Water Bottle's Top 25 Movies of the Year and Other Awards (2019)

[Water Bottle]

After only seeing 65 movies (down from 70 last year), I am ready to announce my top 25 of the year fro 2019.

 

I will also do the following pop culture honors:

Best TV Drama

Best TV Comedy

Best Computer Game

Best Xbox One Game

Best Nintendo Switch Game

Best PS4 Game

Honorable Mentions

Worst Movies

Most Anticipated 2019 Blockbuster

 

Will your favorite movies make it on my list? Who knows!?

[Water Bottle]

Honorable Mentions

These are four films that barely missed the Top 25.

 

Downton Abbey

 

Ready or Not

 

The Two Popes

 

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

[kitik]

Ready or Not was pretty fun.

[Water Bottle]

Best PS4 Game

 

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

 

The best media Star Wars released all year last year was not in television or movies but in video game form. While it could have used more polish, especially in the art department, and a bit more testing, it's still a great game. I haven't beaten yet 'cause it's a bit too difficult for me  even on the easier difficulty modes and I don't like that there's NO fast travel BUT the story is captivating, the characters are interesting, and it mostly plays well. This was the game to get for the PS4 this year and there's no real doubt about that.

 

(Honorable Mention: Control)

 

(Next up: Most Anticipated 2020 Blockbuster)

[Water Bottle]

Most Anticipated 2020 Blockbuster

 

Tenet

 

No duh a Christopher Nolan film is the most anticipated blockbuster of the year. Dude is great: even his weaker fare tends to be better than most directors. Time travel? Count me in! The teaser looks action-packed and this looks more like the return to traditional blockbusters like Inception/The Dark Knight than Dunkirk or Interstellar were. 

 

(Last year's pick: Detective Pikachu did not make the top 25 nor did it make the worst films. Disappointing movie but not entirely bad despite what @Plain Old Tele might think)

[Water Bottle]

The Worst 5 Movies of the Year

 

5) 

Miss Bala

 

Miss Bala isn't actually that bad. It's simply...uninspired. The action scenes were lifeless and the plot was generic and dull. It's not a very fun movie to sit through...but it isn't actively terrible. I left the theater feeling more hyped that I saw one of my cousins products in the movie than the movie itself. Miss Bala simply could have been better. It could have had more life. Gina Rodriquez does an okay job as the lead and I love her in Jane the Virgin but this movie didn't sell me on her as a leading action movie star. Another movie might though!

 

4) 

Dark Phoenix

 

It's a good thing this movie doesn't have X-Men or "X" (outside of the x in phoenix) in it's title so we can all pretend it's fan fiction film and not the send-off to the Fox X-men series. Because if it is the final movie, yikes. It never feels like a proper X-men movie, the actors all seem checked out of the film (even Fassbender delivers a weak performance), and it feels cheap. Worse: the plot is atrocious. X2 and The Last Stand both did the main arc of this movie better. 

 

#3)

Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw

 

The good news for Dark Phoenix? It wasn't the most incompetent blockbuster last year. Somehow Hobbs & Shaw found a way to be worse. It's a lot of two men screaming stupid stuff at each other while fighting the most ridiculously dumb action set pieces. Look, I know Fast & Furious are now over-the-top movies. But come on? Did we need enhanced individuals in the series? No, not at all. It's also poorly edited: during the final fight scene for instance it just goes from night to day  (or was it vice-versa) pretty quickly rather without seeing the sun rise (or set). This is a bad movie and one we hope never gets referenced ever again a la Tokyo Drift.

 

#2) 

Murder Mystery

 

Honestly, it's kinda my fault for watching this. This movie shouldn't be on here. I should have known there's no way Adam Sandler is going to deliver a good comedy in this era. But man, I did not expect such a joyless movie here. I know a lot of people say Adam Sandler just does paid vacations for himself with these movies. Was the crew and director also a part of this vacation? Seriously, avoid this movie unless you want something in the background you can ignore since there is nothing compelling in this movie.

