2016, another great year for cinema. The year had its breakouts and its breakdowns, but Hollywood did a pretty good job overall. Here's my list of the 5 best movies that were released this past year.
5. Passengers (Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence. Dir. Morten Tyldum)
Despite the abysmal percentage Passengers earned on Rotten Tomatoes, I enjoyed this movie for a few different reasons. Films set in space will always tend to be more entertaining because of the fantastic cinematography that wows me, especially now that technology is so much better than it was even 20 years ago. The storyline was solid and there weren't any major plotholes, which is something that seems to happen frequently in galactic films. While more could have been added to the story, instead of being reduced to love, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed watching Passengers, and Pratt and Lawrence were a good choice.
4. The Jungle Book (Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley. Dir. Jon Favreau)
The Jungle Book has always been a beloved classic and has become even more popular since Disney animated the story in 1967. While the attempt to create a live-action film fell flat in 1994, the 2016 version of The Jungle Book did a much nicer job. The cinematography in this movie is stunning, and it's nice to hear familiar voices (Murray, Kingsley, and Scarlett Johansson) behind the talking animals. The story is executed well, perhaps not with as much happy-go-luckiness as with the Disney version. I enjoyed that the director Favreau took a darker approach to the story.
3. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston. Dir. David Yates)
To some, this may seem like an unnecessary addition to the already-humongous Harry Potter franchise. To others, like me, it's only the first exposure to an untapped realm within the wizarding world of J.K. Rowling. The fact that David Yates directed this after having directed the last four HP films only guarantees experience and expertise. The film is filled with just the right amount of comedy, drama, suspense, and wonder, befitting a magical movie. Many would have enjoyed a better look into the American equivalent of Hogwarts, called Ilvermorny, but I appreciate getting an adult perspective rather than always having a kid or teen protagonist.
2. Finding Dory (Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks. Dir. Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane)
Finding Nemo has been a Disney-Pixar favorite since 2003, and one of few truly deserving a sequel. We found out what happened to Nemo, but what about Dory? The film brings closure to its predecessor; while some plotholes can be found here, just like in any sequel, it was truly an enjoyable movie to watch for people of all ages. The Finding Dory story is unpredictable with its many twists and turns and brings plenty of humor to the table while projecting a wholesome message about love, family, and friends.
1. Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein. Dir. Tim Miller)
I think we can all agree that Deadpool was both the superstar and the underdog of cinema in 2016. With a budget of $58 million (compared to The Avengers, which had a budget of $220 million), Marvel figured it would flop, leaving the cast and crew to fend for themselves. The result was a smash hit, destroying all expectations. The film and the character of Deadpool himself are immature and often incredibly inappropriate for younger audiences, but that's what makes the whole thing so fantastic. The fourth-wall-shattering writing, the outstanding acting, the better-than-sliced-bread fight scenes, and everything else that can be taken into account blends into one of the best movies any major motion picture company has produced in awhile. That feat is even more inspiring considering the tiny budget the creators of Deadpool had to go with. Deadpool earned my heart, my soul, and my left arm.
