Top 100 Worst Movies of the 2010s: 90-81

(Source: IMDb)

90. Domino (2019) – Brian De Palma returns to direct seven years after his last film Passion. Following a Danish detective (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) on the hunt to take down an ISIS member, Domino is one of those movies that would have been fine if it came out in the early 1990s or early 2000s. There are some scenes that showcase the wonderful director’s talents, but it falters through an outdated narrative (why the movie is in 2020 is beyond me), horrible pacing, and actors that look so bored. It’s not a good sign the movie will be a masterpiece if the director admitted on hating the project due to its delays.

(Source: IndieWire)

89. Green Lantern (2011) – I am so glad Ryan Reynolds made fun of this movie in the Deadpool movies. This is a boring superhero origin story from Martin Campbell (responsible for directing two of the best James Bond films–Goldeneye and Casino Royale). The visuals range from decent to bad, the cast is a bore (not to mention a miscast Peter Sarsgaard), and it lacks any focus.

(Source: Nerd Daily)

88. Baywatch (2017) – Movies making fun of the television shows that were based on are nothing new. 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street are prime examples of having fun with them. Baywatch is nowhere close. I admit there are attractive people and some funny moments (particularly Dwayne Johnson bantering Zac Efron), but this is an absolute mess from the get-go. It contains too much toilet humor, terrible CGI, and a mystery with no flair.

(Source Cinema Blend)

87. Okja (2017) – Bong Joon-Ho’s satire on the food industry has a lot of potential. After a decent-enough first half, everything falls apart. Even the gorgeous visuals and its use of John Denver cannot withstand an inconsistent tone, a wasted ensemble, and not having a single clue who to aim it towards. Tilda Swinton plays off as a generic antagonist in a CEO for an environmental company to breed the best “super pig”. Jake Gyllenhaal has never been played an annoying character until now as a famous TV personality who sounds like the brother of Jim Carrey’s environmental activist from In Living Color.

(Source: Vox)

86. Suicide Squad (2016) – I admit, Will Smith and Margot Robbie are the only decent things in David Ayer’s DC catastrophe. The editing is bizarre, the character development is limited, the action is boring, the humor is forced, and the exposition is relentless. Don’t even get me started on Jared Leto as the Joker! I have never seen a rendition this bad.

(Source: Forbes)

85. Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) – When Zack Snyder brought Superman back to the silver screen with Man of Steel, it was hinted there will be a cinematic universe on the horizon. This sequel had the potential of making up for the flaws of its predecessor. I like the idea of Superman being a controversial figure throughout Gotham City. However, it’s clear that the movie is in a lot of trouble when the best part is the opening credits. Although Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot are decent, respectively, as Batman and Wonder Woman, it’s all dumbed down by a dull, humorless (although Jesse Eisenberg provides plenty of unintentional hilarity as Lex Luthor), and anticlimactic showdown for the ages. The final hour becomes so ridiculous to the point where the audience doesn’t care who goes out on top. What a disgrace to two iconic superheroes!

(Source: Guide Posts)

84. Red Tails (2012) – I’m a sucker when it comes to movies set in World War II. There has never seen one more boring than Red Tails, about the Tuskegee Airmen. The dogfights look more like a live-action cartoon, which sucks out all the realism. The actors are forgettable and the narrative feels dull. Watch the 1987 film The Tuskegee Airmen instead.

(Source: IMDb)

83. The Campaign (2012) – I really, REALLY wanted to like this political satire starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galafianakis as two opponents running for Congress in North Carolina. There are terrible attempts at humor, horrible scenarios involving the two clashing each other (particularly when Ferrell accidentally punching a CGI baby and, later, the dog from The Artist), and a gifted cast wasting their talents. The best part of the movie is where Green Day is playing during the end credits.

(Source: Business Insider)

82. The Green Hornet (2011) – I always find Seth Rogen to be a one-note comedic actor. He always plays the stereotypical stoner in every movie he is in. The Green Hornet would have been okay if it came out anywhere between the 1960s and 1980s. There is some good action set pieces, but it’s all ruined in this by-the-number, unfunny mess of a superhero flick. Christoph Waltz is straight-up wasted in a villainous role.

(Source: Slash Film)

81. The Intruder (2019) – This home-invasion thriller is just as generic as its premise makes it out to be. A black couple (Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) move into a beautiful house where its previous owner (Dennis Quaid) refuses to leave. There are a few suspenseful moments, but this ends up as shock-free, surprise-free, and derivative. Quaid makes for one unintentionally silly villain.

