Welcome back to Rhode Island Movie Corner’s big end-of-the-year list in which I count down my picks for my Top 12 Favorite Films of 2017. This is Part 3 of 4 and today we’re kicking off the second half of this list by looking at films #6-4. If you missed the first half of this list, click the following links below to be directed over to the previous two parts. But for now, it’s time to get back to the list…
(Also, quick disclaimer, if you’re not a fan of the superhero genre, you might want to skip this one as today’s post will be entirely devoted to superhero films…)
When it came to November’s big superhero-oriented releases, most people were mainly looking forward to Justice League. At the end of the day, though, who would’ve thought that the equivalent of a sci-fi buddy road trip comedy would end up being vastly superior to it?
Thor: Ragnarok is hands down the best Thor film to date; obviously, though, many will argue that this isn’t saying much. While the first Thor did manage to keep its title character from becoming a total joke in the eyes of most audiences, it’s not really brought up much nowadays when people talk about the best MCU films. And as for Thor: The Dark World… well, most people consider it to be the weakest installment of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thankfully, Ragnarok manages to avoid going down that road again by fully embracing the sillier aspects of its premise and setting. By comparison, the first two Thor films worked to maintain a balance between having their plots be set on both Earth and Thor’s home-world of Asgard. And while I personally didn’t mind the parts of the films that were set on Earth, the same can’t be said for other folks. Ragnarok, on the other hand, is set almost entirely off-Earth, resulting in the best use yet of its cosmic setting while also having the most consistent humor of any film in the Thor franchise. Yes, Thor: Ragnarok is full to the brim with the MCU’s trademark humor; this, however, has proven to be a rather controversial development amongst some fans for one main reason. In the comics, the concept of ‘Ragnarok’, AKA the destruction of Asgard, was treated in a generally serious manner. In contrast, Thor: Ragnarok is a lot more comedic-based. However, that doesn’t mean that this is all that the film has going for it.
Oh sure, the film has plenty of great humorous moments, so much so that I can literally do an entire Spoiler Post based solely on them. There’s the extended version of the Doctor Strange mid-credits scene, complete with Strange submitting Loki to the torture of having to fall non-stop through an alternate dimension (“I have been falling… FOR THIRTY MINUTES!”). There’s the scene where Thor tries to calm Hulk down by using Black Widow’s ‘Sun’s Getting Real Low’ routine from Age of Ultron… only to get smashed around a la Loki in the first Avengers, complete with Loki himself excitedly reacting to the fact that he’s not on the receiving end of that beatdown this time ("Yeah!! That's how it feels!!"). And, of course, there’s everything that involves the always hilarious Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster, ruler of the planet of Sakaar, including the film’s post-credits scene (“It’s a tie!”). But that doesn’t mean that the film doesn’t have any effective emotional moments, like the scene where Thor and Loki share one last moment with their father Odin before his death. But when it comes to the best emotional moment in the film, I’d say that honor goes to the scene between Thor and Loki in an elevator as they head to the Grandmaster’s ship hangar. When Loki remarks that he’s planning on staying on Sakaar, Thor agrees with his plan as he notes that he once thought the world of Loki and figured that they would be fighting side-by-side until Loki’s treacherous nature was truly revealed, a comment that Loki responds to in a hesitant manner. And while the scene does culminate in a funny gag in which Thor and Loki fool some guards with their ‘Get Help’ routine, this doesn’t take away from the feels that were on display in that elevator scene. And, really, who doesn’t find their ‘Get Help’ routine funny?
