- This blog is basically a hobby to me, so this retrospective is by no means definitive. I haven't seen everything that's come out in the past year and my opinions hold all the authority that is implied by my position of "random blogger on the internet". This is simply my take on the various movies I watched over the past twelve months.
- Not every movie on this list has to have been released this year; this is a collective of films I've watched this past year.
- I've decided to only count movies I saw for the first time; no Big Lebowski, no Bigger, Longer, & Uncut, etc.
With all that out of the way, let's dive right in and explore some of the movies I saw in 2016 that stick out as being especially memorable (for better or for worse).
The Belle of the Ball Award for Prettiest Films of 2016
Computer animation, I feel, is in the midst of a sort of Renaissance. In the same way that traditionally animated films of the 80's and 90's achieved a sort of timeless look, thanks to technological advances and the use of new techniques within the industry, so is the use of CGI evolving today. Digital animation of the past has not aged particularly well; the use of CGI in movies like The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius or the Star Wars Special Editions has a tendency to look garish and out-of-place by today's standards, but I think that we may have finally arrived in an era where computer effects can age with grace. Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book features entire landscapes and characters that exist purely in the digital realm, yet the film doesn't sacrifice an ounce of grit. It was a movie born entirely of inorganic means, yet manages to maintain a totally organic look. Everything on the screen is completely homogeneous with everything else in terms of visuals, which is a massive part of what makes a live-action film with such an abundance of digital effects actually work. Meanwhile, Disney's Moana is continues the studio's proud tradition of gorgeously animated family films. Despite my issues with the story and characters, it's undeniable that Moana is a benchmark in the field of digital animation, if only for the water effects alone. So many sequences from this film are burned into my mind, simply because of the superb use of color and different animation styles; we're living in an age where studios are exploring and experimenting to see just what they can accomplish while animating with digital technology, and I couldn't be more excited to see what they discover.
The Rock and Rule Award for Underrated Animation
While we're on the subject of noteworthy animation, I'd like to call attention to two animated films that (while not released in 2016) are definitely worth checking out. The Secret of Kells is simply a work of art. I can't really think of another way to describe it, though "European Miyazaki" comes close. It's a cozy folk tale told by way of Renaissance-era illustrations brought to life, something that earns every ounce of praise I spew in its direction. The Little Prince is a similarly gorgeous film that snuck its way under my radar last year. While the CGI employed in most of the story is more or less standard, the use of papercraft stop-motion in the film's story sequences is positively enchanting to look at. The film also leaps clear over the hurdles posed by adapting a short children's book into a feature-length film, framing the events of the book within the story of a little girl who's struggling to find her way in the world. Both are imaginative, beautiful, quality films that don't receive nearly the amount of mainstream praise that they deserve. They're also both on Netflix, so you really have no excuse not to check them out.
The Spooky-Scary Award for Best Horror I Watched All Year
This one may seem like cheating, considering the films I've chosen. Sleepaway Camp is, for the most part, complete and utter low-rent schlock. It's goofy and campy and honestly genuinely not that good. But good lord that ending. As I said when I reviewed it this past summer, I don't want to oversell it, but the ending to this film was honestly strong enough to justify everything else about it. Even without the last ten minutes, it's a fun time on its own (in that Friday the 13th sequel kind of way), but the ending to Sleepaway Camp has earned it its place within the annals of horror history. Maybe it's because I first watched it in the wee hours of the night, all by myself, but that last lingering shot honestly scared the crap out of me; that doesn't happen too often anymore, so I would be remiss if I didn't mention it here. John Carpenter's The Thing, however, is an entirely different beast (both figuratively and literally). While I personally didn't find it particularly scary, the amount of work that went into it in terms of special effects and visual design was just too staggering to not mention. This is a movie where every ounce of effort by the filmmakers and effects crew totally pays off in the most explosively gory way. The 2011 soft-reboot was initially going to follow in those same footsteps, until the powers that be made the bafflingly unnecessary decision to scrap all of the already-made practical effects in favor of lame, cartoonish CGI. Both of these movies are horror classics, essential viewing for fans of the genre.
The "I'm Not Dead Yet!" Award for Most Promising Revival, Remake, or Soft-Reboot
While the idea of Cinematic Universes has gotten somewhat old over the past few years, I'd say it's fair to say that, regardless of how we feel about it, it's a trend that is here to stay for the foreseeable future. It's a strategy that makes absurd amounts of money, so it's not going anywhere until it ceases to do so. However, the one hope we have is that filmmakers branch out and take advantage of the creative opportunities presented by this kind of format, rather than sit back and allow our beloved franchises to devolve into assembly-line products meant to do nothing more than put butts in seats. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a film I had no real expectations for; I wasn't entirely sure of what I wanted, but I definitely knew what I didn't want. I didn't want a scene where we meet young Dumbledore. I didn't want to meet Harry's grandpa, who went on similar adventures that no one ever knew about. Thankfully, the film functions exactly as it should; as a story taking place in the Harry Potter universe that has little to nothing to do with the story we already know. It doesn't rely on immersion-shattering callouts or well-trodden ground to tell its story, which is exactly the kind of thing that a spin-off that fancies itself the start of a new franchise needs to avoid.
