#13: Elemental
Outside of my problems with Disney, as I mentioned before, I got to say, yall niggas were too mean about this movie. Up and down, I saw people talking shit online protesting PIxar lost their way. Only to be greeted with a pretty fun and charming movie, at least for me. While not perfect, the film does a fantastic job of making the elemental characters feel very lively yet inhuman at the same time.
While other animated films look prettier than this, I like how inventive it gets in the visuals. Stuff like Wade creating a flame by refracting light off of himself to light a flame or Ember's repeated glass blowing tickle my brain something fierce. While more could've been done to see how these interactions affect world-building, any lack of that was used to discuss the characters. In that regard, I feel like Elemental works best.
The conflict centered more closely as a metaphor for immigration and holding onto culture makes the stories' focus on interconnectivity stronger than in other films (E.g., Zootopia). As the son of an immigrant myself, I relate a lot to Ember's struggles and find her to be a feisty but fun character.
He's paired up with Wade, who is a fun character in his own right, and they're a great opposites attract narrative. For a movie so focused on character conflict, the external conflict that brought them together in the first place is handwaved way too quickly. There's a commentary I feel could be brought about how Element City accommodates most people rather than some minorities.
But we never really get a follow-up to what could better help the city and instead leave it. As such, the movie has some demerits. However, I'm glad such a personal story of immigration got a bounce back on streaming—a fate I wish was spread to other moves.
#12: The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes4
You know, with the seas of bargain bin clones, it's straightforward to forget how fucking good Hunger Games is. I'm more of a latecomer to the franchise, only getting into the movies during quarantine, and I didn't think there needed to be any revival. The films never really made me feel like a sequel was needed. With how stagnant the world of Penam felt under Snow's rule, I felt there needed to be more you could do.
I was hella wrong. Reframing the Hunger Games world through President Snow's eyes is fascinating, and I'm glad to explore it. Prequels generally have to play a decent balancing act between reframing the past while keeping what came before, and I think things work. The same political drama and cutthroat dystopia are present here, and it feels like they never left from the previous films. The main difference is that we see the other side of the fence.
Given how despicable he was in his latter years, President Snow makes for an intriguing protagonist who dynamically has to shift perspectives. Paired up with Rachel Ziegler's captivating performance as Lucy Gray, the two are a tragic but powerful couple of characters who work great together. Seeing the Hunger Games stripped back to a more simplified game brings you back to how horrifying they are.
If I do have one problem with the movie, it probably could've had two parts or, at the very least, been shortened. Everything about Snow being sent to the Districts felt so much like a different movie that it could've been expanded. Regardless, I love the ending and what it says about our leads.
Despite growing up in the same circumstances as most districts, Snow was a snake. He molted, bit back, and poisoned his well of relations to survive. Meanwhile, Lucy was the Songbird, singing her struggles to those who listened before flying on to presumably more incredible things. While we already know what happens after this, I wouldn't mind setting more stories in the Hunger Games universe.
#11: Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
I've said many films from this year deserved better. So I'll just say D & D could've soared higher. I caught this movie a bit late into the summer through streaming, and I'm kicking myself for missing out on theaters. Between this and Black Clover, I kickstarted my interest in high fantasy again.
And I'm glad it popped out for such a genuinely charming movie.D and D is one of those beautiful adaptations, and even if I'm not a fan of the source material, I can still vibe along and understand why others like it. So many practical effects and trippy costumes also make me feel like I'm watching a movie from an older era.
That's not to say the CGI isn't phenomenal, though. The "one-take" scene with Doric shapeshifting into the city streets is genuinely fun, alongside stuff like the portal magic. Overall, the effects of magic are entertaining and help sell the world as incredibly vast while keeping the various action scenes fresh.
However, the character work sells the whole story to me. I'm a sucker for scumbags coming together, and Simon, Edgin, Holga, and Doric are the merriest band of them I've seen. They feel hodgepodged together in a way that feels messy in all the right ways, and the banter is excellent.
The initial prison escape, interrogation of the dead, and the bard scene ensure there is never a dull moment in this film. Between all this and some dastardly ne'er-do-wells, I wouldn't mind a sequel, even if it comes at a much smaller budget.
#10: The Holdovers
The Holdovers was the perfect Christmas movie for me. I wasn't feeling the Christmas cheer in a world that didn't reciprocate it. So this was just what the doctor ordered. Having two resident scourge or unlikely people be forced together in space never gets old, and this movie proves why.
Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph deliver some of the most dynamic performances in a list of great ones that you can't help but feel more cozy when they get to be. Combined with Alexander Payne's experienced directorial work, much like the last entry, the Holdovers feels unique and timeless in presentation, even amidst the 70s backdrop.
Still, some cynical and snide air pokes through the film, creating both palpable drama and witty comedy. Bits like Angus breaking his arm in sharp defiance over Paul or failing to portray a false image of superiority over his former classmates are hilarious. The parallels are equally gripping, though. Angus and Mary are both people who have felt abandoned for vastly different reasons, while parts of Paul never badgered hold onto his status and convictions through his allegiance to the school.
Two perspectives are flipped in a heartwarming ending that shows how important sharing empathy is, especially during the holidays. Holdovers flew under the radar, and a part of me wishes the movie had focused more on them before departing. Still, this was a solid movie that'll get more appreciated with time.
#9: TMNT: Mutant Mayhem
Most friends can attest to this, but I love very few things more than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. One of the main reasons is the franchise's ability to remain fresh while maintaining a different flavor of quality. But even I have to ask, after 40 years, how the fuck didn't we get the most amount of teenage part until 2023?
Sure, other iterations have focused on the "T" on Tmnt a lot more, but this is by far the one that emphasizes it the most. Combined with actually casting teenagers while letting them freestyle, it was great. So many TV shows try to be hip with the youth but often fail to understand what kids want, and Mutant Mayhem does this rather effortlessly. While it does mean some of the references from this movie will age pretty badly over the years, I think this creates one of the more endearing starting-outs for the turtles.
The transition from beautifully naive boys who want to experience the world in all its awkward splendor is so timelessly adolescent that I can't help but find it endearing. With animation this good, I can't help but also find it incredible. People have described this movie as Spider-verse adjacent, but it's a little disingenuous since there are few nuances to enjoy
.I desperately need to find the art book, but MM is looking for a more grungy and asymmetrical aesthetic. Characters are a lot more "ugly" and asymmetrical, dust clouds look like scribbles, and there is a dark twinge to New York City I haven't seen much before. All these factors help to sell MM well and give a unique flavor to its sister iterations and even animated movies.
Combined with one of the sleeper-hit soundtracks of the year, we are cooking.If you didn't replay that No Diggity scene multiple times and conclude it's one of the sauciest scenes of the year. All the action is excellent, alongside the villains. Framing the divide the turtles have with wanting to be accepted by humanity through SupaFly and his gang of mutants was a brilliant call, especially with the potent
al ramifications of a TMNT who doesn't need to hide from the public eye while balancing school life.
But we'll have to wait and see. If there is one flaw I have with the movie, it is the other mutants. As I said before, Supa Fly is great, but I wish some of the deleted scenes were cut because, combined with the voice cast and limited lines, they feel like the definition of "we're barely going to be seen in this franchise outside of the upcoming show."
Sometimes, they feel like an honest afterthought in the movie, and I wish they had been implemented better. Still, with the motion and success this movie has generated, I'm excited to see where this new era of the TMNT will take us next.