Favorite Movies 2013

In keeping with the geekiness of this blog, most of my favorite movies of this year were actually of the geeky variety; however, there are a couple of honorable mentions that aren't that geeky but still worth mentioning:

American Hustle - While I felt it was a far less entertaining movie than it should have been based on its premise, it probably has the best cast of any movie this year with stellar performances all around. Jennifer Lawrence continues to shine in roles beyond her years and Christian Bale is definitely deserving of all the awards for his performance.

The Wolf of Wall Street- Martin Scorsese does for white collar crime what he did for gangsters in Goodfellas.  Dicaprio and Jonah Hill deliver A plus performances, but the movie clocks in at 3 hours, which is probably about an hour longer than it needs to be; there's only so much you can take of characters that are, basically, terrible people--- no matter how charismatic--- before you start to actively dislike them.

Also, I won't get to see Her until it's widely released... but I very much want to see it....

But on with the main list....

10. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Yes, they added a lot of padding to this one, more than the first even, but it is still, more or less, an enjoyable movie going experience. However, it probably would not have made the list if not for one very important thing: Smaug. Looks. AWESOME!!!!!

9. Pacific Rim

 Giant robots fighting giant monsters: what's not to like? Granted, I didn't like it as much the second time around, but the film creates a workable and interesting mythology and builds a compelling story around its simple 'Robots Vs. Monsters' premise. I regret not seeing this one in 3D....

8. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

 Is it as funny or as good as the original? Not really. After all, it can't be; part of the original's charm was its uniqueness, the unexpectedness of the gags. So, it's not quite going to be the same.  That being said, it is still very funny and it gets bonus points for getting in a few shrewd jabs at the 24 hours news networks (particularly as practiced by the folks at Fox). Sure, it's 30 minutes too long but, if you're not laughing at something, just wait 5 minutes and something will come along to make you chuckle.

7.  Star Trek: Into Darkness

 The new Trek franchise would be better if it just completely cut ties with the original continuity entirety; any serious Trek fan will have your head spinning with inconsistencies in a matter of minutes.  I think what I like about these movies is that they are decidedly NOT Star Trek movies.  They're a bit more akin to Star Wars which is why I'm psyched that JJ Abrams is hopping ship to that franchise.  Still, what Into Darkness might lack when it comes to the more cerebral elements of the Trek tradition, it makes up for with loads of fun.

6. Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing

 Not really a geek film per se, but it IS Joss Whedon so it gets a pass.  This happens to be my favorite of Shakespeare's comedies so there's also that.  Beautifully filmed at Joss Whedon's home with a cast of friends, its greatest charm is its simplicity.  Mr. Whedon, you have a lovely home; invite me over some time.

5. Iron Man 3

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 Every time I watch this movie, I like it a little more.  So much so that I think I'm going to have to write a more detailed post on this later.  The last third is still kind of a mess, but there's more going on here than meets the eye....

4. Thor 2: The Dark World

This earned its spot by being the most pleasant surprise of the year; I wasn't expecting a lot from Thor 2 but it turned out to be one of the most fun movies of the year and, quite possibly, even one of the best Marvel Cinematic Universe movies.


3. This is the End

I'm a smart guy.... but I'm also a guy.  This means that sometimes I like stupid things.  Sometimes I just wanted to see annoying celebrities playing themselves sucked into hell or ultimate indie nice guy Michael Cera playing the ultimate hollywood asshole who snorts coke and gets his salad tossed by 'groupies' or (SPOILER ALERT) Danny McBride making Channing Tatum his bitch in a post-apocalyptic landscape.   I don't know how they ever convinced them to give them the budget to do this.... but they did... and I love it....

2. Despicable Me 2

 While it lacks some of the original's emotional heft (mostly because that film's central pathos was bound up in Gru's transformation into a good person, something that is already established at the beginning of this installment) it still has a lot of heart and is an all around charming movie.  And, we get MORE Minions... and that's always a good thing!

