Best and Worst Films of 2013 So Far
Callum_Brown
Posts: 745 Forum Member
✭✭
We're almost halfway through the year so I thought it would be nice to do a rundown of the best and worst films so far. Of course, I'm looking forward to hearing your opinions too.
Personally, I'm going on the 'film year' so films like Django Unchained, Les Miserables and Lincoln are technically more 2012 considering they all competed at the 2012 awards season. However, you can decide to include them in your own list of you disagree.
Worst:
5. MAN OF STEEL:
Started promisingly with an intriguing premise of the grittier Superman origins. However, the sheer lack of any emotion or heart lost me completely. The only time it was attempted was the corny holding up of the arm part (you'll know what I mean if you've seen it.) Battered with Jesus and religious imagery, it couldn't have been less subtle if it had tried. Russell Crowe's British accent was very patchy, and the way Superman let thousands of people in Metropolis die was extremely lazy and out of character writing. Eventually, the last act became incredibly dull, with around 50 minutes of one continuous 'BANG'.
On the other hand, there were some positives. Kevin Costner was terrific, and gave a great performance despite the fact he was criminally underused. Similarly, it would be wrong to ever doubt Hans Zimmer, his music was perfectly suited to the film, and I left the film humming his infectious score.
Overall, it was more of a disappointment than anything. I fully expect to see a worse film than this in the next six months and it should be edged out of my bottom five fairly soon.
4. JACK THE GIANT SLAYER:
Quite a mess of a film and ultimately rather forgettable. Without browsing through my old cinema tickets, I had forgot that I'd even seen this film. From Bryan Singer's direction and a stellar cast of Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci and Bill Nighy, I definitely hoped for more.
3. FAST AND FURIOUS 6:
Lousy action sequences that had their climaxes completely ruined by the trailer and other promotions, it was the fantasy of a teenage boy leering at cars, explosions and girls which caused the key elements of plot, character and script all to suffer. Unfortunately, it seems that this juggernaut franchise is not putting its foot on the brake anytime soon. (See what I did there
)
2. THE BIG WEDDING:
One colossal orgy of sex jokes, and a black hole of wit. Sure, Robin Williams provided a couple of mere chuckles, but it ought to have been much funnier that it was. Diane Keaton seems nowadays to be the reverse of Midas within Hollywood. For me, it jumped the shark when Amanda Seyfried's comically named mother 'Muffin' turned out to be a closet lesbian. How on earth can such a mess of a movie be made with a cast that has 5 Oscars and 17 nominations between them?
1. OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN:
When I first saw this film, it reminded me of a video game. An endless swarm of terrorists and White House officials whose sole purpose was to die in over the top and tongue-in-cheek ways. Perhaps one of the greatest propaganda movies in recent years, its supporting cast of Angela Basset, Melissa Leo and Morgan Freeman were all underused. Entirely predictable and extremely contrived, it's safe to say I wasn't a fan!
Yet, I will give it one thing, I did titter at the line 'How about a game of f*** off; you go first.'
Best
5. BEHIND THE CANDELABRA:
Everything you could want in a movie really. Great script, plot, acting, tone, costumes and makeup, just a shame that it can't be Oscar nominated. Otherwise, Michael Douglas and Matt Damon would be sure locks. It pitched the spot on amount of creepiness against the typical Liberace-esque extravagance.
4. DESPICABLE ME 2:
I only saw this film a matter of hours ago and it's already made such an impression on me. Whilst inevitably and unavoidably not recapturing the originality of the previous film, it is still nonetheless a wonderful and enchanting two hours. I had a huge beam on my face from start to finish. Fantastic voice performances complimented the imaginative set pieces and glorious animation. Even if you have no children to go with, this film is recommended wholeheartedly.
3. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS:
I've never had any Star Trek experience that hasn't been under the direction of JJ Abrams, yet I was utterly enthralled in the Trek universe. The true strength of the film lies in the Kirk/Spock relationship, which elevates it from a standard sci-fi flick to something quite remarkable . A film with huge heart and warmth, I'm confident that it will be remembered for many years to come.
2. CLOUD ATLAS:
Bare with me here. Half of you will be aghast. The other probably won't have even seen it, but Cloud Atlas wasn't just a three-hour movie, it was a three-hour experience. The vast expanse of the settings and likewise the cast makes it one of the most epic and ambitious films I think I've ever seen. Thankfully, I had read the book beforehand so cannot speak for those who weren't already familiar with David Mitchell (no, not that one)'s existing work. I can't wait to buy it on DVD and watch it again, to see how many nooks and crannies that missed the first time round. Trust me and watch this film.
