Top 5 Movies of 2018

2018 was a very interesting year for film to say the least. I'm a so-called "Normie" when it comes to films, and the mainstreams film this year were good, but they weren't great either; They were Bs and B-s, not within the A range. Heck, I didn't even give my highest grade this year; An A+. I gave a couple A and A-'s, but no A+'s. There was also no definitive movie of the year this year; In 2014, there was Whiplash, in 2015, there was Mad Max: Fury Road, in 2016, there was Arrival, and in 2017 there was War For the Planet of the Apes. This year though, it was between two movies that I thought were great. So yeah, this was a weird year, but let's dive into the best of it. However, before we get into the Top 5, I have an honorable mention.

Honorable Mention: Incredibles 2

Overall, I was very satisfied with Incredibles 2. It was a sequel that expanded on the original well and remained entertaining, even if it wasn't as good as the first. The reason why this is not on the list is because there are other movies that didn't have the expectations of that first movie being so good (Its predecessor is one of my top 5 favorite movies). I had high expectations for many of these, but I had those more so for this film because of that first one. Still, this comes highly recommended because it works as a superhero movie and as a comedy. It's well-made, it looks great, and its one of the best superhero movies of the past couple of years.

Now, unto the start of the list, starting with the "dark horse" entry; Every year, I have one or two entries that I did not expect would make the list because they weren't on my radar for the majority of the year. Most of these I was anticipated or at least intrigued by, but this was the only exception. 

5. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Released on Netflix in November, I decided to watch The Ballad of Buster Scruggs one day when I was completely alone, and I was engrossed in every story. While this is six different short stories combined into one feature film, this worked extremely well. Each story felt unique from the rest but each worked, the acting in all of them is top-notch, and it's wildly enjoyable. My favorite stories were the first one (The title story), a musical comedy, the third one, a drama, and the fifth one, a romantic story which I surprisingly loved and it might have been my favorite of the bunch. My only problem with this film is that some of the stories don't feel fleshed out enough, particularly the last one, which had potential, but feel short due to a short running time. Still though, this is an effective western anthology series that can be funny, adventurous, emotional, and intense, sometimes in the same story. The screenplay is my favorite of the year, filled with great dialogue that the actors bring to life perfectly. If you have Netflix, absolutely give this a watch.

Now, this next entry is the recent one I've seen, and one I was skeptical on. The trailers did nothing for me, but this film did a lot for this particular character, and I absolutely believe the hype. In many ways, this is the best Spider-Man movie.

4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the most inventive comic book film of 2018, and if this was someone's favorite superhero movie, I could see why. Miles Morales is a great character and the perfect lead for this movie. He's relatable, the writing for him is great, and the rest of the cast is great too. The take of Peter Parker here is very different, but for all the right reasons. He acts as a mentor for Morales, and the dynamic between them is both funny and emotional. All the other characters are great as well, but I won't go into them here. If you've seen the movie, you know, or if you haven't, watch it while its still in theaters. The story is also simple, but supremely effective. In many ways, it is predictable, but every step works in creating an immersive experience. The animation is some of the best I've ever seen. It takes a minute to get used to, as it is different, but it looks incredible. This might be the best looking mainstream animated movie has looked this decade; I'm 100% serious. It blends comic book style, 3-D animation, and even 2-D animation to create a mind-blowing look and feel.  The only reason this isn't higher is because I feel I need to see it again and I prefer a few other movies over this. Personal preference, really. Absolutely check this out while its still in theaters. It's one of the best theatrical experiences of 2018.

Now, this next film is part of a franchise that needed a revival. Like, really badly. These movies have been on a downward spiral for about a decade now, and this film revived it. Thank God.

3. Bumblebee

I raved about this movie plenty in my original review, but screw it, I'll continue. Bumblebee is the best Transformers movie by a landslide because it has heart. The relationship between the title character and Charlie is so heartwarming and real it was almost Spielberg-esque, which makes since because he came up with the main idea for this movie. Still, it doesn't quite feel like a Spielberg movie because of its Transformers elements. This was a necessary smaller-scale route for this franchise, which has had a bad case of the bloat for a while now. Here, we have a shorter, more effective movie that focuses on heart rather than spectacle. While this does have a couple of really good action sequences, that doesn't make it great. This film knows what it needs to do and does an amazing job at making such a simple story effective. Great job, Travis Knight. If Marvel chooses you to take on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (It's been rumored), it's in good hands. Or if you make another Transformers movie, I know it will have a great touch. More than meets the eye, indeed.

Okay, these are the two I had a hard time putting in order. Who knows, by the time this is up, I may have changed my mind. Still, my number two pick is an amazing action movie that deserves all the praise it's getting. Just mind blowing. 

