2017 Cinema & Stadium Film Year-in-Review

2017 Cinema & Stadium Film Year-in-Review

It's time for my favorite post of the year, where I get to look back on all the films that I saw in the previous year and talk about the highlights as well as some of the disappointments.  In doing so, I often find that my opinion has changed a little, particularly if I got the chance to see a movie again on Netflix.  Overall, it was another strong year at the movies, although it seems I focused even more heavily on the action/adventure and drama genres than usual.  Plenty of those either had a lot of humor or mixed in other styles, but I only saw two animated films, and just one traditional comedy.  Since I go to see films based on a mixture of the appeal of its premise (and stars/filmmakers) plus its Rotten Tomatoes score, it seems those genres could use a little work in 2018!

I don't think it's broke, so I'm not fixing the format of my year-in-review.  As always I'll begin with my top 10 films of the year, with a brief summary of why I chose each.  In general, my top 10 is made by a combination of how good I thought the movies were and how much I liked them.  After that, I'll have a few miscellaneous awards (overrated/underrated, etc.), a brief rundown of movies I saw on Netflix but not in theaters, and finally a list of links to other movies I saw (and reviewed) during the year.

You can find my annual companion piece, my Oscar-style awards, here.  I hope you enjoy reading, and feel free to let me know what you think (or if I missed a movie you liked)!


Top 10 Films of 2017

10 (tie).  The Big Sick (directed by Michael Showalter; starring Kumail Nianji, Zoe Kazan)

I'm already cheating here a little: this is the eleventh film on my top ten.  But it's the one film in 2017 that I'm kicking myself for not seeing in theaters, and it deserves a mention.  The dramedy's story, one that might seem a perfectly typical Hollywood tale, is actually based on the real experiences of star Kumail Nianji and his now-wife (who is played by Zoe Kazan here).  An excellent script manages to juggle several different objectives: insight into cultural differences, a sweet (not sappy) romance, and sharp humor alongside a wrenching emotional plot.  Veterans Hunter and Romano are strong, and Nianji and Kazan are stars in the making.  Make sure to see it.

10 (tie).  Get Out (directed by Jordan Peele; starring Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford)

Breakout movie of the year, and one of the most hyped, Get Out holds up to the attention it's getting.  Horror is normally one of the only genres I avoid, but Jordan Peele (of Key and Peele) writing and directing it pulled me in.  Fans of the sketch show will recognize Peele's unique style and sharp mind at work here: probably very few others could effectively pull off a horror that's funny, and also is such an effective mirror on society, too.  Daniel Kaluuya is great as the lead, and he makes us feel like we're each alone with him, too.  While I wouldn't say it's as great as some other Best Picture-nominees are, it's truly unique and certainly worth seeing (take it from this non-horror fan!).

9.  Coco (directed by Lee Unkrich; starring Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt)

Pixar just keeps on doing it.  Other than a few that I've skipped (like the latest Cars), the animation studio is just terrific at coming up with brilliant, creative ideas that have heart and timeless lessons, and Coco is no different.  One might cynically label this the "Hispanic Pixar" film, but that would entirely ignore the typically high level of thought and care that went into it.  Coco does a great job of exploring Mexican cultures and traditions within its story, and in doing so invents yet another level of visual wizardry in its land of the dead (and inhabitants).  Anchored in a specific, vivid new setting yet imparting more universal ideas on family, memory, and more, this is another home run.

8.  Thor: Ragnarok (directed by Taika Waititi; starring Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hiddleston)

Despite well over a dozen films and billions of dollars in box office, Marvel refuses to rest on its laurels, and Thor: Ragnarok is a brilliant example of this.  Thor has never been the Avengers' most interesting hero, and so the studio allowed director Taika Waititi to overhaul the character's tone.  Now, Hemsworth and Hiddleston are out-Guardians-ing Pratt and company in sheer silliness and sense of fun, yet somehow without driving off the road into parody.  Thor is freed from his dour sense of royal responsibility, and has a blast with troublesome brother Loki, new BFF Hulk, and some great new friends, too.  One of the funniest movies I saw in 2017, it's still as good as its Marvel kin.

