My Top 10 Favorite Steven Spielberg Films

Note: Just in time for Ready Player One.

There is no living filmmaker who has changed the world like Steven Spielberg. His literal “household name” is synonymous with movies. Starting in the mid-70s, Spielberg has brought wonder and amazement to the theaters again and again and again. Picking your personal favorites out of the intimidating and unmatched filmography of his is not an easy challenge. Mine is made out of films that I return to more often than others. Now, naturally there are omissions, and I will explain them.

A. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is not on this list. That is not an oversight. Do not misunderstand me, I do honestly enjoy this movie and it is an unarguable masterpiece. However, sticking it in the top 10 is what everyone would do. I wanted this list to include a few heavy hitters and some that people might not recognize at first glance.

B. 1941 is not on this list, but it is not because it is a bad film. It is a much maligned film for many reasons but it is not the abject failure it has been made out to be over the years. Give it a chance if you have never seen it and only heard its unfair reputation. Contrarily, Schindler’s List is not on this list and is a great film but is an extraordinarily hard one to watch.

C. There is only one Indiana Jones film on the list. Crystal Skull is the worst of the bunch but it too suffers from an over-exaggerated reputation.

D. Hook is not on this list. Get over it, fellow ‘90s kids. The BFG is better.

E. The Spielberg films I have not seen as of this writing are The Color Purple, Empire of the Sun and Munich. Their omissions are simply because I have yet to see them in their entirety; something I hope to rectify very soon. Ready Player One, too, but that goes without saying because it is brand-new. If all I have read, seen and heard are correct, it definitely deserves a spot on this list.

With all that out of the way, on with the list. Feel free to comment, but please be civil.

"You know what my husband said about the news? He called it the first rough draft of history. That's good, isn't it?"

10. The Post (2018)
Cast: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk
Written by: Liz Hannah and Josh Singer
The most recent film on this list is one of Spielberg’s strongest. Boasting an incredible cast that includes reuniting actors who have previously worked together (i.e. David Cross and Bob Odenkirk from “Mr. Show”, Sarah Paulson and Bruce Greenwood from “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson” among others) as well as the first pairing between screen icons Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks. Naturally, they play off each other well as Streep plays the optimistic owner of the Washington Post, Katherine Graham and Hanks plays the wry curmudgeon editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee. When the “Pentagon Papers” come into play threatening Richard Nixon’s presidency, Bradlee and Graham join forces with some courageous reporters to print them in the Post, despite facing certain prison time. Of course, this story has very obvious modern-day parallels which is why Spielberg wanted to make it (and make it quickly). It has some of the longest takes I have seen in a Spielberg movie, where he and longtime cinematographer Janusz Kaminski excel at capturing the tense situations on-screen. Ultimately, it is no spoiler where this story ends, but it is exciting to see that the final shot of this film nearly matches one of the opening shots of All the President’s Men, which can be considered a pseudo-sequel to this film. Spielberg and Hanks have proven themselves a formidable team time and time again and with the notable performance of Meryl Streep (who earned yet another Oscar nomination), The Post shows that freedom of the press is a weapon worth fighting for.

"We're just on our way to Sugarland to pick up my boy Langston."

9. The Sugarland Express (1974)
Cast: Goldie Hawn, William Atherton, Michael Sacks, Ben Johnson
Written by: Hal Barwood and Matthew Robbins
From the most recent to the very first Spielberg film, the master filmmaker debuts in American cinemas with a high-octane, rollicking adventure drama/comedy inspired by a true story. A young woman, Lou Jean Poplin (Hawn) breaks her estranged husband, Clovis (Atherton; soon to be forever known as Walter Peck from Ghostbusters) out of pre-release prison to obtain their young baby after the State of Texas deems Lou Jean an “unfit mother”. After hitching a ride with an elderly cornpone couple, the Poplins get caught in a high-speed chase and end up hijacking a straight-laced police officer at gunpoint. With a legion of brother officers hot on their tail, Lou Jean and Clovis try to survive their lengthy journey across the state of Texas on their mission of mercy as they quickly become heroes of the common people. Without Goldie Hawn’s participation in the film, Spielberg would never have gotten the director’s chair in the first place. Though she is most well known for comedy, she demonstrates a remarkable balance between laughs and tears in this film. Particular note is given to Michael Sacks, the hapless policeman caught up in the middle of the Poplins’ chase. He has an interesting arc in the film – at first, he is duty-bound and most definitely not on their side, but by the end of the film, he has come to see them as people and does not want to see them get hurt. There is brilliant cinematography in the film with the cars on the road with the characters inside; a great example is the sequence where Clovis and Captain Tanner are first discussing terms of their hijacking. It is all filmed in one take as the camera careens around both sides of the car. While the film does not have a happy ending for the main characters, it was only a happy beginning for Steven Spielberg.

"You know your own future, which means you can change it if you want to."

