Top 16 Favorite Movies of 2016
9:45 PM
Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right! I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating it. My new year resolution is to accomplish the goals of 2016 which I should've done in 2015 because I made a promise in 2014 and planned in 2013.
Now, from year to year I've always liked to celebrate the closing of every year by sharing my favorite books of the year, but because this year I barely read 20 books and watch movies more, I decided to share my favorite movies instead! (I'll probably also share my favorite books of the year though). Because I think these awesome stories needed to be spoke out loud for more people to know.
Now I am going to share to you my top 16 favorite movies that were released in the year 2016. Like I always did, the order of the movies will be showed starting from my least favorite and will ended in my most favorite. All reviews were based on my honest and personal opinion. Enjoy!
16. Fallen
A young girl finds herself in a reform school after therapy since she was blamed for the death of a young boy. At the school she finds herself drawn to a fellow student, unaware that he is an angel, and has loved her for thousands of years.
Review:
Just so you know; I've been waiting for this movie for more than 3 years. But to be honest, I don't think this is a movie for everyone. A conclusion I made after watching it with my 4 friends and only one of them that kinda enjoy it. Kinda. One of my friends even think this movie has so many similarities with Twilight. The novel that this movie was based on is actually got critics that commented on how it has conceptual similarities in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight, replacing the mythical characters as fallen angels instead of vampires.
This is a fantasy movie about angels in human form who is in love with human (even though it's actually more complicated than that). Also, it has a cool visual effects. I personally think I only enjoy this movie because I've read all 4 books in the series. The first book (just like the movie) is actually just showing a very very little of the overall the series. There's so much more of it. If you've read all 4 books, you'll understand that the story is actually pretty cool.
If you enjoy movie like Twilight, movies about angels or romantic movie about the love between human and whatever creature in human form, you'll love this one.
15. The Angry Bird Movie
Find out why the birds are so angry. When an island populated by happy, flightless birds is visited by mysterious green piggies, it's up to three unlikely outcasts - Red, Chuck and Bomb - to figure out what the pigs are up to.
Review:
Forget about serious, thrilling, heart-stabbing, emotional movies. If you guys up to a good funny movie to laugh to, this one's for you. If you guys recall, in 2013 the Angry Birds video game started to become so popular. I personally really enjoy the video games and had already known the characters in the video games. But here the characters become alive, like how Chuck the yellow bird is super fast, Bomb the big black bird is actually chill despite his name but couldn't control his strength so if he gets upset or shocked he'll went off-explosively speaking. It's really fun to see those characters talking and do things. And all you'll be able to learn more about them. So of course when the movie comes out I immediately see it and laugh all the way to the ending. This is the kind of movie that I'll watch over and over again without feeling bored.
14. The Conjuring 2
In 1977, paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren come out of a self-imposed sabbatical to travel to Enfield, a borough in north London. There, they meet Peggy Hodgson, an overwhelmed single mother of four who tells the couple that something evil is in her home. Ed and Lorraine believe her story when the youngest daughter starts to show signs of demonic possession. As the Warrens try to help the besieged girl, they become the next targets of the malicious spirit.
Review:
This movie was based on true story about a family in Brimsdown, Enfield, England who was haunted by the spirits in their rented house. The actual horror event was called Enfield Poltergeist and was actually widely popular at the time of the event.
In my country alone, this movie is one of the biggest talk of the year. Every horror movie fans and even those who were afraid of horror movies went to see it. I mean, James Wan's directed movies are no doubt. I myself is a fan of ghost stories but I've seen so many shitty horror movies but I love James Wan's horror movies; Insidious and all the sequels, and obiously The Conjuring. And of course I enjoy Furious 7 (not horror movie) that he directed, I mean, it's one of my favorite movies of all time!
13. Mechanic: Resurrection
Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents.
