My top 15 favorite movies

→ in
Tools    





I don't remember asking you a ******* thing!
I'm putting a top 15 list because I love movies so much that I can't really put a top 10 list as that would be insulting to some of my other favorites. I'm even putting a few series of movies as well because of how they work together and whatnot. So instead of stalling, I'm going to go ahead and name them.

#15

Secret Window - Being a Stephen King fan, I'm probably more partial to this movie than most people are. That being said, even if I wasn't a fan of King, I'd love this movie anyways. Johnny Depp does a great performance in it, as in most of his films. The story is compelling, the characters believable, and the atmosphere delivers on its promise to be a dark, edgy, gripping psychological thriller. Though the ending feels a bit rushed, and twist is a little predictable for most film buffs, I like the movie for the questions it raises about how to react in tough situations, and how unstable people can become really dangerous if left unchecked. Rating: 3.5 out of 4 (for reasons of predictability)

#14

Hook - I mostly wanted to see this film because of Robin Williams, thinking it was going to be another campy, colorful kid's film where Williams is the only funny person. After I watched it, however, I was drawn in by its charm, the brilliant and hilarious performances from both Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman (the only good performances), the creative world they made Neverland into, and the accuracy of the original James Barry story. Even though the third act becomes another cut-rate, yet entertaining kids-adventure climax, and a few plotholes pop up here and there, I enjoy this movie to this day, and I'll continue to like it even in my later years. Rating: 3 out of 4 (for reasons of a few bad child actors and plotholes)

#13

Scent of a Woman - As far as Al Pacino movies go, this one has to be one of my favorites. Not because it's the one that got him a long-deserved Oscar (of which I thought he should've won more of by now), but because of the story it told. Masterful writing turned every sentence and every scene into works of art. Chris O'Donnell was good too, but Pacino (obviously) stole the show. However, the chemistry between them was incredible, so that gave the movie a few more points. I put it low on my list because it's kind of slow compared to most drama movies. That aside, this movie is constantly disappearing from its DVD case in my house, and nobody can argue why. Rating: 3.5 out of 4 (for reasons of slow pacing)

#12

Titanic - I know, I know, this movie appears way too often on fave-movie lists. There's a reason for this though. The writing's great, the characters are cleverly crafted, and the story, although flawed, did what it was supposed to do. Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet have flawless chemistry in my opinion, and their tragic story mirrors that of Shakespeare's own star-crossed lovers. Sure it was a love story first and a chronicle of the ship's first and only sailing last, but that's what James Cameron wanted it to be from start to finish. Historical inaccuracies aside (which does weigh down the movie for me considerably), I consider this to be one of the best love stories ever told, and an equally good disaster film during the final act. I love it as many others do, and that's all right with me. Rating: 3 out of 4 (for reasons of inaccuracy and cheesy romance)

#11

The Princess Bride - This is the second and last romantic movie in my list, but again, I love the story. Rob Reiner is no stranger to good movies (except for one fatal flaw in 1994), and this movie shows his strong suits. Good writing, great casting, and a good and imaginative (albeit predictable) story. Also a comedy film, it's choc full of laughs that will leave you in a good mood if you've been feeling a little down, but not entirely breathless so that you pass out before finishing this good movie. I'll admit that some scenes feel overused, and that the antagonist feels like another cut-and-paste romantic-comedy villain, but again it's part of what makes this film work. Rating: 3 out of 4 (for reasons of cliched villains and predictability)

#10

Amadeus - I love classical music, but sometimes I get tired of having Beethoven movies rule the film world. It's good to see another genius take the stage, and I would have no other than the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Though he himself is not the true star of the film, he leaves just as big an impact on you as Antonio Salieri does. However, on to the other good points of this movie besides the incredible acting. Amazing direction, great writing, and a cleverly mercurial atmosphere make this film one of my favorites. Though not all of it is historically accurate - Mozart was a hard worker, and there's no proof that Salieri wanted to kill him - it's what makes it work, considering it is historical fiction, which I think people take too seriously sometimes. Overall, it's a masterpiece in film-making, and nobody could tell a better story than this one. Rating: 4 out of 4

#9

Total Recall - Say what you will about Arnold Schwartzenegger, I find that Total Recall is one of his better films. It's a creative sci-fi movie (my favorite type of movie), and Arnold plays the hero part well. Move past his somewhat decent acting and look at the creative side of this film. The visuals are impressive even today, the questions it raises are deep and intriguing, and the writing is brilliant too. This is one of those movies that you could argue about for years to come, and I like when a good sci-fi film can invoke that in people. Like I said, Arnold isn't a great actor, and some of the support may seem the same way as well, but looking past that and towards the story, I consider this one of the most creative and entertaining movies out there. Rating: 3.5 out of 4 (for reasons of a certain Austrian musclehead)

