Last year there was a plethora of good or great films hitting the theaters around this time of year. Some of the best included The Man Who Invented Christmas, The Post, The Darkest Hour, and The Greatest Showman. Included in that time frame was The Shape of Water, undoubtedly one of the five worst films in history, and of course it won the Oscar for best movie. That is precisely why I no longer watch Hollywoodâs tribute to themselves.
I saw and wrote about twenty-six films in 2018. Thatâs only a drop in the bucket compared to all the films released, but I try hard to cull out ones worth watching. Unfortunately, the movie studios didnât cooperate this year, the worst I can recall in the ten years I have been doing this. Adding to the frustration there are a number of films, highly rated by the âexperts,â that simply never reach our suburban theaters. Two that come to mind off the top, Can You Forgive Me, starring Melissa McCarthy and The Old Man and the Gun, reportedly Robert Redfordâs last film. I used to go into the city to track some of these down, but alas have misplaced my bulletproof vest, and feel naked without it anytime I go past OâHare.
There were only a handful of movies I saw this past year that I consider well worthwhile. I guess my favorite was âA Star is Born.â Watching Lady GaGa perform (the first time for me) was a stunning lesson; she is sensational, no other way to put it. Close behind is âI Can Only Imagine,â the inspiring true story behind Bart Millard and the musical group Mercy Me. Millard composed the song I Can Only Imagine, one of the great Christian hymns, and watching him sing it publicly for the first time at the Grand Ole Opry in front of 20,000, was nothing short of awesome. A notch or two below those are Mission Impossible, if only to watch Tom Cruise (who is old enough to live in Sun City by the way) perform all his own stunts, wow. Christopher Robin was a delightful family film, with a nostalgic look at Winnie the Pooh and all his friends, culminating in a hysterical car chase through London. Show Dogs, (not animated) was a fun look at an undercover police dog on special assignment. If you are a dog lover, youâll enjoy this one. Finally, The Incredibles, the animated story of some of our favorite super heroes. I saw this at a stately old theater which seats at least 2,000, and there were no less than a thousand excited kids there to see the sequel to the original release from 2004. That was a fun afternoon, thanks to my Grandson for inviting me, and will not soon be forgotten.
There are several new releases scheduled for December that intrigue me, one is Aquaman, which looks like it could be fun if you like superhero stuff, and Clint Eastwoodâs newest The Mule. Since this is our final edition of the year, they will have to wait.
Finally, I feel compelled to mention the bad and ugly with the good. Worst movie of the year The Wife, despite Glen Closeâs Oscar level performance. Biggest disappointment, First Man. Spielberg took one of the great stories of all time, the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, and utterly ruined it. Not far behind, Jurassic Park, a desperate attempt to cash in on the dinosaur tales, terrible story line, it was no fun to watch. And letâs not forget the movies I walked out on: Game Night, Ready Player One, and Hereditary. And take it from an expert, there are no refunds.
In closing thanks for your feedback, Iâd love to hear from you, especially if you disagree. From our household to yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, hope to see you around.
