Best of 2019 - Movies

Written by Shiggins

Opinion of the year!

Just like last year, I've decided to do my Best Movies list, and just like last year, I will be following the same rules. Several categories, three films per category, everything here is purely my own opinion, and I encourage you to share your own favourites down below too. We had a very busy year full of successes and bombs, and it's time to celebrate them! Oh and just so you know, these aren't in any order whatsoever.

Best Comic Book Movies

Avengers Endgame (Read the Review)

Well, obviously. As if I wasn't going to bring this one up. It's the highest-grossing movie of all time, the finale to the Infinity Saga, the end of several major characters we've followed for the past ten years, one of which began Robert Downey Jr's famous comeback, and it was a damn amazing movie that I enjoyed vigorously. From the after-effects of the Snap, to the time travel back to past MCU movies, to the fanservice and the final fight, there was so much to enjoy and it still remains in my mind to this day.

With Thanos having achieved victory to wipe out half the universe, the Avengers have fallen and are losing hope. They all go down their own paths, but are reunited when Ant-Man makes a shocking return and brings up the idea of time travel, to reverse Thanos' Snap and save the countless lives lost. With a lovable cast, terrific acting, epic fight scenes, and a true show of heart, Avengers: Endgame won practically everyone over, and I'm not ashamed to admit it that it's one of my personal favourites of the whole year.


Spider-Man: Far from Home (Read the Review)

And we go from the finale to the epilogue! Ending off the Infinity Saga of Marvel, this was the film that had the horrendous task of not only having to follow up after Endgame's dramatic success, but also making us want to see what Marvel does next in whatever future arc they've got in the works (which is hopefully the Doom Saga). And did it succeed? Damn swinging it did! In this film, Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) is going on a school trip with his classmates, but things quickly go awry when massive monsters appear, and he has to join forces with new character Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) to keep his friends safe.

Lots of fun action, clever jokes, a more relaxed mood than the other two comic book movies on this list, and a childhood-favourite villain of mine finally making his big-screen debut means there's a lot to enjoy from Far from Home. Some might prefer the more quiet atmosphere of Captain Marvel, which I totally get, but Spider-Man is My-Man, and Sony seem to be doing him right. For now. Let's wait for the spin-offs before we give them too much credit.


Joker (Read the Review)

The thing about Joker is that I consider it a great movie, but people insist that's not enough. I've had people annoyed at me for not saying it's perfect, and that's unfair because I think it's a very good story with some fantastic acting and an interesting use of Gotham City. In this new origin story, Arthur Fleck is a man with mental illness, who lives in the desperate and crime-ridden city of Gotham, with no Big Bad Bat in sight to protect them. This sets Arthur down a dangerous journey to become... The Joker!

Almost the perfect alternative to the MCU, Joker brings forth an engaging and convincing transformation for our protagonist as he dons the clown make-up and begins a crime spree. A film in which everything is depressing, but never suffocating, thanks to the dark wit and humour provided. And of course, Jaoquin Phoenix is incredible, which is probably why I enjoyed the movie as much as I did. It has it's problems, but it's going to appeal to a lot of people, even more than me.


Best Animated Movies

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

You haven't slept on this franchise, have you? How to Train Your Dragon was a trilogy that rivalled some of the best Disney has to offer, and helped keep Dreamworks in the business, hopefully for many years to come. I'm sure it would be perfectly fun to watch on it's own, but it is more than a singular film. It is a fantastic ending, and endings are something to celebrate in this day and age of franchises returning with zero restraint.

In our final instalment, our protagonist Hiccup and his dragon partner Toothless become the targets of a Terrance Stamp-looking villain known as Grimmel the Grisley. who seeks to hunt down Toothless as a trophy. As Toothless falls for Grimmel's trap, a female dragon, Hiccup must find a way to keep his village safe, and that might involve finding the "Hidden World" of dragons. The ending is terrific, the animation beautiful, and don't you DARE make a sequel or I'm replacing this entry with The Missing Link. 


