In my previous post, I counted down the top 10 movies I had the most fun watching in 2013 (numbers 10 to 6). Here’s the rest of the list including my number one.
5) Elysium
I did a bit of a rant a few months ago wondering why Elysium took so much heat when it was better than you heard. Is it heavy-handed? Yes. Are there some obvious parts to the story? Yes. Is it as good as District 9? Not quite. But darn it if I didn’t have a blast watching it. Sharlto Copely’s Kruger is a revelation, chewing the scenery in my favorite bad guy performance of the year. The special effects are jaw dropping and the story compelling. I was thoroughly entertained.
4) Pain & Gain
Michael Bay’s best film in… Well, since I can remember actually. I was dying laughing. The Rock, Mark Walberg, Tony Shalhoub, all were used to the best of their comic abilities with great effect. Another one of those true stories you can’t believe happened. (I know it was a loose adaptation but these guys the film is based on really were complete idiots). I had such a blast watching this. Michael Bay, forget Transformers. Make more like this.
3) Gravity
Wow. That was all my brain could muster after watching the first unbroken and jaw-dropping scene. Gravity takes the film cliche “thrill ride” to a whole other level. Sandra Bullock is outstanding as the main character and George Clooney is at his most charismatic. I knew it would be good because Children of Men is still one of the best films of the last decade but even my high expectations were exceeded. I couldn’t tell where the “reality” ended and the “visual FX” started.
2) About Time
About Time hit me hard. I’m a big fan of Love Actually by the same director so I was anxious to see this one. I don’t care if it was sentimental, I cried and loved it. What a life-affirming film about really living, taking time to enjoy, using the limited time you have to make yours and other lives better instead of wallowing in negativity and pointless pursuits. I was truly touched.
1) Pacific Rim
This was so up my alley I saw it three times in the theater. The scene where they get into the jaeger to go to battle for the first time is beyond exhilarating. If I was 14 years old, this would be my all-time favorite movie. It taps into something visceral that captured my imagination. The plot twists keep coming. The stakes keep going up. The characters all look and behave like they are in a live-action anime (which they are). I cannot tell you how much fun I had watching this movie. In Del Toro I trust. Such a blast.