Best of 2016 (So Far)

It's that time of year again. The countdown to Oscars sunday begins this week with the Venice Film Festival, and kicks into full gear next week with the Toronto International Film Festival. Before that, let's recap the movies that have already premiered in 2016. Like I said last year, I can only write about the movies I've seen, so my apologies to fans of The Nice Guys, War Dogs, Hail! Caesar, Triple 9, Miles Ahead, Maggie's Plan, The Witch, Pete's Dragon, and others. There's only so many movies I can watch, but I'll try my best to watch these well-reviewed movies, and others like them, before the year's up. I've seen 26 movies that premiered in 2016 up to this point, and I'm not counting one that premiered in May in the states. In february, I ranked The Lobster as my #1 movie of 2015, and because of that I'm not including it in this recap. But if it qualifies for this year's Oscars, I might write about it again in my year-end lists. Let's see if any of the films premiering in Venice and Toronto in the next two weeks can knock it out of the top spot.

Enough about what's not in this recap. Let's get to it, shall we? In the first two editions of this mid-year recap, I've cut my year-end lists in half, doing a Top 5 Movies list instead of a Top 10, and 4 Top 4 Lists instead of 8 Top 8 Lists. I'm sticking to a Top 5 Movies list, but this time I'm doing 8 Top 4 Lists, so it's still kind of like cutting them in half. What can I say? I love writing about movies. I'm doing 7 positive lists, including Best Performances, Best Quotes, Funniest Moments, Best Reference to Another Movie, Best Death Scenes, Best Music Moments, Best Sidekicks, and one negative list about one movie in particular. It's been a while since I've gone negative, but I want to pile on to the hate on this movie. Before I get to that, let's get started with the Top 5 Movies of 2016 (So Far).

*WARNING : SPOILERS*

Top 5 Movies of 2016 (So Far)

5) (Tie) Star Trek Beyond and Captain America: Civil War

Two Part 3s in a trilogy, or part 13s of their respective franchise history (MCU in Civil War's case). What are the odds, right? These were, by far, the best Summer Blockbusters of a not-so-great Summer Blockbuster season for me. They might not make my year-end Top 10, and neither one is a strong Oscars contender like Mad Max was at this spot last year(Star Trek should get strong consideration for Best Makeup), but they absolutely delivered on the main thing I look for in these movies: Fun! They packed a lot of action, drama, excitement, mixed it with some great humor, and both have excellent ensemble casts that I'll never get tired of. That's why we go to the movies folks!

4) Bad Moms

The funniest movie of the year so far for me, and also the year's most pleasant surprise. I really had no intentions of watching this movie up until like a day before I saw it. I was simply not paying attention. It's written by the male duo who wrote The Hangover(the original and funny one), and it includes a cast of excellent comedic talents such as Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hann(who steals every scene as usual), and the legendary Christina Applegate as the baddest of bad moms. If you're a parent of school-aged children, like me, this one's a must watch! We all know those moms that are portrayed in this movie: the "judgy" mom, the "stay-at-home" mom, the "single" mom, the "full-time job" mom, and trust me, you will laugh your you-know-what off laughing with them, or at them, in this movie.

3) Zootopia

I've seen way too many animated movies this year(gotta please the kids, you know?), but Zootopia works for them and for me too. I have one other animated movie ranked ahead of it, but that's no knock on this one. It should easily get an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, and it will receive consideration for an Original Screenplay nomination as well. It's a Disney Film-Noir that uses an animals-in-clothing metaphor to represent the racial and immigration tension present in our society today. The whole Trump crazy-show started when this movie was already in post-production, so the timing on this one turned out to be absolutely perfect. If by some evil-twilight zone twist of the universe that man becomes president, and my oldest son asks me: "Dad, why is this man president?", I'll say: "Sit down son, let's watch Zootopia."

