We're half way through the 2010's decade, and so much has evolved already! We've witnessed the end of the Harry Potter era, a new Peter Jackson directed JRR Tolkien trilogy, so many new superhero movies, a resurgence in the independent film genre, and....brace yourselves....a new Star Wars trilogy has begun!
With so much going on in the first half of the decade, I thought it would be a good idea to break down the best movies so far. This will illuminate where Hollywood is headed, and were we've been. And, of course, this is just my opinion. Please let me know if I've left anything off the list!
11. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
When the first Hunger Games came out, I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging, interesting, and creative it was. And, it put Jennifer Lawrence on the map in a big way. In Catching Fire, the first sequel, everything feels tighter, more confident, smoother, and more coherent. The series really hit its peak in this one. One could argue that the series grew a bit long in the tooth by the end of it (Did Mockingjay really have to be split into 2 movies? Give me a break, Hollywood.)
The idea of standing up for what you believe, opposing "the man", physical fighting, and interesting characters are a winning recipe.
10. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
David O Russell has made some classics this decade. I absolutely love The Fighter, and like (not love) American Hustle. But, it's Silver Linings Playbook that stands out as a groundbreaking new template for modern romantic comedies. I love the chemistry of J.Law and Bradley Cooper. I love the script. And, Robert DeNiro continues to prove why he's a legend.
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows part 2 (2011)
This decade has given us the end of an era. Harry Potter dominated the 2000's, raking in billions at the box office and even inspiring a theme park in Orlando. Harry Potter entered the hearts of the world, and 2011 was the year we were blessed with the dark and heartbreaking conclusion to the Potter saga. It was fun while it lasted. It felt as if we all graduated from Hogwarts, and we moved on to the next phase of our lives. Deathly Hollows part 2 is not perfect, but it pushes the legacy forward and ends it with bus loads of feels.
I can't wait to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them later this decade. We will all be starting a new generation of adventure in the Potter universe.
8. The Social Network (2010)
Late in the 2000's, Facebook invaded all of our lives. Now, in the 2010's, it has become an engrained part of our everyday lives. The Social Network catapulted Jesse Eisenberg to a new level of stardom, and writer Aaron Sorkin has enjoyed a resurgence of success since blowing our minds with the script of The Social Network.
Aside from all that, The Social Network perfectly nailed where our culture was headed in 2010. It was a perfectly poignant story about this new social network changing our lives, and this movie hit us at the perfect time.
7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
This is the second in a series of Planet of the Apes "prequels" that continues the story from Rise of the Planet of the Apes from 2011. While Rise was fantastic, Dawn takes the series in a fascinating direction. It's full of drama, some of the best special effects I've ever seen, and ends with a bang. It's kind of the Empire Strikes Back of the new Apes series. The ape characters have as much (or more) personality than many human characters in other movies. It's enthralling. I'm very much looking forward to War of the Planet of the Apes, currently in pre-production with plans of a 2017 release.
6. Argo (2012)
One of the special effects of this movie is the powerhouse cast, including Ben Affleck as director. John Goodman, Alan Arkin, and Ben Affleck electrify the screen in this movie full of tension and suspense. I'm also fascinated by U.S. Presidents, and Argo is a true story that played a part in the political legacy of Jimmy Carter, who makes a brief voiceover appearance in the end credits.
It also has lots of humor, making light of the bureaucracy and absurdity of 1970's Hollywood. I've watched Argo many times, and I can't get enough. It's still suspenseful, even after multiple viewings! It's great.
5. The Avengers (2012)
This decade is packed full of superhero movies. Marvel and DC have earned billions in this decade alone, and both comics brands have long-term movie plans into the 2020's. The Avengers is a distinct turning point for Marvel because it was the beginning of a new era. Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Captain America jam-pack this movie full of mind-numbing action and excitement. It's a first for any movie to so successfully bring this any syperheros together and incredibly blow our minds.
[Note: I didn't like Age of Ultron nearly as much.]