8. Minority Report (2002)
Cast: Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton
Written by: Scott Frank and Jon Cohen
After fulfilling his duties to his good friend Stanley Kubrick and finishing A.I., Spielberg got to do his own, un-tethered take on the future with the writings of Blade Runner author Philip K. Dick. Tom Cruise plays police captain John Anderton of the Pre-Crime Unit, a special agency that can predict and prevent crimes from happening. At the same time a nosy investigator (Farrell) questions the integrity of such an idea (“We are arresting people who have broken no law”), Anderton finds himself the prime suspect in a murder that will happen in less than 48 hours. In order to clear his name, he goes on the run with one of the three Pre-Cogs, a young woman named Agatha (Samantha Morton) who has never seen the outside world. While he protects her and searches for the truth, Anderton must face a terrible tragedy from his past and question what he might be capable of if pushed to his limits. The first real Spielberg film of the new millennium showcases a future not as fanciful as Back to the Future Part II but more realistic than Blade Runner. The mystery is quite thrilling and the action is spot-on. There is even a bit of gross-out humor in the film, almost a throwback to the dinner scene in Temple of Doom. If there is a weak spot in the film, it comes down to the very end of it. Without giving anything away, it is very out of tone with the rest of the film and could come off as schmaltzy. Still, Minority Report is a very compelling thriller with enough action and political intrigue to keep you watching and keep you guessing.

"James... Earn this. Earn it."

7. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper
Written by: Robert Rodat
Perhaps the second most emotionally difficult film for Spielberg following Schindler’s List, the film’s opening is among the most heart-pounding and visually arresting sequences in all film history – the recreation of the Allies storming Omaha Beach. There are many reports of veterans of World War II having to exit the theater during this scene – it was too much for them to take, particularly the sound design when the soldiers drown underwater. The film continues on with Tom Hanks as Capt. John H. Miller leading a group of soldiers on a mission to rescue a young man (early Matt Damon) whose three brothers have already died in the line of duty. There are causalities to be sure, but the characters do not die in vain. Spielberg received a second Oscar for Best Director and dedicated it to his father who served in World War II (and would later help to inspire Bridge of Spies).

"Now get this! Comic books! He reads comic books! Barry Allen is The Flash!"

6. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Amy Adams
Written by: Jeff Nathanson
After the heady dark themes of both A.I. and Minority Report, Spielberg took the opportunity to lighten up a bit as he directs this breezy adventure based on the almost literally unbelievable true story. Frank Abagnale Jr. (DiCaprio) is a bright young man whose world collapses around him following his parents’ divorce. Having inheriting the gift of gab from his father (an Academy Award-nominated Christopher Walken), Frank decides to take on several different identities and the high life that comes with them – including a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer. Hot on his heels, however, is a determined FBI agent (Hanks) chasing after him to bring to justice. This is yet another Spielberg film with an absolute dynamite cast; DiCaprio apparently was very sick during the making of the film but his self-confidence as Frank is effervescent. It also marks one of the first major films of Amy Adams, who was clearly a movie star from the start. John Williams’ main title theme matched with the hypnotic animated opening is simply the best. Catch Me is a nice treat to have if you have just been subjected to bitter herbs of darker stories.

"You care about something, you fight for it. You hit a wall, you push through it."

5. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Cast: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg
Written by: Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish
Steven Spielberg was reading the initial reviews came out for Raiders of the Lost Ark in France and he kept coming across the word "Tintin" in the papers. He had scant knowledge of French from high school, but when the translation was brought to him, he discovered a series of comic books about a young adventurer named Tintin, who traveled across the globe much like Indiana Jones but with a more comedic bent. Naturally, Spielberg was hooked on the story but could not fathom a way to bring the inimitable artwork of Hergé to life. That is, until, over 20 years later when Spielberg met Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson on-stage at the Oscars presenting him with Best Picture for The Return of the King. Spielberg soon discovered another Tintin acolyte in Jackson, who suggested creating the world of Hergé through performance capture. Intrigued by the technology, Spielberg agreed with the provision that Jackson accompany him as producer. The resulting film is, as Spielberg described it, "unapologetic, shameless adventure", written by "Doctor Who" showrunner Steven Moffat and Hot Fuzz collaborators Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. The film has a rousing momentum that rarely stops and Spielberg shows his amazing control of perfomance capture and pushes it to its limits in a standout chase sequence all done in one shot. Spielberg and Jackson set off to make three films, the latter two of which have not been made but if there is any chance that they will happen (and recent reports indicate they might), I will gladly be there on opening day.

"Mr. Hammond, I think we're back in business!"

4. Jurassic Park (1993)
Cast: Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern, Richard Attenborough
Written by: Michael Crichton and David Koepp

When Michael Crichton first pitched his novel to him, Steven Spielberg called Jurassic Park “the most genius combination of science and imagination”. Another combination of science and imagination is visual effects, which took a gigantic leap forward with the computer-generated dinosaurs in the film which were complimented by the real-life mechanical dinosaurs created by Stan Winston. During a once-in-a-lifetime meeting with the legendary Ray Harryhausen, Spielberg showed him a test of digital dinosaurs running through a film and Harryhausen declared, "Well, there's the future." The lead characters are memorable and actually stand a good chance against the dinosaurs though they are not your traditional action heroes. Spielberg throws in his trademark characters who cannot deal with the idea of parenting; specifically one Dr. Alan Grant, played by Sam Neill with a decent character arc. The movie spawned two sequels (with only one directed by Spielberg) and a soft reboot with a sequel on the way later this year. 

"I saw something last night that I can't explain!"

