Movies of the Year 2016

Hey everyone! So clearly we are pretty far away from the end of 2016 now but I never got the chance to post a blog for my favorite movies last year. Normally what I would do is create a simple post on another forum and then expand on it for a blog post here. I love doing these for archival purposes because it is great to come back to these years later and get a snapshot of what I was thinking in any particular year. Anyway, I was busy at the end of last year so I never got the chance to do this, and since my post already existed on NeoGAF I was ok with keeping my thoughts archived there. Only now those forums imploded after it became clear what kind of person the owner is. Anyway, I am now reposting my unedited thoughts on my favorite movies of 2016 here. It is fun to look back on this as even now, only a few months later, I do not completely agree with this list anymore. I felt (and still feel) strongly about my top five but after that I was just sort of filling space.

1. The Witch

I normally hate movies set in this time period. I have never been a fan of the colonial america aesthetic. That said, this movie is so damn good none of that bothered me. Anya Taylor-Joy performance as Thomasin stands out as my favorite of the year.

2. Miles Ahead

I swear I am like one of a dozen people who actually saw this. Don Cheadle does a fantastic job as Miles Davis and the fictional plot he made up to go through some events of Miles' life is definitely an neat approach that makes the film a lot more interesting and fast paced than your standard biopic. Ewen McGregor is also great as is the soundtrack (duh). Cheadle really is one of the most multitalented people in Hollywood.

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

This movie is (almost) everything the first movie should have been. The cast was spot on, the dialogue was great, and the action was top notch. But those fucking turtles have got to be the most hideous and horrifying things put to film since Mars Needs Moms. It is a damn shame because they nailed the personality of the Turtles, they are just revolting to look at.

4. Green Room

One of the best thrillers I have seen a long time. Imogen Poots is always amazing in everything and Sir Patrick Stewart does a great job as the leader of the Nazi punks.

5. Zootopia

I went to see this opening weekend because the trailers and such made it look like a neat movie and Disney has been on a real hot streak lately. That said, the plot of this movie being as real and heavy as it was really took me off guard in the best way possible. We really are in a new golden age of Disney animated films.

6. The Angry Birds Movie

This movie should not be as entertaining as it is. Outside of Walt Disney Animation Studios I have never really been a fan of cartoon movies. That said something about the protagonists in this movie came across as really charming to me and I enjoyed seeing them go through the film being pissed off at the stupidity of everyone else. The movie came too late to catch the mobile game craze but it still does a good job of standing on its own a fun film in its own right.

7. Deadpool

They really knocked it out of the park with this movie. The limited budget they had was obvious in spots but they did great with what they had. It is amazing how good X-Men movies are when they Singer isn't involved. First Class, Wolverine and now this are great examples of how great (and different) superhero movies can be.

8. Captain America: Civil War

RDJ steals the show and this movie really does put a nice cap on the second Iron Man trilogy (Iron Man 3, Age of Ultron, Civil War). His character has gone through so much shit and it is really great being able to see how he has evolved and changed. That said, the Marvel movies really do all have such a sameness to them that they are starting to blur together. I really hope they start to shake things up soon because simply seeing these characters on the big screen is no longer enough in and of itself.

9. Doctor Strange

This movie has some really nice visuals. In a vacuum the movie is really really good but it gives me a feeling of deja vu like other Marvel movies have been recently.

10. The Jungle Book

Like Doctor Strange, this movie also has some really impressive visuals. The plot itself is eh but it is still worth seeing through once.