The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (Read the Review)

Woah, this film did poorly?! Despite each of these Lego movies being fantastic for all ages, they've never done amazing in the money department, and it seems likely that we won't be receiving another one for quite some time due to the low amount this one made. (Although I hear we're meant to get Lego Batman Movie 2 in 2022). To be fair, if this is the end, there are certainly worse films to bow out with.

Following on the reveals and changes of the first film, the Lego Movie 2 focuses on the city of Bricksburg and the wasteland it has become, with Emmett (Chris Pratt) having to leave when his girlfriend Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) and his friends are kidnapped by an alien enemy who wishes to force Batman (Will Arnett) into a marriage, while preparing for "Armamageddon".


Toy Story 4 (Read the Review)

I didn't think they could do it, but Pixar showed definitive proof that if they have a story, we should let them follow through on it. After Toy Story 3's perfect ending proved that cartoons can make us cry for days on end, Toy Story 4 sounds like what should be the worst and most greedy idea ever, but instead we got a bright, fun and emotional adventure that really helped finish up Woody's personal journey in a way I didn't even know I wanted.

Toy Story 4 is all about Woody in his new life as Bonnie's toy, but he's feeling out-of-place as he struggles to move on from Andy. While on a road trip with Bonnie, Woody encounters an old blast from the past when Bo Peep returns to his life, and shows how she's been living since she disappeared between 2 and 3. We meet new friends, new problems, and even a talking spork, all of which help to make Toy Story 4 a brilliant cartoon for all ages. No idea how they'd make a 5th one though.


Best Action, Crime & Thriller Movies

John Wick 3: Parabellum

Damn, I regret not getting into this series earlier. I finally sat down with the entire trilogy of John Wick, the series that has made Keanu Reeves return to the spotlight, and he's certainly working his hardest to keep it in the third instalment of this franchise. Giving us some of the best action scenes of the decade, interesting characters, and enough killer dogs to massacre the entire organisation of baddies, John Wick 3 is more than deserving of your time.

After the events of the previous film, John Wick is on the run from the organisation of hitmen and assassins he once worked for long ago, and he must use what little resources he has to find a way to get the contract off of his life. From Halle Berry and horses, to knives and a library book, John Wick fights with it all. And honestly, talking to you about it all doesn't do it justice.You have to see this incredible action for yourself.


El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Breaking Bad didn't need an epilogue, but get one it did, and a fine one at that. This film won't appear on many people's lists, which is completely fair, but I loved Breaking Bad and I got some nice closure and nostalgia from the story about one of Breaking Bad's most endearing characters after the events of the five season show. So basically, don't read the next paragraph unless you've seen the show already.

After the events of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) betraying him in the final season, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) is now on the run and wanting to escape the country. He calls in his last friends, avoids some new enemies, and struggles to cope with the humiliation and violence he was given while held in captivity. And while a film like this might be boring to those who haven't seen the series, since a surprisingly large amount of it is spent in conversation, I was engaged throughout, and would have no trouble watching it again and again. After I've rewatched Breaking Bad again and again, of course.


Knives Out

With the exception of Avengers: Endgame, this might be my favourite film of 2019. Directed by Rian Johnson and featuring an all-star cast including Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon and Christopher Plummer, Knives Out was the film I needed after a cold period of middling movies that were unable to blow me away. It's with deep regret that I didn't have the time to review it, so take my praise here as the recommendation you need.

The patriarch of a wealthy family passes away by suicide, and the entire family, all with their own secrets and issues, show up to remember him, as well as prepare for the reading of his will. However, famous detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) has been summoned and he suspects foul play. A classic whodunit, updated for a modern generation, and with clear signs of influence by Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, Knives Out is one of the best films this year, and you're missing out by not sitting down and giving it a watch for yourself.


Best Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movies

Alita: Battle Angel

I'll admit that I didn't want to even check out Alita when it was first advertised. It looked very pretentious and insisting it should be a franchise, which didn't surprise me when I found out the producer was James Cameron. However, I finally gave it a watch and... yeah, it's good. And since this category is doing pretty badly this year anyway, Alita managed to just make it in.

