TOP 12 FAVORITE FILMS OF 2013: Honorable Mentions and #12-10

If I were to describe 2013 in film in just one word, it would only be ‘okay’. What do I mean by that? Well, as I established in my ‘Worst of’ list, the bad movies this year were REALLY bad; unfunny comedies, poor action movies, etc. But the reason why I don’t consider this year to be a terrible year is that the good movies were still really good, particularly during the last few months of the year. However, in the case of some of the movies that came out this year, some of you might argue against whether or not they were any good because I have to say, this was a really divisive year as far as audience reception went. A lot of big summer blockbusters, films that received generally positive reviews from critics and seemed to be guaranteed successes both critically and commercially, ended up splitting audiences right down the middle. I will admit… a couple of the films on my list are some of those films. I guarantee you that you will all disagree with me on at least one movie on this list. So, with that in mind, here are my Top 12 favorite films of the year. For the record, yes I am doing a ‘Top 12’ list again just like last year and that is something I think I’ll be doing each year now. That is because I do see a lot of films each year and I want to cover as many of the good films I’ve seen as I can, most of them are films that will not be a part of the Oscar race.

Before I start this off, let me lay down the usual ground rules that I have for this list. First off, this is a Spoiler Post (!); I will be discussing major spoilers for pretty much every film on this list so you have been warned. If you haven’t seen any of these films, I suggest you watch them first before reading what I have to say. Second, like pretty much every year, I have not seen every film that has come out in 2013. Films like ‘Nebraska’, ‘Dallas Buyers Club’, and ‘The Spectacular Now’ will not be on this list so don’t be surprised if you don’t see them here because I haven’t seen them. Finally, and most importantly, please be respectful of everyone’s opinion. Obviously as I’ve said earlier, some of these films haven’t gone over well with audiences, so I guarantee you guys that you will no doubt disagree with me at least once on this list. Just don’t go and be an idiot and say something along the lines of ‘my opinion doesn’t matter’ for liking a movie that you didn’t like. This is just my personal opinion; everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. If there’s one thing that pisses me off more than a bad movie, it is when no one’s respecting others’ opinion.

First up, here are the Honorable Mentions and this year I have five.

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY



It’s really good to see Pixar return to form after two rather lackluster films in 2011’s ‘Cars 2’ and 2012’s ‘Brave’… well, almost. No, I don’t think this is the best Pixar film, but it is still a very good movie nevertheless. It’s a prequel that may have been a little unnecessary but it manages to avoid some of the things that plague most prequels, like phoned in references to the previous film. Not only that, but the story itself has a very heartwarming message; being able to believe in who you are against all odds. That is the story of everyone’s favorite one-eyed monster, Mike Wazowski, once again voiced by the incredibly talented Billy Crystal, who is repeatedly told that he doesn’t belong in the University’s Scare Program but continuously works to prove everyone wrong. John Goodman reprises his role as Sulley as well and like the last film, the two of them work off each other very well. Unlike ‘Monsters, Inc.’ which was more focused around Sulley and his relationship with the little girl Boo, this is more Mike’s story and yet it also gives Sulley a really well-developed character arc as well. At first, he actually comes off as a bit of a jerk but as the movie goes on, not only does he change his ways but, like Mike, he also starts to discover his talents as for most of the movie, he mainly gets by on his family legacy. As we see, even that legacy has had a rather negative impact on him. With a terrific voice cast, beautiful animation, and a lot of humor, ‘Monsters University’ is easily one of the best animated films of the year (though not really the best, as we’ll see in a bit).

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG



I do really like the first ‘Hobbit’, despite the fact that it felt too long. It made the number 11 spot on last year’s list after I initially gave it a 4/5 rating. This year, ‘Desolation of Smaug’ just misses the cut… despite the fact that I gave it a better rating, 4.5/5. Why? Well, to be honest, this was a bit more crowded of a year. Regardless, I think this film is a big improvement over ‘An Unexpected Journey’ mainly because this one has better pacing. Benedict Cumberbatch steals the show as the titular dragon Smaug, which is easily one of the best dragons ever in the history of film. However, at the same time, now I have a new worry about this ‘trilogy’ of films that shouldn’t really have been a trilogy in the first place. Obviously considering the fact that ‘The Hobbit’ is a very small book compared to the massive ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, Peter Jackson and the filmmakers obviously have to include more stuff in to fit what will no doubt be a 9+ hour trilogy. But this is at the expense of some characters getting the shaft when it comes to character development, like most of the dwarves. The only major dwarves that have gotten any real character development in these movies are Thorin (obviously because he’s the lead), Balin, and Kili. Remember, there are 13 dwarves and I’m pretty sure that I’m still not able to remember all of their names because most of them haven’t done much in these movies. Also, for a film called ‘The Hobbit’, the actual Hobbit himself, Bilbo, is a side character for most of the movie. Still, the film is well-acted, the new additions (like Orlando Bloom returning as Legolas and Evangeline Lilly as an original character, Tauriel) are welcome, and it’s still just really nice to be back in Middle-Earth. However, I hope that ‘There and Back Again’ will be able to conclude this trilogy as best as it can.

