (Alden Ehrenreich does a good job as Han Solo as do Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Woody Harrison, Paul Bettany, and pretty much everybody), the interactions between Han and Chewie were wonderful, and even the relationship between Han and Qi’ra was interesting, and something I would like to see more of in the future. While by no means a masterpiece it is still a worthy addition to my favorite franchise.
25. Bumblebee
As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of the Michael Bay Transformers movies (have only seen the first in it’s entirety and while I can certainly understand why people enjoyed it, it just didn’t work all that much for me), I was surprised how much I really enjoyed this prequel/reboot of the franchise! Doing away with the constant vulgarity, and bawdy humor of the other movies, Bumblebee is a charming, and often times compelling coming of age movie that definitely feels like a very good family film from the 80’s with a very well developed lead character (played by an excellent Hailee Steinfeld), a nice dynamic between her, and the titular robot, some fun supporting turns from Jorge Lendeborg Jr., and John Cena among others, some great, and exciting action sequences, really well done CGI, and some genuinely effective emotional beats. I will admit that it’s story isn’t anything new, it follows a pretty familiar path, the villains are pretty weak (despite strong vocal work from Angela Bassett, and Justin Theroux) but I still really liked it as a well oiled version of an often told story concerning an unusual friendship.
24. The House with a Clock in its Walls
What a nice spooky surprise this turned out to be. This movies feels like one of those 80’s children’s movie like the Goonies or Labyrinth that knows how to creep the kids out as it works as not only as a homage to those types of films but also stands on its own and doesn’t try to copy them and tell an entertaining story with fun and memorable characters. Not only is the protagonist, Louis, a compelling character whom the audience really sympathizes with, but so are Jack Black’s Uncle Johnathan, and Cate Blanchett’s Florence Zimmerman, who are just scene stealers and just bring so much life to the proceedings, and are developed so well (Seriously I could see a whole movie with just them in a room arguing). But not only is there
great characterization but also hilarious comedy, spooky moments that are not afraid to push the boundaries of a PG rating, and a really creepy villain that had a pretty interesting backstory. Of course there are some quibbles here and there like Tarby was a pretty weak character, the effects are not the best there are, and aside from Florence the rest of the female characters do not really have that much to do. But these still do not ruin a great family film that is perfect viewing for Halloween.
23. Crazy Rich Asians
Well this turned out to be a pleasant surprise as I am not that into romantic comedies that much as I have not really seen that much of them to make an opinion on the genre. Crazy Rich Asian may have a familiar story that isn’t really new, some places where it drags, and some side characters that did not really do much but it certainly makes up for that with its well done execution. It has two very likable leads in Constance Wu, and Henry Golding who make the audience want to see them get together, great supporting players who handle both the drama and comedy very well (Michelle Yeoh, and Awkwafina come to mind), a great theme on how different families interact with one another, and making your own decisions, and some stunning cinematography that gives us foreigners a taste of life in Singapore (why is it so expensive to get there). All in all a fun and heartfelt drama that is indeed an important film for people of Asian descent here in the states.
22. On the Basis of Sex
OK I did see this movie this year in 2019, but it did still technically release in 2018 (no matter how limited the screenings were). So anyway the best thing to say about this movie is that it is a must watch for woman especially those who want to have a career in the law. But other than that his movie is filled with a great message about preventing sex discrimination, a fantastic portrayal of Ruth Bader Ginsburg herself portrayed her excellently by Felicity Jones, a phenomenal supporting cast that portrays some very well rounded characters like Armie Hammer as Martin Ginsburg, and Justin Theorux as Mel Wulf, and it serves as a great introduction to one of the most inspirational people out there today, Justice Ginsberg. There are some issues though, like some scenes might feel that they are trying to hammer the message down to the audiences throats too hard, some scenes can drag a bit because of that aforementioned reason, and audiences should not expect this to be the definitive look into Justice Ginsbergs life and career (we’ll get to that very soon) as it only looks into some early parts of her life in law school, and this one huge case in her career. But overall this was definitely one of the most inspirational movies of last year that every woman who wants a good career should definitely watch.
