To get me to a theatre these days, something I managed to do 17 times in 2013, there had to be a promise of spectacular images and epic storytelling. That, or the chance that a children's movie was playing. Of those 17 films I saw, 14 of them were with the child, which gives you an idea of the crop of films I had to choose from. Granted, it can be argued that the best films out there continue to be animated features, and as she grows older, I'm able to drag her to see a few more films marketed to me.
As distribution avenues change and studios learn big budget disaster lessons, it's amazing how much things remain the same. Some big blockbuster films managed to deliver big thrills (Oz and Jack). Animated sequels continued to disappoint and tarnish our memories of their predecessors (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Despicable Me 2 and Monsters U) while new original animated entries amazed us (Epic and Frozen) while being successful enough to no doubt disappoint us with forthcoming sequels. And last, but certainly not least, Marvel Studios managed to crank out not one, but TWO more stellar movies based on comic books, sequels no less, to keep their batting average of 1000%.
Here's to more excitement in 2014! We have another Muppets movie to look forward to, some more comic book sequels (Spider-Man, X-Men) and Marvel Studio films (Captain America and Guardians of the Galaxy) as well as more Disney magic (Maleficent). There's even new films from Wes Anderson, David Fincher, Paul Thomas Anderson, and the Wachowskis!
I hope you enjoy my list, add your own comments, follow my twitter feed @joejameskireel for instant 140 character film reviews and other pop culture nonsense, respond with your own favourites from last year, and continue to see films in theatres, on BluRay or DVD, on Netflix or other digital downloading sites, or any newfangled ways the kids are watching them in the distant future. For an age old tradition, please read below the Top 10 Films of 2013...
10. The Bourne Legacy; There are a number of films making this list that achieve Top 10 status somewhat in spite of themselves. At number ten we have the fourth instalment of a franchise that set the bar really high from the first trilogy by giving us a spy series that could out Bond recent James Bond films with emotion, intensity and limited CGI based stunts and fights. Granted, Skyfall returned Bond to past heights, or what we had come to expect from the franchise. With this film, Jeremy Renner and a fabulous cast didn't miss a beat taking over the franchise from Matt Damon, giving us a fresh take while delivering the same suspenseful one man army exploits that are the signature of this series. Maybe it was under appreciated but for delivering such quality action the fourth time around and not fizzling out like Die Hard or Lethal Weapon or any number of action franchise's fourth film (Police Academy 4??--wait, was that a good one?), The Bourne Legacy makes the cut of films I watched in 2013.
9. Oz the Great and Powerful; Another film making the cut for basically living up to the film(s) preceding it. When it was announced that Sam Raimi was going to play with such hallowed ground as The Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum, there was a twinge of fear in my heart. I've said it before on Twitter, the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz holds up better than any other film imaginable, for its age, its wonderment and its appeal to young and old. Raimi succeeds by honouring elements of the original adaptation (black and white to technicolour) while utilizing the best visual effects of our era to enhance the old timey story. For those not in the know, Baum wrote a ton of books and plays centered in Oz, and even though this film isn't an instant classic like the 1939 masterpiece, it entices us enough to want to see more adaptations that take us back to Oz.
8. Searching for Sugar Man / Bobcaygeon (tie); Two music documentaries share this spot. There always seems to be room in my Top 10 for a great music doc, as the soundtracks drive the film and the insights into the music and musicians are always intriguing. Both of these films have their own type of intrigue; one film has a relatively unknown recluse singer songwriter returning to the big stage much to the joy of a nation, while the other film has a band that is a veritable national treasure putting on a show in the small confines of a town forever linked in lore as the title to one of the band's most beloved hits. Both films offer revealing anecdotes and some interesting behind the scenes glimpses of the musicians and their music at work (sorry, couldn't resist). However, the cultural and individual impact their music has had on people are the highlights of each film as the power and intimacy that the respective musicians' music has really comes across in the interviews and personal reflections.
