C.C.C. Issue #4: Top Ten Favourite Films of 2013 at the cinema

 C.C.C. Issue #4: Top Ten Favourite Films of 2013 at the cinema

Happy New Year, everyone! Here's the first C.C.C. issue of 2014, all about movie's from last year. Enjoy, and look out for lots more on movies and TV, coming soon.

Top Ten Favourite Films of 2013 at the cinema

I don’t see a lot of movies at the theater (shocking, I know). I try to be selective of which ones I see, so I usually end up enjoying almost all of the movies I see in the theater. Here are the ten that I liked the best. Don’t expect the usual critics list which probably would include 12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street, Captain Phillips etc. because I haven’t seen those yet. These are only ones I saw at the theater, I’m not counting ones released this year which I saw on home video (although 12 Years a Slave and others are not among them, I’ll get around to them eventually)

10. Evil Dead

Why remake an already classic horror film like Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead? When I first heard the creators of the original were doing this, I thought Raimi and star Bruce Campbell had lost their minds, especially when they handed the directing reigns over to first time Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez. The original Evil Dead trilogy is fantastic; some of the effects seem dated now, but there’s nothing wrong with any of the movies. The poster for the 2013 film says: “The Most Terrifying Film You Will Ever Experience”. It may not have been quite that, but I was genuinely shocked and pleased with Evil Dead. Gone is any of the cheesiness or campiness from the original trilogy, but also gone is the humour, which is one thing I missed. It did, however, completely skyrocket the gore to levels I have never seen before. It literally rains blood at one point. The effects were also mainly all practical rather than cgi, which is a big plus in my books. There are several references to the original films, which gave me more confidence with this new director who paid his respects to the original trilogy and creators in clever ways. The acting was a bit questionable at times, and the first act is slow, but once heads start rolling (literally), the movie starts to really get under your skin. It wasn’t genuinely terrifying to me by any means, but others around me in the theater were turning away in disgust, fright, or both. Ripping, gripping, dripping terror, Evil Dead was one of the best horror remakes ever—albeit, still not a necessary one.

9. Thor: The Dark World

I was surprised with how many negative reviews the latest movie in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe got. I can understand why Iron Man 3 was disapproved by many fans and critics, but I thought Thor: The Dark World actually improved over the first film, and was a worthy sequel. The first Thor from 2011 was a decent introduction to the character, and his part was pretty good in The Avengers. But this time, we actually get to see Thor kicking some ass, and right from the get go. Natalie Portman makes a welcome return as Jane Foster, as does Stellan Skarsgård who plays Dr. Selvig, and Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s brother Loki, who had a much bigger part than I had expected. The beginning of the movie was sort of boring, but just as I was beginning to worry, things picked up, and scene by scene the film improved. By the end I was thoroughly enjoying Thor: The Dark World, and the cliff hanger ending was a fun yet fiendish way to leave you hanging. The end credits scene leading up to Guardians of the Galaxy was a nice touch too. Although the villain was forgettable, seeing Loki and Thor together again was very fun, very exciting, and good enough to make Thor: The Dark World number nine on this list.

8. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is a modern comedy classic. Not everyone would agree. Those who wouldn’t probably don’t know a thing about good hair, either. My expectations for Anchorman 2 were quite high, because the first is so quotable and hilarious, and it’s been nine years since Ron Burgundy and the rest of Channel 4’s news team were on the big screen (you can check out my Movie Predictions Issue #1 for my Anchorman 2 forecast). Right from the first few seconds I knew I was in for a laugh riot. Anchorman 2 didn’t hold back. It took things appropriately far—sometimes even farther than I was hoping or expecting—but kept it fresh. Without spoiling it, I will say my favourite scene yet again was the star studded battle royale. This time, the cameos, jokes, and battling are through the roof. Ultimately though, Anchorman 2 wasn’t as quotable or gut busting as the first, but as far as comedy sequels go, this has to be one of the best ever. Never a dull moment as long as Will Ferrell is on screen, Anchorman 2 delivered, and I wouldn’t be upset if they decided to wait another nine years to make a third film. This time, milk was a good choice.