In all seriousness, though, when the film does tackle the subject of Ragnarok and the takeover of Asgard by Hela the Goddess of Death (a solid member of the MCU’s rogues’ gallery thanks in large part to Cate Blanchett’s excellent performance in the role), it does treat these narrative developments in a serious nature. In fact, the film isn’t even afraid to pull a few shocking punches here and there. As soon as she gets to Asgard, Hela kills off the Warriors 3 (sans Lady Sif because Jaimie Alexander was unable to return due to scheduling conflicts). During the final battle, Thor ends up losing his right eye a la Odin. But perhaps most notably is the simple fact that Ragnarok does, indeed, occur. Yes, the film doesn’t end on a cliched note by having Thor save Asgard from destruction. Following a vision that he has of Odin, Thor realizes that the heart of Asgard lies within its people and that the kingdom’s destruction is the only way of stopping Hela. Thus, he and his allies unleash the demonic creature Surtur who then swiftly proceeds to destroy Asgard. And sure, like the elevator scene, this moment also features a humorous joke in which Thor’s Kronan ally Korg (played by the film’s director, Taika Waititi) remarks that Asgard can be rebuilt if the foundations are still there… only to retract his statement when the kingdom is truly destroyed. At the same time, though, Waititi does deserve a lot of credit for pulling off such a ballsy move in the MCU. Plus, it’s hard not to appreciate all the little details that he put into the film as well, including a scene that straight-up parodies the infamous tunnel scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In short, yes, Thor: Ragnarok is undeniably one of the most comedic entries in the MCU. But I must ask… why is that such a bad thing when it is handled so well here? Because thanks to some excellent action sequences and some of the best performances that Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo have had in the roles of Thor and Hulk, respectively, Thor: Ragnarok is a total blast from beginning to end.
At the #5 spot, we have a very special entry in the superhero genre, as it served as the last hurrah for one of the genre’s greatest leads. Thankfully, this film managed to give him the finale that he deserved after 17 years in the role.
Ever since he was first cast in the role of Wolverine in the original film adaptation of X-Men back in 2000, Hugh Jackman has undeniably been one of the biggest standouts of the entire X-Men film franchise. He was so popular, in fact, that he ended up getting his own line of Wolverine spin-off films. However, the overall critical response to these spin-off films has been mixed at best. Despite all the hype surrounding it, many were ultimately disappointed at 2009’s X-Men Origins Wolverine for its unfocused narrative, mediocre effects, and its infamous handling of the character of Deadpool. 2013’s The Wolverine, based on the comics storyline in which Wolverine travels to Japan, fared a lot better by comparison but still wasn’t that big of a critical success. But thanks to the success of Deadpool, Jackman and The Wolverine director James Mangold were given the opportunity to give the character of Wolverine a proper send-off with Logan, which was announced as being Jackman’s final outing in his iconic role. And if there was one crucial thing that helped Jackman and Mangold in making this the best Wolverine film yet, it was the fact that they were able to make it an R-rated superhero film. Yes, after years of seeing Wolverine partake in primarily bloodless action sequences, this film allowed him to utilize his famous claws to their full potential, resulting in a full array of unabashedly gory action sequences. But just like the previously mentioned War for the Planet of the Apes, this film also boasts a poignant story full of well-layered characters that very much matches the quality of its action sequences.
Set in a future where most of the mutant community has been wiped out, the film sees an aging Wolverine embarking on a journey with Professor Charles Xavier, whose mental state has degraded considerably, to protect a young mutant girl named Laura from an evil corporation that has been using mutant DNA to create a group of young mutants to be used as warriors. Logan also learns that Laura was created specifically from his DNA, effectively making him her ‘father’; in other words, she is Wolverine’s famous clone from the comics, X-23. What follows is a journey that quite frankly puts them all through the emotional wringer. To call Logan and Xavier’s road to ruin in this film tragic would be an understatement, especially for the latter. In contrast to his calm and hopeful attitude from previous films, the Xavier in this film is a broken man who speaks in a cruder manner than we’ve ever seen before. Simply put, Patrick Stewart is as great as he’s always been in the role but, suffice it to say, it’s not an easy performance to watch either, especially once it’s revealed that his mental seizures, which causes him to lose control of his telepathic powers, ended up killing multiple members of the X-Men years prior. And Xavier’s death in the film is just as tragic, as he is unceremoniously killed at the hands at X-24, the violent clone of Wolverine who closely resembles his younger self. On that note, Hugh Jackman is also just as phenomenal as he’s always been as Wolverine. And in this film, he’s arguably at the best that he’s ever been in the role thanks to the excellent arc that the character goes through in which he once again finds something that’s worth fighting for. That something is the matter of protecting Laura and her fellow young mutants from the sinister corporation known as Transigen. Laura herself is easily the film’s biggest standout thanks to a terrific performance from newcomer Dafne Keen, and I think many will agree with me in saying that she’s poised to have a future in both this franchise and the film industry in general.