PACIFIC RIM



‘Pacific Rim’ is just one of those ‘shut off your brain’ movies. Yeah, this movie is stupid, and it is most certainly a case of style over substance, but I think that was what director Guillermo Del Toro was going for with this movie. It delivers on exactly what it promises; giant robots, giant monsters, and giant robot/giant monster battles. This movie is an action-packed thrill ride from beginning to end and if you can accept it as that without being too overly critical on the writing, then you will really enjoy this film. Sure, the writing is not exactly perfect, and the characters may not totally be that well-developed. But at the same time, the film isn’t completely devoid of character and substance. The actors all do pretty good jobs, particularly Idris Elba and Del Toro regular Ron Perlman. All in all, ‘Pacific Rim’ probably won’t be winning any Oscars (unless they’re for technical achievements, like visual effects) but it’s just a fun popcorn flick that’s very, very enjoyable.

ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES



Most sequels usually end up being not as good as the original, especially if that sequel is a comedy. Most comedy sequels tend to suck but thankfully ‘Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues’ is not one of those films. Sure, in the end, ‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy’ is still the better movie, mainly because it’s so quotable. Still, I have to give Will Ferrell and Adam McKay credit for being able to not only continue the story but to also make a film that is just as funny as the original. Ferrell and the rest of the returning players from the first movie (Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate, Steve Carell, and David Koechner) all return to their roles with ease and their camaraderie/chemistry is second-to-none. ‘Anchorman 2’: One of the rare comedy sequels that is actually pretty good.

SAVING MR. BANKS



Seeing how this is a Disney film, there was a possibility that the filmmakers might have been pro-Disney in telling the story of the production of their 1964 classic, ‘Mary Poppins’. They could have just had Walt been ‘right’ all of the time and try to vilify P.L. Travers for disagreeing with everything Walt did, but thankfully they don’t do that. Both are portrayed positively and the story is actually more about Travers, as it should be. We see how she’s worried about how Disney is going to adapt her beloved story to the big screen, as most authors probably are when their works are adapted to film. We also see why this story means so much to her, because it was heavily inspired by her own childhood, with the story’s patriarch, Mr. Banks, directly inspired from Travers’ alcoholic but loving father. Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, and Colin Farrell all shine in this dramatization of the story. Sure, the whole story may not have translated onto screen (like Travers’ disgust with the finished project or Walt ultimately overruling most of her objections) but as a whole it’s just an interesting story. It does take a little while to get going, but it still worked out in the end.

And now we officially kick things off at number 12 with a film that many are predicting will be one of the top contenders at this year’s Oscars, along with another film that, spoilers, you’ll be seeing much later on in this list. Why then is it only at Number 12, you ask? Well, to be honest, it’s a truly amazing film but more on a technical level.

12. GRAVITY



I’ll openly admit that while I do stand by my original rating for the film (5/5), ultimately I ended up liking the next 11 films on this list a little bit more. But that’s not to discredit what a truly amazing film this is. From a technical standpoint, this film is a visual masterpiece. It has incredible special effects, gorgeous cinematography, and is a very effective thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. However, at the same time, the film really isn’t the best when it comes to the writing. Still, I wouldn’t consider it bad; it’s just simple. There’s only two main characters in this, and they are your basic character archetypes. Sandra Bullock’s character is the rookie astronaut, while George Clooney’s character is the veteran who’s on his last mission. Yes, the character development may seem very simple, but I don’t think that’s the fault of the filmmakers, specifically director Alfonso Cuaron. I believe that his focus was more on making this film a visual masterpiece and he most certainly succeeds at doing that. Even with the simplified character development, both Sandra Bullock and George Clooney do great jobs nevertheless. Bullock, who basically is the only one on screen for the majority of the film, more than holds their own and while Clooney is not in the film that much, he’s still quite charming as he usually is. I won’t say ‘Gravity’ is the best film of the year, but it is still pretty darn good.

As I said earlier, ‘Monsters University’ was one of the best animated films of the year, but I didn’t call it the overall best. Number 11 is my pick for the best animated film of the year, and coincidentally, both films were released by the same company; Disney.

11. FROZEN



Like with Pixar and ‘Monsters University’, it’s good to see Disney’s main animation studio get back on track after a rather shaky start in the early 2000’s. I haven’t seen ‘Princess and the Frog’ and ‘Tangled’ in full, but ‘Wreck it Ralph’ was my pick for the best animated film last year and lo and behold, ‘Frozen’ gets that honor for this year’s list. It’s a film that goes back to the tradition of old-school Disney musicals like ‘Beauty and the Beast’ or ‘The Little Mermaid’ but at the same time it’s done with a modern flair. Sure, it seems like Disney’s starting to move away from traditional animation, but at the same time their computer animated films are now starting to reflect certain stylistic designs from their traditionally animated films.