7. Star Trek Into Darkness

2009’s Star Trek got a lot of buzz. At the time of its release, I was not a Star Trek fan, so I dismissed it as an overrated remake and never saw it. After numerous friends and family recommended it to me, I gave in and watched, only to find J.J. Abrams’ reboot was an exhilarating, intelligent, and all around excellent reboot for the franchise. It seemed to please trekkies and introduce newcomers such as myself to the universe. Going into Star Trek Into Darkness I was, unlike the first installment, now a fan of writer/director J.J. Abrams, a fan of the sleek, fast new Star Trek world, and had some pretty high expectations. Mostly everyone seems to agree it’s not quite the breath of fresh air 2009’s Trek was, but Into Darkness was one of the best sequels in recent memory. While not everyone enjoyed this second entry (I heard someone call it “the worst remake of 2013”, because it technically re-created many similar elements of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) but I liked this sequel enough to go see it twice. The 3D was good considering it was converted and not filmed in 3D, the plot wasn’t quite as broad as the first film, but it had good momentum, and Benedict Cumberbatch was a welcome addition to the cast. J.J. Abrams and his writing team made smart decisions in giving certain characters more screen time for this second film, among many other intelligent choices. Overall I found Star Trek Into Darkness a satisfying and well made sci-fi sequel, something that’s hard to come by these days.

6. Elysium

Ranking one spot higher than the Star Trek sequel is this original sci-fi actioner directed by District 9 writer/director Neill Blomkamp. I enjoyed this film slightly more than Star Trek because it was an original concept with a gritty atmosphere and more realistic elements (albeit still very sci-fi). Matt Damon was terrific as Max Da Costa, a factory worker stuck on earth in 2154. At this time, earth is an overpopulated, disease infested, grimy planet, and the rich and powerful get to live on a space station orbiting earth called Elysium. Max and company embark on a deadly mission to Elysium, but in their way is Secretary of Defence Jessica Delacourt (played by Jodie Foster) and agent Kruger (played by District 9 star Sharlto Copley). I expected more from Foster, who doesn’t do a great job in her role, but luckily her part is smaller than Copley’s, who is terrific as Kruger—a sword wielding, mentally unstable, over the top assassin. Elysium didn’t connect with many critics the way District 9 did, and was considered a step down from Blomkamp’s directorial debut. I disagree. Elysium is too different of a film to say it is better or worse than District 9, and while District 9 might have been more original, Elysium delivers in some ways I felt District 9 did not. Matt Damon’s character is easy to like, and he has more humorous moments than Copley’s character did in District 9. The visual effects are also slightly better, and I really liked the soundtrack—something no other critic seemed to mention. The action was great, the concept was cool, and Elysium delivered.

5. This Is the End

I knew This Is the End was going to be funny, but I had no idea it would be so consistently funny that I would need to see it a second time just to try and recall all of the great jokes. It’s the apocalypse! Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, and Danny McBride all play fictional versions of themselves at a party in James Franco’s new house, when chaos of biblical proportions reigns down on L.A. and the gang are forced to try and survive in Franco’s fortress-like home. It’s a laugh a minute as they struggle to conserve food and water rations, get along with one another, and try to figure out just what the hell is going on. This Is the End starts off fairly simple, but it slowly builds into this epic film with way more elaborate visual effects than I had anticipated. Jay Baruchel’s role is also much more prominent than the trailer would lead you to believe. The only real criticism I can offer is that I wished there had been more cameos. Emma Watson was great, and having the cast of Super Bad briefly re-unite was also cool, but I wanted to see Will Ferrell or some other high caliber comedy actor make an appearance (having said that, one cameo  which I won’t spoil did have me holding my sides with laughter). This Is the End is hilarious to say the least. There’s never a dull moment watching these actors take on self deprecation in ways I’ve never seen in a film before.

4. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The first installment in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy received quite a mixed reaction, everything from overwhelming 10/10 praise to scathing negative reviews claiming the film butchered its source material. I really enjoyed The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but did feel it was too long and some scenes could have been trimmed down. The final shot of the film, which was the eye of the dragon Smaug who would be featured much more prominently in the second film, left me very excited for the sequel. And what a sequel it was. The Desolation of Smaug was shorter (but not by much) than the previous Hobbit and all of the Lord of the Rings films, so it’s pacing was much better. There was action from beginning to end, lots of interesting new characters, and the tension was much stronger than before. But what made the entire film so brilliant was the title character. No, not Bilbo, but Smaug the Stupendous. Honestly, the film should have been called The Devastation of Smaug, because the dragon was flawless. The visual effects were some of the best I have seen ever, the 3D and high frame rate made Smaug practically come right off the screen and into the theater, and his facial expressions and voice were all fantastic thanks to Benedict Cumberbatch who played two of the best villains in film this year (one in this film and the other in Star Trek Into Darkness). Every time Smaug spoke or was present, you felt that dread. This was also thanks to some great acting from Martin Freeman, who essentially had to act without any Smaug present and instead pretend he was there. I was literally on the edge of my seat with my jaw dropped open for nearly the entire second half of this film. As for the ending? Forget about the cliff hanger in Thor: The Dark World, forget about the teaser ending of the first Hobbit. This cliff hanger ending puts all cliff hanger endings to shame. I almost wish I had waited to watch this until the third and final chapter was out, just so I could watch it immediately after and be satisfied. As someone who hasn’t read the Tolkein novel, I have no idea what is going to happen in the final chapter of the Hobbit film saga, but hope it’s as epic as this excellent middle film. Unlike how I felt about Star Trek Into Darkness, this sequel easily surpasses the first Hobbit film.