21. RBG
Look at that we go from the movie about Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the documentary about her. I really cannot think of another person that famous who had both their documentary, and movie release in the same year. This goes to show how important she has become, and this documentary definitely shows that. RBG presents a fascinating look into the life of Justice Ginsberg, and shows her early life, how she got into law school, her major cases, how she ended up as who she is today and so much more. It is such a well rounded look into her life, and probably one of the better documentaries I have seen in a long time. My only flaw with it is that while it is well made, there is nothing particularly groundbreaking about it that makes it stand out from other documentaries of its type, though that is a very minor complaint. So for those wanting to learn more about the Notorious RBG herself, this is definitely a must watch.
20. Teen Titans Go! to the Movies
I’ve actually never been a huge fan of Teen Titans Go! the show, although I have gone to appreciate elements of it over time and I can see why other are fans of it. So it’s really saying something that a non fan like me still ended up having a blast with this movie! This is just such a hilarious satire/send up of not just DC, but also comic book movies, and Hollywood in general with so many great jokes, fun cameos (Nicholas Cage finally gets to play Superman!) and little details that just put a big smile on my face (I’m not even going to give away what they are if you haven’t seen the movie yet). Heck I even like the team dynamic here more as the Titans themselves are actually fun here and I like how the movie pokes fun at the complaints the show often gets, and even calls them out for their immature behavior at times. All of the voice actors are having a lot of fun, the action is great and is where the animators really took advantage of the fact that this is a feature length film, and Slade was a really fun villain (voiced with much energy by Will Arnett). Other then some parts that feel a little uneven, animation (with the exception of the action sequences) that is only a step above what’s on the TV show, and the fact that Robin is the Titan who gets the most amount of attention while the others are just there, this was such a great comedy that had me laughing from beginning to end!
19. Aquaman
Man, DC films has a bright future ahead of them if this movie is any indication. Now if your curious about my thoughts on the DC films I think they are all some variation of good (except for Suicide Squad which is the only one I did not like), but I will probably go more in depth with a ranking post in the future. So anyway back to the movie at hand, talk about a fun time at the theaters as that’s what I had seeing this movie. I love the epic scale, and world building that is presented here, the revolutionary underwater effects that amazed my eyes (seriously do yourself a favor and see it on the biggest screen possible), the charismatic Jason Momoa as a perfect Aquaman, the interactions between him and Amber Heards Mera, the fun comedy, the strong villains in the form of Ocean Master, and Black Manta, the phenomenal action sequences which proves why James Wan is one of my favorite filmmakers working today, and the successful meshing of all different sorts of genres (which was something Venom was not as successful with). Another thing that not really many people talk about is the way it subverts some tropes common in comic book movies. No spoilers but there are some times in this movie where I thought things were gonna be one way but then they didn’t end up like that, even though it seemed very likely. Sure there are some over the top moments that might not work for everyone (for me it did), actors like William Dafoe, and Dolph Lundgren were underutilized in my opinion, and I would have loved to have seen more of Black Manta since he is one of my favorite DC villains (although they are probably saving him for the sequel). But other than those minor hiccups Aquaman is absolutely seaworthy (I had to) and a step in the right direction for the DCEU.
18. Mary Poppins Returns
You know, I am very surprised at how much I liked this movie, since it is not dissimilar to what Disney is doing with their animated classics, remaking them in live action. It pretty much is the same story as the original, and can be considered a remake of the original Mary Poppins. But unlike most of those so called re imaginings Mary Poppins Returns has it’s own style to it, and makes the story its own. This is all thanks to a game Emily Blunt who is practically perfect in every way as Mary Poppins, a fantastic supporting cast (Ben Wishaw, Emily Mortimer, Meryll Streep, the 3 new kids, and more do a great job), some beautiful visuals that make the film a joy to watch (extra points for having a wonderful 2D animated sequence), catchy, and memorable new songs (my personal favorite is “Cover is not the Book”), alot of heartwarming moments that may make you tear up, and a nice heart at the feature, that reminds us about the joys of being a child, and how we should always remember that even as adults. Sure not everything about the movie is practically perfect, as there are some issues, namely the plot not being anything groundbreaking, and Colin Firth’s evil mustache twirling bank owner being pretty generic, and not existing as anything else other than an obstacle for the characters to overcome (although he did give a really fun performance). Even in 2018 Mary Poppins, is still here to being joy to the world, and luckily her latest adventure is as sweet as a teaspoon of sugar, which is just what we need right now.
