Throwback Thursday Review: 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'

Sorry for what may seem like a drastic delay on all three of my Planet of the Apes reviews but I wanted to be sure and publish them in the order of Rise, Dawn, and War. Anyways, this week I'm reviewing Rise of the Planet of the Apes and revisiting Dawn of the Planet of the Apes to coincide with this weekend's release of War for the Planet of the Apes. Next week I'll be reviewing Inception as my Throwback Thursday Review and possibly doing a Triple-R over Interstellar to tie in with Nolan's new war film Dunkirk. Reviews you can expect to see for the remainder of the month include a Throwback Thursday Review of Shaun of the Dead in addition to reviews of new releases Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, The Emoji Movie, and Atomic Blonde.

'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' Review

Nominated For: Best Visual Effects.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes follows Gen-Sys scientist Will Rodman as he develops a drug to cure his father's Alzheimer's disease and enhance brain cells. After a mishap with one of the exemplary ape test subjects "Bright Eyes," Rodman's program is put on the back-burner and all the apes are ordered to be put-down. However, a baby chimpanzee is discovered that inherited Bright Eyes' intelligence that is then given to Rodman. Rodman secretly continues his research, raising the competent chimp he's named Caesar in his own home. As Caesar's intellect increases, Caesar starts to question humanity's hierarchy and an ape insurrection begins. 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is directed by Rupert Wyatt with a screenplay penned by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Wyatt had a difficult task ahead of him considering he had to essentially reboot and revitalize a franchise that had previously only spiraled downward into obscurity. So rather than actually try and remake the 1968 sci-fi classic (akin to Tim Burton's effort in 2001), Wyatt and his screenwriters chose to take the riskier route and explain how the ape incursion began. Now genre fans aren't too fond of the term "prequel" since it's most often associated with the maligned Star Wars prequel trilogy but Wyatt succeeded in the vein George Lucas was unable to. 

Wyatt balances quiet character-driven scenes with simian spectacle appropriately so you wind up invested in an army of apes overtaking the Golden Gate Bridge. Where Lucas occasionally went adrift in trying to push the CG-envelope forward, Wyatt ensure the ground-breaking visual effects always elevate the material. Thanks to the talented vfx artists at Weta and marvelous motion-capture equipment, Wyatt is able to draw out powerful performances from Andy Serkis and his ape ensemble. The visual effects are a little spotty in some areas where the apes clearly resemble digital avatars but for the most part Ceasar and his band of primates authentically echo actual apes. 

The film may be titled Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but it more accurately represents Andy Serkis' ascension to becoming a household name in the business of acting via motion-capture. Serkis broke new ground in 2002 with his Middle Earth mo-cap portrayal of Gollum before gallivanting around as a twenty-five foot tall gorilla in King Kong (2005), but the character of Caesar may exhibit all the understated elements of Serkis' range via motion-capture. Serkis demonstrates all the characteristics of a chimpanzee but successfully layers an underlying brilliance and emotional resonance on top of the monkey mannerisms. Serkis and Caesar seem almost inseparable in these Planet of the Apes prequels but the ensemble behind him composed of Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Richard Ridings, Christopher Gordon, Devyn Dalton, and Jay Caputo each offer an inspired take on various primates. 

One of the things I found myself questioning towards the film's finale was how that many apes managed to come from three locations. Once they escape, the ranks rapidly expand unrealistically. I understand Caesar freed apes from the primate facility, local zoo, and the Gen-Sys laboratory but the army seemed vastly over-exaggerated in comparison to the number of apes shown before the escape.

Oddly enough, the apes are so compellingly created though that they're a hair more humanistic than the actual human characters. James Franco serves the story sufficiently, allowing Will Rodman to be an emotional touchstone of the story while Freida Pinto is relegated to looking pretty on the fringes of the script. Pinto is confined to basically being no more than a love interest who also happens to be a veterinarian. John Lithgow on the other-hand brings forth a tragic take on Alzheimer's which is positioned as the dense emotional arc and Lithgow handles the material well. 

