Monday, January 3, 2022

Top 10 of 2021

We have made it through another year, and yeah this was another year with bumps and bruises, but we got many great movies again this year, and I want to take time to rank them. I should mention that I didn't see every movie this year, and as I have stated many years in the past, this is my personal top 10 favorite movies of the year, the ones that had the biggest impact on me this year. So here is the countdown.


10. No Time To Die - Many of the James Bond actors never had a solid conclusion, they just stopped, except for Daniel Craig. That was part of what I really liked about it, but the scope of the adventure really got me very excited, and it delivered on that and a great conclusion for Daniel Craig’s take. Also we got some grand cinematography, this enthralled me.

9. Free Guy - Video game movie that’s not based on a video game, it was more than that, there was aspects of The Truman Show, a bit of The Matrix, and a great take on our gaming culture. There are many things that will stick out, but the one that stood out was how someone that in a world with many people that were mean to each other decided to be the good guy in his interactions which helped leave an impression for me. 

8. Raya and the Last Dragon - You know, this was one movie that I wished more people saw, it came out in a rough time but with it on Disney+ now, I’m hoping more people check this out, it has a great message about trusting one another, and that left a huge impact, plus the animation was very gorgeous. 

7. Encanto - Both this movie and Raya and the Last Dragon go back and forth as to which one I like more. I gave this the nudge over Raya….for now. What stood out was the characters and the story of how a girl with no powers had the biggest impact on her family, I really like these stories and it was a really cool place to explore. 

6. West Side Story - Steven Spielberg is one incredible director. I’m a huge fan of his science fiction and fantasy movies, but just about every movie he does is great, and just the fact that he attempts to do any genre he can, and just about every effort is fantastic. I was mesmerized by every shot in the movie and the choreography was just energetic. 

5. A Quiet Place Part 2 - One movie we were suppose to get last year but of course you know what happened, but seeing this year was a huge treat and it was amazing, it was great to see that it was just as good as the first. I cared about the characters and what they went through and where things would go. Plus the intensity was just as strong as the first and just a great world to come back to.

4. Shang Chi - Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon of the MCU. This was a big surprise and just very much awesome. All the trailers sold me on the movie we would get, but it was way better than I was expecting it to be. The best way I would try to describe it is epic yet personal. There were so many epic battle sequences especially the last half an hour of the movie, and yet it focused not the family drama, especially between Shang Chi and his father. It was an awesome movie. 

3. Ghostbusters Afterlife - I worried with all the delays that I would end up overhyping this movie. I tried before the movie to dial things back a little so I wouldn't overhype it. This movie delivered, and it delivered on an emotional aspect that I wasn't expecting it to. It was a smaller scale movie but what got it this high was the character of Phoebe, who is the granddaughter of Egon Spengler, and her connecting with her grandfather throughout the movie. It delivered on an ending I didn't expect them to do and it was worth it, I won't spoil the ending for those that haven't seen it, but it's worth it, especially if you are a Ghostbusters fan.

2. Spider Man No Way Home - Learning about all those leaks and rumors, I figured it would be a very fun MCU movie with awesome cameos and that was it, and that would have been awesome alone, but what made this movie soar to where it is on this list is the story itself, which I will try to stay spoiler free as much as possible. It focused on Spider Man who wasn't trying to just fighting his enemies, but took time to step back and see what he could do to help them. What he went through as a result stood out and what he learned and just the journey he went through made this a top tier MCU movie for me. One day I will have to do an updated ranking on all MCU movies.

1. Dune - Prepare to have your mind blown if you have not seen this. This was my most anticipated movie of the year and this was as a result of the director's previous works. I saw this on the IMAX theater near me opening night, and it was a mind blowing cinematic experience. The scale of the movie matched the screen, everything from the sights and the sounds. Oh yeah, Hans Zimmer's score was amazing in this. Yes, this is only half a story, but it was enough to bring it all the way to the top of the list. Also, I can't wait for the second part in 2023, I will be there in the IMAX theater opening night. 


Yes, we had another great year regarding movies, and I look forward to what 2022 brings. I will have the list of anticipated movies up soon. 




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