Movies. Movies, movies, movies, movies, MOVIES! Even if you aren’t interested in movies, you can still appreciate the hard work the directors went through making movies. I myself am a fan of them, a lot of them. In fact, I animate because of them! So to celebrate my last article for now, these are my personal Top 20 favorite movies. There will be spoilers, so I’ll mention that if there are any. Just in case you’re interested in watching it, I’ll leave an MPAA rating to show if it’s inappropriate or not. PG is definitely appropriate, PG-13 means you have to be thirteen or older to watch it, and R is inappropriate. So sit back, relax, grab your popcorn and snacks and enjoy the show.
#20 (PG-13)
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Although I’m not really that much of a religious person, the movie Noah is an astounding piece of work. Noah, the prophet and descendant of Seth, sees a vision of God destroying the world by flooding it. So he and his family decide to build an ark and get every male and female animal in existence and start a new life. However, they make an ark in a king’s territory and he and his army wants their ship. I love how this movie is based off of Jewish religion, because it’s nice to have a breather from Catholic symbolism. This movie is very dark: from eating animals alive to Noah almost killing his own adopted daughter’s children if they’re not boys. This movie really is religiously accurate and I actually like it for that!
#19 (PG)
Hayao Miyazaki is a genius at making anime movies, but which one made it on here? Is it Totoro? Although it’s one of my favorite nostalgic movies, no. Ponyo? Eh, it’s a bit childish. Spirited Away? That movie scared me as a kid! My favorite Miyazaki movie is Howl’s Moving Castle. The story starts off with Sophie, a young and beautiful hatter who falls for the mysterious Howl after being saved by him. Her friends warn her to stay away from him, but that just makes Sophie want to get closer. Until one night, when an elderly witch visits her house and turns her old, too! Sophie decides to ask Howl for help by finding his Moving Castle and making bizarre friends along the way. The animation is beautiful and the characters are well developed during the story. I love this movie for being unique and heartwarming… and that’s why it’s my SECOND favorite anime movie.
#18 (PG)
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Sleeper has to be one of the oldest yet hilarious movies I’ve seen in a long time. The story takes place in the future with scientists awakening Myles Monroe, a jazz musician and grocery store owner, after two hundred years. Turns out the scientists are rebels against a police-infested future commanded by a dictator. They hoped to use him as a spy… until they were caught and he ran away. Myles disguised himself as a robot (did I even mention the butler robots with featureless eyes?) to serve Luna Schlosser, a rich and lovely woman. After his identity is blown, they team up and train with the rebels. Soon enough, they learn that the dictator was blown up by a rebel bomb, the only part of him left was his nose, and doctors plan to revive him with it. Now, Myles and Luna have to stop them once and for all and save the future. Honestly, I love Woody Allen; he’s one of the funniest actors along with Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler, and he did a great job making this movie. Yes, he wrote the story, composed and played the music, and even starred as Myles! Although it does use the dystopian future trope, it was used so well in a comedic way that there’s nothing else to say about this movie!
#17 (PG)
You thought Sleeper was funny? Well, think again! #17 is so corny, so spoofy, and has so much fourth wall-breaking that it’s comedy gold. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present… Spaceballs! This movie is basically Star Wars, Star Trek, Transformers and many other sci-fi movies blended into a hilarious mess. For those who don’t know, Spaceballs are a race of evil people who are jealous of the Druidians since they have more air than them. So they plan to kidnap their king’s daughter Princess Vespa in order to bribe all their air to them. Luckily the mercenaries Lone Starr and Barf save her and the chase begins! This movie is just amazingly funny. My favorite scene is when Dark Helmet, the main villain of the movie doesn’t know where the good guys are hiding. So he literally takes out a Spaceballs tape and fast-forwards it to find out where they are… but he fast-forwards too much. Now he, the president of the Spaceballs and the commander are watching themselves talk at the same moment and he’s missing everything. After he rewinds and finds out where they are, he gets so confused that he faints! See what I mean?
#16 (PG)
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Oh Hugo, such an outstanding movie you are. Based on the book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” the movie introduces us to Hugo. He lived with his father in France, who worked fixing an automaton, but then his father died in a fire. Now, Hugo’s an orphan living with his drunken uncle, but he continues to fix the robot and resides in the insides of clock in a train station. Soon, he meets Isabelle, a girl with a necklace with a heart-shaped key. The heart-shaped key is the key to run the automaton. She comes to the clock and finds the automaton. When she turns the key, the automaton starts drawing something. When it finishes, the result is “The Man in the Moon,” signed by Georges Méliès, his favorite director who mysteriously died… and is Isabelle’s living godfather. If the plot didn’t surprise you, I don’t know what to say. Most of the characters are well developed and usually likeable, especially Hugo. He’s my favorite part of the movie, because the way that other people treat him makes you feel sorrowful. I also love this movie’s take on film, because as stated before, I’m a huge fan of filmmaking. I hope to grow up as a filmmaker someday. This movie also has a beautiful yet overlooked soundtrack filled with French accordions and orchestral pieces. All in all, this movie is breathtaking and harmonious, but it’s only #16.