1: IRON MAN 3:
Any Hollywood blockbuster that manages to incorporate such comedy and satire deserves to be at the top for me. Robert Downey Jnr's performance was complete genius, yet it could be argued that he was overshadowed (yes, RDJ being overshadowed) by Sir Ben Kingsley. A wonderful treat of a movie, the future looks bright for Marvel, especially with such talent involved.
So, that's my list. What's yours?
Personally, I'm going on the 'film year' so films like Django Unchained, Les Miserables and Lincoln are technically more 2012 considering they all competed at the 2012 awards season. However, you can decide to include them in your own list of you disagree.
Worst:
5. MAN OF STEEL:
Started promisingly with an intriguing premise of the grittier Superman origins. However, the sheer lack of any emotion or heart lost me completely. The only time it was attempted was the corny holding up of the arm part (you'll know what I mean if you've seen it.) Battered with Jesus and religious imagery, it couldn't have been less subtle if it had tried. Russell Crowe's British accent was very patchy, and the way Superman let thousands of people in Metropolis die was extremely lazy and out of character writing. Eventually, the last act became incredibly dull, with around 50 minutes of one continuous 'BANG'.
On the other hand, there were some positives. Kevin Costner was terrific, and gave a great performance despite the fact he was criminally underused. Similarly, it would be wrong to ever doubt Hans Zimmer, his music was perfectly suited to the film, and I left the film humming his infectious score.
Overall, it was more of a disappointment than anything. I fully expect to see a worse film than this in the next six months and it should be edged out of my bottom five fairly soon.
4. JACK THE GIANT SLAYER:
Quite a mess of a film and ultimately rather forgettable. Without browsing through my old cinema tickets, I had forgot that I'd even seen this film. From Bryan Singer's direction and a stellar cast of Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci and Bill Nighy, I definitely hoped for more.
3. FAST AND FURIOUS 6:
Lousy action sequences that had their climaxes completely ruined by the trailer and other promotions, it was the fantasy of a teenage boy leering at cars, explosions and girls which caused the key elements of plot, character and script all to suffer. Unfortunately, it seems that this juggernaut franchise is not putting its foot on the brake anytime soon. (See what I did there
)2. THE BIG WEDDING:
One colossal orgy of sex jokes, and a black hole of wit. Sure, Robin Williams provided a couple of mere chuckles, but it ought to have been much funnier that it was. Diane Keaton seems nowadays to be the reverse of Midas within Hollywood. For me, it jumped the shark when Amanda Seyfried's comically named mother 'Muffin' turned out to be a closet lesbian. How on earth can such a mess of a movie be made with a cast that has 5 Oscars and 17 nominations between them?
1. OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN:
When I first saw this film, it reminded me of a video game. An endless swarm of terrorists and White House officials whose sole purpose was to die in over the top and tongue-in-cheek ways. Perhaps one of the greatest propaganda movies in recent years, its supporting cast of Angela Basset, Melissa Leo and Morgan Freeman were all underused. Entirely predictable and extremely contrived, it's safe to say I wasn't a fan!
Yet, I will give it one thing, I did titter at the line 'How about a game of f*** off; you go first.'
Best
5. BEHIND THE CANDELABRA:
Everything you could want in a movie really. Great script, plot, acting, tone, costumes and makeup, just a shame that it can't be Oscar nominated. Otherwise, Michael Douglas and Matt Damon would be sure locks. It pitched the spot on amount of creepiness against the typical Liberace-esque extravagance.
4. DESPICABLE ME 2:
I only saw this film a matter of hours ago and it's already made such an impression on me. Whilst inevitably and unavoidably not recapturing the originality of the previous film, it is still nonetheless a wonderful and enchanting two hours. I had a huge beam on my face from start to finish. Fantastic voice performances complimented the imaginative set pieces and glorious animation. Even if you have no children to go with, this film is recommended wholeheartedly.
3. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS:
I've never had any Star Trek experience that hasn't been under the direction of JJ Abrams, yet I was utterly enthralled in the Trek universe. The true strength of the film lies in the Kirk/Spock relationship, which elevates it from a standard sci-fi flick to something quite remarkable . A film with huge heart and warmth, I'm confident that it will be remembered for many years to come.
