Sufjan Stevens Christmas (Music) Lists

Out of all the musicians that have put out Christmas-related music in the last few decades, Sufjan Stevens' collection of such tunes stands out as being one of the most unique offerings. Whether it's traditional hymns, brand new songs, standard folk, or alternative electronica, Sufjan Stevens created a wide variety of sounds in just 100 recorded songs...and yes, some of them are repeats of songs from earlier EPs.

To help you (and myself) sort through this potpourri of holiday music, I have assembled 10 lists. Each of these lists is a breakdown ranking of 5 songs for their respective category of song/ music style.

This is to give everyone a quick guide to specific kinds of songs that Sufjan Stevens created. This way, you and I will be able to quickly find the kind of songs we're looking for from Sufjan without shuffling past 10 non-related songs. At the very end, I will provide my overall opinion ranking of the songs featured on these 10 lists.


Top 5 New Takes on Classic Songs

1. Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
2. Joy to the World (Vol. 4)
3. Little Drummer Boy
4. Carol of St. Benjamin the Bearded One
5. Coventry Carol

Sometimes people think of "traditional" things with a sort of disparaging concept of things that are stuck in the past, meaning that they are automatically bad. Yet, Sufjan has found a way of taking traditional hymns or classic songs and reworking them in a way that is both respectful and beautiful. I like the simple guitar strums in Little Drummer Boy, the restructured familiarity of Joy to the World, and the phone message simplicity of Bring a Torch.

Top 5 Sufjan Originals

1. Lumberjack Christmas/ No One Can Save You From Christmases Past
2. Only at Christmas Time
3. Get Behind Me, Santa!
4. Sister Winter
5. Christmas Unicorn

Not all of the songs on Sufjan's Christmas EPs are traditional hymns and modern pop hits. Some were composed specifically by him to capture the current Christmas experience and feeling. The more emotional, folk song Sufjan style is found in Sister Winter and Only at Christmas Time. Then there's some fun songs like Get Behind Me, Santa! (I just love that re-worked reference) and Lumberjack Christmas. And of course, there's the enigma that is Christmas Unicorn.

Top 5 Banjo Songs

1. O Come O Come Emmanuel (Vol. 1)
2. I Saw Three Ships
3. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
4. Auld Lang Syne
5. Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming (Vol. 1)

I love me some banjo in my music. It's got a simple yet distinct acoustic sound. These five songs are dominated by that twangy sound. It's not even complex picking as far as I can tell. It's just simple rhythmic strumming that controls the pace, tone, and style of the song.

Top 5 Medieval Sounding Tunes

1. O Come O Come Emmanuel (Vol. 1)
2. Once in Royal David's City (Vol. 2)
3. Morning (Sacred Harp)
4. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Vol 10)
5. All the Kings Horns

When you think of the Renaissance Faire, or Medieval times in general, what instruments and musical sounds do you hear? To me, they include the shawm, recorder, flutes, harp, lute, crumhorn, and other bizarre wooden instruments. These 5 songs, to me, capture those sounds, though I think most of those sounds are recreated using electronic keyboards. A part of me wishes to be reassured that the music really was recorded with someone blowing into a recorder or a shawm.

Top 5 Instrumentals

1. Morning (Sacred Harp)
2. Hark the Herald Angel Sing (Vol. 2)
3. Angels We Have Heard On High (Vol 2)
4. Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages)
5. Make Haste to See the Baby

Sometimes songs do not need words. Other times some songs are best known for their lyrics and yet can sound just as beautiful just using instruments alone. Some songs have that Christmas time atmosphere with bells, xylophones, and pianos. Others are just hauntingly beautiful, great for contemplation. These 5 reflect that beautiful range of purely instrumental music.

Top 5 Group Jams

1. O Holy Night (Vol. 3)
2. Auld Lang Syne
3. Jingle Bells (Vol 7)
4. Ding-a-ling-a-ring-a-ling
5. Put the Lights on the Tree

This Top 5 list has a companion Top 5 selection that seems similar, but is ultimately different:

Top 5 Choir Songs

1. Idumea
2. The Sleigh in the Moon
3. Ah Holy Jesus
4. How Shall I Fitly Meet Thee
5. Ave Maria

There is a difference between group jam and choir, at least in my mind. Group jam has more of a disorganized feel. It's casual. You can get some friends together for drinks, have a few instruments on hand, and just blaze through some songs in a fun, loud, carefree way.

Choir music, on the other hand, is more focused and controlled. The volume and tone changes depending on the music, there are multiple levels that have to be unified, and really there's more of an art and a beauty to choir sounds than the simplistic fun of group jams.

Top 5 Electro Technobabble

1. Star of Wonder
2. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Vol 8)
3. X-Mas Spirit Catcher
4. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
5. Do You See What I See?

Sufjan seems to love experimenting with autotone and techno sounds in the backgrounds, and that's what these songs reflect. They are dominated by gadgetry and computerized sounds.

Top 5 Advent Songs

1. O Come O Come Emmanuel (Vol 1)
2. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
3. Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming (Vol 1)
4. Ave Maria
5. How Shall I Fitly Meet Thee

Advent often gets overlooked this time of year, but it's a beautiful period of time for contemplation and anticipation, patiently waiting for Christmas while keeping it as a separate celebration. These 5 traditional songs help reflect these ideas. They also ultimately reflect on the ideas of what Christmas really means, and are great tunes to maintain that patient mindset.

Top 5 Songs About Jesus

1. Ah Holy Jesus (with reed organ)
2. Once in Royal David's City (Vol 2)
3. Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light
4. What Child Is This Anyway?
5. Silent Night (Vol 6)

We wouldn't even have Christmas if we didn't have Jesus Christ, so it's only right that there should be music that celebrates Him at this time of year. These songs put the focus on Our Lord and the wondrous jubilation of His birth. Here, lyrics were as important as instruments and titles. Some other Sufjan songs had wonderful titles and beautiful instruments, but didn't ultimately mention Jesus in the song itself, so they didn't make the cut here.

Overall Ranking of Listed Songs

Some of the selection is based on how the songs were ranked in the above lists. After all, I obviously favor some over others in particular circumstances.

However, ranking ultimately is based on my immediate desire to listen to the song as well as how often I would choose to skip the song. The middle section is the most flexible and therefore the hardest to really choose in that listen/skip comparison.

41. What Child Is This Anyway?
40. Sister Winter
39. Do You See What I See?
38. All the Kings Horns
37. Christmas Unicorn
36. Silent Night (Vol 6)
35. Make Haste to See the Baby
34. Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages)
33. Coventry Carol
32. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Vol 10)
31. Auld Lang Syne
30. Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming (Vol. 1)
29. Carol of St. Benjamin the Bearded One
28. How Shall I Fitly Meet Thee
27. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
26. Ding-a-ling-a-ring-a-ling
25. X-Mas Spirit Catcher
24. Ave Maria
23. Angels We Have Heard On High (Vol 2)
22. Jingle Bells (Vol 7)
21. Ah Holy Jesus
20. Put the Lights on the Tree
19. Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light
18. Joy to the World (Vol. 4)
17. Little Drummer Boy
16. Get Behind Me, Santa!
15. O Holy Night (Vol. 3)
14. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
13. The Sleigh in the Moon
12. Ah Holy Jesus (with reed organ)
11. Morning (Sacred Harp)
10. Hark the Herald Angel Sing (Vol. 2)
9. Only at Christmas Time
8. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Vol 8)
7. Star of Wonder
6. Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
5. Once in Royal David's City (Vol. 2)
4. I Saw Three Ships
3. Lumberjack Christmas/ No One Can Save You From Christmases Past
2. Idumea
1. O Come O Come Emmanuel (Vol. 1)

Coheed and Cambria The Unheavenly Creatures Album Review

After completing my ranking of Coheed and Cambria's discography last year, I figured it was worthwhile to checkout their newest album release, Vaxis Act 1: The Unheavenly Creatures. I wanted to give my initial thoughts on the album, providing as much fresh emotion and insight into the music as possible. Partly, I just wanted to see if this was an album that, as a fan with fading love for the band's music, I would love or be disappointed in.

A lot of my focus will not just be on the sounds and instruments, but the relation of this album to previous albums and also on Claudio Sanchez, singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the band. It's also fair to warn you ahead, in case you are yet aware, that this album continues the sci-fi story that Coheed and Cambria's music is infamous for.

I had some benefit beforehand of listening to the multiple singles that got released prior to this album release. Basically 1/3 of this album was at my disposal to listen to ahead of the official release of all 15 songs in one package. This kind of colored my impression of the album beforehand, but...well, let's just see what my general first impressions are of this album.

Prologue

Well it's nice to see some things don't change. Coheed has stuck with their album formula by starting this one with an atmospheric instrumental. This time it features rumbling whispered narration, setting up the basics of the storyline this album is to unfold. The instrument selection is both good and bad to me. While it's refreshing for Coheed to utilize both soft piano tunes as well as more synthesizers/electronic sounds in this album, it can feel like a drastic shift away from standard Coheed, being more like Claudio's side project Prize Fighter Inferno. But previous Coheed intros Pretelethal and Keeping the Blade were both awesome, and this one stands out like those do.

The Dark Sentencer

I made a comment on the Youtube video for this song that basically described this song as Domino the Destitute, a song from the band's Afterman Ascension album, if it was written for The Color Before the Sun album. This song, to me, is an example of cliche Coheed music as it currently stands. The tone of the guitars and vocals, and pacing of the drums and bass, sound pretty similar, almost too similar, to other songs in recent albums. It's supposed to be the hard hitting, 7 minute, prog rock opening anthem of the album, but it doesn't pump me up the way In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3 (IKSSE3) or...well, Domino does. It's also a tad slow for an anthem to me.

