Top 10 Favorite Movies

On this day last year I did my Top 10 Favorite TV Shows (click the link to check it out), so, this year I figure I would jump straight into the day with my Top 10 Favorite Movies, a list that is actually much harder to compile, as I watch far more TV series than I do movies. However, since I figured out what movies go where on the list, things haven't changed. The same definitely can't be said about my favorite TV shows, where I know things are different. 

Of course, as this is a Top 10 list, it's a biased perspective about these movies. Also, these are not the Top 10 "Greatest" movies of all time, simply my favorites. So if there are weird choices you would never think would be on here, well, it's because they're my choice. I can promise you that my Top 10 is probably different than your Top 10. 

Also, like any list, this list shall include some honorable mentions that I enjoy watching, but not as much as the main ones on the list. They are also in no set order. So, here we go. 

Honorable Mentions

The Godfather 

Man, what a freaking movie. If I were to do a "Greatest" list, this one would have to make a mention. This was a movie that I never thought I would like when I first saw it. It was longer than I was used to, had very little action, and was just a dramatic piece where I had no idea what was going on and they were speaking Italian for most of the movie. I saw it once, didn't get it, but when I watched it again, it made its mark. It's a film that has resonated since it first hit, and it's a movie I tend to draw inspiration from without even knowing it. 

It's also got a breadth of memorable characters and lines. Michael, Sonny, Vito, Tom, Fredo, Solotzo, McKlucsky. The scene in the restaurant? At the tollbooth? Or what about that ending? Sheesh. Again, what a movie. 

Rudy

Hey, look, SPORTS ON A NERD BLOG. Who would've thought. 

This is a movie that'll get ya every time you watch it. I mean, it's a classic. Rudy is the underdog story, not to mention it involves the greatest college football university of all time (that's not even bias, that's the truth). Everyone knows the story of Rudy, and if you don't go see it. Couple years ago I would watch it before almost every Notre Dame game just to get me in the mood. Of course, a couple years ago the team wasn't looking so hot, but oh well. Rudy got me inspired anyway. 

Plus it has an amazing, uplifting score and a pretty sweet training montage. Yeah it doesn't make me want to run around the neighborhood and find some tall stairs like Rocky II, but it is shot and done well enough to show our character plow through his struggles. 

Marvel's the Avengers: Age of Ultron

(check out my review of the movie here)

This is the most recent film to hit the list and was pretty much made to be one of my favorite movies. It has my favorite Avengers villain on there. I see people saying that Ultron was a weak villain, but I don't get where they're coming from. Outside of Alexander Pierce and Red Skull, Ultron is the ONLY Marvel villain working of his own agenda. Loki? Thanos. Ronan? Thanos. Whiplash? Whatever badguy there was in Iron Man 2. But who really remembers that movie? 

Plus, it was just a good movie, and I thought it definitely had a leg up on its predecessors. Not the best Marvel movie, but, we're not in the real list yet. It was very well-written, I loved ALL of the main characters, and thought that all of our new characters were introduced well and functioned well-enough in the story. A weak plot  and the ridiculously forced connections to coming sequels is really the only thing holding it back but that was also made up by the excellent reveals of Hawkeye as well as the way the final battle where the team really came together and showed why they are truly Earth's Mightiest Heroes. 

2001: A Space Odyssey 

I think the first words out of my mouth after this movie were: "Wait...what" followed immediately by: "That was SO cool."

I'm a geek for these types of movies. Slow-paced, little dialogue, and letting the visuals tell the story. I'm the same with comics (why do you think I liked the most recent Moon Knight run so much?). Film is a visual medium. When movies are explained to us and we are told rather than shown, it's very annoying and makes me just want to read a book rather than watch a movie. This is a movie that, some would argue, requires that narration, but I completely disagree. It takes away from the charm and wonder that the film is presenting. 

This is also a film that will never be made again. At least, not in this fast-paced world that we live in today where everything requires an explanation because everyone needs to know everything. Easy questions about the movie: what's the Monolith that follows them? Where does it come from? Who made HAL-9000? What happens to the astronauts on the Moon? How does the Monolith work? What the heck is up with that ending? 

But that's the thing about this movie: it's all about interpretation. One could say that the Monolith is the driving force of evolution, and that the movie is about evolution and the next phases of man. From ape to man to AI to...Star Child (?). What happens to the astronauts on the Moon? Well, what about the monkeys at the beginning? It's just as relevant. What makes this movie so great is that it opens itself up for wide discussion. Sure it takes a while to get there, but a movie that requires you to focus with great payoff and discussion at the end is totally worth it in my book. 

Alright, the REAL Top 10 now!