1. The World's End

Not only is this my favorite movie of the year, it probably now one of my favorite movies, period. It is probably deserving of its own post at some point but, for now, I will just say that it is my favorite of 'the Cornetto Trilogy' (yes, I think it's even better than Shaun of the Dead).  What is brilliant about this movie is that, 30 minutes into the movie, I had forgotten that weird stuff was going to happen.  I was genuinely caught off guard when the first robots showed up because I had actually gotten so immersed in the story of these old friends that I had forgot the type of movie that this was going to be.  Pegg/Wright/Frost pull this same trick in Shaun of the Dead but, here, they pull it off even better.  I'm getting to where I'm about the same age as the characters so I probably relate to this film more deeply than I'm even willing to admit.  Oh--- and the final act! Gary King's argument with the alien intelligence--- brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I love this movie so much that I want to see its sequel and its prequel (which I actually hope they never make because they will never be as good as I want them to be in my head).

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Unlike many of my geekier friends, I never particularly enjoyed reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy and have always derived greater enjoyment watching the films.  This can mostly be attributed to the fact that, unlike my friends, I didn't grow up reading them so there was less of a nostalgic attachment for me.  I enjoyed how the films condensed what was in the books in to a leaner tale of adventure. Part of the density of those tomes is Tolkien's detailed descriptions of middle-earth and the filmmakers used this to created a rich world full of history and character.  As a result, the films could concentrate on the plot and let the environment speak for itself.

I actually read The Hobbit last (after wading through The Simalrillion) and I enjoyed its simplicity and playfulness in comparison to the other books.  Granted, it was written for children but, still, it was a breath of fresh air after the density of The Lord of the Rings.

And that is where Jackson and company have gone wrong with the series of Hobbit movies: rather than playing off the innocence and simplicity of The Hobbit, they feel bound and determined to outdo what they did with  the Lord of the Rings.  I have no problem when certain aspects that are present in the book are fleshed out a bit.  The dwarves, for example, are almost entirely interchangeable in the book; all we know is Thorin is the leader and Fili and Kili are the youngest.  So, giving each dwarf a distinct look and personality is a nice flourish.  So is elaborating on their history, however, some of the flashbacks didn't need to be as detailed or, more importantly, as long; I get that it looks really cool but it does tend to make the story drag a bit.

I don't mind Gandalf's adventures being elaborated on either; after all, they are merely showing things that Gandalf tells Bilbo about later and some things are much better seen than heard.  Even Radaghast's addition to the cast doesn't bother me; sure, he's mentioned only once in the book but his depiction is faithful to that brief description and it fits in with the story (and I'm a sucker for wizards).  The same goes for Bard's back story and character; it's implied in the book, there's no harm in elaborating.

What I do have a problem with, and The Desolation of Smaug is the worst offender so far, is the addition of stuff that is neither implied in the original novel nor any of Tolkien's many appendices to the Lord of the Rings.  Case in point: Legolas. Granted, he is the prince of the elves of Mirkwood who do appear in The Hobbit and, I suppose, one could easily infer that he would have been present at the time of their imprisonment, but his appearance would best be relegated to a brief cameo or a scene or two.  Instead, we get, not only Legolas, but Tauriel, a female elf that is entirely a creation of Jackson, in a love triangle with the dwarf, Kili. To an extent, I get it; Legolas is popular and the ladies love him.  Also, a little romance might help the films appeal to a wider audience (i.e. females of the non-geeky variety).  But couldn't a romance between she and Legolas suffice?  Must we go inter-species? Especially when this storyline serves no conceivable narrative purpose other than adding to the film's run time.

Perhaps the greatest crime of all is that, with all the additions and elaborations, one very important element of the story gets lost in the shuffle: Bilbo.  You know THE hobbit? The one from the frickin' title of the movie? This is especially disappointing when Martin Freeman was absolutely the perfect choice for the reluctant adventurer and hero (and, when given the opportunity, he does shine in the role).

You know what else might have been nice to see in The Desolation of Smaug? The actual desolation of Smaug! Book fans will know what I mean when they see the movie.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is by no means a bad movie. It's actually quite enjoyable, particularly on a visual level.  To his credit, Jackson makes the 2 hour and 40 minute run-time move by at a fairly brisk pace but, when all is said and done, the series really could have been two-movies of about that length rather than three. In fact, rather than the extended cut that is sure to be released a year from now (just in time for Christmas!), when all is said in done, I think I would prefer an abbreviated cut which boils all three films down to the single 3-hour epic that it should have been in the first  place.

Oh, and one last thing, whatever the film's faults, SMAUG LOOKS FRICKIN' AWESOME!!!!!