#8

The Shawshank Redemption - I won't go into too much detail about why this film is so great to me, so here's the short version of it. Great acting, great direction, great writing (Stephen King's original work, of course), great camerawork, etc. The list goes on. What I love about it most, however, is the accuracy of prison life and the message of the strength of hope. Many people have practically lived in prisons their whole lives, and to most of them that's all they know. If one were to be set free, they wouldn't be able to handle it (a point addressed well, but not overtly). Also, it tells that hope can work wonders for people, especially if they've been wronged. I wouldn't recommend performing some of the actions in this film, but I will recommend that you watch this movie. It's gripping, entertaining, and an instant classic. Rating: 4 out of 4

#7

The Pirates of the Caribbean series - You might find me strange for putting this above Shawshank, but like I said: these are my favorite films, not the ones I think are the greatest ever made. That being said, I love Pirates. Johnny Depp plays a great character in this movie (even his first Oscar nomination). Funny, considering they didn't want him in the film to begin with. Aside from his hilarious and brilliant acting, the story is enjoyably over the top, the casting is excellent, the environment both beautiful and creative, and the writing feels as if it was meant to be portrayed during those swash-buckling days when Britain was the de facto ruler of the world. The first three movies to me are the absolute best. The forth kind of fell back to old action-adventure movie formulas that shows the series' slow but steady decline. However, all the movies are entertaining to watch, and I would recommend them to anybody who wants pure old-fashioned entertainment. Overall Rating: 3 out of 4 (for reasons of declining quality)

#6

Shrek - No, not the entire series, even though the second was the only other decent one. Shrek put a whole new twist on the fairy tales that many of us grew up with, and that's why I love it. The animation is top-notch, the voice-acting is great (Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy are awesome), and best of all, to me, is that it doesn't fall back on used kids movie formulas, aside from the few needed cliches. The world they built based on making a supposedly unlovable creature endearing and human is simply amazing. I put the first one over the sequels because they fell onto needing pop culture references to be funny, which is a common, yet unnecessary mistake. That being said, Shrek warmed my heart more than Toy Story or any of the other Pixar movies ever did (not to take away from their greatness, but they just don't do it for me like they did when I was younger). It's my favorite animated film, and will likely remain as such for years to come. Rating: 4 out of 4

#5

The Dark Knight - Super hero movies have their good (Superman) and their bad (Catwoman), but none have pushed the envelope further than The Dark Knight did. With it's brilliant direction and visuals, incredible story-telling, and great detail on the theme of escalation, The Dark Knight edges out the competition with a fierce and stunning blow. The acting is where this movie really shines, however. Christian Bale does the same admirable performance as the vigilante billionaire, as do Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman, but it's Heath Ledger's shocking and terrifying performance as his nemesis the Joker that got everybody's attention. Putting sentiment about his unfortunate death aside, his was easy the best performance that year. For all that was good about it, one thing I didn't like particularly, and that's the over-explanatory dialogue. I like that they explained things, but if it were put a little more simply, it might have been a little better. That aside, The Dark Knight as a near-flawless superhero movie, and it has become the standard for which these movies should be made. Rating: 4 out of 4

#4

Inception - This movie had me asking questions all throughout, and each one of my answers was either completely wrong, or right in a different context. That made this movie all the better and all the more enjoyable. With incredible visuals, a daring story, and a deep script, Inception is one of those movies that begged of you to ask questions and make up your own answers as you went along. For every explanation in this movie, there are always a million different questions. The cast made it their goal to seem as if they knew everything about dreams, and they did that effectively. Leo DiCaprio is does a good job as the lead, with many other stars helping him towards his goal inside others' dreams. Revealing anything more about this movie would be giving away too much, but as a thriller, it will have you on the edge of your seat and asking questions even as it resolves itself. Rating: 4 out of 4

#3

Avatar - Love it or hate it, Avatar began a new era for the visual aspect of film. Even though the visuals are stunning beyond belief, they're not the only thing working for this great film. A good story, incredible direction, and master camerawork all make this film something to watch, no matter what your feelings about it are. Sci-fi films are rarely very human, but the love story within it is what helps make you appreciate the visuals of it more and more as the nasty humans try to destroy it. Good points aside, the story is a bit predictable for most, and the acting is only good, and not great like I hoped it would be. Some would argue that it copies way too many films like Ferngully or Pocahontas, but that's all part of what makes it work. It's taking an idea that many people have seen, but putting it into a new scenario that makes it seem original. That, to me, is what helps Avatar. It's also the reason why it's one of my all-time favorites. I cannot wait for the sequels to come out for this. Rating: 4 out of 4

