What Would Tom Holmes Do?: 2019: Movies; a Year in Review

It's that time of year again, only this time I'm posting to this blog rather than my film blog, which I have decided to end, thus re-merging back into this horrible blog that I also barely touch.

However!

If I am able to, mentally, I will be back here regularly with film reviews and regular life updates as I am now in a state where I don't have crippling writer's block.

Let's get into the nitty gritty of this here post. The real reason anyone is here, movie talk. This year, 2019 that is, I saw 84 movies (listed below). I did skip a lot that didn't interest me, which admittedly does make bottom 10 lists a tiny bit difficult. But I did see enough "bad" movies to excuse a bottom 10. Anywho, here are the movies:

Escape Room • Glass • Velvet Buzzsaw • The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part • Cold Pursuit • Happy Death Day 2U • Alita: Battle Angel • How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World • Fighting with My Family • Triple Frontier • Captain Marvel • The Kid • The Aftermath • Us • Dragged Across Concrete • Shazam! • Pet Sematary • High Life • The Silence • Hellboy • Avengers: Endgame • Long Shot • Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile • Pokémon Detective Pikachu • Tolkien • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum • Aladdin • Brightburn • Booksmart • Always Be My Maybe • Parasite • Godzilla: King of the Monsters • Rocketman • Dark Phoenix • The Last Black Man in San Francisco • Men in Black: International • The Dead Don't Die • Murder Mystery • Toy Story 4 • Child's Play • Spider-Man: Far From Home • Midsommar • Stuber • Crawl • The Farewell • The Lion King • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood • Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw • The Peanut Butter Falcon • Good Boys • Ready or Not • Brittany Runs a Marathon • It Chapter Two • Hustlers • Ad Astra • Rambo: Last Blood • Joker • Dolemite Is My Name • The King • El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie • Zombieland: Double Tap • Jojo Rabbit • The Lighthouse • Terminator: Dark Fate • The Irishman • Marriage Story • Doctor Sleep • Honey Boy • Ford v Ferrari • Charlie's Angels • The Report • Waves • Frozen II • A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood • Dark Waters • Knives Out • Jumanji: The Next Level • 6 Underground • Uncut Gems • Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker • Little Women • 1917 • Cats • Just Mercy

Now that that mess is out of the way I very briefly want to talk about the years slate in general. There was a lot of good to great this year. there was also a lot of nothing movies out there. Nearly half of what I watched were just average, which admittedly is average, but when you're making a list of movies you saw, and you honestly forgot that nearly 30 movies even happened that is a little disconcerting.

It's easy to remember the good and the bad, but the run of the mill, middle of the road stuff just kind of, sits there collecting dust in the back of your mind until you go to a Wikipedia page to look up all the movies that came out this year.

That being said, There were a lot of stand outs on both ends of the quality spectrum. Before I get into what I considered to be worst movies of the year, there are two notable high profile movies, that while they did not make my bottom 10 (though *spoilers* they are both honorable mentions) I feel the need to bring them up and explain myself. Only to reduce whatever minor backlash I get, if any, because I'm some nobody who writes a new blog post once every year and a half.

Now, Let me be clear. I did NOT hate Joker. However, I do feel as though this movies accolades, aside from anything relating to Joaquin Phoenix's performance (the only good thing about this movie), are completely undeserved. A lot of what Joker tries to do, is similar to what Scorsese did in a few notable films of his, those being The King of Comedy and to a lesser extent Taxi Driver. Others have already gone into detail of the similarities, and me droning on about them won't do much good. My issue here is I've seen everything this film tries to offer done better, way better.

The other main issue I have with this film is the way it handles Fleck's (Phoenix) mental Illness. It's used for sympathy initially. He's beaten down constantly until he turns the table on those that beat him down, then we're just watching a mentally unstable individual kill people for no reason other than he's mentally unstable. Because of this there is no motive behind his actions. He acts on impulse because his illness demands it until he suddenly doesn't act impulsively and starts planning his actions. There's no real consistency in the portrayal of Fleck's illness other than it's use of PBA to explain his laughter, which admittedly is brilliant, though inconsistent with the comic character (which this movie was not trying to adapt).

My issues here, are quite more severe than they were with Joker. Again I have to state up front that I didn't hate this movie, however I did not like it either. It without a doubt is the worst of the sequel trilogy. This is an absolute mess of a movie. Essentially consisting of enough plot to fit two or even three films is the main reason for my distaste of it. It, nearly, completely retcons The Last Jedi one of the better and more interesting movies in the entirety of Star Wars (anyone who says otherwise can fight me). Ignoring all character developments, and even some plot points (*cough* Anakin's lightsaber *cough*) Johnson made in VIII, seemingly in order to make up for the backlash that film had with a very vocal minority of "fans."