 

100-91 |  90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

Top 10 Worst Movies of 2016

Another year is almost upon us. It’s time to look back on the good and the bad.

2016 has been one crazy year. We missed a lot of people including David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Prince, George Michael, and so on. They are leaving a hell of a legacy behind them. On the other hand, 2016 has been another wonderful year for film. Plenty of movies that surprised me and exceeded my expectations. However, I cannot remember the last time so many movies flopped—both critically and financially. It’s disappointing to see good movies such as The BFG and Kubo and the Two Strings not earning the money it deserved. I’m actually glad some movies I missed out on flopped.

Like I usually do, let’s start off with the worst movies of the year. There were plenty of films I’ve seen in 2016 I would definitely like to forget. This year has seen some great actors wasting their talents, more rip-offs to better young-adult adaptations, some of the worst comedies imaginable, and a CGI-fueled clash between two of the greatest superheroes. Without further ado, here’s my list of the top ten worst movies of 2016.

Dishonorable Mentions: Free State of Jones, Hardcore Henry, A Hologram for the King, I Saw the Light, Independence Day: Resurgence, Regression, Sausage Party, Suicide Squad

(Source: The Verge)

10. Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice – I knew this film was not going to be any good after Ben Affleck was announced to play Batman. That was three years ago after the release of Man of Steel (which I mildly enjoyed)! Finally seeing it in theaters, Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot are the only decent things about this cluttered, derivative mess. Zack Snyder cannot even direct a compelling narrative that had a lot of potential for making up the problems Man of Steel had. If the best part in the movie is the opening, that’s not a good sign. The tone is so dead serious that it almost bored me to tears. Not to mention the climactic fight between these two superheroes being overhyped—it’s just them crashing into walls. Batman vs. Superman is a disgrace to two of the best superheroes of all-time. How can they ruin such a great supervillain like Lex Luthor? Jesse Eisenberg is impossible to take seriously.

(Source: The Los Angeles Times)

9. Warcraft – For someone who has never played any of the World of Warcraft video games, I had a feeling this might be a new fantasy classic and would end the streak of bad video game adaptations. Duncan Jones, who directed Source Code, one of the greatest science-fiction films in recent memory, showed some footage to his father David Bowie before his death in January. It is, without a doubt, a nice thing to do; being curious on what someone’s son has been working on. From seeing the final product, all I could say is this: What the hell happened?

This fantasy epic—more like, an epic failure—has visuals that look pretty cool (I mean, look at the Orcs!), but the green screen effects are atrociously obvious. I wish the mythology would have been explored more. Some of the humor is forced, the battles are a bore, and features a huge waste of talent from such a solid cast. I’m glad Ben Foster went somewhere after this dud. Warcraft is a movie for gamers, by gamers.

(Source: IndieWire)

8. Jane Got a Gun – The popularity of the Western genre has decreased since Clint Eastwood’s Award-winning film Unforgiven. There are plenty of Westerns that came out after 2000 that were actually great; 3:10 to Yuma and the 2010 remake of True Grit are some examples. Of course, there were plenty of misfires over the years. Jane Got a Gun is no exception. Being in production for many years, the movie ended up being released in 1,200 theaters nationwide. Resulting in becoming one of the biggest box-office bombs of the year. Director Gavin O’Connor (Warrior, The Accountant) and three writers including star Joel Edgerton had created a character study and revenge tale that is neither interesting nor exciting. Natalie Portman plays Jane Hammond, a frontierswoman, who seeks revenge on a gang, led by Ewan McGregor’s John Bishop, after attacking her husband—sound familiar? The overuse of flashbacks doesn’t make up to really sympathize with any of the characters. Portman, Edgerton and McGregor seem lost here. The final showdown is a bit of an anticlimax. By the end, Jane Got a Gun proves where the Western genre is going.

(Source: IMDb)

7. The Huntsman: Winter’s War – I was excited to see this when I heard Frank Darabont was going to direct the sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman. He directed two of the best Stephen King adaptations of all-time—The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. Not to mention the bland Kristen Stewart not returning to reprise her role as Snow White. Even though I found its predecessor to be average, The Huntsman: Winter’s War disappointed me on a gargantuan level.

