My Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2017 - Part 2
Here we go with part 2 of my top 10 favorite movies from 2017! The list got much more difficult to narrow down from this point on. Clearly, there are still many great movies that I haven't brought up yet, and what's left needed to be narrowed down to only 5!
But worry not, it has been done, and I am excited to share my thoughts and insights with you all! One last note, know that I was not able to watch every movie I wanted to this past year, so a movie that may still be great might not have made it onto this list since I haven't seen it yet. For example, I never made it around to seeing Thor: Ragnarok, Murder on the Orient Express, and a few others that I still very much want to see. Alright, let's finish this up!
5
Picking back up at number 5 we have Christopher Nolan's latest masterpiece: Dunkirk! Christopher Nolan's is probably my favorite moviemaker today. He has such a keen eye for detail and good storytelling in all of his films. Unfortunately, I missed out on seeing this one in the theater, as it was best viewed in 70mm film IMAX. I was able to see it on Blu-ray with my surround sound system which I am very thankful for! This is very unique as a war film with a very different, and in my opinion brilliant approach to storytelling.The movie focusses heavily on the overall experience that the soldiers in the movie went through rather than the soldier's stories themselves. The experience and story are essentially the main characters in the film. Nolan said himself, "That is the reality that we want to give the audience so that they can feel that they are there." The movie is a beautifully immersive spectacle that was even filmed on location where the actual events took place, making the movie almost as real as it gets!
At every moment you feel as though you are there beside the soldiers; everything is incredibly realistic and authentic. The main message of the movie is the hope that people have through the horrors of war itself. Hope can be such a powerful tool and the emphasis on it for the event is inspiring. When thinking of this hope, I am reminded of Hebrews 6:19: "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul..." I gave Dunkirk an 8.5 out of 10 and highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of historical war films as this is actually a little-known story from WWII here is the States.
4
At number 4, we have a recently released movie that I loved even more than I thought I would, The Greatest Showman! At the very least, I thought this would be an enjoyable and fun movie to watch, but it was so much more.Hugh Jackman stars as P.T. Barnum the man who invented the "Greatest Show on Earth" or the circus as we have come to know it. The movie is a musical that takes place around the 1800's, and for its music utilizes a modern day style. At first, this may puzzle you, but the film actually does this intentionally to show us how ahead of his time Barnum was in his thinking.
Since seeing the movie a few weeks ago, I have listened to the soundtrack more times than I can count, and will most definitely be buying it when it is released on Blu-ray! This may not be a "Christian" movie, but it is a great family film. In the movie, Barnum seeks out those who are outcasts to society. People who in the world's eyes, could never amount to anything significant; and that is the wonderful message of this movie, that no matter who you are, you are unique and important. Everything about this movie is spectacular; the characters, the stunts, the music; it's all beautifully done.
The story focuses heavily on Barnum's family and what they mean to him. Along with that, we are shown how Barnum gives people purpose who have none at all. He gives those who are kept out of sight somewhere that they can belong. And lastly but I think most importantly, Barnum is portrayed as someone who is good, but still flawed. I loved how the movie individually handled each and every one of these themes, there is much that Christians can recognize and apply to their lives from this movie and its many messages! I gave the movie an 8 out of 10 and recommend that if you can, go see it while it is still in theaters, it's worth it!
3
Now is where things got extremely difficult for me, trying to narrow down my final 3 favorites from the past year was a challenge. I'm sure that many of you have noticed, there are some BIG ones I haven't mentioned yet. Even as I'm writing now, I'm working out where my top 2 will stand.
Before we get there though, let's talk about my number 3, Star Wars: The Last Jedi! There was a fairly significant divide on what fans thought about the new Star Wars movie. Personally, I loved it and gave it a 9 out of 10! The movie took some risks in its direction for the future of the franchise, and I applaud them for that.
Until its release, many people wondered if it would be a rehash of The Empire Strikes Back as some people claimed The Force Awakens to be extremely similar to A New Hope and its story. Not everyone appreciated the risks that director Rian Johnson took with his next chapter in the saga. There were multiple instances throughout this movie where unexpected and sometimes surprising events take place. That was one aspect I loved; this Star Wars movie is part a franchise that has been active for over 40 years now, and they are still able to try new things and surprise us!