10.--Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan

(check out my review of the movie here)

Ah, this is such a guilty pleasure that it sometimes hurts. It's a very simple movie. Big man that destroys galaxies for breakfast has to fight off our friendly neighborhood Saiyans and Namekian because why the heck not? Half the movie is setting up a plot device that pays off in a matter of seconds while the second half is literally one giant action scene and Vegeta just sitting around saying, "No...you fools." Why do I like this movie, how is it on the Top 10?

Because I will never get tired of watching this movie. It's just so over the top in its action and if you watch the correct version the action music flows so well with it because it makes it even more intense. Watching Broly just pummel our heroes is just something fun to do when it's on screen. Not to mention that it's one of the few completely imbalanced fights in the history of the movies and it doesn't end with the typical Spirit Bomb (though Bojack Unbound doesn't either, but that's because Super Saiyan 2 Gohan is great). 

Simply put: it's a guilty pleasure, guys, so it's gotta make the Top 10. 

9.--Avatar

A ton of people hate on this movie, and I can completely understand why. Heck, I might still be in awe of the film after having the privilege of watching it complete in 3-D IMAX upon its initial release. Still, I really enjoy watching the movie. It takes elements of other classics and uses them well. The characters are neat and the visuals even neater. Really I just see it as a miracle that it was even made because of the cost and new technology that required development. 

It also has an incredible score. Normally that wouldn't do much for a film, but seriously, this movie's score matches the grand tone that the film is reaching for. The music fits most scenes, too. Sadly, movies nowadays heavily abuse this type of music but when it was used in the movie it was great. Not to mention that the action sequences of the movie were also grand and great to watch. It was a solid blend of new technology versus more primal methods of combat. Overall, it's a movie that I can understand gets flack, but I still get a kick out of watching it. 

8.--The Shining (1980)

Oh, this is a movie. What kind of movie? Just...a movie. It's horror, a thriller, a slasher, a psychological mind explosion. It's the perfect movie to watch around Halloween time, which, as I've mentioned in the past, is my favorite Holiday/ time of the year. This is one of the only movies where if it's on AMC at like midnight you best believe I'm not changing the channel. 

I'm not usually one for the horror genre. It tends to bore me, mostly because Hollywood doesn't use/ execute original ideas anymore. This, while not original, is very different from the source material, but it also makes for a better movie. The book should remain a book and Kubrick does everything right here to make The Shining an unsettling film. Like I mentioned back in 2001, this is a very visual film. There's far more dialogue here, but just the way things are shot makes for a creepy atmosphere. 

Plus, there are so many good moments in this film, with a personal favorite of mine being the simple exchange between Jack and the bartender, Lloyd. As the viewer, it's insane to see Jack talking with this guy as if he's known him forever. It's the same as it is with Grady, but with Grady there is far more plot. When Jack speaks with Lloyd, it's a man just looking for a drink 

7.--Frozen

I mean, come on. I talked about it so much in the blog's early days you had to know it was going to show up sooner or later. Frozen wasn't a real big favorite of mine at first. It was charming, yeah, but this was also when there was no hype around it. I think I began liking it a lot more when the hype really hit, like when I saw it a second time in theaters. It was just such a fun movie. The music was great, the characters weren't just labels plastered onto the screen, and the story was unique. It was a bold, new direction for Disney to go in, and it really paid off well. 

Most people would argue nowadays that this movie is garbage, and to that I say to just wait until next year when Disney releases it's next big hit. Frozen will probably be mentioned simply in passing. People tend to fixate on hating what's popular or just being mad because it didn't buy into the hype. To that I say: don't buy into the hype. Just remain aloof until you see it yourself. But, that's a topic for a different day. 

Regardless, I enjoy this movie a lot. Unlike some other Disney classics, this is one that I'll simply never tire of because of how good and original it is, eradicating most of the former mistakes Disney films had been making in recent years and capitalizing on a great film. 

6.--Mission Impossible (1996)

This. Movie. ROCKS. 

While probably not the best of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise, this is the one that I'll always leave on when possible. The scene where the have to get into the vault? A classic. Ethan's desperate chase to avoid Kittridge and negotiate things with Max? Awesome. Luther? Freaking baller. 

This was also the movie that may have started me off as a writer. Back as a little kid I would write stories about Ethan and Luther and how cool they are. They, and still are, an awesome tagteam in action films. The characters are just so fun to watch in the movie and it's always great getting to dig into their heads as they see just how crazy Ethan Hunt really is when he's in his essence. 

Let's not forget, though, about how cool the action sequences are. They can be silly at times, but, I mean, it's Tom Cruise fighting Jon Voigt atop a train while being pursued by a helicopter! HELLO. That's awesome! 

