#13
Pacific Rim
When I first saw this film, I originially liked it for the reason that it knows it is a stupid film and has a lot of fun with its out there concept. I have come to realize that is one-hundred percent wrong. This is a legitamate good film, despite having an out there concept. It works because it makes the concept seem fun and enjoyable. On top of that the story is fun and holy smokes the cast of characters are all fun and memorable. A movie that I thought was originally going to be pointless and stupid surprised me a lot. It is like the film said "Here's our story, people go into giant robots to fight giant kaiju monsters, deal with it!" And you know what I did deal with it and I did buy it! It is a perfect story, no, can it get silly, yes, but all if not majority of the film's running time, I highly enjoyed. Unlike OTHER action movies with giant robots fighting, this one is truly more than meets the eye.
GRADE: P+
#12
Thor: The Dark World
Thor: The Dark World
Marvel had dissapointed me with Iron Man 3, but they gained back my confidence with Thor: The Dark World. This is a sequel that is a little above the same level as its predecessor but also so much better in a lot of ways. This was a FUN superhero film. I guess that it was such a breath of fresh air after experiencing the dreary, depressing, and emotionless mess of Man of Steel. I always said that this was what Man of Steel should have been. Hey, guess what comic book superhero films can be fun too! They do not have to be too thought provoking, political, needelessly dark, and cold. But I have gone on about that long enough how is the film itself. Well like I said the film is a lot of fun with a lot of cool and really creative action scenes. The characters are still as good if not even better. Chris Hemsworth is still Thor, and I say it like that because he is the damn character. He has enough presence to carry the film. Natalie Portman as Jane Foster is still lovable as well makes for a cool love interest. Anthony Hopkins as Odin is stilll great and fun to watch. And then of course there is Tom Hiddleston as the one and only Loki. Like Hemsworth, Hiddleston just owns this damn role. I could watch this guy for hours and never get tired of him. He just steals the spotlight in a very good way. On top of that I really do like the dialouge shared with a lot of these characters. Even if they are not being witty or cracking jokes, the normal dialogue between them seems interesting and maybe the good performances from the cast take a part in that too. If I have complaints it would be that the villain is VERY weak, there are small plot holes here and there, there are little subplots that do not go anywhere, and I could have used more of the Warriors Three as sidekick comic reliefs better than Kat Dennings, though I don't hate her. I'll admit as far as the Marvel movies and even comic book superhero movies go in general it isn't the strongest, and if anyone hates this movie, I can totally see where you are coming from, I even find myself at times questioning it. But from what I saw, I was still incredibly pleased and had a blast. Truly thunderous fun!
GRADE: P+
#11
Don Jon
Joseph-Gordon Levitt's directorial debut is truly something for a first time directing project. I always referred to this film as the "male's chick flick". It often follows but mostly satires the cliches of romantic comedies. And it does so cleverly giving the audience something fresh to look at, and a new way to look at the romance genre. Okay, well I actually give more credit for that to a film that will appear later on in this list. But still, it still is a refreshing film. Levitt not only does a great job at his first approach at directing a feature film, but his performance as Jon is truly captivating and very fun to watch. I think he was robbed for an Oscar nomination in my opinion. His character can be such a pain yet so relatable and realistic at the same time. Scarlett Johansson does a great job at portraying Barbara, and we also get good supporting charatcer performances from the likes of Julianne Moore and Tony Danza. Don Jon truly provided us with a fresh and new look at romantic comedies, claiming they do not have to be cliched all the time, and the characters can just be like real people, and situations can also turn out how it usually turns out in real life. And thanks to this movie, I will always have "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch stuck in my head. GRADE: P+
#10
Saving Mr. Banks
This is a film I was very unsure about, yet I wanted to very much see anyway. Mainly because of the way I thought the film was going to portray Walt Disney. When I saw the trailer for this film and seeing Tom Hanks act as Walt Disney, I hung my head in shame. I was thinking "Oh Tom, you're just trying too hard". The performance looked goofy and unimpressive. But when I actually sat down and watched the film, I was veDry surprised to see Hanks so dedicated and committed to this role. He did transform into Walt Disney, the Disney that for those people who actually met him probably know. He's charming, charismatic, wide-eyed, kooky, fun, but he is also the type of businessman that does want to do things his way. The way Disney themselves decided to portray Walt was actually very fascinating. In some scenes we actually see him swear, drink, and smoke. I think it is very adult of the filmmakers to show the audience that the founder of their studios and overall enormous empire was not a perfect human being as some of us were taught when we were younger. But aside of that other aspects of this film are very good too. Emma Thompson's performance as P.L. Travers is just fantastic. I personally believe she was severely snubbed for an Oscar Nomination for Best Actress, because this is one of THE BEST performances I have seen all year. We also got good side characters like B.J Novak and Jason Schwartzman as the songrwiting duo of Mary Poppins, The Sherman Brothers, Paul Giamatti as Travers' limo driver, and even Walt's secretary gets a few good scenes. And overall I like the pacing of this story and what it chose to focus on, the actual development of Mary Poppins and trying to buy the rights, before any of the production took place. The development is probably the most interesting and probably most fun part of making a movie, and that is where all the interesting stories and decision makings take place. There also the flashback scenes that Travers' has about her father, played by Colin Farell, which are good, but I think the scenes with Travers working on the film alongside Disney are far more interesting and fun to watch. Saving Mr. Banks is truly a must watch for Mary Poppins, Disney, and most especially film lovers alike.