3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, François Truffaut
Written by: Steven Spielberg
In the 1970s, two very different news stories were being propagated frequently in the media: Watergate and UFOs. Both had theories thrown around about, mundane and fantastical. As far as Steven Spielberg was concerned, all the negative stuff going on Earth meant the stars were the limit. In all the movies he directed with Richard Dreyfuss starring, he purposefully casts him in the character that Spielberg sees himself as: in this case, Indiana lineman Roy Neary. After coming into contact with beings not of this world, Neary becomes obsessed with finding out the truth of they are here. At the same time, famed scientist Lacombe (Truffaut) is pursuing evidence all around the world of extraterrestrial life and bizarrely, keeps coming across the same five musical notes. The paths for both men end at the intimidatingly-named Devil's Tower in Wyoming. The last third of the movie culminates in a very sweet and heartfelt ending. In one of the three different versions of the movie, John Williams composes a stirring and almost tear-jerking take on "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Disney's Pinocchio (a movie that comes up in dialogue early in the movie). Late last year, Columbia Pictures put the movie out in theaters again for its 40th anniversary (as well as shilling for a new Blu-Ray and 4K release). It actually did well enough that Columbia's initial one-week-only engagement was bumped up to two weeks. That shows you the power a Close Encounter can have.

"This shark, swallow you whole."

2. Jaws (1975)
Cast: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary
Written by: Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb
If there is one movie that has launched the careers of multiple modern-day directors, it has to be this one. And really, who can blame them? For all the trouble Spielberg and company had to endure with drunk lead actors, an unpredictable ocean to film on and a recalcitrant robot shark, it has perhaps the sweetest happily-ever-after of a cinematic afterlife that is possible. From the line "You're gonna need a bigger boat" to the iconic theme, Jaws has encompassed almost all pop culture. It spawned three lesser sequels, a popular theme park ride at all Universal parks that no longer exists, as well as video games and even a fan documentary on the film's Blu-Ray. Despite the film's reputation for being terrifying, it has a lot of slow, meaningful moments: the tearful Mrs. Kinter confronting Chief Brody, the brief sequence of Brody and his youngest son silently playing together and, of course, Quint's famous "U.S.S. Indianapolis" speech. To paraphrase actor Michael J. Fox, "[Jaws] is everything you go to movies for." 

"I don't know, I'm making this up as I go."

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey
Written by: Lawrence Kasdan
I know I said I was not going to put 1941 on this list, but it is an important film. Without its (seemingly) epic failure, Spielberg would not have needed a project to prove himself on. George Lucas, Spielberg's long-time friend, had just the project: a full-blown throwback/love letter to the rough-and-tumble adventure serials they had both grown up on with the greatest hero of them all who was then-named Indiana Smith (Spielberg agreed to direct on the condition the character's name be changed). At the time, Spielberg was on the outskirts of Hollywood to the point where he was filming the movie overseas (a first for him). John Landis was filming An American Werewolf in London. Joe Dante was filming The Howling. John Carpenter was filming Escape from New York. These films are all memorable and fine in their own right, but only one topped them all in the same year. A movie with Nazis, ghosts, Hitler-loving monkeys, thousands upon thousands of snakes, and the Ark of the Covenant; as well as the role Harrison Ford will forever be known for - Indiana Jones. It continues to define the action/adventure genre and inspired countless knock-offs (some decent, some awful). Harrison Ford was once asked what his definition of Indiana Jones is: "I think the audience likes a character who is both an academic and an adventurer.... It's his tenacity, his unwillingness to give up, his zeal for the hunt. And the pleasure that he takes in going to amazing places, seeing bizarre and amazing things and solving the mysteries that lay before him." 

So there it is, my personal top 10 favorite Steven Spielberg movies. It definitely took a lot of time - re-watching the movies, thinking about them, reading on what Spielberg himself and others had said about them - and it is a list I am willing to stand by. I hope you enjoyed reading it and please share if you did!

MONKEYBONE: Humorless George

NOTE: Sorry I've been gone for so long, several obligations have occurred and scheduling has been brutal. I'll try to keep more up-to-date postings as best I can.

RETRO REVIEW

"The woman I love is living with a little monkey that looks like me."

- Stu Miley (Brendan Fraser), Monkeybone

A long time ago... in the 1990s... there were two rising talents in Hollywood. One was a master of stop-motion animation: Henry Selick, the acclaimed director behind The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach (both produced by Tim Burton). The other was an actor who had enough charisma and likability to beat the band: Brendan Fraser, star of such dramas as With Honors and School Ties as well as family-friendly comedies like George of the Jungle and Dudley Do-Right (oh, and the now defunct Mummy movies). 

These two men had no reason to work with each other; that is, until, they both came across the underground graphic novel "Dark Town". Sensing a chance to follow in the footsteps of The Mask by turning a dark and gritty comic book into a broad mainstream comedy, 20th Century Fox and producer Chris Columbus (best known for the first two Home Alone films and Harry Potter films and despised for - among others - Rent, I Love You Beth Cooper and Pixels) hired Selick to direct, Batman (1989) writer Sam Hamm to pen the screenplay (and has apparently since retired) and Fraser to headline the film. Selick would bring his expert team of stop-motion animators to bring the renamed Downtown to life. But in the initial graphic novel, there was no sidekick for the protagonist to bounce off with; a necessary ingredient for the buddy comedy Columbus and Fox wanted. What they got was an annoying little chimp voiced by John Turturro with the name Monkeybone.

Stu Miley (Fraser) is an up-and-coming cartoonist and his beloved creation, "Monkeybone" is about to be turned into a cultural phenomenon with a cartoon series with toys and other merchandise galore. This is both a blessing and a curse. Stu wants to propose to his longtime girlfriend, Julie (Bridget Fonda, in her final major theatrical film appearance) and now has the clout to do it, but he is uncomfortable with the fame and adulation that will inevitably come with the "Monkeybone" deal. Unfortunately, Stu and Julie get into a car accident that leaves Stu in a coma. In his mind, Stu has arrived at the macabre Downtown where nightmares are the inhabitants' sole source of entertainment. He comes across Monkeybone as a living breathing incarnation, who begins to annoy him ceaselessly. Stu desperately wants to go home, but in order to do so, he requires an "exit pass" from Death herself (Whoopi Goldberg). After retrieving one, Monkeybone betrays Stu, abandons him to be captured by Death's army and commandeers his body in the real world in order to give Downtown new sets of nightmares by hijacking Monkeybone dolls with fear toxin. Now Stu has to escape Downtown and reclaim his life before Monkeybone makes monkey business for the world.