This film has a great cast of characters. The main leads Anna and Elsa are both very engaging and the sister dynamic between them is really nice, something I don’t think Disney’s really done before. In a bold change from the original source material, Elsa the Snow Queen is not the villain of the film and both she and Anna are not the typical Disney princesses of old. They’re not prim and proper and they don’t need a man to do their work for them. The mountain-man Kristoff and his reindeer Sven are also fun characters mainly because they have a fun camaraderie, with Kristoff ‘translating’ all of Sven’s thoughts. But easily the best character in this whole film is the snowman Olaf. Not only does he get all of the best lines, but the fact that he’s a snowman wishing to experience summer for the first time is just hilarious. However, not all of the characters work though. The prince that Anna falls in love with, Hans, is pretty bland and even when he’s revealed to be the main villain, he’s still not that memorable. Another bland character is the Duke of Weselton (voiced by the sadly underused Alan Tudyk). At first it seems like he’s going to be the main villain but in the end they do nothing with him.

The music by Robert and Kristen-Anderson Lopez is pretty good but in the end, one song stands out above the rest. That song is Elsa’s big solo, ‘Let It Go’. Going back to what I said earlier about her characterization, this song really defines her character not being the main villain of the film. At this point in the story, she’s become an outcast after her powers have been revealed to the people of Arendelle. Before, she was told to keep her powers a secret but now she’s no longer afraid to do so. Again, this isn’t for evil purposes, she’s just finally free to use her powers to their full potential. This is easily one of the best Disney songs in recent years and I’m pretty sure it’s a shoe-in for ‘Best Original Song’ at this year’s Oscars. As a whole, ‘Frozen’ may not exactly be the best Disney film ever (the claim in the marketing that it’s ‘the best since ‘The Lion King’ is a little pretentious, especially to me considering that ‘Lion King’ is my all-time favorite Disney film), but it’s certainly one of their best of the last few years.

Number 10 is the first of the ‘fairly controversial’ movies that I mentioned in the intro. This is one of the summer blockbusters that had a rather mixed reception, despite the fact that it did pretty darn well both critically and commercially. Actually, as far as the box office was concerned, ‘pretty darn well’ is an understatement. This was the highest grossing film of the year (over $1 Billion), and I think it’s also one of the most unfairly criticized films of the year.

10. IRON MAN 3



There are 3 ‘complaints’ that many are having with this film, and I believe that these are rather unfair in regard to a movie that is far better than what many are saying. These three main complaints are:

A. The lack of the other Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D.



Many question where the other Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. were during the course of the entire movie. Aside from a few references and a key cameo in the post-credits scene, Tony Stark was the only Avenger on screen. Well, I can answer that… they had their own crap to deal with. I think that it’s unfair to judge every superhero movie now for not having a whole team of superheroes; films like ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ and ‘Thor: The Dark World’ are in this category as well. Sure, we would all love to see ‘Avengers’ movies year-after-year, but it’s not that simple. Not every superhero film can be a big team-up film and be directed by Joss Whedon. They need time to develop these films and the Cinematic Universe that they reside in. How do they do that? By doing solo films, which you know, they’ve been doing since 2008’s ‘Iron Man’? As I keep bringing it up, the solo films are the main reason why ‘The Avengers’ worked as well as it did. Solo superhero films are just as effective as the team films, and this one is no exception. If someone asked, “Hey, where are the other Avengers? Where’s S.H.I.E.L.D.?” during every single action sequence, then that would get really, really annoying. Besides, isn’t Iron Man like the most popular of the Avengers anyway? His movies are the highest-grossing in the MCU (not counting ‘Avengers’, of course).

B. Tony Stark not being in the suit much



Tony Stark isn’t really in the Iron Man suit that much over the course of the film… just like in ‘Iron Man 2’… and yes folks, even the first ‘Iron Man’ movie. Looking back at that film, he’s not in the Iron Man suit that much either. More importantly, like with how the need for more superheroes isn’t necessary for every film, this shows that these films can work if the characters are well-developed, and in the case of Tony Stark, it most certainly is. Think about all of your favorite comic book superheroes; Batman, Captain America, the Hulk, Superman, etc. They all have one thing in common; their superhero identity is not their only one. It’s not the suit that makes the man; it is the man who makes the suit. They can’t cover up Robert Downey Jr.’s face all of the time, you know.

And of course, the most controversial aspect of this film:

C. The Mandarin Twist





Yeah, you’ve probably heard about this by now, but if by some chance you haven’t I’ll give you the rundown. As the movie begins, we’re introduced to who we presume to be the main villain, the terrorist/mastermind known as ‘The Mandarin’ (played by Ben Kingsley). He’s established to be quite the threatening villain early on, mostly by destroying Tony’s house after he threatens him on national television. Yes, that ‘threating a terrorist’ part’s pretty stupid, but I’m not too bothered by it because I think he was just emotionally compromised because his former bodyguard, Happy Hogan, had just barely survived one of the Mandarin’s ‘bombings’. But things start to change at the halfway point. Tony infiltrates the Mandarin’s base in Miami and comes across the Mandarin himself and as it turns out, the guy we thought to be the Mandarin… is just a drunken British actor by the name of Trevor Slattery. He was only playing the part of ‘The Mandarin’ while the main villain Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) was controlling everything behind the scenes. I’m just going to come out and say it… this is one of the best twists in any film in recent years.