#2

The Matrix series - Again, a movie that made people question it and study it to no end. What if the world you knew wasn't really yours? Does free truly exist in this world? These and more are the questions raised in The Matrix. Along with the great writing that this movie had, the camerawork is genius, the story is deep and philosophical, and the visuals were the innovation of the time. Can't really say much about the acting because these are characters set in a time in the future. We can't know for sure that they'll act the same as you or I do right now. Emotions do run high, however, and that helps them stay human (aside from the computer programs). Keanu Reeves might be a bore sometimes, but I still hold out that he was excellently cast. Laurence Fishbourne and Carrie Ann-Moss also lead the charge well in this driving action-drama that slams you with blistering fight sequences while leaving you thoughtful as they explain more of their heavily-controlled world. I'll admit that the last movie did seem to drag on a bit with the resolutions, but overall it is an ingenious film series that will soon become classics someday (hopefully). Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 4 (for reasons of a slow final film)

#1 (finally! lol)

Star Wars - Not the first film either. Every single Star Wars film was just epic to me. Argue the bad points about Episodes I and II (I agree that Jar-Jar was a huge mistake and Hayden Christensen was bad, though not terrible), but Star Wars started on a high note, continued with great story after great story, and ended on a victorious triumph (I'm going chronologically, yes). George Lucas is an underrated genius, and his vision influenced many filmmakers out there as much as his friends Spielberg and Coppola did. Great storytelling, absolutely astounding visuals in all six films for the times, and an all-around excellent cast are the reasons why Star Wars remains my top favorite film series of all time. Addressing the poor quality of the first 2 prequels, I blame that on George Lucas having spent so much time away from the series since Episode VI (26 years is a really long time in the world of film). Episode I did have some bad writing and one miscalculation in casting. Episode II did much better with putting more action, but again, another miscalculation in casting. Episode III stands out for going back to the formulas for which the first three films were famous for, although it was much darker (the PG-13 rating was a little overboard, however). That being said, Star Wars is my favorite film series. To make a list with my favorite films would see all six episodes placing in the top spots. Overall Rating: 4 out of 4



I don't remember asking you a ******* thing!
Thanks, everybody. The reason I like The Matrix movies better than The Shawshank Redemption is mainly because I like sci-fi movies the best. Don't think I'm knocking Shawshank's incredible quality of film-making. It's just that there are some movies that I prefer over others. I love the Matrix for the questions it raises and for the action in it. Shawshank has it's own rewarding experience, to be sure, but I've been exposed to sci-fi more than drama, which is slowly becoming my second-favorite genre.



You should go through the MoFo checklists and see how many movies you've seen from them. Judging from the movies you've listed you might be missing out on a lot a great movies, and that isn't meant as disrespect.

You say you like sci-fi, have you seen Blade Runner or 2001: A Space Odyssey? Or what about Serenity (a new favourite of mine)?



I don't remember asking you a ******* thing!
Sinny, I have seen many movies in my life, and this list is constantly changing after I watch more and more of the ones I love. Be sure to keep checking up with me often to see my revised lists. This is just a few movies that I came up with off the top of my head (I made this post at around 2 or 3 in the morning lol).

I've seen 2001: A Space Odyssey before, and I enjoyed it. It was a milestone in visual arts and storytelling, but it was a little slow-going for my tastes. I mean it absolutely no disrespect, but I prefer movies that get to the punch quickly. Sadly, I have never seen Blade Runner, but I hope to very soon.



A system of cells interlinked
Yes - see it immediately - it's my favorite film of all time. Also, If you fill out your Top 10 Favorites in your profile, a small drop down list will appear in the upper right corner of your posts. It's a fun and easy way to check out people's favorite flicks. See my post for an example!
__________________
“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” ― Thomas Sowell



I don't remember asking you a ******* thing!
Yes - see it immediately - it's my favorite film of all time. Also, If you fill out your Top 10 Favorites in your profile, a small drop down list will appear in the upper right corner of your posts. It's a fun and easy way to check out people's favorite flicks. See my post for an example!

Saw Blade Runner finally, Sedai. I like it. It's not your typical sci-fi movie, and I liked the neo-noir direction it took. My only beef with it is that I had to watch it at least twice in order to really like it, which for me shouldn't happen unless the end was either a plot twist (The Sixth Sense) or a complete mind**** (Memento). Either way, I liked it a lot.



We've gone on holiday by mistake
Amazing, you picked 3 films for your number 2 choice and 6 for your No 1.



Good list, but I think the most attractive movie should be the Titanic and Avatar, do you think so?