Perhaps two other major crimes this song commits include: 1) Continual "Heys" in the beginning that feel purposefully manipulative so that audience members will chant that live in concert. Compare this to the actual IKSSE3 song, where the audience willingly shouts "Man your own jackhammer! Man your battle stations!" because it's a good part of the song and they voluntarily sing along because it's fun to shout. 2) The lines of "Welcome home" in the chorus also feels intentionally manipulative, giving a throwback shoutout to the band's most successful song ever.

Unheavenly Creatures

This song is kind of more new signature Coheed, representing the strengths and weaknesses of Coheed's music from the last four albums. I'll admit that it is super catchy and probably my favorite out of the singles. It has a pleasing tone, with a surprising start that highlights the electronic keyboard sounds that the band has brought in for this album. This song, even when the song goes hard rock, shows off Coheed's poppy and punkish side simultaneously. The downside to this song is that lyrically, and even to some extent instrumentally, it sounds like something that a high school band would write and perform, which was a critique I had with some of the songs on their album The Color Before the Sun (TCTBS). The odd thing is, I kind of want to hear what this song would sound like if Coheed performed it back in their Live at the Starland Ballroom days, when they were closer to high school age.

Toys

Here is where the album actually begins to truly catch my interest. This is the first song of the album that, to me, demonstrates Coheed's new standard in recent albums while also doing a sonic experiment in a different direction. The first minute or so is like Claudio making an attempt to replicate Justin Vernon's work as Bon Iver. Afterwards it's a Coheed flavored 80s hair metal power ballad. There's also a blazing guitar solo about 5 minutes in that's pretty fun.

Black Sunday

Can't say I'm too crazy about the name, but I actually enjoy the tone of the tune. It's menacing and grungy, drawn out like the nu-metal pieces of yore (meaning early 2000s). The bass and guitar have those sinister sounds that nu-metal was known for. Basically I'm saying this song truly stands out from the rest of the pack, while still maintaining a sense of standard Coheed and Cambria sounds. This truly feels like the progress of a band who made songs like Gravity's Union and The Audience.

Queen of the Dark

For the first half of the song, the instrumentals remind me of Coheed's performance of IRO-Bot at Neverender. In a good way. The pacing is somewhat slow, but there's something about the harsh fuzz on the guitar and the steady pacing of the drums and vocals that keep my attention. It's, as a the name may suggest, a dark sounding song, going for minor notes and lower register for Claudio's voice. The worst thing about this song to me is probably how repetitive the lyrics are (Claudio says Queen of the Dark probably a hundred times before the end).

True Ugly

Dang, this thing kicks off into high gear right out the gate! That snare drum and buzzing bass are in the driver's seat here. This is the kind of song that you blast out your windows as you blaze a trail down the highway. I can imagine this would be a fun song to jam out to seeing this band live. I can see this as the kind of song that flies under the radar for other Coheed fans, but remain an underrated gem in my eyes, similar to their This Shattered Symphony and Mothers of Men.

Love Protocol

This one demonstrates a kind of hybrid of classic Coheed and new Coheed. The plucky guitar and backing instrumentals in the verses are reminiscent to me of songs from IKSSE3 and Good Apollo 1 like Backend of Forever and Mother May I respectively. The main chorus is the kind of galactic love jam that Coheed seems to love in songs like Here to Mars. It's at this point in the album, however, that I begin to realize how many romance-focused songs there are on this thing, which seems to be a topic Claudio loves to write about in recent years. Not necessarily a bad thing per se, and I overall blame this romantic focus on the relationship of the main characters in album's storyline, but there's only so long you can listen to songs about characters who love each other within an hour.

The Pavilion (A Long Way Back)

Is this happy Coheed? It's surprisingly upbeat. This song follows the overall tone from The Dark Sentencer, but makes it brighter and more chipper. The classic string instruments in the background are a nice touch, not overwhelming but pleasantly noticeable. I know I keep bringing up a lot of comparisons in these analyses, but there's something about the echoing rhythm guitar and overall sound that makes me think of The Killers for some reason, just at a faster pace. I can see Brandon Flowers singing this song...if the instruments were a tad quieter.

Night-Time Walkers

Did we enter an 80's sci-fi flick? The intro keyboard tones are very surprising at the start. Then the drums and bass kick in, and you know you're back in Coheed-territory. Those synths dominate this song though, they provide both atmosphere and freshness in the music. This is almost an experimental song for Coheed, it doesn't sound like anything else in their discography. The newness actually works in a good way, it expands the band's overall tone rather than totally divert away from their roots. The vocals kind of annoy me in the chorus, but then Claudio uses some technical effects in the second verse that would impress Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Kevin Parker from Tame Impala.

The Gutter

What is with these piano intros, Claudio? I'm genuinely confused by this song. It overall has some gentle sounding vocals, except for random sporadic screams in the middle. It wants to sound hard and fresh, but it comes off more harmless and generic. This isn't the kind of progressive rock that has multiple layers of different sounds, time signatures, etc. This is radio-friendly alternative rock not at its finest. The sounds in this song are the new cliche Coheed officially established in TCTBS. Basically, from the first time I heard this single, I expected more out of Coheed and Cambria than what this song gave me.

All on Fire

Seriously, WHAT IS WITH THESE PIANO INTROS ALL OVER THE PLACE? Oh wait...we're in Ten Speed guitar land also?...Okay. This song has got very rough'n'tumble guitars in those low minor notes that Coheed is very comfortable with. This is one of those songs that seems to be playing with quick switches between time signatures and tones, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. In some ways, this almost sounds like an attempt to do classical-inspired metal, but it definitely maintains that Coheed and Cambria flavor.

It Walks Among Us

This song is itself a hybrid of songs on this album, part galactic hard rock, part 80s synth-drven sci-fi soundtrack. Perhaps because it is a hybrid, it doesn't really stand out much to me. The sounds are very repetitive from other sounds I already heard on this album. Every once in awhile, a guitar squeals or the bass drum gets doubled, but that's like the occasional grease pop noise over the sound of frying bacon. Pleasant enough, but you kind of get accustomed to the noise after awhile.

Old Flames

It wants to be as catchy as Unheavenly Creatures, but it's not, and it unfortunately suffers from the same problem of sounding too high school-ish. I've seen some people compare this song to the In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3 era songs, but I think the closest connection is the silly "Nahs" that fill the entire last third of this song on constant repeat. Which is another moment in this album that feels like the band is purposefully trying to manipulate the listeners so that the audience will constantly chant that during live performances. The other problem is similar to The Gutter, it sounds like generic alternative rock that makes it hard for Coheed to stand apart as a unique band.

Lucky Stars

Ah, the acoustic ballad! Finally, I get to hear those gentle tones. Somewhat surprisingly, the instruments are lacking an electronic influence (at least in the first half). It's all strings, including a string quartet in the background. Without that classical music influence, this would mostly feel like a 60s folk ballad, almost Simon and Garfunkel-esque (I really do apologize for the constant comparisons). I do wonder though: Why is Coheed putting these acoustic songs towards the end now, instead of using them as a breather in the middle? Also, there's a sweet jazzy rock guitar solo that gives us that uplifting electric feeling.

Top 5 Songs I Recommend from The Unheavenly Creatures

Black Sunday, Queen of the Dark, True Ugly, Night-Time Walkers, Lucky Stars

Additional Thoughts and Comments

There's something about the production quality of this album that rubs me the wrong way. It feels super computerized, too reliant on gadgetry for both the instruments and the vocals. Lots of people gave Coheed's Year of the Black Rainbow (YOTBR) album crap for the studio magic and manipulative production, but for whatever reason lap praise on this one. In YOTBR, the studio magic was an aid. Here on The Unheavenly Creatures, it's a distraction.

Something that stands out to me in this album, and also in some of Coheed's recent work like TCBTS, is the vulgar language. I noticed plenty of F-bombs and similar words throughout the songs. Not that they absolutely ruin the songs for me, but the way I remember it, such words were used sparingly in most of Coheed's other albums, maybe an F-bomb on 1 or 2 songs per album max. It stands out more here, and whenever I hear those words in the lyrics, it just sounds unnecessary and frankly juvenile.

Another bizarre feature of this album worth noting is how repetitive the lyrics can be. There's always that sentence or phrase that Claudio repeats dozens of times in each song that makes him seem if not a little lazy then at least a little unimaginative. Yeah, it sounds like harsh nitpicking, but you try listening to someone say Nah, Hey, or Queen of the Dark on loop for even 5 minutes straight without thinking something negative about it.

A part of me almost wishes Claudio would experience another heartbreak or have some other strong emotional experience. What I mean is that not only was early Coheed was imaginative, but Claudio used that imagination to channel his heartache from a breakup into the songs on Good Apollo 1, the best album the band has ever put out. Either the creativity isn't like it used to be or things are just going too well for Claudio and the rest of the band to get super inventive.

I do not know whether it is a good or bad thing for me to say that this album makes me want to go back and revisit Coheed and Cambria's first three albums. Going back to earlier albums, and hearing the sounds between something like IKSSE3 and this album makes it sound like they were put together by two completely separate bands. Granted, Coheed's earlier production had less money for quality, but they made up for it in skill, energy, and creativity.

