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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Top 100 Movies: Part 3

Part three of my Top 100 Movies of All-Time is here!


At Number 80: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is an enduring tale of greed and gold and how it can turn friends against one another. Humphrey Bogart is at his best as the insane Fred Dobbs, which is my personal favorite performance from the great actor in one of his most underrated roles. There is an indescribably timeless quality about The Treasure of the Sierra Madre that makes it hold up after all these years film.

At Number 79: Goldfinger
While Goldfinger might not necessarily be a truly “great film,” it is a lot of fun and has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. Goldfinger is the quintessential Bond flick that introduced so many aspects of Bond that would be used for many years to come. Also, it is a great action movie that still holds up well today.
Goldfinger (3rd Bond Film) Review.

At Number 78: Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa
As a massive fan of both Fullmetal Alchemist series, and the franchise in general, Conqueror of Shamballa provided the satisfying conclusion to the dissatisfying ending the original series left us with. While the film may not be quite as thematically strong or as smart as the series, as a fan of the characters, having proper closure to their stories was more than enough to make me enjoy the film. However, the film's weakest aspect is also its strongest, because there is absolutely no way that you can watch the film without first watching the original Fullmetal Alchemist series, which you should probably do anyway, or reboot series, Brotherhood, which is even better.

At Number 77: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is the type of movie that will only appeal to a very select group of viewers. If you like classic video games, anime, comic books, and Edgar Wright, you will likely enjoy the film's unique style. If not, there is little for you to like, and I can completely understand why you may dislike or even hate the film. That being said, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is the closest thing I have seen to a live-action version of anime, even though it is not actually based off an anime or traditional manga. Sure, the plot can be illogical at times, but it is the movie's humor, references, and video game like feel and visual style that sets it apart from the rest.

At Number 76: Kara no Kyōkai: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6
Now this is going to require some explaining. Kara no Kyōkai (translated Boundary of Emptiness) is a 7 film series. However, all but movies 5 and 7, which you will see later on the list, are only about 45 minutes in length. Despite the high quality of each film, ranking such short films on the list individually would consume a large portion of the list therefore; movies 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are counted as one film on my list. As for the films themselves, they are freaking amazing! From Ufotable's stunning animation to the eerie atmosphere the films create, the Kara no Kyōkai series are true masterpieces of animation and dark fantasy.

At Number 75: Hot Fuzz
Another film from the genius mind of Edgar Wright, Hot Fuzz is a brilliant, and often hilarious, satire on buddy cop and action films in general. Somehow, the movie manages to tell an intriguing mystery plot that can be taken seriously, while, at the same time, making fun of the genre and its clichés.

Who knew that a movie based on a Disney world ride could be so much fun! But Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl definitely succeeded against all odds. Johnny Depp stole every scene as the always entertaining Captain Jack Sparrow. He even managed to plunder a nomination for Best Actor at the Oscars for his now iconic role. Even though Depp continues to play basically the same character in every movie, the Curse of the Black Pearl is unforgettably fun and entertaining. Not since The Adventures of Robin Hood has a film been packed with this much swashbuckling action adventure, savvy?

At Number 73: Wolf Children
As stated many a time, films that are more aimed at families do not appeal to me, yet thanks to Mamoru Hosoda's utter mastery of the animation medium, he is able to craft a film that appeals to all ages with Wolf Children. While the film may seem like a fantasy film on the outside, it much more a coming-of-age story combined with the importance of family. The animation is beautiful, and the story is involving, what more could you ask for?

At Number 72: The Godfather
Despite my expectations that The Godfather would be an overly hyped mess, it actually turned out to be one of the best crime films of all-time. While the film is not flawless, Marlon Brando's iconic performance and Francis Ford Coppola's direction more than makes The Godfather a classic of the medium. Considering that The Godfather is so highly regarded by critics, I recommend the movie anyone old enough that considers themselves a film enthusiast to watch the movie, even if one does not enjoy the experience.

At Number 71: Braveheart
Despite winning the Oscar for Best Picture, the general opinion of Braveheart is often mix: You either love or hate, obviously I love it. It is such an inspiring and manly film (not to say that women can't enjoy it), it makes you want to stand up against tyranny and fight for "FREEDOM!" And that speech, utterly bone chilling and epic, is probably the best movie speech ever made. Sure, it may have little resemblance with actual history, but it is a fantastic film and that is what matters in the end. "They can take our lives. But they can never take our Freedom!"