4. The Dark Knight Rises (2011)
Christopher Nolan blew our minds in the 2000's with the first two Batman installments. This decade gave us the conclusion to Nolan's series when the writer/director announced that this would be the last one he made. It's much more ambitious and grandiose in style that verges on absurdity. Gotham City is being held hostage by Bane, and the rest of the world looks on helplessly as Batman is the only one that can save the day. Yes, this story is ridiculous. But, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight established this universe so well that we are completely invested when The Dark Knight Rises unfurls its bizarre plot. I've seen it many times, and I can't get enough.
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
X-Men First Class revived the X-Men series that was getting incredibly stale and washed up. With this wind of new life, Days of Future Past has much more confidence. The time traveling story is weirdly innovative, and endlessly fascinating. The "legacy cast" of Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, and Hugh Jackman really knock it out of the park. It was fantastic to see Hugh Jackman mixing it up with the "young" cast. It was wonderful. The writing, editing, special effects, and characters are a huge win for me.
2. Cinderella (2015)
Cinderella could easily have been another stale remake or half-baked sequel. Yet, Disney creators have managed to take an age-old tale with familiar characters and make it something completely fresh.
Cinderella means something special to me in this decade, because my wife and I have discovered the joys of visiting Disney parks. This new Cinderella captures everything we find so sweet and magical about the Disney experience. Also, I think many people simply crave things that are inspiring, uplifting, and somewhat innocent. Cinderella represents where I am in my life in this decade, as opposed to the past. Hopefully, it's a reminder that I can continue to pursue my dreams this decade, even as I evolve and get older. I hope that we can all continue to pursue all our dreams, big and small. And we're not alone. And we're all worth so much more than we know.
Yes, Cinderella is sappy. But, sometimes that's what life calls for.
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
In 10 years, Star Wars: The Force Awakens may be fondly remembered as one of the best movies of this decade. It was one of the most exhilarating, nostalgic, and wonderful theater going experiences I've ever had. It was emotional to see the "legacy" characters like Princess Leigh, Luke Skywalker, C3PO, R2D2, Chewbacca, and....*drum roll*...Han Solo. Also, we get some wonderful new characters to love. What a special movie. I hope the sequels live up to the bar that's been set by this one.
It's not perfect, but it's brimming with so much joy, excitement, action, drama, and nostalgia, it's my favorite movie of this decade so far.
{Honorable mentions that pained me to omit: Whiplash, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The King's Speech}
With so much going on in the first half of the decade, I thought it would be a good idea to break down the best movies so far. This will illuminate where Hollywood is headed, and were we've been. And, of course, this is just my opinion. Please let me know if I've left anything off the list!
11. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
When the first Hunger Games came out, I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging, interesting, and creative it was. And, it put Jennifer Lawrence on the map in a big way. In Catching Fire, the first sequel, everything feels tighter, more confident, smoother, and more coherent. The series really hit its peak in this one. One could argue that the series grew a bit long in the tooth by the end of it (Did Mockingjay really have to be split into 2 movies? Give me a break, Hollywood.)
The idea of standing up for what you believe, opposing "the man", physical fighting, and interesting characters are a winning recipe.
10. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
David O Russell has made some classics this decade. I absolutely love The Fighter, and like (not love) American Hustle. But, it's Silver Linings Playbook that stands out as a groundbreaking new template for modern romantic comedies. I love the chemistry of J.Law and Bradley Cooper. I love the script. And, Robert DeNiro continues to prove why he's a legend.
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows part 2 (2011)
This decade has given us the end of an era. Harry Potter dominated the 2000's, raking in billions at the box office and even inspiring a theme park in Orlando. Harry Potter entered the hearts of the world, and 2011 was the year we were blessed with the dark and heartbreaking conclusion to the Potter saga. It was fun while it lasted. It felt as if we all graduated from Hogwarts, and we moved on to the next phase of our lives. Deathly Hollows part 2 is not perfect, but it pushes the legacy forward and ends it with bus loads of feels.
I can't wait to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them later this decade. We will all be starting a new generation of adventure in the Potter universe.
8. The Social Network (2010)
Late in the 2000's, Facebook invaded all of our lives. Now, in the 2010's, it has become an engrained part of our everyday lives. The Social Network catapulted Jesse Eisenberg to a new level of stardom, and writer Aaron Sorkin has enjoyed a resurgence of success since blowing our minds with the script of The Social Network.
