#40
Up (2009)
Like Finding Nemo, and some other of Pixar's treasures, this is one of the most likable and charming animated films ever made. It's got a great mix of charm, comedy, cuteness, humor, action, and drama and all are balanced out perfectly within this film. The film story centers around an aging old widowed man named Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) who decides to leave the world he lived in behind him and to accomplish he and his deceased wife, Ellie's, dream to fly to Paradise Falls, which is located in South America ("It's like America...but south!" so cute). So he ties his house to a million of balloons that allows it to float up in the air and help him fly towards Paradise Falls. He is also accompanied by a little camper named Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai) who is bent on getting a "Helping the Elderly Badge" by helping Carl reach his destination. They also come across an adorable talking dog named Dug (voiced by Bob Petersen), a rare exotic bird which Russell names Kevin, and an old explorer named Charles Muntz (voiced by Christopher Plummer), who with the help of his army of talking dogs, is bent on searching for Kevin and to prove to the world that the bird exists. The characters are all memorable, primarily the protagonists all have their special charm that makes them all likable. Sure Russell, Dug, and Kevin are fun, funny, and adorable, but the center of the film, Carl, is what makes the film for me. He just has a very engaging and heartbreaking story, that it is hard to not root for the guy and hopes that he fulfills his lifelong dream. He might seem like the typical stick in the mud who has tough exterior but a tender heart, but we do get to experience first hand of why he is that way and the explanation makes it more than understandable. He is truly the definition of a three dimensional character, because his ideals and goals are changed throughout the film. He goes on this personal journey to find out what he really needs in life, and who are most important to him now. His new friends and even himself. From the beginning the story already seems to be perfect. That famous first several minutes of the film is one of the best and memorable scenes in film history that tells a story about childhood, love, hardships, marriage, tragedy, sadness, and death in one whole scene with the majority of it having no dialogue and just relying on the animation of the characters' expressions and the musical score. It is beautifully done from the storytelling, animation, and right down to the emotional impact it has on the audience. It is difficult to not get teary-eyed during that scene. But other than the rest of the entire film is of course fun, filled with laughs, action-packed, and memorable moments and characters. Up seems for me to ascend a good number of animated films because it can be easily loved by anyone who watches it.
GRADE: E
#39
The Incredibles (2004)
We go from one Pixar film to another as The Incredibles actually has the power to slightly better than Up, for my personal tastes anyways. The story follows Mr. Incredible aka Bob Parr (voiced by Craig T. Nelson) a retired superhero, who has the power of super strength, raises a family full of super humans , or "Supers". This includes his wife Elastigirl aka Helen Parr (voiced by Holly Hunter), who has the power of elasticity, their teenage daughter Violet (voiced by Sarah Vowell), who has the power of invisibility and the ability to create force fields, their son Dash (voiced by Spencer Fox), who has the power of super speed, and the baby Jack-Jack, whose powers are yet to be known. Mr. Incredible is called out of retirement to an exotic paradise island to rid several AWOL droids that are causing harm to the environment on the island. But Mr. Incredible soon learns it is all a scheme that was planned by his new arch-nemesis Syndrome (voiced by Jason Lee), who plots to rid or Mr. Incredible and the rest of the existing super heroes. It's up to Mr. Incredible and with the help of his super powered family, to team up and of course save the day. I love how every minute of this film is just so much fun and action packed. Also not forgetting that the character development is one of the best in a Pixar film. I found myself loving all these characters, I think they are absolutely flawless. I really found them to be likable, entertaining, as well as well developed. Even some of the characters that get not as much screen time as the main characters such as Frozone (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) and Edna (voiced by Brad Bird) I found to be just as entertaining and likable. Somehow the film actually found a way to develop them and allow the audience to care for them as much as the main leads. The animation of course is wonderful and will probably hold up in the future, but the best part of the animation that I love is the character design. Director and veteran animator Brad Bird has this distinct style for the way he designs his characters. Bird, along with the traditional Disney animated designs, has one of the best looking human character designs when it comes to the animated films