This is a fairly terrible movie. It is all over the place when it comes to things that matter: story, characters, motivations, dialogue, tonal shifts, set design, etc. Somehow Brendan Fraser seems more cartoonish here than he did actually playing two different cartoon characters. Everyone else in this film looks embarrassed to be a part of it. Especially Rose McGowan who plays a character named Miss Kitty (the most likable character in the film) who I swear was invented to cater to the fandom that would soon become known as furries. The whole look of the film is just plain ugly. There is making charming, quirky and weird stop-motion animation but trying to realize that in a live-action setting is disturbing to an unnatural level. To add to the oddities are the cameos. Selick is good friends with the geniuses at Pixar and a few of their folks appear in the film: Lou Romano (Linguini in Ratatouille) plays a trigger-happy cop near the end of the film and the late Joe Ranft (Heimlich the Caterpillar from A Bug's Life) plays the voice of a street-squashed rabbit. Even Harry Knowles, the geek king of Ain't It Cool News, appears briefly in a scene and even he hated the film upon release. They tried to offer the character of Stephen King to the actual Stephen King, who was apparently up for doing the part but could not make it to the set. Monkeybone is most likely the second worst film released in 2001; the top spot obviously going to Tom Green's Dadaist take on his hatred of Adam Sandler films,  Freddy Got Fingered.

Once a person sees a film like this, the question naturally asked is "Who's to blame?" (pitchforks and torches sold separately). While promoting the 2008 family action movie Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (his last majorly successful film appearance), Brendan Fraser seemed to be in good spirits and had this to say to the AV Club:

"You're talking to a guy who was in an $85 million arthouse movie called Monkeybone. Love it or hate it, it had a lot of highly technical elements to it. There was puppeteering, there was claymation, there was CGI, there were huge setpieces. I don't know what happened, they gave the keys to the inmates of the asylum. We went nutty and we made a movie. The studio saw it and went, 'Huh?' I was like, 'You guys don't watch the dailies or read the script? Whatever, here you go!' Me and [co-star] Dave Foley were like, 'We have the dubious honor of being in the world's most expensive arthouse film ever created!'"

As for Henry Selick, his career fortunately rebounded with the better-received Coraline (and is supposedly working on another stop-motion film with Keanu stars Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele). But, in a separate interview with the AV Club, he vented his frustrations with the proverbial monkey on his back:

"It's very hard to know with Monkeybone what the variables were. There was a regime change when I was at Fox. There's a longer version of the film. When Hollywood gets afraid of something, they just say, 'Make it go faster.' Usually, faster isn't better. So there's another version of the film that's about 15 minutes longer. I know that it works better. We had a different lead originally, and that probably would have had an impact —Ben Stiller was the lead, but he wanted to bring in writers, and I chose to be loyal to the writer that was on it. It actually would have been better to go with Ben and his writers. There's a lot of variables looking back, what-ifs. But who knows. I learned my lesson that in the live-action world, you have to earn the support of people over a very, very long time. And in animation, I already have the support."

But in another interview, Selick seems to lay the blame with producer Chris Columbus:

"I would never do another predominantly live-action film again. It was kind of a slippery slope. The original idea for Monkeybone was meant to be far more animation, as much as James and the Giant Peach, and the powerful producer that I hooked up with, he had his own take on it and, you know, if you’re getting a name actor, you have to keep him in the whole movie. And he loves stop-motion, but we couldn’t actually afford to do that sort of Ray Harryhausen combo for a big chunk, so…no, the culture of live-action that’s all focused on one shot, it’s just not my realm. I’m much happier in the animated realm."

At the end of the day, as refreshing as it is to hear about the behind-the-scenes aspects of what went wrong with a project and Henry Selick certainly seems to have learned from his mistakes, Monkeybone is still such a wild misfire of a film. It is too weird be a mainstream comedy, it is too bawdy to be a kids' film and yet it is also too juvenile to be taken seriously as an adult film. If a movie that thinks it is a crowd-pleasing movie fails to have a crowd, does it really please? To paraphrase Roger Ebert's review of Freddy Got Fingered, "The day may come when Monkeybone is seen as a milestone of neo-surrealism. The day may never come when it is seen as funny." Brendan Fraser's career has seemed to be lost to time. If he ever decides to return to mainstream moviemaking, he would do well to avoid projects like Monkeybone. Fool us once, shame on us. Fool us twice, shame on you. 

DEADPOOL: Making a Marvelous Murderer

NOTE: Spoiler alert, munchkins.

"This is a different kind of superhero story."

