Welcome to a brand-new weekly column here at Place To Be Nation, The Tuesday Top Ten. In this inaugural edition, Andy looks back and gives his personal top ten of the movies he saw in the theater this past summer.
10. The Dead Don’t Die
I didn’t love this movie, but there were a great number of positives. The world-building and story did have its issues. However, there were a lot of fun performances, especially Bill Murray & Adam Driver. I also appreciated the directing of Jim Jarmusch.
9. Ready Or Not
Although I wasn’t the biggest fan of this horror comedy initially, after giving some further thought, I have come to be a fan of it and looking forward to a rewatch. I had expected more horror than comedy, instead it is a comedy first and a horror movie second. There are good twists and turns.
8. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbes And Shaw
As with most of the entries in the Fast & Furious franchise, the story had several holes. However, the action was a lot. Just make sure that you come to terms with the fact that the laws of physics do not apply in these movies. The dynamic between The Rock and Jason Statham is a great contradiction in character types and fighting styles. Idris Elba was a high spot, seeing him chewing up the scenery and having fun while doing it. Definitely worth seeing if you like to shut your brain off and enjoy some mindless fun.
7. Rocketman
A fun biopic that had some great tunes. I did have some issues with the continuity of the story. But the performance of Taron Egerton as Sir Elton John did make up for any other shortcomings of the film.
6. The Lion King
Saying this was a technical achievement by director Jon Favreau is an understatement. As much as I tried to not compare it to the original 1994 animated original, I couldn’t help myself. The songs were still great as well as the story. I did really enjoy it, but there were some changes from the original that I just couldn’t get past.
5. Aladdin
This was quite the surprise of the summer. I think that is because everyone went into this movie with low expectations. Will Smith was a lot of fun and made a very wise decision not to try to copy Robin Williams’ portrayal as the Genie in the 1992 animated version. Much like the Lion King, the story and the songs were there. But to me, I actually liked the changes that were made in this version.
4. Toy Story 4
When Toy Story 3 came out, we all thought it was a fitting ending to the story and adventures of Andy’s toys. Many have called this unnecessary, but I disagree. This put a bow on the friendship of Woody and Buzz as well as introduce some fun characters to the world of Toy Story. I don’t think we should get another full-on movie; I do want to continue to see what these characters (like Forky, Duckie & Bunny and Duke Kaboom) are up to, whether it be TV specials or shorts.
3. Spider-Man: Far From Home
After the enormous scope of Avengers: End Game, this was a perfect follow-up in the MCU. We were able to try to start to heal along with Peter Parker while at the same time get charmed by his trials and tribulations of being back in high school and trying to win MJ’s heart while on a school trip to Europe. In addition, Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance as Mysterio made him one of the top five MCU villains of all time.
2. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
This was almost a perfect movie. Visually stunning, a love letter to Hollywood in the late 60’s, Great performances all around, especially the two leads: Brad Pitt & Leonardo DiCaprio. Also, Tarantino’s revisionist history allowed for (at least in fantasy) for a happy ending to a tragic story of unnecessary loss.
1. Avengers: End Game
There’s not much to say that hasn’t already been said. It was the culmination of an ambitious undertaking that we’ve never seen before, and very may never see again. It offered great performances, elicited numerous emotions and was a fitting conclusion to the first three phases of the MCU that comprised 22 movies over the last 11 years.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with these picks? Comment below and let us know.
