80: Laputa: Castle in the Sky (Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta)
This fantasy anime starts off with the rather unique hook, in which a boy witnesses a girl literally falling from the sky. Their encounter takes them on a thrilling adventure that pits them against sky pirates, an aggressive military force, and ultimately, the remnants of a lost civilization. The story is pretty light, but incredibly fun and full of color. The animation quality is decent, and does a convincing job of bringing this unique world to life. In the end though, I found the film most worthwhile for its Atlantis-style mythos.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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79: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Maybe not the most exciting film on my list, but while this movie doesn’t have much action or thrills, it manages to entertain with its complex character interactions. It is always a pleasure to watch McMurphy fool around with the inmates at the mental institute, shaking the system and incurring the wrath of Nurse Ratched (a woman who ranks as one of the best villains ever). The consequences of McMurphy’s actions lead to a sobering and thought-provoking conclusion; it is a superb story told with excellent performances and direction.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Perfect | Film: Perfect | Resonance: Very High
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78: Hero (Ying Xiong)
Of all the films ever made that feature martial arts and quality fight scene choreography, this might be one of the most beautiful. It’s quite awe-inspiring to watch these characters float over a crystal-clear lake, or soar in the air with a trail of autumn leaves behind them. These fights are staged with a level of spectacle, skill, and beauty that remains unsurpassed by any other film. And yet, it still tells an interesting story, using unique narrative techniques.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Perfect | Resonance: Very High
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77: Kick-Ass
This film’s title in itself says it all: it’s a phrase that’s obscene, irreverent, and just seething with attitude. Such is appropriate as the name of the main character, who decides to one day become a superhero. Even though this film has its share of great action scenes and rambunctious comedy, it does provide some interesting insight on the stark realities of masked vigilantism. This is a rare superhero film where the heroes aren’t invincible, or even all that super. It makes for an experience that’s simultaneously dark and funny. Combined with lots of surprises, the film does a great job of entertaining in a rather obnoxious manner.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Very High
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76: The Avengers (2012)
It took five films to build this one movie up: The Incredible Hulk both Iron Man movies, Thor, and Captain America. That’s how epic it is! All these superheroes, in addition to Nick Fury, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, combine to save the world from an evil threat! That is, unless each of these characters wind up fighting amongst themselves. There is certainly a ton of action to this movie, especially towards the end. But what makes it stand out will be its strong characterization and their complex interactions; the filmmakers did a first-rate job of keeping everything consistent and presenting the Avengers as a type of dysfunctional family.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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75: The Matrix Revolutions
When I first saw this movie, the finale to the epic Matrix saga, I was so pleased that I declared it my favorite of the lot for the longest time. For the most part, I was blown away by the action: the Battle of Zion and the final duel between Neo and Agent Smith are fantastic, awe-inspiring sequences. The main complaint about this film, however, is the story; it doesn’t have the same depth or development as its predecessors. I won’t deny that, as time passed, my enthusiasm for this film diminished, and I find myself enjoying the other two films for their in-depth storytelling. I still enjoy this final film for wrapping up the story in an exciting and cohesive fashion.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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74: Planet Terror (Grindhouse)
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This film was released as a double-feature with Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof. The purpose of both films was to replicate the style and presentation of 1970s exploitation cinema. While Death Proof suffered from pacing and storytelling issues, Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror delivered everything one could ask for from trashy exploitation cinema. The film is quite gross, with lots of gnarly blood and guts! At the same time, it’s so over-the-top, with plenty of funny lines and witty one-liners, that it comes off as a satisfying thrill ride. To make the experience even more endearing, the film was purposefully damaged and discolored to give it an aged, rough-around-the-edges look. Oh yeah, the film may not have class, but it definitely has style. It ranks as my favorite zombie picture of all time.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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73: Big Trouble In Little China