- Deadpool/Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), Deadpool

2009 was an event year for both Ryan Reynolds and two screenwriters, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. A long-time comic book fan, Reynolds co-starred in the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine, alongside the face of the franchise, Hugh Jackman. The film made a decent amount at the box office, but fans were up in arms over the treatment of Reynolds’ character. Months later, Zombieland, a film Reese and Wernick co-wrote hit the stratosphere. But times were about to change for all of them: Reynolds’ box-office clout hit rock bottom after the dismal release of another comic book film, Green Lantern (despite its failure, it resulted in the marriage of Reynolds and co-star Blake Lively). While waiting for their sequel to Zombieland to be made, Reese and Wernick wrote G.I. Joe: Retaliation, a film that tried to improve on its predecessor but wound up being quickly forgotten (even after being delayed for a year). None of these three men ever dreamed they would be working together. Especially on the same character that Reynolds had played seven years earlier. But that’s the thing about Deadpool: he is utterly unpredictable.

Deadpool was created by writer/artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza in 1991 for Marvel Comics as a part of their “New Mutants” series. At first, he was a straightforward villain for the mutant protagonists; he was designed with a head-to-toe red and black super-suit and dual katanas. But as Liefeld and Nicieza continued, they saw that the character slowly grew a following; almost a Boba Fett-like effect. They decided to do something that really had never been done (outside of She-Hulk): they gave the character the ability to break through the fourth wall. Suddenly, Deadpool knew he was in a comic book. That sort of thing will drive you insane, and so a new personality for the character was born. To be sure, he was not an out-and-out good guy, but he was more likable than he had been.

Getting Deadpool his own movie was not easy. As mentioned earlier, the fan reaction to the use of Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was vitriolic: Reynolds played Wade Wilson as the badass mercenary they knew from the comics but he never wore the suit and, even worse, he was transformed against his will into a mindless assassin with a sewn-up mouth. In 2012, Disney bought Marvel Comics and almost immediately, cries went up in concerns to their lesser family-friendly characters. Though Disney owned the characters, the film rights were another story and Fox was not about to let them go (except “Daredevil”). They tapped Reese and Wernick, hot off of Zombieland, to write the script. After they finished, the script was leaked online and fans were pleased with their take. Even legendary directors like James Cameron and David Fincher – neither of whom has ever (or likely will ever) direct a superhero movie – gave their thumbs up to the screenplay. Visual effects artist Tim Miller was hired to make his directorial debut with Deadpool. But Fox was still not willing to pull the trigger (pun intended) on Deadpool if the filmmakers were not willing to give the film a PG-13 rating with their R-rated character.

Things looked rather dire for the Merc with a Mouth’s movie. That is, until 2014. A video detailing test footage from two years earlier found its way online around Comic-Con time. Ryan Reynolds reprised his role in motion capture form, with the digital Deadpool suit being constructed around him. The scene detailed Deadpool’s attack on a group of henchmen in their van, complete with wise-cracks and breaking the fourth wall (most notably his greeting to the former head of 20th Century Fox, Tom Rothman). Fans were ecstatic, proclaiming this is exactly what they wanted to see. How and why the footage was released (and indeed who was responsible) remains a mystery to this day. But the response was enough; Fox finally greenlit the film with Reynolds proudly set to star. Ready or not, the world was about to be saved by Deadpool.

Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a mercenary who is good at what he does; but, because of the violence involved in his work, is doomed to a life of loneliness. That is, until he meets Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin) whose infatuation with him brings him the happiest times in his life. Sadly, they both discover Wade has been diagnosed with cancer. Wade decides to leave her to spare her the pain of watching him die. While commiserating his sorrows, Wade meets a mysterious man (Jed Rees; BTW he's the lead alien from Galaxy Quest) who tells him of an organization that can both cure his cancer and give him phenomenal abilities. Wade reluctantly agrees but quickly discovers that he has unknowingly sold his body to the sadistic Ajax (Ed Skrein) and his henchwoman Angel Dust (Gina Carano). Together they inject Wade with a serum to turn him into a mutate (someone with mutant powers who was not born a mutant) and put him through every torture one can think of. Eventually, the serum works but deforms Wade's skin to near unrecognizable levels. Furious at what they have done to him, Wade escapes and plots his revenge while adopting a vigilante persona: Deadpool. 

Let's cut to the chase: this movie is hilarious. Uproarously and relentlessly hilarious. Ryan Reynolds has done what he promised and delivered a no-holds-barred superhero film. This is the movie I thought Kick-Ass was gonna be years ago. Often the humor comes in a single line, a single reaction or even a single shot. When you can get laughs from something simple, your movie is working. Tim Miller constructs his movie very well, because he had plenty of time to do so and was not racing to catch up to a release date. You would never think he was a first-time director. It is startling to think that this was the same studio that released Fantastic Four a year ago to very public derision and rejection. What the difference is in this case is that enough effort was put into the characters and the story by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. The movie does go into dramatic moments and does not shy away from how dark it is in places. The villain Ajax is a rather simply-written villain, but man is he utterly hateful. T.J. Miller as Weasel was not as well utilized as I would have hoped (I kinda only know about him from the more family-friendly video game "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance"), but he is a guy who is in Wade's corner when he has no one else. It was cool to see Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead to help tie it back into the larger X-Men movie universe ("We're taking you back to see the Professor." "McAvoy or Stewart?").

The superhero movie that could has finally arrived and the world has gone as nuts as the title character for it. Ryan Reynolds is a successful movie star again and everybody is moving to Ryanville. For years he was one of the few voices in Hollywood advocating for a R-rated Deadpool movie; he finally got it made and it was a smash hit. This is another positive step forward in the argument against "superhero movies are utter nonsense and anyone who participates in them are idiots". There's not much else to say but, do yourself a favor and see this movie. AND SIT THROUGH THE WHOLE THING. There is a very important public service message in the last 30-45 seconds of the film that had me outright cheering.