This movie has no idea what it wants to be. A prequel? A sequel? Or a Frozen rip-off? The cast is trying really hard here; Chris Hemsworth and Jessica Chastain are two of the most charming actors working today. But, they have no chemistry whatsoever, and their Scottish accents are horrible. Charlize Theron had little to nothing to do here as the Queen Ravenna. And Emily Blunt is at her absolute worse as Freya the Snow Queen. Her mumbling and sudden outbursts reminded me so much of Eddie Redmayne’s “villainous” performance in last year’s Jupiter Ascending. If anyone is suffering from insomnia, listening to the dialogue from The Huntsman: Winter’s War would certainly help you get a good night’s sleep.

(Source: IMDb)

6. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising – Seth Rogen is one of the most overrated comedians in recent memory. Ever since Superbad (which I didn’t mind him in), he plays the same character over and over again. The R-rated animated comedy Sausage Party made me lost my appetite, but Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising was much worse.

Even though I somewhat enjoyed Neighbors, it went a little too far with its humor. Especially having way too many dick jokes. When they got it right, they got it right! Was a Neighbors 2 really necessary? If I saw this in theaters, I would have walked within ten minutes. Watching this in the comfort of my own home resulted in a painful film-watching experience. It’s raunchier and a lot nastier than its predecessor. One of the early scenes involving Mac and Kelly’s (Rogen and Rose Byrne reprising their roles) daughter—now a toddler—holding a dildo sums up the film’s humor. I did chuckle a few times throughout the 90-minute duration, but I didn’t laugh out loud. The dramatic moments felt forced and the craziness of the sorority felt tiresome. How come Seth Rogen and Zac Efron became good friends at the end of the first film even though they were big enemies is beyond me. Chloe Grace Moretz is a talented young actress, but she needs to take a break from raunchy comedies and young-adult adaptations, which leads to a perfect segue to my pick for number five.

(Source: comingsoon.net)

5. The 5th Wave – Another misfire starring Chloe Grace Moretz. Instead of fighting against neighbors, she’s fighting to save the world. The 5th Wave had promise early on when they talked about the different disasters Earth had faced leading up to the potential “Fifth Wave”, where kids are separated into military-based groups to save the world from aliens. Then, it quickly goes to generic and predictable territory. With the popularity of The Hunger Games, everyone apparently decided to make these rip-offs to attract teenagers. Moretz is trying her hardest to save it from being an absolute disaster. I don’t know what the hell Live Schreiber was thinking when he signed to do this film. The lack of originality, bland performances from everybody, and the mundanity of its narrative and direction wasn’t enough to hold my attention.

(Source: Collider)

4. Yoga Hosers – If you any of you seen him in interviews, Kevin Smith is one of the most awesome people working today. Not only does he create some funny and honest films such as Clerks and Chasing Amy, he also knows a lot about comic books. After a very limited theatrical release, his second entry in his True North trilogy—the first being Tusk, which I avoided like the plague—has earned its cult status on Netflix. I have never seen anything this absurd and irritating in my life! Lily-Rose Depp and Harley Quinn Smith play two teenagers who spend most of their time on their smartphones and playing in a band while working at a Winnipeg convenience store. One night, they fight off Nazis in the form of bratwursts. It’s definitely as bad as it sounds.

These two actresses do have long careers ahead of them, but they play two of the most annoying characters I’ve seen all year. Not only are the Canadian stereotypes are appalling, it also features godawful one-liners and even worse jokes that it made my jaw drop. And Johnny Depp is just doing his usual Depp-isms, but in a French-Canadian accent. I cannot listen to “Babe” by Styx the same way ever again.

(Source: Flavorwire)

3. Mother’s Day – The world said goodbye to Garry Marshall this past summer when he passed away from pneumonia. He is one of the most down-to-earth people in the world, but it doesn’t change the fact that his movies aren’t entirely good. Mother’s Day, his last directed film, follows the same structure as his previous two duds—Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Day (which I’m not going to bother with). Where we see several different storylines of different people on how they go on with their lives during a certain holiday. This movie feels more like a two-hour long sitcom episode than an actual film. It has every single stereotype in the book—from gay people to people of different races (case in point, Indian people). The jokes are horrendous and the story arcs just come off as syrupy. Not to mention one embarrassing scene where the mother (Margo Martindale) of two sisters (Kate Hudson and Sarah Chalke) doesn’t get a warm welcome due to seeing one of her daughters coming out of the closet. With an all-star cast including Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Julia Roberts, and Garry Marshall-regular Hector Elizondo (one of the saving graces of Valentine’s Day), I could see the outcome of each arc coming from a mile away. Julia Robert’s wig plays out as a much better character.