7. Silver Linings Playbook; I've been a David O. Russell fan since I saw Flirting with Disaster at its Toronto premiere. His films have a way of effectively balancing emotional honesty and serious human pathos with comedic elements. This balancing act hasn't been on better display than with the talented cast of Lawrence, Cooper, DeNiro and Weaver. The devastating power of the actor's craft comes across not just when the director pushes them to imbue the script's emotional depth, but even more so when he cuts to reaction shots. We hear the ferocity and anger in the words and lines delivered but its in the faces of the actors on the receiving end of those words where we see the pain and suffering beneath it all. The proper tone for a movie like this is very delicate and difficult to achieve but when it all comes together like it does with Silver Linings Playbook, the payoff is a bittersweet romance and exploration of love in both its relationship and familial form. It's funny, because it's true.
6. Pitch Perfect; A comedy's longevity is rarely appreciated (or known) upon first viewing, which is why many don't appear on standard Top 10 lists. I try to reserve a slot in my Top 10 each year for my favourite comedy, and often that comedy doesn't present itself until home viewing options allow for multiple viewings. That's when you realize a film's quotability, constant laugh factor, and overall enjoyability. Pitch Perfect was funny and sweet on first viewing, but gets increasingly hilarious upon subsequent views. Like Bring It On or Drumline, Pitch Perfect makes music competition fertile ground for fun, without discounting the performers' abilities and sincerity. A sleeper hit that blew up on home video, not to mention pop radio (as detailed here), if you dismissed this film as teen fluff, you can a-ca-believe it's a laugh riot.
5. Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away; If the display of aerial dynamics and feats of strength and balance that are the hallmark of Cirque du Soleil aren't your thing, then this film won't be either. Yet it will be the closest thing you will get to a greatest hits package of the amazing troupe's live shows. A loose narrative allows for the viewer to enjoy seven different Cirque shows' highlights, along with intimate and alternate camera angles that just wouldn't be possible to witness from a live show. As with most Cirque shows, the musical soundtrack is a superb compliment to the acrobatic flights of fancy, whether it's the pop tunes of Elvis and the Beatles, or more classical or operatic compositions. If you've never seen a Cirque du Soleil show, this will definitely entice you. If you already have and love what you've seen this will certainly thrill you too.
4. Epic; I had high expectations for this animated film from its organically lush trailer. Thankfully, 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky studios delivered. I've always felt that the Ice Age films were a poor man's substitute in animation circles, neither spectacular enough from a design aspect nor comedic enough from a performance angle. Though the story and characters don't necessarily meet early Pixar levels, the attention to minute detail and colourfully rich environments shows immense growth in the development of this studio's animation talent. Humorous at times, while being wonderfully well paced, Epic makes the most of its tiny world premise by keeping elements simple and accessible for children and adults. Not very complex, except in style, the film's environs are its strength, with some great voice work thrown in for good measure.
3. Frozen; It's no secret that Disney hit a home run with this princess tale set in Norway. It's amazing that they found a way to create another classic musical that is hard to criticize despite it's being practically devoid of non-White culture. Though that's not what Disney is known for. Princesses and animal sidekicks and stage ready musical numbers are present in full force, combining in a spectacular fashion not seen since Disney's Beauty and the Beast glory days. However, this isn't a stale, traditional stodgy old yarn to yesteryear. This movie has twists and turns and an adorable sidekick that defies expectations. Witty and powerful songs push the narrative along, performed by a spot perfect voice cast. Frozen manages to enthral and entertain without a classic villain, with a seemingly uninhabitable setting, and with a love story not between a prince and princess, but rather two sisters that will forever be an integral part of young girls' empowering young narratives of play that will last them to adulthood.
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower; There's something magical happening in this film. Adolescent behaviour is often misportrayed in movies, let alone respected and depicted with emotional honesty. Even stranger is when a teenage film invites you to step inside the characters' lives to feel the pain of betrayal, the excitement of joyriding, the heartache of first love, with all the same intensity you had when you first experienced it yourself. Somehow, this film captures and bottles those feelings. Emma Watson is a revelation, completely breaking out of her years of playing Hermione, while somehow harnessing that character's connection to us to deepen the nostalgia we feel from that first moment we fell for someone. There's a catharsis happening here that's inescapable, palpable, and utterly memorable. A true hidden gem.
