The Best (and not so best) Movies of 2013
2013 is in the books. Over the next few days I'll take a look back at the year and some of its entertainment highlights. I'll start with some of the best and worst movies of the year. Before I name names, let me explain where I'm coming from. I keep a list of all the movies I watch, books I read, and games I play during the year. I rate each on a A through F scale. Just because I saw a movie in 2013 doesn't mean it released in 2013. Sorry, that's not the way that my life's, nor movie, tastes run.
Best Friends Forever. A Kickstarter project by Brea Grant and Vera Miao, Best Friends Forever follows two women (Brea and Vera) on a road trio from Los Angeles to Austin. During the trip, and initially unknown to both women, four nuclear weapons detonate in the United States. The film is understated, the acting top notch, and the plot a simple tale of friendship and resolve. I've seen it three times, my wife has watched it twice, and I've shown it to the rest of my family and several friends. Everyone has been amazed. I give it an A.
Dredd. If you've never heard of Dredd you might want to check your pulse. Go ahead, I'll wait. Everything okay? Seriously, Judge Dredd is perhaps one of the most famous comic book heroes of all time. In this film adaptation Dredd, played by Karl Urban (McCoy from Into the Darkness), and the Judge trainee whom he is evaluating, Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), attempt to take down the mega drug lord, Ma-Ma. The film is gritty, raw, violent, and unapologetic. Perfect for the dystopian society that it depicts. How about a B+?
Judge Dredd: I was wondering when you'd remember you forgot your helmet.
Anderson: Sir, a helmet can interfere with my psychic abilities.
Judge Dredd: I think a bullet in the head might interfere with them more.
In short, if you think this is another chick flick, you best think again. It is funny, and at times heart-warming, but it also has a depth of plot and willingness to tackle real-life issues that you don't often find in coming of age movies. Certainly an A.
Zero Dark Thirty. The film recounts the hunt for and capture of, Osama bin Laden. What impressed me most was the recounting without judgement. The tale is told simply. It is not slanted so that we cheer the SEAL's success nor jeer the CIA interrogators. Intelligence gathering and direct action is shown in naked light, as it really is; grim, but necessary, work. B+
Kick Ass 2. I was a big fan of the original, but my friends told me to stay away from the sequel. In this case, my friends were wrong. The movie is frequently funny, which is a must for non-Batman superhero flicks, the action usually good, although the first Hit Girl "rescue" fight seemed a bit contrived, and the acting believable. I cared for the characters, and I'm not sure what else you can ask. I recommend it. B.
And now some shorts.
Mama. Guillermo del Toro, I get it. I've read The Strain, seen Pan's Labyrinth. He's a genius, but Mama isn't. Not bad, but the ending takes a "not bad" movie and drags it down even further. It's just too, too. C.
Oblivion. Again, it's okay, but just feels like science fiction with all the edges rubbed off. C.
Star Trek: Into Darkness. Surprisingly good. Dialogue is actually witty. B-.
Man of Steel. I'm such a Zak Snyder fan boy, but this is his worse movie. The fight scene was insensitive (how many hundreds of thousands would have died for those two to fight?), and worse still, boring. C-.
Elysium. Yawn. Okay, I get it, Mr. Neill Blomkamp. There's a lot of prejudice in the world. It's nice that you can make so much money off the concept. I throw away preachy science fiction books, unfortunately, I can't do that with a film in the theater. C-
.
The Conjuring. I love horror. Good horror, not crap like The Saw series, etc. Everyone told me how great The Conjuring was. They were wrong. Sure, it's a solid movie, but Wan's camera placement frequently telegraphed his intent, and ruined the scares. And the end? It had everything but the kitchen sink, and was just about as scary as a pile of junk that includes a kitchen sink. The movie had a lot of potential, but just didn't realize it. B-
Revelation, a World at War novel. Unfortunately, my novel hasn't been made into a movie yet, but I'm still hoping. With Robert Taylor as Russian paratrooper Major Yuri Dramonovitch, Liam Hemsworth as American tanker, Matt Dahl, and Katee Sackoff as Elena Petrova, Revelation tells the tale of men and women struggling to make it in a world torn asunder by not only war, but also the dark, mythic monsters of our childhood. You can read the novel here. It's only $2.99.