he directs. It's just that perfect blend of what humans really look like with a little of that cartoony edge to it, with the way the heads and bodies are shaped. But the facial expressions the characters give are the absolutely the best. Also for a family animated film, the action scenes are very entertaining. I give kudos to the Pixar animators for making these scenes come to life as it is one of the first times they had to animate scenes like the action scenes in The Incredibles. I genuinely mean it when I saw not one moment of this film is dull because it offers plenty amount of great storytelling as well as entertaining action scenes to go along with it. I would actually rank it as one my personal Top 10 favorite action films. It has story, it has a perfect cast of enjoyable characters, it has great action, actually good drama, great heart, and great effort. It's simply incredible. GRADE: E
P.S. WHERE'S F*****G INCREDIBLES 2!! I MEAN WE GET CARS 2 AND MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY BUT NOT INCREDIBLES 2!! WHAT THE HELL! (Sorry for that unprofessional remark)
#38
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Being called the Star Wars of our time, during a time the prequels were constantly disappointing audiences, Lord of the Rings came in to revive the reign of fantasy nerds and geeks. And here is the first installment of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. The story is set in the fantasy world of Middle-Earth, where a young Hobbit named Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) inherits the mysterious One Ring from his uncle Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). But it turns out that the evil Lord Sauron's army of darkness is after the Ring as the wise wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) urges Frodo to journey to Rivendell where the Elf Council will determine the Ring's fate. He is joined by his Hobbit friends Samwise "Sam" Gamgee (Sean Astin), Pippin(Billy Boyd), and Merry (Dominich Monaghan). When he goes to Rivendell, Frodo voulnteers to journey to Mount Doom to destory the Ring. He is then accompanied by Gandalf, Sam, Merry, Pippin, including a ranger named Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), a dwarf named Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), an elf named Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Boromir (Sean Bean), a prince of Gondor. Together they form The Fellowship of the Ring, out to destroy The Ring and prevent it from causing anymore corruption. The film is a film about characters. And they are great and memorable characters. Though a lot of times I was aware of the actors who are playing the characters, it still has that same effect that a lot of the films on this list has on me. It makes me think that the characters are really there in the flesh. I think it is mainly because the actors all do such a good job in portraying them and it is easy to tell that they are lost in their roles. The story also has the capability of being as timeless as those like Star Wars or any other great fantasy film. Director Peter Jackson successfully brought the world of Middle-Earth to life. The scope of the film is amazingly huge. Everything from the story and the scenery seems immensely epic, and it is for a reason. Jackson wanted to transport us into another world. A world where adventure was right in the back yard. The adventure is just so entertaining to experience, because not only does the danger seem legitimate, but the audience is surrounded by a cast of great characters for the rest of the entire film. With great adventure filled with great characters, it is positive to say that Fellowship of the Ring is a classic. But you are probably wondering what I think of the rest of the trilogy. Well, join me for #37. GRADE: E FULL REVIEW: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Review
#37
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
I know it would only
make sense if I just put the entire trilogy in one placement on the list, but I
do honestly have different feelings for each installment of the trilogy. For
example, with Fellowship, I love
because it is an entertaining, fun, and well written adventure. Two Towers I felt was not the worst, but
appropriately the weakest, but only by a small margin. I just felt that the
story was a little fragmented in that film there was not enough balance, but
overall character and visually, it’s still really good. Return of the King, on the other hand, I feel that it is my
absolute favorite of the trilogy, just above Fellowship of the Ring. The reason that is, is because it perfectly
ties all the loose ends and each character that we began to love and connect
with all has their shining moments and has a more than satisfying end to their
story arcs. In this installment, Frodo (Elijah Wood), Sam (Sean Astin), and
Gollum (Andy Serkis), a tremendously written character introduced in The Two
Towers who for years was tortured by The Ring, continue their quest to Mount
Doom, to destroy the One Ring. But they must overcome the obstacles of grave
danger, distrust, betrayal, and most importantly the corruption of the Ring.