GRADE: P+
#9
Ernest and Celestine
As much as I love seeing the amount of good CG animated films that are given to us, man it is so refreshing to experience a beautifully made traditionally hand-drawn animated film. I hate saying that because people will think I have this prejudice against CG films, which I do not because I there a lot of CG animated films I love whether they would be from Pixar, Dreamworks, or maybe some other animation company. I am just a big fanboy for traditionally hand-drawn animation and was this a nicely done film in that medium. This is not a very complex story, but a rather simple and cute one, which at times can be more pleasing. It is the simple story of a bear and a little mouse becoming best friends but the highlights are the animation, the likable characters, and the parallels between these two characters' worlds. The animation is very good in a few ways, at times it can look like a very beautifully drawn children's book, other times it can be very creative and surreal, and at other times it can have a grand scale. It is a perfect balance of three of those elements. The characters of Ernest the bear and Celestine the mouse are lovable and the chemistry these two characters share is very fun to watch. I also love the similarities these two worlds where each of these characters live share. It is a smart way of the film telling audiences, especially young children, that all societies may look different but they sometimes share the same ethics. That is rare thing to teach children, and it is lot more detailed and mapped out than just saying "Do not jude on looks". They are basically the same lesson, but Ernest and Celestine's is more smart and thought of. This was such a relaxing and refreshing film to watch, and it reminds me of why animation can be so beautiful.
GRADE: P+
#8
Gravity
This is a film that is getting a lot of buzz about being the best film to ever come out in 2013. It is obvious that I do not personally think this is the best film of the year, but I think it is certainly one of the most innovative. This a beautifully shot film with wondrous and thrilling special effects. This film probably has one of the best CG effects I have seen in any film, if not out of the entire year if 2013. It looks great in 3D, and it is one of those several 3D films where the 3D actually helps enhance the experience when watching this film. The story is very well paced and suspenseful as well. The film wondrously throws every obstacle and danger at you, that you almost reach the point of giving up hope that Sandra Bullock's character will make it back to Earth. From seeing the trailer you would think the film will just have Sandra Bullock just spinning through endless miles of vast and empty outer space, but that is not the case. A good amount of locations are explored and like I said earlier, the film is paced rather decently transitioning from one situation to the other. Even the first 10-15 minutes where there is that one long take. I am not a big fan of those kinds of shots, but here it is used very effectively and it helps build up the tension and atmosphere. Gravity is full suspense, chills, the best effects you will ever see, and of course a gripping story!
GRADE: P+
#7
Captain Phillips
A film from beginning to end all seems very real. Of course it is based on a true story, but from beginning to end, it actually feels like you are there witnessing all that the events that are happening. Alongside Gravity, this is one of the best directed films I have seen in 2013. From the acting to the cinematography, director Paul Greengrass really did make a grand experience for moviegoing audiences. Like I mentioned the before, the acting is really, really good! Tom Hanks is another actor I swear got severely snubbed for this film. He was great in Saving Mr. Banks, but man does he knock it right out of the ball park in this film portraying Captain Richard Phillips! Especially towards the end of this film, does Hanks really deliver some powerhouse acting that deserves to be celebrated. Then there is newcomer Barkhad Abdi who gives another powerhouse as well as chilling performance in this film as the leader of the Somalian pirates than invade Phillips' ship. Every moment from when the action gets going is nail biting and suspenseful, and you never know what is going to happen next or what consequences are going to come out of these characters' actions. This film is a thrill ride and off the edge of your seat experience from beginning to end and I was very impressed how very close to reality it was.