(Source: IMDb)

2. Dirty Grandpa – How can a great actor like Robert De Niro waste his talent in such a dreadful piece of work? It’s easy! Have him do a scene where his grandson (welcome back to the list, Zac Efron!) catches him masturbating through porn. That’s not the worst of it. I have never been so close to walking out of a theater when I saw Dirty Grandpa back in January. Every scene gets worse and worse. From De Niro making jokes about his grandson’s fiancée’s pink VW beetle to having a nude Efron waking up on a beach from a hangover wearing nothing but a bumblebee fanny pack with beer bottles surrounding him to De Niro cursing more than he does in every single Scorsese movie he has been in combined. No one tries to be funny, and every single character annoyed me to the point where I could not take it anymore. Once Dirty Grandpa was finally over, I literally walked out of the theater in shock. I went home to watch Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho to get the bad taste out of my mouth. But—at least it’s not the worst movie I’ve seen this year.

(Source: AskMen)

1. Nine Lives – A lot of people, like myself, thought this movie was a damn joke after watching the preview. Sadly, it’s a real movie about Kevin Spacey playing a successful NYC businessman who wants to buy his daughter a cat for her birthday. An accident leads him to the hospital, and his body is put inside the cat by a cat-store owner/cat whisperer (Christopher Walken, who looked like he walked on the set to star in the sequel to Click). What makes this Shaggy Dog rip-off (The Shaggy Cat?) so awful is that Barry Sonnenfeld directed it. He went from directing Men in Black, one of the funniest sci-fi films of the 20th century, to directing this puddle of cat piss. Not only was the film not funny at all, even Kevin Spacey looked like he didn’t want to be a part of this movie. Even his “one-liners” sum up his feeling about this movie (“Just drown me,” he says when he is given a bath as a cat). I love cats, and I do admit the cat is gorgeous, but I have seen other cats portraying so much better performances than in Nine Lives (Keanu anyone?). Hell, I’ve seen better CGI in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance than in this film. One of the subplots involves Spacey wanting to create the tallest building in the country, which will bore kids to tears with its talk about business. It’s just amazing how bad Nine Lives is!

I hope you enjoyed what my picks are for the worst films of 2016 as much as I did tearing them apart. Feel free to leave any comments about what are some bad movies you had to endure this year. Stay tuned for my list of the best movies of 2016.

2016 Summer Movie Review: Suicide Squad

A group of criminals team up to take down an entity in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad (Source: IMDb)

After the disaster known as Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, I wonder if the DC Extended Universe (starting with the 2013’s decent Man of Steel) will have a good movie for once. DC is remaining on the dark side with Suicide Squad. A great cast playing a group of supervillains under the direction of David Ayer—responsible for writing Training Day and directing End of Watch and the excellent WWII tank flick Fury.

After one year of anticipation, does it hold up? Not necessarily.

Is it better than Batman vs. Superman? You bet! But that’s not saying much.

Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) is the head of an intelligence agency. She and her officials recruit a team of criminals including Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, a.k.a. Mr. Eko from Lost), among others. They form Task Force X to take down a witch known as Enchantress (Cara Delevingne) from taking over the world (insert Street Fighter reference here). While the Joker (Jared Leto) is on a mission of his own of getting even with his lover, the team must work together to save the world, or else they all get killed.

Suicide Squad has its moments. While every single character is as thin as a piece of paper, the performances are not bad. The only ones I cared for are Deadshot and Harley Quinn, kudos to the performances by Smith and Robbie, who reunite a year after Focus. The soundtrack—featuring the likes of The Rolling Stones, Credence Clearwater Revival, Eminem—is pretty awesome. There is plenty of dark humor sprinkled throughout the 130-minute duration (not surprisingly, this movie is the funniest in the DCEU). While Jared Leto breathes a different life into the Joker, the rest of the movie wouldn’t make a difference if his scenes got cut altogether.

The movie does not save itself from an incoherent script, choppy editing (notably the first act), an obnoxious action-filled finale, plot holes galore, and a lackluster villain (Delevingne’s Enchantress doesn’t look too bad visual-wise, but her purpose is beyond crap). Better luck next year, DC.

1.5/4

2016 Summer Movie Preview: August

Damn, is it that time already? Yes, August is here, which means the summer movie season is about to come to a close. 2016 has been a wonderful year for movies so far. This month, however, doesn’t have a lot to look forward to. A lot of you might be as pissed as I am that The Founder got pushed back to December 16. Without further ado, here are my thoughts on what has yet to come out in August.