Meanwhlile Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Legolas (Orlando
Bloom), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), Merry, and Pippin, must prepare and lead the
army of Gondor for war against Lord Sauron’s army in order to distract them
from Frodo who must destroy the Ring. The film’s action and battle scenes are
beyond entertaining. They can leave you at the edge of your seat and invested
the whole way through. There are a lot of characters throughout the saga that
we begin to be invested, and a lot of those characters get to shine in these
battle scenes. And it feels more than fulfilling to see them at their full
potential and to see them fight for what they stand for. The characters are just
as enjoyable and entertaining as they were in the two previous films, and they
close out just perfectly within the film. But not only are the tremendous
looking action scenes the reason I love this film so much. I think that the
story and separate character arcs are more than fulfilling as well as
overwhelming. To see these characters overcome their inner struggles and
obstacles is very satisfying, and it is also interesting to see a couple of
them give in to their inner demons for a while. A lot of people complained that
there were too many endings to the film, but in my opinion I feel that they all
somehow work. I think they are all emotionally effective, as well being nice
sendoffs to these characters. The Lord of
the Rings trilogy in the end reminded me that adventure and discovery is
indeed out there and our world is bigger and more grand than we expect it to
be, and each of us has a personal quest to embark in the great adventure of
life. And Return of the King was a
more than great conclusion to that story.
GRADE: E FULL REVIEW: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Review
#36
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
(1986)
Another film that
teaches us that life is not only an adventure, but it moves by pretty fast, so
we better experience most of it before we miss it. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is that film. The film follows a quirky,
wise-cracking, and charismatic teen named Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick)
who decides to trick his parents into being sick so he can ditch school. Along
his day off he takes his best friend Cameron Fry (Alan Ruck), and his
girlfriend Sloane Petersen (Mia Sara), out on Cameron’s dad’s Ferrari to have
an adventure and the best day of their lives out in downtown Chicago. The
comedy in the film is unbelievably funny but all that has mostly to do with the
writing. The late John Hughes definitely knew how mix that perfect blend of
both verbal and slapstick humor. A lot of it too comes from the interactions
between the different characters and the way they work off each other such as
Ferris and Cameron, Mr. Ed Rooney and his secretary Grace, and Ferris’ sister
with the various members of the ensemble cast. Whenever people talk about Ferris Bueller, not many I find talk
about the some of the drama that it is incorporated in the film as well. When
people regard John Hughes as the voice of a generation, it is almost fact. He
knows how to write legitimate teenage issues and drama, that seems so genuine
and relatable. Specifically the scene where Cameron rants about his father and
the love he has for his car over his own family is one of the best dramatic monologues
in any film. And this is from a film that was originally intended and even
marketed as a comedy! But the true heart of the film is the character of Ferris
Bueller. Even though he is a pain in the neck, and a wise cracker, there is
still something so highly likable, charming, and entertaining about him. Mainly
because this is the type of person we wish that we can be. Pretend that there
are no troubles in life, but to only see the good aspects of it, and to
celebrate and live in it. That honestly is a highly and deep inspirational
trait for a comedic lead. His motives go beyond just ditching school, but to
see the amazing things life has to offer before he misses out on it. On top of
that, when Ferris does go out into Chicago with his friends and you see them
having fun, you can tell he is enjoying every minute of it. It’s funny because
usually Matthew Broderick to me always seemed like a dull actor, but Ferris
Bueller is unarguably his best performance by far, as he also gets so lost in
his character. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off just
has overall great written comedy, great written characrters, and a great
written story. Life does move pretty fast, and one deserves the miss out on it
along with this film as well.
GRADE: E
#35
The Prince of Egypt (1998)
My most absolute
favorite from Dreamworks Animation, The Prince of Egypt is not only a story
about triumph and faith, but a behind the scene story about two brothers, in
which circumstances and the will of God force them to become enemies. The story
is based on the book of Exodus, from The Bible, in which the Pharaoh of Egypt
orders a massacre on the Jewish slave infants in order to deplete their
population. However, one of the infants, survives by the hands of her mother as
he is carried down a river in a basket, and is later found by the Queen of
Egypt who decides to adopt the Hebrew baby and name him Moses. Moses (voiced by
Val Kilmer) grows up an Egyptian prince, living the royal life, and enjoying
good times with his adoptive brother Ramses (voiced by Ralph Fiennes). That is
until he learns of his origins, and seeing an Egyptian brutally beat a Hebrew
slave forcing Moses to eventually kill the Egyptian, Moses is in conflict as he
flees Egypt. Moses comes across a village of free people where he marries Zipporah
(voiced by Michelle Pfieffer) and decides to live for the rest of his life.