7.  Star Wars: The Last Jedi (directed by Rian Johnson; starring Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver)

Update: I still don't know exactly how to feel about this latest chapter in the Star Wars universe.  On the plus side, I could not have hoped for a better return for Hamill's Luke Skywalker, who is the most fun character in the film and provides an instant-class finale.  Credit to writer-director Johnson's narrative boldness, too, with some big surprises, many of which work well.  Star Wars is rapidly growing more diverse and reaping rewards from it, and the Rey-Kylo Renn relationship is still great (if somewhat underplayed).  But it's not all smooth sailing: it's simply packed too full, with several undercooked and unnecessary parts, and the quality is uneven, particularly in some sketchy dialogue. Still, this is the mother of all movie franchises, and hopefully you saw it while it was in theaters.

6.  Battle of the Sexes (directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris; starring Emma Stone, Steve Carell)

Tennis, two of my favorite actors, and a historical event with timely relevance?  Sign me up!  That's what I thought when I heard about the film in the fall, and the film fortunately makes good on its promise.  Full of great humor, Battle of the Sexes also generates quite a bit of tension as it lays out the  cultural stakes of the ostensibly silly match, and how strong Billy Jean King truly had to be as well as how Riggs got to his ludicrous position.  Not mere sideshows, the movie also looks at the beginnings of the women's tennis association and King's tumultuous personal life.  With outstanding acting and a great script, this is an excellent choice even if you haven't seen a single tennis match before.

5.  Wonder Woman (directed by Patty Jenkins; starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine)

As many of the most famous comic book characters enter their third or fourth incarnations, one icon remained glaringly, obviously ignored, until 2017: Wonder Woman.  The wait was too long, but the pay off was impressive, as Gal Gadot does a magnificent job as the heroine.  She is both inspiring and interesting to watch - strong and beautiful, certainly, but also bold and growing in ways unmatched by other heroes.  The movie around Gadot is also good; she has a fun, supporting partner in Pine's WWI pilot and the historical context gives it crucial specificity and tone.  That the film then combines this with its mythological elements to present valuable ideas about humanity is golden.

4.  Lady Bird (directed by Greta Gerwig; starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf)

I've seen plenty of coming-of-age dramedies, and frankly, I don't care to see many more.  Some are well done, but to me it's a tired out genre that is often nauseatingly self-aware or "clever".  I wasn't sure, then, about Lady Bird, but took a chance due to the Oscar buzz; I'm glad I did, because it's the best I've seen in the genre.  Takes a little while to get going, but the film does a great job of developing its teenage girl lead, through meaningful and interesting relationships, and by alternating high-impact, emotional scenes with everyday life.  The script is strong and the performances are great, particularly Ronan's.  This is one coming-of-age story that will stick with you.

3.  Hidden Figures (directed by Theodore Melfi; starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae)

Hidden Figures joins a growing list of recent high-profile films exploring the African American community through history (or historical fiction), and it stands shoulder to shoulder with them in quality.  It is much different than, say, 12 Years a Slave; it's designed as a crowd-pleaser, yet it retains incredible nuance, realism, and power in showing the pivotal roles that African American women (three in particular) played in the Space Race.  All of their impressive achievements are effectively presented, and Henson's lead in particular is well-rounded with her personal life.  Featuring some great humor and a really fun soundtrack, this movie is an all-around triumph.

2.  La La Land (directed by Damien Chazelle; starring Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling)

Like Lady Bird and Get Out, the genre here didn't exactly draw me in; still, the buzz and talent involved - Stone, Gosling and Chazelle (made the nifty Whiplash) - along with the chance to see something different got me interested.  It's a joy to watch, plain and simple (and really well made).  The story is a simple, classic one, but with a contemporary feel, and Stone and Gosling just have so much chemistry that the romance remains interesting and affecting.  Many are not fans of the ending, but I'm fine with it - and you can't argue with its superb execution.  The music is phenomenal, and the routines are neat (most importantly, they don't disrupt the film's overall flow).  Bold yet sensible, high-quality filmmaking that provides a great time at the theater - we need more of it.