The Unheavenly Creatures is drastically different from the past, though perhaps it cements the sound and style that Coheed and Cambria has been going for the last 5+ years. Offhand, this album is definitely better than TCBTS, but only time will tell where exactly I would put it in the bottom half of my Coheed album rankings.

P.S.- Where is the 4 song suite of imaginative prog rock songs!? We only got 1 prog song on here that is over 7 minutes long and every other song being 5+ minutes doesn't make up for that!

Top 10 Directors Working In the 21st Century (Thus Far)

This is list consists of directors that have been busy the last several years making high quality movies. I wanted to ponder and acknowledge which of the directors currently working today have brought me the most entertainment and how much their works have influenced my appreciation of movies. Below are the following conditions for how I have chosen and sorted this list.

Conditions

-I have seen at least 2 of their movies
-Director regularly produces work in the 21st Century
-My selection of movie recommendation choices are limited to 21st Century movies
-Quality over Quantity as the case made be.
-My selections are all based on my subjective opinions.

10. Brad Bird

Brad Bird is a well renowned name these days, though maybe not as big of a public figure as some of the other picks on this list. I was greatly thrilled and entertained by both Mission Impossible and The Incredibles (still haven't seen the sequel). Though I think it is interesting I appreciate an animation directors' live action movie moreso than the animated one.

Recommended Movie Mentions

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The Incredibles

9. Ryan Coogler

The man has made very entertaining movies, with a dash of thematic commentary. I haven't yet seen Fruitvale Station, though I hear great things about it. He and Michael B. Jordan make a great team. Not only do Coogler's movies look good (for the most part. Black Panther had some CGI issues), but they sound good while also utilizing silence or quiet to punch up emotional moments.

Recommended Movies Mentions

Creed

Black Panther

8. James Mangold

The man knows how to direct action scenes and his adventures are quite gritty. It seems his movies are also very individual, it's hard to pick up on particular style or motifs in each of his works, which is a good thing in this case. Mangold is also very good at getting some very realistically human dialogue and emotional performances out of actors in the types of movies that are usually more focused on pure action.

Recommended Movies Mentions

Logan

3:10 to Yuma

Identity

7. Alejandro Innaritu

Innaritu seems to be the kind of director that uses movies as a form of art rather than just entertainment. I've only seen two of his movies, but they're both Oscar winning movies, so that's gotta be good, right? Both have very impressive visuals and terrific acting performances. I like the way Innaritu utilizes angles and camera movements around the actors to get different emotions and atmospheres.

Recommended Movies Mentions

Birdman

The Revenant

6. Damien Chazelle

I realize the kid has only just gotten to the party and just started making a name for himself recently (my recommended list consists of the only two full length theatrical releases he has made thus far-First Man comes out soon). However, Whiplash is just such a great, great movie! It is thrilling and stunning. La La Land, though not as great to me, also shows how well Chazelle can craft a big budget movie and find some way to make it pop out and stand above the rest of awards competitors.

Recommended Movies Mentions

Whiplash

La La Land

5. Denis Villeneuve

Villeneuve, to me, is kind of a combination of Inarritu and Mangold. He crafts movies in a very artistic way rather than just focused on entertainment. He also has created enough diverse movies that it's hard to pick up any particular style, angles, themes, or other connecting factors between his filmography. While much of his work is focused on dark, tense subject matter, there's still some very humanizing moments as well.

Recommended Movies Mentions

Arrival

Sicario

Blade Runner 2049

4. Quentin Tarantino

I think my introduction to Tarantino was actually the Volume 2 of Kill Bill. Somehow that movie and the DVD's trailers for his previous movies was enough to get me interested in checking out the rest of his body of work during my teenage years. Tarantino was one of the first directors where I intentionally sought out his whole filmography.

Though I ultimately prefer his earlier modern crime movies to his current string of cinemsnob genre homages, he does still make some very beautiful movies. I enjoy Tarantino's appreciation of film history and the little nods to the films and styles that came before him. He also gets some interesting performances from a wide variety of different actors. Not to mention that Tarantino is also revered for his quality scriptwriting as much as his direction.

Recommended Movies Mentions

Kill Bill
Inglorious Basterds

3. Joel & Ethan Coen

What a diverse selection of works in this century. Coen Brothers movies always vary in terms of genre, purpose, and quality, but they consistently make intriguing and unique movies. I like that these are brothers that are working together to create high quality entertainment (or art as the case may be). This is also another example on the list of where the director has some great movies in the 20th century, but in order to make the cut for this list, they also needed to have stellar movies in this 21st century. I think what ultimately puts the Coens ahead of Tarantino for me is their movies involve less revelry in the profane and grotesque, but rather enjoy the bizarre humor of life.

Recommended Movies Mentions

No Country for Old Men

Hail Caesar

O Brother Where Art Thou

2. Wes Anderson

Take Tarantino's love for cinema history and then add zany, colorful creativity to the project and you are led to Wes Anderson. He has a very particular style that shows up in each movie he directs, even in the stop motion ones. The symmetry, the color palettes, the dialogue, the Bill Murrays, there's just always those things that let you know Wes Anderson directed it. I like the imagination and enchantment found in his work. Not to mention overall it's more accessible or at least less aggressive than Tarantino's work.

Recommended Movies Mentions

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Moonrise Kingdom

The Grand Budapest Hotel

1. Christopher Nolan

I think Christopher Nolan has made consistently incredible movies. Okay, so Dark Knight Rises didn't make too much sense, and the ending of Interstellar is kinda bonkers, but not everyone can overall manage to film as many impressive and thrilling movies as Nolan. He knows how to take movies in a dark direction without being too spooky, and always with some hope and inspiration to keep this uplifting just enough. The movies always look good, they always sound good, and he even effectively plays with unique narrative time frames (the order in which the story is told) that should make Tarantino envious (Boy, I sure mention Tarantino a lot for someone who puts him at #4, hunh?).

Recommended Movies Mentions

Memento

The Prestige

The Dark Knight

Top 10 Western Genre Movies of All Time

Defining the Genre

AFI defined the Western as a movie "set in the American West that embodies the spirit, the struggle and the demise of the new frontier". The online Encyclopedia Britannica specifically defined the setting of a Western as something "set in the American West, usually in the period from the 1850s to the end of the 19th century".

A writer at a website called Filmsite agreed with both of these descriptions saying "Westerns are often set on the American frontier during the last part of the 19th century (1865-1900) following the Civil War, in a geographically western (trans-Mississippi) setting with romantic, sweeping frontier landscapes or rugged rural terrain". Overall though, we know the general time and the general place that define Westerns.

I also liked their description of the feeling and attitude of a Western where they wrote that a Western is "a nostalgic eulogy to the early days of the expansive, untamed American frontier (the borderline between civilization and the wilderness)". I like that emphasis on the borderline between civilization and wilderness, where people in the frontier were not living in big cities or developed areas, but they weren't exactly surviving in the wild either, for the most part.

Westerns are generally also defined by the presence of cowboys, which when you see one you know what it is. Sometimes the cowboys are soldiers fighting Native American warriors, sometimes they're marshals fending off bandits and outlaws, but no matter what there's always revolvers and rifles involved. Most often a cowboy is a lone wolf and a heroic legendary figure, though sometimes they rely on allies and shed back the legendary layers to become rounded, vulnerable people.

AFI's Top 10 Westerns List

1. The Searchers
2. High Noon
3. Shane
4. Unforgiven
5. Red River
6. Wild Bunch
7. Butch Cassidy Sundance Kid
8. McCabe & Mrs. Miller
9. Stagecoach
10. Cat Ballou

Majority of these, especially the Top 3, are very well known and well renowned Western genre movies. I had not really heard much of #8 before and I surely never heard of #10 before. Notice also that, while not totally dominating the list in the same way that Disney dominated the Animation list, John Wayne leads 3 of these movies, and there is a surprising lack of Clint Eastwood, though again that might be because AFI was limited to American movies and could not include the Spaghetti Western subgenre selections.

My Outline for My Genre List

I had two guides for helping me outline my own defining features of the Western genre. The first was the basic principle definitions found above. The second was a list of various subgenres of Westerns I found on the New York Film Academy website. Those subgenres include: Epic, Spaghetti, Revenge, Outlaw, Marshal, & Revisionist

-Character archetypes: Heroic cowboy, tough prostitute/saloon gal, marshal/sheriff, prim-proper lady
-Cowboy's features: Wide-brimmed hats, bandanas, boots, spurs, and horse-back riding.
-Morality examination: Right versus wrong and lawful versus unlawful, asks when it's okay to take law and order into one's own hands.
-Beautiful vista shots of rural landscapes including plains, sagebrush, desert, and mountains.
-Small developing town with a hotel, a saloon, and/or a tavern.
-Guns constantly used or play an important role.
-Late 19th century timeframe, not around modern times.
-Romanticized view of the past and the cowboy figure.
-Honest look at the reality of men and the frontier life, if not romanticized.

Honorable Mentions

-Assassination of Jesse James
-True Grit (Coens, I haven't seen the original all the way through)
-Open Range
-3:10 to Yuma (both versions)

As you can tell, majority of these mentions are more contemporary and newer movies. The themes and attitude come from a more modern sense, so they have a more honest look on life and philosophy in the west than older romanticized cowboy movies.

I generally consider Assassination of Jesse James to be more of a melodrama than a Western, though it certainly has the setting, gunplay, and thematic qualifications to be a Western. Not to mention Jesse James is a pretty common figure in Western cowboy mythology and media.

