Chris Reviews 2013 in Movies

2013 has been one of my least favorite years as far as movies are concerned. Pretty much every single movie that I was looking forward to, did not live up to my expectations. Of course there have been exceptions but as a whole it seems to have been a pretty lame year for film fans. These lists are just based off the movies I had a chance to see so keep that in mind before you attack me in the comments about a particular film not being on the list.

5 Best Movies-

The Worlds End-

One of the few movies I was looking forward to that did not let me down. I got a chance to see this as a marathon of all 3 of the Pegg, Frost and Wright films and it was probably my favorite movie theater experience of the year. It manages to create the same fun and humor as Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead while also featuring and interesting Sci-fi premise.




Captain Phillips-

Probably this years best Thriller as Paul Greengrass crafts a gripping drama about a pirate attack on a US Cargo Ship. Its a fascinating film that will keep you entertained throughout and Tom Hanks gives his usual solid performance. This is probably 2013's Hurt Locker for me in that I really like it a lot but it will likely win more awards than I think it should.

Pacific Rim-

While it didn't quite live up to my expectations, I still had a blast! Pacific Rim is a truly creative Sci-fi action movie that features some spectacular visuals and a lot of exciting Monsters and Mech fighting. If it wasn't for a weak script this would likely have been my favorite movie of the year but I still like it for what it is... a fun, big budget, B-movie.

Spring Breakers-

This movie is definitely not for everyone. It is an oddly structured, almost experiential film that you will either love or hate. I loved the style and once i got passed that I discovered a rather fascinating critique on the millennial generation. That being said the best part of this movie is James Franco as Alien the really shitty gangster. Oh and it features Gucci Mane as James Franco's former best friend turned rival.

Filth-

This was my surprise movie of the year. This is an awesome Scottish film based on a novel by Irvine Welsh who wrote Trainspotting. James McAvoy gives a phenomenal performance as a detective on the edge of insanity who is trying to earn a promotion. Its an insanely fun film that rides the perfect balance of dark comedy.





5 Worst Movies-

 21 & Over-

A bland and unoriginal college comedy movie. I watched this at 2 in the morning, which is the perfect time for movies like this and still thought it was boring.

Bad Grandpa-

Normally I don't like Jackass movies at all but the trailers looked really funny so I went and saw it. Unfortunately almost all of the funny gags where in the trailer and the rest was pretty lame. The film tries to make a narrative out of this with an extremely generic father and son road trip movie but it just doesn't work.

Warm Bodies-

The Twilight of Zombie movies.......enough said. 

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug-

While I had my issues with the first Hobbit movie I still enjoyed it. Sadly the sequel does not improve upon the first film and the Hobbit is set to become this generations Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. The story feels extremely stretched, the acting is mediocre at best, the actions scenes are tedious and it feels as if the franchise has lost its magic. The one bright spot is Smaug, but 20 minutes of a cool CGI dragon can't make up for the numerous other flaws.

Star Trek Into Darkness-

I have been a huge Star Trek fan for pretty much my entire life. I have watched all the shows, have all the movies on blu-ray, read some of the books etc. So  I like to think I have a firm grasp on what Star Trek is and this movie is not Star Trek. It is a Star Wars fans attempt at making a Star Trek movie. Not only is this not a Star Trek film but its just a bad movie in general. The script is a piece of shit and really is just a bunch of action scenes spaced perfectly apart to keep an audience entertained for 2 hours without any real substance. I could go on a rant about how much I dislike this movie but suffice it to say this is my least favorite movie of the year!

 Guilty Pleasure Movies-

 Bullet to the Head-

Man this movie bombed at the box office but it was a hell of a lot of fun. If you are into the old school 80's action movie genre like me this was the movie for you. Stallone kicks some ass, Jason Momoa is a cheesy bad guy and Sarah Shahi is the hot chick in Walter Hill's (The Warriors) directorial comeback.

Olympus Has Fallen-

Another old school action cheese fest that I had a lot of fun with. I still have not see White House Down but I have heard that Olympus Has Fallen is the better of the two attack on the White House films. Sure the story is pretty shitty but Gerard Butler is solid as the lead with some good one liners and there are some pretty great action scenes. To be honest a lot of why I like this is probably related to being nostalgic about these old school, overly dramatic and patriotic action movies from the 80's and 90's but I can't help what I like.


Summary-

There are some movies I still really want to see such as 12 Years A Slave, The Wolf of Wall Street so those may get added to my top list. If you want to see a comprehensive ranking of all the movies from this year look to the right side of the screen and there is a tab labeled 2013 Rankings. That list is always being updated, even after the year is over. I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts about this year in movies and lets hope for a better year in 2014!