17. Upgrade
This one is similar to Bumblebee in that it’s a story that may sound familiar to many (The Crow, Robocop, etc.) but it’s a very successful example of that type of story anyway that works on many levels. I really liked the way in which this futuristic (and often times dirty) world is set up and what we see of it as well as how much people rely on technology and it was a neat choice to have the main character (played excellently by Logan Marshall Green) be someone who prefers doing things himself which makes the inciting incident all the more tragic and the character more compelling, and fleshed out. Couple that in with a very interesting story that actually manages to subvert expectations, and come to a conclusion that is weirdly appropriate and made sense given the characters, and story, some fun interactions between Grey, and STEM, Leigh Whannell’s smooth direction, and great action sequences that are really creative, and brutal. My only big problems are that I wish the supporting cast had more to do (especially Betty Gabriel’s detective), and maybe the relationship between Grey, and his wife could’ve been fleshed out a little bit more. Other than that this is still a pretty terrific piece of science fiction that also serves as a nice pulpy genre throwback with a lot of cool ideas.
16. Ready Player One
Before I start I just want to say I have not read the book this is based on, so I am not judging it based on how it is as an adaptation like with A Wrinkle in Time (I say this because I know people who thought this was not faithful to the source material at all). With that out of the way Ready Player One is a fun, smart, and visually stunning piece of entertainment (It was one of the best 3D experiences I had seen in a long time). It has breathtaking visuals that looked and felt like a video game on the big screen (in a good way) fun, and likable characters portrayed by excellent performances ( As always Ben Mendelsohn was especially fun as the villain, and Mark Rylance was very compelling as Halliday), Incredibly choreographed action sequence, a good message about how we should not get to attached to technology and focus on the reality we live in, and pop culture references galore that I will not spoil here (seriously I saw a lot of them on the first viewing). There are some little obstacles it faces here and there like the characters while good are not the most original, some of the pop culture references can be a little distracting at times, and the pacing can be a little slow at times but these are hardly enough to call game over. Spielberg once again hits it out of the park with another winner.
15. Ralph Breaks the Internet
Now this movie I had some pretty high expectations going into, since the first Wreck it Ralph is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time. Fortunately while it may not be as good as the first one, it is still a worthy sequel that builds off of the first film in new, and surprising ways. Now I understand that this film has turned out to be one of the more polarizing WDAS movies in quite some times as there are some who love it, some who hated it, and some in the middle. While yes I can understand some of the criticism like the product placement can be a bit too much, Felix, and Calhoun get very little screen time (I am surprised there has been no announcement of a short concerning their story in the movie because that would actually be pretty neat), and the pacing does feel like its on a bit of a sugar rush and would have benefited if it took its time. But those glitches are not enough to take away from how good of a sequel this is, as it expands upon the world of the first film with its clever portrayal of the internet, a lot of fun and memorable side characters (Taraji P. Henson’s Yesss, Bill Hader’s Sapmley, and Alan tudyk’s Wordsmore come to mind), some great commentary about the internet today, great humor that is sure to be the highlight for many (Sure the Princess scene was really funny, but I am shocked nobody has been talking about the “A Place Called Slaughter Race” musical number which is something you have to see to believe in a good way), and of course the relationship between Ralph and Vanellope, which is just as good as it was in the first film. That relationship also plays very well into the themes this movie delves into that friendships can change and learning to accept that and its okay for friends to develop different dreams. Yes Ralph does some things that many people have not been happy about, but when I thought about it, I totally understood it even if what he did was not right, and it did lead to an uncommonly bittersweet ending for an animated feature that I totally applaud Disney for going with. So overall another winner from Disney’s current renaissance.