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Yes. This is my favorite of the LOTR movies. I find that so few people actually like this one, much preferring the bonds formed in "Fellowship" or the sheer epicness that is "Return of the King." Personally I think this is a great middle ground. We're shown how the Fellowship has to survive without any guidance in times of great upheavel and war. It's pretty gloomy to start, with Saruman having splintered our heroes and taking over Rohan as he does so. Dude's got it all together. 

For the most part, this movie appeals to me because of the message it shows us. Everyone is worth a second chance. Think about the wide variety of people that get one. Theoden. Gandalf. Wormtongue. Heck, you could even argue that Frodo gets a second chance from Faramir after he captures him then makes his ultimate decision as the battle turns sour for the Men. Oh and let's not forget, you know, the Riders of Rohan. 

I think this movie also works the best out of all the movies because the focus is so splintered. We see a lot of all the other extra characters. There are entire scenes devoted to Arwen, Eowyn, and Faramir that probably wouldn't have been in other movies. We get to see how Faramir came to discover his brother's death, we see Eowyn mourning her brother (lots of brothers dying, sheesh), and we see Eowyn forced to make decisions about her life as well as how this may affect the fate of Elves and Men. Also, the film has got one of the best battles...GANDALF VS. THE BALROG. This has to be one of the greatest openings to a movie of all time. You can't get much better than this! 

4.--Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Go ahead. Argue with me on this. I do not care, you cannot sway me. This is the best movie that Marvel ENTERTAINMENT has ever produced. Better than Spider-Man 2. Better than X2: X-Men United. Better than The Avengers. Better than X-Men: Days of Future Past. This is the movie that Marvel should be basing the rest of its solo character films on. It hits every note exactly right, and it does two critical things correctly that other Marvel solo films, the main exceptions being Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Guardians of the Galaxy, do: it develops all of its central characters in an amazing way as well as gives weight to the overall narrative of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

First: the characters. Cap, Black Widow, and Falcon are some of the MCU's best characters in part because of the way that this film advances them. Heck, Falcon doesn't even exist before this movie in the MCU and already he's an Avenger and one of the more popular ones because of it. Black Widow was basically just a side character before, but after this? After how awesome this movie made her after people wanted more from "Avengers"? Forget about it. And Captain America is the freaking MAN in this film! But I also think this film succeeds because it has the best conflict out of all the Marvel films. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised and the world is turning over because of it. Pierce is an incredible villain for the series and the Winter Soldier was an excellent wrench to throw in Cap's way. It's very remniscient of Return of the Jedi. Luke is going to take down the Empire not matter what...but he knows he has to face someone close to him, and possibly destroy them to achieve victory. Bucky Barnes, if done correctly moving forward, may turn out to be the best character (outside of our current Cap) that the MCU produces. And I don't count Tony Stark because he's hardly a character, he's mostly Robert Downey Jr. just walking on the set and being awesome. 

It pushes the narrative of the MCU forward in that, after this, there is nothing. Where do they go from there? Everything is gone yet everything is possible. So, they do exactly what was set up: go after the Winter Soldier to set up another very character-heavy movie. This movie works because the narrative was furthered by the characters doing what they needed to as heroes even though it cost them. The second "Avengers" film comes close to that but has too many characters for it to juggle them all correctly. 

Also: Marc Spector mention. That earns points. 

3--The Dark Knight

Now on this, you actually can't argue with me because you know it to be true: The Dark Knight is the best comic book film every produced, and might also be one of the better films of all time. It isn't just a superhero story. It isn't just a crime/ detective story. It's a story where a city is teetering on the edge of destruction and two complete opposite ends of the spectrum are about to decide which way it shall land. It doesn't take as in-depth an analysis of Batman's psyche as many would say it does, but it does show that he is a man. He is human. So many writers like to take Batman and place him on this pedastel that he is the greatest super hero of all time. Is he up there? By all means. But he's not Jesus, he's not unconquerable. We see Batman pushed to his farthest extreme...ever. He was ready to kill the Joker in the jail cell had the Joker not told him where Dent and Rachel were. 

Obviously the standout moments of the film are when the Joker and Batman are talking, but it's their final moment that really puts the nail in their relationship. Batman throws the Joker over. Joker thinks he's won. Batman pulls him up. Joker is depressed, Batman is relieved. But the Joker reminds him of one, simple fact: they are going to play this game forever. The line "you complete me" stated by the Joker could easily be flipped around by Batman. This movie shows how complete opposites these two are, yet they are fighting for the same cause: Gotham. Joker wants a better class of evil, Batman wants a better class of heroes. They wage war for the perfect man in their schemes: Harvey Dent. 

Overall, this is just an incredible film. A friend of mine brought up the point that this film could easily have been split into two parts, and I couldn't agree more. This film throws so much at the viewer, but does so in a way that is both comprehensible and amazing to experience. It may have started a sort of bad trend of "gritty" super hero films, which is funny, as the film wasn't at all going for that. It was just real. It showed us the answer: what happens when an unstoppable force meets and immovable object? What happens when the Joker comes into Batman's town? 

