Top 10 of 2023

 Well, we made it through another year, and that means it's time to share my top 10 of 2023. I had a bit of a hard time figuring out which ones would be in various spots, even a few that I did not include on the list but if I was able to add more spots I would have included. Anyway here we go.

10. Godzilla Minus One - This was not on my radar to see, but I ended up checking it out and it was very impressive. Mainly the story was great, and what it all entailed. I did not see very many of the older Godzilla movies nor did I see the one from Japan before this, but I was able to follow it just fine.

9. Elemental - I'm very glad Pixar went to making original movies again, I really like when they do so, and I like it when they take a very unique concept and make it work. This is another movie from their catalogue that had a unique concept and made a very emotional story with it that was very engaging.

8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 - With so many movies made by Marvel Studios, there is always one that makes a large impression, this is the one I felt was their best this year. I will admit that this was one of their hardest to watch in a long time, mainly with the torture aspects, however I cared so much about the characters I was on the edge of my seat.

7. Air - All about the creation of a pair of shoes, and yet this true story was very engaging from beginning to end. Another movie based on a true story I didn't know all the facts and seeing it all unfold was very engaging and also there were a ton of great performances, and I was just hoping for the main characters to be successful. 

6. The Creator - Didn't know about this movie until the middle of the year when the trailer dropped, and the trailer brought back feels of a science fiction movie I would have watched in the late 90s, and from that moment I wanted to see it and it delivered, it had a good story, but the visuals of the movie were incredible, especially with the budget they had. Plus a great score from Hans Zimmer.

5. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - Never saw the original movie from 2000, but this was one that was a very fun theatrical experience, and even continued to be a fun experience watching it at home. The characters and performances were great and it is full with a ton of great humor and situations that were great to see how they would unfold. This is that many had not seen and I think all should see.

4. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One - Each Mission Impossible movie I continue to be excited for and they each continue to deliver and get better. They are great to see on the biggest screen possible and I'm glad I got to see this on IMAX twice during the first week. The action set pieces were incredible and it was great to see how they were crafted as well. I have also found the story to be rather engaging and despite it being longer than the others, I find it go by rather fast and worth rewatching.

3. The Boy and the Heron - Hayao Miyazaki is one of my favorite animated directors, anything he puts out I will want to check out. Even without seeing a single frame or knowing much about the movie I will want to check it out. They released the movie in Japan initially without a trailer or synopsis, I almost didn't watch the trailer when it hit the US, but I caved in. But I tried to avoid much beyond that trailer, and it was a very engaging experience. The atmosphere of the movie was simple yet full of wonder and amazement that it was hard to look away. Proof why Hayao Miyazaki is still one of my favorite directors.

2. Spider Man Across The Spiderverse - Between this and my top choice was very hard, and I still wrestle with it as I think about it, but for now I'm going with this, but I could change my mind next week. Anyway, this is an incredible movie, not just animated movie, but incredible movie altogether. This is compared to The Empire Strikes Back and I agree with that, but each frame is a work of art and I have a hard time taking my eyes off the screen and I'm just engaged with everything that is going on at each moment and I care about the characters and I'm just wanting them to get the next movie done so I can see how the overall story wraps up.

1. Oppenheimer - Christopher Nolan continues to bring us incredible movies, even if one of his movies has some bugs in it, there is a sense of passion and a sense of wonder in how it's made. He is one that makes his movies with limited computer effects, and seeing those come into play makes the craft of his movies more magnificent. This movie was amazing, in how it was crafted on a practical level, on an editing level, on a story level, on a performance level, on all levels. There is so much going on that it becomes hard to look away or become distracted, and just seeing the elements work to create this engaging story, with how it was filmed really transports us to this story and gets us close to the inside of the mind of Oppenheimer himself. It's hard to say, but there are moments I'm close to this is Christopher Nolan's best work, maybe not my favorite, though up there, but this is probably his masterpiece.

This is my list of my top 10 of 2023. Look forward to seeing what 2024 brings us.