I never thought I would do this, but I have finally come up with a definitive list of my all-time favorite movies. I put them in descending order, with the last one being my very favorite. I really put WAY too much thought into this! :) Anyway...enjoy!
20. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra
I wasn’t expecting much from this movie when my friend introduced it to me. I certainly wasn’t expecting to put it on my top 20 list, but here it is. This film was made in 2004, filmed in black and white, and makes fun of sci-fi and horror movies from the 40’s and 50’s. And it’s absolutely hilarious, without resorting to crudeness or vulgarity. This is one of the most quotable movies ever made, with some of the best one-liners I’ve ever heard. One of my favorite lines: “In my time, I’ve seen bears do things even bears wouldn’t do.”
19. The Goonies
This movie is on the list, almost solely for nostalgia. This is one of the more intelligent kids movies, in that the kids in it act like real kids would. And they go on adventures that real kids would only dream of, and sometimes attempt themselves. The characters in this are hilarious, and just a joy to watch. Whenever I’m feeling down, if I pop in this movie, it always makes me feel better. The only issue some people may have with this is that there’s quite a bit of language in it for being a PG-rated movie. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone under 11.
18. Night at the Museum 2
When I went into this movie, I was just expecting another run-of-the-mill inferior sequel. I was very wrong. This movie is better than the first in every way. I’ve never laughed so hard at a movie in my entire life. I seriously thought that one of my major organs might just fail on me, I was laughing so hard. It accomplishes this without a single use of foul language or the least amount of vulgarity. Considering that this was made just this year, that’s pretty impressive. Beyond that though, what makes this a great film, is its underlying message of how important it is to find joy in your own life.
17. The Karate Kid
This is probably the best “underdog” movie ever made. Nowadays, it’s fairly typical, in that the main character gets bullied in the beginning, wins in the end, and even gets the girl. But what sets this one apart is the very well-developed, and often touching, relationship between a teenage Daniel and the elderly Mr. Miyagi. Pat Morita (Miyagi) was actually nominated for an Academy award for his role. This has some of the best character dynamics I’ve ever seen in a movie. This is coupled with a genuinely exciting and moving storyline.
16. Superman: The Movie
This movie literally has it all. Truly epic in every sense of the word, the film is filled with adventure, action, romance, comedy, sci-fi, drama; you name it, it’s there. Made in 1976, this was simply the greatest comic book movie ever made for more than 30 years. Superman is effectively portrayed as a man burdened with having such extraordinary powers. It chronicles his evolving into finding joy out of his apparent calling. This is one of the greatest stories ever put to film.
15. My Dinner With Andre
This was released during the same year as Raiders of the Lost Ark, which is widely regarded as being one of the best action movies ever made. My Dinner With Andre is far from an action movie, but it’s just as gripping. The entire film takes place in a restaurant, and we watch a conversation between two men over dinner. That’s it. But this isn’t just any conversation. It’s one of the most interesting and philosophically profound conversations you’ll ever have the privilege of eavesdropping. Some of the things they talk about create some crazy, interesting images that you’ll only see in your own mind. The film respects the audience’s intelligence enough to allow us to still use our own imaginations. It’s an interesting and unusual method to use in Film, and that’s why it’s one of the best.
14. The Majestic
This is one of those films that I would consider to be just a celebration of life itself, and of the freedoms we enjoy. Jim Carrey is unexpectedly brilliant in this film, playing a lost and confused, but generally decent, man. It’s by far his most serious role, and also his best. But he’s not the one shining beacon in the film. The writing, acting, and direction are all top-notch. And in my opinion, this has two of the best monologues that have ever been spoken in any film.
13. K-PAX
This is such a unique film! Many people unfortunately believe that good science fiction and good human drama cannot be fused together. These people seem to forget what the original purpose of science fiction was in the first place. Back “in the day,” early sci-fi stories were used as vehicles to discuss and illustrate the human condition, current events, a wide range of issues, etc. Now, science fiction seems to often be used as a vehicle to showcase special effects and explosions. K-PAX chooses to go the more refined route of classic storytelling, and tells a deeply personal, human, touching and relevant story. I won’t reveal anything about that here though. You’ll just have to see what I mean, for yourself.