Review:
Movie starts somewhere after the ending of the first movie. Arthur Bishop is enjoying his "death", but not for long. This movie is all fun. Nothing more than that. I only enjoy the cool scenes in here, the action is greatly shot with some wide angles here and there. but nothing is original or great about the plot by any means. Sure, this movie is dumb and has a lot of plot holes, but the action is extreme and very full. The scripting may be bad but Statham is a true action actor. This movie gets your blood pumping and your adrenaline running. The narrative moves from Rio to Thailand to Australia, and finally to Bulgaria. There are also expansive shots taken at sea where Jessica Alba's character, Gina, is being held hostage. If you're in the need for a dumb yet entertaining action movie, Mechanic: Resurrection is just the thing you're looking for. Call it a guilty pleasure, but I really enjoyed it.
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Christian Wolff is a math savant with more affinity for numbers than people. Behind the cover of a small-town CPA office, he works as a freelance accountant for some of the world's most dangerous criminal organizations. With the Treasury Department's Crime Enforcement Division, run by Ray King, starting to close in, Christian takes on a legitimate client: a state-of-the-art robotics company where an accounting clerk has discovered a discrepancy involving millions of dollars. But as Christian uncooks the books and gets closer to the truth, it is the body count that starts to rise.
Review:
The Accountant has messy and engaging multi-layered plots. The main plot is about mental illness in young children and how they cope with their situations. The secondary plot is about The Accountant doing business with the wrong people. And this is also a movie about family, but you won't realize that at first. I want to give all of the praises to Ben Affleck's acting skills (you might know him as Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, or Nick Dunne in Gone Girl). His performance in this movie is exceptional and the best of him so far. Everyone does their job here, but Affleck steals the show. The Accountant is a solid thriller, with some hard-hitting action sequences, twists and turns, engaging characters and emotional beats.
11. Nocturnal Animals
An art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband's novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale.
Review:
Guys, can you believe that this is a movie by Tom Ford? You might know him as the fashion designer. I recently just discovered that Tom Ford is also a movie director. And this is a second movie by him. He is surprisingly a great movie director! I will definitely looking forward for future movies he directed.
About the movie. Ford's perfectionism makes this one of the most powerful movies I've seen all year. This is a story within a story, in which the first part follows a woman named Susan who receives a book manuscript from her ex-husband, a man whom she left 20 years earlier, asking for her opinion. The second element follows the actual manuscript, called "Nocturnal Animals," which revolves around a man whose family vacation turns violent and deadly. It also continues to follow the story of Susan, who finds herself recalling her first marriage and confronting some dark truths about herself.
I didn't know what to expect from Nocturnal Animals as I hadn't seen any trailers and Ford's film ended up blowing me away. The way Ford tells the story show how inventive and powerful he is as a filmmaker, the narratives of both Susan's life and Edward's novel combining brilliantly and leaving me in a trance like state.
Anyway this is probably like the fourth movie Jake Gyllenhaal acted in that I've watched and I have to say all of them are engaging and powerful. This means no doubt to movies that have Jake Gyllenhaal is in.
10. Zootopia
From the largest elephant to the smallest shrew, the city of Zootopia is a mammal metropolis where various animals live and thrive. When Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) becomes the first rabbit to join the police force, she quickly learns how tough it is to enforce the law. Determined to prove herself, Judy jumps at the opportunity to solve a mysterious case. Unfortunately, that means working with Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a wily fox who makes her job even harder.
Review:
Is this another animated movie that got into this list? I guess it is. But this is not your typical kids movie. The script is smartly written and uses the message effectively unlike others which beats you over the head with theirs. It is also a slightly mystery movie. But in a fun way. Despite it being an animated movie which seems to be kiddy, this movie actually has a deep message about the real world, in which people are not actually what they seemed. The movie basically says 'be the change you want to see in the world.' It is especially true nowadays, with a lot of conflicts and disagreements. I believe we should all be a bit more understanding and try to change the world into a better place.
9. Train To Busan
Sok-woo and his daughter Soo-ahn are boarding the KTX, a fast train that shall bring them from Seoul to Busan. But during their journey, the train is overrun by zombies which kill several of the train staff and other passengers.While the KTX is shooting towards Busan, the passengers have to fight for their lives against the zombies.
