Books, are not my only pop culture genre that I love. Movies are another great love of mine. Much like books, movies aim to tell a fantastic story, but they do it in different ways. Where books leave a lot to the imagination and use elegant and precise descriptions, movies have he advantage of using more “show” methods.
Movies have the advantage of being able to show their stories instead of just telling them. Actors and actresses make characters come alive on screen, musical scores help set the scene, settings pop to life and action sequences leave nothing to the imagination.
More and more, movies have become grandiose, more ambitious and more original in some cases. More action, to comedies, to thrillers and everything in between, movies aim to emulate stories that are told by books. Because of that, I judge movies differently than I do books. I am usually a little harsher on movies than I am with books. Additionally, movies I tend to lump into two categories: animated and non-animated films.
Much like my list of top books, this list will discuss 5 of my favorite films. All in no specific order and with a few honorable mentions. However, there will be two lists, as such there will be two posts. This first post will cover my top 5 non-animated films. While the second post will cover my favorite animated films. So, before we get into the meat of the list I will list a few honorable mentions.
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
While this was not my first Star Wars movie that I saw, Empire is quintessential Star Wars and really ignited my love for the franchise. Empire takes everything that was good about Episode 4 and just makes it better and bigger.
The story advances nicely, the set pieces are all bigger and the movie takes a much more emotional turn. Character development is real and it feels like a logical progression of the story. There are twists and turns, especially the well known Darth Vader reveal.
The film is everything we love about Star Wars. There is action, humor, beautiful lore, a wonderful lightsaber fight, space and ground battle scenes, there is so much to love about Empire. There is a reason that it is regarded as one the greatest sequels of all time.
Skyfall
The James Bond franchise is the quintessential spy franchise. Loosely based on the novels of Ian Fleming, the franchise has spanned decades and multiple actors portraying the legendary British Spy. Each actor has brought their own take to the character and the films seems to follow the actors take.
Daniel Craig most recently took up the 007 mantle and his portrayal is one the best in the series. The gritty, more serious tone really lends itself to the series. His third installment, Skyfall, is probably the best of the bunch. The stakes are high, the villain is wonderfully done and the action sequences are some of the best in the series. The film really questions mortality of the James Bond as a character and the choices that they make. It culminated in a tense showdown that could go either way. Add to that a fantastic score, gorgeous set pieces and backdrops and you have the makings a brilliant film.
So with those two honorable mentions out of the way, we now move into the list proper. And we’ll start with a movie that is not only wonderful, but holds a special place in my heart.
The Music Man (1962 adaptation)
Broadway to film adaptations are either not great (looking at you Cats) or are very well done. Most of the time, the adaptations fall flat and fail to capture you like the stage versions do. But there are a few occasions where the film adaptation lives up to the standard of the original production. But here we have one of those fee films that are the exception.
Released in 1962, The Music Man was based on the wildly successful musical of the same name. The film mostly sticks to the original plot of the musical of a con man coming a small, no nonsense town in Iowa to convince of their needs for a boys band. The faithful adaptation of film is just one of the many, many reasons I love this film.
The heartfelt, sometimes comedic story is a beautiful one to watch unfold, the characters are unique and wonderful in so many ways, full of charm, personality individuality. The songs are catchy, memorable and all so beautifully well done. The cast, highlighted by the return of Tony Award Winner Robert Preston, is an excellent cast that helps bring the magic of the stage to life.
But one of the big reasons this film makes this list is because of the impact it has had on me personally. My father made me watch this film as a kid. He wanted to me to watch it because not only did he know I’d enjoy it, but also because he wanted to introduce me to the world of musicals. My deep love for the theater blossomed from watching this film and I will forever have fond memories of watching this with my father and singing along with him.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Much like the Star Wars and James Bond franchises, the Indiana Jones franchise is one of my all-time favorites series of movies. Combining action, adventure, little bit of history and a little bit of humor to along with gorgeous soundtracks, Indiana Jones is a classic.
And while the most recent two entries have been very hit or miss, the original trio of films stands the test of time. None more so than the third entry, The Last Crusade. Regarded by most fans as the best of the original three, this will not surprise most fans of the franchise.
In this particular film, Indy is in a race against the Nazis to find the Holy Grail. There is of course the normal companions of Marcus Brody and Salah, the typical female love interest of the period, but what makes this movie so special is the addition of Henry Jones Sr, played the incomparable Sean Connery.
The father/son dynamic here really sets the movie apart. The banter, the back and forth between them on how best to save the Grail, the ways in which it is easy to see the familial ties, it brings a charm to the movie that the others ones lacked.
