Well ladies and gentlemen it's that time of the year where I reflect on the of 2016 in movies and we see what films were just simply amazing and films that will be remembered for the rest of time. Out of the 151 films I've seen this year, these films have the honor of being continually praised . With that being said I'm going to bring you my top 10 favorite films of 2016 and the reasons why I loved each film and why they are on my list. So without further ado...
10. The Jungle Book (2016)
Here recently, Disney has been making live adaptions of their animated films and so far they've been a little hit and miss, but this film is a home run. Jon Favreau is a phenomenal director and what he was able to to with this film is nothing less than spectacular. Now is the story original, no and to be honest it didn't have to be because the original animated films is special and unique and this film does do a few things differently. From the looks of the scenery, you would think that they went on location in Africa to film and that's not the case. Other than Neel Sethi (who plays Mowgli), the rest of this film is 100% CGI making it a one of a kind film and that alone deserves praise and recognition as one of the best films of the year.
9. Zootopia
A film done with nothing but animals seems a bit ridiculous and you would think it wouldn't work, then you hear it's done by Disney and then you realize this film could be remarkable and it is. All of the animals are unique and are really portrayed well as they would if they were in the wild in either their aggressive or passive nature. There are a lot of heartfelt moments that can really tug at your emotions and the comedy in the film is so pure and spot on. The jokes are both puns towards animals that are timed perfectly and it even pokes fun at Disney themselves and when you can have that much fun to were you can poke fun at yourself , then you have a special film.
8. The Accountant
Here recently we've known that Ben Affleck can act and that he can also direct. This film focuses on the former and it shows he can be a major action star. This film has a ton of action and at some points it can be a little bit inspirational. It takes a look at a mental illness that often doesn't receive much attention and it tackles it very well. Now it doesn't mean you should be an accountant that also serves as a hitman, but it tells you that diseases shouldn't hold you back. It has a lot of twists and turns, but it reassures that you want to see Ben Affleck in more of these roles.
7. Star Trek Beyond
As some of you all know I am a massive Star Wars fan and it might be sacrilegious, but I'm a fan of Star Trek as well (just the films and not the show). In 2009 JJ Abrams set out on a mission to put this franchise back on track and make the films with today's technology and he did just that. Justin Lin stepped in for the third film as Abrams left for Star Wars Episode VII and Lin delivered a high-octane action film that made me feel like I was watching the old Star Trek films. This was a fabulous entry into the Star Trek lore and I'm really looking forward to seeing where the franchise goes from here.
6. Sausage Party
At the beginning of the year I never would've thought this film would be good or even remotely decent and boy was I wrong. Seth Rogen is a comedic genius and he delivers once again with a very raunchy film about food and it even has a nice political message to fit with our current world. The animation is gorgeous and it can even make you hungry at times. But as mentioned before this film can be raunchy and the last 10 minutes prove that and I don't want to spoil it because if I tried to explain it then you wouldn't believe it. Just don't let any children watch this with you or they might be scared for life.
5. Arrival
When this film was first announced, I honestly didn't know what to expect, but when you hear that a guy like Denis Villeneuve is directing, then you sit up and pay attention. This guy is a masterful director and the way he tells a story is just unbelievably remarkable. The film has a slow build to it so you have to be in it for the long haul, but it all pays off in the end. The way the story is told is very unique and interesting enough to the point at the end every thing pays off. Performance wise this film has some great ones mainly form Amy Adams and if sci-fi movies were made this way every time, I think I'd be in heaven.
4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Now as I mentioned before I am a massive Star Wars fan and you all are probably wondering why this film is this low. Well the simple answer to it is that I just felt there were 3 films better than it. This film was awesome in every sense of the word and if you are Star Wars fan than this is the film for you. The characters are fabulous and the little cameos of people we already know form previous films are perfectly timed throughout. If you get nothing out of this film, then please just watch the last 10 minutes and you'll end up leaving pretty happy. we were promised a war film and that's exactly what we got and thank you to Kathleen Kennedy and Bob Iger for allowing Gareth Edwards to make this film the way he wanted to.
3. Deadpool
For what seems like forever, we as comic book fans finally got the film we have been wanting the most for the longest time. 20th Century Fox did an outstanding job of staying true to the character unlike the last time in X-Men Origins: Wolverine where the character was completely messed up. Ryan Reynolds was the perfect choice to play the character and he knocked it out of the park.,The subtle humor the film has is so perfect and it even makes fun of itself and just like Zootopia, if you can make fun of yourself while joking about everyone else then you have achieved comedy greatness.
2. Manchester by the Sea
Unlike most films on this list, this might be the most depressing out of them all. Manchester by the Sea is a film that will toy with your emotions as you go throughout this story and learn more about the characters involved especially Casey Affleck's character. As mentioned in my review for the film, Kenneth Lonergan did an outstanding job of telling this story in such a way that you aren't really for sure what you believe. Michelle Williams gives an Oscar worthy performance in a very limited role as does Lucas Hedges who is more prominent that Williams. It's film that after you watch it once, you may not be able to watch it for a while or ever again because it's just so depressing, but also so beautiful at the same time.
1. Hacksaw Ridge
From the moment I walked out of the theater after seeing this film I knew from that moment that this was going to be my favorite film of the year and nothing would top it. Andrew Garfield gives the performance of a lifetime in this film and it's going to be a very interesting race between him and Casey Affleck for who walks home with the Best Actor statue at the Oscars. Mel Gibson makes his return to filmmaking and it feels pretty good to have him back and he just doesn't hold anything back in this film because why should he sugarcoat how war was. If it were any other director, they wouldn't have taken it as far as Gibson did and I believe the film would've been less impactful. It's a film that will make you feel every emotion possible and it's a film that deserves to be recognized as one of the most realistic war films ever made.