Ultimately, even though movies like Open Range and True Grit have sleek looks and fit within the confines of the Western genre, they ultimately do not hold my interest and excitement upon rewatching them, nor do I find them unique enough to be definitive examples of the genre.

My Top 10 Westerns List

10. Sukiyaki Western Django

A twist on Spaghetti Westerns, where instead of European actors having their lines dubbed over by native English speakers, this movie has Japanese actors speaking their own broken English dialogue. You have the heroic cowboy figure, clad in hat, boots, & spurs, staying in a small town in a desert mountain area. There's lots of gunplay involved, obviously influenced by the more ridiculous B-level Spaghetti Westerns of yore. Though there is also the presence of Japanese samurai movie artistry, it's cool to see another nation and culture interpret the American cowboy mythos and Western genre and put their own spin on it.

9. Hostiles

I was hesitant to put this movie on the list since it is the most recent out of the bunch and not necessarily even the most memorable movie I've seen in 2018. There's not even a typical cowboy figure. What impressed me the most about this movie was the landscapes. The places that this group journeys through out in the wild frontier really reminded me of the kind of landscapes I saw when I spent time in Montana and Colorado. These are very definitive Western locations and the cinematography captures them beautifully. Add in the struggle of frontier survival and antagonistic relationships between white soldiers and Native Americans and you have a recipe for a subtle yet realistically human Western.

8. Tombstone

There had to be some interpretation of the infamous O.K. Corral battle on this list, and it just happened to be the most fun, most Hollywood version of it (technically also the only one I've seen). There's drinking, there's cigar smoking, there's gambling in saloons and taverns. Handsome mustaches, cowboy hats, revolver twirling, marshals battling outlaws. It's very much a definitive Western. What makes this movie stand out though is Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday. He embodies that tough heroic cowboy figure often given in to vices, but he's a charming southern gentleman and a good friend to other tough heroic cowboy figures.

7. Magnificent Seven

Yes, a part of me put the movie here for a joke. Courageous cowboys stand up against insurmountable odds out of a sense of honor and pride. Poor farmers take the law into their own hands in a place without law & order. There's plenty of gunplay and dusty trails covered. The cowboys are very romanticized in this movie since they are the heroes, even if they are selfish or troubled.

6. Unforgiven

I initially had this movie in the Honorable Mentions area because of just how dark and revisionist of a Western it is. Our protagonist used to be a ruthless killer who has worked to amend for his past sins but in the end reverts to his old ways. And the antagonist is not really anything too different, it's just a beyond-tough lawman who abuses his power without remorse. There's nothing very noble going on about either of their actions since the main conflict revolves around the protagonist accepting a financial reward by killing men in order to avenge an abused prostitute.

I think what makes this Western work and stand out compared to the others is that if this was a Clint Eastwood movie 20 years earlier (like Outlaw Josey Wales), his character and actions would be glorified, but here it's depressing and examined in a negative light. No one is heroic or glorified here in the traditional sense of standard Western films.

5. Rio Bravo

This one is just more of a model of fun, action Western. You've got John Wayne in his typical cowboy gear with rifle in tow. Dean Martin is an alcoholic gunslinger. There's carefree yet tense use of guns throughout. It's about the courage of a few in the face of many enemies, an alternative take on High Noon. The marshal must defend himself and his friends from outlaw thugs bent on freeing their captured leader. Like I stated earlier, I mainly just remember this movie for the fun interaction between the romanticized cowboys and the gunplay involved throughout the movie.

4. High Noon

What puts this movie ahead of Rio Bravo is the philosophical, moral quandary at its center. Is it better to give up violence and run away, or to stand up and fight even if it means doing it alone? There's the law versus the outlaws. There's a tense gun battle at the end. The protagonist sheriff is obviously afraid and nervous about having to face the battle alone, but none of the other men in town have the courage and loyalty to fight alongside him. The sheriff wants to put away the past, but there's a new prim and proper Quaker wife that he has to live for and protect.

3. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Once again, it's the philosophical questions that really make this film special. When is it okay to kill someone? Is truth or legend the better reality? Should a man avoid guns at all costs or learn to live with them? Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne are both known for their dramatic roles in Western movies and these performances are highlights of that fact. This movie both romanticizes the wild past of the west and gives an honest examination on what the men, life, and ideas were really like in the wild west.

2. The Searchers

The cinematography is one of the most outstanding elements of this movie. It really captures the look and feel of living out in the American western frontier. The colors really stand out and the shots are framed with purpose. John Wayne plays more of a gritty Clint Eastwood type in this movie, having a sense of purpose in his actions but lacking the romantic charm and friendliness of cowboys in earlier Westerns. This seems to be the start of the divide between fun, idealized cowboy movies and the gritty honest look at real frontier living. I think had Johns Ford and Wayne not visited this location and made such a stellar team up in an earlier movie, this may have been the number one. 

1. Stagecoach

In my Valuable Films list, I placed Stagecoach as the top Western movie and I still stand by that. Some of the defining traits of the Western film genre that I mentioned included: character archetypes, guns, horseback riding, particular landscape locations in southwest US, 19th century time period. I also mentioned how it lacked gritty violence and anti-heroism seemed to define later Western movies. People are not as good as they seem nor as they as bad as they may seem. I'd say the only characters that really lack depth or complexity to them is the thieving banker, Mr. Gatewood, and the whiskey drummer Rev. Hancock...I mean Mr. Peacock.

Movies That May Replace Choices on My List Upon Future Viewing

Shane
Red River
The Good the Bad and the Ugly
Once Upon a Time in the West

Valuable Movies: Mission Impossible Fallout

Warning: Your mission, should you choose to accept the consequences of reading this review, is to not freak out when you see any spoilers for the movie without having seen it first. You have been warned.

So, the sixth Mission Impossible movie came to theaters recently. As someone who has been entertained by several of the MI movies, most especially the previous two installments before this latest release, I looked forward to seeing this movie on the big screen.

This was also the first time I can recall seeing a movie in IMAX in a long time. Here's what I thought in terms of artistic and moral values to the movie.

Artistic Value (Rating: 4)

It's hard to talk about this movie without breaking up its artistic value (how the movie was presented) into two categories: Stunts/Action Scenes and Story Plot Points.

I came in wanting crazy Tom Cruise action scenes and I got them! We saw a HALO (high altitude low opening) jump, an intense fisticuffs brawl, obligatory motorcycle chase, obligatory yet hilariously awesome Tom Cruise running, and even a helicopter chase/ literal cliffhanging finale.

The best thing was that none of these stunts were super-hyped in the marketing as far as I can remember (unless I just wasn't paying attention). In Rogue Nation, they pushed the fact that Tom Cruise was hanging onto a flying airplane and held his breath for 4+ minutes underwater. In Ghost Protocol, they wanted you to know that Tom Cruise really was climbing the tallest building in the world.

Here, there's several crazy stunts, and you get a sense of them in the promotional trailers, but I can't really recall hearing things like "Come see Tom Cruise soar through the air in a HALO jump" or "Can you believe Tom Cruise really hung from a rope underneath a flying helicopter?". I was just stunned and impressed by Cruise's running here, especially when he's sprinting along on top of the London train station.

Sound effects and music were prevalent and essential here. These are the second best parts of the movie after the action stunts. Music emphasized important moments and established emotional highlights. Noises stood out too, like the gun shots or moments like Ilsa riding her motorcycle down a Parisian walkway with columns and highlighting the engine and wind tunnel sounds.

Now like I said, the artistic value is mainly split by the action and the story, and unfortunately here's where the weaknesses pop up. Rarely does the script explain much in between the action. It's almost like when developing the story, the action scenes were the primary focus and the idea of how to get from Point A to Point B was only thought up when they needed to set up the next stunt.

Moments of exposition dialogue really highlight this fact, such as the opening mission briefing or the team's drive in to Kashmir and establishing the goals to accomplish the final mission. All of this is to get the audience up to the speed to understand what all is about to happen.

The reason why this is a weakness is because I found myself asking questions I shouldn't have to be asking, wondering what's going on in the story. Here are a few major problems I thought of during my viewing of the movie (heavy spoilers ahead):

-Where is Jeremy Renner?
-Alec Baldwin's character matters in this movie, but he's completely forgotten after his death.
-No real resolution at the end. No "where do we go from here?" moment with intention to establish what's going to happen next time.
-Cruise's wife character comes back, but there's not really much time given to have closure.
-How did the bad guys run away with the plutonium in the middle of the movie? I thought they were supposed to be making a rendezvous with White Widow to trade Lane for the plutonium. All of the sudden, poof, they have plutonium and are about to annihilate the world.

Now, while the script had a few problems, there were also a few strong emotional moments with great drama. There is a particularly touching scene delivered by Ving Rhames that actually worked surprisingly well because the movie took its time to put character development ahead of action. I'm glad to have characters and plot threads from previous installments back and continued here in this story. That continuation in the series is the saving grace of the script's plot.

The visual element, the way that the movie looks, is a mixed bag for me here. In my eyes, the cinematography or types of cameras kept changing. Some shots looked so smooth and high resolution, they looked like they came from a GoPro. Other shots, especially in the dark or distanced from action, looked grainy and low resolution like film stock. Could this have been because of my IMAX movie screen? Either way, the lack of consistent visual style bothered me.

This two hour movie in some ways almost felt like an extended TV show episode. The editor used wipes to move between scenes/ locations. The expositional style of dialogue between the characters was very TV-esque. Even the abrupt ending just made it seem like we'll see these characters again soon in next week's episode. This is not necessarily a bad thing when this is the sixth movie in a major franchise based on an older TV series, with homages and connections to both.