 

#1)

Under the Silver Lake

 

(Yes it came out in Cannes in 2018 but in the US it released in 2019 and I'm in the US so...)

 

This came highly recommended from the telegram chat. I should never listen to them again after this movie: boring, nonsensical, strange for the sake of being strange, I hated every single frame of this movie. I wanted it to be over about thirty minutes in but I stuck with it and man do I regret that. I honestly don't understand what they liked about this movie. It doesn't even have interesting or rootable characters. Just general misery from the main character due to this own bullshit. Bah. 

 

Anyways here's the special Tommy Wiseau award: three years in a row! 

 

It is...

 

Climax

 

Bad. Terrible. Seriously the movie is wack. It's basic plot is there's some interviews to introduce us to the characters, there's dancing, then they party and bad shit happens to them. Only there's so many characters it's hard to care about any of them. It seems like the director/writer just spent time trying to figure out ways to shock us without actually trying to come up with a good, compelling movie. And it shows. I will say some of the camera angles did make me nauseous but I was coming off a kidney stone which probably impacted my ability to not get nauseous by those angles. Anyways, this movie is a mess and it's vestiges of a plot is incompetently pieced together.

 

Next up is Best Nintendo Switch game. Last year it was a Pokemon game...will Pokemon win again? 

[Water Bottle]

Best Nintendo Switch Game

 

Pokemon Sword and Shield

 

Of course, it was Pokemon. It was always going to be Pokemon. It's true that neither game was perfect and it sucks not all Pokemon are in it BUT it's still a great addition to the franchise. The wild zone areas needed a bit more fleshing out but they are still a lot of enjoyment. Seeing wild Pokemon out in the wild but also having some of them be in the grass waiting as random encounters? Brilliant! The return to gyms was also nice and even though there's an exp share, it seemed like the difficulty wasn't too easy this time around. Overall, a successful first jump from handheld to console for a mainline Pokemon series game.

 

The list begins tomorrow.

[Water Bottle]

#25

Knives Out

 

This is a pretty good movie. It's not as good as some think it is but I did leave the theater wishing I had somehow gotten to know and understand most of the characters in this movie: I think that's a win. While I'm not clamoring for a sequel, this did create its own little interesting world that was at the same time pretty relevant. The "twist" in the movie is okay but it's not as revolutionary as the marketing let you think. (Side note: can't wait for the final Craig Bond movie).

 

#24

Little Women

 

For a movie that's been made before many times (and the kind of story it tells is not so different from almost any story from that era), this one was still pretty delightful despite lacking any real surprises. The actresses do a good job as well. The only thing is I have seen this movie before. And as good as it is, it doesn't really stand out to me in a way that say like the Favourite stood out. I blame my mom since she only wants to see period pieces for the costumes and sets so for me not liking this as much as some people.

[Water Bottle]

Best Xbox One Game

 

The Other Worlds

 

This was a hard choice since once again I mostly played Madden or old Final Fantasy games on my Xbox. But I did play some Outer Worlds and that game is pretty great. Interesting little galaxy, lots of character customization, a wonderful sense of humor, and choices matter all make for a good solid RPG. Obsidian is one of my favorite developers for a reason and while their games might not always be perfect there's always a charm to them that endears me. If you haven't tried it, I recommend playing it. It's free on Xbox Game Pass I believe.

[Water Bottle]

#23

Captain Marvel

 

Okay this movie probably wouldn't be on here if I rewatched it. I really liked it when I first saw it but I was coming off from a kidney stone and I think I would have frankly enjoyed any movie. I'm not saying it's bad either but probably that my grade when I first gave it is suspect...but it's good enough to put it on this list! I like Brie Larson a lot, it was cool to see Coulson on the big screen again (AGENTS OF SHIELD REPRESENT!), and I appreciated it's little Star Trek-like plot twist.