Based on a manga, Alita: Battle Angel is set in the year 2563 and follows the story of the titular hero Alita (Rosa Salazar), an amnesiac cyborg who wants to discover the truth of her past. So she must fight against horrific cyborg monsters, compete in extreme sports, and pray that this film makes enough money for a sequel, which is why there's so much in here. Hopefully it does, because I'd like to see where this franchise goes. Although blimey, those were big eyes.


Jumanji: The Next Level

While it's not quite as brilliant as the previous entry, The Next Level does indeed continue the trend that these films are worth your time for a fun Christmas outing, with it's surprising action, comedy and enjoyable character dynamics. With all of the previous cast returning, Jumanji might be the film you need if you're not willing to slog through Star Wars again.

After the events of the last movie, young boy Spencer (Alex Wolff) is missing his time as Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), so he goes back into the game to try and relive the power, causing his other friends, as well as his grandfather Eddie (Danny deVito) and Eddie's old friend Milo (Donald Glover) to need to go back in to rescue him. However, Eddie ends up as Bravestone, Milo ends up as Mouse (Kevin Hart) and unfortunately Jack Black is not Beth (Madison Iseman) this time, but whatever... I'm not bitter.


The Kid Who Would be King

High Life? No. Ad Astra? Boring. And I'm only one human, so I haven't had a chance to really check out some of the lesser-known sci-fi and fantasy out there... and here we are with a surprisingly good movie for kids. It's a fantasy adventure for the younger years, but without the usual awkwardness one would expect of a film "made for kids". And by that I mean it isn't stupid.

With performances by Patrick Stewart, who makes everything better, and Rebecca Ferguson, The Kid Who Would be King is all about a young group of friends in high school who come across the mighty sword Excalibur and must use it to take on the evil enchantress Morgana before she can destroy the world. And let's be honest, we all loved King Arthur as a kid. Or at least, we should have.


Best Anime Movies

Promare (Read the Review)

Your experience may differ, but Promare was the most fun I had with an anime movie all year. It's an absolutely insane ride of visual splendour and imagination brought to us from the lovable madmen at Trigger that will appeal to those who have loved Trigger's works in the past, but might be a turn-off for those who would rather watch something more down-to-Earth. Promare is so anti-DTE that it's in another galaxy. And that galaxy is wacky. Wacaxy.

Promare is set in a world where a large number of the population have become imbued with fire powers, being labelled Burnish, and so the firefighters all around the world got a massive anime-style upgrade to fight them off. This eventually pits fireman Galo against the leader of the Burnish and love-of-me Lio, and a conspiracy is discovered that threatens the entire world.


Dragon Ball Super: Broly (Read the Review)

I love Dragon Ball Super, the new breath of life that the franchise sorely needed after GT. However, I was absolutely cringing when it was revealed that Broly was coming to the Super canon in a brand new film since I never liked the original Broly. He was so boring as a character, but popular due to his design, nostalgia and strength. Super Broly on the other hand is an absolute gift from the Gods (of Destruction).

In DBS: Broly, Goku and Vegeta are training for the inevitable battle against their sworn enemy Frieza. However, Frieza is preparing as well and has found a new Saiyan who survived the destruction of planet Vegeta, known as Broly. Broly is actually quite a nice, innocent boy who has suffered tons of abuse over the years, and the real tragedy behind him is on full display as he's made to fight against the heroes in a crazed rage that he can't control, and nobody seems to be able to help him. Amazing action, cinematography, choreography, and lots of other big words, combine to make this easily in the top 3 Dragon Ball movies of all time. Bring on Super: Janemba!


Weathering with You

It was either this or the My Hero Academia movie, and you can clearly see which one won in the end, and... honestly, you can probably tell why. Just look at it! Visuals alone make it worthy of a spot, but don't worry because the film is great enough that it's worth checking out. I'm just making sure you all realise how pretty it is! Look! Look at it! I love animated water!

Directed and written by Makoto Shinkai, who you may know best for directing the highest-grossing anime film of all time, Your Name, Weathering with You is all about a boy named Hodaka Morishima, who travels to Tokyo during a surprisingly rainy season, and meets a girl named Hina who has the secret ability to control the weather... Yes, she's anime-Storm! For those who were hoping I'd mention at least one non-action anime film this year, your prayers have been answered.