So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of my list and what were some of your favorite movies of 2016? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
10. The Jungle Book (2016)
Here recently, Disney has been making live adaptions of their animated films and so far they've been a little hit and miss, but this film is a home run. Jon Favreau is a phenomenal director and what he was able to to with this film is nothing less than spectacular. Now is the story original, no and to be honest it didn't have to be because the original animated films is special and unique and this film does do a few things differently. From the looks of the scenery, you would think that they went on location in Africa to film and that's not the case. Other than Neel Sethi (who plays Mowgli), the rest of this film is 100% CGI making it a one of a kind film and that alone deserves praise and recognition as one of the best films of the year.
9. Zootopia
A film done with nothing but animals seems a bit ridiculous and you would think it wouldn't work, then you hear it's done by Disney and then you realize this film could be remarkable and it is. All of the animals are unique and are really portrayed well as they would if they were in the wild in either their aggressive or passive nature. There are a lot of heartfelt moments that can really tug at your emotions and the comedy in the film is so pure and spot on. The jokes are both puns towards animals that are timed perfectly and it even pokes fun at Disney themselves and when you can have that much fun to were you can poke fun at yourself , then you have a special film.
8. The Accountant
Here recently we've known that Ben Affleck can act and that he can also direct. This film focuses on the former and it shows he can be a major action star. This film has a ton of action and at some points it can be a little bit inspirational. It takes a look at a mental illness that often doesn't receive much attention and it tackles it very well. Now it doesn't mean you should be an accountant that also serves as a hitman, but it tells you that diseases shouldn't hold you back. It has a lot of twists and turns, but it reassures that you want to see Ben Affleck in more of these roles.
7. Star Trek Beyond
As some of you all know I am a massive Star Wars fan and it might be sacrilegious, but I'm a fan of Star Trek as well (just the films and not the show). In 2009 JJ Abrams set out on a mission to put this franchise back on track and make the films with today's technology and he did just that. Justin Lin stepped in for the third film as Abrams left for Star Wars Episode VII and Lin delivered a high-octane action film that made me feel like I was watching the old Star Trek films. This was a fabulous entry into the Star Trek lore and I'm really looking forward to seeing where the franchise goes from here.
6. Sausage Party
At the beginning of the year I never would've thought this film would be good or even remotely decent and boy was I wrong. Seth Rogen is a comedic genius and he delivers once again with a very raunchy film about food and it even has a nice political message to fit with our current world. The animation is gorgeous and it can even make you hungry at times. But as mentioned before this film can be raunchy and the last 10 minutes prove that and I don't want to spoil it because if I tried to explain it then you wouldn't believe it. Just don't let any children watch this with you or they might be scared for life.
5. Arrival
When this film was first announced, I honestly didn't know what to expect, but when you hear that a guy like Denis Villeneuve is directing, then you sit up and pay attention. This guy is a masterful director and the way he tells a story is just unbelievably remarkable. The film has a slow build to it so you have to be in it for the long haul, but it all pays off in the end. The way the story is told is very unique and interesting enough to the point at the end every thing pays off. Performance wise this film has some great ones mainly form Amy Adams and if sci-fi movies were made this way every time, I think I'd be in heaven.
4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Now as I mentioned before I am a massive Star Wars fan and you all are probably wondering why this film is this low. Well the simple answer to it is that I just felt there were 3 films better than it. This film was awesome in every sense of the word and if you are Star Wars fan than this is the film for you. The characters are fabulous and the little cameos of people we already know form previous films are perfectly timed throughout. If you get nothing out of this film, then please just watch the last 10 minutes and you'll end up leaving pretty happy. we were promised a war film and that's exactly what we got and thank you to Kathleen Kennedy and Bob Iger for allowing Gareth Edwards to make this film the way he wanted to.
3. Deadpool
For what seems like forever, we as comic book fans finally got the film we have been wanting the most for the longest time. 20th Century Fox did an outstanding job of staying true to the character unlike the last time in X-Men Origins: Wolverine where the character was completely messed up. Ryan Reynolds was the perfect choice to play the character and he knocked it out of the park.,The subtle humor the film has is so perfect and it even makes fun of itself and just like Zootopia, if you can make fun of yourself while joking about everyone else then you have achieved comedy greatness.
2. Manchester by the Sea
Unlike most films on this list, this might be the most depressing out of them all. Manchester by the Sea is a film that will toy with your emotions as you go throughout this story and learn more about the characters involved especially Casey Affleck's character. As mentioned in my review for the film, Kenneth Lonergan did an outstanding job of telling this story in such a way that you aren't really for sure what you believe. Michelle Williams gives an Oscar worthy performance in a very limited role as does Lucas Hedges who is more prominent that Williams. It's film that after you watch it once, you may not be able to watch it for a while or ever again because it's just so depressing, but also so beautiful at the same time.
1. Hacksaw Ridge
From the moment I walked out of the theater after seeing this film I knew from that moment that this was going to be my favorite film of the year and nothing would top it. Andrew Garfield gives the performance of a lifetime in this film and it's going to be a very interesting race between him and Casey Affleck for who walks home with the Best Actor statue at the Oscars. Mel Gibson makes his return to filmmaking and it feels pretty good to have him back and he just doesn't hold anything back in this film because why should he sugarcoat how war was. If it were any other director, they wouldn't have taken it as far as Gibson did and I believe the film would've been less impactful. It's a film that will make you feel every emotion possible and it's a film that deserves to be recognized as one of the most realistic war films ever made.
So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of my list and what were some of your favorite movies of 2016? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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