August 5

Suicide Squad – A lot of summer action films tend to have scenes set in Chicago. It’s always under attack, either Autobots fighting the Decepticons or Batman taking down bad guys in Gotham City (used as the backdrop). In the case of Suicide Squad, DC’s latest “superhero team-up”, it is far from another Avengers. It features a team deemed as the worst heroes ever. The cast is nothing short of stellar. Will Smith. Margot Robbie. Jared Leto. Cara Delevigne. Viola Davis. That’s almost enough reasons to see this movie, along with the visuals, the seemingly dark humor, and the soundtrack.

Nine Lives – I don’t know what the hell Kevin Spacey was thinking before signing for a movie like this. Remember when I said the trailer for Bad Moms was one of the worst I’ve seen this summer? It’s not worse than the trailer for this Shaggy Dog rip-off. As a cat lover, I would rather watch the first Cats & Dogs, Keanu or Homeward Bound rather than this dirty pile of cat litter. It looks like Christopher Walken, who plays the person responsible for turning Spacey into a cat, thought he was doing another movie. So far this decade, we have seen some great computer animation. The CGI on the cat doesn’t look too bad…if the movie came out in the 1990s. And the story alone sounds relentlessly tiring. I am skipping this one for sure.

August 12

Sausage Party – Seth Rogen is a hit-and-miss, in my opinion. Like with other comedic actors, I think he’s much better delivering dramatic roles (for example, his portrayal as Steve Wozniack in last year’s Steve Jobs). When he gets the comedy right, he gets it right. For the most part, his sense of humor can get a little twisted for my taste. Sausage Party, the first computer-animated film only suitable for adults, is no exception.

Apart from the beginning, Jonah Hill’s exorcism, and the end of the film, I found This Is the End to be one of the most overrated films so far this decade. And this might be the new This Is the End. I’m amazed on how many people are looking forward to seeing this (not to mention getting positive reception at this year’s SXSW festival). I was flat-out terrified from watching the previews. I might see it, but I won’t get my hopes too high.

Pete’s Dragon – With Disney remaking their classic films, this remake of the 1977 film seems to be the most standard one yet. Bryce Dallas Howard and Robert Redford are two of the most gifted actors working today. From the looks of it, it looks another Jungle Book. But hey—it might be more than just that.

Florence Foster Jenkins – Ah, now this is more like it! Stephen Frears has been popular since the 1980s, and is still going strong. High Fidelity, The Queen, and Philomena are some of his best of the 21st century. Florence Foster Jenkins looks like a masterful piece of work. With the Oscar season in mind, this might be one to pay attention to. Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant are the true definition of “classy”. It’s great to see Simon Helberg (Howard Wolowitz from The Big Bang Theory) in a movie directed by one of the best filmmakers out there. I honestly can’t wait for this!

Anthropoid – Perhaps the first film to depict the World War II operation to assassinate SS General Reinhard Heydrich from entering Czechoslovakia. For a history buff like myself, this mission has never been talked about in history classes. This might be more than just a basic history lesson rather than an experience.

Hell or High Water (everywhere August 19) – The western genre is slowly becoming deader than a doornail. The Coen brothers’ remake of True Grit is one of the biggest hits of this decade, while Jane Got a Gun became one of the biggest flops. After its premiere at Cannes, Hell or High Water (as well as the upcoming remake of The Magnificent Seven) might bring the genre back into the mainstream. Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Jeff Bridges look stellar here.

August 19

Kubo and the Two Strings – Ever since providing the animation for Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, Laika Animation has become a familiar but rather underrated production company. Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls are the only three hits from Laika. Kubo and the Two Strings might be the best animated film of the year. The voice cast is great: Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey (who seems to be hilarious here), Rooney Mara, and Ralph Fiennes. The animation (mixing stop-motion and CGI) looks breathtaking.

Ben-Hur – The remake of the Academy Award-winning film from 1959 seems to be an overblown mess. I don’t know what Morgan Freeman is doing here. Skip!

War Dogs – Miles Teller and Jonah Hill sure do make a great comedic duo. This might the case here in War Dogs, the latest from the director of The Hangover Todd Phillips. There hasn’t been any great comedies this year. I know this might be another Wolf of Wall Street, but I’m hoping there will be some good laughs sprinkled here and there. And hopefully, this will be a massive step-up to those horrendous Hangover sequels.

August 26

Mechanic: Resurrection – Jason Statham is one of the coolest action stars today. His villainous portrayal in Furious 7 is among the best in the series. I have never seen the first Mechanic from 2011, and I have no interest in seeing that or the sequel.