14. Game Night
I’ve always been a fan of high concept comedies done right, and this a perfect example of that as it takes full advantage of the premise concerning a group of friends involved in a game night gone wrong and it leads to plenty of well earned laughs. It’s consistently funny, has a fantastic, and memorable ensemble cast comprised of the likes of Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Mark Chandler, Lamorne Morris, and much more who each get a chance to shine (stand out being a scene stealing Jesse Plemons), a sharp and well written script, strong character work, lots of fun references, some surprisingly touching moments, genuine surprises, and it’s also really well made with plenty of clever visuals, and an impressive sequence that was done in one take. While it does lose some steam near the third act, the villains themselves aren’t anything special, and there is one particular aspect about the ending that somewhat negates the whole Fabergé egg plotline I really enjoyed the heck out of this one and I would love to see more studio comedies of the same quality.
13. Smallfoot
Now this is where the ranking became really tough for me as I actually like both Smallfoot, and Ralph Breaks the Internet about the same. But I decided to go with this ranking because I always knew that Ralph Breaks the Internet was going to be some variation of good thanks to it being by WDAS. Smallfoot on the other hand I was a little less certain about this one because while I did love the premise, and thought the trailers were funny, I was worried this was going to be a run if the mill family film. Luckily this was one of the few films this year that actually exceeded my expectations, and turned out to be a great family film. Yes like Ralph Breaks the Internet it does have a bit of a sugar rush and would have benefited from slowing down, and some side characters while entertaining were not all that developed. But it more than makes up for that with a nice mix of funny jokes and effective slapstick comedy, fun and relatable characters voiced very well by their respective actors, some surprisingly memorable and catchy musical numbers, and beautiful animation that has some really excellent lighting in particular. But the thing that stands out the most from this movie is it how it deals with its message, and that is whether it is better to live with a lie or deal with the truth. Now I am aware this is not a new idea heck I was playing Danganronpa V3 this summer (huge fan of the franchise by the way) and it pretty much dealt with the same idea (albeit for a far different demographic). But it is not very common in much media nowadays (in fact those two are really the most recent examples I can think of) and it is a message kids and adults can understand and get something from, as this film like Ralph Breaks the Internet, treats its message with the intelligence, and maturity it deserves, which leads to some surprising choices made throughout the film that really subverted my expectations. Overall another great family film in a year chock full of them.
12. Bad Time at the El Royale
One of those movies that failed to leave a huge dent financially but one that seems destined to gain some sort of fanbase overtimes, Bad Times at the El Royale is just one of those types of movies I really enjoy watching. It’s a slow burn thriller/character piece taking place in the 1960s with a killer cast (Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Ervio, Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, etc.) each of whom playing interesting, well rounded characters that I want to learn more about. Also while there are times where it can fell slow it mostly flew by for me because I was really interested in the proceedings plus Drew Goddard’s stylish direction, a killer soundtrack (Cynthia Ervio herself actually gets a stand out musical number), an intense climax, the sharp dialogue, and the production design that really makes the hotel feel like a character in and of itself are also highlights. While it can be muddles in the way it tells character’s backstories through flashbacks at certain points, the movie as a whole still works as the type of movie I’d like to see more of nowadays alongside the big blockbusters.
11. Creed II
Even though I may not have seen every single one of them, I am still a big fan of the Rocky franchise and I’ve really liked what was done with these two Creed movies as I found the first one to be a fantastic sports drama with phenomenal performances form Michael B. Jordan, and Sylvester Stallone. Their great here as well once again and what really impresses me about this sequel is how it is able to follow up Rocky IV, and extremely over the top 80s movie, very well and develops the Drago family even more and makes them compelling, and sympathetic characters while at the same time continuing the story of Apollo Creed and his journey to define himself as a boxer, and push himself to the limits which is engrossing and is still able to keep things fresh. It definitely has the tropes you’d expect from a Rocky movie and admittedly none of the matches are as great as the perfect one take boxing match in the original but it still is very inspirational, the finale is really intense, and it does have one of my favorite montages of the franchise. It may not break much in the way of new ground but dang does it still pack a punch!
