My Favorite Films of 2016
I usually share a Top Ten list of my favorite films at the end of every year, however I was not able to watch as many films as I usually do in 2016. Since there are several films I wanted to see that I didn't get a chance to, I don't feel comfortable ranking the films I did like last year. Instead, I'll share some of the most memorable films I'd seen in alphabetical order:
10 Cloverfield Lane
I loved 'Cloverfield' when it was released back in 2008. It's the film that helped usher in the now-overused found footage genre. I loved JJ Abram's signature mystery-box style marketing campaign. You went into the film with no expectations, which was wonderful. The same can thankfully be said of this semi-sequel-but-not-so-sequel '10 Cloverfield Lane'. Instead of the found footage format, the film is a psychological thriller told in third person. John Goodman is wonderfully terrifying as a man living in a bunker with two others he's "saved" from the apparent doomsday that's going on outside. Whether or not he truly saved these people is the big question. Scary, claustrophobic, and thrilling, this is a worthy installment to the 'Cloverfield' universe/anthology. 3 out of 4 Kent's.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
I understand this film was divisive and the critics hated it, but I absolutely enjoyed this film - so much that I saw it twice in theatres. Yes, the film's title is stupid. Yes, the film is a narrative mess. Yes, Zack Snyder is stronger at visuals than he is at actual storytelling. But I'd be damned if I said I didn't have fun watching 'Batman v Superman'. Ben Affleck is a badass Batman. I'm in the minority, but I loved Jesse Eisenberg's refreshing take on Lex Luther; I felt he was actually pretty threatening. Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL crafted a memorable score, with each of the titular heroes having a memorable character theme (Wonder Woman probably has the best one). And the film, shot on actual film, is absolutely beautiful - something you can't really say about those Marvel films. The extended edition definitely makes the story less clunky and more cohesive, but it still has major narrative flaws. However, I'm reminded of how much fun it is to watch these two legends share the same screen - and with Wonder Woman! 3.5 out of 4 Kent's.
Captain America: Civil War
It's a pleasant coincidence DC and Marvel planned the release dates for 'Batman v Superman' and 'Captain America: Civil War' - both films involving iconic heroes battling it out - for the same release date: May 4th. Too bad we didn't get to see it play out since DC ended up moving their film up by two months. 'Civil War' brings one of Marvel's most famous storylines to the big screen and, for the most part, it was worth it. The humor was there. The action was awesome. The cast is excellent. So basically, it's a Marvel film. There's still some plot holes and narrative lapses, but 'Civil War' is such an entertaining and memorable film that it's become one of my top three MCU films. 3.5 out of 4 Kent's.
Don't Breathe
Let's be honest: American-made Horror films usually suck. That's why I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed 'Don't Breathe', from director Fede Alvarez ('Evil Dead' remake). Sure, characters still make dumb decisions, but I felt the film was thrilling almost the entire way through. And that blackout scene is one of the coolest things I've seen in a horror film. Unfortunately, the film couldn't figure out how to end well, so they left room for a sequel. Sighs. 3 out of 4 Kent's.
Finding Dory
After directing 'Finding Nemo' and 'Wall-E', some of Pixar's finest films, writer-director Andrew Stanton delved into live-action territory with 'John Carter', an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous 'Barsoom' novel series. Though I enjoyed the film, it did have major narrative issues, and it didn't help that the film was a box-office bomb. I wasn't too sure how well Stanton would recover from such a flop, but thankfully 'Finding Dory' showed we had nothing to worry about. The film is Pixar's best since 'Toy Story 3', and seeing these old characters back on the big screen made it feel like home again. 3.5 out of 4 Kent's. You can read my full review here.
The Jungle Book
I love Jon Favreau and feel like he's totally underrated. This is the man who gave us what is arguable THE Christmas film of this generation, 'Elf', as well as jump-started the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 'Iron Man'. His last film, the indie passion project 'Chef', was a pure delight. Favreau faced a bit of a rough patch after the critical failure of 'Iron Man 2' and 'Cowboys & Aliens', but his live-action adaptation of 'The Jungle Book' marks a strong return to big-budget filmmaking. The images on screen were breathtaking and the characters are fun. Favreau's next project is a live-action adaptation of 'The Lion King', and if 'The Jungle Book' tells us anything, it's that the film is in safe hands. 3.5 out of 4 Kent's.
La La Land
This is one of my top two favorite films of 2016. I loved writer-director Damien Chazelle's previous Oscar-winning film 'Whiplash', and 'La La Land' takes his love for music to the next level. This is an original musical - a rarity in Hollywood - about the arts. The music is memorable - especially "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)," and I will never forget that goddamn epilogue that's both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, yet perfectly incapsulate's one of the film's major themes about breaking traditions to move forward. 4 out of 4 Kent's.
Moana
To be honest, I was disappointed when I first watched this film. I expected a sprawling epic, which the film wasn't. I expected a big final battle, but the film took a different approach. Upon my second viewing, I learned to appreciate what the filmmakers did with the story of 'Moana'. And by my third viewing, I fell in love with it. It's one of my favorite Disney animated films for several reasons: the main character has a realistic body shape, is a minority, has no love interest; the memorable music is written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the genius behind the Broadway sensation 'Hamilton'; and the main theme of the film concerns staying true to yourself, or finding yourself again, after losing your way. I hope to see more films like this from the studio in the future. 4 out of 4 Kent's.
Moonlight
This year's Best Picture at the Academy Awards, 'Moonlight' is probably the most important film I've seen on this list; it's certainly the most important one nominated for Best Picture and deserved it's surprising win. The live story of a gay black man told in three defining points in his life, 'Moonlight' is an intimate portrayal of survival. November 8th is the day I'll always remember, not only because of Trump's infamous win, but because it's the first time I'd ever seen someone walk out of a film because they were disgusted by what they were watching. Specifically, I saw people walk out of 'Moonlight' because of a "gay scene" in the middle of the film. That incident reminded me why a story like the one in 'Moonlight' deserved to be told. 3.5 out of 4 Kent's.
Sing Street
Everyone's hyped about all the songs from 'La La Land', but did no one see 'Sing Street'? Don't answer that. I'm so glad I got early screening passes to see 'Sing Street' because I don't think I would've seen the film had I not. This is a feel-good film with catchy original songs about a kid who forms a band to impress a girl. Simple but oh, so sweet. As much as I dislike the Golden Globes, I'm happy they at least recognized 'Sing Street' with a 'Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy' nomination. 3.5 out of 4 Kent's.
Zootopia
Disney's best animated feature since 'Lilo & Stitch', 'Zootopia' was another pleasant surprise from 2016 and is another one of my top two films of the year. As previously stated in my review, the previews for the film made it seem like a Dreamworks-style flop. I went in with extremely low expectations and was blown away by the relevant story and memorable characters. I'll never forget the catchy and inspirational song by Shakira, "Try Everything." And let's not forget about that (now-defunct) amazing Dancing with Gazelle generator. 4 out of 4 Kent's.