Don’t Breathe – With a few exceptions, horror has become a tired genre. The Conjuring 2 is by far the best horror film of the year. Don’t Breathe seems to be what horror is meant to be; having the sense of fear and feature an eerie atmosphere. It’s great to see Stephen Lang after appearing in Avatar seven years ago. His portrayal of a blind man with a dark past might rank among some of the best horror movie villains such as Michael Myers, Freddy Kruger, among others. I’m ready for a needed end-of-summer tension-filled thrill ride.

Hands of Stone – Robert De Niro’s portrayal of Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull is one of the best of his long acting career. He is back in the boxing film genre as a retired trainer going back to his work to train Panamanian fighter Roberto Duran, played by Édgar Ramírez. This might be your standard boxing film, but having it star two wonderful actors is enough to see it.

The Hollars – It’s hard to resist the presence of John Krasinski. In his directorial debut, he plays John, who returns to his home after hearing his mother being diagnosed with brain cancer. You can hardly go wrong with the cast: Richard Jenkins, Margo Martindale, Charlie Day, Sharlto Copley, Anna Kendrick, Josh Groban, among others. This looks like a very funny and sweet film.

Southside with You – The first film to feature Barack Obama as the main character is, surprisingly, not a biopic of his life leading to becoming the President of the United States. This follows his first date with his future wife Michelle in 1989 in Chicago’s South Side. It has the same simple structure of Richard Linklater’s Before films (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Before Midnight). I love movies like this!

Recap:

Most Anticipated: Don’t Breathe, Florence Foster Jenkins, Hell or High Water, Kubo and the Two Strings, Southside with You

Least Anticipated: Ben-Hur, Mechanic: Resurrection, Nine Lives, Sausage Party

I hope enjoyed reading my thoughts on what has yet to come out in the month of August. Please feel free to leave a comment on what your most anticipated movies for this month are. I appreciate each and every one of you reading my thoughts on the biggest summer blockbusters as well as some independent films. I’ll definitely do this for next year and the year after that and so on and so on. Stay tuned for more reviews this fall. Take care.

Top 20 Most Anticipated Movies for 2016

2015 is over. There have been a lot of surprises and disappointments than last year. Not to mention a lot of great films as well as some miraculous performances. It’s going to be so hard who and what will win in this year’s Academy Awards. But, this is not what I’m talking about.

I’m going to talk about the movies I’m looking forward to in the New Year. It looks like 2016 is going to be a fun year for movies as last year. I’m going to give you a list of my most anticipated movies for this year.

Before I begin, I just want to let you all know that Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is not going be on this list. I’m definitely going to see it when it comes out March 25th. However, I have a feeling it might turn out to be garbage. I mildly enjoyed Man of Steel, and Henry Cavill was a good choice for Superman (it’s great to have him back). I admit Ben Affleck looks cool in the Batsuit, but I can’t (and will never) picture him as Batman/Bruce Wayne. It looks like Jesse Eisenberg will steal the show as Lex Luthor. Zack Snyder is a unique visionary director, but his substance is rather lacking. Who knows? I might be wrong.

Without further ado, here’s my list of the top 20 most anticipated movies of 2016.

Honorable Mentions: The Accountant (October 7), The Bourne Sequel (July 29), The Finest Hours (January 29), The Free State of Jones (May 13), Gambit (October 7), The Huntsman: Winter’s War (April 22), The Legend of Tarzan (July 1), Moana (November 23), Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (December 25), Silence (TBA) Snowden (May 13), Suicide Squad (August 5), Sully (September 9)

20. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (in theaters February 5; directed by Burr Steers; starring Lily James, Matt Smith, Bella Heathcote, Douglas Booth, and Lena Heady) – To start off the bat, I have a feeling this will undoubtedly suck. However, this adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s bestselling parody looks like a fun guilty pleasure. Jane Austen meets The Walking Dead. How fun can it get? Also, Lily James is a freaking goddess!

19. Inferno (in theaters October 14; directed by Ron Howard; starring Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Irrfan Khan, and Ben Foster) – Tom Hanks and Ron Howard are back to give us another adventure with Harvard symbology professor Robert Langdon! This time, we are going to see him wake up in a hospital in Florence, Italy. With no memory of the recent events, he goes on the run looking for answers. I personally enjoyed The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons. They both kept me on the edge of my seat with its fascinating history, mysteries, and, obviously, the excellent performance by Hanks. But, it’s hard to deny their flaws. It looks like I am in for another good ride with Inferno.