I wasn't initially sure what rating on the 1-5 scale to give this, but I think ultimately I am won over by the astounding and thrilling action scenes. They are the most important element of this movie, and in certain ways made up for any storytelling elements that may have been lacking.

Moral Value (Rating: 3)

Mission Impossible as a movie series has always been a good guys versus bad guys plot line, though understanding who is on which side has been a little more blurred in some movies than others. Thankfully, it's pretty well established here that Ethan Hunt and his friends are all good guys while Solomon Lane and his Apostles are the bad guys.

In this movie, the bad guys, the Apostles, like to pretend that they're the good guys because their ultimate goal is "world peace" but the means with which they're wanting to achieve that goal is by demolishing a third of the world's population. Even the CIA in this movie is willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means killing potential threats, in order to achieve their missions, so they're presented as more anti-heroes, or at least not the primary protagonists.

I do appreciate the fact that in this movie they emphasize the fact that Ethan Hunt cares a great deal about lives on an individual basis, especially the life of an innocent bystander. They put a moral ethic in the good guys and a lack of empathetic morals in the bad guys. However, I often wondered why Tom Cruise...I mean Ethan Hunt...has a problem with killing innocents, but not bad guy lackeys? We see him struggle to shoot people in certain circumstances, but shows no remorse or concern whenever he kills a villain or their henchmen. Just because they work for the bad guy does not mean that their lives are anymore expendable.

I do think the movie makers tried to establish important figures in Ethan's life and had an interesting contrast near the end. This movie builds up the fact that Ethan has a budding relationship with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) and an antagonistic relationship with Walker (Henry Cavill). Near the end, Ethan is reunited with his former wife (Michelle Monaghan) and her new husband (Wes Bently). It may just be me but not only do Monaghan and Ferguson look similar, but (at least in the eyes and facial features/ facial hair) so do Bentley and Cavill. I think it presented an interesting character dilemma where we see where Ethan's passions, concerns, and struggles really lie.

The movie presents some potential religious themes and ideological overtones at first. There was the opening wedding dream sequence, the group name The Apostles, the fake nuclear disasters to three holy sites, and the constant quote "There cannot be great peace without first great suffering". This opening led me to believe that there would be some discussion or examination on themes and ideas from a religious or theological perspective, almost a battle of philosophy and ideology. In some ways it was a battle of philosophy (life is sacred versus peace through death), but the religious aspect quickly quickly disappeared and I feel like that was a missed opportunity.

Some action movies are all about the spectacle, the crazy visuals they can throw on the screen, and that's it. The Mission Impossible franchise, especially here, understands that a good movie with action has to have more than just spectacle. You have to care about characters and have them overcome personal struggles in order to have a good movie (my artistic value and moral value highlights this). Fallout takes some time in between the spectacle to build up characters and relationships, even if that's not the scripts strongest suit.

I found that I laughed at moments I maybe shouldn't have. I laughed because of the overblown action scene over-the-top-ness. Most memorably this was Cavill's death scene at the end. This is where Hunt's blurred line on when it's okay and not okay to kill causes confusion or struggle. We're supposed to root for Tom Cruise because he cares who he is shooting at, but then the moments like Cavill's death scene went to such heights of crazy movie spectacle that I couldn't help but grin and chuckle at the absurdity of it all. It's one of those moments when I become more conscious of how a movie influences the way I think and feel. If the movie examined its good vs. evil themes with some more depth instead of basic action movie formula, I may have given it a higher ranking.

Mission Impossible Fallout is rated PG-13 mainly for the violence of the action, which sometimes can get bloody, as well as profane language, from some using the Lord's name to even a use of the F-word, though ultimately none of the negative language is necessary for this movie.

Overall, this movie is thrilling throughout. Tense action scenes and even tense character moments in between the stunts are all part of the fun. This is a great movie to wonderful on the big screen, despite any weaknesses or issues.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Top 10 Most Influential/ Important Movies In My Life (Thus Far)

Inspired by social media posts from acquaintances and my own interest in lists involving movies, I present to you my personal Top 10 list of the most important and influential movies in my life.

The greatest challenge with something like this is narrowing down such a large, broad scope. With other movie lists, I have some sort of framework like genre, time period, theme, or some other defining features that make it easier to choose what to put down.

Here for this list, it's basically just taking every single movie I've ever seen in my life and trying to discern which 10 left the biggest impression. Not necessarily just impression, but also taking into account how it impacted my taste in movies, the way that I view movies, how my thoughts and beliefs are reflected in my choice in movies, and how my life is transformed by viewing the movie.

I've seen a lot of different movies over the years. It's especially hard to remember all the movies I saw in my childhood. It's even harder to forget all of the terrible crappy movie selections I've made over the years, though I suppose we grow because of the mistakes we make in the past.

On this list, I selected movies that I've seen more than once, with the exception of one choice. I tried to cover a range of history, styles, languages, and genres.

This list will reflect how I view movies as a media/ art form, as well as give you some insight on why I have such a passion and joy for watching movies. We'll start from the bottom, leave no breaks for honorable mentions, and end with my top choice for most influential and important movie in my life.

10. Tree of Life

This is the one movie I included that I've only seen once, and if you've seen it as well you probably know why that's okay. Basically, this movie was not just something I viewed, it was an EXPERIENCE! The style and cinematography lets you know it's a Terrence Malick movie. There's themes and ideas about life, God, prayer, family, the bad and the good that people can do, all sorts of philosophical questions pop up all while visuals are flying past you in unusual ways. It's a slow-paced movie, but the editing keeps things moving and interesting. I have never seen or experienced a movie like this before.

9. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

This movie has an understandably slow pace, but with great tension and intrigue to keep me interested watching it. If you want to know how, why, or when I find a slow pace to be acceptable in a movie, this is the answer. I watched this at some point in undergrad, though I forget how I came across it. This was my introduction to Casey Affleck as an actor, and he holds his own against Brad Pitt and Sam Rockwell. The story is a tragedy in more than one way, and even presents itself as a drama but has a documentary feel (narrator coming in and out to give us history or factual information).

8. Fiddler on the Roof

I think I may have some bias here based on nostalgia and history with this movie. I first watched it because it was the first musical in high school I auditioned for/ was a part of, which led me into being involved in theatre ever since. That should tell you why it has some sentimental significance for me. Though really, I appreciate how it brought the musical to life, like you're really witnessing these poor Russian Jewish peasants experiencing life's joys, sorrows, traditions, and changes. The songs are classics, Topol is the definitive Tevye, and it has great respect and reverence for the Jewish religion and culture.

7. Calvary

I was really afraid of watching this a second time because I was worried my satisfaction from viewing it the first time was just a fluke and any additional viewings would fall flat. Thankfully, it's just as powerfully good, if not better, upon additional viewing.

I love the brutal, realistic honesty of this movie. These feel like real people that you can find and interact with in Ireland today. Personally for me, as a Catholic living in a secular Western society, it hits home with how sins of the past, especially from authority figures in the Church, can have negative consequences on people's thoughts, relationships, and feelings regarding God, the Church, and even other people. While it is, for the most part, sad and tragic, there is something uplifting about Brendan Gleeson's priest character. He has a charm, a hope, and a love that acts as a light shining even in the darkest moments when all seems lost.

6. Hot Fuzz

This is my selection for best/favorite comedy, though it's unconventional as a standard comedy choice. I could've gone with The Big Lebowski, which had me howling with laughter the first time I saw it, but maybe I've watched it too much since it hasn't held up as well upon recent viewings. I could have chosen another parody film like Black Dynamite, which again had me crying from busting a gut laughing upon initial watch, but over time it just has content that I cannot really condone in good conscience (maybe the animated series just ruined things for me overall).

Point being that Hot Fuzz has held up as a great enjoyable movie, no matter how many times I see it. I love the wordplay and wit found in the script, with little nuggets of comedy buried underneath serious deadpan delivery. There's great visual jokes that pay off over the course of the movie. I love how well it parodies the buddy cop action genre while simultaneously creating an engaging story on its own.

5. Stagecoach

It's kind of a simple movie in hindsight, but I still enjoy the adventure every time. Save for 1 or 2 of the characters, everybody on the eponymous piece of transportation is interesting, has a clear want or desire, and has great chemistry. Everyone is not as bad as they seem, nor as they as good as they seem, they're complex and intriguing. The gunplay/ chase scenes are thrilling, the drama is emotional, and it's iconic in its use of landscape shots and character archetypes. While some people may enjoy the more realistic, gritty, anti-hero stuff found in later westerns, for me this will always be the definitive Western movie.

4. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

I can still remember the first time watching this movie in theaters. Admittedly I had an active imagination at that age, but I was so caught up in the movie that I was genuinely creeped out by the Ringwraiths and Gollum in this movie, so much so that I did not want to see the other two movies in theaters. It was only after playing the VHS of this movie on repeat that I got comfortable enough to watch the other two movies (and not fastforward through the Gollum/Nazgul stuff).

I think that out of all three LOTR movies, this one has the best blend of CGI and practical effects. Everything looks and feels real. The locations are spectacular, the action is heartpounding (I personally think the final action scene at Amon Hen is the best action scene of the series), and fantasy characters become real people. This is the movie that makes us fall in love with the Shire, it makes the Ring a real threat without bogging us down in dark gritty despair, and it gives us the hope and joy that the hobbits and Gandalf share in the midst of peril.

3. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

There's something so calming and pleasing about the titular Valley of the Wind. I just want to hang out and live there. While not necessarily Miyazaki's best animation, I think it is a signature style from him that has held up over time. This was one of the first Miyazaki movies I saw and it made me better appreciate his work, as well as the anime style of animation in general. The soundtrack and sound effects bring me a sense of nostalgia and futurism at the same time. I like the themes and ideas of this movie, which for the most part don't abusively try too hard to hit me over the head.

2. Monsieur Vincent

It's such a Catholic movie! Even if we don't necessarily see St. Vincent doing much pastoral duties. There are many great scenes in this, from the opening cleansing of the church building and restoration of a town in fear of the plague, to the moment when Monsieur Vincent refuses a pleasant apartment for a rundown squalor in the midst of horrific poor people, to the dilemma of St. Louise de Marilliac being overcome by the demands of the sick & dying, to Monsieur Vincent's final moments where he confesses that after all the many great things he has done for the poor that he feels like he's barely done anything at all.

This was another movie I was afraid wouldn't hold up upon second viewing, but it's still so impactful and powerful despite its age, style, and French language. It shows us the reality yet importance of mercifully caring for those in poverty. It shows the courage and will power it takes for someone to help the poor with compassion and patience. You see and understand why the Catholic Church honors St. Vincent de Paul as a Saint.

1. The Passion of the Christ

Granted, I haven't really seen many other biblical movies/ movies about the Passion (I know, shame on me, right) but I feel like no other movie worked so hard to honestly and realistically bring the Gospels Passion narratives to life. The people all speak the different languages of the time and place. The scourging, the carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion are all done with violent realism. I have watched this movie annually for the last few years, right around Good Friday. Sometimes it's hard to get through, sometimes I don't feel anything or my mind tries to wander. Yet, I find this movie to be a great contemplation on the significance and importance of Jesus' Passion and Death. I can't help but appreciate the movie's dedication to realism and how it brings the words of the Gospels to life.

Top 10 Animation Genre Movies of All Time

I recently examined the 10 Top 10 Lists of Movies by the American Film Institute. These are lists compiled by a prestigious cinema organization and each list is split by a different genre, from romantic comedy to courtroom drama to epic and animation. After looking at some of the lists, I got inspired to create my own versions of them.

My goals are for these Top 10 lists are: to properly define and identify the genre in question, quickly examine the picks from the American Film Institute, and then present my own list to show my own take on the genre in question.

As per usual, my own personal list will be presented in descending order from 10 to 1 (least to greatest) and is just made up of movies I have personally seen all the way through, so chances are there may be some movies you think are missing from my list that deserve a spot. Feel free to let me know if that's the case. Anyway, without further ado, let's kick of these Top 10s with an examination of Animation.

Defining the Genre

The AFI's website broadly defined the Animation genre as movies where "the film’s images are primarily created by computer or hand and the characters are voiced by actors". The Merriam Webster Dictionary definition kind of further specified that by stating that an animated movie is "a motion picture that is made from a series of drawings, computer graphics, or photographs of inanimate objects (such as puppets) and that simulates movement by slight progressive changes in each frame".

So, as could be assumed, defining the genre for animation into a specific, finite definition is a challenge. This is mainly because animation is a form of art within a form of art, with various techniques and styles from around the world on display. Technology has also played a huge role in expanding the capabilities within the world of animation, making it tougher to narrow down.

Basically, what we really know is that "animation" means real-life actors are not the focal point of a movie's presentation and that some sort of series of handcrafted images are put together instead. It's basically like the cartoon found in the corners of a flipbook.

AFI's Top 10 Animation List

1. Snow White
2. Pinocchio
3. Bambi
4. Lion King
5. Fantasia
6. Toy Story
7. Beauty & The Beast
8. Shrek
9. Cinderella
10. Finding Nemo

Not too much to say here, other than Disney obviously dominates the genre selections. Which is expected since Disney has been the primary and dominate company creating movies in this genre. It looks like the AFI wanted to give a shoutout to computer-generated animation, though I'm somewhat surprised that movies like the first Shrek and Finding Nemo won over some of their counterparts in their respective studios. The list is also somewhat limited by the fact that, well, their selection was only from movies made in the U.S., which leaves out international companies like Studio Ghibli which could also dominate the list.

My Outline of My Genre List

This is basically the guidelines for how I'm going to select movies for this list. These are the standards by which I will hold the chosen animated movies to. The hope is that the movies on my personal Top 10 list will reflect the traits below and help us better understand what it means for a movie to be in the animated genre.

-Only 1 choice per studio (not a list full of Disney, Pixar, or Ghibli options)
-Still images coming to life through motion
-Variety of colors and hues
-Effective use of shadows and darkness
-Specially effective use of light
-Vivid textures
-Showcase the history of animation styles and artistic technological advances
-Show an improvement over time of a particular company or group's technique, if applicable.
-Timeless artwork

Honorable Mentions

The Thief & The Cobbler
Isle of Dogs
Titan A.E.
Fantasia
Bambi
Beauty & The Beast
Prince of Egypt
Toy Story
The Peanuts Movie

These are all movies that are high quality movies from within well-respected animation companies or they stand out as unique pieces of cinema. Basically, if I didn't have my option of watching the following 10 movies, these would be the backups I would happily watch again and again.

My Top 10 Animations List

10. Lord of the Rings-Ralph Bakshi

Hear me out. It's an example of doing animation with a miniscule budget. Infamous for its use of rotoscoping over live actors, especially in the second half of the movie. Lots of deep, painted backgrounds. Very dark and shadowy in the right moments. The hand-drawn characters on top of the landscapes really transports us to a fantasy setting.

9. Shaun the Sheep-Aardman

Exemplary stop motion animation using play-doh-esque material, a.k.a claymation. Stylish and improved art style by Aardman studios (Chicken Run, Wallace & Gromit). Shiny and sleek appearance. Fluid movement yet malleable character designs for creative stop motion. It almost makes you think you really are seeing sheep walking about in a real life city.

8. Kubo and the Two Strings-Laika

A form of stop-motion, utilizing a combination of claymation and computer generated images.
Good use of Japanese-influenced artistry and scenery. Improved, definitive art style by Laika (Coraline, Paranorman). Proper atmosphere built between dark spooky moments and bright, lighthearted comedy. The designs and textures of our main characters really bring the animation to life.

7. Fantastic Mr. Fox-Wes Anderson

Stop motion using puppetry/ doll-like models. Very textured appearance, with specific details in the fur of the animals as well as phenomena like water and smoke. Hues of yellow, orange, and brown match the appearance of the titular character. Beautiful glow to the lighting in sunsets and apple juice basement scene. There's even an interesting scene with an alternative art style involving a cartoon wolf.

6. Shrek 2-Dreamworks

While Prince of Egypt stands out as the exemplary 2-D animation by Dreamworks, and later movies like How to Train Your Dragon or Kung Fu Panda are more fluid in motion/ colorful in design, Shrek 2 to me stands out as the model CGI animation work by Dreamworks. It sharpens the CGI from original Shrek. The humans look like real life humans, not obvious cartoons like Dragon. The fantasy and realism blend together well here, and all the characters have unique textured designs. The realism in the CGI artwork is so effective, at one point I really did believe a giant ginger-bread man wreck havoc on a Starbucks knockoff Godzilla-style.

5. Secret of NIMH-Don Bluth

I was very close to putting Titan A.E. on this list for its blend of CGI and hand-drawn animation. However, Secret of NIMH really shows the hard hard work that Don Bluth and company went through to achieve success from the get-go. It's very stellar hand-drawn artistry that equals the skills of early Disney masterpieces. What especially stands out is the glowing lights that pop up in characters' eyes and in the backgrounds. The movement is very fluid and while the characters are cartoonish interpretations of real animals, they still feel and look like real mice, rats, crows, cats, etc.

4. Secret of Kells-Cartoon Saloon

Hand-drawn animation with trippy uses of flats character designs and fleshed-out, developed backgrounds. Takes inspiration from the Illumination techniques used in Biblical artwork (ex...The Book of Kells) and translates it into bright, explosive layers of colors and lights. Finely detailed line work. The fantasy elements are given some special designs and treatment, but the animation still gives grandeur and respect to the religious elements.

3. Inside Out-Pixar

You can see lots of fine details in the various textures of the characters, from Joy's skin to Disgust's hair to Anger's fire. Creative physical representations of words, ideas, and phrases. The humans are drawn and presented in a realistic way, not cartoony. Tons of different shades of color and glowing lights, though the momentary uses of darkness and shadows are effective. There's even enough time for a playful experiment in abstract CGI animation. This movie shows the continuing development in Pixar's mastery of the CGI animation style.

2. Pinocchio-Disney

It is a signature Disney art style. It doesn't have similar problems to Snow White where the animation truly shows its age. It also has a higher quality to the animation than some of my favorites like Robin Hood. I think when people think of Disney, people think of this kind of fantastical 2-D hand drawn animation. It has some dark, shadowy moments, but also some color and pizzazz. Pinocchio almost looks and moves like a real boy, and it's only when he transforms into the real thing in the end that you realize he was really wooden all along.

1. Princess Mononoke-Studio Ghibli

Exemplary of the anime style of animation, and a particularly timeless example of Studio Ghibli's artistry. Presents both bright, colorful, well-lit images as well as shadowy, grotesque, violent images. Humans are either realistic or cartoonish as necessary, but the creatures are all impressive and vivid. Mixes fantasy with realism. Miyazaki's appreciation for nature and distaste for industrial interference with nature is on display in the animation. The battle scenes are all paced well and move in a way that is flowing yet understandable visually.