Best Horror Movies

Us

I'm honestly a crap person to talk to when it comes to horrors. I don't really like any of them, but I loved Jordan Peele's Get Out. Either that means Get Out is so good that even non-horror fans can love it, or Get Out appeals better to those who aren't too acquainted with the genre. Regardless, I was excited for Jordan Peele's next horror special and while it isn't as good as Get Out, Us is still a pretty damn fine film.

Starring Lupita Nyong'o as our main heroine (and antagonist!), Us is all about a small family who are given a nasty shock when they are hunted by their own doppelgangers, one for each of the family members, even the kids! And while the story behind these doppelgangers is a bit hard to believe, the symbolism and meaning behind them does just manage to save the story. And by god is it a creepy flick! That yandere-esque face alone...


The Lighthouse

Ah good, I got an artsy film on the list. I'd be in trouble among my peers if I didn't have at least one here, and I feel no guilt about choosing The Lighthouse, the new psychological horror by Robert Eggers, best known for his work on 2015's The Witch, and based very slightly on the final work of Edgar Allen Poe before his death.

The film is shot in a unique 1.19:1 aspect ratio and set completely in black-and-white, for reasons I won't dare share here. Instead, all I'll say is that the film stars Robert Pattinson and Willem DaFoe as two lighthouse keepers stranded on an island, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. This is at the top of many people's lists, which is the reason I checked it out too, and you can instantly see why. If you're worried that Pattinson can't give a good performance for his upcoming Batman role, the Lighthouse will make you feel better... after it's made you terrified.


Doctor Sleep

Wow, this one bombed! I suppose that unless your horror has a marketable face on it you can dress up as for Halloween, hello Pennywise, you're in big trouble. For what it's worth, The Shining is definetly one of those films who should have never got a sequel but at least Doctor Sleep did it's predecessor proud enough, although it could never match Stanley Kubrick's excellence.

Based on the book released in 2013 by Stephen King, who has been having a hell of a year with the amount of adaptations his work has been getting, Doctor Sleep follows the young psychic boy from The Shining, Danny, who is now played by Ewan McGregor, as he struggles with his childhood trauma. If you're a fan of either the books or the Kubrick film, Doctor Sleep should be enough to satisfy you. Doctor Sleep, dirty deeds...


Silliest Movies

Hobbs & Shaw

The years when a Fast and Furious film wouldn't have made it into this section are long past. I'm not sure when exactly this series became as ridiculous as it did, but we have somehow went from undercover cops in street races, to Idris Elba calling himself "Black Superman" as he tries to kill the planet with a virus. Oh and Ryan Reynolds shows up.

Fan-favourite characters Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw, played by fan-favourite actors Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, return for the first ever F&F spin-off, in which they must team up to take on the cyborg Idris Elba. They spend the movie comparing dick sizes, beating up bad guys who can almost never hit them because they're just so amazing, and cars some how up sometimes to remind you this is technically an F&F film.


Godzilla: King of the Monsters

2014's Godzilla had two big problems. One was not enough Bryan Cranston, and the other was that Godzilla's awesomeness was only briefly shown in small snippets of beautiful carnage. King of the Monsters immediately fixes the second one by starting off with Mothra's birth, and the monster vs monster stuff is always awesome. The rest though... oft, that's dumb.

You see, the world has been ravaged by Godzilla and other monsters, and so the government has decided to seek out a random alcoholic who lives all on his own after the death of one of his kids because only he knows about the technology that can be used to talk and possibly even command the giant monsters. Yes, it's that kind of movie. To get into why else it's sillier would be to spoil it, so all I'll say is you end up wishing the "levity" of the film would shut the hell up, because damn is King Ghidorah awesome!


Detective Pikachu (Read the Review)

I very much enjoyed the first live-action Pokemon movie, because I'm a fan of Pokemon and technology, and so seeing CGI used to recreate all these Pokemon was pretty amazing a spectacle. Let's not kid ourselves though, this is a very ridiculous movie, from it's premise to the villain's main scheme. It certainly won't get an Oscar-nod.

