2018 Movies Ranked

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I think I need to cut back on the superhero movies.  The fatigue is sinking really in bad even though Into the Spider-Verse looks worthwhile.  

27. The Cloverfield Paradox

D: Julius Onah

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A mediocre film that wastes a few potentially interesting ideas.  Some of the moments were so cartoonish that I would have like the movie a lot more if the twist was that it was the origin story for the Looney Tunes universe.  Oddly enough, the much better Annihilation has an ending ambiguous enough to interpret it as the origin story for The Wuzzles.

26. Skyscraper

D: Rawson Marshall Thurber

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A lackluster Die Hard wannabe that’s only helped by the neat building design, a couple acrophobic moments, and The Rock’s likability.

25. Ant-Man and the Wasp

D: Peyton Reed

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Despite a few clever action moments (almost all of which were in the trailer), it was mostly a plodding, glorified comedy.  The dark credit sequences were a gut-punch, though.

24. Deadpool 2

D: David Leitch

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Not as consistently funny as the first movie, and David Leitch’s direction did not infuse it with as much style as I hoped.  It’s rather odd to see a movie that’s supposed to be a satire of comic books playing this trope so straight.

23. Incredibles 2

D: Brad Bird

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Like many belated sequels, it was a disappointment.  It had to compete with the ideas explored during the superhero era the first movie predated.  Its one good idea (Mrs. Incredible’s being the front for a PR campaign while Mr. Incredible remains home) was completely dropped when the predictable twist came.  After that it was a generic drag that was like watching a lesser version of Big Hero 6.  The villain could have used more screentime as the persona of Screenslaver.  I knew Bob Odenkirk’s character was a Red Herring from the first trailer, and I knew the real villain at first sight.  The raccoon scene struck me as a particularly tedious and tone-deaf moment.

22. Black Panther

D: Ryan Coogler

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Some elements were interesting, such as the political themes, but these were wasted on typical tedious superhero movie fare.  I liked some characters, especially Okoye.  It’s also a good example of how lackluster cinematography can ruin great production design.

21. Mission Impossible: Fallout

D: Christopher McQuarrie

**********

A suspenseful action movie that doesn’t have much replay value because of how dependent on suspense the third act was.  I was disappointed by Solomon Lane, who lacked practically all the qualities that made me think he was a cool villain in Rogue Nation.  


20. Bohemian Rhapsody

D: Bryan Singer
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It's a rousing film and probably the closest thing someone of my age will ever come to seeing Queen in concert.  There are some inaccuracies (I'm pretty sure they placed the creation of "We Will Rock You" in the wrong decade), but the movie is well put-together.  By maintaining focus on Mercury, it juggles various aspects of the story well, and get more of X2 than Days of Future Past from Singer.  The scene in which Mercury is rankled by nosy reporters re: personal life is a bit awkward in recent events.  However, Singer's depiction of the experience of being gay work better when dealing with an actual gay man than when applied to the question of gun control if it was an issue of bodily autonomy.

19. 12 Strong

D: Nicolai Fuglsig

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A well-executed and apparently accurate war movie, but for some reason doesn’t distinguish itself enough aesthetically.

18. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

D: Jake Kasdan

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It’s not as bad as the first movie, but then again it’s not as good as the first movie.  It’s plot structure made it more watchable than the original, and it lacked some of the annoying stuff that brought its predecessor down.  On the other hand it lacked the better elements of the first movie.  A passably watchable and perfunctory popcorn movie.

17. Overlord
D: Julius Avery
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A well-executed zombie/Nazi movie that doesn't break new ground in terms of subject matter.


16. The Christmas Chronicles
D: Clay Kaytis
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Kurt Russell is charismatic as Santa, and Judah Lewis is also good.  The elves were cute, and I like the speedboat design of the sleigh.  Overall, it's ok.


15. Upgrade

D: Leigh Whannell

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An engaging sci-fi movie that does a lot with a relatively low budget.  Unfortunately, it’s dragged down with what I believe to be a huge plothole.  It’s revealed that STEM is the villain and has been pulling the strings the whole time even though large parts of the plot were completely dependent on the premise that he was not in control.  Good score.

14. A Quiet Place

D: John Krasinski

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A very well-directed thriller that could have used a little more thought put into its premise.

13. Outlaw King
D: David Mackenzie
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I assumed that the "Captain's Log" everyone was talking about involved Chris Pine's killing someone extremely violently with a literal log.  I was a bit disappointed to say the least.


12. Bumblebee
D: Travis Knight
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This movie was actually genuinely decent.  It was weighed down by the limitations imposed on it by the previous movies, like not having as many of the main characters in the story.  It was like a rip-off of Iron Giant combined with what the first movie should have been.  I wish the whole thing was the Cybetron battle.


11. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
D: The Coen Bros.
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An interestingly deconstructive Western anthology with beautiful cinematography.

10. Hereditary

D: Ari Aster

**********

A disturbing, original horror movie from A24.  Not quite as good as The VVitch, but definitely better than It Comes at Night.

9. Solo: A Star Wars Story

D: Ron Howard

**********

It didn’t work perfectly as a Solo backstory, but it was a solid movie.  Wonderfully gritty cinematography, great production design, tense action, and fun characters.  I may be in the minority, but I think the Star Wars standalones is one of the more promising series out now.


8. Dragged Across Concrete
D: S. Craig Zahler
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Solid, with one particularly brutal and heartbreaking moment in the middle.  In addition to the practical gore, Zahler's films also have nod to grindhouse exploitation with an over-the-top element.  In Bone Tomahawk it was the Troglodytes.  In Brawl in Cell Block 99 it was Superjail.  In this one it's "professional" bank robbers who kill so impulsively it almost becomes more moronic than evil.


7. Avengers: Infinity War

D: Joe & Anthony Russo

**********

A movie elevated by a great villain and a boldly tragic ending.  Josh Brolin made an excellent Thanos.  Unfortunately, the scenes with the heroes made it feel almost incomplete.

6. Isle of Dogs

D: Wes Anderson

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I watch Anderson’s movies for two reasons: the sense of humor and the distinctive visuals.  While it’s arguably his most visually impressive movie yet, if falls short on the comedy.  The story is decent, but could be better.  Greta Gerwig’s character is an unnecessary and annoying distraction.

5. Mandy
D: Panos Cosmatos
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Absolutely loved the style of this movie, but it's mostly a typical, albeit rather satisfying revenge flick.

4. Annihilation

D: Alex Garland

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A refreshing sci-fi thriller.  It’s interesting to see an R-Rated version of a typical 80’s girls’ cartoon that works so surprisingly well.

3. Paul: Apostle of Christ

D: Andrew Hyatt

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A movie that demonstrates that not all faith-based films are bad.

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
D: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
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A visually stunning, clever movie with heart.  I was afraid this would be too self-aware and meta, but it was an elseworlds scenario done right.

1. First Man
D: Damien Chazelle
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A thrilling and poignant movie that made me tear up a few times.  Inspiring.

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