 

#22

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

 

Yes the editing is bad. The pacing is bad. It doesn't let any moment land. And yes Colin Treverrow's version actually sounds better. BUT it is LOADS of fun, it's still a freakin' Star Wars movie, and it's pure unbridled energy also means it's never boring. I don't agree with a lot of the creative decisions they took (like just bringing back Palpatine) but I get it and during the movie, I honestly didn't mind it as much as I thought I would. I wish Abrams had another year to work on this 'cause I think with more development they could have had better pacing (a la Force Awakens which is one of the best blockbusters from the last decade). 

[Water Bottle]

Best Computer Game

 

Imperator Rome

 

This was a tough one since for most of the year I've been playing the Pillars of Eternity series. Oh wait, Paradox released another solid entry into it's grand strategy lineup? In ROME? A proper game? Yeah, I haven't played this as much as I have wanted to but that's the mark of a good game, no? One you want to keep playing more? So yeah. I'd say Rome wins. (If I had played Disco Elyisum which I really wanted, likely would have won).

[Water Bottle]

#21

Child's Play

 

This was one of the most fun experiences I had in theaters. I don't know, I've always been a sucker for this franchise, but seeing this latest version just brought a smile to my face. I liked most of the kills, the sense of humor is great (especially when the kid gets a "present" from Chucky he must deal with), and the acting is all top-notch even from the kids. The third act was maybe too ambitious for their budget: it definitely feels toned down from what they probably had in mind. When I left the theater, two people who sat near me who also enjoyed the movie looked at me and they could tell I really liked it. Apparently it's not for everyone but man...what a killer reboot nonetheless.

 

#20

Brittany Runs a Marathon

 

Yeah, this is a small indie comedy that I think was overlooked. I think this is a pretty good one though. There were funny bits but most of all I really connected with the character. I really wanted her to run the marathon by the end of the movie and isn't that what movies are supposed to do: get you invested? That she gets so many obstacles and works so hard...look the movie just works. In a just world, this movie breaks out and Jillian Bell has a real chance at becoming a big star from this movie.

[Water Bottle]

Best TV Comedy

The Good Place

 

No duh. This was no doubt the best comedy. It had a strong finish, was always entertaining, all while exploring philosophy. It had a serialized story that was pretty compelling from the first episode of the series and this final season would often zig when you thought it was going to zag. Seriously, utterly brilliant work and just goes to show that Michael Schur is the master of TV comedies. Seriously, The Office, Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine...Anyways if you haven't seen this show, watch it. The seasons aren't too long and it's a great time.

[Water Bottle]

#19

Queen & Slim

 

This is a pretty good movie for the most part. The one thing that I don't really tend to like is when movies get to poetic for their own good. Like when the movie is a crime thriller it can be pretty intense and entertaining. You feel that these two are connected and even in love. But I also don't need monologues meant to be deep that slow down the movie a lot and don't add as much as the filmmakers seem to think. Still, it's very well-made and one worth seeing despite it's predictable end.

 

#18

Rocketman

 

The story of Elton John is a pretty good one filled with hardship and difficulty but also triumphs. There's some fantasy to some of the musical sequences and it's pretty entertaining movie. The music is also obviously killer. There's some good performances by the cast as well. At the end, though, it's also not a movie you MUST watch from last year unless you are a big Elton John fan. Which I am which might explain why I liked this movie a lot. 

[Water Bottle]

Best TV Drama

Lost in Space

 

I love science fiction and I love programs where it's all about problem solving life-and-death situations. When often the solutions only create more problems? It's loads of fun. It helps that the characters tend to be really well-defined so you tend to be very invested in what's going on. The first season was fun and great and the second season was just as good. It also looks really good. Like it easily puts The Mandalorian to shame. I'm sure not enough of you have seen it which is why I'm recommending it above all other shows.