A young man played by Justice Smith lives in a world of Pokemon but refuses to have one of his own anymore. He travels to a big city when he's told his father has died in a car accident, and is immediately thrown into a big mystery involving a drug called R, crazed Pokemon, and a talking Pikachu voiced by Ryan Reynolds that only he can hear. It's a lot better than it sounds.


Most Disappointing Movies

Dark Phoenix

Over the past 19 years, the X-Men franchise has possibly been the most inconsistent of these past two decades. At their best, such as First Class and Logan, the franchise pushed the entire genre forward. At it's worst, X-Men 3 and the Wolverine prequels, they've sullied the names of their beloved source materials. And with Disney buying over Fox, Dark Phoenix became the finale for the entire series... and what a sad way to go.

Retelling the story of the Dark Phoenix Saga, but actually managing to be worse than The Last Stand, Dark Phoenix feels like a film that has given up from the very start. Almost every actor is half-asleep or complaining about their blue make-up, every new character is made of bland parchment, and the bond between these heroes as they're going through such a tragic situation is superficial and hollow. We can only hope that the X-Men get the breath of fresh air needed when it's their turn in the MCU.


Glass

I've never been a fan of M.Night Shyamalan in any way, but even I can't deny that he has three great films. The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Split were all enjoyable, (although Split is mostly because of James McAvoy) so I admit to being very curious when Unbreakable was finally given the sequel everyone always asked for. Obviously, it wasn't worth the wait.

Providing the long-awaited crossover between Unbreakable's lead David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and Split's Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) and the return of Mr Glass (Samuel L. Jackson), Glass had all the pieces necessary to be a truly thrilling and tense story. Unfortunately, it's a boring mess with poor endings for every character, and everything that could have been exciting about the world of Glass isn't realised. A lot of folk felt very broken over this one.


Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Read the Review)

It feels weird to be talking about this film so quickly after I just finished reviewing it, so I'll keep this one brief. The Force Awakens was a fun return to form for the franchise, after the pain of the prequels. The Last Jedi was a new step forward for Star Wars that had never been seen before, presenting new ideas and telling us we should ignore the pull of nostalgia.

The Rise of Skywalker is the film that denies both of these. It's not fun, it doesn't make sense, and it spends more time trying to keep everyone from being mean to it rather than tell a story. It's full of pandering and apologising, and I just ended up feeling sorry for it in the end. At least Jannah is awesome though.


Worst Movie of 2019

The Lion King

For the final time, I am going to talk about this movie. The internet has decided it's sinful to have a "Worst Movies" list, but I'd be remiss if I ignored this garbage and didn't at least mention it. The bad needs to be shown, so as to prevent repeating the same mistakes happening again and again, and by jolly jeepers is this one mistake I never want to see come back. The Lion King is somehow both shameful and shameless at the same time, never possessing any new ideas or daring to even try, content to exploit your nostalgia for a loooot of money. The CGI is stunning and shockingly impressive, but that's a double-edged sword as it removes the emotion from many of your favourites' faces and causes every scene to feel like it came straight from a nature documentary. Oh and the people that were hired to make the CGI for this billion-dollar-making film? They've lost their jobs.

The songs are hollow covers, and even the amazing talents of Donald Glover and Beyonce can't compare to the original's charm. Every voice actor sounds disinterested, even the mighty James Earl Jones, and who can blame them when they're essentially being made to copy the past. You might be able to say "don't compare it to the original" when it comes to any of the other remakes, but that doesn't work in this case because it's so close to the original that it might as well be Gus Van Sant's Psycho remake! I felt dirty watching this film, as if I'm watching someone plagiarise the original. Same company yes, but different people making new money, and it's so... distasteful. In every way. And I swear, I won't bring this up again. I hope. New decade. New films. And hopefully, the inevitable remake wave approaching will never stoop this low again.


What's your favourites of the year? Comment below!

Shiggins:[Admin]
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Born under the stars of the Dark Gods, Shiggins owns the power of the Great Eye and is utterly magnificent in his omniscience. If you dare to discover more about someone as great as him, then go ahead. And to all my friends and family members, YOU are wrong and I should be disappointed! Not the other way round!,. You can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere or go to his tumblr page http://otakugajeel.tumblr.com/