Best of 2015

NOTE: Spoilers.

2015. The year Marty McFly and Doc Brown finally made it to the future. We were reunited with Rocky Balboa, the Avengers, Ethan Hunt, Katniss Everdeen, James Bond and, of course, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa. We were reintroduced to Mad Max and, more importantly, George Miller as a major blockbuster director; as well as Pixar coming back in full force with two films for the first time in the same year. It has not been the worst year in movies for certain, but it certainly has not been perfect. With that said, let me walk you through what I consider the top 10 best movies of the past year. 

10. Ant-Man
Director: Peyton Reed
It is hard these days to say that a superhero movie can come out of nowhere, but certainly no other superhero movie has humbler source material. For decades, Ant-Man was mired in the middle of nowhere in the Marvel Universe; writers attempted to give the character edge by making him a paranoid wife beater. Fortunately, the film adaptation of said character wisely bypasses all the tough stuff and has fun with itself just for the hell of it. Paul Rudd may not strike one as the superhero type, but like Michael Keaton as Batman years before, he makes the suit do most of the work for him. Having an acting legend like Michael Douglas in the film lends it weight and gravitas and Douglas is game to work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (hopefully he will help to lead the way for his acting peers to join a superhero movie). The supporting cast also pulls together the film with memorable characters. It should be mentioned that director Reed certainly came into the job under intense scrutiny after the public demotion of Edgar Wright to writer-in-name-only. Admirably, he made the best movie possible and the funniest Marvel movie since Guardians of the Galaxy (my #1 film from last year).

9. Furious 7
Director: James Wan

A lot of filmgoers walked into Furious 7 with heavy hearts and more than a little curiosity on their minds as this would be the final performance of franchise mainstay Paul Walker. However, as daunting as the task was, the filmmakers rose to the occasion and delivered a quality action film that also works as a fitting sendoff to the character of Brian O’Connor. While there are some scenes near the end of the film that are trying to hide Brian’s face, the technical work by WETA Digital at preserving his performance is sublime. But with all that aside, Brian does not get a lot to do in this movie. After Fast & Furious, the movies became ensemble, with a large cast. It is a literal return to the place where the “familia” started, Los Angeles. One of the interesting twists the film takes is removing Hobbs from the equation and temporarily replacing him with Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell); after the film was released, it was announced that Dwayne Johnson was going to star in a remake of Big Trouble in Little China, which starred Russell. As revealed in Fast & Furious 6, the big bad in this film is action movie star Jason Statham, who adds considerable menace. Where the F&F films go from here, nobody knows. It is up to Universal to flip on the high beams. After Furious 7, they'll be brighter than ever.

8. Tomorrowland
Director: Brad Bird
When one has a filmography as pervasive as Bird's (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille and Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol), film fans were jumping at the bit for Tomorrowland. Bird was returning to Disney for their biggest original project in quite some time. Still, eyebrows were furrowed when Bird was joined by screenwriter Damon Lindelof, J.J. Abrams' second-in-command; a man infamous for raising questions he has no intentions of answering and is often declared as the one who ruined Prometheus and World War Z. While the film is by no means utterly despised by anybody, it certainly does not shine as brightly as Bird's previous work. On the positives, Bird should be commended for getting George Clooney in a Disney movie; no small feat. He also still has a good hand in casting, bringing to light Britt Robertson and Raffey Cassidy - both of whom I am sure we will see more of. The story has a sense of promise, but what it delivers is what it thinks audiences want, rather than what they actually want. Still, if you have not seen it, I recommend it.

7. The Martian
Director: Ridley Scott
A worldwide-accepted science-fiction film in this day and age is pretty hard to find. But what make this one work is that it has a sense of humor. Drew Goddard's brilliant screenplay is well-adapted from the original novel (with few hiccups in transcription). It seems rather funny to me that both Saving Private Ryan stars Matt Damon and Tom Hanks have both done (separately) movies in space and movies where they are stranded in a distant location alone. The disco soundtrack keeps the positive feel of the movie rolling without always being the punchline. If there is one fault I think the movie has is as fun as Mark's adventure on Mars is, the events on Earth are almost deadly dull. Granted, it is not meant to be a laugh-fest - they are indeed spending a lot of time and money to save one man - but a few chuckles here and there would not go unappreciated. The world of Mars is very stunning to look at; never once does it enter that naturally, it was filmed on Earth. Ridley Scott has made a triumphant return after a few misfires and I am sure The Martian will continue to invade screens everywhere.

6. The Walk
Director: Robert Zemeckis
If there was one movie I wish a lot more people had seen, it was this. The Walk, apart from being a ripping true story yarn of doing amazing things despite people telling you it is impossible, is a masterful event in filmmaking, digitally bringing the World Trade Center back to life. It is no secret that Zemeckis is one of my great filmmaking heroes and this is his best film in quite some time. He brings together a good cast, headlined by Joseph Gordon-Levitt with a French accent (bringing to mind Pepé Le Pew). I think over-promoting the film as an IMAX experience was not the best course of action; considering IMAX is a premium experience that not everyone can just go to down the street. The 3D element of the film is one of the best I have seen in quite a while; things come out at you, but also establish a sense of place and scale. The film's financial debacle, aside from The Martian coming out earlier and stealing a bit of thunder, perplexes me. I suppose the period aspect of the film also may have had an effect. But I often find that a lot of the great visual-based movies are often found later in time than immediately. When the audience is ready, The Walk will be there; daring you to cross it.

5. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Whether or not you approve of Tom Cruise's personal life, one cannot argue his enthusiasm for showmanship. If you are coming to one of his films, he feels you deserve an experience. Mission: Impossible has become his playground, experimenting with a central concept with different directors. With the fifth installment, Cruise brought onboard Christopher McQuarrie, who had directed him in Jack Reacher. After the lightheartedness of Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation presents our characters in darker situations with a more compelling opponents: the Syndicate (as promised by the end of the previous film). One of the more head-scratching decisions films the movie makes is taking the movie's main "WTF" stunt sequence - Ethan Hunt hanging from the side of a plane - and sticks it at the beginning of the movie. The Burj Khalifa sequence from Ghost Protocol was the main selling point of that film and took its time getting there. I feel like they played that card too early in this film and as cool as the car/motorcycle chases are, it holds no candle to the plane stunt. McQuarrie will return for M:I 6 (marking the first time in the franchise that a filmmaker has returned for multiple films) and I know he will only improve.

4. Jurassic World
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Reopening the park is a bad idea. Reviving Jurassic Park as a franchise is not. Now one of the highest grossing films of all time (though its particular position is being threatened by another film on this list), Jurassic World is what audiences wanted to see: a functioning dinosaur park. However, I feel the movie has a lot to be desired: stronger characters, a less serious approach and let us face it, actual dinosaur puppets made the original film. CG everywhere does not make one believe the characters are in danger when they are just running around an exploding film set. An actor staring at a 60 foot T-Rex staring back at them does not have to act fear, it happens. Trevorrow gets a lot of flack for the somewhat emotionless performance of Bryce Dallas Howard (while there may be good points, I feel the online argument is slightly exaggerated), but to me, Chris Pratt's practically humorless character of Owen Grady is more jarring. Granted, I would not want to see him repeating his performance of Peter Quill outside of the Guardians movies, but the comedic possibilities of running around a dinosaur park go woefully unused. A sequel is on the way, and hopefully more will be added for a more entertaining experience, but for the big dumb action blockbuster of the summer, Jurassic World is the perfect candidate.

3. Inside Out
Director: Pete Docter
After a year away from silver screens, Pixar returned triumphantly with what on the surface might seem a simple film but is remarkably expansive in its premise. It is well reported that Pixar often goes through several drafts of a story before finally hitting on what audiences all over the world will see (Up went through the most; Toy Story 3 went through the least). Being inside the human mind certainly presents loads of comedic opportunities and Inside Out does not miss a one of them. Its strengths are in hitting on what everybody goes through: getting a song stuck in our heads, losing our train of thought and even brain freeze. The voice cast is spectacular and is among the best Pixar has ever assembled. The design of Riley's mind is well-done and is fun to look at and think what our own minds would look like through Pixar's eyes. A lot of people think that a sequel would be really good to tackle, but I kinda feel like they may need to leave well enough alone.

2. Mad Max: Fury Road
Director: George Miller
If Jurassic World was the big dumb action movie of the summer, Mad Max: Fury Road was the big smart action movie of the summer. We all forgot George Miller was this master of action filmmaking, largely due to the Happy Feet films. What a better position he was in to surprise us all. It is also a modern miracle that a major Hollywood studio like Warner Bros. did not attempt to mess around with the film like we hear about all too often. You would think they would be thwarted by being a sequel to a 30-year-old film (Beyond Thunderdome) that does not even have the original star of said film (Mel Gibson). Despite all of these potential roadblocks (pun intended), Fury Road may not have made a major financial impact this year (though collected more at the box office than was initially predicted) but culturally, it has started a massive storm for people who like and do not like it. As many people dress up as Max, Furiosa and the other characters, there are others who decry the film as misleading - saying that a masculine film series like Mad Max makes women more important than men in Fury Road. Those fools miss the point of the film: Max is searching for a righteous cause to get behind and in doing so, regains some semblance of his former humanity. You, however, have to search no longer. Fury Road is certainly a righteous cause.

... and my #1 film of 2015 is ...

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Director: J.J. Abrams
As I have said before, like you guys did not see this coming. It is the first Star Wars movie in 10 years. I will not say too much about this since my review is still fairly new. To summarize it, I am glad that respect was kept for the original cast, while also establishing a new cast that everyone will want to see in the next installments. Practical effects win out over CG, but the new CG characters are not given much establishment. The paternal reveal in this film is also not handled very well; it is delivered as though somebody is giving out directions. But my God, the stuff that works in this movie works: the performances, the action, the character interactions; everything that we did not get in the prequels. As it is highly unlikely if you are reading this that you have not seen the movie (even my parents who do not go to movies all that often got out to see it), Star Wars: The Force Awakens is my #1 movie of the year.

Honorable Mentions: Goosebumps, The Peanuts Movie, Spectre

Worst of the Year: Vacation, Daddy's Home, Strange Magic, Blackhat, Get Hard, Steve Jobs

THE MARTIAN: Mars Needs Matt Damon

NOTE: Mars Mild spoilers. Also, this review is being written almost immediately after my initial screening of the film, so this will be more in-depth than previous reviews.

"This will come as a complete shock to my crewmates and to NASA and to the entire world, but... I'm still alive. Obviously.... Surprise!"

- Mark Watney (Matt Damon), The Martian

Ridley Scott is a consummate filmmaker, without question. Though it is quite interesting, with as an eclectic career as he has, that he keeps returning to space movies. Alien is the oft-quoted "haunted house in space" movie, Blade Runner has mention of space battles in the closing soliloquy of antagonist Roy Batty and, most recently, Prometheus was the "everything-goes-to-hell" journey of mankind's search for our creators. Certainly, nobody was demanding Scott to return to the subject, but if he did, he'd certainly have to figure another way around it. 