First off, I have to give a whole lot of credit for everyone involved for managing to keep this secret. In this day and age where any major detail about a film could be spoiled at any moment (see my number 4 for proof of that), I applaud them for keeping this as hidden as they did. To paraphrase the ‘Mandarin’, or Trevor Slattery to be more precise, we truly ‘never saw this coming’. But more importantly, in the end what’s important is this… it actually worked from a story perspective. Let’s be honest, the Mandarin that many were hoping for is not really PC these days, and co-writers Shane Black and Drew Pearce make a bold move in changing things up. At the same time, it works because the main villain Killian was able to successfully create ‘an image of fear’ that keeps the heat off of him, the true mastermind behind all of this. Near the end of the film, when Tony is fighting Killian, he proclaims that ‘he is the Mandarin’. I understand the idea, but I don’t necessarily view Killian as the real ‘Mandarin’; it’s still just the image.

For reference, let’s briefly discuss another major character change in another superhero film, ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’. That film changed up the design for the character of Galactus. Instead of being a gigantic man in a purple outfit, he was changed to a cloud. I understand why they decided to do this, because the former design is not exactly that practical. But as far as that film went, it was purely a cosmetic change and there was no reason why the character had to be a cloud. Here, I understand that it’s a drastic change from the source material, but Black and Pearce do give the proper explanation as to why it is. Ben Kingsley certainly got the most out of the role. When he’s ‘The Mandarin’, he’s properly menacing and commanding. When he’s Trevor Slattery, he’s properly goofy. He succeeds at being two characters at once and I would be interested in seeing this character again in perhaps either ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ (and please don’t get me started on how, like this film, that show has been getting a bit of a unfair rep) or even an Marvel One-Shot, which apparently they are doing where they will actually have the ‘real’ Mandarin in it. That will be very interesting to watch.

With that in mind, that gives you an idea of what kind of movie director Shane Black made here. It’s radically different from most of the other superhero films out there. I mean, how many superhero films are set around Christmas? As far as I know, none aside from this one. From a writing perspective, this film also does a great job at concluding the story of Tony Stark, whose now haunted by the events of ‘The Avengers’, sort of making him a shell of the man he once was. This is also Robert Downey Jr’s best performance in the role. He dials back on the arrogance that was a little too much on display in ‘Iron Man 2’ but still maintains his usual cocky but yet still likable persona. The ending, where Tony gets the shrapnel in his chest removed and destroys all of his Iron Man suits, does leave a rather big question about what kind of role he’ll be playing in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ but I’m pretty sure they’ll find a way to properly incorporate him into the story. The rest of the cast is terrific as well; Don Cheadle gets more to do in this film than the last one and his camaraderie with Downey Jr. is much better. Gwyneth Paltrow still sort of gets stuck in the ‘damsel’ role at times as Pepper, but her chemistry with Tony is still excellent and she does get more to do than what she usually does. I mean, she actually kills the main villain… that’s actually pretty awesome.

As the main villain, Guy Pearce (who thankfully has been getting more work in recent years… he is a much underrated actor) is excellent. I’m not so sure yet if he’s the best villain in the ‘Iron Man’ universe (as I kind of prematurely claimed in my original review), but I think he was given a real nice amount of character development here. I like the backstory for Killian, as he tried to discuss business with Tony when the two of them first met in 1999 but was ignored (and yes, this is just like in ‘The Incredibles’… I get it). However, if there’s one character who kind of got the short end of the stick, it would be Rebecca Hall as Maya Hansen. Hall’s fine in the role, but she doesn’t get much to do. In fact, they don’t really establish whose side Maya is on. At first it seems like she’s going to be an ally of Tony, but then we learn her boss is Killian and she starts working with him again but then it seems like she’s still on Tony’s side. Not only is it unclear, they don’t effectively establish who she ultimately sided with… because they killed her off. Still, despite that, this is another fantastic entry from Marvel that I think has been getting a bit of a bad rep.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2, for Numbers 9-7.

Monsters University (2013) review

We all know about the masterpieces that Pixar has made over the years, from the ‘Toy Story’ trilogy to ‘Finding Nemo’ to ‘The Incredibles’. Their filmography is so prestigious that many hold the company to rather high standards. But, not every company’s perfect, and Pixar has had a rather rough going the last few years. 2011’s ‘Cars 2’, Pixar’s first non-Toy Story sequel, was the company’s first major critical flop. Their next film, 2012’s ‘Brave’, did receive better reviews and it even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. However, the reviews were still not up to par with the Pixar classics and as for that Oscar… well, let me just say that there were much better films than ‘Brave’ that came out last year. For their next film, Pixar returns to the universe of one of their many classics, 2001’s ‘Monsters Inc.’, with ‘Monsters University’. This prequel (the first by Pixar) tells the story of how Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan (AKA Sulley) met while at college. Does this prequel help get Pixar back on track after back-to-back misfires?

