I’ve seen a lot of movies in my life. I’ve enjoyed most of them, but an exceptional handful have stuck with me where most others have fallen away. I’ve already talked about several in previous posts, so now I’ll talk about some that I haven’t mentioned yet. Here are a few more of my favorite movies and a bit about why I love them
- The Dark Knight. I was blown away by this movie. The acting, writing, effects, music, and everything else work together perfectly to make an incredible experience. I’ve seen a lot of superhero movies and this is one of my favorites. There’s so much great stuff that shows just how awesome and effective Batman can be.
- Chinatown. This is a neo-noir film from the 1970’s. Jack Nicholson plays a detective investigating a murder and strange events surrounding the Los Angeles water supply. Even though he makes a lot of progress, he is ultimately unsuccessful at saving the day and getting the typical Hollywood happy ending. This film, which is amazing from beginning to end, gives a powerful and painful life reminder that sometimes the bad guys win.
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Very similar to Chinatown in many ways, Who Framed Roger Rabbit is the best example of human actors mixed with animated characters that I’ve ever seen. Animated characters from Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures, and other studios appear in this movie about a detective trying to clear a cartoon star named Roger Rabbit of a murder he says he didn’t commit. The technical innovations that made this movie possible are amazing. Everyone involved did such a great job making the cartoon characters appear to be interacting with the real world, which, along with the story, makes this a fun movie to watch again and again.
- Toy Story 2. In my opinion, this is the best of the Toy Story movies. The same characters we got to know and love in the first movie are back with a new story that gives them new challenges as they try to maintain their friendships in the face of increasing life changes. There are lots of great jokes, action scenes, quotable lines, and memorable moments with wonderful characters. Released in 1999, this is the only movie I remember seeing in theatres in the 90’s as I was 6 when it premiered. I still have a quality VHS copy and watched it sometime in the past few years. There is a lot of pleasant nostalgia for me around this movie, which may be a bit part of why I like it so much.
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The first movie starring Captain America that I saw in theatres and the one that made me such a big fan of his. Cap has gotten used to life in the 21st century when he discovers a sinister plot involving world domination and mass murder. Choosing to stand up for what’s right, he has only a handful of people on his side as he takes on the bad guys and has to make some difficult decisions. This showed the integrity, strength, and goodness of Captain America like never before on the big screen. He’s at his best here and sets an incredible example of doing the right thing even when it’s painful.