Review:
The Korean movie that shocks the world. I'm not actually a big fan of Korean movies or TV shows, but I was curious about this one because the hype at the time of the release and also because this is no typical Korean movie, this was about zombies! Everyone was talking about it.
This movie was one exhilarating roller-coaster ride from beginning to end. The zombies and their attack scenes were very well-executed. These monsters were very fast, aggressive and relentless in their quest for human flesh. We breathlessly hang on to the edge of our seats the whole ride. 2 hours of pure anxiety.
But of course, what Korean film that doesn't have a dose of melodrama? The father-daughter relationship is front and center. We also meet supporting characters includes a burly man and his pregnant wife, a teenager with his girlfriend and his baseball team, a cocky businessman, two elderly sisters and a homeless man. There is one final heartbreaking scene that even made me cry. Damn Korean movie.
8. The Fifth Wave
The human race stands on the brink of extinction as a series of alien attacks decimate the planet, causing earthquakes, tsunamis and disease. Separated from her family, Ohio teenager Cassie Sullivan (Chloë Grace Moretz) will do whatever it takes to reunite with her brother Sam. Fate leads her to form an alliance with Evan Walker (Alex Roe), a mysterious young man who may be her last hope. Forced to trust each other, Cassie and Evan fight for survival during the fifth assault from the invaders.
Review:
I have read the book and love it. It's always a happy, satisfying and proud feeling, having the book you love turned into a real-life action. This movie has a great storyline and it makes sense and it isn't a cliche alien movie. The way those aliens invaded Earth is very very clever. But how does the alien look like? The aliens are actually very interesting. I can't say more without spoiling it. But what this movie didn't show is Cassie's funny and sarcasm personality that I love in the book. Still love Chloe Grace Moretz portraying her though.
7. Allegiant
Tris escapes with Four to journey beyond the wall that encloses Chicago. For the first time, they leave the only city and family they have ever known to find a peaceful solution. Once outside, they learn shocking new truths that render old discoveries meaningless. As the ruthless battle threatens humanity, Tris and Four quickly decide who to trust to survive. Tris must ultimately make difficult choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love.
Review:
This is the third installment in Divergent series. Like The Fifth Wave, I've also read the books and love them all deeply. Even though this movie doesn't happen according to the book, I still enjoyed the hell out of this film. The action had me constantly engaged and interested. I appreciate the writers and director trying to accomplish something bigger, though there were still some missing parts but it's okay. I still enjoyed the movie a lot and appreciate the effort.
6. London Has Fallen
After the death of the British prime minister, the world's most powerful leaders gather in London to pay their respects. Without warning, terrorists unleash a devastating attack that leaves the city in chaos and ruins. Secret Service agent Mike Banning springs into action to bring U.S. President Benjamin Asher to safety. When Asher falls into the hands of the sinister organization, it's up to Banning to save his commander in chief from a horrible fate.
Review:
I actually mentioned this movie in My Top 10 Favorite Action Movies post! This is the sequel to Olympus Has Fallen (2013), which is equally a great action movie like this one. This movie is straight-up action and I was like, did you guys even stop to take a breath? But just like most action movies, this is pure fun and the storyline isn't much to think about, which is what action movies all about. The best thing about this movie is its pace. You won't know how fast the 2 hours went by. There's no dull moments. The attack sequences are bit over the top. This is just the one for you action movie fans!
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A secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse.
Review:
One of the most anticipated movies worldwide, if it isn't Suicide Squad! Where some of the villains from DC Comics are gathered as a team by the secret US government agency to save the world. If that isn't something. Even though I was expecting to see more Jared Leto portraying Joker, as the trailer show a lot of his appearances, i still really enjoy this movie. Let's start with the strong aspects of the movie; performances and characters which I personally think this is what the director want to top off and show to the audience, thus forgetting the plot, which we will get into later. But the characters and the performances are well carried out. Margot Robbie really lives up my expectation as Harley Quinn. She really brings out the sexy, pretty, insane and naughty trait in Harley. Also Cara Delevingne as Enchantress is enchanting (oh puns)!