Aside from all that, The Social Network perfectly nailed where our culture was headed in 2010. It was a perfectly poignant story about this new social network changing our lives, and this movie hit us at the perfect time.
7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
This is the second in a series of Planet of the Apes "prequels" that continues the story from Rise of the Planet of the Apes from 2011. While Rise was fantastic, Dawn takes the series in a fascinating direction. It's full of drama, some of the best special effects I've ever seen, and ends with a bang. It's kind of the Empire Strikes Back of the new Apes series. The ape characters have as much (or more) personality than many human characters in other movies. It's enthralling. I'm very much looking forward to War of the Planet of the Apes, currently in pre-production with plans of a 2017 release.
6. Argo (2012)
One of the special effects of this movie is the powerhouse cast, including Ben Affleck as director. John Goodman, Alan Arkin, and Ben Affleck electrify the screen in this movie full of tension and suspense. I'm also fascinated by U.S. Presidents, and Argo is a true story that played a part in the political legacy of Jimmy Carter, who makes a brief voiceover appearance in the end credits.
It also has lots of humor, making light of the bureaucracy and absurdity of 1970's Hollywood. I've watched Argo many times, and I can't get enough. It's still suspenseful, even after multiple viewings! It's great.
5. The Avengers (2012)
This decade is packed full of superhero movies. Marvel and DC have earned billions in this decade alone, and both comics brands have long-term movie plans into the 2020's. The Avengers is a distinct turning point for Marvel because it was the beginning of a new era. Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Captain America jam-pack this movie full of mind-numbing action and excitement. It's a first for any movie to so successfully bring this any syperheros together and incredibly blow our minds.
[Note: I didn't like Age of Ultron nearly as much.]
4. The Dark Knight Rises (2011)
Christopher Nolan blew our minds in the 2000's with the first two Batman installments. This decade gave us the conclusion to Nolan's series when the writer/director announced that this would be the last one he made. It's much more ambitious and grandiose in style that verges on absurdity. Gotham City is being held hostage by Bane, and the rest of the world looks on helplessly as Batman is the only one that can save the day. Yes, this story is ridiculous. But, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight established this universe so well that we are completely invested when The Dark Knight Rises unfurls its bizarre plot. I've seen it many times, and I can't get enough.
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
X-Men First Class revived the X-Men series that was getting incredibly stale and washed up. With this wind of new life, Days of Future Past has much more confidence. The time traveling story is weirdly innovative, and endlessly fascinating. The "legacy cast" of Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, and Hugh Jackman really knock it out of the park. It was fantastic to see Hugh Jackman mixing it up with the "young" cast. It was wonderful. The writing, editing, special effects, and characters are a huge win for me.
2. Cinderella (2015)
Cinderella could easily have been another stale remake or half-baked sequel. Yet, Disney creators have managed to take an age-old tale with familiar characters and make it something completely fresh.
Cinderella means something special to me in this decade, because my wife and I have discovered the joys of visiting Disney parks. This new Cinderella captures everything we find so sweet and magical about the Disney experience. Also, I think many people simply crave things that are inspiring, uplifting, and somewhat innocent. Cinderella represents where I am in my life in this decade, as opposed to the past. Hopefully, it's a reminder that I can continue to pursue my dreams this decade, even as I evolve and get older. I hope that we can all continue to pursue all our dreams, big and small. And we're not alone. And we're all worth so much more than we know.
Yes, Cinderella is sappy. But, sometimes that's what life calls for.
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
In 10 years, Star Wars: The Force Awakens may be fondly remembered as one of the best movies of this decade. It was one of the most exhilarating, nostalgic, and wonderful theater going experiences I've ever had. It was emotional to see the "legacy" characters like Princess Leigh, Luke Skywalker, C3PO, R2D2, Chewbacca, and....*drum roll*...Han Solo. Also, we get some wonderful new characters to love. What a special movie. I hope the sequels live up to the bar that's been set by this one.
It's not perfect, but it's brimming with so much joy, excitement, action, drama, and nostalgia, it's my favorite movie of this decade so far.
{Honorable mentions that pained me to omit: Whiplash, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The King's Speech}
Neat list! I'd probably add Whiplash, Black Swan, What If and Inside Out. Maybe Les Miserables too.
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