It is that dynamic, the soundtrack of this film, the set pieces and action sequences and the overall story that set this one apart from the rest of the series. I will forever have fond memories of watching the film’s finale, with the beautiful score playing in the background and the minute that scene ended I would rewind the VHS tape to restart that final scene. If that doesn’t scream love of a movie, I don’t know what does.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
From one long running franchise, to an even longer running franchise. The Marvel Cinematic Universe, despite recent stumbles, is still a cinematic achievement. Introducing tons of classic comic book characters to the big screen, tying together one massive story over so many years is an accomplishment that will never be achieved again I don’t think.
At the height of its fame, the MCU released Captain America: The Winter Soldier and my word did this film deliever. Picking up threads from the previous Avengers film and calling back to the first Captain America movie, Winter Soldier is a true cinematic blockbuster.
Its a Marvel version of a spy film. The film sees the return of Hydra, the old nemesis of Steve Roger’s. We see Black Widow take on a huge role in this film alongside Steve. The reveal of the Winter Soldier is done brilliantly, the addition of Sam Wilson as Falcon adds an extra layer and the rest of the cast shines.
But what makes this film is the tension, the story, the music and the stunt choreography. The actions sequences here are some of the best in the industry, full stop. The fight in an elevator between Steve Roger’s and like 20 guys is one of the MCU’s best.
You constantly feel the tension of the this film. From accompanying music and sound, to set design and lighting, this film is full of tension and you feel it every step of the way.
For me, this is the MCU at its best. A movie that feel like a throwback comic book, but also is an action blockbuster all at the same time. It is a movie that I never tire of rewatching and will continue to enjoy to this day.
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
We come to the second to last film on this and it was the hardest one to chose. I love the Lord of the Rings films. Not only are they some of my favorite movies of all time, but I also consider them to be some the greatest works of cinema ever. So, when it came time to add one of the films to the list it was a challenge purely because I didn’t know which of the three films I wanted to use. But in the end, I went with the best of the three in many peoples opinion.
Return of the King is a true gem of the screen. Wrapping up Tolkiens excellent trilogy, the film version breaks so many records that it’s almost impossible to count them all. Yes, the film is massive in both scope and length, but it somehow manages to pull off every ending, every battle sequence, every emotional scene to perfection.
The films grand scale showcased brilliantly with the scenes outside Minas Tirith, the city of Kings. With armies of the Dark Lord Sauron marshalled before the gates of the beleaguered city, it is impossible not to he swept away.
Aragorn’s acceptance as the King of Gondor, King Theoden and his riders of Rohan riding to what is an almost certain doom, the struggle of Frodo and Sam with the One Ring as well as the struggles inside Minas Tirith all play out to massive, sweeping and beautiful conclusion. Howard Shore nails every scene with a gorgeous soundtrack that is unlike any other film score out.
Return of the King is one of those few films that brings me to tears everytime I watch it. It is grand, bold, emotional and in everyday shape and form what a piece of cinema should be and it firmly deserves to be on this list.
Oppenheimer
This may be the most recent movie of the ones listed, but that just tells you the impact that this film had on me. Oppenheimer is a cinematic experience. One that needs to be experienced in theaters to fully immerse yourself in it. But even watching at home, you are blown away by this latest Christopher Nolan epic.
The movies tell two stories, each in their own unique style. One story tells the story of the Manhattan Project. Robert Oppenheimer, a group of scientists and physicists race to develop a nuclear bomb. The second story, told decades later is the blacklisting of Oppenheimer for being a communist, headed by Lewis Strauss.
The way Nolan tells these two competing and yet interwoven stories is pure genius. Telling Oppenheimers story and the story of the Manhattan project in pure color, while Strauss and the trial of Oppenheimer are all told in black and white. It is symbolism at its finest and really let’s you digest each story.
The acting performances are second to none. Robert Downey Jr. delivers one of the greatest performances I’ve seen in a film. His take on Lewis Strauss was Oscar worthy and I was so happy to see him win one for the film. Cillian Murphy shines are Robert Oppenheimer and delivers a memorable and powerful performance. Surrounded by an all-star secondary cast, back up by an amazing score and with gorgeous visuals, there is so little wrong with this film.
Seeing this film in theaters changed me. It was an experience unlike anything I’d previously seen in a movie theater. The Trinity Test scene blows you away with its visuals and use of sound. Yes this may he the newest film, but that doesn’t mean that it’s less deserving to be on this list.
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