10. Avengers Infinity War
Oh boy, why do I have the feeling people are going to be very upset that Infinity War is too low on this ranking even though I still think its a great movie, its just not my favorite Marvel movie (although it I would rank it pretty high in an MCU ranking). But any way Infinity War is able to live up to it huge expectations, thanks to the Russo Brothers who were able to handle all these different characters, and story lines and make it into a cohesive story that is fun to watch. The effects are visually striking, the action is phenomenal and some of the best in the MCU (seriously I could watch the battle on Titan so many times and never get bored), the actors all play their roles with ease, the scope is epic and huge, the twists and turns are surprising, and emotionally impactful, and of course Josh Brolin makes for an excellent villain in Thanos, who makes this character with horrible intentions sympathetic, and poignant to watch. Now of course with such a huge movie there were bound to be some issues here and there. Sometimes the pacing can be a little inconsistent (although that was a given since the size of this movie is so huge), some characters get more attention than others (everyone in Wakanda felt a little underutilized), and this does feel like half the picture of a much larger story (though to be fair it kinda is meant to be like that). But once again the MCU knocks it out of the park, and managed to indeed put a smile on my face.
9. Deadpool 2
Just like with Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Smallfoot this was a hard choice on what to rank higher Infinity War, or Deadpool 2, since I liked both of them equally. The reason why I went with Deadpool 2 was just because of how shocked I was at how great this movie turned out to be, and dare I say it, I think it is just as awesome as the first one. Sure it has the hilarious humor (the post credits scene is probably the best I have ever seen), great supporting characters in the form of Cable, and Domino, and gloriously violent, and well shot action sequences, but what really made this movie amazing was how it developed the character of Wade Wilson played perfectly by Ryan Reynolds. No spoilers, but thanks to event early on in the film Wade loses any reason to live, but tries to find family in the form of Collussus, and a kid named Russel. By taking a more personal, and small scale approach to this sequel, the movie shows that Wade, is more than just a joke machine, and is a fully realized character, just trying to do whats best for him, and his newfound friends which leads to a very emotional scene near the end. While some characters like Negasonic Teenage Warhead, and Yukio felt sidelined, and some jokes don’t work as well as others, this is still another hilarious adventure with the Merc with a Mouth.
8. Green Book
This film has been getting a lot of controversy recently in light of its many Oscar nominations, and while I can understand some of those arguments, I still think this is a great piece of entertainment, with many important messages for viewers. Of course it deals with racism, and segregation in the South in the 1960s, but in a way that is accessible to audiences in a light hearted way, and in a year when we have movies that look at this subject in a not too feel good way I think we can live with this movie not being as dark, and depressing. But I think it does serve as a good lesson of these subjects with many scenes being extremely relevant in today’s political climate, particularly a third act confrontation in Alabama. But Green Book also works because of its two leads played excellently by Viggo Mortensen, and Marshala Ali who play off of each other wonderfully thanks to their believable chemistry that truly makes this a great story about an unexpected friendship. Although thanks to the movie being mainly about them there is not much time to develop the rest of the supporting cast but they still play their parts well here. Add some great humor, and heartfelt moments, and we get the perfect feel good movie of the year.
7. Widows
Here’s a film that was sadly overlooked during awards season, and merely came and went at the box office which is a shame because it’s a pretty darn great movie that’s able to work on many levels. It works as heist movie that manages to subvert expectations, a political drama that has a lot on it’s mind in terms of race, class, and gender , and just an all around excellent character piece that makes sure to take the time to develop these individuals and make us care for them if something goes wrong. Steve McQueen’s direction is excellent as this a very well made film that utilizes a lot of visual storytelling which is always a plus in my book. Not to mention the superb casting on display with everyone giving it their all such as Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, and much more. It may run a little bit long, and I wish Cynthia Ervio had more to do as the fourth member of the group but still this an excellent movie that I think should get more recognition.