Meanwhile, you thought Tom Felton's Draco Malfoy was despicable? Well Felton proves he can drive the cruelty up a notch as a callous chimp handler and Brian Cox, Jamie Harris, Tyler Labine, and David Oyelowo fill the remaining ranks of the human cast worth mentioning. 

In summary, Rise of the Planet of the Apes holds up thanks to fantastic visual effects that both enhanced the sensational storytelling and exceptional acting on display. The script slouches a tad in its depiction of certain human characters and the visual effects is occasionally aged but Rise of the Planet of the Apes is still able to pound its chest proudly as one of the posh, premier prequels.

Film Assessment: B+

Recollection Reflection Review: 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2'

To accompany the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, I've gone back and reviewed all the Spider-Man films so I'm also revisiting The Amazing Spider-Man 2. If you missed any of my other Spider-Man reviews, you can find them at the following hyperlinks: Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, and The Amazing Spider-Man.

'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' Review

Recollection- 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' Review

Reflection- I can recall around the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 that the idea of Spider-Man swinging over into the Marvel Cinematic Universe seemed like a pipe dream. Sony seemed hell-bent on establishing their own shared universe with the characters at their disposal and the likelihood of Spider-Man appearing alongside the Avengers was a long shot. With that in mind, I thought The Amazing Spider-Man movies were the closest Spidey would get to swinging straight out of his source material. However, a lot has happened since then and fast forwarding to today you'll find an unprecedented deal was struck between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures allowing shared control of the character and we now have two MCU flicks featuring the wall-crawler in some capacity. Since then, I've watched The Amazing Spider-Man 2 a few times and I've gotta say my tune has changed over time but you'll hear more on that in a moment. I feel the best way for me to elaborate on my opinion will be if I include spoiler-heavy plot points though, so this review will include spoilers.

Review- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 swings forward into the life of Peter Parker as he graduates high school and fights crime on the side. Meanwhile, Peter's conflicted about his promise to Captain Stacy as he begins to realize the severity of the dangers that accompany his double life. However, his greatest battle is just beginning as a new adversary Electro emerges, his old friend Harry Osborn returns to New York, and Peter recognizes Oscorp to be the thread tying everything together.

Marc Webb returned to sheppard the web-slinger's sequel but the film feels devoid of distinct direction. Like Spider-Man 3, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where Sony interfered but The Amazing Spider-Man 2 reeks of studio interference. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 swung all over the place in search of a reliant anchor point but it never stays in one place long enough to find its footing. Nevertheless, the finished product suffered from an over-reliance of setting up the franchise's future and it's just sad revisiting The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with the foresight none of those plans will ever materialize. 

The script penned by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner, and James Vanderbilt is jumbled across the board. The characters sprawled throughout The Amazing Spider-Man 2 seem to belong in drastically different movies, while the film itself is tonally inconsistent from start-to-finish. In one moment the film is downright dour, but in the next it'll crank the campiness all the way up. The film never sticks to the realistic portrayal Webb swung out with in The Amazing Spider-Man, but it can't commit to the camp that accompanies New York's friendly, neighborhood web-head either. The screenplay juggled about four major threads that seldom intersected with one another, if at all. These being the mystery of Peter's parents, Harry Osborn's sickness, Max Dillon's rampant wrongdoing as Electro, and the romance between Peter and Gwen and the consequences of such. 

First off, Peter's investigation into the disappearance of his parents is suddenly abandoned about two-thirds of the way through but it almost had to be addressed simply because The Amazing Spider-Man introduced that story arc. However, these scenes were largely pointless in regards to furthering the story overall and even progressing that specific storyline in a meaningful way. It's understandable that Peter would want to know what happened to his parents since the viewers are in the same boat but it almost goes without saying that every time I revisit The Amazing Spider-Man 2, I'm irritated by its inclusion for drawing attention away from other interesting events and going nowhere. 