#15 (PG-13)
SPOILER ALERT!!!
I really should’ve read the book first, because #15 is Ender’s Game. The movie follows Ender, a very smart boy in the future who gets into Battle School, the school for space combat. He starts training and learns about the war going on with the Formics, an alien species that has been attacking Earth for fifty years. Ender passes quickly and becomes a commander-in-training. When he’s taking the final test with his friends and teammates, he succeeds but wins the war. The final test was actually happening and he blew up the Formics’ planet. Through remembering training from earlier, he discovers the humans attacked them first and they all got the wrong idea. He then flies to Mars and searches a specific area that he saw in a video game. The only thing weird is the fact the area is real, and he finds the last Formic, safe from harm. This movie is amazing in both special effects and the script. Everyone plays their part perfectly and it fits in very well. The only flaw with is that the story is mediocre and needs more detail.
#14 (PG)
Sorry E.T., but the acting is alright, the story’s too flashed out, and it’s a bit outdated. On the other hand, we have Earth to Echo, a movie with an even more emotional impact and a cooler alien. The story follows Tuck, Munch, and Alex; three best friends in a town that’s soon to be destroyed due to construction. Since they all have to move, they try to have the most fun together during their last week. Somehow, Alex’s phone starts buffering and shows a photo: a map of a desert. They sneak out and ride their bikes to the area. They find a strange object that has no use, when suddenly the phones show another location: a barn. In the barn, they find a small alien that connects their object to its own. They realize the alien is trying to build a key so it can get to its spaceship and get home. Now with their new friend Emma, they help Echo (the alien) get home. Unlike E.T., most of the movie is filmed from a low-budget camera but has some really great effects. The acting feels so realistic, especially Astro Bradley as Tuck. The problem keeping this movie from getting any higher on my list is the fact the story is pretty generic and the villains are cliché (keeping this entry spoiler free).
#13 (G)
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Oh, how I love old animated movies. Each one has the special charm of nostalgia and most people love them for it… And no, I’m not referring to a Disney movie. For a rated G movie, The Secret of NIMH actually has some dark and disturbing scenes. Like, a lot of them. Based on the book Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH, the movie is very accurate (not counting Ms. Frisby’s name being changed to Brisby) … UNLIKE SOME MOVIES! *cough cough* THE GIVER *cough cough* The story is about the Brisbys, a family of anthro (anthropomorphic/furry) mice who live near a human farm. Although they’re planning to move, something terrible happens. Mrs. Brisby’s son Timothy is sick with pneumonia and wants to cure him. If you know what pneumonia is, you’ll know how desperate she is, because it kills. After she tries to find a cure, she then has to find a way they can move out of the area. So her neighbor Auntie Shrew babysits her three other children while she’s away, which is a hilarious subplot itself. Her newfound crow friend, Jeremy, takes her to meet the Great Owl who tells her to find the rats who live under the farm and talk to their leader, Nicodemus. Once she discovers the rats, she greets Nicodemus and his friend Justin. Justin is a rat who once knew Mr. Brisby, Mrs. Brisby’s late husband. He tells her about the NIMH experiment, an experiment that boosted rats intelligence so they could escape. Nicodemus devises a plan to move out before the human family’s tractors roll them over without noticing. In return, he gives her a magic amulet that holds magical powers. During the plan, she drugs the family’s cat so they won’t be eaten. Suddenly, she learns the truth of NIMH and warns Justin to tell the others. The truth is, the NIMH experimenters are coming to exterminate the rats. Nicodemus’s right-hand man Jenner wants to stay where they are. Meanwhile, a thunderstorm is occurring and the Brisby household is sinking in the mud, putting everyone in danger. Jenner then turns on his friends and kills Nicodemus and tries to steal Mrs. Brisby’s amulet. When all hope is lost, Justin comes and fights Jenner, and stabs him in the chest. THIS IS A RATED G MOVIE!!! Mrs. Brisby then scurries home to find it almost completely sunken under mud. She tries to get her family out, but fails. The following scene is one of the most heartwarming and tear-jerking scenes I’ve ever seen. Out of sadness, Ms. Brisby uses her amulet to levitate her house and move it to a safer spot… and faints. After her adventure is over, her family is living together happily, Timothy is better, Jeremy finally meets the love of his life, and the story ends. THIS MOVIE IS BEAUTIFUL!!! Heartwarming movies today focus around nonhuman things fitting in like robots and bears. This one works perfectly due to the amazing story and well developed characters… ESPECIALLY Mrs. Brisby. She has every quality a fictional mother would have but better. She would do anything to help and has a strong sense of justice. Definitely one of my favorite characters in media. Now I REALLY have to see the second movie! (Oh wait… The sequel stinks.)
