Top 10 Movies of 2013
By: MattInRC
Maybe it's just us, but 2013 was a bit of a letdown for films - perhaps 2012 was so boss that almost any year would be considered dull (The Avengers, Lincoln, Ted, Argo, and Skyfall just to name a few). But, there were several that graced our local rat-infested screens that did keep us awake through other duds like Grudge Match, Identity Thief, and Admission. As always, our list is generated on factors such as memorability, quality, and a completely selfish desire of whether we would pay to buy it or care to watch it again. Many Oscar films might win awards for their technical mastery, but how many of them would you actually watch more than once? Therefore, allow the chastising to commence!
10. Gangster Squad (Dir.Ruben Fleishcer)
Plot: Los Angeles, 1949: A secret crew of police officers led by two determined sergeants work together in an effort to take down the ruthless mob king Mickey Cohen who runs the city.(via IMDB)
Why We Like It: An early entry in 2013, the gangster film was fun from start to finish. Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling made a great duo as cops taking down mobster Sean Penn, while Emma Stone and Mireille Enos played incredibly tough women trying to survive in the post-war era. Great action, and I always loved the ability of Robert Patrick to camouflage into his roles. If you missed this one, we suggest Gangster Squad on Blu-ray.
9. Pacific Rim (Dir. Benicio del Toro)
Plot: As a war between humankind and monstrous sea creatures wages on, a former pilot and a trainee are paired up to drive a seemingly obsolete special weapon in a desperate effort to save the world from the apocalypse.(via IMDB)
Why We Like It: This film created deep divisions among fans of Transformers and the upcoming Godzilla movie. Say what you want, but Pacific Rim forever changed our expectations for these kinds of films. The action alone is worth the price of admission, but we were a little disappointed in the sub-par performances, with the exception of the always great Idris Elba. But, del Toro's vision was extraordinary - I'm not sure I can watch a Godzilla-like movie again without expecting a Jaeger flying into the scene to dispense of the monster!
8. Fast and Furious Six (Dir. Justin Lin)
Plot: Hobbs has Dom and Brian reassemble their crew in order to take down a mastermind who commands an organization of mercenary drivers across 12 countries. Payment? Full pardons for them all. (via IMDB)
Why We Like It: Granted, this isn't high drama portrayed by the world's greatest actors, but the Fast & Furious franchise has grown up big time, and Six knows it. Filled with a great villain, solid story, and an ending that still has people talking, we actually paid to see this one again in theaters. Sadly, the franchise was dealt a major blow with the death of Actor Paul Walker, so it will be interesting to see how this wll affect new director James Wan and the rest of the team. For now, enjoy this thrillride from start to finish.
7. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Dir. Peter Jackson)
Plot: The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.(via IMDB)
Why We Like It: We had a lot of problems with the snooze-fest that was An Unexpected Journey, so it was a pleasant surprise to see Jackson finally get back on the horse for Smaug. Fun and exciting from the start, it's better written and frankly more engaging than Journey and includes the re-introduction of the Orlando Bloom character as well as the saucy Evangeline Lily as Elves who lend a fearsome helping hand to Bilbo and his team. This isn't quite Lord of the Rings yet, but the graph is moving upward.
6. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Dir. Francis Lawrence)
Plot: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem. (via IMDB)
Why We Like It: A vast improvement over the first HG, Fire ups the ante and delivers with great action and a compelling story about the coming revolution. We loved the triangle between Lawrence, Harrelson, and Hutcherson, while Sutherland makes for a terrific villain. Director Lawrence moves every character forward as the franchise rides headlong into the inevitable revolution. We can't wait to see how he will craft the next installment, while Fire will be a first-day Blu-ray purchase for us.
5. The Great Gatsby (Dir. Baz Luhrman)
Plot: A Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor. (via IMDB)
Why We Like It: Beautifully shot and well-acted, Gatsby blew us away. Leonardo DiCaprio simply doesn't make bad films, and he's remarkable here, while Carey Mulligan and Toby Maquire shine in their portrayal's of Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece. We're hopeful to see a Best Director nod go to Luhrman, along with Visual Effects and Costumes, but we know our friends at the MPAA probably have other plans. Either way, catch this on Blu-ray and check out the supplements to learn how DiCaprio and Maquire prepped for their roles.
4. Thor: The Dark World (Dir. Alan Taylor)
Plot: Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.(via IMDB)
Why We Like It: The best of the Marvel sequels so far, Thor is funny and contains so many great moments that we lost track of them all. This also contained the best cameo performance of the franchise in Loki assuming the form of Captain America (played by Chris Evans). Hiddleston steals yet another film away from Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, who are also enjoyable in their return. Our villain was no Khan, but Christopher Eccelston brought it right to Asgard, and Anthony Hopkins kills it as Odin. We've made our love of Marvel movies clear, but in a year that saw the disappointing but box office pimp Iron Man 3, this one is simply better.
3. Man of Steel (Dir. Zack Snyder)
Plot: A young itinerant worker is forced to confront his secret extrastellar origin when Earth is invaded by members of his own race. (via IMDB)
Why We Like It: We had big concerns going in to Man of Steel - could Superman kill, and would modern audiences accept nothing less than that? The answer came as a shock to so many, and Snyder brought the goods, leading up to a battle that made The Attack of New York looks like a folkdance. Michael Shannon was great as the sympathetic villain, while Russel Crowe is the new Jor-El. We liked Henry Cavill, but want to see him take a more aggressive role in his delivery of lines; but, it's clear that he makes a great Superman. With news of a new Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman film in the works, we're happy that DC has finally given Marvel some much needed competition!
2. Star Trek: Into Darkness (Dir. JJ Abrams)
Plot: After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction. (via IMDB)
Why We Like It: We're big fans of The Original Series, but were disappointed with the 'alternate universe' of 2009's Star Trek. Not this time: Into Darkness is a far superior film to the first, with a perfectly-picked cast including Karl Urban and Zachary Quinto as Kirk's hemispheres. But, the best performance by far was Benedict Cumberbatch's Khan as the best villain of the year. His performance of the sympathetic villain was a popular motif in 2013, but Cumberbatch grayed that line so much that you weren't sure whether to blame Starfleet for Khan's madness or the devious Khan himself. This is a return to the original Trek in terms of story and performance, and we're hopeful that a third will soon grace dark screens soon.
1. Oblivion (Dir. Joseph Kosinski)
Plot: A veteran assigned to extract Earth's remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself. (via IMDB)
Why We Like It: In a year filled with gritty realistic distopian dramas, Oblivion was the year's best. Tron: Legacy director Kosinski does a marvelous job destroying the Earth and placing Actor Tom Cruise in the middle of it. Morgan Freeman plays the solid spoiler for Cruise's thoughts about the world, while Cruise himself hits another homerun as a man literally out of his own time. Science Fiction movies have become more Sci-Fi these days, with explosions and beautiful women in tight-fitting leather uniforms; Oblivion is a return to the quality stories we used to read in Analog Magazine or watch with Star Trek: The Original Series. If you missed Oblivion because of your hatred of Tom Cruise, we suggest you get over yourself and check out this masterpiece.
We also loved Rush, Ender's Game, Trance, Lone Survivor, and American Hustle, and would highly recommend you pick those up at your local Redbox.
What were your top movies of 2013? Comment below and get involved in the conversation!
Discuss this story with fellow SJF fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @SandwichJFilms, and follow author Matt Cummings at @mfc90125.
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