My favorite movies
Restructured my list, took off several movies.
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- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBrad PittEdward NortonMeat LoafAn insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.The main thing I like about this movie is the big surprise at the end. The specifics of it is a plot device I quite like and I like how this movie handles it and how when you rewatch it, you can compare what you know the twist is to the rest of the movie and see how it is handled.
- DirectorLuc BessonStarsBruce WillisMilla JovovichGary OldmanIn the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr. Zorg at bay.This movie is part comedy, part sci-fi, part action--I often refer to it as Die Hard in space. I like the characters, I like the style, and the story. For me, it's got a high rewatch value to it as I've seen it several times.
- DirectorNeill BlomkampStarsSharlto CopleyDavid JamesJason CopeViolence ensues after an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth finds a kindred spirit in a government agent exposed to their biotechnology.I really enjoyed the concept and execution of the concept in this movie. I realize it's not a new concept, but I do like the way this movie presents it and how it handles it. When I saw it in the theaters, I was invested in the entire movie. There was no part of it where I felt it dragged or that my interest waned.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHeath LedgerAaron EckhartWhen the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.I enjoyed the whole trilogy, but picked the second one to represent it since it's my favorite of the trilogy.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordSean ConneryAlison DoodyIn 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers.This movie is my favorite of the trilogy (quadrilogy now) mostly because I like Indy's interaction with his father. Harrison Ford and Sean Connery make an excellent comedic duo and they also had the right chemistry for a father/son relationship.
If it were not for Sean Connery, I'd probably say this movie ties with Raiders of the Lost Ark because they're both exciting archaeological adventures for a holy relic while fighting Nazis along the way, but Connery really gives this movie the edge for me. - DirectorDuncan JonesStarsSam RockwellKevin SpaceyDominique McElligottAstronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet's power problems.I really can't get into why I like this movie without giving away too much of the plot. This is one of those movies that it's better to let the plot unfold for you rather than read a synopsis for it.
So what I will say is that it's an excellent sci-fi drama involving a sole astronaut aboard a moon base. There's a lot of weird moment involved with the psychology of Sam Rockwell's character and he pulls it off really well.
And for a movie like this, that is a really good thing because he is basically the only main character in the film. There are recordings made by other characters and an AI (played by Kevin Spacey), but Rockwell is the main and only focus of this film and he carries it really well.
This is one sci-fi movie made on a budget that makes good use of what it is has, but for a movie like this, a big budget isn't needed and doesn't enhance much. - DirectorGeorge LucasStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherLuke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael J. FoxChristopher LloydLea ThompsonMarty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.I really like time travel and enjoyed the way this trilogy presented it.
- DirectorIvan ReitmanStarsBill MurrayDan AykroydSigourney WeaverThree parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.This is another movie I saw when I was young and forgot quite a bit about and rewatched recently. I appreciate more about it nowadays than I had back then. I love the interaction between the Ghostbusters, the paranormal activity in the movie, the story/mythos behind it. It's all around a classic.
- DirectorPhil LordChristopher MillerStarsChris PrattWill FerrellElizabeth BanksAn ordinary LEGO construction worker, thought to be the prophesied as "special", is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the LEGO universe into eternal stasis.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsSam NeillLaura DernJeff GoldblumA pragmatic paleontologist touring an almost complete theme park on an island in Central America is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.Growing up, I've always loved dinosaurs. This movie was a big dream come true for me. Eventually I read the books and liked them more, but this movie still has a very special place in my heart.
- DirectorRian JohnsonStarsJoseph Gordon-LevittBruce WillisEmily BluntIn 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.This movie is brilliant. It plays a lot with morality and which outcome benefits all or certain characters. It left my guessing through most of it. Really one of the best sci-fi flicks of the past few years.