2. Mission Impossible - Fallout

Okay homeboy, you want a great action movie? Look no further; This is the action movie of 2018. No other action movie matters. This has some of the best action sequences I've ever seen in a movie, and it never stops throughout its 2:30 runtime, which feels more like an hour. The plot is similar to the franchises previous installments, but it works in creating an incredibly effective action movie, and the action scenes themselves, like previously said, are AMAZING. The car chases, the hand-to-hand fights, and Tom Cruise hanging off of stuff is all so great and thrilling. It isn't the most "intellectual" movie ever made, but when an action movie is this good, it doesn't need to be. My favorite action movie of all time is Mad Max: Fury Road, but even with that one the plot is effectively simple. This film has a few twists, but they're not too unexpected for the most part and they're made up for by the sheer scope and intensity of the film. Mission Impossible - Fallout is one of the best action movies of the decade and an easy recommendation.

Okay, here's number one. When it came between deciding between this one and Fallout, there was one main factor; What impact did the film leave on me? When I thought about it more and more, my number one choice became more obvious. And so it was. My pick for number one movie of 2018 is...

1. Avengers: Infinity War

Welp, this is the most normie pick ever. The highest grossing film of the year is also my favorite. There is a reason I love this film enough to put it at number one because it lived up to years of hype. It was a perfectly balanced culmination of years of movies that worked as an individual story and as part of another Avengers movie. The Russo Brothers made many hard choices that must have required strong wills and made a relentlessly funny, action packed, and character driven story with the villain at the center. Thanos is the best villain to any of these movies to date because he was given so much story in this film, and I can't wait to see more of him. Reality can be disappointing, but reality lived up to the hype and delivered a film that wasn't perfect, but incredibly satisfying. I'm having a hard time coming up with anything else to say, because everything that has been said has been said. I don't know, Thanos memes are pretty funny? Anyway, Infinity War is probably my movie of the year. No guarantees. 

So, that's my list. What was your favorite film of the year? Whatever it is, I hope you had a great 2018 and here's to an even better 2019! Thanks for reading! Bye.

Music/Movies of 2019

Since the new year has arrived, I'd thought I would give a summary of the films and album's I'm looking forward to in 2019. I may miss a thing or two, but that's fine; This is a big list (Also, this is in no particular order; This is off the top of my head). Anyway, let's jump right in, starting with movies.

Star Wars: Episode IX

For anyone who knows me, this is a no brainer. Star Wars is my franchise, and I'm always excited to see where the series is going. After the divisive The Last Jedi, the fandom is a wreck right now, but looking past that and also recognizing that I think The Last Jedi is the best Star Wars since Empire Strikes Back, I'm very excited for this. My only concern is with J.J. Abrams back on board to direct, this could come off as too similar. I let it slide because it was a franchise reintroduction, but here, I want something more original. However, I'm sure this will be a crowd-pleaser even if it is a rehash, and confident this will bring more of the fanbase together.

Avengers: Endgame

Here's another obvious one; I even did an in-depth analysis of many of the things I think will happen in the film, and that's not even everything. After the fantastic Infinity War, a strong contender for my movie of the year, I'm sure this will be a great film to witness to in theater, as well as a film with much emotional heft. I really don't have any concerns with this movie, except for how they end it. Judging from statements said, this is the "endgame" for many of these characters, and I don't know they'll pull it off. That being said, I'm sure they'll do a great job. The Russo Brothers have delivered some of the MCU's greatest films (Infinity War and Captain America: The Winter Soldier in particular), so I think this will be great.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

Oh, boy. This is one I'm nervous about. The original Lego Movie is my favorite animated movie of the 2010s so far, so it's gonna be hard to follow up. What gives me hope is that the original writers, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, wrote the script for this one, and their script for the last one was both hilarious and heartwarming. However, what really makes me nervous is one thing, and it's arguably the most important thing; The director. Lord and Miller are not directing this one; The director of this one is Mike Mitchell, director of Shrek Forever After, which I didn't hate but didn't like either, and Trolls, which I thought was terrible. So yeah, not a great choice. However, maybe the script will shine through and deliver a good film.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

I love a good monster movie, and this looks like it's shaping up to be one. The trailers look really fun and action-packed, the visuals look great, and I also liked the first one more than most people (It's a film that's grown on me with time). This could end up being dumb, but I have confidence this will top the first one. Here's hoping this is among the best blockbusters of 2019.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

This one will probably get me emotional. I love the first two films almost equally and they remain two of the finest animated films of the last 15 years, and this one has potential to join them. The trailers have given me chills and, while the story seems fairly similar to the second one, this could turn out to be something special if they play it out right. 

Glass

I admittedly have not seen Unbreakable, but I saw Split and dug it quite a bit, and this is shaping up to be something special. The trailers have looked really solid so far, and M. Night Shyamalan seems to be getting his footing back after making disaster after disaster in the mid to late 2000s. Not much else to say other than I hope Shyamalan's footing remains solid. Consider me hyped.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Coming out just two months after Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home will be a guaranteed box office success after the success of its predecessor. Tom Holland is my favorite Spider-Man, and he will for sure bring the youthful essence that he brought in Homecoming. The cast looks solid, and if they play this right, this could end up being one of the best Marvel movies. Mysterio will be the villain, and he could be a different threat judging from his powers in the comics, and Jake Gyllenhaal's playing him, and he's a fantastic actor (Watch Prisoners for proof). So yeah, a lot of hype for this one.