Secondly, there's all the drama with Harry Osborn that carries no weight because the audience has absolutely no pre-existing connection to Dane DeHaan's self-loathing Harry. Harry comes off as a irritable, whiny nuisance who faces an ill-conceived sickness that can magically be cured with Spider-Man's blood?... His transformation into the Green Goblin feels contrived for the sake of including a rather revolting rendition of the Green Goblin. At least, Raimi realized he needed to carry Harry's descent into villainy across three movies and Harry's arc to becoming the Hobgoblin occurs naturally throughout the trilogy. However, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 introduces Harry to viewers, hoping audiences will grasp the connection between him and Peter despite their cold scenes together and it definitely doesn't work. 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 also incorporates side-antagonists Electro and Rhino, to which many like to point out doomed this project from the get-go, but I think it has more to do with the abundance of plot points and Sony's over-insistence to jump-start a new shared universe no-one really wanted. Sure, the use of three different evil-doers naturally handicaps the narrative because it takes focus away from the other two but it's not the primary problem. Would the movie have been better if Sony and Webb agreed to only concentrate on one villain? Maybe, but in reality there's essentially two threats. 

Paul Giamatti's Aleksei Sytsevich (aka the Rhino) is only in two sequences book-ending The Amazing Spider-Man 2 so you'd be hard-pressed to really call him one of Spider-Man's foremost foes in this movie. That leaves you with Electro and the Green Goblin, who never really fight Peter together even though they join forces to break into Oscorp for about five minutes. The film's a mess and that's without mentioning the drab dubstep dragged together by Hans Zimmer, The Magnificent Six (Junkie XL and Michael Einzinger), Johnny Marr, and Pharrell Williams. The more character-resonant orchestral compositions are striking because they completely contradict the rest of the score by enhancing the onscreen events. These themes are greatly appreciated in comparison though because they sound epic and befitting to the character of Spider-Man rather than included for the sake of popularity. 

Despite all the storytelling shortcomings, there are actually redeeming qualities that enhance The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and are the reason I ever enjoyed it to begin with. Most notably, Andrew Garfield's take on the wall-crawler. Over the course of the movie, Peter demonstrates his heroism in many ways but there's one sweet scene where he swings down to help a young boy who was being bullied that has always stuck out to me. He not only helps rebuild the boy's windmill but escorts him home and actually engages in comforting conversation with the boy. I've always felt it's moments like these that define Peter as the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man and drew me to the character in the first place so seeing a feature length, effects heavy blockbuster take the time to interject a scene like this is heartwarming to say the least. 

On the other hand, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 features numerous slick action sequences for Spidey to shine including a mad scramble through the city involving Plutonium, the Electro's antics in Time Square, a shocking sequence at a power plant and then a ticking, terrifying fight in a clock tower. All of these set-pieces utilize a plethora of visual effects and I've got to say they hold up remarkably well as Electro looks like he zipped right out of the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. I believe credit is also due to the costuming department for weaving an outfit for Spidey that bears the resemblance of his trademark tights with the well-known webbing and eminent engorging eyes. 

The stand-out sequence though is undeniably the clocktower fight depicting the death of Gwen Stacy. Upon rewatch, I watched a majority of the film with little-to-no reaction but this scene still mangled to elicit an emotional response from me because it's so heart-wrenching. This carries the story significance of following through on Peter's worst fears and invokes the realization that those closest to him will always be in jeopardy due to his super-heroics. Sorry for that morbid detour but I felt Gwen's death is such a key part of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 that it couldn't be avoided in this discussion. 

Of course, the shining stars of The Amazing Spider-Man movies were Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone due to their illustrious pairing and how well they fit their respective roles. I always felt their relationship seemed infinitely more believable than the pairing of Maguire and Dunst because the sparks never stop flying between the two. While I've found his Peter Parker to exhibit some creepy characteristics upon subsequent revisits, there's no denying that Garfield knocks it out of the park when he puts on the mask and Stone charms your socks off as Gwen Stacy. Sally Field is also deserving of recognition for her hefty contribution in the dramatic department as Aunt May. 

I touched on each of the villains to some degree earlier in my review but DeHaan's Osborn is cold and calculating, Jamie Fox's rendition of Max Dilon is kooky and unsettling and Paul Giamatti's Rhino is nothing more than a thinly sketched Russian caricature. There's no assistance from the supporting ensemble who do little more than progress the plot so it's ironically entirely up to Garfield, Stone, and Field to save the day. 