2. CLOUD ATLAS:
Bare with me here. Half of you will be aghast. The other probably won't have even seen it, but Cloud Atlas wasn't just a three-hour movie, it was a three-hour experience. The vast expanse of the settings and likewise the cast makes it one of the most epic and ambitious films I think I've ever seen. Thankfully, I had read the book beforehand so cannot speak for those who weren't already familiar with David Mitchell (no, not that one)'s existing work. I can't wait to buy it on DVD and watch it again, to see how many nooks and crannies that missed the first time round. Trust me and watch this film.
1: IRON MAN 3:
Any Hollywood blockbuster that manages to incorporate such comedy and satire deserves to be at the top for me. Robert Downey Jnr's performance was complete genius, yet it could be argued that he was overshadowed (yes, RDJ being overshadowed) by Sir Ben Kingsley. A wonderful treat of a movie, the future looks bright for Marvel, especially with such talent involved.
So, that's my list. What's yours?
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Comments
1. Mud - The love child of Stand by Me and The Fugitive, with the single most compelling acting performance of the year so far by Matthew McConaughey 10/10
2. Much Ado About Nothing - funniest film I have seen in a looonggg time, great adaptation by Joss Wheadon. 9/10
3. Iron Man 3 - great blockbuster fun! 8/10
4. Side Effects - interesting plot twist. 7/10
5. Warm Bodies - an unexpected little gem. 7/10
In terms of worst, really theres only one I would put on the list, as all the film I've seen bar one would at least rate a 6/10.
Worst:
1. Star Trek in to the Darkness - not an original or creative bone in it's body. Highly disappointing. 5/10
eta: like the OP i am basing this on original release dates rather than UK release dates, otherwise Lincoln would be on my worst list and Django Unchained on my best list.
1. Fast 6 - Fast cars and action did it for me.
2. Man of Steel - It was ok but i was expecting more character development and less action.
3. Dead Man Down - It got better as it progressed and just about held my attention.
4. Rise of The Guardians - Great animation with heart.
5. Hansel & Gretel:Witch Hunters - Good actioner, snappy and flew by. A lot of fun to watch.
Worst:
1. Ironman 3 - Just like the previous two the main antagonist wasn't formidable enough and too much comedy involved.
2. Spring Breakers - I'm open minded but it was a incomprehensiable mess.
3. G.I. Joe 2 - The first one was good. This one was action set piece after action set piece, held togehter by a very tenious plot.
4. Stoker - I appreciated the individual style of the movie but the film itself felt hollow.
5. 21 & Over - PG rated shenanigans that didn't make me laugh.
Best: Lincoln, Wreck-It-Ralph, Star Trek Into Darkness.
Worse: Movie 43, Stolen.
Worst: Oz: the great and the powerful, Warm bodies
That's all i have seen this year. Got many more on my list to see.
Django Unchained
The Sessions
Hitchcock
Flight
Song for Marion
Safe Haven
Love is all you Need
Promised Land
The Place Beyond the Pines
The Hangover Part III
Behind the Candelabra
Stuck in Love
Admission
Worst:
Bullet to the Head
Hyde Park on Hudson
A Good Day to Die Hard
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
Oz: The Great and Powerful
Red Dawn
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
The Host
Spring Breakers
Oblivion
Iron Man 3
After Earth
The Last Exorcism Part 2
Man of Steel
Best
silver linings play book
the raid
Argo
the hunt
Untouchable
VHS
Salmon fishing in the Yemen
Flight
Worst
the watch
Hyde park on Hudson
Killing them softly (apart from James gandolfini)
What to expect when your expecting
Best:
1) Les Miserables
2) Cloud Atlas
3) Trance
4) Warm Bodies
5) Star Trek Into Darkness
Worst:
1) A Good Day to Die Hard
2) Oz the Great and Powerful
3) Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
4) Welcome to the Punch
5) Jack the Giant Slayer
1) Django Unchained
2) The Impossible
3) Olympus Has Fallen
4) The Place Beyond The Pines
5) World War Z
Worst
1) Movie 43
About 10 miles of clear air ..
2) Iron Man 3
3) A Good Day To Die Hard
4) The Purge
5) Hansel and Gretel : Witch Hunters
Honourable Mentions (Good films i've seen this year that weren't released this year)
Iron Sky
Killing Them Softly
The Sessions
Repeaters
Best?
Well, probably Man of Steel, which speaks volumes.
Worst?
A Good Day to Die Hard, practically unwatchable tripe.
Place beyond the pines.
Man of Steel.
Behind the Candlabra.
Side Effects.
Star Trek.
Warm Bodies.
Worst.
Die hard 5 - by a country mile.
Trance - not terrible but messy.
Evil Dead - dull.
The Last Stand - poor Arnie comeback.