On the flip side, we have Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Compared to Fantastic Beasts, this one relies much moreso on past films in the franchise (let's be honest, there would be no story here if we didn't get that cameo from Ponda Baba and Dr. Evazan, right?), but in the end works as a lovely complimentary piece to A New Hope. The Star Wars franchise is something near and dear to my heart, so I was naturally concerned about the decision to release a new film each year. Fun as it was, The Force Awakens was totally safe and derivative and projects like the upcoming Young Han Solo movie don't exactly inspire the greatest amount of confidence. That said, Rogue One helped define what the Star Wars Story tagline actually entails; in truth, it's exactly what it says on the tin. These aren't new Episodes, they're simply "stories". Cinematic one-offs that could be told in a novel or comic book, tales that are in no way required viewing in order to enjoy the actual story of Star Wars. This revelation takes a great deal of pressure off of these films; with that lack of pressure will hopefully come a wave of innovation and risk. This is the new Expanded Universe; just as with the old Expanded Universe, there will be good things (like Admiral Thrawn) and bad things (like the talking rabbit who teaches Luke's children in the ways of the Force). The important thing to focus on here is that, above all else, there will be new things, rather than an over-reliance on what we know already works. This, in truth, is the only way for a franchise to grow.
The Darwyn Cooke Award for Most Accurate Page-To-Screen Adaptation
When I say "most accurate", in this situation, I am specifically referring to characters. And when I say "characters", I am specifically referring to Deadpool (from the film of the same name) and The Punisher (from Daredevil). Deadpool has been Ryan Reynolds' passion-project baby for years upon years now, and only recently was he finally able to portray the Merc with the Mouth as he and fans have always wished to see him; soaked in blood and rated R. Aside from all the swear words and viscera, Reynolds honestly captured that side of Wade Wilson that so few adaptation focus on; that deep down, he's a sad, sad man. I feared that the film would adapt the "wacky and random" aspects of the character that were so prevalent in the inexplicably popular Daniel Way run of the comics, only to be met with a protagonist who is genuinely sympathetic, suffering from legitimate self-esteem issues. The film takes time to slow down and explore Deadpool's insecurities towards his horribly-scarred face, as well as the genuine fear he at first feels when presented with his cancer diagnosis. The film would have gone on to make boatloads of cash had it been nothing but an orgy of fart jokes and severed limbs, but it's the filmmaker's decision to slow down and explore every aspect of the character that I truly appreciate. By the same token, we have Jon Bernthal's shell-shocked take on Frank Castle, easily the best part of Daredevil's second season. While he only dons the iconic skull in the last episode (and is only the focus of the first half of the season), Bernthal completely steals the show, utterly nailing the morally gray area in which The Punisher comfortably resides. The show makes no qualms about how dangerous and unstable Frank is, yet it doesn't turn him into an outright villain either. It's a portrayal that doesn't shy away from exploring what makes a "superhero" good or bad, and allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions as to what to make of Frank's crusade on crime. It's a portrayal that was so good, the rest of the season paled in comparison; suffice to say, Frank's own Netflix series can't come soon enough.
The Martyr Award for Worst Things I Made Myself Watch This Year
Do I even have to go into detail on these ones? Just look at what I've had to deal with here; we haven't gotten to the "Worst of 2016" category yet, but rest assured that the movies I mention there were objectively better than this bargain bin dreck. Freddy Frogface was one of the ugliest, most unpleasant things I've ever had to sit through and Guardian of the Highlands was no better. If anything, it can be viewed as a testament to all that mankind is capable of; we can create something as gorgeous as the Ocean in Moana, or as hideous as literally everything in Freddy Frogface. To be frank, I'm much more fascinated with how these films were made than I am about anything of any actual quality. Good films are usually pretty straightforward; a bunch of inspired and talented people came together and did what they do. Films like these (that is to say, objective garbage) are much more fascinating; I wouldn't be at all surprised if one of these is the result of some sort of mafia scam or blackmail. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be getting a Criterion Edition for Sir Billi anytime soon.