GRADE: AE
#6
American Hustle
David O. Russell is now become one of those directors that can hardly ever disappoint. Whatever he brings out, you know it is going to be entertaining, you know it is going to be intriguing, you know it is going to have a cast of awesome and interesting characters. That what this film exactly is, a character film. This is the kind of film where it is the cast of characters which makes it so darn good and entertaining. This is a great cast of well written characters along with one of the best ensemble performances you will ever see. Christian Bale is unbelievably mesmerizing in the film. He completely sells his character and is lost in it. Amy Adams is enjoyably tempting and seems to be having fun. Bradley Cooper is enjoyable and puts a lot of dedication in this role, proving yet again to be a great actor no matter what the overall story quality of the film can be. Jeremy Renner's character is fun and enjoyable. But hands down the best performance in the entire film is Jennifer Lawrence! Her character is such a pain yet such fun to be around! She gives off this sort of vibe like Tom Hiddleston does with Loki. You are just waiting to see what is she going to do next and how is she going to screw things over. Despite having a mildly complicated plot with fast twists, it still is a fun ride from beginning to end with characters you wish you can really hang with!
GRADE: AE
#5
Spring Breakers
In my opinion, probably the most underrated film of 2013. When this film came out and people saw it, they really did not know what to think of it. They could not say it was good or bad, at most it was just confusing to them. It is like they woke up from some bad trip or hangover and they cannot remember what they just witnessed. But I think that is the genius of this film. It presents you with a world that is both fascinating, yet crazy, wild, and very uncomfortable. It is truly a rare experience to feel when watching a film, and for me it was very refreshing. When watching a film I love experiencing strange worlds that I am not familiar with. It actually makes me want to know more about the world and these characters. The whole feel of this film is like being drunk. Though I'll admit I had never been drunk or hardly have any plans to be in the future, but it does give that feeling of not knowing where you are at the moment, how much time has passed, and what you are seeing and experiencing right now is even logical or make the slightest lick of sense. The film is both a cautionary tale of going into a situation in which you have little responsibility or control over and an experience in this sort of weird and messed up mentality that surprisingly in fact seems very intriguing. On top of that the acting is very good. The acting from Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Kornie are all very solid. But the best acting, and yet another snubbed performance, goes to James Franco as the gangster Alien. Franco is truly mesmerizing and hypnotic in this role. You just cannot take your eyes off him and you also eagerly want to hear what comes out of his mouth next. He plays the type of character that is both kind of fun to be around yet very uncomfortable and unpredictable at the same time. You do not whether this guy is your ally or one not to be trusted. You hardly know his backstory, so you do not if this character is supposed to be sympathetic either. The character is one of those great mysteries, even if you know little about him, just enough from him makes seem incredibly intriguing. Spring Breakers is truly a whacked out trip and deserves to be went on again and again!GRADE: AE
#4
This is the End
THE...FUNNIEST...MOVIE....OF...THE... YEAR...PERIOD!! Truly one of the best comedies I have ever seen in a while! I cannot remember watching a comedy that made me laugh SO HARD! I mean...SO SO HARD! To the point where I almost could not breathe and I felt like my intestines were going to spill out of my gut, that friggin' funny! Words cannot express the amount of joy and happiness this film gave me. It is that great of a comedy film. Plus for Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's directorial debut, I was highly impressed. You can bet I am looking forward to whatever project they are working on next. I love this ensemble cast and I love how they play exaggerated of themselves. The kind that maybe the media or the general public see them as. Seth Rogen as the yes man sell out who always goes with the crowd, James Franco as the pretentious always high as a kite artiste, Jay Baruchel as the cynical narcotic, Jonah Hill as the fake overly happy and friendly one, Craig Robinson as the big, sweaty, and cowardly teddy bear, and the show stealer Danny McBride as the disgusting, obnoxious, provoking, jerk. They all play these fictionalized version of themselves perfectly and the chemistry the six of them share is priceless and could never be duplicated. The comedy like I said is pure gold, even if they do seem low brow and vulgar. I can watch that scene where James Franco scolds Danny McBride for masturbating on his porn magazine for hours! I do not know what Rogen and Goldberg did to make these jokes sound very high art, but maybe it was due to the every amount of dedication these actors were putting and the obvious amount of fun they had filming this romp. I had always wanted that comedy that most people have to themselves where they can quote the jokes word for word and just have a blast just talking about. I have my share of favorite comedies, but most of them seem to be old and not much people like to quote today. I mean like a very recent comedy which I can say I had a blast watching. Sure there were recent ones which I really enjoyed like The Hangover, 21 Jump Street, and Ted, but This is the End takes the cake! I have finally found that recent comedy which I can talk for hours about the jokes and never get tired of them.