1.  Dunkirk (directed by Christopher Nolan; starring Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy)

A war film is one of the last things I ever expected from Christopher Nolan, one of my favorite directors, but in Dunkirk he made the best war film I've ever seen.  Nolan brings his unmatched cinematic vision to a well-worn genre, and the departure from his normal setting allowed him to fully address some of his own weaknesses.  Dunkirk is an absolute feast for the senses: by far the best dogfighting shots I've ever seen, harrowing sounds of chaos as men scramble out of sinking vessels, and terrifying guns and bombs bursting (yet never a look at the attackers themselves), for just a few examples.  It shows - and you really feel - the desperate, all-consuming quest for survival in war, and it uses little dialogue at all to do so.  Instead, we rotate among three scenes at the famed evacuation - on land, on the sea, and in the air - and Nolan uses his technical genius to flow them seamlessly together even though they play out on completely different timelines.  The tension builds and builds, though we know little of the characters beyond their names, and the film truly earns its sense of emotional catharsis, something Nolan has previously struggled with.  The catharsis, just like the rest of the film, is different from other war films, and communicates the value of our shared humanity much more powerfully.  Hopefully you saw this epic in theaters, but if not, just be sure to see it.


Honorable mentions:  Logan Lucky, Spider-Man: Homecoming, John Wick Chapter 2, Logan


Miscellaneous Awards:

Most Overrated Film of the Year:  Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (runner-up: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)
These two films were by far the most overrated, scoring 92% and 83% respectively on Rotten Tomatoes.  I liked the first Guardians movie a lot: Chris Pratt led a fun cast, it was silly and funny without being stupid, and was a great adventure.  All of the fine-tuning of the first went out the window in the sequel, though, as they went way overboard and got shockingly sloppy.  There are still a few laughs, but so many attempts here are just horribly written, unfunny, or even offensive.  The action becomes so ludicrous so fast that my suspension of disbelief was irreparably broken, and I was appalled by a scene of the murder of every one on a ship, one by one, with an arrow, and being asked to laugh at it.  A rare belly flop for Marvel.
I had similar high hopes for Three Billboards - a film that nearly won Best Picture!! - which were let down hard.  The premise, of a mother of a murdered child seeking both vengeance and justice through unique means, is fascinating.  Frances McDormand does a great job.  But the script is extremely uneven, and with jarring swerves between irreverent black humor and serious pathos.  The main culprit, I think, is how the two town cops are handled.  Harrelson's is far more interesting, but is in it too briefly, and the nature of his end is questionably handled, at best.  Rockwell's - a very fine actor - is even worse, magically transforming from a mentally disabled, hateful bigot into a sharp and compassionate detective.  We needed far more McDormand and far less of the cops, and only a massive rewrite could have corrected this failure.

Most Underrated Film of the Year:  Logan Lucky (runner-up:  Kingsman: The Golden Circle)
Admittedly, a good part of my choice of the The Golden Circle is because I love the original so much.  And I also admit that the sequel is not as good - not as original (well, duh) and not as tightly well crafted.  Still, it is bonkers fun, going over-the-top in a way that should make Guardians 2 salivate in envy.  If you didn't like the first... well, definitely skip the sequel.  But damn, I enjoyed the hell out of it (topped off with an action scene done to "Saturday Night's Alright (for Fighting)").
Logan Lucky is not over/underrated in the way the other four were; it scored a phenomenal 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.  But it made under $30 million in theaters, a pittance for a movie that should have been a significant hit.  It was released in August (where summer movies go to die), but it was so, so much better than a simplistic "Ocean's Eleven in West Virginia" description.  It has all the charm of its predecessor, features great turns from Tatum, Craig and the rest, and even has a hilarious Game of Thrones reference.  Just Netflix it.

Most Disappointing Film of the Year:  War for the Planet of the Apes (runner-up: Justice League)
I really wasn't all that surprised by Justice League this year.  It wasn't all bad (thanks to Gal Gadot and Ezra Miller/Wonder Woman and The Flash), but when you compare it to The Avengers... well, there's just no real comparison to be made.  Marvel is eating DC's lunch; ten years ago, Spider-Man was basically the only Marvel character I was familiar with, while Batman was flying high with Christopher Nolan.  Times change... JL came and went with barely a whimper when it should have been a Hollywood-rattling event.
War of the Planet of the Apes was a huge letdown as the final part of the new, somewhat under-the-radar trilogy for the franchise.  Andy Serkis' motion capture acting, and the chimp-character's development (particularly in Rise) were revolutionary - entertaining and thought-provoking.  Dawn added menace and moral ambiguity.  And then War came and pooped out a big, dumb, ordinary blockbuster.  All nuance, gone (or at least recycled); sketchy writing; poor pacing; extremely predictable.  What a shame for poor Caesar/Serkis.