Movies That May Replace Choices on My List Upon Future Viewing

Akira
Triplets of Belleville
Wolf Children
The Adventures of Prince Achmed

Ranking Marvel MCU Movies 2008-2017 (& Black Panther)

I originally began compiling this list before 2018 got underway, therefore intending to get this finished before Black Panther was released. However, sometimes life just gets busy and other interests come along or I just get writer's block. So, rather than abandon this rankings list completely, I decided to get this baby completed in time before the next Avengers movie.

In commemoration of the first 10 years of the highly influential Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and in anticipation of the release of Avengers: Infinity War, I've assembled my list ranking the movies within that 10 year time frame.

Fair warning, despite having read a few comics in my day, I ultimately haven't read much of the comic book material these movies are based on. Being more of a movie buff anyway, this ranking is judged based on how well the movies themselves hold up, both as individuals and in connection with the rest of the movie universe. I'll be starting with what I consider the worst of the franchise, thereby working my way up to what I consider the best MCU movie.

18. The Incredible Hulk

I've only seen it the one time when it was released in theaters and I don't remember too much that makes me want to turn back to it. The Hulk himself is not a compelling character, just memorable because of all of the crazy action and destruction that comes whenever he's on screen. That's the big problem though, it's a lot of chaotic smashing and burning, there's no real finesse to the action scenes.

Edward Norton's portrayal of Bruce Banner was actually one of the most interesting parts of the movie. I always wonder what it would be like to actually see him in the other MCU movies that Bruce/ Hulk appears in rather than Mark Ruffalo. All of the supporting cast is made up of people that I like as actors in other roles instead of the characters they portray here. It's not a movie that I really desire to go back and rewatch, and that's a major problem.

17. Iron Man 2

Another kinda forgettable movie with chaotic destruction and explosions instead of quality action scenes. I've only seen this movie a couple of times and I still don't really recall too many scenes worth remembering. I'd say Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark does some character development here, but I feel like he goes through greater development in other movies. Don Cheadle is a nice replacement for Terrence Howard as James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, it was just distracting initially.

Whiplash never felt like a threatening or consequential villain, I was never worried that Iron Man would lose to him. Shoot, Mickey Rourke as himself was a scarier villain than anytime he suited up with electrowhips. Sam Rockwell is actually memorable because of how quirky his character was. There's a few moments of humor that perhaps help shape the now standard MCU formula, but otherwise this movie is unfortunately another skipable mess.

16. Thor: The Dark World

I always knew this was going to be near the bottom of the list. It was just a question of what good qualities I could find to compensate for the weak villains and weak plot. One of the things about the Thor movies is that they're always visually impressive, and this one is no exception. Everything to do with the Asgardians and the alien tech is striking and gorgeous.

This film utilized the dynamic duo of Thor and Loki the best, giving them further development, quippy one-liners, and balanced their frustrations with their brotherly affections. The sci-fi aspect worked best during the final battle when they used portal transportation as part of the fight against the villain. However, this movie's positive traits still can't make up for: Any moments involving Natalie Portman or Kat Dennings, the sadly forgettable Dark Elves, and a boring story.

15. Ant Man

This is about the mark where I do not necessarily dislike or even hate the movies in question, but I'm also not really impressed at the same time. The best parts of Ant Man involve Paul Rudd's humorous interactions with other characters, anything to do with Michael Pena's character Luis, and the quirky set pieces and action scenes of the finale. Some of the ant training was fun and getting to see the world from Ant Man's miniature perspective was nice. I also didn't mind a little character development with Michael Douglas and Evangeline Lily.

Yet, despite some drama and character development, most of the characters just did not connect with me and the rest of the movie's visuals were not appealing. People talk about it being a heist comedy, but the heist and heist prep is not really as fun as it should be and the comedy is more based on the actors than the dialogue. This is a case where the MCU head honchos should've let Edgar Wright do what he wanted, especially visually and stylistically, cause it seems his quirky influences are the most memorable aspects of the movie.

14. Thor

At first this movie looked like Marvel was just trying too hard to show off their technical and visual effects. The CGI involving Asgard and the other worlds was so overt and overblown that it almost looked like a video game moreso than a live action movie at times. Plus, this movie was not as action oriented as expected, focusing instead more on character development and dramatic dialogue, which kind of slowed things down in the middle. So, I struggled to like the movie at first.

Then over time as I came to appreciate Kenneth Branagh, his Shakespearean background, and good character development, I started to enjoy this movie's main cast a little more. I also came to appreciate the distinctly alien and otherworldly creations of Asgard and Jotunheim. Chris Hemsworth makes a great Thor and majority of the scenes with him on Earth were fun as long as he was the sole, primary focus. Tom Hiddleston did a great job shaping Loki as a charming yet manipulative antagonist, making it hard to feel sorry for him and frustrated by him at different times. It gets boring sometimes, but it improves with each viewing, I think.

13. Captain America: First Avenger

This movie has the feeling of an old adventure serial, which can be both good and bad. The classic atmosphere pairs well with not only the time period, but the kind of virtuous, heroic character that Captain America is. I also think Hugo Weaving as Red Skull is one of the better and even somewhat underrated villains in the MCU. He's intelligent yet crazy, charismatic and dangerous, and I think the special effects make up for his Red Skull appearance really popped out. The action scenes are nice, but nothing special, except for the chase scene right after Rogers' operation to become Captain America.

The weird thing is, aside from the main protagonist and antagonist, the ensemble of supporting characters are nearly forgettable. I realized I had forgotten details about Peggy Carter and Buckey Barnes/ Winter Soldier from this movie when I saw the second Captain America movie, which isn't a good sign. It talks up the thematic elements at times, but I think the overall goal of the movie was to define Captain America before The Avengers came out, and I think it succeeded.

12. Doctor Strange

The best thing this movie has going for it is the visual effects. The way that this movie bends reality and the landscape around it is stunning. However, sometimes it just doesn't feel like the movie takes enough chances with its visual effects. Strange's first encounter with the Ancient One and his duel with Dormammu at the end are the best examples of imagination and stunning visuals. I just wish that there were more scenes on par with those. The magic in the movie allows for some fun action scenes. The character interactions are also enjoyable sometimes.

Benedict Cumberbatch is a good Stephen Strange visually and character-wise. Vocally, there's times when his American accent definitely sounds fake and forced. The biggest problem with this movie is that the storyline is a demonstration of the stereotypical Marvel formula, a heroic-coming-of-age origin story where a hero discovers their heroic quality and is outmatched in the first fight before learning his lesson to win the second fight, all while throwing in as many jokes as possible. What should've been a spooky psychedelic thriller ended up being a stereotypical action blockbuster. It still gets called an Iron Man copycat with good reason, but maybe it would've felt fresher earlier on in the MCU catalog rather than later. It's all right, just could've been so much more.

11. Iron Man

This movie is in this slot mainly for reputation moreso than my own actual opinion of the movie. I've only really seen this movie once in the theater, and I accidentally fell asleep before the first Iron Man suit appeared (it was the morning after a high school dance, gimme a break). My favorite elements are all your favorite elements: Robert Downey Jr's portrayal of Tony Stark, his contrite pursuit to right the wrongs he created, the cool action pieces when we saw the Iron Man suit in action for the first time, the relationship between Tony and Gwenyth Paltrow's Pepper Potts, Jeff Bridges coming out of nowhere to be a surprisingly good villain.

The involvement of Middle Eastern terrorists made sense in the context of the movie and helped bring a foundation of reality into a fictional comic book world. The technology was also interesting, it was cool to see how futuristic yet close-to-real all of Stark's gadgets were. This movie is definitely a step above all of the other standard action hero movies before it, and certainly set a standard for the MCU movies to follow. It just took awhile for MCU movies to match and rise above the standard.

10. Iron Man 3

Hear me out. I believe this movie has the best character arc for Tony Stark. It builds upon all of his appearances in previous movies and actually gives him obstacles that push him physically, mentally, and emotionally. I like Stark's interactions with all of the characters in this movie, especially the kid in the middle and it improved upon the relationship with Don Cheadle's version of Rhodes. While we don't as much of Pepper or Happy as before, those relationships still matter a whole lot in this movie.

I'll also give the movie props for being bold enough to subvert expectations with the villain while still developing the villains properly. The initial build-up of Ben Kingsley's Mandarin is chilling and realistic, while Guy Pearce's buildup as the real antagonist actually provides a character arc for him, gives Stark a relationship with the villain that makes sense and has stakes at the end. Robert Downey Jr. is always fun and interesting as Tony Stark, and it was cool to see Stark relying on his wits and skills much moreso than his Iron Man gadgetry constantly. We still get the same witty dialogue and interesting action scenes we expect in a movie involving Iron Man, just this time there are some interesting characters with unique quirks involved in the picture as well.

9. Thor: Ragnarok

It's about this point in the list where things get a little more flexible, a little harder to maintain a certain order of preference. The next 3-4 choices in this upper middle section could probably be all switched around at different times and it would still probably be an honest ranking.

This is some of the most fun I've had in movies in a long time. In terms of just pure entertainment based on action and humor, Thor: Ragnarok knocked it out of the park. The jokes actually got me to smile and laugh while the action was pleasing and sensible. Shoot, I feel like this was both one of the most mature portrayals of Thor while simultaneously one of the goofiest in a way that actually worked. Perhaps the thing that stands out the most to me from this movie is the visuals. This is one of the, if not the most, beautiful MCU movies created. From the costume designs to the color choices to the computer effects, everything just pops off the screen.