In summary, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 undoubtedly has its merits with outstanding leads and memorable moments scattered throughout, but it ultimately gets dragged down from gleefully swinging about New York by Sony's overcrowded ambition.

Film Assessment: C-

Throwback Thursday Review: 'The Amazing Spider-Man'

Sorry for the delayed review but this week I'm wrapping up my Spider-Man series of reviews with a Throwback Thursday Review of The Amazing Spider-Man and Recollection Reflection Review of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I've already published my review of Spider-Man: Homecoming, so click on the blue hyperlink if you want to check that out. Next week I'll be publishing a Throwback Thursday Reviews for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a Triple-R Review over Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and a review for War for the Planet of the Apes. Reviews you can expect to see through the month include Throwback Thursday Reviews of Inception and Shaun of the Dead in addition to reviews of new releases Dunkirk, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, The Emoji Movie, and Atomic Blonde.

'The Amazing Spider-Man' Review

The Amazing Spider-Man accompanies an orphaned, teenage Peter Parker as he seeks to learn the truth behind his parents disappearance several years ago. His investigation leads him to Oscorp, where he's bitten by a radioactive spider and begins to exhibit extraordinary abilities. Once tragedy befalls Parker's family, Parker realizes he must use his powers to help others and fight crime as the Amazing Spider-Man. 

In The Amazing Spider-Man, director Marc Webb sought to deliver a new grounded take on the web-slinger's origins. Webb's interpretation retained the crucial components of the traditional origin story but shifted its focus in a different direction. Webb's spidey flicks centered on many mysteries surrounding Spider-Man that were never explored in Raimi's trilogy such as what happened to Peter's parents. Webb even forged a new path for the wall-crawler with a darker, realistic tone, grounding Peter in our reality rather than positioning him in the context of a campy comic book. 

While I feel Webb's ideas had merit, the darker tone simply doesn't fit the character as snuggly considering Spider-Man is a character who's meant to have fun. Sure, Spider quips a lot but the angst and realism almost feel contradictory to the inconceivable events. Webb is able to get the web-head swinging but it takes some time to pick up speed as the first half of The Amazing Spider-Man is bogged down by the well-worn origin story beats. 

Screenwriters James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves were tasked with weaving a new narrative web for the slinging franchise to inhabit that was relatively reminiscent of what had come before while including distinct differentiation where possible. Vanderbilt, Sargent, and Kloves stride sufficiently in that regard but never quite escape the shadow of the spectacular storytelling showcased in Raimi's trilogy. The third act's admittedly very unbalanced as the writers frantically search for a coherent ending to no avail but they do manage to uncover some underlying emotional elements to help swing things in The Amazing Spider-Man's favor.

Where The Amazing Spider-Man shines is in the stylistic sequences of Spidey swinging around New York and the action set-pieces. Each battle between Spider-Man and the Lizard remains fairly entertaining, even though they never quite reaches the visceral heights of Raimi's energetic action. The visual effects are excellent and have held up well over time as the Lizard looks like he leapt straight out of a comic book into the real world. I also always liked the design of this Spider-Man suit and the inclusion of web-shooters as they were nice nods to the web-head's source material. James Horner composes a score suited to this version of the character but it's nowhere near as exciting as any of Elfman's themes. The Amazing Spider-Man's most accomplished asset though is undoubtedly its capable cast.

Andrew Garfield brought new life to the web-slinger with a charming and endearing attitude. I never quite bought into his version of Peter Parker since he exhibited more of an angsty teen hipster than an actual nerd but I've always enjoyed his take on Spidey. Garfield not only had the physicality for the role but he nails the line delivery anytime he's wearing the suit. I always bought into his quippy demeanor and felt he perfectly translated that aspect of the character.

Opposite Garfield, Emma Stone imbues Gwen Stacy with intelligence, determination, and a relentless dedication to set her aside from falling into the archetype of damsel-in-distress. Stone also stands apart from just being "the love interest" also thanks to her spunky go-getter personality that enables her to have a hand in the unraveling events. Stone and Garfield were dating at the time but their dynamic has always been one of the saving graces of this franchise since their chemistry was off the charts and the romance felt incredibly authentic. 