- DirectorMarc WebbStarsAndrew GarfieldEmma StoneRhys IfansAfter Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider, he gains newfound, spider-like powers and ventures out to save the city from the machinations of a mysterious reptilian foe.This is the Spider-Man movie I have been waiting for. The look, the feel, and the characters were all spot on. The Lizard was a great bad guy (though it's clear he's not evil, but misguided) and everything about this movie just works for me. Even the retreading of the origin story because I feel that even though they went back over it, it still felt new to me.
- DirectorMasaaki TezukaKazuki ÔmoriStarsYumiko ShakuShin TakumaKana OnoderaA new Godzilla causes the JSDF to construct a cyborg countermeasure from the original monster's remains. The beast's restless soul is discovered to inhabit the machine as the pilot must learn to find value in her own life.
- DirectorRon ClementsJohn MuskerStarsScott WeingerRobin WilliamsLinda LarkinA kind-hearted street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.I've seen this movie countless times and is by far my favorite Disney movie.
- DirectorDavid TwohyStarsRadha MitchellCole HauserVin DieselA transport ship crashes and leaves its crew stranded on a desert planet inhabited by bloodthirsty creatures that come out during an eclipse.A lot of people consider this an Aliens ripoff, but I really don't see it. I actually like this movie a lot better because of the character Riddick. It's by far Vin Diesel's best performance. His voice and appearance lend to a sinister murderer being transported across the galaxy.
I also like it because the people on this planet are more vulernable to the creatures that live on the planet, but also that the creatures on this planet have a weakness. It gives the survivors hope, but the exploitation of said weakness is hard to come by (light) the sheer fact that the planet is undergoing an eclipse. It also aids in the storytelling because the creatures are unable to become the main focus until later in the film.
The planet itself is as much of a focus as the creatures and the survivors because of this. - DirectorJames McTeigueStarsHugo WeavingNatalie PortmanRupert GravesIn a future British dystopian society, a shadowy freedom fighter, known only by the alias of "V", plots to overthrow the tyrannical government - with the help of a young woman.I didn't read the graphic novel until a few years after having seen this movie, but I actually like this movie quite a bit more than its graphic novel. I feel the story is more coherent and it touches more on the theme of the story.
I rather like the dystopian setting and setting it in the near future gives the audience a deeper connection to the characters since it gives it more plausibility. I like the fact that the dystopian society is just as much of a focus as the anti-hero V is. The backstory for V is well explained, but still very much shrouded.
It's a very well down comic book movie. - DirectorBrandon ViettiStarsBruce GreenwoodJensen AcklesJohn DiMaggioThere's a mystery afoot in Gotham City, and Batman must go toe-to-toe with a mysterious vigilante, who goes by the name of Red Hood. Subsequently, old wounds reopen and old, once buried memories come into the light.With superb voice acting and animation, this Batman movie brings to life the story of Red Hood.
I've read the graphic novel that this movie is based on. The people who made it tried to make its own thing while also trying to stay true to the original story and they did a good job with it. There are certain things I prefer in the movie and certain things I prefer in the comic. One of those things is the inclusion of Mr. Freeze. I really wish the movie had included him, but I don't feel like the movie suffered for it.
The big change in this movie I felt was well done was the resurrection of one of the characters. The comic had a crappy explanation for it whereas the movie went for the more obvious answer. - DirectorJon FavreauStarsRobert Downey Jr.Gwyneth PaltrowTerrence HowardAfter being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.Admittedly, I wasn't really a fan of Iron Man before this movie, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is, of course, an origins movie, but it's a very entertaining origins movie. Robert Downey Jr. does a good job being a funny and compelling Tony Stark. He's a jerk, but at the same time you do feel sorry for him at times.