12. Mission: Impossible 3
This is simply my favorite action movie. It’s very intense from the first two seconds of the movie, and doesn’t let up until the very end. Unlike most action movies though, this one also has a lot of heart. The character development and interactions are very good, and the story is really the main focus point, despite all the spectacular action sequences. I never tire of watching this movie.
11. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
This is widely considered as being the worst in the series, but it is my personal favorite. Indiana Jones was an important part of my childhood. I love all of them almost equally, including Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the newest one. The Temple of Doom has an edge over the rest because of three general things: action, humor, and character interaction. It is an absolutely relentless action movie that simply never lets up. Beyond that, the characters get themselves into countless hilarious situations, and watching them get out of them is just a joy. This also has the best soundtrack of all of the Indy movies, and also the funniest one-liners.
10. August Rush
This is really a beautiful film that touches on a lot of important ideas. The most important one being that we’re all connected. A boy in this film finds one way to bridge that connection through music. I think there’s all but a total of three minutes in the film that doesn’t have music playing in the background. It’s basically a musical without actually being a traditional musical. Aurally and visually stunning, this is a film that everyone should see.
9. The Slipper and the Rose: A Cinderella Story
I’ve always loved musicals. You will never see any musical better than this one. Not only is it my favorite musical, but it’s also far and above my favorite Cinderella movie. The cinematography in it is gorgeous. Technically speaking, it’s essentially a flawless film. But what truly makes it great are the characters and the music. The film is filled to the brim with fun, witty, loveable and eccentric characters, and unbelievably catchy and fun songs. Tragically, there are many people who have never even heard of this movie. Do yourself a favor, and find yourself a copy of this as soon as you can!
8. TRON
The special effects in this film may, from one perspective, be seen as primitive. But seen from a different perspective, its artistic merit is absolutely timeless. It has no peer or equal. In some ways, it was a pioneering effort, but in other, more important ways, they set the bar that still hasn’t been reached after all these years. I don’t think they realized what they created when they made this film back in the early 80’s. Somehow, they were able to create a world that simply cannot exist in reality. And yet, whenever I watch it, I get lost in it, as if I were actually there. I’ve never seen another film that has been able to do that for me, while forgetting about the mechanics of how it might have been made. Amazingly, with all of this, both the acting and the story are just fantastic. This may be the greatest purely escapist film ever made.
7. Signs
A family drama in the guise of an alien invasion thriller, this is one of the most genuinely touching films I’ve ever seen. Yes, it is a thriller, and I suppose some people will get some mild scares out of it, but I think it’s just good, clean fun. There’s no blood and gore in it, and if you do find yourself being scared, you’ll also probably laugh out loud right afterward. There are some very funny parts in this, which lessens the intensity of some of the scarier parts. Beyond all of this though, you will really get to love and care about the characters. There are very few movies in which I have felt so attached to the characters. Seeing this family struggle and grow closer together—and closer to God—really gets you to feel for them. This film also suggests the idea that it may actually be immoral to give up on accomplishing your dreams. That, to me, is the heart of the film, and the reason behind why you should see it.
6. The Dark Knight
This is the film that finally dethroned “Superman: The Movie” as the greatest comic book movie ever made. But this film transcends the comic book genre, and goes for much more, making it one of the best films of any kind. Something that really impressed me is how thematically dark this film is, while at the same time, the constraint they used in the actual content they showed. The film is intense for sure, and is not meant for children, but not because it’s simply inappropriate. It’s disturbing at times, but there is absolutely no gratuitous violence, language, or sexuality. It pulls no punches, emotionally and viscerally. But it does this, simply by telling the story that needs to be told, without the use of vulgarity, lewdness, or any of the other sensationalized drivel that so many other mainstream films indulge in. I respect this film hugely, because of that. The story, by the way, is truly the film’s greatest strength. While maintaining its dark theme and plenty of spectacular action scenes, it also contains some very interesting and relevant social commentary.
5. Frequency
I love it when I’m wrong about a movie. For some reason, I expected to hate this movie, but now it’s on my top 5 favorites. Here is another sci-fi tale that does it right, by making the human relationships and storyline the main focus points. On a very basic level, it’s a sci-fi/suspense/thriller. The parts that affected me the most though were the scenes between the son and his dad. The chemistry between these two characters is just amazing. I’ve never seen anything quite like it in a movie before. Some of these scenes with the two of them are truly, powerfully moving. As the movie progresses, a mystery begins to unfold, things start to get intense, and it slowly transitions into a hugely entertaining white-knuckled thriller. This movie really has a lot of depth and layers, and I would recommend it to anyone.