Most Surprisingly Good Film of the Year:  Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (runner-up: The Circle)
The Circle probably qualifies more as an underrated film of the year, since I only gave it a "B-".  But it got a putrid 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, and I think that's pretty unfair.  Yeah, it's frequently awkward, and some parts are just pointless (like John Boyega's entire character).  But it does have some interesting ideas and scenes, and it's hard to find more likable co-stars than Emma Watson and Tom Hanks.  Don't rush to see it, but I wouldn't avoid it altogether, either.
The Jumanji sequel has a solid 76% on Rotten Tomatoes and has made nearly a billion dollars worldwide, but let's be honest: it could have been a complete train wreck.  Instead, Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black put their impressive talents to full use, and the movie fully committed to its kids-playing-as-movie-stars-in-video-game-world concept to hilarious effect.  The action is actually pretty dull and unimaginative, but the stars keep it going nearly the whole way through.

Worst Film of the Year:  Guardians of the Galaxy (runner-up: The Mummy)
Technically a tie, since I gave both movies a "C-", Guardians 2 gets the "win" because it should have been so much better.  I already explained that one; I also don't have much to say about The Mummy, either.  Despite being crazy, Tom Cruise is almost always a very fun actor to watch, but even his movie star power gets dulled by a pointless premise/remake with nothing interesting to offer.  It bombed so badly, though, that it might at least prevent more movies like it in what was planned to be a new monster franchise (*shiver*).



Netflix Summary:

The Big Sick (A-):  see top 10 list - highly recommended dramedy.
War Machine (B):  This didn't make too much of an impression, as I don't remember it very well.  It's a satire on the Afghanistan War; Brad Pitt hams it up as the gung-ho new commander.  It's fine, worth a watch if you want something with contemporary flavor or are interested in the topic.
American Made (B):  Based on a true story, Cruise is entertaining as a commercial pilot who gets pulled into (allows himself to) drug smuggling, CIA clandestine operations and world headlines.  It's a bit much, and Cruise just plays himself after awhile, but if the premise interests you, another fine one.
Despicable Me 3 (B-):  The franchise is fun, if a far cry from Pixar.  This one is diverting, but the concept is wearing thin (at least for me).
Kong: Skull Island (B-):  Maybe I've just already seen too many monster/disaster movies, but I'm glad I decided to skip this in theaters.  Cool special effects, but it doesn't do anything new, and fails to take advantage of a great cast.
IT (C+):  I generally avoid horror movies like the plague, but I thought I'd see what the fuss was about (it made over $300 million in the U.S.).  There are a few interesting bits with the kid characters, but there's even more awkwardness/bad acting, and jarring dissonance with the horror element.
The Great Wall (C):  A flop in the U.S. ($45 million), it was a hit in (duh) China ($170 million).  Directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Matt Damon, I wanted to get a look at, if nothing else, a new strategy for targeting an international audience.  The plot is dull and the script laughable, but it does have some top-notch special effects.  Bit of a chest-thumper for China, although Damon is ultimately the hero... I'll be curious to see how the international movie scene continues to evolve.


Other Films I Saw in Theaters (and reviewed):

Baby Driver (B+)
The Founder (B+)
Darkest Hour (B+)
Blade Runner 2049 (B)
Murder on the Orient Express (B)
The House (B)
The LEGO Batman Movie (B)

***

I hope you enjoyed reading some or all of this year-in-review (and come back later if you're in need of movie night suggestions)!  2018 is already off to a great start, and hopefully it will continue strong with the likes of Avengers: Infinity War, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and hopefully many pleasant surprises.

**One final thought!  If you like going to the theater to see movies but find it too expensive to go often, sign up for the Movie Pass app/service.  For $10 per month, you can go to as many movies as you want (one per day) for no extra charge!  Not only is this a fantastic deal, but it lets you see movies the way they were meant to be seen.** (not a paid advertisement, I just want to help fellow movie-goers :-)



* Dunkirk. Accessed March 5, 2018.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5013056/