Yet another rare instance where my favorite movie is the first in the series. I felt that this film was the one that really worked in captivating the audience. Now, Return Of The King seems to be the favorite for everyone, but Fellowship succeeded in having enough source material to work that the film did not appear to drag on forever. It was well-paced, to put it nicely, and this is something that these types of films often have issues with. The cinematography is outstanding; I have often heard jokes that these movies are New Zealand tourism commercials. The setting, characters, and story all work well together, which proves that sometimes even the most complex literary works can succeed as a film.
39. Steel Magnolias
This movie is kind of like Forrest Gump's younger sister. It has the same type of tone and cinematography, but the only difference is that while Forrest Gump was more focused on the protagonist alone, this film is focused on an entire group of eccentric female characters. They truly are the movie's strongpoint, pulled off in near flawless performances by women like Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, and others. But they aren't the only things to like about this movie. Many of the other characters are also well-rounded, and they have nice chemistry. But, like Beaches, let me give you a warning: if you are going to watch this, bring tissues.
38. The Help
Wow, did this movie sneak up on everyone! Like Steel Magnolias, this movie has an incredibly strong female cast, but aside from that, they are actually faced with individual, constructive problems. While they do work nicely as a group, it was smart for the film to focus on them one-by-one to better illustrate their motivations and develop them fully as characters. I believe that if you made any one of these women the protagonist, it still could have worked. Really an amazing, poignant movie.
37. The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus
I am just going to put this out there: you either get this movie, or you don't. It is so weird and eccentric and dark that even people who watched A Clockwork Orange still may not get this. (Just as a sidenote, I saw this film way before Clockwork). The concept itself is pretty hard to grasp: I mean, an immortal man who can create an entire fantasy world based on the imagination of one person? Some people may view it as ridiculous. I, however, think it's brilliant. I adored the visuals in this film. They were kooky, they were imaginative, and just flat-out impressive. I also admired how the film focused on the concept of the traveling circus act instead of just having it be on the side, which you see with a lot of other stories. Truly an underrated piece of art, and definitely a must-see for the artsy crowd.
36. Evil Dead (2010)
While certainly one of the more revolting films of our time, I can honestly say this film was a blast to watch. The fact that the director was able to pull this off with minimal CGI gave the film a lot of integrity. I also liked how the film had a bit of silliness to it (though evident through a darker sense of humor than one would imagine), and seemed to pay homage to a lot of ultra-gory horror films. Certainly one of the best horror movies of the decade, and one I will continue to watch many more times.
35. The Nightmare Before Christmas
I always had a soft spot for this film. I really felt like I could relate to the tone of it, considering that most people would back away at the sight of skeletons and monsters and ghosts. But having lived in that world since childhood, I always appreciated how this film put a new face on all things ghoulish and creepy. It was eccentric enough to not be a routine animated film, yet had enough heart and humor to make it enjoyable for most people. Plus, the detail is wonderful, and the stop-motion animation gives a wonderfully hand-crafted feel to the whole film.
34. Orphan
Out of all the horror films with a creepy little kid, this is one of the best. I genuinely enjoyed this movie from the beginning to the end. It had a new, contemporary type of feel to it, unlike most horror films, and it felt like the story kept trying to sneak up on you. (And boy, with that ending, it certainly did!) Esther really puts a chill down your spine with her smile, and the performance by Isabelle Fuhrman will certainly ensure nightmares for years to come.
33. Public Enemies
This movie is a bit of landmark for me in that it was the first R-rated film I watched in the theater. And suffice to say, it delivered well. It was nicely paced, it had good cinematography, and the characters all have decent chemistry. I thought it was interesting to kind of paint Dillinger as an antihero while almost portraying the police as the real bad guys. Not many films can pull this off with such subtlety and wit. Depp's performance is delightfully suave and acted with expertise. Plus, the funny little bits that show up from time to time help us to really enjoy his performance.
32. Howl's Moving Castle
Oh, Miyazaki, have you ever made a bad film? This movie was as dark as Spirited Away but had a slightly extra dosage of humor to it. I outright adored the visuals in this film. They were brilliantly designed and executed, and the color pops out in every scene. And like all of Miyazaki's films, it is wonderfully imaginative and bright. Really a refreshing take on kids movies and one that is sure to please.
31. Mulan
I want to set the record straight here: despite of what people tend to believe, Mulan is not a princess. Seriously, people, there is no chance I am going to put a Disney princess movie above The Nightmare Before Christmas. But anyway, let's get down to what I love about this movie. The animation is superb, and the comedy is the strongpoint of the film. I liked how they showed satirical gender roles from both the male and female perspective, kind of alternating between Shang and Mulan. Also enjoyable was the underlying theme of perception and strength, which I thought was a nice transition from simply relying on the overdone "female-character-who-doesn't-want-to-get-married-pouts-for-everyone-to-see" type of Disney trope. Overall an enjoyable film and a pleasant Disney experience.
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