Those are my picks. Did I miss something? Leave your favorite movie in the comments below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Best Friends Forever. A Kickstarter project by Brea Grant and Vera Miao, Best Friends Forever follows two women (Brea and Vera) on a road trio from Los Angeles to Austin. During the trip, and initially unknown to both women, four nuclear weapons detonate in the United States. The film is understated, the acting top notch, and the plot a simple tale of friendship and resolve. I've seen it three times, my wife has watched it twice, and I've shown it to the rest of my family and several friends. Everyone has been amazed. I give it an A.
Dredd. If you've never heard of Dredd you might want to check your pulse. Go ahead, I'll wait. Everything okay? Seriously, Judge Dredd is perhaps one of the most famous comic book heroes of all time. In this film adaptation Dredd, played by Karl Urban (McCoy from Into the Darkness), and the Judge trainee whom he is evaluating, Cassandra Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), attempt to take down the mega drug lord, Ma-Ma. The film is gritty, raw, violent, and unapologetic. Perfect for the dystopian society that it depicts. How about a B+?
Judge Dredd: I was wondering when you'd remember you forgot your helmet.
Anderson: Sir, a helmet can interfere with my psychic abilities.
Judge Dredd: I think a bullet in the head might interfere with them more.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower. From IMDB, "Based on the novel written by Stephen Chbosky, this is about 15-year-old Charlie (Logan Lerman), an endearing and naive outsider, coping with first love (Emma Watson), the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs. The introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors, Sam and Patrick, who welcome him to the real world."
In short, if you think this is another chick flick, you best think again. It is funny, and at times heart-warming, but it also has a depth of plot and willingness to tackle real-life issues that you don't often find in coming of age movies. Certainly an A.
Zero Dark Thirty. The film recounts the hunt for and capture of, Osama bin Laden. What impressed me most was the recounting without judgement. The tale is told simply. It is not slanted so that we cheer the SEAL's success nor jeer the CIA interrogators. Intelligence gathering and direct action is shown in naked light, as it really is; grim, but necessary, work. B+
Kick Ass 2. I was a big fan of the original, but my friends told me to stay away from the sequel. In this case, my friends were wrong. The movie is frequently funny, which is a must for non-Batman superhero flicks, the action usually good, although the first Hit Girl "rescue" fight seemed a bit contrived, and the acting believable. I cared for the characters, and I'm not sure what else you can ask. I recommend it. B.
And now some shorts.
Mama. Guillermo del Toro, I get it. I've read The Strain, seen Pan's Labyrinth. He's a genius, but Mama isn't. Not bad, but the ending takes a "not bad" movie and drags it down even further. It's just too, too. C.
Oblivion. Again, it's okay, but just feels like science fiction with all the edges rubbed off. C.
Star Trek: Into Darkness. Surprisingly good. Dialogue is actually witty. B-.
Man of Steel. I'm such a Zak Snyder fan boy, but this is his worse movie. The fight scene was insensitive (how many hundreds of thousands would have died for those two to fight?), and worse still, boring. C-.
Elysium. Yawn. Okay, I get it, Mr. Neill Blomkamp. There's a lot of prejudice in the world. It's nice that you can make so much money off the concept. I throw away preachy science fiction books, unfortunately, I can't do that with a film in the theater. C-
.
The Conjuring. I love horror. Good horror, not crap like The Saw series, etc. Everyone told me how great The Conjuring was. They were wrong. Sure, it's a solid movie, but Wan's camera placement frequently telegraphed his intent, and ruined the scares. And the end? It had everything but the kitchen sink, and was just about as scary as a pile of junk that includes a kitchen sink. The movie had a lot of potential, but just didn't realize it. B-
Revelation, a World at War novel. Unfortunately, my novel hasn't been made into a movie yet, but I'm still hoping. With Robert Taylor as Russian paratrooper Major Yuri Dramonovitch, Liam Hemsworth as American tanker, Matt Dahl, and Katee Sackoff as Elena Petrova, Revelation tells the tale of men and women struggling to make it in a world torn asunder by not only war, but also the dark, mythic monsters of our childhood. You can read the novel here. It's only $2.99.
Those are my picks. Did I miss something? Leave your favorite movie in the comments below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Comments
Jim S.