The story picks up right where The Force Awakens left off. Rey has just found Luke Skywalker, and what is left of the Resistance is desperately trying to rid the galaxy of the rule of the First Order. In my opinion, the movie did a good job digging deeper into each of the main characters, specifically Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo.
I think the character that we learn the most about from this movie is Poe. We don't know much about him by the end of The Force Awakens other than he is the best pilot in the Resistance. But through The Last Jedi, we learn that he can make rash decisions in the moment without considering the big picture. I liked that because there is a good lesson to learn with it. Often in today's society, we are taught that it is ideal to live moment to moment working for ourselves, and we can easily forget that there are others around us that we are also responsible for.
Luke was the other character that I think has changed the most, and this is where a lot of controversies came from for the new movie. Heads up if you haven't seen it yet, we are going into spoiler territory. (If you want to avoid spoilers, you can skip to number 2 on my countdown.) We are reintroduced to Luke (for real this time) after 30 years have passed (since The Return of the Jedi ended). He now lives in isolation, ashamed of his failed attempt at bringing the Jedi order back to the galaxy. It's Luke's story and character in this movie that I think also best sums up the main theme of the movie. Luke has refused to teach Rey the ways of the Force as he believes the Jedi are not meant to return, and she has now left to go help her friends and face Kylo Ren.
Luke is alone again struggling with his past failures. Then, in an incredibly awesome and unexpected surprise, YODA appears! He reminds Luke that failure can be the best teacher and that one of the greatest acts of moving on is to let go of the past and to embrace the unfamiliar future and what it holds. This is often one of the toughest lessons for us to learn, as we focus so heavily on the importance of tradition and "the old way of doing things" that we struggle to grasp and embrace what the present and the future has to hold. Our God is not just a God who was present during the times Bible, He is here and active now, and will continue to be here in the future, and so should we! Philippians 1:6 tells us: "be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Before we get there though, let's talk about my number 3, Star Wars: The Last Jedi! There was a fairly significant divide on what fans thought about the new Star Wars movie. Personally, I loved it and gave it a 9 out of 10! The movie took some risks in its direction for the future of the franchise, and I applaud them for that.
Until its release, many people wondered if it would be a rehash of The Empire Strikes Back as some people claimed The Force Awakens to be extremely similar to A New Hope and its story. Not everyone appreciated the risks that director Rian Johnson took with his next chapter in the saga. There were multiple instances throughout this movie where unexpected and sometimes surprising events take place. That was one aspect I loved; this Star Wars movie is part a franchise that has been active for over 40 years now, and they are still able to try new things and surprise us!
The story picks up right where The Force Awakens left off. Rey has just found Luke Skywalker, and what is left of the Resistance is desperately trying to rid the galaxy of the rule of the First Order. In my opinion, the movie did a good job digging deeper into each of the main characters, specifically Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo.
I think the character that we learn the most about from this movie is Poe. We don't know much about him by the end of The Force Awakens other than he is the best pilot in the Resistance. But through The Last Jedi, we learn that he can make rash decisions in the moment without considering the big picture. I liked that because there is a good lesson to learn with it. Often in today's society, we are taught that it is ideal to live moment to moment working for ourselves, and we can easily forget that there are others around us that we are also responsible for.
Luke was the other character that I think has changed the most, and this is where a lot of controversies came from for the new movie. Heads up if you haven't seen it yet, we are going into spoiler territory. (If you want to avoid spoilers, you can skip to number 2 on my countdown.) We are reintroduced to Luke (for real this time) after 30 years have passed (since The Return of the Jedi ended). He now lives in isolation, ashamed of his failed attempt at bringing the Jedi order back to the galaxy. It's Luke's story and character in this movie that I think also best sums up the main theme of the movie. Luke has refused to teach Rey the ways of the Force as he believes the Jedi are not meant to return, and she has now left to go help her friends and face Kylo Ren.