This cult adventure film from John Carpenter is quite ludicrous, with its cheesy martial arts fighting (complete with crazy sound effects), its silly dialogue, and its small-scale story. Yet, all these things make the film work in its own unique way. The film is a blast, filled with action and witty comedy. The story still manages to take itself seriously, and it’s easy to get caught up in it.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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72: Starship Troopers
Loosely adapted from Robert Heinlein’s novel, Paul Verhoeven (the madman behind RoboCop and Total Recall, which are every bit as fun and bloody as this film) gave us a gung-ho space adventure unlike no other. It has a unique blend of gruesome violence, amusing satire, and over-the-top cheese that keeps the film light and entertaining, despite the heavy-duty themes of war and fascism. The battles definitely entertain, with its fantastic special effects. In the end though, the story and overall presentation are quite appealing.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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71: Transformers (2007)
Say what you will, Michael Bay knows how to entertain. He is a master of choreographing endless explosions, awe-inspiring special effects, fast-paced car chases, and realistic military combat into incredibly long and thrilling action sequences. While I find the two Transformers sequels to be even more entertaining, I’m posting this first film in the series because it is more consistently-paced, and still has a fresh story to accompany it. I won’t deny that the film uses some annoying rapid-fire editing, but Transformers is just too much fun for me to complain about.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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70: Aliens
The first Alien film is indeed a sublime piece of work; the only reason it doesn’t make my list is because of its pacing. I’ve always felt it was too damn slow! Fortunately, James Cameron takes the material and runs with it his own way; his sequel eschews the horror and pumps up the action, and the results are phenomenal. The conflict between the space marines and the xenomorphs are thrilling. Above all, though, we see Ellen Ripley evolve from a mere traumatized survivor into a butt-kicking heroine (themes of maternity ensue)! As it is with most other Cameron films, Aliens is immersive and highly detailed, expanding greatly on the universe that Ridley Scott established. It’s easy to get caught up in the epic struggle between man and monster.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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69: Goldfinger
This might very well be the first James Bond film that would set the pattern for every other Bond film to follow. Even though it comes in after Dr No and From Russia With Love, Goldfinger maintains the perfect pacing, and the perfect combination of style and substance, to offer a thrilling experience that appeals to all audiences. It can be rather ridiculous, with the amount of gadgetry, innuendos, and cheese involved in this film. That doesn’t stop the film from being tremendously entertaining, and from allowing the story to breathe and take itself seriously. Above all, this film features the series’ most memorable scenes: a girl painted gold (to death), a laser beam creeping toward Bond’s crotch, the epic duel between Bond and Oddjob (the short Korean dude with the iron hat), and much more!
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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68: Independence Day
This alien invasion flick hasn’t really aged too well (if it had, it would have ranked higher). At its time, though, I was quite taken by the film’s (over)dramatic style, its incredible special effects, and its stirring spirit. It presents a cast of likable characters, and presents a story that covers practically every aspect of its hypothetical situation. Even though alien invasion films seem to be a dime-a-dozen these days, ID4 remains my seminal favorite.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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67: X2: X-Men United
Like any quality sequel, X2 took everything great about the first X-Men film and made it better. The action is bigger and more impressive. The story is broader, with bigger stakes. At the same time, the story is still quite sound, with excellent characterizations. It is especially worthwhile to see Wolverine’s backstory revealed (although more can be seen with the X-Men Origins: Wolverine film, there’s enough here to appreciate the character). The story also does a great job of underscoring the continuing conflict between men and mutants, both physical and political.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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66: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Quoting from Shakespeare, the undiscovered country is revealed to be “the future,” which is appropriate for this final outing from the original Star Trek crew. The film itself explores the uncertainty of the future for the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and all the characters within. As a conspiracy becomes unraveled and the characters are forced to confront many dangers, the film maintains a grim and tense atmosphere. It is a dark and revealing episode in the Trek film universe, and proves to be a solid finale for the classic crew.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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65: GoldenEye
