Ranking the Films I Saw in 2016

Well, I decided to list the new films I watched in 2016, and realised I have seen enough films this year to make a top 10. Literally, I've seen 10 films. So, let’s have a look back at 2016 in the cinema.

10. X Men: Apocalypse

Meh, X men by numbers. Overblown and tedious.

9. Trolls

Dreamworks by numbers, but cute and fun enough that I was able to like it. I liked the animation style, and the songs were nicely done. The velcro-like animation style is an unusual and distinctive look for the film, and its message on the relationship between happiness and sadness works as a (less skilfully done) inversion of "Inside Out".

8. Ghostbusters

Formulaic and middle of the road really, but so much fun - my friends and I had a blast watching it for a film night the other week. The main cast are genuinely fun together, and the final act is spectacular, colourful, and utterful gorgeous to look at. Jerks on the internet need to get over themselves.

7. Finding Dory

A Pixar's greatest hits montage with a slightly overblown ending keeps this from being a Pixar Classic, but it's still their best film this side of Toy Story 3 (which this plot borrows a lot from, basically being another prison break story) that isn't "Inside Out". And it's incredibly funny moving in its best bits, plus baby Dory is the cutest thing ever.

6. Captain America: Civil War

Undeniably one of the better Marvel movies, with well done action, plotting, and character work. They've finally made a movie Spiderman where Spiderman and Peter Parker both work (and somehow, I'm excited for yet another Spiderman reboot as a result). Left me a bit cold, though, as most Marvel movies do - it's incredibly efficient, but feels, like all Marvel films, like another part of the production line, and that doesn't do it for me any more.

5. Rogue One

Disney successfully make another good "Star Wars" movie, and it's nice to see them break the "Hero's Journey" mould, instead intelligently and successfully exploring the politics behind the forming of the rebel alliance. The cinematography was gorgeous (probably the best Star Wars has had), the action great, the fanservice was handled tastefuly, and the central concept was quite a clever take on an odd plot point from the original trilogy (not wanting to spoil too much). The characters were distinctive enough, and produced some wonderful funny moments. And yet, I felt slightly at a remove from it: I was never as attached to the plucky group of rebels as I felt I was supposed to be, so the ending wasn’t as devastating as it needed to be to put this up there with the best films of the year. Still a very good film, though, and it leaves me hopeful that Disney can keep this run of form going all the way through to episode Nine.

4. Deadpool

This was just great fun, and serves as the perfect filmic interpretation of the much loved comic book character: it’s a part Ryan Reynolds was born to play. While it follows the basic structure of most superhero origin stories, its fourth wall breaking, self awareness, R Rating, and sense of fun give it an oddball weirdness that successfully distinguishes it from its peers.

3. Moana

This was really rather beautiful. In its structure, the story reminded me lot of my first-placed film, but that’s no bad thing: it’s a story type that genuinely works. The animation was beautiful, Lin Manuel Miranda’s soundtrack is gorgeous, and Moana might just be the best of this new generation of Disney princess movies. The source material comes from a different culture, there’s not a hint of romance between the male and female lead, which is a nice change for a princess movie, and it’s always nice to have a non white Disney Princess: that feels important in 2016. And Moana’s a great character: flawed, but brave, and kind, and she’s given a ton of agency throughout the film. This was a real breath of fresh air.

2. Zootopia

Intelligent commentary on racial politics in an animated Disney movie, something that feels like an exorcism of the studio’s past sins, and in the context of 2016, a genuinely important piece of storytelling. But it feels like it will last beyond that immediate context: the plot is an intelligent and fun detective caper, the world is fascinating and immersive, and the characters are wonderful and easy to get attached to. Great stuff, this was a very good year for Disney.

1. Kubo and the Two Strings

Wow. Just wow. This movie left me utterly speechless: it mixed spellbinding fantasy, poetic themes and storytelling, beautiful animation, and an incredibly moving conclusion to create the perfect movie. The story follows a simple enough hero’s journey formula, but the way said story unfolds manages to surprise and delight, making the moments where it hits the expected beats feel genuinely fresh. Frankly, the knowledge that it probably won’t do well at awards ceremonies leaves me rather devastated. There wasn’t another movie in 2016 that managed to make me feel quite like this one, and for that, it deservedly takes the top spot on this list.