18. The Jungle Book (in theaters April 15; directed by Jon Favreau; starring Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Christopher Walken, and Neel Sethi) – When Disney started doing live-action remakes for the new generation, I became quite skeptical. Tim Burton’s 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland started off that trend. It became a ginormous box-office hit, but mostly everyone hated it. It was visually stunning but everything else was a bit of a disaster. Then, Maleficent was released four years later. Even though Angelina Jolie was born to play Disney’s most famous villainess, why make her a good person? Kenneth Branagh brought us, in my opinion, the best version of Cinderella (Walt Disney would have been proud of it, if he was alive today).

Even though I haven’t seen the original in years, I’m liking the looks of the new version of The Jungle Book. I appreciate Jon Favreau not only as an actor, but also as a filmmaker. With films like Iron Man and Elf, he brings a unique visual style and narrative. The voice cast is nothing short of excellent–Bill Murray as Baloo, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, and Christopher Walken as King Louie. It also has a little Life of Pi vibe to it (considering they are somewhat similar). As much as I’m looking forward to this, I’m still waiting for the remake of Beauty and the Beast.

17. The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist (in theaters June 10; directed by James Wan; starring Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Simon McBurney, Sterling Jerins, and Frances O’Connor) – The Conjuring was a breath of fresh air. It did have plot devices everyone is familiar with (i.e. a family moving into a new house surrounded by an evil entity). What James Wan does with the true story of the Harrisville investigation by Ed and Lorraine Warren (played to perfection by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) is avoid any cheap scares and deliver an old-fashioned horror film relying on atmosphere.

Due to the success of that film, the disappointing spin-off Annabelle came out a year later. The beginning of The Conjuring talks about the Warren’s investigation of the Annabelle doll (the true story, in fact, consisted of a cursed Raggedy-Ann doll; the Annabelle in the film is a ventriloquist doll to make it more creepy). Now, the sequel reprises Wilson and Farmiga as the Warrens traveling to London to investigate a poltergeist consisting of two daughters. With James Wan returning to the director’s chair, I am ready for another scary good time.

16. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (in theaters November 18; directed by David Yates; starring Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, and Jon Voight) – It’s fascinating to set a story 70 years before our beloved protagonist Harry Potter heads to Hogwarts. Eddie Redmayne is already becoming one of my favorite actors. After getting success for his roles in The Theory of Everything and The Danish Girl, it looks like he’s going to have a ball playing the magizoologist Newt Scamander, who heads to New York City for a brief stop to publish his studies of the magical creatures in the Wizarding World. Then, a No-Maj (the American word for “Muggle”) releases the fantastic beasts out of Scamander’s suitcase. As a huge Harry Potter fan, I have nothing but a good feeling about this.

15. Star Trek Beyond (in theaters July 22; directed by Justin Lin; starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, and Idris Elba) – I’m not the biggest Trekkie. When I saw J.J. Abram’s 2009 version of Star Trek, it introduced me into a futuristic universe “to boldly go where no man has gone before”. The origin story of human James T. Kirk and the Vulcan Spock gave a lot of emotional support. From the breathtaking special effects, witty dialogue, and the awesome characters, I enjoyed every second of it. The sequel Star Trek into Darkness did have its flaws, but it was as enjoyable as before. It was where Benedict Cumberbatch became one of my favorite actors. Now, Fast and Furious director Justin Lin is taking over for Abrams to direct the third entry of what is officially a trilogy. I’m looking forward to see the Enterprise crew actually discovering new worlds and civilizations. It looks like this will be the funniest in the new Star Trek film series.

14. The Girl on the Train (in theaters October 7; directed by Tate Taylor; starring Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Luke Evans, Haley Bennett, and Édgar Ramírez – Based on the bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins, the film stars Emily Blunt as a woman witnessing a murder on the train. While trying to get the pieces of the puzzle together, she begins she might have been involved in the crime. From reading the plot summary, this sounds like an Agatha Christie story or another Gone Girl. Tate Taylor (The Help, Get on Up) directs this murder mystery. I always like a good murder mystery. Without hearing too much of the story, I can’t wait to go in with an open mind.

13. Doctor Strange (in theaters November 4; directed by Scott Derrickson; starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, and Mads Mikkelson) – Like I mentioned before, Benedict Cumberbatch is becoming one of my favorite actors. From Sherlock to The Imitation Game, he sure does know how to bring the wisdom into those roles. Now, he’s about to tackle another ambitious yet fun role: Doctor Strange. Without knowing too much of the superhero, seeing the picture of Cumberbatch in costume makes it look like he was born to play the role. Even though we have yet to see a trailer for Doctor Strange, I’m hoping it will look good.