2.--Across the Universe

Well this just seems random, doesn't it? It's much less surprising to me, though. I remember seeing the trailer for this film and thinking it was going to be incredibly droll. I was convinced by my mother to go see it. It was based off of Beatles music, and I was really into the band at the time. I don't recall my reaction then, but I can tell you that I immediately acquired it on DVD, and when I was sick and home from school one day I watched this movie three times in a row and was not tired of it once. 

I couldn't tell you what it is about the movie I specifically love. The characters? Possibly. The story? Well it's none too intriguing, it's brought upon mostly by the relationships of the characters. The music? Well, it's pretty freaking awesome. The visuals? Again, possibly. 

I'm not really one for musicals, and most musicals are kind of boring anyways, wrongly placing music or just having bland characters that have good singing voices. I felt that, given the wide variety of songs that the Beatles have produced, the music adjusted well to the story and to the tone. The movie used the songs to easily deliver the film's voice, without having to sacrifice the integrity of the song. "Helter Skelter" was obviously used in the riot scene, though was juxtaposed nicely with "Across the Universe," as the worlds of Jude and Lucy were beginning to drift across the universe. Most songs were used perfectly, too, like "Hey Jude" or "Don't Bring Me Down." Others were a little more forced, like "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" and "I am the Walrus." 

There were also some pretty darn impactful moments, the most significant being when they used "Let it Be" to cover many of the riots going on in the 60s. Go and listen to the song on its own, it's really good, taking a Gospel vibe to the already moving song. Moments like this tend to make the silliness or trippiness of the movie fade away and suck us into the confusion that was going on in the time was well as the vast and often rough waves of emotions our characters had to go through. 

1. Star Wars (1977)

Do I seriously need to say something about this movie? This is the movie, folks. It's the classic tale of a young warrior off to save a princess, guided by a wizard to show him this brand new world while an evil empire, led by an unstoppble monster, seeks to hold down the Princess. 

Yet, Star Wars is much more than that for me. Star Wars is the trials that we face when tasked with something impossible. "I need your help Luke. She needs your help. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing." "...Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do." Star Wars is the trust that we have to show others that may not share the same beliefs as us but will fight for a common goal. "I call it luck." "In my experience there's no such thing as luck." "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are not use for a good blaster at your side, kid." Star Wars is the faith we place in one another that we are doing the right thing, that we can stay the course. "Luke, you've switched off your targeting computer, what's wrong?" "Nothing. I'm alright." It's the suspense we all faced when matched with impossible odds to overcome something that dozens of people could never comprehend. "Two meters? Well that's impossible!" "No it's not, I've hit womp rats back home like that, they're no bigger than two meters wide." Star Wars is a story that will last for generations to come as it will inspire hundreds more to go off and maybe tell their own stories, to find their place in the universe. 

I've said it in the past and I'll gladly say it again: the final battle against the Death Star is the best cinematic action scene. It doesn't rely on humongous special effects or intense, grand speeches. It begins with "Then man your ships, and may the Force be with You" and ends with, "Great shot, kid, that was one in a million!" Everything in between is cinematic history. "Several fighters have broken off of the main group, come with me." "Use the Force, Luke." "Sir, we've analyzed their attack and there is a danger, shall I prepare your ship?" "Evacuate?! In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances." "Red 5 take Red 2 and 3 and prepare your attack run." "The Force is strong with this one." The final battle is a culmination of all else that has happened in the movie, and is almost unintentionally shown through the cinematography. The way the ships approach the Death Star--slowly, methodially--is like how the movie starts, slowly planting seeds that will quickly blossom as the plan/ our characters come to meet at a head. The villains make a decisive move--to bring out the enemy ships/ send out troops--to eliminate the threat before they can get too close. Luke makes alliances rather fast in an attempt to best salvage the mission as he does with Han, Chewie, and eventually Leia. Obi-Wan is constantly mentoring Luke, both first-hand and from the beyond. Everything begins to close in around our hero as the situation grow desperate, just as they do in the garbage shoot and when he flies into the trench to make his final attack run, and an unlikely hero comes in to save him. 

Star Wars is and never shall be an original story. It has seeds of classic prince and princess written all over it. It's a film most use as an example of how to write a good story, showing various story moments to highlight things such as rising action, climax, catalyst, resolution, etc. There's just this overwhelming charm to the story is all. Things are fun, they're daring, they're mystical. You grow to love these characters, and there is a reason each of them were so memorable and made such an impact on all those who watch it for the first time. It's simply an unforgettable movie. And it's also my favorite movie of all time. 

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