This was the first James Bond picture I ever saw, and for the longest time I deemed it my favorite. After a six year gap, Bond returned to the big screen with all guns blazing; with a daring bungee jump off of a damn, a chase scene featuring a tank busting through St Petersburg, and loads of shootouts and fights, the film is easily one of the most exciting Bond films of them all! The future of Bond (both as a franchise and as a character) was practically jeopardized with the end of the Cold War; this film serves to push him into the future, shifting the focus from the old Cold War threats to the modern threats of the modern age. As such, Bond’s character receives decent insight, and is played with style by a cool, suave Pierce Brosnan. The rest of the cast is sensational, especially with Sean Bean’s character. With excellent action setpieces, special effects, and a quality production value, GoldenEye has a license to thrill, and it isn’t afraid to use it.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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64: Sucker Punch
Slicing through not one, not two, but three layers of fantasy, this movie has sucker punched many audiences, and not with particularly good results. The movie is often labeled as confusing, messy, too much style-over-substance, and at its worst, misogynistic. It is most memorable for having four fantasy sequences that pit the main characters against giant samurai, steampunk zombies, orcs, dragons, and robots in beautiful CGI-generated environments. Sequences like these appeal to my demographic very well, but leaves most other audiences wondering why women would fantasize about such things. My argument is that these women aren’t prancing around a fantasy world of their own invention: they’re presenting the fantasy to an audience to seduce, trick, and ultimately escape from their imprisonment at the cabaret club (which is not all that it seems either). The plot is pretty tricky to understand, but deciphering it is part of the joy I take in watching it. Now, why is this film called Sucker Punch? The director claimed it was because the main character is not as weak or feeble as she seems. The plot twists could also serve to sucker punch the audience. I would go on to say that the film reaches beyond the screen to sucker punch Hollywood itself, thanks largely to the cabaret club setup the film employs. And if you didn’t understand this film, maybe you’ve been sucker punched!
The extended cut of this movie comes recommended; it features new dialogue and scenes that put the movie into a better context, and is easier to follow overall.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Perfect | Resonance: Highest
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63: The Incredibles
Taking a little inspiration from The Fantastic 4, and perhaps some James Bond films, this Pixar animated film focuses on a family of superheroes just trying to get by. The film has some impressive visuals, great action sequences, and enough good comedy to keep it highly entertaining. It also does a first-rate job of giving the characters life and underscoring their interactions as a family.
Entertainment: Perfect | Story: Very Good | Film: Perfect | Resonance: Highest
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62: The Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di Biciclette)
This is a short and simple film: the humble story of a man risking it all to find his stolen bicycle. But with the given narrative and film style, the film emphasizes the stakes and digs up some strong thematic content. It’s not just the story of a man losing his bicycle, but also the story of a man losing his faith and his focus on what’s really important. Using a cast of genuine, down-to-earth laborers rather than actors, and with superb photography, I found this film very classy and endearing.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Perfect | Resonance: Highest
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61: Donnie Darko
What a strange picture. It is a dark and mystifying high school drama that somehow ties in quantum physics, theological overtones, and eerie nightmares into one confusing package. It’s a puzzle of a film that requires the audience to find all the clues and piece together the reasoning and logic behind what happens. Even if you can’t figure it out, the ending has a certain “what goes around comes around” vibe that inherently feels cohesive and whole. Populated with strong characters, with some interesting camera composition and music selection, the film comes off as one interesting Rubik’s Cube of a movie.
Two cuts exist for this film. Seeing the Director’s Cut first, I was intrigued by the added special effects and the scenes of added exposition, which help make better sense of the movie. However, I notice that some viewers prefer the Theatrical Cut, rather than having all the answers laid out for them. I’d say, start with the original cut, see the Director’s Cut once, and see what you think.
Entertainment: Good | Story: Perfect | Film: Very Good | Resonance: Highest
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To be continued...
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