Enter computer scientist Andy Weir who, on a whim in 2011, decided to write an one-of-a-kind survival story where an astronaut is accidentally stranded on Mars. The story grew so popular that it quickly became a popular purchase in Amazon.com's e-book section. Drew Goddard, most known as the writer/director of The Cabin in the Woods, adapted Weir's book with the intention of directing for himself. However, various deals with Marvel (most of which fell through; though one gave the world the popular Netflix series "Marvel's Daredevil") required his attentions. Producer Simon Kinberg (also co-writer of Sherlock Holmes and currently one of Disney's new Star Wars gurus) bought the project to Ridley Scott's attention at 20th Century Fox. Scott himself brought the project to an actor he had never worked with before, Matt Damon. Damon was skeptical at first; he had just made Christopher Nolan's Interstellar where he played a stranded astronaut (though of a different attitude). When Damon explained the particulars of the part, Scott assured him that wasn't what he had in mind.

In 2035 (according to author Weir, though never specified in the movie/novel), manned missions to Mars are nothing new. Though the crew of Ares III would have liked more of a heads-up for a massive storm heading their way which forces them to abandon their mission and escape the planet. Led by Commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain, in one of two October 2015 film roles), the team makes their way back to their lander in the middle of the storm but along the way some debris knocks away botanist Mark Watney (Damon). With his bio-readings inactive, they have no choice but to accept his death and proceed with the evacuation. Little do they know, Watney has survived and makes his way back to the lab that was set up for the mission. With no way to contact NASA and limited supplies, Watney has to make a life for himself until the next Ares mission. On Earth, scientists at NASA have discovered Watney's survival and gather their best to plot a rescue mission before time runs out.

It's strange to me how all the movies that glorify NASA - Apollo 13, Armageddon, Gravity and now The Martian, all involve Hell breaking loose on whatever mission was strategically planned (though in Michael Bay's case, he just wanted Bruce Willis to blow up an asteroid the size of Texas; poor sweet, freaking beautiful Liv Tyler...). I guess, especially in Gravity and The Martian's case, it's all about celebrating the ability of the individual to think through situations and the durability of the human spirit. What separates The Martian from the films mentioned above is its incredible sense of good humor. Weir's novel was plenty funny, but Goddard turned the 359 page book into a streamlined screenplay that never feels unfaithful to the source material. This does inevitably lose a lot of Mark Watney's more chuckle-inducing dialogue (though I have to applaud the marketing team for the film for giving one of my favorite lines back to Watney in one of the very well-made viral videos), but it moves the story along at the brisk pace necessary for a feature film. Mayhaps a Ridley Scott expanded cut is in order?

The cast - both in space and on Earth - cannot go overlooked. Damon, as Scott predicted, is (pardon the pun) light years away from his unlikable character in Interstellar. He is able to bring the necessary light-heartedness to the film as well as the believability for the technical know-how that his character continually expounds. Jessica Chastain brings a earnestness to Commander Lewis, where you genuinely feel the guilt she has for unknowingly leaving Watney behind which leads her to physically getting him back at the end. It's kinda funny that this movie features three notable Marvel actors: Kate Mara (coming off of the dreadfully received Fantastic Four reboot as Invisible Woman/Susan Storm), Michael Peña (coming off of the wonderfully received Ant-Man as Luis) and Sebastian Stan (best known as The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes from Captain America: The Winter Soldier - ridiculously well-received). The Earth cast, led by Jeff Daniels (who, years ago, was in a different kind of Martian movie) is a lot more serious and low-key. Recent Academy Award winner Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave) plays a character who has a bigger part (and a different first name) in the book but again, for the purposes of an ensemble cast, is spread thin. Sean Bean, I'm convinced, is in this film for the sole purpose of a Lord of the Rings connection. Kristen Wiig is in the film, playing a shrill NASA public relations officer and doesn't get much to do. The standout for me is this new girl named Mackenzie Davis playing the meek Mindy Park. I don't know much of her, but I'd like to see her in more stuff; she's on the AMC show "Halt and Catch Fire", a show I don't watch. Donald Glover, a guy who'd kill to be a Marvel actor (he so desperately wants to be Spider-Man but I honestly believe he'd be perfect for The Prowler/Hobie Brown) plays the whiz kid who out-thinks all of NASA in their attempts to bring Watney home. He gets a standout scene and then pretty much disappears from the rest of the movie.

One of the standout features of the movie is its soundtrack. In both the novel and the movie, Mark Watney makes no reservations about his utter hatred of disco being the only source of music available in what the Ares III team left behind. While the book mentions probably the most famous disco song ever written, "Stayin' Alive", the movie features (among others) "Turn the Beat Around" by Vickie Sue Robinson, "Rock the Boat" by The Hues Corporation, "Waterloo" by ABBA, "Love Train" by The O'Jays (in the Epilogue) and "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor (in the end credits). However, Watney and I share the same favorite song in the film, "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer (described as the "least disco" of the bunch) and even Watney can't help grooving along with the beat.

After misfires like The Counselor and Exodus: Gods and Kings, Ridley Scott finally gets a crowdpleasing sci-fi movie that will catapult him back in the good graces of pop culture. The Martian has one talented cast and a smart, engaging script that will no doubt get some awards recognition. It's fair to say the long-running curse of "Mars" movies has finally been broken.