Eh? PG rated? Did you see a censored version or something? The version I saw had an almost obscene amount of swearing from one character, hardly PG rated...
Best:
Django Unchained
Iron Man 3
The Place Beyond the Pines
Man of Steel
Worst:
A Good Day to Die Hard (this film actually angered me, it was THAT shit).
I don't make a habit of watching bad films so at the moment AGDTDH is the worst, but I really can't see anything topping that for my worst film of the year. I'm a huge Did Hard fan (well, 1-3) but this was like a slap in the face.
Good:
Star Trek Into Darkness
Summer in February
Bad:
The Hangover III (boring)
Indifferent
Welcome to the Punch
Before Midnight Easily the best film I've seen so far this year. If you're even remotely interested in people or relationships or if you want to see what US indie cinema is capable of, go and see this.
A Late Quartet A moving, thoughtful meditation on art and ageing. Christopher Walken reminded me that he is still one of our finest living actors, despite some of the dross he's appeared in over the years.
Dans La Maison Engrossing, funny, French drama about the boundary between fact and fiction. Superb performances from a great cast.
Mud Matthew McConaughey is a revelation and the child actors are excellent, as well.
There was also a Scottish film, set in the 1970s highlands, that I liked but I can't remember what it was called.:o
OK:
Star Trek: Into Darkness A fun, noisy sci-fi film with a great performance from Benedict Cumberbatch. However, poor, repetitive cinematography and those big CGI explosions are so 10 years ago.
Django Unchained Christophe Waltze and Leonardo Di Caprio were brilliant but the ending was predictable and politically correct. Tarantino is just stringing scenes together now instead of constructing coherent films.
Worst:
Zero Dark Thirty The heroic tale of how a few dozen special forces soldiers, equipped only with state of the art weaponry and years of training, backed by the mightiest military power on the planet, successfully broke into a house and shot dead an old, unarmed man. Tedious viewing and I couldn't make it to the end, despite two attempts.
Oz: The Great and Powerful Utterly charmless and with none of the humanity that made The Wizard of Oz a great film. Heavily reliant on noisy, unimaginative special effects.
Apres Mai French drama set just after the 1968 Paris student riots. Emotionally unconvincing and I left before the end.
The Great Gatsby Luhrman directed with the subtlety of an HGV approaching a hedgehog. Tobey McGuire was particularly annoying and confirmed once again that he has no screen presence.
Agree, a really empty shallow piece of film-making. As for Carey Mulligan and her 2 expressions. She reminds me of another hopeful of about 16 years ago, Julia Ormind and how she was toted as the next best thing after Sabrina! Where is she now?
You spotted two expressions, did you? I only caught the moist-eyed simpering one which seemed to be her response to every event in the film. I understand that Carey Mulligan is a talented actress (hopelessly miscast in this case but that's not her fault) so her one-note performance can only be down to poor direction.
Could be that Baz Luhrman is getting caught up in all his publicity and The only film I enjoy of his is Strictly Ballroom and that wasover 20 years ago! .
As for Carey she showed more emotion in the Doctor Who episode Blink!
Fair point, I understand what you're saying. I've only seen the first Donner movie and I've forgotten most of what happens in Superman Returns so you're a better judge than me!
However, if you're going to symbolise him as Jesus, please don't have him killing someone in cold blood at the end of the movie, and letting thousands of innocent people die.
I'm trying to be courteous with the arm raising bit, when JK goes back for the dog in the storm and raises his arm to prevent Clark from rescuing him. So corny, I laughed out loud.
Iron Man 3- I'm sorta getting burned out on Marvel movies nowadays, but this was enjoyable fare all the same, a retro 80s action comedy with a risky, divisive, but overall entertaining take on an established Iron Man villain. Had it's share of problems of course, and has a rather illoigical ending that seemed to cover their asses in case Downey didnt come back, but they're easily forgivable faults when the rest of the film is solid entertainment.
Man of Steel- Only saw it once and that was enough for me. Certain moments make it feel genuine and an inspired reimagining in places, but an overabundence of action beats coupled with less emphasis on the collateral damage takes you out of the reality of the escapist experiance. We don't choose to beleive in a world where the Power Rangers battle monsters in the abandoned warehouse district anymore.
Star Trek Into Darkness- Abysmal glorified fanfiction which owes everything to a far classier and iconic movie. Cumberbatch was bored and the Walt Disney ending completly robs the product of any real investment and true consequence.
Best (for lack of something really good)
Star Trek Into Darkness
Worst (two of the worst movies in years)
Man of Steel
Die Hard 5