12. Warcraft (in theaters June 10; directed by Duncan Jones; starring Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Daniel Wu, and Dominic Cooper) – I have never played any of the Warcraft video games. Everyone remembers World of Warcraft becoming the most popular online game ever. Duncan Jones transitions from his low-budget sci-fi status of Moon and the smart mainstream sci-fi hit Source Code to direct a big-budget fantasy adaptation of the first Warcraft video game from 1994 (Orcs and Humans). With a lot of horrible video game adaptations coming out over the years, this might break the streak to deliver a visually dazzling battle between the humans and orcs. This looks like it will be a new Lord of the Rings.

11. Hail, Caesar! (in theaters February 5; directed by the Coen Brothers; starring George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes, and Channing Tatum) – Joel and Ethan Coen have made some of the best films of all-time (The Big Lebowski, True Grit, to name a few). This satire of the film industry has one of the best casts this decade. George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Jonah Hill, Frances McDormand, Ralph Fiennes, among others. I’m sensing this might be the first great movie of 2016.

10. The BFG (in theaters July 1; directed by Steven Spielberg; starring Ruby Barnhill, Rebecca Hall, Penelope Wilton, Bill Hader, and Mark Rylance) – It has been over twenty years since Steven Spielberg has directed a straight-up family flick. He is back to direct an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s novel The BFG (Big Friendly Giant). Mark Rylance is perfect in every sense!

9. Everybody Wants Some (in theaters April 15; directed by Richard Linklater; starring Tyler Hoechlin, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Guzman, Blake Jenner, and Wyatt Russell) – Richard Linklater’s follow-up to Boyhood brings us back to the 1980s. It’s sort of a sequel to Dazed and Confused. It’s been getting some early praise for being funny and touching. Count me in!

8. X-Men: Apocalypse (in theaters May 27; directed by Bryan Singer; starring Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, and Rose Byrne)– 2014’s Days of Future Past is one of the best films in the X-Men franchise. It brought the older versions of the characters we know and love collaborating with their younger selves. And it features the funniest and coolest action sequence of the decade. Bryan Singer is only bringing back the younger characters back to fight Apocalypse (played by the great Oscar Isaac).

7. Captain America: Civil War (in theaters May 6; directed by the Russo brothers; starring Chris Evans; Robert Downey Jr., Elizabeth Olsen, Scarlett Johansson, and Martin Freeman) – Captain America vs. Iron Man. What more needs to be said?

6. The Nice Guys (in theaters May 20; directed by Shane Black; starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Kim Basinger, Ty Simpkins, and Matt Bomer) – Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling are two wonderful actors. Seeing them working with each other is like a dream come true. Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3) brings 1970s Los Angeles to life.

5. La La Land (in theaters July 15; directed by Damien Chazelle; starring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, J.K. Simmons, Finn Wittrock, and John Legend) – Damien Chazelle’s follow-up to Whiplash takes a more whimsical side. A musical love-story starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a jazz pianist and actress falling in love in 1950s Los Angeles. And J.K. Simmons is going to have a small role as the boss. I’m hoping for a toe-tapping good time in the theater.

4. The Witch (in theaters February 19; directed by Robert Eggers; starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Lucas Dawson, and Julian Richings) – Finally! A horror film (also a big hit at last year’s Sundance) that relies on nothing but pure atmosphere.

3. Star Wars: Rogue One (in theaters December 16; directed by Gareth Edwards; starring Felicity Jones, Alan Tudyk, Forest Whitaker, Ben Mendelsohn, and Mads Mikkelson) – Come on! It’s Star Wars! And it takes place before the events of the first Star Wars!

2. Finding Dory (in theaters June 17; directed by Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane; starring Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Eugene Levy, Diane Keaton, and Idris Elba)– 13 years ago, Finding Nemo was released in theaters. My 7-year-old self never seen anything like it before; going under the sea where different species of fish interact with each other. In 2016, we get a sequel centering on the beloved Blue Tang fish Dory with short-term memory loss. Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks reprise their roles as Dory and Marlin. Disney/PIXAR have a lot of sequels as well as some original films up their sleeves. I’m so exciting see them all! Okay, maybe except for Cars 3.

1. Deadpool (in theaters February 12; directed by Tim Miller; starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano, Brianna Hildebrand, and Stefan Kapicic) – Seriously, who isn’t looking forward to this movie? It’s rare to see a superhero movie getting a hard-R. Ryan Reynolds is going to own Deadpool!

Here’s to a good 2016!