#12 (PG-13)
Before you read this, #12 will be confusing if you haven’t read the book first. In all honesty, movies based on books in the twenty-first century are overrated. I mean there are movies like Divergent (inaccurate), the Twilight saga (overhyped and annoying) and The Fault in Our Stars (… abomination…). Then what about the Hunger Games series? All 3 of them are great in their own right, but I have to go with the second. The Hunger Games 2: Catching Fire is so action-packed that it would make a Michael Bay movie cry. In the movie, President Snow thinks Katniss Everdeen could be the one to start a revolution, so he creates a Quarter Quell Hunger Games. The Quarter Quell is when two previous winners are chosen from each district to fight to the death. The Quarter Quell is a genius arena with tons of twists and turns; it totally rocks. The story is epic, because we get to know the characters more and the ending is a huge cliffhanger.
#11 (PG-13)
I love reenactments of real life events, especially when it comes to legends. In Japan, there were 47 Ronin (or masterless samurai) who go save a princess. While simple enough, the movie has some terrific acting, awesome action scenes, and epic creatures. I mean, Keanu Reeves is in it, what else do you want? Aside from the story, the movie still has flaws, ESPECIALLY with its ending. However, if you’re interested in Japanese history, you might just love this historically accurate movie.
#10 (PG)
Now for my favorite anime movie… Before I start, I need to issue a disclaimer. I don’t usually talk about this that much, but I’m a furry. You know, the guys who draw anthropomorphic animals, rave with glowsticks, and have unique alteregos called “fursonas.” I don’t bring this up too much, because of all the negative misconceptions and stereotypes of furries. And yes, this is the second furriest movie I’ve seen (right behind Fantastic Mr. Fox, a VERY close honorable mention.) Either way, allow me to now introduce you to Wolf Children, also known as “Wolf Children Ame and Yuki.” The story follows Hana, a college student, who falls in love with a man who happens to be a werewolf. They have two children, Ame & Yuki, a brother and sister that can transform into wolves at will. Then the movie takes a dark turn: the father is hit by a truck while hunting and dies. Hana gets fed up with her terrible lifestyle and moves to the country and starts a farm. After that, we focus more on her children as they grow up, each choosing different paths of their wolf forms. First of all, the art is amazing. The heck with any anime art–this is the bomb! The characters are likeable as well, especially Ame, because he reminds me of myself. As the movie progresses, it gets more tense and even somber to the point where you’ll be crying at the end. This movie is glorious, with a heartwarming story and amazing visuals, and it takes the #10 spot.
#9 (PG-13)
The Great Gatsby is easily one of the best books of all time, and the same goes for the movie! The main character is Nick Carraway, a World War I veteran who moves to New York. He lives near his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom, but Tom is cheating on her with a woman named Myrtle. Soon, Nick starts hearing about a mysterious millionaire named Jay Gatsby, who personally invites him to a party. He soon meets Gatsby, whose real motive is to get together with Daisy because they used to be a couple. Now, he has to win Daisy’s heart without dastardly Tom knowing. Leonardo DiCaprio’s role as Gatsby is downright tremendous. He fits his character, my favorite character out of a movie or book, so well. In fact, every actor is well fit for each character. My only nitpick with this movie is the ending; I won’t spoil it, but it gets you mad. VERY MAD.
#8 (PG-13)
Oh, how could I not add this to my list? There’s no way I could’ve avoided The Mighty from escaping this spot. This movie is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, or as I like to call it, Simon Birch done right. The main character is Max, a teenage boy bullied for being, well, dull. He meets Kevin, a kid with Morquio Syndrome who has to use crutches to walk. He teaches Max how to read, and in favor, he gives Kevin a piggyback ride so he can feel the adrenaline of life. Soon, the two get mixed up in a murder mystery involving Max’s parents as Kevin’s conditions get worse. Now it’s up to the two to help each other through their problems. Everything about this movie is gold: its characters, songs, dramatic moments, EVERYTHING, I TELL YOU! With a glorious story and a beautifully somber ending, this takes the 8th spot.
