The Top 5 Movies of 2017

The end of the year continues, fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

A few days back, I showed you what I thought were the top 5 games of 2017. It was a fun list, but we leave the world of consoles & controllers, and may our way to the realm of cinema. Like video games, 2017 hit it out of the park when it came to films. I saw a bunch of movies this year, and many of them I liked a lot. However, I can only pick 5, as tempting as it was to expand the list this year. With that out of the way, here are my top 5 movies of 2017. Enjoy!

5) XXX: Return of Xander Cage (Trailer)

We begin this list with the first movie I saw this year, and boy oh boy was it a dumb one....but in a good way!

To be perfectly honest, I was never fond of the original XXX films. I didn’t necessarily think they were bad, but I always thought they took themselves a little seriously to a degree (1st one a little more than the 2nd one). With this 3rd film? It’s very obvious that they know what’s going on, and the actors revel in the stupidity. Everything is over the top, goofy, and silly, but the fun factor is maintained to such a degree that I never felt bored at any point throughout this movie. Return of Xander Cage harkens back to a time when action movies were about hokey fun, rather than trying to have some kind of serious message (Thanks Bourne movies). If you want some “Brain Turned-Off” time, the Return of Xander Cage will fulfill this urge.

4) Saban’s Power Rangers (Trailer)

Now here was a movie that was a big surprise to me!

When I first heard about this film, I immediately shook my head. At a time in which the Power Rangers are clearly beyond their moment in the spotlight, it was shocking to see it still going. When I saw the trailers, my fears were heightened. The look of everything was just bizarre, and that was when I said I wouldn’t see this film. Then, when the reviews came out by nerds that said the movie was surprisingly well, my curiosity got to me, and thus I saw the film. After watching it, I was shocked by how much I enjoyed it! It has some small issues, but I found that this incarnation of the Power Rangers managed to do it’s own thing, while simultaneously showing respect towards what came before it. If you want to hear your inner 90s child cheer, take them to this movie.

3) Wonder Woman (Trailer) & Thor: Ragnarok (Trailer)

I’m.....genuinely conflicted on Wonder Woman.

On the one hand, I loved it! For the first time in a long time, DC made a great superhero film. Gal Gadot was a wonderful choice for the featured heroine, and the rest of the cast was no slouch either. The sets were great, the action & pacing were top notch, and the story (Despite some small snags) really kept me in my seat! On the other hand, gender politics came in like normal it seems. Given that it’s a movie about Wonder Woman, it’s understandable. My problem lies from the “Women Only” viewing a little before the release (You know the one). Only girls/women at a movie screening I don’t necessarily have a problem with, but not letting the male employees work that night? Really!? Would even one male employee really have ruined the experience for every female patron there!? Despite that, Wonder Woman is an awesome film. My suggestion: throw gender politics aside, and just have fun with this film!

Now, a superhero movie that doesn’t have gender politics is the fantastic Thor: Ragnarok! Compared to Captain America: Civil War from last year, I thoroughly enjoyed this 3rd entry far more. Unlike Civil War, Ragnarok had a far more comedic bent to it that most other Marvel films, although there were still some serious elements to the story. The interactions between Thor and the Hulk were an awesome & even mix between silly and serious, and the cast was a wonderful selection this time around. Even the few scenes with Karl Urban weren’t bad, as he had some scenery to chew on. Wonder Woman was definitely fun, but Ragnarok is the movie I’d be more tempted to see twice.

2) Dunkirk (Trailer)

My number 2 & number 1 share a weird parallel with my original top 5 movie list from way back in 2014. Namely, World War 2 & kids movies occupy this portion. I have to admit, I wasn’t interested in Dunkirk at first. It seemed to take itself much more seriously than Fury from 2014, and there wasn’t anyone I recognized in the film. However, interested slowly arose overtime, and when my folks when to the theater (Forgot what they saw), I went to see this movie instead....and I liked it! It’s not quite as action packed as Fury from 3 years ago (Despite having some great firefights), as it opts for more of a storytelling route instead of an action flick, but it works. Dunkirk shows of 3 different stories, and each of them are intertwined with one another. There’s the air force, the navy & civilian ships, and the soldiers that are waiting to get rescued. My serious movie of the year, I cannot recommend Dunkirk enough to anyone who’s a fan of World War 2 history.