I'm not sure who is to blame for the decision made here to cram everything done in this movie into one movie. Likely Disney or LucasFilm, or most likely a combination of the two. I don't for a second think, Abrams is to blame here. Especially considering the films original director Colin Trevorrow was taken off the project over "creative differences." His original script, which leaked (and had a much better title: Dual of the Fates) would have been in my opinion a far superior film as it was a continuation of the two previous films in the trilogy. Rather than what we got, a movie trying to do two things at once. Take back most of what The Last Jedi did and wrap up the franchise in a passable non obstructive manner.

The largest issue I had with the film was it's inability to take any risks. There are a few instances. But to keep this as brief as possible I'll mention the main one I have a problem with, Chewbacca's apparent death. Early in the film, Chewbacca is seemingly killed,admittedly in a manner that would have been weird if he had actually been killed this way. Only for mere minutes later have him reappear alive and well. This took me out of the film completely. All tension was removed, I no longer cared about the outcome of the movie because I knew at this moment it would not be interesting in any manner.

Now onward to the real reason people are here the lists. Rest assured blurbs on why movies are ranked where they are will not be as lengthy as the two films above. Starting with the bottom of the barrel. here are those (dis)honorable mentions followed immediately by rank 10:

Joker • The Lion King • Men in Black: International • Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker • Velvet Buzzsaw

~ten~

My primary issues with Tolkien weren't that it was bad per se, more in that it was bland and boring. For some reason choosing to focus on the less interesting aspects of his life, while also making those less interesting aspects less interesting. The film also shamelessly removes a notable central figure from Tolkien's life in fellow writer C.S. Lewis, despite the two being close friends, even though it includes the other members of "The Inklings."

~nine~

Another movie that I found bland more than anything else. While the movie looked, good, in it's art design, that's all it has going for it. The action sequences were no better than those in any other action movie pumped out in the last twenty years. No performances stand out as anything above "phoning it in" either.

~eight~

While an entertaining watch I'll admit, there is absolutely nothing of substance here. I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting. But with the subtitle Last Blood, I figured it would take an approach closer to that of First Blood. This is the opposite.

~seven~

I feel like a bit of a broken record at this point. All action, no substance. Sue me, I want a bit more than mindless schlock. Fun to watch, just not a worth while experience.

~six~

The first one on the list that is simply bad. Derivative of better movies, such as A Quiet Place. There's not really anything that takes this movie to where it could have gone with the cast it had.

~five~

Perhaps my biggest disappointment of the year because I wanted this to be good, so badly. Just bring back Perlman and Del Toro at this point. That's the only Hellboy franchise that matters.

~four~

This movie is insulting. The script treats its audience like absolute morons. Aside from Shyamalon managed to somehow take the most interesting thing he's done in years and ruin it. Nicely done, man, I don't care about your work again.

~three~

I'm glad Fox can't make a third attempt at the Dark Phoenix saga cause they've proven, they just don't know what to do with it. I cannot understand why they even tried to do it again nor can I understand how they did it worse this go around.

~two~

It wouldn't be a proper bottom 10 without a Happy Madison production.

~one~

Bad for all the right reasons. Also, all the wrong one's too. Except the singing and dancing, those were good.

Okay, all the bad stuff is taken care of.

Now onto the good stuff, first the honorable many:

Avengers: Endgame • Dragged Across Concrete • Good Boys • High Life • Honey Boy • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum • Last Black Man in San Francisco • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood • Portrait of a Lady on Fire • Ready or Not • Spider-Man: Far From Home • Waves

~ten~

A worthy follow up to Aster's film from 2018, Hereditary. Visually stunning and telling. This film manages to tell two simultaneous stories while only telling one.

~nine~

Everything Bohemian Rhapsody wishes it could have been and then some. Rocketman is an absolute blast to watch from start to finish.

~eight~

Sandler got robbed of a best actor nomination. This movie is an absolute tour de force of his acting abilities which sadly he very rarely chooses to put on display.

~seven~

Another major notable Oscar snub, this time on two fronts: Best Picture and Lead Actress for Awkwafina. A powerful and emotional film about family and what family means.

~six~

The quintessential high school comedy. A master class in comedy film making from first time director Olivia Wilde. A joyous ride from start to finish.

~five~

The most fun movie of the year. Despite my being able to predict the culprit early on, the dialogue and atmosphere of the film kept me engrossed and loving every minute.

~four~

An emotional roller-coaster master work. Simultaneously hilarious and heartbreaking, comedic genius Taika Waititi directs this movie with absolute grace and class. The stakes are there and Waititi, as he should, pulls no punches.

~three~

The most striking visuals of any film this year. Robert Eggers' proves himself again in his follow up to The Witch. With masterful performances by Pattinson and Dafoe, The Lighthouse is a horrifying look at solitude and madness.

~two~

A gripping look at class differences and the conflicts that come between them. Bong Joon Ho's best film yet.

~one~

I don't recall the last time a movie made me feel so happy before. An absolutely wonderful film about companionship and following one's heart no matter what that may bring.

There you have it, the best movies of 2019 (to me).

Feel free to disagree, just know that I am right, and you are wrong. Now here are ten more movies just for fun; my most anticipated of 2020. I'm not gonna bother explaining why, I'm just going to drop them and run.

~ten~