Luke is alone again struggling with his past failures. Then, in an incredibly awesome and unexpected surprise, YODA appears! He reminds Luke that failure can be the best teacher and that one of the greatest acts of moving on is to let go of the past and to embrace the unfamiliar future and what it holds. This is often one of the toughest lessons for us to learn, as we focus so heavily on the importance of tradition and "the old way of doing things" that we struggle to grasp and embrace what the present and the future has to hold. Our God is not just a God who was present during the times Bible, He is here and active now, and will continue to be here in the future, and so should we! Philippians 1:6 tells us: "be confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
2
At number 2 we have one of the best conclusions to a trilogy story arc that I have seen, War for the Planet of the Apes! This movie blew away all the expectations I had going in and is nearly a perfect movie. It completed a story arc that few movies have the opportunity to do so well! I gave the film a 9.5 out of 10, and here is why I think it ranks among the best!
Up until this movie, we have seen the main character Ceasar's birth, rise to power, and lead the dawn of a new era on earth. First glance at this movie, you would think it's going to be mostly action and battle sequences (the title is "War" lol) but actually, it focuses more on the personal struggles that Ceasar is going through since the events of the last one. I wasn't sure about this direction at first, but once the movie gets going with this, you are hooked! I much prefer this direction to what I thought it would be as it totally pays off.
In my opinion, this trilogy as a whole started really good and got even better with each entry, culminating in what I think is the best part of the trilogy. The special effects and motion capture work are absolutely breathtaking in this movie. They legitimately look 100% real, and that is saying something. In one interview I watched with Andy Serkis who plays Ceasar, he said, the coolest thing with acting in motion capture is that there is no acting, it's real. Motion capture technology takes every part of an actor and converts that to the character they are playing, and it is a beautiful thing to see in the end result. Almost every scene in this movie is a masterpiece, and if you have not seen this trilogy yet, I highly recommend watching it, you will love it. Each movie on its own shines, but together is something to be marveled at. If Andy Serkis doesn't finally get an Oscar for this role, I'll be shocked because he has certainly earned it!
The main theme of this movie is a struggle with revenge and coping with loss. I'll start with the topic of loss, and just a forewarning we're going into mild spoiler territory for how the movie starts and sets up its main plot. So if you prefer to avoid spoilers, you can skip the next paragraph.
In the beginning of the movie, we are introduced to the main antagonist of the film who is known only as the Colonel. He comes into the ape's hidden refuge and kills multiple apes in an attempt to lure out Ceasar. Though the Colonel didn't know it at the time he killed Ceasar's wife and firstborn son. This is a deep and highly emotional blow to Ceasar and sets up his path of revenge against the Colonel for the movie.
Up until this movie, we have seen the main character Ceasar's birth, rise to power, and lead the dawn of a new era on earth. First glance at this movie, you would think it's going to be mostly action and battle sequences (the title is "War" lol) but actually, it focuses more on the personal struggles that Ceasar is going through since the events of the last one. I wasn't sure about this direction at first, but once the movie gets going with this, you are hooked! I much prefer this direction to what I thought it would be as it totally pays off.
In my opinion, this trilogy as a whole started really good and got even better with each entry, culminating in what I think is the best part of the trilogy. The special effects and motion capture work are absolutely breathtaking in this movie. They legitimately look 100% real, and that is saying something. In one interview I watched with Andy Serkis who plays Ceasar, he said, the coolest thing with acting in motion capture is that there is no acting, it's real. Motion capture technology takes every part of an actor and converts that to the character they are playing, and it is a beautiful thing to see in the end result. Almost every scene in this movie is a masterpiece, and if you have not seen this trilogy yet, I highly recommend watching it, you will love it. Each movie on its own shines, but together is something to be marveled at. If Andy Serkis doesn't finally get an Oscar for this role, I'll be shocked because he has certainly earned it!
The main theme of this movie is a struggle with revenge and coping with loss. I'll start with the topic of loss, and just a forewarning we're going into mild spoiler territory for how the movie starts and sets up its main plot. So if you prefer to avoid spoilers, you can skip the next paragraph.
In the beginning of the movie, we are introduced to the main antagonist of the film who is known only as the Colonel. He comes into the ape's hidden refuge and kills multiple apes in an attempt to lure out Ceasar. Though the Colonel didn't know it at the time he killed Ceasar's wife and firstborn son. This is a deep and highly emotional blow to Ceasar and sets up his path of revenge against the Colonel for the movie.
