Showing posts with label Worst movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worst movies. Show all posts

Friday, January 5, 2018

The Best and Worst Movies of 2017: Rosy the Reviewer's Top 10

I certainly can't say that I have seen every movie that was released in 2017 and there are sure to be some that would be on my best list had I seen them and are already on some Best Lists now - "The Post," "The Shape of Water" or "Call Me By Your Name," but haven't seen them yet so can't comment. 

So my list is really my best and worst movie experiences this last year rather than a comprehensive list of the best movies of 2017, but hopefully I can point you to some movies you will enjoy and steer you away from some that gave me heartburn.


In no particular order, here are my favorite movie experiences of 2017:
(click on the movie title for my complete review)





1.  The Big Sick




Why it's one of the best: A romantic comedy that is actually romantic and a comedy, as in funny, which is what we expect from a comedy right? - a funny comedy is actually something that is not easy to find these days.  It's also original and smart and Ray Romano is a revelation. He can actually act. The best comedy to come along in a very long while.





2. Dunkirk






Why it's one of the best: This will stand as one of the greatest war movies with its personal stories of heroism, especially the British civilians who tried to help.  Mark Rylance put in another brilliant performance.  Even if you think you don't like war movies, I promise you will love this one. 






3. Lady Bird





Why it's one of the best: A fresh and unexpected take on the coming of age  story that even old folks will be able to relate to written and directed by the talented Greta Gerwig and with stunning performances especially by Laurie Metcalf (remember her on "Rosanne?").







4. Wonder Woman




Why it's one of the best: Because Wonder Woman is a wonder!  This is no ordinary super hero movie. There is excitement, there is drama, there is violence (but nothing really scary), there is romance, there is humor -- and there is Girl Power!  This Wonder Woman is a wonderful role model for women and girls and the story is compelling.  And then there is Chris Pine...I'm just sayin'... 






5. Wind River




Why it's one of the best: The investigation of the murder of a young Native American woman also sheds light on the plight of Native Americans in the U.S. especially Native American women.  The screenplay was tight and original and the performances were so good I even like Jeremy Renner now. 






6. Victoria and Abdul



Why it's one of the best: A beautifully presented little known story about Queen Victoria brought to life by an extraordinary performance by Judy Dench.






7. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri




Why it's one of the best: With stellar performances from Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell (as you have never seen him), and, yes, even Woody Harrelson and a very original screenplay, I predict this film will clean up at the Oscars.







8. Baby Driver




Why it's one of the best: Baby is hired to drive the car for a heist in this new kind of musical, where Baby is a new kind of hero.  He doesn't say much as he listens to his mixed tapes and goes about his business of driving.  The film is choreographed to his soundtrack with gun shots, villains walking off to commit robberies and even text messaging, all cued to the beat of the music playing inside Baby's head. Fast, original and exciting.





9. Get Out


Why it's one of the best: This is a very smart social commentary on racism and white privilege dressed up as a horror film but don't be scared. It's also funny and pays homage to horror films of the past, while at the same time commenting on where the true horror lies in the everyday lives of African Americans. 





10. L.A. 92



Why it's one of the best: A documentary on the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict with shocking never-before-seen archival footage skillfully edited into a fine, important film about an event that happened over 25 years ago but still resonates today. 




And now for something completely different:

My worst movie experiences of 2017







1. A Bad Mom's Christmas



Why it's one of the worst:  What do you get when you take a really funny and cute idea about overworked moms who decide to not try to be perfect moms anymore, and because it made a lot of money, rush a sequel into production?  You get this really bad and unfunny movie.





2. Ghost in the Shell





Why it's one of the worst: This movie was so bad it made me question whether or not Scarlett Johansson can actually act.  I mean, how hard is it to play a Cyborg?






3. Rough Night




Why it's one of the worst: This one also starred Scarlett Johansson.  Do you see a pattern here?  Another really unfunny "comedy" that came out at the same time as "Girl's Trip."  Unfortunate because "Girl's Trip" was actually funny.  See that one.






4. mother!




Why it's one of the worst:  I give director Darren Aronofsky credit for trying to do something different and make a movie with a message but it was a confusing mess.  How bad was it? Let's just say that star Jennifer Lawrence and Aronofsky were an item when they made this movie together and now they aren't together anymore.  Enough said.






5. Table 19




Why it's one of the worst: A disparate group of people are put together at the "loser's table" at a wedding.  When one of the characters asked "What am I doing here?" watching this film I had to ask myself the same thing.  I am not a fan of Anna Kendrick and I am not a fan of old people jokes, both of which star in this snooze fest.







6. Unforgettable




Why it's one of the worst:  This is one of those "if I can't have him, you can't have him either" woman-stalking-woman movies that the Lifetime Movie Channel does so well, and let me tell you, this movie employs every single cliché from that genre but doesn't do it as well.  Unforgettable?  I have already forgotten it.






7. The Book of Henry


Why it's one of the worst: Now let me get this straight.  You are just an ordinary single Mom, but when your young son dies and leaves you a book where he outlines step-by-step how you must kill the guy next door because he is abusing his daughter -- you decide to do it!  I think that speaks for itself here.






8. T2 Trainspotting



Why it's one of the worst: Another sequel that we could have lived without. Twenty years ago we cared about these guys.  Now we don't. 





9. Murder on the Orient Express



Why it's one of the worst:  An old-fashioned who-done-it that doesn't hold up well today.  By the time this movie was over, it was a who-cares-who-done it.  And you know a movie is bad when the best thing about it is a moustache.  Kenneth Branagh's Poirot sports a mustache that is so big it should have its own Twitter account and, oh geez, he is talking about doing a sequel.  Noooooo...