A lot of people complain that Obadiah Stane wasn't in The Iron Monger armor for very long in the movie and while I used to agree, I see it a bit differently. The main villain isn't The Iron Monger specifically, but specifically Stane himself. Stane is trying to destroy Stark and take over the company. The only reason the Iron Monger armor exists in the movie is to give Stane an edge over Iron Man. - DirectorBrad BirdStarsCraig T. NelsonSamuel L. JacksonHolly HunterWhile trying to lead a quiet suburban life, a family of undercover superheroes are forced into action to save the world.I'm a huge Pixar fan and a huge superhero fan and this movie provides Pixar a way of trying it out and they did a good job at it. From what I've read, this movie also revolutionizes the use of humans in full CGI movies and it shows because the models used in the movie are well done.
- DirectorBrad BirdJan PinkavaStarsBrad GarrettLou RomanoPatton OswaltA rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous Paris restaurant.Even though I don't cook myself, I really enjoyed the movie being set in a kitchen and showing a rat trying to become a cook himself.
- DirectorAndrew StantonStarsBen BurttElissa KnightJeff GarlinIn the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.I enjoyed the setting, I enjoyed the characters, and the story. In particular, I fell in love with the voice of EVE because her voice is so adorable, especially when she giggles.
- DirectorLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneCarrie-Anne MossWhen a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.This movie started off as one of my absolute favorite movies, but as time wore on, I kind of lost interest in it. It's still a very enjoyable movie, but I just lost interest in it over time.
It has nothing to do with the sequels, either because I liked the sequels more than most people did. - DirectorKevin SmithStarsBen AffleckMatt DamonLinda FiorentinoAn abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon to save the existence of humanity from being negated by two renegade angels trying to exploit a loop-hole and reenter Heaven.Out of Kevin Smith's movies (in particular the ones that feature Jay and Silent Bob) this movie is my favorite. It's probably the one with the best story and the best humor. I don't really like movies with a lot of really nasty sexual humor and I felt Dogma was toned down in that regards compared to Kevin Smith's other work, which is a big plus.
I grew up Protestant and I still am pretty much Protestant, but I absolutely love this movie. I have no problem laughing at my own religion when a movie does it respectfully. I felt that Kevin Smith did a good job poking fun, but not being mean about it. From what I've heard, he was raised Catholic, so that was a big help with it there. - DirectorMilos FormanStarsJack NicholsonLouise FletcherMichael BerrymanIn the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.I only saw this movie recently, but I really enjoyed it. I wish I had seen it sooner, though.
- DirectorSavage Steve HollandStarsJohn CusackDavid Ogden StiersKim DarbyAfter his girlfriend ditches him for a boorish ski jock, Lane decides that suicide is the only answer. However, his increasingly inept attempts bring him only more agony and embarrassment. Filled with the wildest teen nightmares.Better Off Dead is my favorite teen comedy of the 80s. I like the absurdest humor, I can relate to John Cusak's character, and overall I thought it was a good movie. I wish it got more attention though because I certainly thought it was better than Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsBruce WillisJeremy IronsSamuel L. JacksonJohn McClane and a Harlem store owner are targeted by German terrorist Simon in New York City, where he plans to rob the Federal Reserve Building.As with the Indiana Jones movies, the third film is my favorite in the Die Hard movies. It's for a similar reason, too. I liked the interaction between Bruce Willis and his companion, played by Samuel L. Jackson. I thought the two played really well off each other giving the movie plenty of laughs that do not detract from the action or the story.
I also like it more than its predecessors because it's more open. John and Zeus are running around NYC looking for Simon Grueber rather than a tower. While I did enjoy the tower setting in the first movie, this opens the third to a lot more for the characters to do. - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsKirsten DunstMinami TakayamaRei SakumaA young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.Hayao Miyazaki is a wonderful anime director and this movie is my favorite of his mostly because of the story and her cat, who is played in the American dub by the late great Phil Hartman who makes me want to watch the dub specifically for his performance.
- DirectorMatt ReevesStarsMike VogelJessica LucasLizzy CaplanA group of friends venture deep into the streets of New York on a rescue mission during a rampaging monster attack.While I'm not particularly a fan of the movies that are shot with the cameraman as a character, I thought Cloverfield did a good job with it. It's still kind of hard to tell what's going on at times, but it did a good job sucking me into the movie.