Once Ceasar starts on this obsessive path of revenge, you realize that this is not the movie you may have been expecting (which is awesome!). Ceasar is so wholly focused on getting revenge against the Colonel for his actions that he leaves his tribe of apes to find a new home away from the remaining humans. Recognizing this destructive path that Ceasar has chosen, a few of his closest friends go with him hoping to steer him straight. I love seeing the chemistry of Ceasar and his friends, it is a great example of what we as Christian's should be willing to do for one another when we see someone we are close to who is hurt and struggling.
Overall, War for the Planet of the Apes is a powerful movie that takes what it was previously built to and expands everything even further and deeper in a way I did not expect, but greatly loved and appreciated. This movie was so close to being my number 1 for the year but wanting to really put my own passions and ideas into how I viewed and rated each movie another one made it just ahead!
1
Finally at number 1, and my favorite movie from 2017, we have Baby Driver! If you remember, I wrote a review on this one a couple months back. Because of this, I won't go into too much detail on the plot, mostly focusing on what I loved about this movie and why I picked it as my number 1.
If you would like to read my full detailed breakdown and review for the movie, you can do so here: Baby Driver: A New Spin on Heist Movies
In my opinion, Edgar Wright's Baby Driver does a great job taking the heist movie genre that we know and love, and putting its own flair on things. Instead of focussing on a group of people trying to accomplish their biggest heist ever, we are introduced to Baby, a young man who has been forced into a world he wants almost nothing to do with. His interactions with all the other characters remind us that he does not belong in this world. No matter how good of a getaway driver he is, and we are rooting for him to find a way out and be able to live the quiet life he desires.
Baby has been working towards getting out of a life of crime for quite some time, and first decides he wants out as soon as possible when he meets and begins to fall for Debora. Debora is a waitress he meets when eating at a diner one day and immediately has feelings for. I didn't mention this in my full review, but I'll bring it up here; even early on we see that Baby is someone who takes responsibility for is actions. Though it is forced repayment, he knows he wronged Doc (his "boss") in the past and is willing to reconcile with him over this debt. This is a difficult thing to do for anyone, and coming clean when we make mistakes is a hard thing to do, and there is something we can learn from with that.
Overall, Baby Driver is one of the most action-packed thrill rides I have seen in a while! Both the fun factor and the entertainment value of this movie are excellent! Those are some of the main reasons I gave it my number 1 slot. From beginning to end this movie is action packed and will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. There is a sharp attention to detail from the director of Baby Driver that gives it a uniqueness amongst any other similar style movie. The acting is top notch with memorable characters that make for an even more memorable story. I will be enjoying this movie for a long time!
Thank you for sticking around and reading my thoughts about many of my favorite movies from the past year. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my views on movies. Hopefully, through this post, I've convinced you to check out some movies you haven't considered looking into before. Thanks again for all of your support, I look forward to my next post and all the discussions we can share together with this year's movies!
God bless! 😃
HisDisciple319
Baby has been working towards getting out of a life of crime for quite some time, and first decides he wants out as soon as possible when he meets and begins to fall for Debora. Debora is a waitress he meets when eating at a diner one day and immediately has feelings for. I didn't mention this in my full review, but I'll bring it up here; even early on we see that Baby is someone who takes responsibility for is actions. Though it is forced repayment, he knows he wronged Doc (his "boss") in the past and is willing to reconcile with him over this debt. This is a difficult thing to do for anyone, and coming clean when we make mistakes is a hard thing to do, and there is something we can learn from with that.
Overall, Baby Driver is one of the most action-packed thrill rides I have seen in a while! Both the fun factor and the entertainment value of this movie are excellent! Those are some of the main reasons I gave it my number 1 slot. From beginning to end this movie is action packed and will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. There is a sharp attention to detail from the director of Baby Driver that gives it a uniqueness amongst any other similar style movie. The acting is top notch with memorable characters that make for an even more memorable story. I will be enjoying this movie for a long time!
Thank you for sticking around and reading my thoughts about many of my favorite movies from the past year. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my views on movies. Hopefully, through this post, I've convinced you to check out some movies you haven't considered looking into before. Thanks again for all of your support, I look forward to my next post and all the discussions we can share together with this year's movies!
God bless! 😃
HisDisciple319
Comments
Post a Comment