6. A Star is Born
A story that has been told many times in many other movies, yet this 2018 remake is able to justify itself nonetheless. This was a really powerful movie that has a lot of elements that click perfectly, like the entire first act could be a short movie up until the iconic “Shallows” scene in and of itself and it would still be fantastic as it is really well executed. Yet while the movie does feel a little slow in some parts, and it does follow some familiar tropes here, everything else after still really works as we are invested in the relationship of two artists one struggling and one who rises to the top and it works mainly because of how the story, and characters all feel so grounded, and lived in and the fact that it is not afraid to deal with it’s themes of dealing with toxic emotions, and traumatic experiences in an honest light. Couple that in with some fantastic performances from Bradley Copper, and Laday Gaga (with very strong supporting turns from Sam Elliott, and Dave Chappelle), solid direction from Copper, and very well done musical sequences with some great songs and you have the all the right ingredients for a strong remake.
5. Black Panther
And the controversial opinions continues with a movie that everyone loved at first when it first came out, but now in 2019 it feels like the majority of the internet hates it and thinks its overrated. While I can agree with some of the criticisms like the third act while fun is not as great as the rest of the film, and suffers from some weak CGI. But other than that I still think this is an awesome movie that is important for representation, and diversity onscreen hence why it made such a huge cultural impact. There is so much to love in this movie like the thrilling action sequences, the beautiful and fully realized world of Wakanda, and the exhilarating score, and soundtrack by Kendrick Lamar. But the two things that really stand out about this movie are the characterization, and themes. This is probably one of the best ensemble cast of any MCU movie as the actors do an amazing job of bringing these characters to life, and further fleshing them out especially Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger who is such a great villain. It is saying something that T Challa is a great protagonist but is out shined by everyone else especially the female threesome of Okoye, Nakia, and Shuri. Also the powerful theme of learning from your relatives mistakes in the past in order to not only become a better person (or in this case ruler), but to write your own story, and not make those mistakes define you, really resonates. While I understand some people’s complaints, I still consider this to be among the best of the MCU.
4. Paddington 2
I actually did not see this movie in theaters, but on an airplane and when I finished watching it I immediately regretted not seeing it when it was in theaters (heck I watched it again on my return flight). My only real issue with this movie is that maybe some of the character arcs could have been wrapped up a little better. But that is so minor when the rest of the movie is so delightful, and hilarious that it makes me wish there were more like it. Paddington 2 does not try to appeal to children with juvenile humor, and fart jokes, but rather it appeals to everyone with hilarious slapstick comedy and great jokes (I have always rather loved British humor for some weird reason). Not to mention that Paddington himself is such a lovable, and relatable character that always sees the goodness in everyone with his positive attitude, and uplifting spirit (I wish everyone was like him but oh well…). The supporting cast is equally as lovable, and I’m not just talking about the returning players, but also the new additions like Brendan Gleeson’s delightful prison cook, and of course Hugh Grant’s villainous Phoenix Buchanan (who is seriously giving Thanos, and Killmonger a run for their money for best villain of the year). Add in beautiful visuals, creative editing, and an important message for all ages, and we have one of the best family movie franchises today (and I swear if we do not get a Paddington 3, I will be extremely disappointed in all of you, and myself for not supporting this).