#7 (PG-13)
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Space movies: either they’re postdramatic, or very bland. While I could’ve chosen Gravity for this entry, I’m going to choose a more recent choice. Interstellar has to be one of the most confusing movies ever made, even more than The Matrix (almost as much as the Gregory Horror Show!). Well, this movie IS directed by Christopher Nolan, who also directed Inception (would’ve gotten on my list if I had finished watching it) so that explains everything. This movie takes place in the distant future, where the sun is drying everything up and there are dangerous sandstorms–DON’T YOU DARE MAKE THAT REFERENCE!!! Joseph Cooper is a father who excels with spacecraft. He lives with his daughter Murph, who’s intrigued by ghosts,his son Tom, and their father-in law. Cooper is called by NASA to journey across the universe with three other scientists: Amelia Brand, Romilly, and Doyle, with the sarcastic robot LARS. Their mission is to go through a wormhole near Saturn to find a new civilization the humans can live in. Murphy is incredibly upset with this, because time will slow down when they’re in the wormhole and doesn’t know when they’ll come back. Cooper decides to join the mission and sets off to MESS WITH EVERYONE’S MINDS!!! In the movie, the strangest things happen, from having an hour be seven years on Earth to getting stuck in the fabric of time itself, this movie just loves to play with your sanity. Even the ending makes you wonder “What did I just witness?”
#6 (R)
Since I already posted a review for this movie on the Inquirer, I’m going to keep this very short. Boyhood is the most realistic movie ever. The characters are well thought out, the plot is amazing, and it is a piece of art hidden in the media.
#5 (PG)
(I could’ve added a SPOILER ALERT!!! but we all know what happens.)
Now we get to the really good ones, because at #5 we have Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back. This one’s the most nostalgic movie on this list, because I was a huge Star Wars fan when I was little. While the plot may be simple, the selling point is the fan service. Not the inappropriate kind, but the “OHMYGODTHEYADDEDHIMHYPEHYPEHYPEHYPEHYPE” sort of thing. They introduced fan-favorite characters like Boba Fett, Lando Calrissian, and so many more. The fight scenes are awesome as well, because lightsaber duels are classic. It also created one of the most famous movie references of Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker’s father. In fact, there are a lot of weird plot twists in this movie. Now if only the seventh movie looked good…
#4 (PG)
Speaking of hyped fan service, time for my favorite Disney movie, Wreck-It Ralph. In real life, there is a video game called Fix-It Felix, Jr., an 8-bit arcade game where you have to survive the bricks Wreck-It Ralph throws at you. In the movie, however, there is an entire video game world in the arcade where every character comes to life. Felix is always having the time of his life, while Ralph is tired of being the villain and goes “Turbo” (avoiding spoilers for this entry). So, he goes to a video game called Hero’s Duty, an alien shooter, so he can get a medal of heroism. After he gets the medal, one of the game’s aliens hijacks a ship he’s in and lands in Sugar Rush, a racing game. Now he has to help a glitch named Vanellope Von Schweetz win a race. While a lot of people aren’t into this movie, because of all the video game fan service, I love it for what it is. It isn’t just a plethora of video game references, but also has an emotional impact towards the end. The characters are likeable as well, and it’s hard to choose just one as the most memorable. So, what is Wreck-It Ralph? My favorite Pixar movie, and my second favorite animated movie. If only it didn’t lose to the next entry…
#3 (PG-13)
SPOILER ALERT!!!
This has to be the most underrated movie I’ve ever seen. What am I talking about? I’m talking about 9. No, not the 9th entry, the movie 9! With alright ratings and not that many viewers, this movie is a hidden gem. Time for some history lessons: A while ago, Shane Acker made a short animation called “9.” It was so good that it caught the attention of Tim Burton himself and he asked Shane if he could make a movie out of it. He agreed, and the movie succeeded tremendously. The film takes place during the apocalypse; every human is dead and robots rule the lands. Before the robots killed everyone, a scientist creates nine dolls and dies in the process. Fast forward to now: all but one of the dolls are awake and outside. Now, the final doll, 9, gets up. He meets 2, another doll who tells him about what dangers are in the world, and gets kidnapped by a robot. He finds 1 and the others, and uncovers the leader of the robots. Now, the nine of them have to save the already devastated world. This movie has huge atmosphere, epic battle scenes, and a whole bunch of sad moments. Each of the dolls has his or her own personality and contributes at least one thing to the plot. At first, I hated 1; he was a coward and a nuisance. However, my feelings for him toward the end turned toward sorrow rather than hatred. 2 was a very interesting character, but he was… short lived… 3 and 4 are probably the weakest characters, because they never talk and mess around. 5 is a well-developed character and someone for whom you’d feel sorry. 6 is alright; he’s your stereotypical loon who keeps talking about the “source of everyone” and has little-to-no development. 7, my favorite out of the bunch–she’s the main reason that 7 is my favorite number. Enough said. 8, while having some awesome moments, is actually bland and doesn’t contribute to the plot that much. Finally, 9 is an epic character, with perfect interactions and well-thought-out character development; he just makes the movie more interesting. Plus, he’s voiced by Elijah Wood,–what else do you want? All in all, 9 is the best animated movie I’ve ever seen, and deserves the #3 spot.
