Top Ten (movies
released during and that I actually was able to watch) of 2013:
1.
Captain Phillips - Expertly directed and acted, this is a near
flawless exercise in creating onscreen suspense. The final half hour of the movie is as powerful
as they get.
2.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – This one makes a
strong transition into feeling like a movie truly connected to the emotions of
the original Lord of the Rings films.
Peter Jackson deserves credit for doing what George Lucas couldn’t, which is
take lesser material and come close to the gravitas delivered in the
originals. And the visuals in this, once
Smaug the dragon comes into the movie, will amaze you. And I happened to enjoy the first Hobbit more
than many others, but I still recognize this one as an improvement in content.
3.
Fast & Furious
6 – This was
on my list before Paul Walker tragically passed away this year. His departure just makes re-watching this
terrifically entertaining action film more than bittersweet, it actually makes
it hard to do. This is in no small part
due to what has propelled these films to greater heights at the box office over
the past 4 years: the team on screen is
a family.
4.
Gravity – Truly a unique
experience, this movie warrants all the “game changing” chatter it generated. I read where someone said in 30 years people
will still talk about this movie and will still be watching it. That’s probably true…and time will only tell
what imaginative innovations will come from that.
5.
Prisoners – It’s on my list
because the movie was so well made. The
hardest movie for me to watch this year was also one of the most fulfilling
journeys I’ve taken at the movies in a while.
6.
Man of Steel – This dates back
to my childhood, but if a Superman movie comes out the chances are good I’m
going to be there. Many people didn’t
like the liberties they took with the character and the storyline, but I
thought they didn’t go far enough. And
the action was wild. This is what it
would look like if people with near infinite powers really fought on earth.
7.
Sound City – Dave Grohl
chronicles the life and death of the Sound City studios where so much legendary
music was recorded, including Nirvana’s Nevermind. The movie is both a walk down memory lane for
the studio and a profile of just how much the digital revolution changed the
face of the music industry.
8.
Star Trek Into
Darkness – I didn’t
care as much for this when I first saw it in theatres. Just not in the right
mood I guess. In picking it back up on
video, it truly is an epic space tale with a modern shot of adrenaline to keep
the kids interested. It’s a great
ride.
9.
Thor: The Dark World – Iron Man 3 won’t
make my list, but this continuation of the Thor storyline was entertaining in a
way that surprised me. It found a quick
pace and held a tricky balance with plenty of humor and action all stemming
from parallel worlds collapsing in on each other. I expected to enjoy it, but I didn’t expect
it to be that much pure fun.
10.
Wish You Were Here – A little seen
Australian movie about 4 people who vacation in Southeast Asia and one goes
missing. The movie plays out by cutting
back and forth between the aftermath of their return to Australia and the
events of the vacation itself. It’s
incredibly engrossing, right up until the end where it loses a bit of
steam. For most of the ride at least, I
was on pins and needles.