Until God comes to Moses in the form of a burning bush and tells Moses that he
must return to Egypt and force the Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go. Moses does
God’s will as he returns to Egypt and sees his brother Ramses, now Pharaoh.
Despite Ramses welcoming Moses with open arms, Moses forces Ramses that he only
arrived to bring him the message that God is forcing that Ramses let the
Hebrews go. This enrages Ramses as he now sees that his own brother is against
him. A personal war is now ignited between the two as the royal power of Ramses
is up against Moses’ will to use the wondrous and wrathful power of God to
determine the fate of the Hebrews. Being my all-time favorite Dreamworks
Animation film, of course it has one of the best animations in any animated
film. The animation is beyond beautiful for eyes to gaze on as it flows
beautifully, some of the CG special effects actually blend nice in it, and on
top of that gives the film a huge scope setting both the story and scenery on a
grand scale. The music, is just epic, as well as immensely beautiful, both the
songs and the instrumental score. The songs written by Stephen Schwartz are
beautiful, deep, epic, and they help move along the story and help tell it,
both of what events are happening, and what is going on through our characters’
heads. The score done by the master and my all-time favorite film score
composer Hans Zimmer is as equally beautiful and epic as not only does his
individual scores leave an emotional and powerful impact, but the instrumental
melodies he does for Schwartz’s songs as well. But the biggest selling point is
the relationship between Moses and Ramses. In other adaptations of The Exodus
story, I do not think much is explored about Moses and Ramses relationship,
just the fact that they immediately turn into enemies right as Moses returns to
Egypt. A lot of these adaptations do seem to forget that the two practically
grew up together as brothers, and maybe that relationship should be more
explored more. It actually makes the conflict between them seem more
interesting and engaging, as there is more at stake and two people who were
once close are now on different and strong opposing sides. You can tell the two
wants nothing more to have their relationship be as it was before but the both
have justifiable reasons why they cannot give into their enemy and why it is important to never give in. Moses HAS to do the will of God and on top of that has the trust of his hundreds of his people, while on the other hand Ramses does not want to be the weak link in a long chain of strong and powerful rulers as that would be a huge disgrace on his bloodline. But there is still that buried brotherly love that is struggling to set free and to allow the two, well Ramses mostly in this case, to forgive, forget, and put aside differences. This is why this particular Exodus adaptation is the one I am most fond with and relate to. I also like the ending while a happy one mostly, there is still the other half of the problem that is not resolved and that is actually left bitter. It was an excellent look on how Moses probably really felt at the time, despite only doing what God told him to do. In the end The Prince of Egypt is one of the most complex and challenging animated films out, and agian the best that Dreamworks Animation had to offer just a margin ahead of Kung Fu Panda 2.
