AlmightyZing's 2019 Cinema Recap
Overview and Spoiler Warnings
As we all get ready to wrap up 2019 I wanted to share my thoughts on this year in cinema. This has been one of the greatest years for movies that I can remember, and we’ll be setting the bar very high in my first annual year in review. At the time of this writing I have been to the theater 37 times for 34 different movies.
Throughout this article I will be referencing specific events, so be careful of spoilers if you haven’t seen some of the films I will be reviewing. If a film was still in theaters at the time this article was written I tried my best to keep them as spoiler-free as possible.
Best of 2019
I’ve always struggled when it comes to ranking movies against one another, especially when the content and genres are so vastly different. I’ve put a lot of thought into my top five list, and based these decisions on a number of factors - from personal enjoyment to the quality of performances.
5) Knives Out
RT Critic Score: 97%
RT Audience Score: 92%
Knives Out was by far the best murder mystery movie I’ve seen in a long time. The all-star cast knocked it out of the park with all of their performances and the way the murder investigation played out was a wild ride full of twists and turns. I enjoyed it more the second time around despite knowing who did it, as it was fun to notice the more subtle clues that were left behind. Rewatchability is tough to achieve in murder mysteries, so the fact that I’m looking forward to watching it again when it releases on Blu-ray speaks volumes.
4) Jojo Rabbit
RT Critic Score: 79%
RT Audience Score: 96%
A satire about Hitler and Nazi Germany? Who would dare touch something so controversial? Taika Waititi (and Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds). This film brilliantly tackled some incredibly serious topics while managing to keep a light and comedic tone - mostly. Jojo shows us how susceptible our children can be to propaganda and xenophobia, and how being exposed to other cultures can positively influence their opinions. The entire cast gave us masterful performances that brought out so many different emotions throughout the film.
3) Joker
RT Critic Score: 69%
RT Audience Score: 89%
This was one I struggled with when deciding where to place it on this list. I don’t remember the last time I felt that uncomfortable watching a movie. Normally that would put it on my ‘worst-of’ list, but Joker does that intentionally, and brilliantly. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance was phenomenal and the way the film blended reality and Fleck’s fantasies worked really well. I would love to see more DC villains get this darker, stand-alone treatment.
2) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
RT Critic Score: 54%
RT Audience Score: 86%
This will by far be the most controversial pick on my list. I won’t get into spoilers since the film is still in theaters at the time of this writing. As we’ve come to expect with the Star Wars franchise, there has been a great divide among fans with the final chapter of the Skywalker saga. Being on this list does not mean that the film wasn’t without fault. The pacing was frantic at times, and some of the characters that had been built up in previous films didn’t get the attention they deserved, but overall I think The Rise of Skywalker did the best it could to answer as many of the questions we had. The fast pacing was a result of having to essentially cover two movies worth of plot in one, since The Last Jedi did very little to advance the story. As a fan of the Star Wars franchise, it was a fun and emotional ride and I look forward to what other stories we’ll get from our favorite galaxy far, far away.
1) Avengers: Endgame
RT Critic Score: 94%
RT Audience Score: 90%
It’s hard to believe it’s been 11 years since we were first introduced to the MCU with billionaire playboy philanthropist Tony Stark. Twenty-one films led up to the magnificent climax that was Avengers: Endgame. Infinity War left a lot of us needing therapy, and Endgame’s opening scene didn’t offer any emotional reprieve. We then jump forward five years and experience the gloomy world that was left behind by the snap. I thoroughly enjoyed the time travel and getting to revisit many of the key moments in previous films. It was tough to lose some of our beloved heroes, but it’s also exciting to look forward to a new chapter with new heroes. One of these days I’ll get through this film without crying. Thank you Marvel. I love you 3000.
Worst of 2019
Initially this was a bottom five list, but I struggled to find five films that I genuinely did not enjoy, and it wasn’t fair to the two that made the list for no other crime than being okay films. I typically only see movies that I expect to enjoy, and the three I’ve chosen did not live up to expectations. So, without further ado, here are my top three worst movies of 2019.
3) Hellboy
RT Critic Score: 17%
RT Audience Score: 51%
This film was, in a word, forgettable. I honestly had to look up a synopsis to remember what even happened. The fight scenes were gory and at times brutal, but they couldn’t overcome the mess of a plot that had Hellboy double-crossed, nearly killed, and still managing to tear apart the three giants acting as the film’s mini-boss. Meanwhile the main villain slowly gains power and Hellboy defeats her using Excalibur after he’s revealed to be a direct descendent of King Arthur. The film then teases Abe Sapien, although it’s unlikely this box office bomb will get a sequel to pay that off.