3. Pacific Rim

Giant monsters vs. Giant robots. That premise alone sold me on Pacific Rim, but as more and more behind the scenes footage was released, longer, more revealing trailers premiered, and the release date neared, I grew more and more excited for this Guillermo del Toro sci-fi action epic. Expectations were soaring, and yet I was still blown away when I finally got to see it. Alright, let me make one thing clear. This is not a sophisticated film. At no point should you make the mistake of thinking this a film that is intended to be dead serious and deliver a meaningful, complicated message. It is giant robots vs. giant monsters. There really isn’t much more than that, and there doesn’t need to be. This is a true action blockbuster in every sense of the term. This film is designed to be exciting and speak to the inner nine year old in all of us. Going into Pacific Rim with that mentality is the only way you can enjoy it. And I had a blast. A fissure opens up in the Pacific Ocean and giant monsters from another dimension come out to wreak havoc on earth. Think Godzilla meets Transformers. Only way cooler. Humankind develops giant robots to fight back against the monsters. What ends up happening is some of the coolest fight scenes ever. The visual effects in Pacific Rim are top notch, the 3D was effective and well done, and the creativity that went into this movie was real pleasing to see. The soundtrack by Ramin Djawadi (Iron Man, Game of Thrones) is perfect, and the human characters/acting is actually decent, considering the monsters and robots are the real stars. It was a fun summer popcorn flick that delivered on its premise. There’s not much more that I could ask for, except for maybe one thing: please do a sequel, Mr. del Toro.

2. Jurassic Park 3D

I could have easily put this at number one, but to be fair, it isn’t a new movie. Steven Spielberg celebrated Jurassic Park’s 20^th anniversary this year by having it re-released in 3D. This is surely one of my favourite movies of all time. Seeing Jurassic Park on the big screen for the first time was exciting enough; I didn’t even care about the 3D, and hadn’t even stopped to consider if the 3D conversion would be any good. Well, the only thing more satisfying than seeing it on a theater screen in digital surround sound was seeing it on a theater screen in digital surround sound, in 3D that was actually good. Never has the movie looked better (and I have seen it countless times). This was, hands down, one of the ultimate theater experiences for me. There’s nothing I need to say about the movie that hasn’t already been said. All I can say is if you missed this 3D re-release, then you missed out on something incredible.

1. Gravity

Wow. What can I say about this movie that hasn’t already been said? I smirked at the 97 % approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I dismissed the overwhelmingly positive reviews from nearly every critic, and I snickered at the trailers I saw. The trailers made it look like the movie was about nothing, just Sandra Bullock and George Clooney trying to survive space. Well, the trailer didn’t lie. I went into Gravity with zero expectations, and only went because a friend insisted I come with him. From the opening shot to the closing shot, I was captivated. Gravity sucked me in (pardon the pun) like no other movie this year. Ignoring all the baffled enjoyment I got out of watching this film, I really appreciate all the hard work and dedication director Alfonso Cuaron brought to this sweeping space drama. The visual effects were so good, it looked real. I could believe this film was actually shot in space, that’s how good it looks. Sandra Bullock has never been better; honestly, if someone had told me at the end of 2012 Sandra Bullock would be in my favourite movie of 2013 I would have laughed in their face. What impressed me the most was the staggeringly bold simplicity of Gravity. There are basically two characters the entire film, one setting, and one opposition: the setting, essentially. The reason the movie works so flawlessly is the two characters are played by great actors, the setting is breathtakingly realistic, and the opposition these characters face is space itself. The environment is harsh, unforgiving, and not somewhere humans are designed to survive. The 3D effects are also some of the best since Avatar, and any naysayers who claim the plot isn’t extremely compelling missed the point. Gravity is more than just a movie; it’s an experience, an experience that deserves every bit of praise it has received.