2) Sing Street

John Carney does it again! With his musical movies, Carney has direct access to the happy place inside my brain, and Sing Street may be his best film yet. His movies(Once, Begin Again) are pure magic, and this one is no different. It's a beautiful coming-of-age story, that's also a love story, and a great meditation on brotherly love, set in 1980's Dublin, with catchy original songs mixed with popular rock hits of the era. It's gonna be a strong year in the Best Original Song category with Moana(Lin-Manuel going for the EGOT) and La La Land(Venice opener from the director of Whiplash) coming up, but "Up" from this film absolutely belongs in the group of nominees, and from what's come out so far, it's currently the frontrunner.

1) Kubo and the Two Strings

Speaking of movie magic, this one's an instant animation classic! It features the most beautiful cinematography in any 2016 film I've seen so far. It's animation as if it were filmed by 3-time Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki. It's full of awe-inspiring shots one after the other from the opening scene to the last. Add to that a great story about the influence of past generations on our children, and vice versa, and a quest for the main character that includes funny talking animal sidekicks plus some awesome fight scenes that pay tribute to classic asian cinema, and you get a film that had me tearing up at the end(the only time that's happened so far this year) from the sheer brilliance that I had just experienced.

8 Top 4 Lists

I Best Performances (So Far)

4) Ginnifer Goodwin as "Judy Hopps" in Zootopia

    -The perfect amount of perkyness, like in her "Ready to make the world a better place?" delivery, balanced excellently in her more emotional scenes, like when "Judy" apologizes to Nick.

3) Taron Egerton as "Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards" in Eddie the Eagle

    -Another solid lead performance for this future A-Lister

2) John Goodman as "Howard" in 10 Cloverfield Lane

    -Here's hoping this terrific performance(as usual) finally lands Goodman his first Oscar nomination.

1) Ben Foster as "Lance Armstrong" in The Program

    -Foster keeps racking up great performance after great performance, but still goes mostly unnoticed by the general moviegoing audience. An Oscar nomination would help increase his profile, and he absolutely deserves one for this method transformation into the controversial cyclist.

II Best Quotes (So Far)

4) "... Because I'm Lance Armstrong and he is fucking no one. I like this. I like somebody trying to go faster than me. I like malignant cells trying to take over my body. I like some fool trying to take me down. Because I go faster. I don't die and I will not be brought down."

    - The essence of Lance Armstrong(Ben Foster), which eventually turned him into a disgraced figure in American sports history, as seen in The Program

3) "You are my quest."

    - "Beetle"(Matthew McConaughey) to "Monkey"(Charlize Theron) in Kubo and the Two Strings. There's added meaning to that line that I will leave for you to discover when you see this movie, which you absolutely must do!

2) "I know what it is."

    "What what is?"

    "My 'desert-island' band."

    "Tell somebody who gives a shit."

    - Anton Yelchin's(RIP) "Pat" tries to make conversation with Imogen Poots's "Amber" after a very, very long night, but "Amber" isn't having any of it in the final scene of the very scary Green Room

1) "What does happy-sad even mean? How can we be both things? It makes no sense."

    "It means that I'm stuck in this shithole full of morons and rapists and bullies, and I'm gonna deal with it, okay? It's just how life is. I'm gonna try and accept this and get on with it, and make some art."

    "So how does that affect our music?"

    "Positively."

    - "Conor"(Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) teaching his songwriting partner "Darren"(Ben Carolan) about what he's learned about being happy-sad from his girlfriend "Raphina", and how that benefits their music.

III Funniest Moments (So Far)

4) "Deadshot"(Will Smith) helps his daughter with her geometry homework using his particular talents as an example in Suicide Squad

3) Trip to the DMV in Zootopia

2) "Spones", that's the whole segment where "Spock"(Zachary Quinto) and "Bones"(Karl Urban) are stuck together in Star Trek Beyond

1) Bathroom scene in Bad Moms, explaining what to do if you find a 'gun on the street'. Super funny, and super informative, plus the 3 ladies in this scene are fantastic.

IV Best Reference to Another Movie

4) Deadpool. 

    - Pretty much the whole movie is one giant movie reference. In particular, the Ferris Bueller credits reference was the best.

3) Cool Runnings reference in Eddie the Eagle. 

