Once again, the Geeked Gods have smiled upon us (see what I did there?) and have gifted us with some excellent movies. We really are living in a golden age, guys! To prove it, here are some of the best films of the year. Some have superheroes, some don’t – but all are worth watching before we hit year’s end.
Deadpool
No, that Golden Globe nomination for “Best Comedy” wasn’t a fluke! With its obvious middle finger to traditional superhero tropes, Deadpool is the anti-superhero superhero movie that fans have been waiting for. The film surprisingly lived up to the hype, and now we’re counting down the days until a sequel.
Kubo and the Two Strings
Fans of mythology, fairy tales, and stop-motion animation have a new modern classic on their hands. Aside from being a delightful fairy tale for both children and adults, Kubo’s animation is drop-dead gorgeous. Every part of the film feels effortless, but you know it definitely took years of effort to accomplish. Also – those sisters? They’re the new inhabitants of my nightmares.
Captain America: Civil War
Whether you’re a Marvel or DC fan, you can’t deny that this movie provided just about everything fans wanted in a movie. Robert Downey Jr.! Black Panther! Quippy Spider-Man! Chris Evans’ muscles! Yes, the film might have had a lot of elements, but they were all great. And, like all Marvel movies, they left us begging for more.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
This film is no Harry Potter, but it has the potential to become that – hence it’s place on this list. We’re excited to explore this new world with J.K. Rowling, and the film did its job of getting us on-board with this new adventure perfectly.
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
Holy Adam West, Batman! It was exciting to hear that the actors from the classic Batman 1960s series were returning to the roles, and this film did not disappoint. For an animated release, it’s a whole lot of fun regardless of whether you watched Adam West when you were younger or if you’re just discovering his performance.
Jungle Book
It’s not a secret that 2016 was a really good year for Disney (examples: Zootopia, Moana, and Pete’s Dragon). Jungle Book, however, stands out due to its technical prowess. If you ever thought that the 2-D animated classic couldn’t be topped, check out this movie and think again.
Zootopia
Yes, even though we just gave it a shoutout, this film is too good to not include. While it might look like it’s just a cartoon movie about animals, it actually has some deeper themes about race and how society affects our perceptions of it.
10 Cloverfield Lane
Scary John Goodman? Definitely worth waiting for. This surprise Cloverfield anthology sequel lived up to the hype by staying small and focusing on building its characters. The ending isn’t totally a surprise, but it is effective. And Mary Elizabeth Winstead is one kick-ass heroine.
Rogue One
Yeah, yeah, – we know it’s a new release, but we don’t care. This movie is awesome and everything feels right in the world.