#2 (PG-13)
I’ve read all six graphic novels, I have a shirt from it, and I still have yet to play the video game. This is what a dedicated Scott Pilgrim vs. The World fan would be. This movie has some of the best fight scenes, best romance scenes, and most epic video game references–it makes Wreck-It Ralph look foolish. This movie takes place in Toronto, Canada, where everyone is a hipster and has their own style, like Scott. Scott Pilgrim is a 24-year-old in a band called Sex Bob-Omb with his friend Stephen Stills and his ex Kim Pines. He lives with his gay roommate Wallace Wells, and is dating Knives Chau, a high schooler. Then he meets Ramona Flowers, the girl of his dreams. He starts dating her behind Knives’s back, and learns about the League of Evil Exes, a group of seven people whom Ramona used to date. So, if Scott wants to date her, he has to defeat her evil exes. While doing that, he has to work with the band’s budget, break up with Knives, and deal with his other ex, Envy Adams. This movie is so funny, not just because of the game references, but because of everyone’s quick quips and senses of humor. For instance, Stephen’s girlfriend Julie Powers uses censor bars when cursing and breaks the fourth wall. My only problem with the movie is that it is not too accurate with its comics. If anything, the director should have made two movies to make it accurate. Either way, this movie has everything: action, drama, and comedy. Wait, this is only #2… then what could possibly beat this?!
#1 (PG-13)
SPOILER ALERT… LAST WARNING!!!
Oh, I know. A movie with emotional impact, mostly likeable characters and actors, a beautiful plot, and comedy. That movie would be… The Way Way Back. Sure, one of the characters is hateable, but it’s perfect. Sure, some scenes may not be satisfying, but it’s perfect. I cannot find one flaw that would take it away from its #1 spot. Duncan is going to his beach house during summer vacation with his mother, her new boyfriend Trent, and his daughter Steph. Trent asks Duncan how he would rate himself from one to ten, as Trent thinks Duncan’s a three. When they arrive at their destination, they’re greeted by their neighbors Kip and Joan, with their kids Susanna and Peter. Since Duncan is pretty antisocial, he finds a bike and rides to an arcade. He meets Owen, a staff member at Water Wizz, a water park. Owen hires Duncan. As days pass, Duncan begins to enjoy his job more. He even develops a friendship with Susanna and Peter. Then he sees Trent cheating on his mother with Joan. He gets upset and his life gets even harder. There is so much I can talk about the plot, but I don’t want to spoil too much. First off, this is the only movie on this list that features my favorite actress: AnnaSophia Robb (the fangirl in Drake & Josh and Violet Beauregarde in the 2005 version of Willy Wonka), who plays the part of Susanna, a very likeable character. In fact, every character in this movie is great–except for Trent, he stinks. Duncan is also a perfect character of the adolescent stereotype. At first, he’s antisocial, but develops into a very realistic character. Finally: the ending, THE ENDING. Out of all of these movies, it’s the saddest. Even though there are no deaths, it’s not satisfying; it throws so much reality in your face and the truth hurts. I know I said this already, but I have to repeat it. THIS MOVIE IS PLUPERFECT! It has emotional impact, likeable characters, a beautiful plot, great development, and an ending filled with despair. This is why it’s #1.
So there you have it, my favorite movies of all time. Alas, this will be my last article for a while, but when I come back, I’ll be reviewing a recently aired ambiguous miniseries, and a mysterious CGI anime. For now, I’ll be working on something big. A new comic coming to The Phoenix Inquirer. I am proud to announce that Rushing Through Fire is on its way. A comic filled with action, heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, evil societies, adventure, revenge, and a whole lot of metaphors! See you soon.
Wow! Thank you Nir for these enjoyable and useful reviews. I will check out a couple especially your number one, The Way Way BAck!