...and the number one film of 2013 is...
1. The Wolverine; Earlier I wrote about how difficult yet impressive it is to maintain a franchise or series without diminished returns. Yet here we have Hugh Jackman, playing the title character on film for the sixth time, and delivering the definitive version of The Wolverine. Based on what are my favourite stories of the immortal, reluctant superhero, this tale is set in Japan, and the setting becomes a character unto itself. We get to see The Wolverine become vulnerable, as his hyper immune system fails to fuel his healing. More importantly, we get to see Logan become emotionally vulnerable, and Jackman sinks his claws (hardy har ha) into the role. Surrounded with a stellar action cast of Japanese stars, the film's fight scenes are staged with precision and deadly execution. The story is well paced, nicely scaled in size and true to the character. A fine example of what comic book movies can and should be and an extremely gratifying film for me personally.
To sum it all up, 2013 provided us with a lot of fun films, but nothing that truly resonated as must-have home viewing. We only own one of these films on BluRay (probably two, once Frozen is released in February) and don't feel a need to see these again, though certainly heavy rotation on The Movie Network will entice us to revisit some of the better moments. A byproduct of this lack of top tier films means there were a number of enjoyable movies that on any given day (or with a rewatch or two) may have entered into the Top 10. Here's some honourable mentions below that just missed the cut. In fact, when I look at them, they could very easily be an alternate Top 10 list.
Honourable Mentions: The Cabin in the Woods, Django Unchained, Warm Bodies, A Monster in Paris, Jack the Giant Slayer, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Skyfall, Despicable Me 2, This is the End
When this many films are fairly entertaining it often means the worst are really just mediocre. I found some films that got blasted in the media were more about making a news story than really judging whether or not a film was fun to watch. As you can see, Jack the Giant Slayer made my list above and you won't be finding R.I.P.D. in my year end worst list, as both of these films were a LOT of fun to watch, despite the amount of bad press they received for not recouping their costs. You'd think that was the be all and end all of what makes a good movie. Profit doesn't always mean creativity and enjoyment. It can often mean pandering to a lowest common denominator. So with that being said, here are the worst films I saw in 2013...
The Top 5 Worst Films of 2013...
5. Girl vs. Monster; I didn't even bother to tweet a review of this when I saw it because I don't think I really even saw it. Did I watch this? If so, I can't remember it, thankfully. I think my daughter watched it and I was in the room? I think I tried watching it but just kept getting enticed to do something other than watch it. I think there were cheesy monster effects and a rag tag crew that was thrown together and something about mom and dad ghostbusters and a girl who needed babysitting even though she seems like an adult or close to 18. This is one of those films that you just know will be on your worst list so you give it a shot, only to regret it later. Hopefully, it isn't a series of films to come: Girl vs. Vampire, Girl vs. Girl, Girl vs. Dance Mom, Girl vs. Sharknado.
4. Man of Steel; I can't quite understand how Marvel can create such a successful run of films (Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World were two more greats to add from this year) while DC struggles beyond Batman (I'm looking at you Green Lantern! Now don't screw up the Flash!). You would think the formula was right this time, landing Zach Snyder, who made an amazing adaptation of Watchmen and certainly knows how to make action movies. Even the casting was so much better this time around than Superman Returns. Yet this film, though slickly produced and visually exciting, seemed to lack any soul or depth. It may just be the problems I have with the character, as I've never been much of a Superman fan. I'm a Flash fan, which should make me happy that he seems primed for the small screen, where DC fares much better.