[Water Bottle]

#17

Us

 

Jordan Peele is very good. His horror movies seem fresh, have a great sense of humor, and they are very entertaining. Us might be a bit too clumsy with it's mythology, and it doesn't make a lick of sense, but this fear of being replaced that was in Get Out reappears in Us. While I think there were a couple shots that could have been executed better, it's mostly shot very well. The cast does a good job. Us might not have been the homerun than Get Out was but it was still a triple that leaves me excited for Peele's next movie.

 

#16

The Kid Who Would be King

 

Yes it's a kids movie but it's a kids movie that is reminiscent of the first Harry Potter movie. While it's not going to "scare" any adult, I could see a nine-year old being scared the same way Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, or any other adventure movie from the 2000s was "scary". It's still fun for us adults and it's a kind of family adventure we don't get anymore in these days of superheroes. It does have it's flaws: the movie's basic grunt enemies become too repetitive as the movie goes along. 

[Water Bottle]

#15

Ad Astra

 

I saw this with @Plain Old Tele. He didn't like it and I kinda get it. It's not the most fun movie and a lot of times the action set pieces are too short or don't have good science behind it. But man, as a personal story about a man and his father? I dug it. Brad Pitt is great too! Some people might say it's a science fiction film made by people who don't really like science fiction but really I see it more as a personal journey with science fiction veneer. Overall, I liked it!

 

#14

John Wick 3: Parabellum

 

The John Wick movies remain the current kings of action scenes. It has a weird mythology to that this movie manages to expand on. It does have it's flaws (what movie doesn't) but it does set up a sequel that I wanted to watch which is good. Keanu Reeves just seems like the man and his career renaissance is a good thing. Oh, and by the way, I'm also happy these movies have grown box office wise. Just goes to show it is possible to launch original IPs!

 

#13

Ford vs Ferrari

 

Ah, yes, the Academy Award nominated movie that if it had won nobody would have been mad but nobody was rooting for. At least it seemed that way online. James Mangold is a great director, the racing scenes are fun and dynamic, and the story between these two partners is an interesting and compelling one. I learned quite a bit about the subjects thanks to this. Plus it gave Fox a solid hit to kinda end on. Yeah, sad, I know but there's worse ways to go. 

 

#12

The Farewell

 

I may not be Chinese. But I am the son of immigrant who has sorta grown up in two worlds: Mexican and more traditional American cultures. So when characters would ask the protagonist which country she liked better or be nice and compliment their language skill, I felt that. I got that. I may not have been able to relate with the more specific parts of Chinese culture. But look, at this point, I've had to say goodbye to multiple family members who had gotten up there in years and some of them who were sick for a long time. It sucks to say farewell and I think that means no matter where you are from, this movie is universal. 

 

#11

Crawl

 

Look, I'm not saying that I'm never visiting Florida because of this movie. But I'm certainly not going to plan to visit Florida because of this movie. Apparently crocodiles will leave you alone and people swim in lakes safely that they live in. Yeah, sorry, I'm supposed to be cool swimming near a creature with that many teeth that can easily chomp off body parts? Anyways, I love good movies in confined spaces and this was one of them for a long time. 

 

#10

Hotel Mumbai

 

You think you are desensitized to violence thanks to mass media? I don't know. I thought I was. Then I saw this movie. And knowing this was based on a real story made the re-enacted violence just seem so...disturbing. It simply doesn't pull any punches, gets you to care about some of the characters, and it doesn't give you any real movie heroism. There's moments where it sets up such moments only for them to end the way they would in real life: death. Hotel Mumbai is very well executed. I don't blame you if you don't want to see this movie though.

[Plain Old Tele]

....wait what?

[Water Bottle]

34 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

....wait what?

 

Yes, John Wick made my top 25. 

[Plain Old Tele]

11 hours ago, Water Bottle said:

 

Yes, John Wick made my top 25. 

I’m disturbed by some of the other entries. 🤔