The soundtrack even has some memorable qualities to it, with the synthesizer creating a nice galactic blend between orchestral music and rock. What drags this movie down is similar to the problem with Doctor Strange (though oddly his inclusion is one of my favorite parts of this movie), trying to shove too much lighthearted or lazy comedy in a movie that should've been a dark apocalyptic drama. I think what helps this movie more than Doctor Strange is that the serious moments had more heart and better pay off here.

8. Black Panther

It almost feels too early to honestly add this movie, but I saw it before releasing the list, so it's got to go somewhere. Some elements of CGI work very well, like the various hologram technologies, but then there were some sloppy CGI images in the fight scenes, particularly the climactic battle. This movie was unfortunately unable to shake off the standard MCU movie formula, which made moments in the story predictable or old hat. The action scenes had some thrilling moments, but because of the quick cut technique used alongside the CGI, it was sometimes hard to really see the fights.

Yet, don't worry, there's good things in this movie too (it is at least above halfway on the list after all). All of the actors presented some interesting and well fleshed-out characters. The main ensemble of supporting characters, especially those played by Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, and Lupita Nyong'o, stood out and even sometimes overshadowed Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa. Shoot, even Martin Freeman (who usually just plays Martin Freeman) was different yet likeable compared to his earlier work, plus Andy Serkis was top notch reprising a maniacal Klaue. Michael B. Jordan gives a really good villain performance, and while I understand his conflicts and motivations, I don't necessarily sympathize with him as much as others seem to, at least not enough to support him over Black Panther.

The color scheme and costume aesthetics really brought so many good visuals to the screen. While political commentary is a tough tightrope to cross in a movie that's supposed to please wide audiences, the real-world ideas that this movie spoke about worked because they played a part in the character and story development of the movie. Ultimately I think it's the real world political commentary, in connection with the story of the movie, that gives this movie the edge over the more lighthearted Ragnarok.

7. Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Like any good sequel, this movie did an excellent job of continuing the story established in the first movie. Any repeat elements, most notably the soundtrack, still maintained the atmosphere and spirit of the original while progressing the sequel forward. The most intriguing characters in this movie were also the ones with the most dramatic character development. Characters from Rocket and Gamora to Yondu and even Nebula had very dramatic and deep character building moments. Kurt Russell provides a charming yet despicable villain.

For as fun as this movie was, it also had some genuinely dramatic, heartfelt, tender moments. The fun and drama, however, still left room for some immature moments. I feel like they utilized Drax's comedic abilities in the wrong way, often making him more of a bully and source of much of the crude humor in the movie. For whatever reason, I don't think Peter Quill played as big of a part as might've been expected, or perhaps this time around Quill was constantly surrounded by more intriguing characters.

This is another strikingly gorgeous MCU movie, with colors and images that often times rival or overshadow Doctor Strange. I think it is the dramatic character development, the atmosphere that continued from the first movie, and the building of relationships amidst a fun space adventure is what pushes this movie ahead of the previous two for me.

6. Avengers: Age of Ultron

I actually enjoy this movie more than most people, I think. I believe it properly balances all of the characters correctly and provides both drama and comedy in the right ways. It handles the introduction of new characters fairly well while building upon most of the main cast from the original Avengers. You've still got fun, thrilling action here. Character interaction is great, allowing us to see the ensemble at their most relaxed and at their most tense, and it truly is an ensemble performance throughout. I even liked attention given to characters like Hawkeye, introducing his family in the middle, and how Ultron was a bizarro version of a Tony Stark and Jarvis/Vision combo.

Of course this movie is not without flaws. It does force in too much foreshadowing of future Marvel movies, making it feel like product placement for movies that didn't even exist at the time. It also has very little tension since none of the main characters ever really feel in danger. The final battle is much more of a cartoon than a realistic action scene, even making the comic books feel more authentic to real life. When your heroes don't really tire or get severely injured from kicking robot butt the whole time, the fact that you know the crisis will be averted in the end, and the only death that occurs happens to a non-leading character makes the stakes feel low at the end.

In some ways, this movie is a little too self-reflective, a little too aware of the fact that it's a movie with an established universe and an audience desperate to absorb references and thematic material. I can't deny though, getting to see things like Iron Man's Hulkbuster suit, mutant powers from Quiksilver and Scarlet Witch, and a room full of superheroes hanging out over beer and wine while trying to lift a mythological hammer is all pretty fun stuff to watch.

5. The Avengers

This is another one whose placement on the list is more reputation based than just my own opinion. I remember thinking the movie was all right upon initial viewing and it has grown on me little by little with each viewing. I will give it credit for being the first Marvel movie to balance so many big characters, provide some cool looking action scenes, and for balancing so many storylines that came before it while also setting up later movies without feeling overbloated or unable to stand on its own. It knows how to play itself up as a movie while absorbing the audience, making us feel like this is all really happening.

The plot elements were pretty predictable, but at least the story made for some good character development and the script provided both wit and drama. The look of this movie and the way the characters are presented makes this feel like a true comic book come to life, a definitive version of a superhero movie. There's lots of images that really stand out in this movie, the production design was really sharp. I would even make the argument that one doesn't necessarily have to see all of the previous movies beforehand in order to understand and enjoy the movie, they explain enough and trust the audience enough to go with them along this journey, seeing all the previous material beforehand is just a bonus.

4. Captain America: Winter Soldier

This movie is an example where Marvel, by allowing the directors and creative team to use their own desired genre and movie-making aesthetic, can expand MCU's style beyond the formula in a very positive way. Sure, the spy thriller genre is pretty similar to action blockbusters, but this movie had a few more thinking pieces and deeper dramatic moments compared to the average summer action flick like previously mentioned MCU movies. It also did the job that a sequel is supposed to do by advancing the character development and relationships of the main persons established in the previous movie.We get to know Captain America, Black Widow, even Winter Soldier and Nick Fury better through the events of this movie.

They did a great job of making Falcon fit into a real world setting and the fight choreography is some of the most fluid of all the MCU, making it easy for the eyes to follow. This movie has a big reputation for being one of MCU's best, which is warranted in many ways, but I wanted to rank this movie high on the list for more than just reputation's sake alone. What makes it stand out so well is the serious, realistic approach. Having Robert Redford involved in the project seems to give the other actors inspiration to improve their performances and characters from past movies, giving the movie and performances a more serious, dramatic tone.

3. Spiderman: Homecoming

This version of Peter Parker and Spiderman is the best that I have seen on the big screen (though to be fair I haven't seen all of The Amazing Spiderman movies). We truly see the character portrayed appropriately in both personas. Peter is awkward, geeky, smart, and an outcast. Spiderman is funny, heroic, and fast in terms of movement and in dialogue. So Tom Holland played his part very well, as did Michael Keaton as the villain who had quite the slick, icy shift in personality. The action pieces were fun and thrilling, except the ending climactic battle. The dialogue was all fun and realistic, not as sappy and cringeworthy as previous Spidermans (Spidermen?).

This is a great example of a comic book movie pretending to be realistic while enjoying the fantasy elements that allow comics to move beyond realistic limitations. Meaning that while characters and situations are pretty realistic here, the gadgetry and stunts are all fantasy-based. It was cool getting to see Spiderman interact with his nerdy friends and his awkward encounters with romantic interests and authority figures were not cringe-inducing like previous Spidermen before him. I think it was also a clever move to have Iron Man involved in the movie and influencing the story.It fit the circumstances of the story as well as added some good character development.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy

Another example of how giving the director freedom in the project and creating a style outside of the standard MCU formula can spell success. Guardians of the Galaxy was fun, engaging, and wonderful to look at. The main protagonists all had the ability to be deeply flawed yet charming and likable at the same time. The most memorable elements in this movie are the comedy, the sci-fi aesthetic, and the soundtrack. These are what make the movie stand out from the rest of the MCU (at least, the first half of the catalog) and what gives the movie its charming, entertaining personality.

They really put different classic songs to good use in this movie. This movie took the look of extraterrestrial worlds established in the Thor movies and ramped them up several notches, providing bright colors and dark shadows at the same time. While crude in some ways, the comedy mainly works because the actors all present charming characters in a funny way, especially Chris Pratt and Dave Bautista (Bradley Cooper's voice is almost unrecognizable, but his voice matches well with the CG Rocket character). Despite a boring villain and some forced connections to previous MCU material, the bizarre and goofy adventure we go through is worth it for the main cast of characters and the new standard that this movie set for future MCU movies.

1. Captain America: Civil War

I've watched this movie multiple times and still enjoy it after every watch. Sure, I find flaws or aspects I didn't necessarily care for, and sometimes the arguments for why or why not The Avengers should sign on to the Sokovia Accords don't make sense. However, this movie still builds upon all of the essential elements of the movies that came before it and maintains a good balance of everything, drama and comedy, action and character building. It knows how to juggle an ensemble of important characters and give each hero just the right amount of screen time according to their value in the story.

It introduced us to Black Panther, Zemo, and Spiderman without missing important character development moments. It paced itself well, going back and forth between slow quiet moments and fast quick-cut action. Like other Marvel movies before it (and after), this one had some idea worth contemplating, some commentary and connection to the real world. Yet, it manages to still keep everything confined to the MCU world so that it isn't continually overt in the real world commentary

That airport scene! That's what ultimately sells the movie for me. It's so quick compared to many other scenes, but so much fun. It's a treat to watch it over and over again. While I think it probably was the right length of time for the story they were telling, a part of me wishes it had gone on much longer so we could've seen even more different combos of characters fighting one another.