3. Clear History; More suited for a worst disappointment list than a truly worst list, this film falls into the same category as Man of Steel. These aren't bad films at all. Just not what they could be. Larry David's comedy is pure genius, the pinnacle of some of the funniest moments/series ever filmed. Taking a Curb Your Enthusiasm approach to a feature length setting just doesn't materialize the way you'd hope it would. Improvisational talent like Michael Keaton (watch him in the Other Guys to remind yourself how funny he is when let loose) works in small doses but stringing a narrative along while trying to give character and motivation some form of grounding just fizzles here. I'm all for seeing more of Larry David as a leading man, as he and Hudson are funny and cute together. I applaud HBO for making the attempt. Keep trying and we'll hopefully get funnier.
2. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters; There are so many other book series and first instalments of family film series that deserve a sequel before this one did. So many so that Entertainment Weekly did an excellent story on it. So, it is with that in mind that I place this unwarranted sequel on this worst list. This is another film with effects that aren't bad, action that isn't boring, and a cast that isn't horrible. Yet, for some reason, the mere existence of this film makes me angry that there isn't at least one more A Series of Unfortunate Events film, or a close out to the His Dark Materials trilogy. Certainly there's an audience for those films based solely on the number of books they've respectively sold alone. Add to that how much better the first films of the aforementioned series-that-never-happened were than the original Percy Jackson, the fact that this sequel is worse than the original makes it that much more terrible to think about.
And the worst movie of 2013 is...
1. Escape From Planet Earth; The only crime this movie makes (and ultimately places it on this list) is that it is inescapably forgettable. There's barely a memorable scene, as it is a construction of plots past using animation that has become fairly run of the mill and seems more television quality than film. It also sits at number one on account of the fact that I feel more inclined to judge animated fare due to the number of animated movies I see these days, and therefore can spot a sub par entry in the pack. Again, this film isn't near as bad as worst lists past, and the only crime here is that this movie took money out of my pocket in theatres when I could have (and should have) waited for home video. Other underwhelming animated films that pale in comparison to Epic and Frozen, such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and Monsters University and The Croods could all have landed here, but in the end, they aren't bad movies at all. Just not worth the money spent at the theatre compared to the highlights of 2013.
So, there you have it. A worst list comprised of not so bad films, in a year of good but not so great movies. It kind of makes for a not so great Top 10 of 2013 to read in a world where 140 characters is enough to make a point and a post like this seems superfluous. Please have your say by leaving a comment here OR tweet me @joejameskireel . I've already seen two films in 2014. Give me a shout to let me know what I just have to see to make my list in 2014.
...and the number one film of 2013 is...
To sum it all up, 2013 provided us with a lot of fun films, but nothing that truly resonated as must-have home viewing. We only own one of these films on BluRay (probably two, once Frozen is released in February) and don't feel a need to see these again, though certainly heavy rotation on The Movie Network will entice us to revisit some of the better moments. A byproduct of this lack of top tier films means there were a number of enjoyable movies that on any given day (or with a rewatch or two) may have entered into the Top 10. Here's some honourable mentions below that just missed the cut. In fact, when I look at them, they could very easily be an alternate Top 10 list.
Honourable Mentions: The Cabin in the Woods, Django Unchained, Warm Bodies, A Monster in Paris, Jack the Giant Slayer, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Skyfall, Despicable Me 2, This is the End
When this many films are fairly entertaining it often means the worst are really just mediocre. I found some films that got blasted in the media were more about making a news story than really judging whether or not a film was fun to watch. As you can see, Jack the Giant Slayer made my list above and you won't be finding R.I.P.D. in my year end worst list, as both of these films were a LOT of fun to watch, despite the amount of bad press they received for not recouping their costs. You'd think that was the be all and end all of what makes a good movie. Profit doesn't always mean creativity and enjoyment. It can often mean pandering to a lowest common denominator. So with that being said, here are the worst films I saw in 2013...
The Top 5 Worst Films of 2013...
And the worst movie of 2013 is...
So, there you have it. A worst list comprised of not so bad films, in a year of good but not so great movies. It kind of makes for a not so great Top 10 of 2013 to read in a world where 140 characters is enough to make a point and a post like this seems superfluous. Please have your say by leaving a comment here OR tweet me @joejameskireel . I've already seen two films in 2014. Give me a shout to let me know what I just have to see to make my list in 2014.