Filling out the supporting ranks, Martin Sheen and Sally Field serve as proficient parental figures in Peter's life as Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Both actors convincingly expressed concern and worry for Peter without over-doing any of the anxiety while Dennis Leary's Captain Stacy exhibits all the tenacity that would accompany the heading the NYPD and the unease of an overprotective dad.

Elsewhere, Rhys Ifans brilliantly brings a dual-pronged portrayal of Doctor Curt Connors as a brilliant mind that makes a rapid descent to becoming a mad reptilian scientist. Ifans' Dr. Connors doesn't hold a candle to previous Spidey rogues but he serves his purpose here admirably. 

Even though its no longer the new kid on the block, The Amazing Spider-Man still swings around as a relatively sufficient reboot that's buoyed by its lead performers and stylistic flair. 

Film Assessment: B-

'Despicable Me 3' Review

Despicable Me 3 picks up with newlywed Anti-Villian League agents Gru and Lucy on a mission to prevent '80s centric baddie Balthazar Bratt from stealing the world's largest diamond. When the duo fail to capture Bratt and the head of the AVL retires from his tenure, the new boss immediately fires the two agents. Gru then learns of his long lost twin brother Dru and is invited to come visit and shenanigans ensue. 

I've recently been of the opinion that Illumination Entertainment, the animation studio behind this franchise along with The Secret Life Of Pets and Sing, have started releasing passable projects that are incredibly entertaining for children but more uninspired for older audiences. I do however enjoy both Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2 and find the Minions to be okay but was disappointed to walk away feeling dissatisfied by Despicable Me 3 because it fell into the same rut as the remainder of Illumination's animated slate.

Despicable Me 3 is co-directed by Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin, and Eric Guillon with a screenplay penned by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Despicable Me 3 is overstuffed with superfluous superficial storylines of every variety. It's almost as thought the creative voices couldn't contain their ideas for the sequel with plot-lines including a Minion revolt and incarceration, Agnus searching for a Unicorn, Lucy trying to be a merited maternal figure, Gru bonding with Dru, and Gru attempting to bring down Bratt. These ideas have merit as standalone short films but feel out of place when interwoven into Gru's narrative.

Just like the last two, the animation's okay and the humor's geared towards especially young children. On top of that, the minions insane adventure feels totally tangential to the ongoing events. I don't really have a problem with the minions as I can recognize they're around for the kids, but I found their sequences to be oddly amusing despite the fact they were unwarranted.

There's one scene in Despicable Me 3 that's an accurate summation of my opinion of the movie itself where Gru and Dru impersonate one another while all the characters onscreen are absolutely unamused. Illumination constantly flaunts around unfunny jokes and gags I'm sure the writers thought kids would get a kick out of while I consistently elicited no reaction. I struggled to find any fresh entertainment in this installment to put it anywhere near the league of Disney and Pixar. 

Steve Carell sounded like he had the time of his life voicing Gru and Dru. Carell manages to invoke similar voices to each character while drawing out over-the-top unique attributes to differentiate the two. In the hands of a less capable actor, the shtick would have fallen flat but the twin brother angle is one of the amusing attributes of Despicable Me 3. 

 

Kristen Wiig is sufficient reprising her role as Lucy Wilde but lacks the leeway to really draw out any new characteristics aside from more motherly intuition. Elsewhere, Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier, and newcomer Nev Scharrel each also fill their restrained roles as Margo, Edith, and Agnes with all the characteristics of the responsible elder sister, odd middle child, and cute youngest sibling.   

Trey Parker's Balthazar Bratt is largely living in the past as a one-note eighties obsessed antagonist. Pratt's antics are fairly amusing but they never surpass your expectations. Once you've seen one gag, you'll have a handle on the character. 

If you're looking for a blast this Fourth of July weekend, I'd actually swing over and see Spider-Man: Homecoming instead as it's a blockbuster the entire family can enjoy, but Despicable Me 3 will delight young viewers for sure. Despite my criticism, I'll admit Despicable Me 3 is actually just a mediocre movie that lacks a message and fell short of the endearing entertainment of the precursors. 