10.  The Circle




Why it's one of the worst: An expose of the horrors of working for Amazon and Google, er, I mean, The Circle, and the evils of technology, except the film took too long to get to the point.  By the time the movie ended, I was ordering something on my phone from Amazon.



There you have it -
 

My best and worst movie experiences of 2017. 



Wishing you more good than bad movie experiences in 2018
(and if you want to avoid the bad experiences, be sure to check in at Rosy the Reviewer every Friday). 


See you at the movies!


Thanks for reading!

 
See you next Friday 

 
for my review of


"All The Money in the World"


 and
  
The Week in Reviews
(What to See or Read and What to Avoid)


 and the latest on



"My 1001 Movies I Must See Before 

 I Die Project." 


If you enjoyed this post, feel free to copy and paste or click on the share buttons to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn, email it to your friends and LIKE me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer



 
Next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). 

Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll down below the synopsis and the listings for the director, writer and main stars to where it says "Reviews" and click on "Critics" - If I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list.


Tuesday, January 3, 2017

The Best and Worst Movies of 2016: Rosy the Reviewer's Top Ten

In my movie-going life over the last year, I have kissed a lot of movie frogs but I have also danced with a lot of movie princes, so I thought I would share what I have learned so you can avoid the frogs and find your prince.

Here is my list of the Best and the Worst movies of 2016. 

It is not a comprehensive list by any means, because I haven't seen every movie released, so you can think of this list more as those that were my favorites and those I hated.  I give you a little pithy comment about each, but if you want more details, click on the film title to read my original full review.

 
 
***The Best***


1. La La Land


Rosy the Reviewer says...a modern musical masterpiece that is sure to sweep the Oscars.


2. Manchester by the Sea



Rosy the Reviewer says...a sad, sad story but a visual delight with exceptional performances.  Expect some Oscar nominations for this.

 
 
 


3. Hell or High Water



Rosy the Reviewer says...come hell or high water, see this modern western that gives the human side of the financial crisis and the banking debacle.

 





4. Loving


Rosy the Reviewer says...with amazing performances by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga, this film shows what Mildred and Richard Loving went through to marry and the resulting landmark Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia, which ended the illegality of interracial marriage. 


5. Sully

Rosy the Reviewer says...even though we know how this ends, it's still a white knuckle ride.


6. Moonlight


Rosy the Reviewer says...an important film that can be appreciated for the acting, the directing choices and the production values, but more importantly, it also explores the universal themes of coming of age in a world of harsh realities and how difficult it is to find love and connection in a world where there seems to be neither. 


7. Weiner


Rosy the Reviewer says...we can laugh all we want about his unfortunate name and his sad predilections, but this is a tragic tale of bright promise dashed by narcissism.



8. Bad Moms

Rosy the Reviewer says...girls just want to have fun!  And so do Moms!  Finally, a comedy that is actually funny!  You go, girls!


9. The Accountant


Rosy the Reviewer says...best thriller of the year!


10. Nothing Left Unsaid


Rosy the Reviewer says...a beautiful and moving story of a mother and a son and his desire to know everything about his mother so that when she is gone, there is "nothing left unsaid."  We should all do likewise.
 
 


***The Worst***



1.  Independence Day: Resurgence


Rosy the Reviewer says...the title should have been "Independence Day: Redundant!"



2. Zoolander 2


Rosy the Reviewer says...the first "Zoolander" was a one joke movie so why make another one when we all know the punchline?



3. Mother's Day

 

Rosy the Reviewer says...old jokes about old people that weren't funny, far-fetched situations, obnoxiously precocious kids and a lot of wasted star power.



4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2


Rosy the Reviewer says...a big fat unfunny mess!



5. The Brothers Grimsby

Rosy the Reviewer says...Where is Borat when you need him?



6. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you saw the first "Neighbors," you've seen this one.


7. The 5th Wave



Rosy the Reviewer says...please, Lord, don't let there be a 6th Wave!

 



8.  Now You See Me 2


Rosy the Reviewer says...I wish I hadn't seen you!



9.  Ride Along 2

Rosy the Reviewer says...despite my admiration for Kevin Hart, this was one long, unfunny ride!


10. The Legend of Tarzan


Rosy the Reviewer says...the only good thing about this movie was Skarsgard taking off his shirt.


Do you see a trend here with my worst movies? 

You can see that they are mostly comedies and mostly sequels.  You all know how much I hate sequels so that is not a surprise, but since so few comedies make me laugh, I am starting to wonder if I have lost my sense of humor.  But then, I think, no, those movies just weren't funny.  Isn't a comedy supposed to make you laugh?  Well, I didn't.

So, what do you think? 

What were your favorite and least favorite films in 2016?


Looking forward to what 2017 has to offer and wishing you all the best for a fantastic 2017. Why not resolve to, not only see more movies in 2017, but to check back here regularly for my reviews?  I won't steer you wrong!

 
 
Happy New Year Everyone!
 

Thanks for reading!

See you Friday 

 
for my review of


"Lion"

and 
  
The Week in Reviews
(What to See or Read and What to Avoid)

 and the latest on



"My 1001 Movies I Must See Before 

 I Die Project." 


If you enjoyed this post, feel free to copy and paste or click on the share buttons to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn, email it to your friends and LIKE me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer


Check your local library for DVDs and books mentioned.


Next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). 

Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Once there, click on the link that says "Explore More" on the right side of the screen.  Scroll down to External Reviews and when you get to that page, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list.

NOTE:  On some entries, this has changed.  If you don't see "Explore More" on the right side of the screen, scroll down just below the description of the film in the middle of the page. Click where it says "Critics." Look for "Rosy the Reviewer" on the list.

Or if you are using a mobile device, look for "Critics Reviews." Click on that and you will find me alphabetically under "Rosy the Reviewer."