I like giant monster movies and I was glad to see America get their own. Cloverfield's design will probably never be iconic like Godzilla, but it's a good start for America to finally have movies like this again. - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsYôji MatsudaYuriko IshidaYûko TanakaOn a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.My second favorite Hayao Miyazaki movies. While I don't like environmentalist themed movies, I didn't feel like Princess Mononoke was beating me over the head with its message. I was able to enjoy the visuals, the storytelling, and the characters without being bogged down too heavily with saving the Earth.
- DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsNicole de BoerMaurice Dean WintDavid HewlettA group of strangers awaken to find themselves placed in a giant cube. Each one of them is gifted with a special skill and they must work together to escape an endless maze of deadly traps.The setting of this movie is fairly unique. It's basically just a giant cube cut into a bunch of smaller cubes and some of those cubes have traps in them.
I like movies that take place in weird locations like this, but this isn't the only reason I like this movie. It's also a study (though it may be a poor study) on how well a group of strangers do in a weird environment as they try to escape. And the group quickly falls apart.
I do like the sequels (the second one not as much as the third), but I don't feel that they were good enough to go on my list. This movie certainly was, though. - DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsRon PerlmanDoug JonesSelma BlairA demon raised from infancy after being conjured by and rescued from the Nazis, grows up to become a defender against the forces of darkness.I never read any of the Hellboy comics, but I really enjoyed this movie. I liked the characters, I liked the story and the mythos behind the story. I didn't feel like it was a great comic book movie, but it was certainly good.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsTobey MaguireKirsten DunstWillem DafoeAfter being bitten by a genetically-modified spider, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities that he uses to fight injustice as a masked superhero and face a vengeful enemy.I'm a HUGE Spider-Man fan. I'm not as knowledgeable on the comics as some fans, but I really like the character. I didn't feel like Raimi was as well versed with the character as he could have been. If Spider-Man had been characterized properly, this movie would probably be up there with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight because I liked everything else about the movie. I thought William Dafoe did a really good job as The Green Goblin. I thought it was a fairly good origin story.
They just didn't do a very good job with Spider-Man. I also don't like Tobey's squeaky voice. It didn't suit Spider-Man at all. - DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsRon PerlmanSelma BlairDoug JonesA prince of the mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth. Hellboy and his team must fight to stop him from locating the all-powerful Golden Army.This movie lost a lot of the darkness in the first one, which is what I liked about it. The story was lighter and so on and it was enjoyable, but I wish it had a darker tone and feel to it.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsTobey MaguireKirsten DunstAlfred MolinaPeter Parker is beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a former brilliant scientist named Otto Octavius.It's on the list and at its position for the same reason as its predecessor, except it's one spot lower because of Doc Ock. I liked Molina, I just didn't think the writing on Doc Ock was as good as it could have been. They made him too relatable and made his mechanical arms the scapegoats. While his accident does make him go psychotic, it's the catalyst, not the controller. He's still accountable for what he does, but the arms are at fault. In this movie, it's easy to forgive him because the arms are controlling him.
What a load of crap. Otherwise, the movie is pretty good. - DirectorGarth JenningsStarsMartin FreemanYasiin BeySam RockwellMere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, journeyman Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."I love every single version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I think the movie is probably my least favorite. I did enjoy it more when I realized it wasn't intended to be based on one specific thing, but rather all of its predecessors while adding its own thing to the mythos and it's certainly more enjoyable that way. The thing I enjoyed the most was the cast and the setting, except for Sam Rockwell. Normally I like him, but I really thought he was too over the top. Yes, Zaphod needs to be a wild guy, but Rockwell's Zaphod is borderline psychotic. It gets much better when he loses the annoying smaller head.
I think in order of my favorite HHGttG to my least, it would go:
1. The radio series.
2. The novels
3. The TV series
4. This movie.