GRADE: AE
#3
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
I am not one that adores films based on tween books. But with The Hunger Games' case, I digress. I thought the first film was decent enough, but this one just gave the franchise a home run. Almost everything from the first film was upgraded, from the characters, to the acting, to the story, to the directing, the cinematography, the stakes, the dilemmas, this was a wonderful sequel and it fulfilled the job of what sequels should do and what other great sequels had done in the past. I may have loved Jennifer Lawrence's performance in American Hustle, but her role as Katniss Everdeen is should be given way more credit, and I think by most of the general public it probably is. I also like Josh Hutcherson as Peeta in this more than I did the first film. This time around he was way more better chemistry with Katniss. Other cast members including Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravtiz, Donald Sutherland, the recently late Philip Seymour Hoffman, and a bunch of new characters and Hunger Games contestants are all entertaining and give very solid performances as well. The pacing of the story and the amount of twists and turns it has, are the very highlights of the film. I enjoyed and had a blast with this film and I cannot wait what The Hunger Games saga has in store for us next! A film that is literally on fire!
GRADE: AE
#2
Frozen
Frozen is easily one of the best Disney films I had seen in a while coming off the heels of 2012's great one Wreck-it Ralph. Where recent Disney fairy tales like Princess and the Frog and Tangled were solid and decent enough, both were desperately trying to bring that magic that such Disney Renaissance films like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin had brought us. Frozen had finally succeeded in doing that job. This film presents us with a cast of very likable characters, a magical and heartwarming story, and a playlist of unforgettable songs, the works that we expect to get from films coming out from Disney. We have characters like Anna who is one of the best Disney heroines to come out in recent years. Her klutzy, yet bubbly, optimistic, loving, and adventurous personality is one to truly admire. Kristoff is very funny and likable and probably makes for a good funny Disney male lead. Olaf the snowman, a character I was ready to hate, actually came off as a very likable, warm, and actually very hilarious comic relief. And then there is the best and my favorite character in the film, Elsa, the princess with snow and ice powers. This is one of the best Disney female leads since Belle, she's smart, complex, insecure, imperfect, somewhat confused, but yet keeps the most important thing she chooses to hold on to, her love for her sister. And the aspect of true love, which Disney uses a lot, has sort of a clever and rather refreshing twist. The songs are very good, especially "Let it Go" which of course thanks to the Internet is globally loved and celebrated. It is just a great showstopper! Overall Frozen succeeds in giving us that wonderful and magical film we Disney fans longed for. It seems that Frozen really did make our dreams come true!
GRADE: AE
And my #1 favorite film of 2013 is....
Her
Her does everything what a film is supposed to do. Provide you with an intriguing story, with memorable characters, an interesting world, and if possible thought provoking. Well that's my point of view anyway. And with this film people can have many different point of views on. This film completely exceeded my expectations after seeing the trailer. I thought the idea was incredibly stupid and pretentious. Was I proven wrong when I saw this film and who would have thought it would turn out to be my favorite film of 2013. The story about a lonely man falling in love with his OS offers more than expected. Joaquin Phoneix's performance as Theodore is truly unforgettable, moving, and passionate. A performance that deserves to be celebrated. Scarlett Johansson does a fantastic job at voicing Samantha, the OS. Alongside the acting, the overall futuristic, wondrous, yet lonely tone of the film is very mesmerizing. It is the kind of hypnotic and refreshing tone I love to feel when experiencing the world of a film. It reminds me of something out of a Stanley Kubrick film, a tone that feels different and intriguing. The theme of love is also very thought provoking and it questions what is true love whoever it is shared with. It does not provide with any answers, but instead challenges the audience with coming up with the answers on their own. I love films like that because it gives the audience a lot more appreciation for the story and the art. It also gives the audience an option to see the film in different ways whether they do or do not like the film. The film celebrates everything that it beautiful with the art of film. Giving options to the audience on how they want to look at the film and come to their own conclusions. Thanks to director Spike Jonze, Her is a beautiful, incredibly directed, incredibly acted, incredibly crafted, and respectful film and I do not think to say anymore of why it is my absolute favorite of 2013!
GRADE: AE
Thanks for looking at my list and please share your favorites of 2013! Until next time!
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