Eager to become a scarer ever since he was young, Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) begins his first year at the prestigious Monsters University, majoring in scaring. However, the hard-working Mike soon comes into conflict with fellow scaring major student James P. Sullivan AKA Sulley (John Goodman), a more arrogant and lazy monster whose father was a famous scarer. A rivalry is started amongst the two as they try to one-up each other. However, when it goes too far, the two of them end up getting kicked out of the program by M.U. headmistress Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren). In an attempt to get back into the program, Mike and Sulley join the Oozma Kappa fraternity to compete in the Scare Games, a competition that tests the scaring abilities of monsters. Mike makes a deal with Dean Hardscrabble where if Oozma Kappa wins the Scare Games, Mike, Sulley, and the other members of the fraternity will be re-admitted into the Scare Program. If they lose, then Mike will leave Monsters University for good.

From a prequel standpoint, ‘Monsters University’ does not suffer from the dreaded ‘prequelitis’ that has plagued multiple prequels over the last few years. Any references made to ‘Monsters Inc.’ are pretty subtle and not just thrown in for a cheap reference. As for the rest of the writing, the film is a charming and creative look as to how Mike and Sulley became friends after they were first rivals. You can see why it started like this because the two are very different. Mike’s the bookworm who believes in hard work while Sulley is more laid-back, mostly getting by on his family legacy. The film also does a good job at distinguishing itself from the other ‘Monsters’ film, mainly by way of establishing who the main character is out of the two. ‘Monsters Inc.’ was more focused around Sulley, as he befriended a human child despite the fact that, in the eyes of monsters, humans are toxic. ‘Monsters University’ is Mike’s story and is told from his point of view.

As Mike and Sulley, Billy Crystal and John Goodman both do excellent jobs once again. The two work off each other very well, which was already proven 12 years ago in ‘Monsters Inc.’ and is now once again present here. The way the character Randall (once again played by Steve Buscemi) is incorporated (no pun intended) into the story is also pretty well-done, although the character is not really in the film that much. He actually starts off as Mike’s friend and roommate at M.U. before a series of events ultimately lead to Randall’s rivalry with Mike and Sulley. As for the rest of the voice cast, it’s a pretty stacked cast, including Helen Mirren as Dean Hardscrabble, Alfred Molina as Mike and Sulley’s Scare Professor, Nathan Fillion as the president of a rival fraternity, and Charlie Day, Dave Foley, and Sean Hayes as a few of the members of Oozma Kappa.

In the end, ‘Monsters University’ probably isn’t as great as ‘Monsters Inc.’, but then again, that can be said for pretty much any prequel to a classic. But, ‘Monsters University’ is one of the better prequels in recent years. Even with a story that is fairly formulaic at times (save for the final half hour, which does pull some unexpected twists (in fact, dare I say it’s the best part of the whole movie)), there’s still a lot of heart in this film and with a good script and a great voice cast, it’s a rock-solid prequel that admittedly may appeal more to kids, but I believe that adults (including anyone who’s about to go into college, like me) will find it entertaining as well. It’s also easily the best film that Pixar has done since ‘Toy Story 3’ back in 2010. It’s still not really up there with the Pixar classics but still, I’d say Pixar is finally getting back on track with this film.

Rating: 4/5

The Films of Pixar



At this point, Pixar is a company that needs no introduction. Once, it was just a small part of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm, helping create visuals for films like ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ and ‘Young Sherlock Holmes’. Now, they are known as the company behind some of the best computer animated films of all time. Since 1995, they have made 13 animated films, which have grossed a cumulative total of over seven billion dollars worldwide. Pixar has earned 27 Academy Awards, seven of which for the Best Animated Film of the Year, along with many other awards (Golden Globes, Annie Awards, etc…). This weekend sees the release of their 14^th animated feature, Monsters University, a prequel to their 2001 film ‘Monster’s Inc’. Will it be another roaring success for Pixar? We’ll just have to wait and see when it comes out. But for now, it’s time to look back at the premier filmography of what is probably the best computer animation studio around today.

I apologize in advance if, at times, I start to repeat myself during this retrospective, but come on, it’s Pixar. What else can you say about them?

TOY STORY (1995)



Toy Story was the first feature-length computer animated film ever made. Obviously, there was a lot that Pixar had to do to get this film made. In fact, at one point, the production of the film was actually shut down because of a disastrous first cut of the film which was filled with, according to director (and head of Pixar) John Lasseter, ‘the most unhappy, mean characters that I’ve ever seen’. Even Tom Hanks, who voiced the main character Woody, once proclaimed that the original interpretation of the character was a ‘jerk’. Why was this happening? Well, Disney wanted the film to appeal to both children and adults and then-chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg suggested that Pixar should make the film edgier. Obviously, this didn’t go far and after major rewrites (even Joss Whedon came in to help rewrite the film), the final product that we know today was finally complete.

