ahwell's Top 100 Movies - 2020

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I might be able to see more within Last Picture Show with a revisit, but on first watch it didn’t quite click.

Marriage Story on the other hand was excellent. Well told and we’ll executed. Loved it.





62. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

A movie I laugh out loud at every time... it's awesome.
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I love British humor. But I’m probably not allowed to say that and then follow that up by saying I don’t like this movie. Except for a few jokes here and there I didn’t find this that funny. It was tough to get through honestly. Saw it for the first time in 2018 I think it was. And all that hype about it... didn’t work with me at all.

I like Life of Brian more, but much prefer other British comedy over Monty Python.



My dad's a big Monty Python fan and my brother also loved this movie so I saw it a lot growing up. I liked it well enough then, but when I watched it as an adult I didn't like it anymore. I hated Life of Brian.

British humor is very hit or miss for me. Mostly miss. Except Blackadder. Watch Blackadder if you haven't seen it yet, but start with Blackadder II or you might be left wondering why the hell I recommended it (each season is set in a completely different era so you won't miss anything if you start at the second one).



You mean me? Kei's cousin?
Huh. Don't hear of too many people dislikin' this one.
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Huh. Don't hear of too many people dislikin' this one.
Well here' another one.

I liked Monty Python for about 6 months when I was 17 and even then I didn't like the films.
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I use to love watching Monty Python in reruns when I was a teen. I've seen Holy Grail a couple times and it was rioutsly funny...but I haven't seen it in like 20 years I wonder if I'd still like it?





61. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

It's a childhood favorite for a lot of people, but speaking from A New Hope and now this I can fully attest that seeing the series for the first time all grown up is just as magical.

This in every way improved upon the original! First things first, this is petty but the poster is better. It's pretty, beautiful, exciting. Just the look of the poster drew me in, but of course that's just the tip of the iceberg.

What really makes The Empire Strikes Back stand out is the focus on characters and development, more so than A New Hope. Notice how much more intimate this story is; the final battle scene does not require hundreds of rebel forces, but instead only includes our vital characters. In fact, the only time the rebels are even shown is at the very beginning fight.

The juxtaposition between Luke's training and Han and Leia's adventures is genius. We really dig deep into what it means to be a hero and to control your morality/power with that training with Yoda. In that way, the Empire Strikes Back begins to transcend the classic "good-vs.-evil" trope of A New Hope. "Do or do not. There is no try." It's a commonly used, joked about line today. But there is genuine truth that we can learn from Yoda's statements about life.

In the meantime, there is action and adventure aplenty as the star troopers chase the Millenium Falcon around the galaxy. And remarkably, through the madness going on, the film still finds a way to focus on characters. Leia and Han develop their relationship, from cold and sarcastic to warm and heartfelt.

The climax, of course, is Gold. I knew the twist. It's impossible not to. And it was still great. It adds depth to Darth Vader as a villain, when a lesser movie wouldn't have had that extra layer. Now, we realize, both hero and villain have moral choices to make, Darth Vader about his own identity and the fate of his son. And Luke about possibly becoming his father, and staying good in the face of evil. Unfortunately, after years of hearing people talk about it, I know the end of the Return of the Jedi. Yet it's still fascinating to think about the moral dilemmas both are faced with now.

John Williams's score is even more breath taking, more melodic, more fantastic. The pure, luscious tones of the orchestra are simply breathtaking, and the callback to old Hollywood just make this film transcend a simple sci-fi.

Too bad Kershner couldn't really ever do more than this movie, the Empire Strikes Back proves he had enormous potential at making a great story even better. Maybe cut a couple of C3POs lines and R2D2s beeps, and you have a perfect, timeless movie.



I need to revisit this. I loved A New Hope on the rewatch and while I already dug Empire on first watch, I really want to watch it again to cement my opinion. Unfortunately, the fan version of that isn’t out yet. Not that it’s necessary, but they did a great job with the 4K77 restoration of the original film.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.


61. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

I love the whole original Star Wars trilogy, and A New Hope is my favorite, but you certainly make a great argument for The Empire Strikes Back being the best of the three movies.
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I trilogy it up every few years. I remember going to see the special editions at the theaters in 1997. I actually prefer the original theatrical versions myself, however.