    - Turns out these two inspiring stories happened in the same Winter Olympics, and in a quick moment, Eddie's coach "Bronson Peary"(Hugh Jackman) shuts off the radio just as a report on the Jamaican bobsled team is starting.

2) Saving Private Ryan reference in Sausage Party. 

    - When some food falls from a supermarket shopping cart, to the humans it's a small mess, but to the food it's like D-Day in Normandy beach.

1) Empire Strikes Back reference in Captain America: Civil War. 

    - In the middle of the full-on battle at the airport, a suddenly giant Ant-Man causes trouble for team Iron-Man. That's when the newest team member, Spider-Man, says: "Hey guys, you ever see that really old movie, Empire Strikes Back?"

V Best Death Scenes

4) "Shere Khan"(Idris Elba) kills "Akela"(Giancarlo Esposito) in The Jungle Book
    - An intense scene from this surprisingly good Disney live-action remake. Idris Elba, or Idris Elba's voice(Star Trek Beyond, Zootopia, Finding Dory), is the easy choice for 2016 1st half MVP.

3) "Magneto's"(Michael Fassbender) family is killed in X-Men: Apocalypse
    - The best scene by far from this disappointing 3rd chapter in the trilogy.

2) "Howard"(John Goodman) kills "Emmett"(John Gallagher Jr.) in 10 Cloverfield Lane
    - A great moment that took me completely by surprise. You think that "Howard" is just trying to scare "Emmett" and "Michelle"(Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and then, Bam!

1) "He killed my mom" scene in Captain America: Civil War. 
    - No spoiling this one. Someone kills someone else's mom and dramatic consequences ensue.

VI Best Music Moments

4) "Rapper's Delight" in Everybody Wants Some

    - Linklater working his magic.

3) "Sabotage" in Star Trek Beyond

    - The most fun I've had in theaters this year. I was toe tapping along with "Sulu" and "Checkov".

2) "I love it" in Bad Moms

    - 2nd most fun I've had in theaters this year. Watching Kathryn Hann entering the supermarket on the old lady cart I think is the hardest I've laughed all year.

1) Sing Street.

    - All of it. In particular "Up" (my favorite movie moment of the year so far) and "Drive it like you stole it".

VII Best Sidekicks

4) "Beetle" and "Monkey" in Kubo and the Two Strings

    - Funny duo who also help "Kubo" in his quest to defeat the "Moon King"

3) "Carla"(Kathryn Hann) and "Kiki"(Kristen Bell) in Bad Moms

    - The "single" mom and the "stay-at-home" mom, respectively, who help "Amy"(Mila Kunis) run for PTA president.

2) "Nick Wilde"(Jason Bateman) in Zootopia

    - Bateman is perfectly cast as the 'sly fox', which I think describes about 80% of the characters he's ever played. "Nick" is ever-skeptical, but once you learn why that is, there's no way you won't fall in love with him.

1) "Brendan"(Jack Reynor) in Sing Street

    - The best character in any John Carney movie so far, in part because of the excellent performance from Reynor, but mostly because of how Carney wrote the character. He's basically the big brother that everyone wishes they had. My two brothers are all right too, I guess.

VIII Worst things about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

4) That title. 

    - Ugh. If your superhero battle movie makes me think of a legal case, I don't think that's a good thing.

3) Whatever Jesse Eisenberg was trying with Lex Luthor

    - Seriously, what was that? Every choice was wrong.

2) Bruce Wayne meets Clark Kent

    - Why would these two ever need to be introduced to each other? Why is Clark Kent even at that party? How in the hell does Clark Kent, aka Superman, you know? not know who Bruce Wayne is? Why is Lex Luthor so excited for Bruce Wayne to meet this nobody reporter? Why can't anyone tell that Clark Kent is Superman? Does he do the Professor X thing where he gets other people to see what he wants them to see? I feel like the Riddler in Batman Forever : "So many questions."

1) Say it with me: "MARTHA!!!"

    - You know those funny scenes I mentioned from other movies before? Scratch that. Watching this scene is the hardest I've laughed in 2016.