Film Assessment: C

Best & Worst Movies of 2017 (So Far)

Believe it or not, we've passed the halfway point of 2017! Next thing you know it will be 2018 already! Now, last year I cobbled together the Summer 2016 Movie Season In Review to enlighten viewers on five fantastic films they may have missed out on in addition to five stinkers they should stay away from. This year I decided to share my personal ranking of all this year's releases thus far because towards the latter end of the year I suspect these films may not retain their position. I'll include a short blurb justifying each film's position on the respective list but you can visit my full reviews for all of these by clicking the blue hyperlinks with the titles. Keep in mind though that this is my personal ranking and I'm only qualifying the films I've seen this year so if one of your favorite/least favorite flicks didn't make either list, then I may not have ever seen it or I simply didn't like/dislike it as much as you did. Regardless of whether you agree with my opinion or not, I hope you at least enjoy reading my perspective of this year in cinema so far.

Worst Of 2017 (So Far)

Dis-Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical order): The Belko Experiment and The Great Wall.

5. The Fate of the Furious

I'm sure this will be my most controversial pick on either of my lists but The Fate of the Furious is absolutely idiotic. The only Fast & Furious movies I've truly enjoyed are 5-7, which launched the franchise in a completely different direction. However, F8 tests the limit of that mileage to an absurd degree. There are no longer stakes, the action's senseless, and there's simply no more creative fuel left over in the franchise's tank. 

4. The Mummy (2017)

The Mummy is an example of how not to establish a cinematic universe. The Mummy simply gets too wrapped up building a world for these monsters to thrive in that the stand-alone story decays as a consequence.

3. Transformers: The Last Knight

Transformers: The Last Knight didn't disappoint me per se but it didn't redeem the franchise either. The Last Knight just meanders about for two and half hours with very few redeeming qualities. It's just a lot of visual noise with zero substance underneath.

2. A Cure for Wellness

A Cure For Wellness was deeply disturbing and featured some of the most unsettling scenes I've seen in the cinema all year. It was entirely off-kilter but in the worst ways imaginable. So it comes as no surprise that the film delivers on the title's promise, sickening from start to finish. 

1. The Circle

The Circle was the closest I got to bestowing a grade of an "F" this year because it was a sophomoric slog. I know that the captivating concept and accomplished actors make it seem promising but whatever you do, don't circle around for this one because it's an utter waste of time.

Best Of 2017 (So Far)

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical order): Alien: Covenant, Beauty and the Beast (2017), Get Out, John Wick: Chapter 2, and The LEGO Batman Movie.

5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

I understand I'm of the unpopular opinion that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is better than the first but I think everyone can agree that it was a fun time and I had a blast all three times I went to the theater. I enjoyed getting to galavant across space with these miscreants and really getting to the core of what makes each character tick while often laughing hysterically.  

4. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Spider-Man: Homecoming marks the third time Sony's attempted to launch a Spider-Man franchise following Raimi's trilogy and the two Amazing Spider-Man movies directed by Mark Webb. What makes Homecoming interesting though is how expertly it captures the character while swinging in a different direction by placing Spidey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Homecoming feels like the perfect portrayal of Spider-Man and is easily the most entertaining incarnation of the web-head since Spider-Man 2.

3. Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman not only was a change of pace for the DCEU but a landmark shift for female lead superhero movies. Wonder Woman remains invigorating, visceral, and intense in the heightened moments of WW1 action while reserving time for worthwhile character development and story progression. I've watched Wonder Woman five times now and am continually blown away. 

2. Logan

Logan is the first superhero movie that I whole-heartingly believe deserves to be in the conversation for Oscar gold. In fact, it's my favorite comic book movie to date! Not only was Logan a sensational and sentimental send-off to Hugh Jackman but a fantastic film in its own right that definitely deserves the acclaim.

1. Baby Driver

It was a huge toss-up between the No. 1 and 2 slots on this list considering Logan and Baby Driver were the only films this year I've honored with the distinction of my "A+" rating. Ultimately, I had more fun with Baby Driver though thanks to a varied soundtrack full of rockin' tunes, outrageously entertaining action sequences, and charismatic characters. The love and care that Edgar Wright poured into Baby Driver really shows and I'd say it's an excellent example of meticulous masterclass filmmaking.