4. Assassin's Creed
Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day.
Review:
I don't play the video game and I enjoyed this movie very much. The film does a pretty good job explaining the series mythos to those unfamiliar with the games. The action and chasing scene are fast-pacing and will keep on you the edge of your seat, the story is solid, and the characters are interesting and properly developed. The acting was superb especially Michael Fassbender, He's obviously one of my favorite actors. My favorite part is the time setting which will take us back and forth from present day to the 15th century. Sadly, we don't spend as much time with the ancestor Aquilar as we do with the present day Cal. And Aquilar feels under developed as a character.
3. Now You See Me 2
After fleeing from a stage show, the illusionists (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson) known as the Four Horsemen find themselves in more trouble in Macau, China. Devious tech wizard Walter Mabry (Daniel Radcliffe) forces the infamous magicians to steal a powerful chip that can control all of the world's computers. Meanwhile, vengeful FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) hatches his own plot against Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman), the man he blames for the death of his father.
Review:
Now You See Me 2 and its prequel is one of my favorite movie series of all time. I'm astonished with their tricks, which were really cool, once more. The heists are bigger, the illusions are flashier, and the pace is quicker. I swear this movie hypnotized me. The special effects were absolutely stunning and the use of real life magic sequences fit perfectly. I'm in love with the characters and the performances of the actors. Another reason I love this movie is no matter how some scenes were absolutely unbelievable, the writers will tried to explain how the magic tricks were done and how they weave into the plot. I highly anticipated the third movie, my enthusiasm for this film knew no bounds
2. The Huntsman: Winter's War
Eric and fellow warrior Sara, raised as members of ice Queen Freya's army, try to conceal their forbidden love as they fight to survive the wicked intentions of both Freya and her sister Ravenna.
Review:
A story of two sisters and a sad betrayal. This is the prequel to Snow White and the Huntsman with Ravenna and the Huntsman, and introducing Freya and Sara. The Huntsman: Winter's War is great forage for fans of the genre. Haters will say it's a fantasy movie based on a children's fairy tales. Well, what the hell do you expect? It was CLEARLY a fantasy movie set in the Snow White's world, I went to see the movie expecting a fantasy movie with beautiful but evil queens, and that's EXACTLY what I got! Charlize Theron and Emily Blunt are the highlight of this movie. I love their performances very, very much. I was even replaying the final scene of the sisters over and over the second time I see this movie just to be in awe again and again of their acting! Overall, The Huntsman: Winter's War is an entertaining fantasy full of action with great cast and special effects.
1. The Girl on The Train
Commuter Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) catches daily glimpses of a seemingly perfect couple, Scott and Megan, from the window of her train. One day, Watson witnesses something shocking unfold in the backyard of the strangers' home. Rachel tells the authorities what she thinks she saw after learning that Megan is now missing and feared dead. Unable to trust her own memory, the troubled woman begins her own investigation, while police suspect that Rachel may have crossed a dangerous line.
Review:
And this is the star of this year's pick! And this is actually the latest movie I watch this year. It was based on best-selling novel by Paula Hawkins. I first heard about the book from my friend who liked it, telling me how cool it is and was anticipating for the movie. I was actually planned to read the book first then see the movie when it finally came out, but I keep putting this off so when the movie came out I became so intrigued by it and be like "damn it, I'll just see the movie".
The narrative is told from the point of view of the three main female characters; Rachel, Anna and Megan. It could have easily become quite convoluted and messy yet it manages to move along smoothly and without any confusion. The plot twist blown me away. When I thought I finally learn about the mystery, it slaps me hard in the face. The reveal of the mystery was reveled smoothly I didn't even see it coming!
The movie features a great lead performance that is no other, Emily Blunt (also starred in Winter's War). Emily Blunt is putting on an incredible performance in her portrayal of Rachel Watson. The Girl on the Train is a thrilling and mysterious ride you want to go in. I am seriously thinking about reading the book now.
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