4. The Village
This may be the most widely misunderstood film ever made. A lot of people hated this film, I think, because what they got was ferociously different from what they were expecting. Unfortunately, this was marketed as a horror movie. A horror movie this is most definitely not. At its heart, it’s a beautiful love story between the two most purely innocent people you may ever see portrayed on film. Now, don’t get me wrong. The film definitely has its intense moments. In fact, this may be the most emotionally intense film I’ve ever seen. If you have a tendency to cry during movies, you can expect the waterworks to come. The film has a deeply potent message at its core though, and that’s what makes it so great. The idea that love can conquer all; that we should run toward happiness, even amidst pain and anguish; that, even though sadness is a part of life, hopelessness is but a temporary thing; that the world itself moves and kneels before love, because of love’s overwhelming influence and power…these, and more, are all themes that the film touches on. It’s simply one of the most beautiful films ever made.
3. God’s Army 2: States of Grace
There is a lot of controversy attached to this film, especially among Mormons, to which faith I belong. The controversy is there because, during the film, one of the missionaries makes a very serious mistake. This mistake is not shown, but implied. Now, I respect why some people might be bothered by this, and may even be made to feel uncomfortable. But for me, it was an emotionally potent and necessary part of the story. The movie, in no way, makes light of the mistake, or illustrates it as a good idea. In fact, it very effectively shows the tragedy of it. But, more importantly, it also shows Heavenly Father’s love for, and His willingness to forgive His children. It’s not an instant thing; it’s a process, and this film powerfully illustrates that. To be very honest, this is the most powerful film testimony I have ever seen of the validity and reality of repentance and the saving power of Jesus Christ. Beyond the religious overtones, it’s also just a very well-made film with four very interesting characters, who each in their own way, begin to discover how it is that they can apply the Atonement in their own lives. I have never been so profoundly moved by any other film. It’s a tragic film, to be sure. But please, if you can, set aside any pre-notions, and give it a chance. You may find that it will open your eyes, lift your spirits, and add to your conviction that there is more to this life than what we see with our eyes; and that there is Someone watching over us with a loving eye.
2. Powder
I’ve never seen another movie with a more important story to tell. One thing that makes it so great too, is that it’s applicable to just about anyone in any situation, no matter what their beliefs are. I’ve always believed that we, as human beings, are literally connected to each other. More than that, every single person is inherently beautiful. Powder agrees with me, as this is the film’s biggest theme. I don’t want to say anymore, other than a warning: this is a very strong PG-13 rated movie. It hangs on the very edge of that rating, actually. As such, I feel that I should warn those that might be sensitive to some things. It does NOT contain any harsh nudity or sexuality, but it does have strong language, and some scenes that people may find disturbing. Unlike so many sensational Hollywood movies though, there is a definite purpose behind the content. It’s not there simply to be there. Underneath some of the darkness, there is a truly beautiful story that is being told.
1. Unbreakable
This has been my favorite movie since the year 2001, when it was first released. There are many reasons I could give as to why I love this film so much. From the character interactions and development, to the cinematography, to the camera angles, to the storyline, to the palpable suspense and intensity, to the sense of mystery and intrigue, to the gentle sense of humor, to the sweet love story; there’s really a lot to love about it. The thing I admire the most about it is what it’s trying to say about humanity, what we’re capable of, and who and what we really are. It asks the fun-to-think-about question: Are there heroes among us—the kind of heroes that comic books talk about? And then it dares to address that question with a possible answer. Perhaps there are people out there that do have abilities that have been seriously exaggerated by comic books: abilities like instinct, humor, love, gentleness, charity, kindness, etc. I know there are plenty of people in my life, who possess at least a couple of these “abilities.” The film also tries to convince us that we’re all pretty extraordinary human beings on the inside. Combining our drive and limitless potential with our divine purpose—once discovered—will propel us into an unstoppable motion toward finally touching those stars that we’ve spent so much time and effort reaching. During this process, we will also find happiness. The human spirit is truly unbreakable.
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