The "And I've Got the Ticket Stub To Prove It" Award for Worst Movies of 2016
Oh boy, I can hear the angry scoffing from here. Please, allow me a moment to explain myself. First of all, an Honorable Mention to Sausage Party, another movie I regretted spending money on this year. However, I have a very good reason why Sausage Party is not the sole recipient of this esteemed award. The thing is, I hated Sausage Party. Hated It. But I can, at the very least, accept the fact that, bad as it was, it simply wasn't made for me. I'm willing to bet that, had I wandered into the theater utterly blitzed out of my mind, I would have appreciated it a whole lot more than I did. I entered the theater sober, so I was not the target audience for Sausage Party. That said, I am an American male in the 20-24 age demographic who grew up with Justice League and Batman The Animated Series and reads comic books regularly. I am EXACTLY the target audience for Dawn of Justice and The Killing Joke, yet they still managed to screw it up. This was a free pass, literally the lowest bar possible, and these movies failed to make the grade. Over 75 years of collective source material to work with and these films manage to completely miss the point of the stories and characters they attempt to convey. Sure, Dawn of Justice has some excellent cinematography. Sure, Killing Joke features stellar vocal performances from the incomparable Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill. But these aren't films I should have to make excuses for. DC is soundly trouncing Marvel on the comic book front, but we've gotten to the point where we really have to ask just what the hell is going on at Warner Bros? Why can't they get a handle on something that should be so monumentally simple? 2017 gives us Wonder Woman and Justice League; my expectations are about as low to the ground as they can physically get, but let's see if WB can't manage to surprise us. For all my griping, I'm still unironically excited against all odds for the Aquaman movie (because I unironically love Aquaman, pick up Rebirth, it's good stuff), so hopefully they'll be able to turn things around in time.
The "So-Bad-It's-Good" Award for Guiltiest Pleasure of the Year
There's just one winner for this category; The Worst Witch is going to be a Halloween party standard for me in the future. If you need to ask why, you've clearly never watched this clip:
Magnificent.
The Business/Pleasure Award for Favorite Movies I Watched for This Blog
This is the category I use to call attention to the films I've watched in the past year that, while not released in 2016, are without a doubt deserving of attention. I started this blog with the intention of exposing myself to all manner of different films, both good and bad. There's countless classics I simply haven't had time to check out, so keeping up with these Reviews would surely provide a good excuse to actually sit down and catch-up with some stuff that I may or may not have bothered to seek out on my own time. Goon has become one of my favorite sports comedies of all time, and I cannot wait for the upcoming sequel. It manages to multitask crude goofball humor with heartfelt character building and engaging hockey sequences, all at the same time; all in all, it's just a really fun, well-made movie. Ed Wood is one that I've missed for some time, yet rocketed itself onto my list of favorite films the second I finally sat down and watched it. It's Tim Burton in his prime, in my opinion the greatest film he's ever made. For people like myself who both love film history and have a healthy appreciation for schlock and trash, you can do no better. Of everything I watched, these are the two films that exemplify why I started doing this in the first place.
The Best of the Year Award for Best Movies of 2016
"Best" is definitely a tricky word. As I mentioned, this list is purely opinion-based and in no way definitive. Out of everything I saw in theaters in 2016, there were no two movies I enjoyed more than Disney's Zootopia and the understated, underrated 10 Cloverfield Lane. Zootopia was everything I wanted out of a kids' movie; it was colorful and charming and bursting at the seams with imagination and ingenuity. At the same time, it had plenty of depth and character growth for the adult in me as well. It's one of the most well-rounded movies I've ever seen, in that it is honestly something that everyone can enjoy. Since March was apparently a very good month for movies this year, we also got 10 Cloverfield Lane; despite it not exactly being the direct follow-up to 2006's Cloverfield that some may have hoped for, I still found this to be a masterfully made drama with some of the strongest performances of the year. It's a movie that takes place almost entirely in a cramped fallout shelter, yet the tension doesn't let up for a moment. If there's one thing these two films have in common, it's exemplary display of character dynamics; characters are the means by which the audience connects to a film. We watch movies for countless reasons, but one of the most basic and human of these reasons is to make a connection with the characters on screen. We identify with their attitudes and mannerisms, we sympathize with their plights, and imagine ourselves in their shoes. Zootopia and 10 Cloverfield Lane are two films that completely understand this relationship between art and audience and, in my opinion, are stronger for it.
And so...
From the bottom of my heart, I would like to sincerely offer my most genuine thanks to all of you who bother to read and share the things that I write. As this year comes to a close, I'd like to share a rather large number with you all. 8,840. That is the number of total pageviews this simple little blog has received at the time of writing, since I started it up just two years ago. Of those 8,840 views, over 1,000 are from the past month alone. It may not look like much compared to everything else on the internet, but to me that's astounding. I can't truly put into words how much it means to me that all of you are willing to peek into my humble little corner of the net to see what I think about the movies I watch each week. Before I start gushing, let me close by saying thank you once again, and here's to many more years of fun and film (naturally, with some garbage on the side)!
Thank you for reading, and have a safe, memorable, happy New Year!
Incidentally, here's some Honorable Mentions that I still think you should definitely check out, yet didn't feature in this retrospective for one reason or another: Tangled, Suspiria, The Big Lebowski, South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut, The Iron Giant, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Goosebumps, Trollhunter, Dope, and Bronson.
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