My only real complaint with this film is that the villains are a little mediocre. Now, admittedly, I don’t necessarily think this about X-24 or Transigen’s cybernetic head of security Donald Pierce. Jackman handles the dual role of Logan’s clone quite well as X-24 proves to be quite the intimidating threat. And Boyd Holbrook is perfectly fine as the enjoyably despicable Pierce, who constantly proves to be a thorn in Logan’s side throughout the entire film. Ultimately, when I say that this film’s villains are mediocre, I’m mainly referring to the character of Zander Rice, the head scientist behind Transigen’s mutant experiments. There is some backstory established for the character in which it’s revealed that Logan had killed his father during his escape from the Weapon X facility at Alkali Lake (as previously seen in X-Men: Apocalypse). But in this film, he shows up briefly in the finale to talk to Logan… who promptly kills him not long after. I also think that this slow-moving, near two-and-a-half-hour film maybe loses a bit of steam near the end, but that doesn’t mean that I think that it drags at any point. Because at the end of it all, this film concludes on one of the genre’s greatest emotional moments. After Logan and Laura manage to defeat X-24, who ends up impaling Logan on a tree branch, Logan finally succumbs to his wounds right when Laura acknowledges him as ‘Daddy’. This is then followed by her and her fellow young mutants giving him a proper burial, which culminates in her moving the cross at his grave on its side so that it looks like an ‘X’. And thus, the most famous X-Man of all ends his run in the franchise in the best way possible. With that said, on behalf of my fellow superhero film fanatics, I’d like to thank Hugh Jackman for everything that he has done with this character.
Now I realize that there have been quite a few instances in these past few posts where I’ve heavily bashed the weak link of the superhero genre’s 2017 film slate, Justice League. Fear not, though, DCEU fans, as your franchise’s other big 2017 release, which is hands down its greatest installment to date, ends up taking a prime spot on this list.
I cannot stress it enough how big of a success that Wonder Woman truly was for everyone who was involved with it. For starters, it was the DCEU’s most critically acclaimed outing to date and rightfully so. Even as someone who does like Man of Steel and both cuts of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (yes, even the theatrical cut…), it’s hard to deny that Wonder Woman manages to avoid quite a few of those films’ shortcomings to produce the franchise’s most high-spirited installment yet. Of course, this film serves as the long-awaited solo outing for DC’s iconic heroine following her cameo appearance in Batman v Superman while also being the first major female-led superhero film of the genre’s modern era (i.e. circa 2008). And thanks to the wonderful direction from Patty Jenkins, the film is an excellent representation of its title character. Unlike the dark and serious tone of previous DCEU films, Wonder Woman maintains a more light-hearted tone throughout with a lot more humorous dialogue, which mainly stems from the various ways in which Diana responds to things in the real world (e.g. a newborn baby and ice cream, just to name a few). The action sequences are excellent, highlighted by what is easily one of the best scenes in the entire film in which Diana traverses through ‘No Man’s Land’ to take on the German forces in a small village known as Veld. But at its core, the film also has a great heart to it all, and this is mainly thanks to Gal Gadot’s fantastic performance in the role of the titular Amazonian warrior princess from the hidden island of Themyscira.
Now, of course, as many of us know, when Gadot was first cast in the role of Wonder Woman for BvS, she was subjected to the typical backlash that any major superhero film casting gets from fans of the comics. In her case, it was mainly for two reasons. First, some felt that she wasn’t the best pick for the role performance-wise given that, at the time of her casting, she was mainly known for her supporting role as Gisele in the Fast and Furious franchise and not much else. The other reason was, unfortunately, a more sexist one as there were a few jerks out there who were critical of Gadot’s physical appearance in relation to how the character traditionally looks in the comments. Heck, some people even insulted Gadot’s brief tenure in her native country of Israel’s military. As for me, though, there was one moment where I became fully convinced that she was the perfect choice for the role, and it wasn’t even an onscreen moment. Instead, it was when I attended a panel that she appeared at during the 2016 Rhode Island Comic-Con. In the span of a half-hour, I could see that she perfectly conveyed the charisma and all-around warmth that have always been defining traits of the character in the comics. And while Gadot was already one of the biggest standouts of Batman v Superman, it was ultimately through her own solo film where she was truly given the chance to shine. This is mainly thanks to the terrific arc that Diana has in the film where, after initially being unaware of what life is like outside of Themyscira, she ends up bearing witness to the darker side of humanity when she is forced to deal with the pressing matter that is World War I.