Before we get to my number 1, let’s go over 3 honorable mentions. The movies here were definitely great, but maybe they weren’t quite as good as the rest of the films on this list. Perhaps it was timing of the film, or maybe it was because of the writing or some other factor. In any case, here are my honorable mention films of 2017.

HM1) Star Wars: Rogue One (Trailer)

If this was released in November last year, and I saw it in November, chances are it would have appear on that list somewhere. However, Rogue One was released in late December, and I watched it with my folks 2 days before Christmas 2016. It was so late last year, that I could only include it on this list in the “Honorable Mentions” section. As to what I thought of it? I enjoyed it....for the most part. As I sat through the film, I was amazed as to how few of the characters I actually liked. With the exception of the 4 I liked (The droid, the Indian pilot, and the two Asian guys), I really didn’t feel a connection to anyone. Even the female lead I thought was boring for some reason, as she came across as dry with her acting. That said, Rogue One was fun! It was interesting to see the story of the Death Star plans getting into the hands of the Rebel Alliance, and despite my dislike of almost all the cast, it was fun to watch their interactions. This wasn’t quite as good as The Force Awakens was from 2015, but I would still recommend Rogue One to any Star Wars fan that was interested.

HM2) A Silent Voice (Trailer)

No dub. The only reason that this movie is in the “Honorable Mentions” part of this list is that it’s only in Japanese. Despite that, A Silent Voice is hands down one of the biggest feels trains I’ve seen in a long time. Though it has an issue or two, this anime feature film is one of the most mature titles to have ever come out of the land of the rising sun. It’s a heartwarming & heartbreaking tale of friendship, loss, bullying, redemption, and has a high level of respect for it’s audience. Even for those individuals who aren’t anime fans, A Silent Voice should really be watched by said individuals. Those who are anime fans....well, this movie is a given to view.

HM3) It (Trailer)

Their aren’t many exceptions I give to the world of horror. The 2017 revision of It is one of those few exceptions. Though it still isn’t quite as accurate as the book, it is far more connected to the novel than the 90s incarnation. The shift in time to seeing the kids in the 80s rather than the 50s is an interesting change, as are a host of other things. The effects were great, the acting from the kids (And even the adults) was subperb, and the overall mood felt more believable that how it was presented in the 90s. I sadly didn’t get the chance to see it a second time, but once the DVD comes out, you sure as heck will bet that it comes to my movie collection!

1) Lego Batman (Trailer) & Lego Ninjago (Trailer)

Are any of you surprised by this?

To be perfectly honest, I was quite surprised to find out that 2017 would get two Lego movies instead of one. To be perfectly honest again.........I don’t care! I love the original Lego movie from 2014, and the quality of that film came over to these two. Much like the previously mentioned film, Lego Batman & Lego Ninjago are incredible films for modern kids to watch, but for those who are older & love childhood nostalgia, they’re great too! As with The Lego Movie, these two features look as if the toys came to life, and while the lessons in each aren’t quite as strong as the first, they’re still great. Lego, you hit it out of the park again in 2017. I look forward to what’s next with great anticipation!

So these were my top 5 movies of 2017. An interesting & intriguing list, but the movies I saw this year were all over the spectrum. At any point, I would probably watch any of these all over again. I’ll see you all this coming Wednesday, when we’ll take a look at my top 5 albums of 2017. Until then, sit down with a bowl of popcorn why don’t ya!




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If you like to know what I thought of last year, check out the link below:

Top 5 Movies of 2016