Even after 18 years, ‘Toy Story’ still stands as one of the best computer animated films of all time. The visuals are still very good even after all this time but the main thing that holds the film together is the writing. As Disney had hoped, the film does appeal to both children and adults but instead of being edgy, the writing is both witty and sophisticated which works much better. The main characters Woody and Buzz (both excellently voiced by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, respectively) are both very likable and Hanks and Allen work together very well. The rest of the voice cast (which includes Jim Varney, Don Rickles, and Wallace Shawn) is great as well. The bottom line is that if you haven’t seen ‘Toy Story’ yet, this is a must-see animated film that is great for the whole family.

Rating: 5/5!

A BUG’S LIFE (1998)



For now, let’s ignore the whole controversy surrounding 1998’s two ant-themed animated films, Dreamworks’ first computer animated film ‘Antz’ and Pixar’s second film, ‘A Bug’s Life’. Did Jeffrey Katzenberg steal the idea from Pixar? Who knows? But now let’s talk about Pixar’s second film which, as a whole, isn’t really as good as ‘Toy Story’ but it’s still an enjoyable animated film. Compared to ‘Antz’, which had more edge to it, ‘A Bug’s Life’ is more kid-friendly in tone. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing; it’s just that I kind of prefer ‘Antz’ over this film. The main characters are a little bland, but the supporting characters make up for that shortcoming, namely the circus bugs that the main character Flik enlists to help his colony deal with the grasshoppers that oppress them. It’s not really one of my favorites, but it’s still a solid film from Pixar.

Rating: 4/5

TOY STORY 2 (1999)



Believe it or not, ‘Toy Story 2’ was originally supposed to be just a direct-to-video film, but just like how ‘Toy Story’ was re-done after its first cut, Pixar decided to make a full-length theatrical release instead and what a film this is. It’s hard for a sequel to top the original, but ‘Toy Story 2’ is one of those rare sequels that is not only as good as the original, but possibly better. It’s my personal favorite Pixar film for a few reasons; namely due to the broadened scope and new cast of characters. The writing is still fantastic, and the filmmakers do a great job at further continuing the story by bringing up the question of what will Woody do when Andy grows up and will most likely forget about him (which is developed further in Toy Story 3). The backstory for the character of Jessie is also a highlight of the film, and a guaranteed tear-jerker. ‘Toy Story 2’ is one of the best sequels of all time, and I have to say that I actually prefer it to the original.

Rating: 5/5!

MONSTERS’ INC (2001)



It’s the film that led to the upcoming ‘Monsters University’ and, as you might have guessed, it’s another great film from Pixar. It’s a nice creative take on the whole ‘monsters in the closet’ idea and Pixar does a great job at setting up the monster universe and its characters. The two main characters, Mike and Sulley, are both very likable and both Billy Crystal and John Goodman (Mike and Sulley, respectively) do great jobs in the roles. The two also have great chemistry together, and Crystal does pretty much steal the show here. It’s a heartwarming comedy and another great Pixar film.

Rating: 4.5/5

FINDING NEMO (2003)



I don’t think I need to go into this film that much because it’s already been done to death but I’ll give my thoughts on it anyway. Finding Nemo is one of the best Pixar films ever; it’s pretty much a masterpiece in terms of computer animated films. The story is based around a touching father-son message and both the characters of Marlin and his son Nemo are very likable. You can see where both are coming from; Marlin is afraid of losing Nemo after his wife and their other kids are eaten by a barracuda (also, on another note, that opening… um… DAMN! Talk about a way to open up a movie, especially a family film, no less) and Nemo is annoyed by how overprotective his father is. Ellen DeGeneres is also great and hilarious in the role of Dory, a fish with short-term memory loss. Finally, this is one of Pixar’s best films in terms of visuals, which are just beautiful. Not only is this one of Pixar’s best films, but it’s one of the best animated films ever.

Rating: 5/5!

THE INCREDIBLES (2004)



Speaking of the best animated films ever, let’s look at ‘The Incredibles’. It’s interesting that, with this film, it was the first Pixar film to be made by someone who was not directly affiliated with Pixar. However, because director Brad Bird was friends with John Lasseter (the two attended the same college, California Institute of the Arts), I’d go as far as say he’s pretty much part of the ‘Pixar team’. As for the first of the two films he has currently made for Pixar, it’s a loving homage to superheroes and it’s also a nice satire on suburban life, with the main characters being a family who just so happen to have superpowers. It’s also one of the funniest Pixar films (‘Honey, where’s my super-suit?’).  It’s pretty much a masterpiece and it’s another one of Pixar’s finest. On a final note, it’s also the only Pixar film right now that is truly worthy of a sequel. The ending of the film pretty much sets it all up. That probably won’t happen for a while (Bird’s currently busy working on his newest film, ‘Tomorrowland’) but I certainly look forward to an ‘Incredibles 2’.