Please check back tomorrow for my review of The Godfather, and depending when I finally get to watch and review X-Men: Days of Future and How to Train Your Dragon 2, my review of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Hot Fuzz.will be coming either this week or the next.

If you want to contact us or have any questions please send an e-mail to johnstarslayer@gmail.com.

15 comments:

  1. On certain points I agree: I didn't like Scott Pilgrim but I never played video games, so your analysis is spot-on. An odd thing was that people kept telling me I looked like Jason Schwartzmann, and given I'm Hispanic I don't see the similarity (other than we're both short!).

    I liked Braveheart (even if wildly historically inaccurate), and Hot Fuzz is both great spoof and sincere homage. Goldfinger is one of my favorite Bond films (my 2nd best after From Russia w/Love) and Treasure of the Sierra Madre has one of Bogart's best performances.

    Congratulations on coming up with a great list so far.

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    1. Exactly! Scott Pilgrim knows its audience, which is not particularly big, and if you are not apart of it, there is not much in it for you.

      Right after watching Braveheart, I looked into the history of the story, and it barely resembles history. Did you know that the princess or whatever her name was around 5 when Wallace died, and many of the characters were not even bore yet, just to name a few inaccuracies, but it was an epic movie. Agreed about Hot Fuzz. Goldfinger was my favorite Bond flick for a long time, although Russia is not far behind. It also one of my favorites when I was a kid. And I agree about Bogart's performance in Sierra Madre.

      Thank you Rick.

      -James

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  2. Great additions to the list! :) I love The Curse of the Black Pearl and I agree, Captain Jack Sparrow is hilarious! XD I really want to see several of the movies on the list, since they sound really interesting! :)

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    1. Thanks! :D Of the movies in this part of the list, I think you would probably enjoy Scott Pilgrim for the wacky anime style, and The Godfather is a must watch since it is a classic. :) Also, Wolf Children is just generally great.

      -James

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  3. Yay Wolf Children! :D That is such an amazing movie. The animation alone could have made me cry, it was so beautiful. XD It's one of my favorite animated films right now.

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    1. I know what you mean! Along with that beautiful soundtrack, the animation is simply amazing.

      -James

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  4. Haven't seen Treasure, Goldfinger, Alchemist, Kara no Kyokai, or Wolf Children. :(

    I REALLY need to rewatch Scott Pilgrim; I think I would like it more than I did last time, now being more familiar with Wright. Also I like Michael Cera from Arrested Development...

    HOT FUZZ IS AMAZING. :P

    The Black Pearl is such a fun film! I really need to rewatch those movies sometime...

    The Godfather was pretty good! It didn't become one of my instant favorites or anything but it pretty much lived up to the hype in my opinion. :)

    I like to think I can enjoy a lot of guy films but Braveheart did border on 'mostly for guys-type film' for me. :P

    Looking forward to your reviews; they're going to be great! :D

    ~Jamie

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    1. You should give some of those a watch. :)

      Michael Cera is on Arrested Development? Cool!

      YES IT IS!

      Black Pearl is such a fun watch!

      Yep, agreed. :)

      I can completely see why you did not like Braveheart. Something about it does not suit your style of movies. :)

      Thanks!

      -James

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  5. I LOVE POTC: Curse of the Black Pearl! I've only seen Sierra Madre once, but I just picked up a copy dirt cheap and look forward to watching it again soon. I went through phases where I loved both The Godfather and Braveheart and watched them repeatedly, though now I'm less fond of them than formerly.

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    1. Hope you enjoy rewatching Sierra Madre. Bogart is superb in the film. At one point, Braveheart was more of a Top 40, but now it is down in the 70s now. Thanks for the comment!

      -James

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  6. Good picks but Braveherat would be in my top 40 for sure.

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    1. Thanks Steve. Braveheart was once in my Top 40, but it ended up a little lower this time around.

      -James

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  7. Thank you for sharing valuable information. Nice post. I enjoyed reading this post.

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    ReplyDelete

One rule: No strong profanity. If you want to link to one of your posts, please do; I am always interested in other reviews and such.

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