GRADE: E FULL REVIEW: The Prince of Egypt Review
#34
Aladdin (1992)
Where can I honestly start with Aladdin. Not only is it one of the most likable Disney films, but it's one of the most likable family films ever to exist. I have not met one person who thought it was overrated or a bad movie. Heck, it is one of those perfect family films that does not need to go too dark in order to be edgy. Though I love dark themes in family films, this manages to find a way to appeal to a mass audience, without it being way too overly lighthearted. And to be honest I think most of that has to do with the comedy. And we all know who thank for that do we? That's right Robin Williams as the Genie. This is one of the first times that an animated family film actually used a big name actor to voice a character. And I know after this film's release there was a bit of a falling out between Williams and Disney for making his character take much up of the marketing campaign for the film, but gosh darn it, the Genie is what makes the comedy of the film just so damn entertaining. Every minute he is one screen, all his jokes hit bullseye to me. Though most of it are pop culture references, in fact references that never existed in ancient Arabia, I admit its refreshing to see this kind of comedy in a setting like this. Robin Williams' Genie character just makes it seem so bizarre and random that it is very difficult not to laugh at. But not only is the Genie's comedy really good, but the rest of the comedy coming from the other cast are pretty funny as well. Sometimes the witty and comedic writing coming from Aladdin (voiced by Scott Weigner), Princess Jasmine (voiced by Linda Larkin), the Sultan (voiced by Douglas Seale), and even the main villain Jafar (voiced by Jonathan Freeman) are all funny once in a while and they have good one liners. Even as many people say that Gilbert Gottfried's voice gets obnoxious once in a while, I think his character of Iago, Jafar's little hench-parrot, is hilarious. I actually think he has good lines, good jokes. To be honest they made Gottfried funny, because the script gave him funny things to say. I will honestly admit I would rank this film up there as one of the best comedies. But the film is not entirely about the Genie or comedic scenes isn't it, it mainly focuses on our two leads Aladdin and Jasmine, and their romance. And in fact, yes, that aspect of the film is actually really well done. In many of Disney's best, the highlights of them are definitely the relationship between the main characters, and this one is no exception. Though the romance seems very modern, like you're witnessing a teenage boyfriend/girlfriend couple from the late 20th Century going out on a date, it still seems highly genuine and believable. If somebody tried to convince me that these two leads were in love just by watching the scenes the two of them share alone, I would totall believe it. The romance in fact is done so well, that I end up of course actually rooting for them to be together. It is not done pretentiously, it is not done too over the top, and it is not cheesy enough to reach The Notebook levels, it is just done perfectly right and it succeeds to please a mass audience. And of course, I have to mention the songs. What do you expect, it's Alan Menken doing songs for Disney, I think that pretty much says it all. It is one of the best Disney soundtracks. Actually this is one of those few or couple Disney musicals where I find it hard to single out my favorite song, because all the songs in Aladdin are catchy, have a good beat, and have good lyrics. Arabian Nights, One Jump Ahead, Friend Like Me, Prince Ali, A Whole New World, don't make me choose. Aladdin is overall hard to despise, because every aspect of it is hard to despise. And that is pretty much all I have to say.
GRADE: E
#33
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1936)
Well here we are at another Disney animated film. The first ever Disney animated feature film to be exact. And after all these years between the huge gap of 1936 and 2013, it still tremendously holds up. It made very sense that Walt Disney decided to have his first animated film to based on a fairy tale, that way it would be more timeless and would set the stage and norms for many Disney films to come. The character of Snow White, though generally and unrealistically nice and sweet, still comes off as very likable. I think people should look past her bubbly and cute nature and perhaps see that Snow White is possibly a good role model for young girls. Not only is she kind-hearted, but no matter the danger and circumstances, she always had a positive and uplifting feel like everything was going to be okay and life will not only could but eventually get better. Again, another character that looked at the positive aspects of life and absolutely celebrating it. And to have that trait in the first animated film, still seems kind of revolutionary. The Evil Queen is also I think a great villain. She has a great design and on top of that a great and intimidating presence to her. Even before she turned into a wicked hag, as a child I was still frightened by her queen appearance And speaking of which her form as the wicked hag is pretty entertaining too and satisfyingly diabolical. But of course the selling points and the show stealers are the seven dwarves themselves, Doc, Sleepy, Sneezy, Happy, Bashful, Grumpy, and Dopey. Each of them have their own personalities and names to go along with them, probably so it would be more easy to identify them and make them more memorable. It's still a very clever idea as oppose to just making them normal dwarves. They are all entertaining and timeless, that it is no question why they are among Disney's most classic, memorable, and timeless characters. Though I see Snow White as a great and perfect animated gem in almost every way, the minor complaint I do have is the character of the Prince, who is very boring and is not given much screentime in order for him to develop. But the rest of the film is so great that it practically overshadows him, thus making him not that important anymore. But in the end he still has to use true love's first kiss to wake Snow White up doesn't he. In fact speaking of the ending, I know people see it as one of the most perfect happy endings to a fairy tale, but a couple days ago after looking back, I sort of get the sense that the ending might have a different approach as oppose to what most of us think. Maybe it was not intended, probably Snow White riding off with her prince is the most likely ending given. But look at the very last shot of the film and you will probably get the idea of what I am talking about. Again, maybe just my perspective in how I see it, but when thinking about it actually makes or would make the overall film seem more powerful and surprisingly even challenging for younger viewers despite it being the first animated film. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves has a lot of heart because a lot of heart was obviously put into it, making it an emotional and magical impact and experience on generations to come. I could simply say the impact more than definitely affected me.