Rating: 5/5!

CARS (2006)



The two ‘Cars’ movies have probably received the weakest ratings of any Pixar film to date (the second one getting even worse reviews than its predecessor) but in regards to the first film, I actually do really like it. It’s not really Pixar’s best film, but I do think it’s a solid animated film, even if it’s not really up to par with some of Pixar’s best work. It goes at a much slower pace than other Pixar films and admittedly the film may be a bit too long but I never found the film to be boring. Sure, the story is a little cliché, but the characters make up for it. All in all, the first ‘Cars’ is not really for everyone, but it’s still pretty entertaining.

Rating: 4/5

RATATOUILLE (2007)

 



Brad Bird returns to Pixar with ‘Ratatouille’, and once again Bird delivers another fantastic animated film. First off, the visuals of Paris are fantastic; they’re almost like works of art. In fact, that’s the best way I can describe the film. It’s pretty much a work of art. Granted, some of the dialogue is a little cheesy (no pun intended) but the film is very entertaining, as Bird’s talents at storytelling are once again evident in this great Pixar film.

Rating: 4.5/5

WALL-E (2008)



I think this film’s kind of hard to sell to people because the first half of the film contains little to no dialogue; the two main characters are robots who don’t speak much. However, the atmosphere is incredible and the main characters of Wall-E and EVE are both very likable. The film succeeds at connecting with the audience even though the main characters barely say anything. Then, the second half of the film takes them into outer space. Along with some of Pixar’s most breath-taking visuals, there’s a bit of satire on the idea of consumerism and the economic message that the film promotes (pretty much the following; don’t pollute) is executed well enough that it doesn’t keep hitting you over the head. I won’t say it’s really one of my favorites, but it’s still a well-made animated film.

Rating: 4.5/5

UP (2009)

I have to admit that I was not really interested in this film at first, most likely because I didn’t think a movie focused around an old man sounded that exciting to me. Thankfully, I was proven very wrong by another Pixar masterpiece. This film sells you just by the first ten minutes alone, which follows the main character Carl’s marriage to his wife Ellie, all without any dialogue and yet the music and emotions in this scene make it one of the best sequences ever put on film (not just in animated films). But that’s just the first ten minutes. Thankfully, the rest of the movie is also very creative, funny, and charming which makes this another must-see from Pixar.

Rating: 5/5!

TOY STORY 3 (2010)



After 11 years, the Toy Story crew returns for what is hopefully the final Toy Story film (there’s rumors of a fourth film circulating right now, but while it is possible, I believe that they should end the film series right here), and it’s a fitting conclusion to this series. It’s not afraid to take a dark turn, namely the scene near the end where the toys almost meet their own end. The writing is once again excellent, bringing the story arc of Andy’s toys to a close as they wonder about the future now that Andy is grown up and heading off to college. Of course, by the end, I will admit it… this is a film where, young and old, I guarantee you’ll be fighting back tears. It’s probably not the best Toy Story film, but even after a whole decade since the last installment, it ends the series on a high note and it’s a rare threequel that actually to be as good as its predecessors.

Rating: 4.5/5

CARS 2 (2011)



AKA the first major Pixar film to receive mixed to negative reviews. Is it Pixar’s worst film to date? It probably is, but as someone who was a fan of the first Cars film, I don’t think it’s that bad. However, was the first ‘Cars’ film in need of a sequel? It really wasn’t, and while the whole world-traveling idea seems cool, it’s not really the main focus of the film. Instead, the focus is on spies with the character of Mater getting caught up in international espionage. This film focuses on that plotline so much that Mater is pretty much the main character, and the other main character Lightning McQueen is now just a side character. Obviously, the film still looks great visually but the writing is not really as good as some of Pixar’s other films. I can’t say that it’s a bad film, but Pixar has obviously done much better.

Rating: 3/5

BRAVE (2012)



In a way, ‘Brave’ did get Pixar back on the right track after ‘Cars 2’. The film received better reviews and it even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. However, the reviews weren’t still up to par with Pixar’s classics and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who didn’t really agree with the Academy picking this film for the best animated film of the year when there were much better films in that category (Wreck-it Ralph, Paranorman, etc…) that year. But that doesn’t mean that this is a bad film. It’s just that this is just an okay Pixar film and it could have been a whole lot better. The first half is actually really good, as the filmmakers do a fantastic job setting up this universe and also taking a much darker route than some of the studio’s other films. But sadly the film starts to fall apart in the second half, where the film descends into typical kids’ film material. The trailers are actually quite mis-promoting. While it seemed like the film would follow the main character of Merida as she tried to ‘change her fate’, in reality the film is about Merida trying to save her mom after accidentally getting her turned into a bear. For the record, the whole mother-daughter aspect of the film is quite touching and well-done, but unfortunately this film just isn’t up to par with Pixar’s other masterpieces.