2) Rambo: Last Blood
RT Critic Score: 27%
RT Audience Score: 82%
I went into the theater excited for more Rambo at least on par with the 2008 old-man-Rambo film. What we got was an hour of mumbling Grandpa John fumbling his way through a rescue mission after his close friend’s granddaughter gets kidnapped by human traffickers in Mexico, followed by about 20 minutes of Rambo being Rambo. I really enjoyed that last 20 minutes of brutality, but it’s a shame that the rest of the movie didn’t share the excitement.
1) Godzilla: King of the Monsters
RT Critic Score: 41%
RT Audience Score: 83%
How do these movies keep getting sequels? I’ll admit the Kaiju battles were badass, but there needed to be more of it and a better reason for it. The entire human plotline had me groaning and rolling my eyes. I have so many questions. If Godzilla is radioactive, and his fire breath is radioactive, how are there even humans left alive at the end of the movie? I felt like following Dr. Serizawa’s lead and departing the film halfway through. I don’t blame him for wanting to abandon this ship. Since the last movie that made me want to walk out was 2007’s In the Name of the King, Godzilla was an easy choice for the worst movie of 2019.
Honorable Mentions
These films didn’t quite make it into the top five, but I wanted to include them as honorable mentions. John Wick and Alita had originally made the top five list and would now be 6th and 7th respectively. Ratings after that point get difficult, so this isn’t necessarily the second half of a top ten.
John Wick 3: Parabellum
RT Critic Score: 90%
RT Audience Score: 86%
John Wick has become one of my all-time favorite action franchises. From the moment Reek did the unspeakable in the first film, Mr. Wick has shown us why he is the greatest asset in the world. Parabellum was more of what we’ve come to expect in terms of high octane fight sequences and sheer brutality. Being pitted against the best killers in the Continental shows us just how incredible, creative, and deadly Wick can be. I also want to give a shout out to the amazing dogs in the film. John’s pitbull was adorable, and Sophia’s german shepherds were unstoppable. Give me thrilling action and good dogs and you’re almost guaranteed to make me happy.
Alita: Battle Angel
RT Critic Score: 61%
RT Audience Score: 93%
Alita was the first film of the year that I saw multiple times in theaters. I’ll admit that I had very little knowledge of the source material going into it, but the creator of the original comic gave his approval of the adaptation, which is usually a pretty good sign for fans. What stood out to me the most was the way that the motion captured CGI of Alita and the other cyborgs meshed well with the rest of the environment. When CGI is done poorly, it sticks out. This movie didn’t have that issue, and nothing seemed out of place. There’s even some cyborg dogs, which definitely didn’t hurt its chances of making my list. The only issue with Alita is that while it did well at the box office, it ended on a cliffhanger for a sequel that’s currently far from guaranteed.
Zombieland: Double Tap
RT Critic Score: 68%
RT Audience Score: 88%
As a huge fan of the original Zombieland, it was great to see what the gang was up to ten years later. I loved the new classification system for zombies, the Tallahassee and Columbus doppelgangers, and most of the new characters. Madison and the hippy commune were a bit on the annoying side, but nothing could distract from the methodical mayhem we’ve come to know and love from the Zombieland crew. I’d love to see more adventures, and I hope we don’t have to wait another 10 years for them.
Jay and Silent Bob: Reboot
RT Critic Score: 65%
RT Audience Score: 94%
If you’re a fan of Kevin Smith, you’ll love this movie, but I understand that his style isn’t for everyone. I had the privilege of seeing this live with Kevin Smith and Jay Mewes when they came to St. Louis on their Roadshow Tour. This was the second film I’ve seen with Smith in the audience and I think the commentary before and after his films really help add to the enjoyment. It was great to see so many old faces make appearances, including a very emotional scene delivered by Ben Affleck. If you’re a fan of Kevin Smith, I highly recommend checking out this film.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw
RT Critic Score: 67%
RT Audience Score: 88%
I’ll start off this one by noting that I checked out of the franchise after the 29 mile runway scene in Fast & Furious 6, but I couldn’t resist this spinoff after seeing the previous and I was not disappointed. The main franchise tries to keep things serious despite the absurd circumstances they’re put in, but Hobbs & Shaw embraces the insanity and drives home a great mix of action and comedy. I hope this buddy cop spin-off continues, and based on how well it did at the box office, I’m confident we’ll see the duo team up again very soon.
Most Anticipated in 2020
Jan 24 - The Gentleman
Feb 7 - Birds of Prey
Mar 6 - Onward
Mar 27 - Mulan
Apr 8 - No Time To Die
May 1 - Black Widow
Jun 5 - Wonder Woman 1984
Jun 26 - Top Gun: Maverick
Jul 3 - Free Guy
Jul 17 - Tenet
Aug 21 - Bill & Ted Face the Music
Sept 18 - The King’s Man
Oct 2 - Venom 2
Nov 6 - The Eternals
Dec 18 - Dune
Dec 18 - Uncharted