3. Mission Impossible Fallout
Man these movies just keep getting better, and better don’t they. I had no idea how Christopher Mcquarrie was going to top himself after the thrill ride that was Rogue Nation, but somehow he did it making an action movie masterpiece in the process. This movie makes any other action movie this year (well live action at least) look wimpy in comparison, as it contains nonstop thrills with barely a second to breath, it is just one roller coaster of a movie. Every single action sequence from the chases, to the fistfights are thrilling, and memorable (well they were actually happening with very little special effects used). The story is equally as intense as it really demands that the audience pay attention, and is not content with speaking down to them (I am not going to say anymore about the story because I am worried to give anything away). But of course none of this would have worked if weren’t for such a great cast of characters who have many layers to them, and are all played excellently by their actors. Tom Cruise once again shows he is the king of action stars doing his own stunts and playing Ethan Hunt without breaking a sweat. But he’s not the only one giving it their all as Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, and Rebecca Ferguson reprise their characters and are just as good as Cruise, and Henry Cavill is a clear standout in what is probably his best role to date (thanks in no small part to his magical mustache). All of this is proof that the MI series is one of the best action franchises today, and as for Christopher Mcquarrie, I have one thing to say and that is bring on MI 7 & 8 in Summer 2021 & 2022.
2. Incredibles 2
Now we have what was my most anticipated movie of 2018 as the Incredibles is one of my favorite movies of all time, and so naturally my expectations were more than a little huge for this one. So judging where I ranked it on my list I think its safe to say it lived up to those expectations. Incredibles 2 is how to make a sequel the right way. It builds off of the first film without copying it and having its own feel to it. The animation has improved greatly and takes the designs of the first film and updates it to make it look smooth, and stylish thanks to the 1950s space age setting, and tone. The characters are just as great as they were before and even dealing with some new challenges like Bob trying to care for the kids, and Elastigirl off fighting crime. Bobs side of the story does present a lot of the hilarious comedy that had me laughing through, and of course Jack Jack steals every scene (Don’t even get me started on that raccoon scene). Elastigirls side on the other hand presents some of the best action sequences in any movie this year that fully take advantage of the medium of animation with a nice variety of intense chase scenes, and brutal fistfights (that fight with Screen-slaver comes to mind). Speaking of which, Screen Slaver does make for a compelling villain (even if the twist is pretty obvious although I think that was intentional) and has a very understandable motivation. Heck this movie kind of asks a question not many superhero movies or TV shows delve into nowadays and that is if superheroes are really necessary, and do people depend on them to much (well I guess My Hero Academia deals with this but it is still pretty uncommon, by the way am I the only one who thinks these two franchises could exist in the same universe because that would be epic). Anyway I love this as an action movie, a family movie, and just a movie in general, definitely worth the 14 year wait.
And the No. 1 movie of 2018 is still…
Spider Man Into the Spider-verse
This movie, oh my… where to begin with this perfection of a film. I have always stated that this film was going to change animation and bring on a new era of films like it, and that is most surely the case. This movie shows that animation can be taken seriously as an art form with its groundbreaking visuals that feel like a real comic book on the big screen come to life and the use of so many different styles all in one frame. They do so many cool things with the animation it needs to be seen to be believed (preferably in 3D). But the story is also executed perfectly as it combines a coming of age superhero drama with an multi dimensional crossover and balances it masterfully. The characters are all so memorable, and richly developed from our young protagonist Miles Morales to his reluctant mentor Peter Parker to all of the Spider people present (who all need their own standalone films announced right now please). The comedy is excellently done, and just like fellow animated masterpiece the LEGO Batman Movie makes fun of its title character but also honors him (well geniuses Phil Lord and Chris Miller were involved so that’s not a surprise). The soundtrack is great and I love to jam out to it sometimes. Everything this movie does is just so right, and if you want to see more films like please go see this at theater near you right now if you can. Not only is it my favorite movie of this year but it also just be my favorite comic book movie of all time.
So that’s a wrap on my 100th post ever! Thanks so much to those who have stuck with this blog for so long and I am indeed looking forward to the plans I have in store for the future including all of these rankings of the movies of each year this decade which I’m really excited about doing (might take a while but it’s exciting nonetheless). So with that said how would you rank the movies of the year 2018 and do you agree with my picks or are they noticeably different. I always enjoy hearing other people’s points of views as it’s always a lot of fun seeing what other people think and be free to sound them off down in the comments! Now next time we will taking a look at 2017, a year which I find to be interesting in terms of the releases and I am very much looking forward to talking about!
Please leave your thoughts down below in the comments and see you guys later!
Review Time 