Opinions change. That’s kinda one of the major facets of opinions, really. They change, facts don’t. Well, when it comes to opinions, something that can change them is the experience that comes with time. In that vein, there’s a few top tens from the early days of this blog that could use a re-visit, as my opinions have changed since their initial inception. I had the idea to do this as I recognized that we were coming up on the three year anniversary of this blog, and figured re-visiting (hence, redux) some old Top Tens could be fun!
First up is films! I’ll also include a small list of films which have been knocked out of the top ten from the last version of the list. I’ll also highlight new entries to the list in RED.
Knocked From the List: Dinotopia (Was #10), Jurassic World (Was #9)
10) Zodiac
For as much as I like to go on and on about action scenes, I genuinely actually prefer talking scenes. Maybe it’s my background in theater acting, or my hobby of voice acting, but whenever people are just standing around talking, I always get super invested. Lo and behold, there’s a whole lot of that in this movie! Some really well-written dialogue scenes, plenty of good tension, and a few moments of nail-biting suspense (that basement scene being a real highlight). Just a solid movie all around that puts the focus less on the killer and more on the heroes who fought to end his reign of terror, which I always appreciate.
9) Mission Impossible Fallout
It didn’t get unseated by Dead Reckoning, and so here Fallout continues to remain as the best action movie I’ve ever seen. The closest thing it has to a flaw is that you really need to have seen Rogue Nation to fully appreciate it, but honestly you should be watching all of these movies (and in order) in the first place. Other than that, you’re in for one heck of a two-and-a-half hour thrill ride that blasts from one unforgettable set piece to the next with just enough to breathe in some good character development scenes. Such an incredible masterpiece, and I could watch that final helicopter battle a thousand times and not got bored.
8) Iron Man 3
I still believe this is the most fun MCU movie around, even if a few other contenders popped up in the three years since my last article (like The Marvels). I’ll admit to some bias given my incredible love of Robert Downey Jr’s portrayal of Tony Stark, but I still think this film is a serious contender for just a great way to pass the time if you’re in the mood for some superhero fun. It’s fairly light-hearted, has a lot of really great humor moments, super fun and creative action scenes, a lot more heart than most superhero flicks, and a superb soundtrack to top it all off.
7) Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
So, you may notice that this movie has flipped with the next entry since my last version of this list. Trust me when I say that has more to do with my love of the next entry growing, and less to do with me disliking this movie or anything like that. I’m still a massive prequels fan, and this film is the best of the prequels for sure. Our lead actors are at the top of their game, the action and stakes have never been crazier and more exciting, and the emotional beats at the end still hit hard (especially so if you’ve seen The Clone Wars). If you had to ask me what scene I think of when you say ‘Star Wars‘, it’d probably be something from this film.
6) Rogue One
Honestly, I think I primarily owe this slightly higher placement of Rogue One to the extreme success of Andor. Obviously, I was already a huge fan of this movie, but seeing characters like Cassian in action in the years leading up to this film have only made me appreciate both him and this movie even more. I have a feeling my love will only grow stronger once Season Two of Andor airs. Regardless, this is both a fantastic war movie and Star Wars movie, with easily the best battle in the series (The Battle of Scarif). The extremely emotionally cathartic ending is the cherry on top of this fantastic flick.
5) Captain America: Civil War
I think my love of this movie not only grows with every watch-through, but also as the Captain America sphere of the MCU keeps growing (like with Falcon and the Winter Soldier). For as much as I love Iron Man or Spider-Man in the MCU, it’s Cap’s group of friends and enemies who I like the most taken as a whole. But hey, Iron Man and Spider-Man are in this movie too, so it’s really a win-win for me! And this movie has it all, really. The best character writing in the MCU, some of the coolest fights, a lot of memorable jokes, excellent character moments (particularly the one I’ve pictured below), and a standout villain. At the very least, it’s a huge improvement over the messy Civil War storyline from the comics, so that’s something!
4) Kung Fu Panda 2
Still an absolutely incredible movie, and every time a new bad animated sequel releases, the fact that this movie is so perfect only grows. And, I get it, it’s hard to recapture the magic of the original with a sequel, especially for unplanned sequels (like what happens with most movies that were never meant to be a saga). And yet, the creators of Kung Fu Panda 2 knocked it out of the park, creating a film that blows away all expectations and set a new standard for animated sequels. A more mature story that explores dark but impactful and important themes, a more threatening and multi-layered villain, more exciting action sequences (especially the climax), and an even better soundtrack courtesy of Hans Zimmer. A perfect movie for all ages.
3) Across the Spiderverse
Yeah, it definitely wasn’t some sort of honeymoon period that spurred me on to watch this movie twice in theaters and then obsess over it for weeks. It really is just that good, and probably the only other truly exceptional animated sequel that outshines the original, keeping good company with Kung Fu Panda 2. Cynics will say that it’s an unfinished movie, but saying that is a disservice to not only this film’s achievements, but also demonstrates a lack of understanding of the art of filmmaking. It’s not half a movie at all, it’s a full Gwen movie and tantalizing set-up for the grand finale (I mean, seriously, have people forgotten that all middle films in a trilogy are like this?).
Anyway, digression aside, this is another perfect animated movie that nails it in all aspects. Most noteworthy being the visuals, but also the soundtrack, fight scenes, jokes, and emotional beats. The villain is also incredible, and I can’t wait to see how it all concludes in part three!
2) Dark Knight
When I last did this article it had been awhile since I’d actually seen Dark Knight. I just knew that I loved it from when I’d last seen it. A few months ago I watched it again, and yeah, it’s still just as amazing. Obviously, it was always going to appeal to me on some personal levels because I’ve always leaned towards liking darker stories and themes, and boy does this movie cover those in spades! Even still, it’s such a magical movie with regards to its storytelling, where it really feels like it shouldn’t work and yet it does. Because while it is a bleak movie with lots of death and destruction, the overall message is almost blindingly hopeful and optimistic. One could even call it naïve, but I think it’s perfectly fitting and very touching.
And, of course, Heath Ledger. Much has been made of his performance, and all the praise he gets is well deserved. Not to say the rest of the cast isn’t stellar too, because they are!
1) Inception
It’s rare that a movie is just as magical on your fifth watch (or more) as it was on your original watch. And yet, in every area, this movie is exactly that. Every time I watch it, I pick up on some new hint of foreshadowing, or another clever character reveal that I didn’t catch on my first watch. Every time I watch it, I gape in awe at the mind-bending set pieces and dream-twisted action scenes. And every time I watch it, I cry all over again at the ending, which is still my favorite ending in cinematic history.
There’s a lot of movies that stick with you after watching them, however many tend to be more grounded films, or thought-provoking art pieces. It’s rare to find a movie that succeeds in being both a bombastic summer blockbuster, and also an emotionally charged and mentally stimulating masterpiece. Inception, of course, is one such example of this rare phenomenon, and it’s all the better for it. Truly an all-time classic, that comes highly recommended if you’ve somehow never seen it yet.
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 