Saturday 4 January 2014

Best Movies of 2013


2013 has ended. There's a lot of films I haven't watched as many of them are not released (or not yet) in Malaysia (The Kings of Summer, Wolf of Wall Street, Mud, Saving Mr.Banks, American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club, etc). So forgive me for not putting them if they're proven to be great films as well.
In case you're wondering where's the best horror film of the year, I could say The Conjuring but that wouldn't be fair because I don't watch many horror films and I personally don't like horror films at all.

I know it's quite late for posting my list of the best movies of 2013, but here it goes:

Best superhero film: 
Man of Steel
Despite what many people think about this film (mindless action, high body count, superman kills), this is the Modern Age Superman, not golden/silver age or even Donner version of Superman. People hate it because it's not their 'idea' of Superman. This is the only Superman film that accurately shows how powerful Superman really is and the fears and dilemmas he experienced because of possessing such great power. Spider-Man 3, R.I.P.D, Green Lantern, The Spirit, X-Men Origins: Wolverine sucks, but this one? Hell no. Sure, it's not a masterpiece, but it's a great superhero film. Iron-Man 3 is great and entertaining, but it's less serious and has a more 'comic-book' feel to it than this. After much consideration, this film wins.



Best Sci-Fi thriller film:
Gravity
Visually stunning, realistic, mesmerizing, frightening. It successfully captures the terrifying dangers a person might experience while in space. A true, awesome cinematic experience. It reminds us why films are made in the first place.



Best Romantic Comedy film: 
About Time 
A witty, intelligent, charming, feel-good, heartwarming, sweet film with surprising depth and heart, without the typical weepy, sappy melodrama elements that's usually comes with most romantic comedies.What else could you ask for? Must watch.


Best Drama films:
    12 Years A Slave   
                                        Rush                                          
These two are the best drama films of the year. Both are biopic dramas based on real-life stories, the first one is about an African American who was kidnapped, sold into slavery and received harsh treatments for 12 years before he was rescued and the other one is about the real-life rivalry between two famous Formula One drivers.They're both equally great to the point that I have to include both of them in my list of best movies of 2013. Highly recommended/Must Watch.



Best Inspiring Drama Comedy Film: 
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
An enjoyable, wondrous, entertaining, inspiring film of 2013. This is a film for the dreamer in all of us. The critics don't like it, I love it. "To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each and to feel. This is the purpose of life." Well said.



Best Romance Films: 
Before Midnight
                                                               The Spectacular Now                                                                
Once again, I have trouble removing anyone of these two films as they're both equally great romance films of the year. The first one is for an older, mature audience while the other one is for a younger audience. Both films shows great acting performance from the two leads and a wonderful script. Before Midnight completes the trilogy and the spectacular now is as spectacular as 2012's The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Wonderful.



Best Animated Film: 
Frozen
Comparable with the disappointing Monsters University, the 'meh' Turbo, or the entertaining yet forgettable Despicable Me 2, this film able to evoke the nostalgia in me for Disney's past great animations: lovable, memorable, funny characters with a good story and songs for the young and old. As great as 2010's Tangled, this will be one of the many Disney's classics for this generation.



Best Fantasy Adventure Epic Film: 
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
There's a lot of complaints about this film (overly long, lack of a compelling plot, etc), while I do agree that The Lord of The Rings is still far superior compared to this trilogy, but to be honest, this film is not that bad. I'm satisfied with the film, although it ends in a cliffhanger, which is expected for a 'middle film'. If not, please name me another fantasy adventure epic released this year that's better than this film. The Lone Ranger? Hell no!



Best Sci-Fi Action Thriller film:
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 
                                 Star Trek Into Darkness                                   
Another tough choice again. So I've decided to include both of them in my list of best movies. Yes, I agree that Into Darkness is another remake of the great Wrath of Khan with minor tweaks here and there. But still, it's undeniably a great remake and Kirk's sacrifice in the film brought me to tears when it happened. So, yeah, I'm putting this film in my list. 
Catching Fire is the surprisingly one of the best films I've seen so far with a female lead/heroine in it. The story is compelling, thought-provoking and features a great performance from the lead actress, Lawrence as well. If not, name me one great film with a strong heroine in it...Beautiful Creatures? The Host? Mortal Instruments? Twilight Saga?? *vomit* 



Best Action Film: 
Olympus Has Fallen
Let just simply say that this is what Die Hard 5 should have been. The other 'copycat' film, White House Down, although funny, fails to make an impression compared to this one. This film is one serious COOL one-man action film.



That's it folks! Will post out my list for the worst films of 2013 very soon. 

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