Rating: 3.5/5

And now, here are my overall rankings of the 13 Pixar films that have currently been released. For the record, if one of your favorite films is lower on this list, remember… this is Pixar we’re talking about. Aside from some less-than stellar efforts, pretty much every film they have made is a masterpiece.

Rankings:

13. Cars 2

12. Brave

11. A Bug’s Life

10. Cars

9. Wall-E

8. Ratatouille

7. Monsters’ Inc

6. Toy Story 3

5. Up

4. Finding Nemo

3. Toy Story

2. The Incredibles

1. Toy Story 2

2013 Preview: June

We’re nearly halfway through 2013, with one film (‘Iron Man 3’) having already gone past one billion at the box office. Will another film (or films) follow? Considering how many films have reached ‘the Billion Dollar Club’ in recent years, it seems very likely. After all, the Summer Blockbuster season has just begun. Welcome back to Rhode Island Movie Corner’s year-long preview of the films of 2013. This is Part 6 of 12 and today we’ll be looking at the June lineup.



*A trio of films will open up the month on June 7^th. The first, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, is the latest adaptation of William Shakespeare’s famous play of the same name. This new modern version of the story is helmed by Joss Whedon (‘The Avengers’), who filmed this over a period of 12 days at his home in Santa Monica during production of ‘The Avengers’. The cast consists of many frequent Whedon collaborators, including Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, and Nathan Fillion.



*’The Internship’ reunites Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, who last worked together on the hit comedy ‘Wedding Crashers’ back in 2005. In this new film, directed by Shawn Levy (‘Night at the Museum’, ‘Real Steel’), they star as two watch salesmen who lose their jobs amidst the rise of digital media. They end up getting internships at Google, where they have to compete with a younger and more tech-savvy group of interns for jobs at the company.



*The final major release on June 7^th is a sci-fi thriller called ‘The Purge’. This film takes place in the year 2022, where the U.S. prospers from low unemployment and crime rates. In order to maintain this prosperity, the government holds an annual 12-hour period where all criminal activity becomes legal; even murder. Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey star as a couple who try to survive during this event, even when a complete stranger comes to their house.



*The first of two new films coming out June 14^th is ‘Man of Steel’, the highly anticipated reboot of the Superman franchise, although this is actually the second attempt by Warner Bros to revive the Superman franchise after 2006’s ‘Superman Returns’ did not perform as well as they hoped. This new take on Superman is directed by Zack Snyder (‘300’, ‘Watchmen’) and is produced by Christopher Nolan (‘The Dark Knight’ trilogy). Henry Cavill stars as Superman alongside Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Russell Crowe as Superman’s biological father Jor-El, and Kevin Costner as his adoptive father Jonathan Kent.



*’This is the End’ is an Apocalypse themed comedy that is written and directed by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, based on their 2007 short film ‘Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse’. The film revolves around fictionalized versions of real actors (primarily James Franco, Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, and Danny McBride) who attempt to survive when Los Angeles is ravaged by the end of the world. Other actors portraying themselves include Aziz Ansari, Jason Segel, Emma Watson, and Michael Cera.



*Pixar’s major release of the year, ‘Monsters University’, hits theaters on June 21^st. The film is a prequel to 2001’s ‘Monsters’ Inc’ and focuses on the college years of Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan (AKA Sulley) as the two try to get along during their freshman year in college. Billy Crystal and John Goodman reprise their roles of Mike and Sulley, respectively, alongside newcomers like Charlie Day, Helen Mirren, Alfred Molina, and Nathan Fillion.

*The other new release that week is ‘World War Z’, based off of the Max Brooks novel of the same name. It is also perhaps the most controversial out of all the ‘delayed’ films of 2013. It was pushed back from a December 2012 release date and had to go through reshoots and even rewrites for the film’s final act. Brad Pitt stars as a UN worker who travels the world looking to find a solution for a zombie pandemic that’s affecting the whole world.



*The month ends with two films hitting theaters on June 28^th. The first is a comedy, ‘The Heat’, which reunites Bridesmaids director Paul Feig with his film’s breakout star, Melissa McCarthy. McCarthy stars alongside Sandra Bullock as a pair of cops (Bullock’s character an FBI agent, McCarthy’s a Detective) who must work together to take down a Russian mobster.



*The final release of the month is ‘White House Down’, the second film this year to be based around a takeover of the White House. This is following in the footsteps of ‘Olympus Has Fallen’, which hit theaters back in March. This film is directed by Roland Emmerich (‘Independence Day’, ‘The Day After Tomorrow’) and stars Channing Tatum as a police officers who must rescue the President (played by Jamie Foxx) and his daughter (played by Joey King) when a paramilitary group take over the White House.

And that’s what is to come this month and by the end of June, we will be halfway through 2013. Stay tuned for Part 7 next month.