She’s backed by an equally excellent supporting cast headlined by Chris Pine as Diana’s love interest, pilot Steve Trevor. Thankfully, the film manages to avoid having Steve overshadow Diana in her own film (something that was apparently the case with a prior Wonder Woman screenplay written by Joss Whedon, which is all that I’m going to say about that, for the record, as that one never got made) while still making him her equal in terms of his role in the plot. This remains consistent throughout the entire film all the way up to his heroic sacrifice during the final battle when he detonates a plane full of poison gas at a safe altitude. And despite Diana’s initial despair over these turn of events, it ultimately ends up being the nobility of Steve’s actions that manages to convince her that, contrary to what it may seem, there is still a sense of good left in humanity. The two of them are, in turn, joined by an equally memorable group of allies in their band of specialists consisting of Said Taghmaoui as the fast-talking spy Sameer, Ewen Bremmer as the shell-shocked sharpshooter Charlie, and Eugene Brave Rock as the stoic smuggler Chief. As for Diana’s allies from her home in Themyscira, Connie Nielsen is excellent as Diana’s mother, Queen Hippolyta. While her role in the film is arguably rather brief, as she doesn’t appear again after Diana and Steve leave for Europe, she does a great job as the noble ruler of Themyscira who desperately tries to keep her daughter from learning the truth about the outside world and her ultimate purpose in it. The same goes for Robin Wright as Diana’s aunt, General Antiope, who trains her to become an Amazonian warrior. Again, it’s a relatively small role in a larger film, but Wright leaves such a great impression in her brief amount of screen-time, so much so that the scene where she is killed by a German soldier to shield Diana from an oncoming bullet is genuinely one of the best emotional moments in the film.
Like Logan, though, this film’s weakest links are its villains; though, again, I wouldn’t go as far as to call them ‘terrible’. First off, there’s Danny Huston as the brutish German general Ludendorff who orchestrates a scheme to keep the war going at a time when it’s on the brink of conclusion. Huston’s fine in the role but said role is basically just a straight-forward bait-and-switch antagonist for Diana to take down. Elena Anaya gets a bit more interesting material to work with as Ludendorff’s enigmatic chemist, Dr. Isabel Maru AKA Doctor Poison, who develops a deadlier form of mustard gas capable of causing even more death and destruction in the war. Unfortunately, she’s somewhat waylaid by the character’s limited screen-time. Finally, there’s the main villain of the film, Ares the God of War. Initially assumed to be dead following an encounter with Zeus, as explained via backstory that Hippolyta tells Diana when she’s a child, he is later revealed to be alive having taken the identity of Sir Patrick Morgan (David Thewlis), one of Diana and Steve’s diplomatic allies in Europe. To the film’s credit, the big twist surrounding the reveal of Ares’ identity is handled decently, namely given the fact that Diana was initially led to believe that Ludendorff was Ares and that killing him would immediately end the war, only to discover that this wasn’t the case. Ultimately, though, the final fight between Diana and Ares boils down to a rather simplistic visual-heavy battle. Despite this, though, Wonder Woman was an undisputed delight that ended up giving the DCEU its best film to date. I’m serious, DCEU fans, you really should be grateful for everything that this film did right as it’s quite arguably the only genuinely successful film that the franchise has had at this point.
And that’s the end of Part 3 of Rhode Island Movie Corner’s annual ‘Favorite Films of the Year’ list. Thanks for following along and be sure to check back tomorrow for this list’s big finale, where I’ll be listing my Top 3 Favorite Films from this past year. What film will end up taking the #1 spot? Stay tuned…
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