60. Up (2009)

Wow, Pixar did it again. Why did it make me cry so much? I'm really struggling about that, because The Bookshop has multiple characters who die, and some of them are the only likable characters in the film. Why are those deaths so boring, and Ellie's in Up so heartbreaking and noble? This film takes a new approach on children's films, and I think it connect to everyone, kid or adult alike.

It was so beautiful, and there were so many funny, sad, scary, brilliant moments that I would want to enjoy again. Truth be told, there are no huge plot twists, no amazing story telling and not that innovative visuals. But the storytelling is so warm, and the characters so well-built, it's near impossible to dislike this movie.

And this isn't Pixar's most original movie. With Toy Story, of course they introduced their new visuals and their new storytelling. Up does nothing too original, but Pixar just perfected everything about their art in this movie. Their characters are just as good as that of Toy Story, and I think they expanded to a new audience, which they had already done in previous movies - but this almost seems to be more about adults than children... the only kid in the movie is just seen as an annoying brat (although he is good-hearted).

The screenplay is funny and entertaining, although I don't think this movie relies on screenplay to create emotional effect. I'll get to that in visuals and music, though. Although some of the moments with Doug and the other dogs can be very annoying, that is a small part of an overall brilliant and well-thought out script.

The characters are one of the best things about this movie. Carl, our main character, is a great example of a complex character, which can be hard to do for kids. But his struggles - and flaws - are the main premise of the whole movie, and some of more grumpy moments can be forgiven as we learn to love him and respect him. The remaining characters are also intriguing and interesting, Charles Muntz most of all - Pixar's demonstration of what humiliation and desire can do to a person. Overall, the characters are really well fleshed out.

The voice acting was also pretty good, and I liked how each of the characters embodied their personalities. Doug was a bit annoying, but he played a minor role, as did most of the other dog's (at least their voices). Russell is played by a charming and really good actor who I liked for his innocence and voice. Really strong voice acting.

The structure basically revolved around Carl, whose introduction to conflict is when he hits the construction worker on the head in anger- showing his grief over Ellie and his frustration at the world around him. The rising actions show is gradually softening and ability to appreciate life. The climactic moment is one of the best in any Pixar movie, and for me that's the most heartbreaking moment in the film, not the opening. When Carl throws all his items off of the house, he is symbolically letting go of his attachment to objects that remind him of Ellie. And that last shot of the two armchairs- the central symbols of Carl and Ellie's relationship- sitting side by side... its a perfect way to show that by letting go of Carl, he is spiritually reunited with her.

The pacing was nice, although it could be a bit jolty at times. The opening pacing is amazing, with a pan through the life of Carl and Ellie. These first five minutes make up for me one of Pixar's best scenes ever, and tell a better story than The Bookshop does in two hours. From there, the rest of the movie isn't quite as good, but how can it be? Everything sparkles, and the pacing does not fail (only wavers a little in the middle).

The themes and values I think aren't that hard to make out, but they're really different, and I don't know how well kids can connect to it. It's basically saying that happiness in life is achieved through enjoying life, not mourning over loss. There are more eloquent ways of saying this (like the entire film), but it's the basic message, and it's one of Pixar's more original ones. I really liked the symbolism incorporated in this film, and how Carl relates to each of the symbols on a personal level. This elevates the storytelling and the eventual impact of the themes of the film.

The visuals are really great, although not anything too special like Toy Story and Finding Nemo. But definitely no complaints. I really enjoyed the scenes where the house is in the sky, I thought they were really well done.

The music is great. 5/5. Maybe Pixar's best soundtrack ever, written by Michael Giacchino. The soundtrack revolves around one melody, representative of the relationship between Carl and Ellie. And for me, without the music, the opening scene in particular would not be what it is. And it is through the music that we are reminded of the beautiful life of Carl and Ellie, and how he can find happiness again... one of the best film scores in recent years, deserving of its Oscar for Best Score.

Overall, Up was really, really solid movie, made in an era where Pixar was releasing movies every year that were just so great. Although they haven't lived up to these movies in recent years, I can hardly blame them. The product of their work in the 2000s was outstanding, and Up is just one of the examples of the power of animation and kids movies in general... many times, I think, these movies have deeper and more powerful themes and values than a lot of adult crap today... So hats off to Pixar for once again producing a masterpiece.



Up is really good. I just wish the whole film had the impact of that first part.

It kinda turns in to a more loose and fun family film, though of course not without its subtext and deeper layers.

I still really enjoy it though!