I love being entertained. With that being said, I thoroughly enjoy a good movie. As you half sing the champagne laced lines of what portions that you actually know from Auld Lang Syne (you know the New Years Eve song) and lean to kiss your selected sweetie; I was poached on my couch watching movies while everyone was either asleep or playing in video games (you can figure out who was who in that scenario). After a conversation with a friend of mine on Facebook the next day while reading his favorite movies of 2017, I realized just how great this year was in regards to movies. So as I always do, my first thought was to write a blog and do my favorite thing: make my own top ten list. I know that I usually do my top 10 lists on Tuesday but here is a Wednesday Top 10 list. 🙂 So here is my “Best Movies of 2017” list. Not only are they my favorite of 2017; but I’m suggesting that you watch them if you have not.
Honorable Mention. Justice League – The super hero movie is here to stay. They are becoming more and more of a spectacle; and there are no larger names than Batman and Superman. So in the aftermath of the successful Wonder Woman and Batman/Supermanmovies, the most logical thing would be for them to push a Justice League movie. I’m sure that the extremely successful Avengers movies didn’t have a thing to do with the idea. Despite a lot of hate from critics, the Justice League movie allows you to see the powerful group on screen.
10. Spider-man: Homecoming – Michael Keaton, my Batman, was starring as the villainous Vulture in this stand alone Spider-Man movie. We had seen Tom Holland and his version of Spider-Man a couple of times already and I was impressed. I liked him and I had hopes for this movie. Now don’t get me wrong but Disney, I mean Marvel likes the muddle with characters. I won’t go into detail but sometimes they just need to leave well enough alone.
9. Ghost in the Shell– My wife would say that I wanted to watch Scarlett Johansson’s Ghost in the Shell because of my affinity and celebrity crush status of well…Scarlett Johansson; and there is only slight truth in that. The truth is, 13 year old me who was completely obsessed with Anime and would wake up early to watch shows like Bleach and over-watched movies like Ghost in the Shell and Akira was going into full geek mode. The fact that the movie version of Ghost in the Shell just happened to star my celebrity crush…was just as they say ‘icing on the cake’.
8. The Lost City of Z – I admit that I initially wanted to watch this movie because Charlie Hunnam (who was on one of my favorite TV shows Sons of Anarchy). The movie ended up being a spectacular showcase of a true-life drama that centered around the British explorer Colonel Percival Fawcett. Col. Fawcett disappeared in the Amazon during the 1920s looking for the mysterious city of Z. I know I probably gave away the whole entire movie with that spoiler but the trials and tribulations that they go through are worth the watch.
7. Thor: Ragnarok– I felt…cheated. Like there could have been so much more to the storyline behind Thor’s Ragnarok. The blending of the Planet Hulk and Ragnorok story lines did produce a believable and definitely entertaining movie but…like many Marvel movies, their stirring away from the original comic book story lines hurts the feelings of some of us actual comic book fans. Despite me catching feels, the story was great and Chris Helmsworth would have made a spectacular He-Man. I mean he made a great Thor. 😉
6. Wonder Woman – I have to admit that in the beginning I was not sold on Gal Gadot being cast as Wonder Woman but after watching her in the self titled Wonder Woman movie…I admit that I was wrong. She was spectacular as the Amazonian Goddess. Watching her discover her powers and unearth her destiny…all while palling around with Captain Kirk, I mean Chris Pine…was great for me.
5. Star Wars: The Last Jedi – I won’t talk too much about this movie because it might include spoilers to the movie that my wife was not able to see with me and Daniel in the theater. So…I’ll just say that even though Disney upsets me with how they treat some characters in the Marvel brand; they absolutely do amazing things with the Star Wars brand. Not only have they made the CGI and production of these movies amazingly great, the story itself is spectacular. That is. It is worth the watch. Yes you are free to make some more Disney.
4. Baby Driver – Baby Driver was one of those movies that my best friend and I decided to watch in his man cave. The movie surpassed all expectations and the overall flow of the movie makes you want to watch it multiple times to catch the nuances that you might have missed the first time or second time. The cast was amazing and the soundtrack….oh I don’t want to ruin it for you if you haven’t seen it but turn up the surround sound, sit back and wait for an amazing movie. By the way, prepare to hate Jamie Foxx while you watch this movie. Trust me, you’ll need to prepare yourself.
3. John Wick: Chapter 2 – I’ve always been a fan of Keanu Reeves. Whether it was the Matrix trilogy or even Bill and Ted; Keanu was one of my favorite actors. His John Wick movies are what Steven Seagal wishes his movies were. The John Wick character is an ex-hitman who is literally drug out of retirement to seek revenge. And the second chapter in what I hope is a long, long line of movies continues right where the other one stopped. Keanu’s ability to become a character and bring his own personality into a role is definitely visible and I suggest watching this movie. If you don’t like blood and violence…you uh…might want to watch something else though.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2 – Oh how I love the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and Vol 2 may have just risen above the original on my favorites list. But this specific Guardians of the Galaxy movie gives you exactly what you would want in a movie: great acting (yes even from Batista), comedy, suspense, action, great CGI, love, and a plot twist. The movie fits amazingly well in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and you can even see how it will tie into the current Infinity Wars storyline.
- Logan – Oh the speculation that surrounded Logan when word got out that they were going to do a Logan movie. What comic book story line would they use? Was Clint Eastwood play Old Man Logan? Would it show him finally interacting with the other Marvel characters, like in the Old Man Logan comic series? I was excited to say the least, because ever since the 1990’s X-Men cartoon, Wolverine was my second favorite character of all time of any genre (second to He-Man of course). When I finally watched Logan I brought my dad and Daniel along with me because the Western-esque vibe to Logan would entertain my dad and well…its a comic/action movie, so Daniel would be entertained. Little did I know, that by the end of the movie all three of us would be blubbering and crying like babies who had had just steal our candy. The movie is amazing. The movie that shows the vulnerability of everyone’s favorite X-Men doing his best to take care of Professor X in a Mexican border town before their lives being shaken by the discovery of a new mutant. This mutant is the laboratory created daughter of Wolverine and allows Logan/Wolverine to find something that he had lost long ago: love. It is by far one of my favorite movies of all time, my favorite super hero movie of all time and definitely would earn the top slot in the best movie of 2017.
All movie poster images and likenesses used as Fair Use.
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