-Chris "Da Franchize" Hart 

Kevin's Best and Worst Movies of 2013

It's the end of the year and time to review the best and worst films of 2013.  I didn't get to see as much as I had hoped to, nor did I have a lot of time to write many reviews, but I got a pretty good glimpse of the year and have seen enough to make a fair list.  2013 was a horrible year for films, generally speaking.  Hopefully next year will be better.  However, there were a few that were memorable and will stick with me for some time. 

Best Movies of 2013

My favorite film of the year was The Wolf of Wall Street.  It was almost an instant 5 out of 5 for me.  I didn't read a whole lot about it before I saw it and I went in with no expectations.  I didn't know what to expect.  The Wolf of Wall Street is packed with hard partying, bad choices, and lots and lots of money, all of which catch up to Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.  Scorsese has done his fair share of bio films, and this one certainly doesn't disappoint.  I wouldn't say this film is better than The Departed, but it is certainly more fun and DiCaprio's performance steals the show. 

The Place Beyond the Pines was another favorite of mine.  This film has resonated with me since I saw it in theaters in March.  It's a film that hits hard on the theme of choices and consequences, and how they affect others.  Some of the best things about this film include the cinematography and the realism of the portrayals of the characters.  Ryan Gosling gives his best performance since Drive, although I wish he had been in more of the film.  This movie is oddly structured, which is another complaint I have about it.  It seems to get weaker as it progresses, but it is still a solid crime drama that is well worth a watch.  

I was really excited to see Don Jon, but was ultimately disappointed upon the first viewing.  However, after watching it a second time, I was able to accept the film for what it was and really dive into the message behind the film.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt is great in this film as writer, director, and star.  The film is bold in style and content, including screening ACTUAL porn footage, which is something I've never seen before in a feature film.  

I laughed my ass off when I watched This is the End for the first time.  Not only is it a hilarious apocalyptic film, but it also presents some serious themes toward the climax of the film.  I loved every character in this film and there was great chemistry between the leads.  I can easily say this is the best comedy of the year, and definitely Seth Rogen's funniest movie since Pineapple Express. 

I went with my parents to see The Kings of Summer at the Esquire theater.  I was a bit reluctant because independent films can be weird and saturated with stylistic cues, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one.  It was funny, touching, and memorable.  I enjoyed this because it plays out as a fantasy about kids living on their own, which everyone has had.  Things go south eventually, but it sure is fun to watch and to see some new stars be born.

 Yes, it is overrated, but Gravity had some fantastic technical achievements.  The sound and visuals were stunning.  Alfonso Cuaron is known for his unique visuals, and Gravity doesn't disappoint in that aspect.  I just thought this film was overrated.  Children of Men was better, in my opinion. 

Worst Movies of 2013

The worst movie of the year has to be Gangster Squad.  With such a talented cast, I can't help but scratch my head and wonder how this movie was so bad.  Not even the cast could make this watchable, and I ended up leaving the theater just before the halfway mark. 

The Great Gatsby was awful as well.  I am a huge Leonardo DiCaprio fan.  I will watch just about anything he's in, but The Great Gatsby is just painful to watch.  Literally.  I have no idea why Baz Luhrmann is so insistent on making so many jump cuts in so few seconds.  It hurts my eyes to watch his movies and I couldn't sit through this one.  Also, when Jay Z music is playing as non-diegetic sound in the film, I can't help but shake my head and mentally put this on the shit list for movies this year. 

Olympus Has Fallen was weak.  I interpreted it as a wannabe Die Hard that tried to be funny but wasn't.  Gerard Butler is okay, but the heavy CGI and unimpressive action sequences kept this from being a good film.  I never saw White House Down, but having two White House attack films within four months is also tiring.  This was just a prime example of a bad action film for explosion junkies. 

Sadly, Only God Forgives was a humongous disappointment.  I had high hopes for the dark crime drama directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, the mastermind behind Drive.  It was visually captivating, but the poorly written dialogue and sloppy script made this a difficult watch.  I am still looking forward to Refn's next work, though, whatever it may be. 

Oz the Great and Powerful was not great nor powerful (yes, critics used that same line, lame…).  I had no expectations going in, but it was just a disappointing film all around.  The first few scenes were done well, but as it went on, it seemed to get away from itself, especially in the climax.  James Franco helped make the film more watchable, but it is ultimately one of the weaker films of 2013.

As I said before, 2013 has been a bad year for films.  There were a few strong films and even one gem, but compared to years past, this year is a dud.  My hope is The Wolf of Wall Street will win an Oscar or two, hopefully from Leonardo DiCaprio's wild and energetic performance.  That would be historic.  I haven't seen 12 Years a Slave, Captain Phillips, or Nebraska, and I am watching The World's End as I post this.  But this is just my year end list and I intend on watching those films before the Oscars roll around.  I will likely update this list, but this is what I have for now.