So, those are the main movies. There are other films I'm looking forward to as well, but they didn't make the cut. If you those cuts, a few are Captain Marvel, Shazam!, Joker, and Chaos Walking. I won't go into depth on them, but I'm too nervous about them to put them on the main list.

Anyway, here are the big music releases I'm looking to next year (That have been announced thus far). There are only a few, and a couple of these may be speculation, but here we go (Also, the first two are my top two anticipated of the year. The next few... Not so much).

New Tool

This has been a meme for years now, but yeah, there's almost a guarantee Tool will actually be releasing a new album at some point next year, after 2006's excellent 10,000 Days. Maynard James Keenan has said that himself. This gets me excited, because Tool are one of my favorite bands of all time. Even when they're at their worst, they're still really good, and when they're at their best, their music is mind-blowing. The musicianship is top-notch, its style-transcending and unique, and fascinating. What gives me absolute confidence in this project is the new album from Maynard James Keenan's other band, A Perfect Circle, released a new album that was my favorite of 2018, and his lyrics and vocals were still strong. Maybe not as strong as in the 90s and early 2000s, but still impressive nonetheless. Also, if they've been working on this project for so long, it could be something special. Anyway, I'm fanboying out about this project for a while now. It's constantly switches for number one for my most anticipated album of next year with one of Tool's contemporaries...

New Deftones

Deftones are, like Tool, one of the most unique and creative bands in all of rock and metal. They've crafted a sound that can only be described as Deftones, and they've remained remarkably consistent throughout their whole career. From the heavy and vicious early records Adrenaline and Around the Fur to the more melodic albums like White Pony (One of my all-time favorite albums) and Koi No Yokan, they've got plenty of great records in their discography. Even after coming off of the divisive Gore, which I really liked despite the bad production, the fans are hyped about this. It has been promised to be their heaviest record in a while, and, while I do ultimately prefer their more melodic style, this gets me excited because they've had aggressive moments recently, but they haven't given a full-on aggressive album in a long time. So yeah, another one of my favorite bands releasing a new album. Consider me hyped.

Billie Eilishs' debut album

Billie Eilish has proven herself one of the best upcoming artists in pop music with consistently great singles. If you read my best songs of 2018 list, you know the song when the party's over ranked in on that list. It really shows what she's best at; Singing smoothly over minimalist production. It reminds me of Pure Heroine-era Lorde, but she stands on her own pretty well. So yeah, the singles have been great and with the album basically confirmed for 2019, I'm excited to see what she has to offer for the modern pop scene. 

Weezer - The Black Album 

Ah, Weezer. One of the most inconsistent bands in existence, every new album or even single they release gets people nervous about their future. Will the album be good?, Is this single the worst on album?, and Are Weezer even a good band? are all questions brought up by this album's pre-release singles. I actually quite like these singles, even if they aren't the best songs Weezer has ever done (Can't Knock the Hustle just barely made the top 20 songs of 2018 list). This has the potential to be something their last album, Pacific Daydream, wasn't; A good pop album. Pacific Daydream is one of Weezer's worst releases to date, but these singles seem to be improving on that album in every way; The songs are more fun, the production's better, and they actually work as pop songs. Sure, this album definitely won't be as good as Pinkerton or The Blue Album, and it might actually be a disaster, but it's got potential to be a fun ride. I'm interested.

New Slipknot

I'm not the biggest Slipknot fan in the world, but I'm always up for good metal music, and their latest single, All Out Life, was one of my favorite metal songs of 2018. A new album is schueled to be released later in the year, and if this single is any indication, this should be a fun ride. All Out Life was pretty standard for Slipknot, but it was a good standard Slipknot track; The guitar riff is strong and heavy, Corey Taylor's vocals are great, and it's really fun to listen to. Give me more like that on this new record and I'll be satisfied. 

Kanye West - Yandhi

I typically wouldn't be excited for a rap project like this, but this has my utmost attention. Kanye released a collaboration album with Kid Cudi in 2018 called Kids See Ghosts, and it was one of three albums to receive an A+ from me that year. Add to that the fact that this album has been pushed back twice now fascinates me. It was originally supposed to be released in September, but then it was pushed back to November, then Kanye himself said he needed more time to work on it, and pushed it back to an unspecified date. What that extra work is I have no idea, but it has me intrigued. Let's see what happens.

Badflower - OK, I'M SICK

I don't like that album cover. That being said, I'm looking forward to this debut album by Badflower. Their single Ghost is one of the best alternative rock songs of 2018, and their EP Temper from 2016 was really solid, so they've got potential to be one of mainstream rock's leading acts. I don't have many concerns about this album other than the usual debut problems, such as will they have a defined sound and will the songwriting be consistently good. They've already shown that, however, so I'm not overly concerned about it. But if it's as bad as the album cover suggests it is, this is gonna be rough.

Okay, so that's basically everything. An honorable mention goes to Skillet, who should be releasing an album at some point in the summer this year, but I didn't like Unleashed that much, so I'm worried about it, which is why it didn't make this list. I'll still listen to it, but I'm not overly excited for a new Skillet album at this point. 

So those are the main things I'm looking forward to in 2019. I hope you enjoyed reading this and I gave you good suggestions for both movies and music this year. Thanks for reading! Bye.