2020 was wrecked by Covid-19 and the shut down of so many movie theaters(even my local AMC is still struggling for showtimes). But 2021 has been a bit better, and even HBO Max/Warner Bros took the initiative to simul-release all of their titles on the streaming service(sad... we won't have that in 2022).
But because 2021 has been better as it pertains to movies, it also deserves a year end post.
Time to bring back... THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY, AND THE UNFORGIVEN!
For those of you who haven't seen this post before, a brief explanation.
The Good: The Best movie, actor, or moment for the year.
The Bad: The Worst movie, actor, or moment for the year.
The Ugly: The Best Positive Surprise for the year.
The Unforgiven: The Biggest Disappointment for the year.
So... let's get into it... starting with...
THE GOOD: This year is the first year I have given THREE Perfect scores, and thus ALL of them deserve the Good. First one is... Dune Part 1. One of my favorite Sci-Fi books of all time, and the original movie raises some vision questions. There were no questions here. It looks great, the story was presented directly, and it was the adaptation I've always wanted. Expectation were high, and they were surpassed.
The second one is... Ghostbusters Afterlife. The single greatest Legacyquel released so far. Nostalgia at its finest, yet setting up for a bright future, bringing a new generation in while satisfying the lifelong fans. Harold Ramis would be very proud of it.
And the third one is... The Matrix Resurrections. Another Legacyquel using it's foundation a competely different way. Mixed reactions from audiences and critics alike, but I personally LOVED this movie. This one took nostalgia down a different path, and utilized it in real time(well, during the movie). Watching Neo try to recover from a nervous breakdown because he couldn't tell the difference between reality and fantasy... and then coming to terms with the fact that his fantasy WAS his reality. The psychological experience and experiments done by the Analyst is deep enough to question the whole first half of the movie. And THAT is why I LOVED it. One moment changed the whole movie(up to the moment and then after the moment). Tonal shifts, when done right, can be the catalyst for a massive pay off or total diappointment(look at the career of M. Night Shyamalan). And for me, this one had a massive pay off.
Honorable Mention: Zack Snyder's Justice League: I loved this version(the only version). Sad that it took as long as it did to get finished. It is a bit long, but worth the wait.
THE BAD: I struggled to find a Bad at first... but boy did I find one during the holiday season. And that movie is... Home Sweet Home Alone. Why did this happen? It didn't need to happen. But it happened. In the original Home Alone movies, Kevin was bullied, picked on, but he still loved his family. He defended his home(and a toy store in the second movie) against a pair of burglars that we the audience had little to no sympathy for. And Kevin, though a slight jerk, he was still the lovable protagonist. This movie...... got the formula wrong. Max Mercer is a jerk, much more so than Kevin. Not a lovable jerk... a tiny asshole. And the burglars, the movie took the time to make them relatable. Some wonderful talent wasted on this movie... all because they forgot the foundation of the franchise.
Dishonorable Mention: Encanto: Sweet story, but it is a boring movie. And I love Disney movies. It might be the Disney Movie in a LOOOOOOONG time that I can't recommend. Boring. Lin-Manuel Miranda makes great music... this is just a huge misstep.
THE UGLY: This one has to go to an actress. Awkwafina. I admit, I'm not the biggest fan of her comedy or how she portrays herself when she is being funny. She feels like a walking Asian stereotype, and I'm not sure if that was on purpose or just part of the schtick... but it's there. But... voice work... she had an AMAZING turn in Raya and the Last Dragon. Almost a heartwarming difference. And I think she would be great in some more voice roles or even some more serious roles. We will see...... but until then, this was great example of what she CAN do.
Honorable Mention: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Marvel has had some success with taking a relatively unknown property and making it interesting. Just look at Guardians of the Galaxy(though I credit James Gunn for it). Shang-Chi has a very cool backstory in the comics(even with the retcons). But he isn't a major player in print. More martial arts epic than MCU movie, it was a nice surprise it worked so well.(Awkwafina is in this too)
THE UNFORGIVEN: This one was very clear... Black Widow. No, I don't think it was a bad movie. It is disappointing for what it represented. ScarJo was finally getting her own solo movie...... but... it wasn't her movie. It was both a family movie... and a passing of a torch movie from Natasha to Yelena. A Black Widow solo movie that wasn't enough about her...... I'm also not saying it was a bad movie... it could've been split up into two movies. "Family"... exposition. "Sister"... exposition. "Villian" exposition. Marvel could've made both of those matter, but they didn't.
Dishonorable Mention: Space Jam: A New Legacy: I thought it was better than the original, but a family movie with so many references from IPs that kids shouldn't watch(like Game of Thrones)...... Warner, you can do better than that! Right?!...... Right?
As you saw above, I struggled to get a Bad in here. And I contemplated omitting it completely. 2020 was bad for the movie industry... 2021 has been great. We got the first GORY Mortal Kombat movie... we got a Ghostbusters Legacyquel that was phenomenal... a proper Dune epic... a few great Disney movies... Zach Snyder got his vision out there for Justice League. The best Spider-Man movie. And a new Matrix movie, that I hope has kickstarted a new trilogy.
Spider-Man No Way Home cracked the $1 Billion mark, globally. First movie to do so since the Covid pandemic era began. And I hope this is a sign of things to come.
2022 looks to have some contenders. And I hope we get some awesome results.
Yeah... I know... 3 perfect scores. And it does feel a bit awkward. At first, I thought it was because I was happy we were back in the theaters again. Happiness over quality. But... really... those 3 movies stand out. Not only this year, but the past few years. 2 Legacyquels with different takes on how a Legacyquel should be done... and a movie that shows that sometimes remakes are necessary.
New IPs are awesome. Classic IPs are awesome. "Hollywood needs to come up with more original movies." Do they though? Some remakes need to happen... (the original Dune was messy as best). Some franchises need to be introduced to new generations. And new original stories are going to come out. Just be happy. Enjoy what you like... let other people enjoy what they like...... but above all else, no matter what movie you are watching(or not watching) or where you are watching it at......
Don't forget...
Happy New Year everyone!!!
ONWARD TO 2022!! I hope it isn't 2020 Part II...
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