GRADE: E
#32
Dracula (1931)
Though there were many silent horror and gothic films before, I believe it was Dracula , starring Bela Lugosi as the bloodsucking menace of the night, that set the stage for many horror films to come in the modern era. I love the gothic feel of this film, I really feel like I am in this world. A world of mystery and darkness. It feels incredibly awesome. But we cannot deny the real selling point of the film can we? GOOD GOD, Bela Lugosi as Dracula, sounds cliched to say but, the DRACULA. HE IS DRACULA! His charm, his words, his delivery, his presence, his overall performance screams DRACULA! All his scenes I never knew whether to be struck with awe or terror from him. Just his stares, HIS STARES, give me the chills, and could possibly be excused as the only great performance you need in the film. It is no wonder why Lugosi's image is the definite image whenever people see, hear, talk, or think about Count Dracula. Unarguably one of the best casting decisions in film history as well as one of the most perfect and genuine acting performances in film history. The very well done gothic tone and story, as well Bela Lugosi's performance as Count Dracula is all I need to justify why Dracula is one of my all time favorite films. I know it is not much as I said for the other films on the list, but if the film only has about a few aspects that I can praise so highly, leave me almost speechless, and help the film place this high on the list, then that is a DAMN impressive feat!
GRADE: E FULL REVIEW: Dracula Review
#31
Bambi (1942)
We enter the magical world of Disney again as Walt's personal favorite of the bunch, Bambi, makes it on my list. The story about the life of a young fawn in the forest, a cleverly unspecified forest to be exact, is so uplifting, beautifully atmospheric, and even tragically heartbreaking. In fact so heartbreaking, people claim to be "scarred for life" ever since their childhood after watching this film. Yes, the infamous scene in which Bambi loses his mother to the dangerous forces of mankind is severely heartbreaking, I think it also part of great storytelling. It features a tragic side to this deer's life, which makes the character more sympathetic and makes hope that he and his friends will escape the dangers and harshness that the outside world might bring upon them. I love how the film presented us with a story that just features a character's life from his childhood, to him meeting and playing with friends, to him experiencing his first tragedy, to him experiencing love, and finally to him experiencing adulthood. Though the film has a clear beginning, middle, and end, it still just shows the life of this character without showing some sort of complex rivalry between the antagonist. In fact the antagonist is probably the most frightening and thought provoking villain in all of film, which is mainly us, Man. It may seem like they are shoving it on our face that the human race is the main cause of why innocent wild animals die, but even the film does not forget that we want to fit in our main lead's shoes and we have to be as afraid of the villain as much as our main character is, even if it is man kind. And the film does that perfectly, because the build up to the scenes involving Man is done tremendously well. I am mainly talking about whenever they would play that music, that low trombone and drums would get higher and higher as man gets closer and closer. It is one of the most suspenseful set of scenes in film as well as the music being one of the most eerie and heart pounding. The animation is also one of the main stars of the film. The animation on the characters is one of the best in Disney's earliest and the backgrounds are just beautiful to look at. They are masterfully painted and drawn, to get that feel that you are in nature. Bambi is just one of those films that successfully latches on to the heart strings and make you feel a roller coaster of emotions from joy, to sadness, and fear, and it balances those perfectly. Even I when watching almost come to the point of shedding a tear, the film is so visually and by a storytelling wise beautiful. Bambi presents a marvelous and beautiful atmosphere that I hope to return to again and again!
GRADE: E
And that's it for #'s 40-31. Look out for the rest and see you later!
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