The Top 5 Movies Of 2023

Top 5 movies of 2023 fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

This year treated me very well in the cinema. I don’t think I saw as many features this year as opposed to 2022, but 2023 was a revival for me, my friends, and my family when it came to going to the movies. I certainly saw a variety of films this year, but not enough to bring back the honorable mentions section. It makes things a little bit easier, which is ironic when you look at my games & albums lists. So with that said, here are my top 5 movies of 2023. Let’s begin!

5) Cocaine Bear (Trailer)

I think anyone that went into this film thinking it would be something deep is absolutely hilarious to me. From the first time I watched the trailer, I knew this was going to be one of the most idiotic movies I have ever seen, and for it’s entire run time my brain was just melting into creamy ooze. Even if it didn’t, the alternate history take on the bear that did 75 kilos of Cocaine will leave your head permanently tilted to the side, and wonder what the hell you watched by the time it’s done. However, if you watch it in the right way, Cocaine Bear is actually a blast! It’s absolutely hilarious, and surprisingly tense & scary in places. Not only that, but it marks the last time that Ray Liotta would ever appear in film after his death in May of 2022, and while it’s not an amazing role, he still does a pretty nice job. Cocaine Bear is definitely not for everybody, but if you are a fan of over-the-top & idiotic films, then you’ll love this!

4) Sisu (Trailer)

It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Nazis get their asses handed to in such a fun manner!

If I was to describe Sisu to anyone who asks me, I would say it’s one part John Wick (Minus the dog dying.....and that’s not a spoiler), one part WW2 movie, and one part Tarentino style revenge flick complete with the gore. Perhaps what makes the film stand out to me is the balance it maintains in it’s entire run time: from the action, to the humor, to the seriousness, and even the more quiet moments, there’s not a single aspect that overwhelms all of the others. I also appreciate the fact that the movie took place in an area of World War 2 you don’t see very often (Finland). Each aspect of the film walks a tightrope, and not at any single point in it’s hour & a half running time do they tip to one side or the other. Kinda like Cocaine Bear, if you’re in the mood for a film that’s not complex and is just fun, you won’t be disappointed by Sisu.

3) Guardians Of The Galaxy: Vol. 3 (Trailer)

It’s been quite a while since I enjoyed a Marvel movie as much as this one. Like I said last year, Multiverse Of Madness was a visual masterpiece, but as a superhero film it could have been better. This one, on the other hand, was faaaaar greater: it didn’t take itself too seriously (Outside of the serious moments), the story was great, the characters were great, and it ended on a bittersweet yet happy ending. When most Marvel movies these days are either Mediocre or Bad, it’s nice to see one that’s good (Bordering on great) most of the time! Outside of some small hiccups, the final outing with the Guardians might be their best......and marks only the 2nd time that a superhero movie moved me to tears.   

2) Indiana Jones & The Dial Of Destiny (Trailer)

Let me get this out of the way: The Dial Of Destiny has flaws. Major flaws in places.

From story segments that don’t go anywhere, to characters that were underutilized, put in for a cheap bit of fan service (That’s ironic coming from me), or grating for a portion of the movie, and a premise that seemingly makes all of the other movies in this series look normal, DOD definitely has it’s issues. That being said, the film charmed me quite a bit. Despite being a little over 80 years old at this point, Harrison Ford still has the chops when it comes to the world’s most famous archaeologist, and actually plays the grizzled old man who’s seen it all incredibly well. The practical effects are still great, the CGI isn’t too bad (A de-aged Harrison Ford is a little odd at first glance), and the final musical score by John Williams is one of the best he’s ever done. Hell, even the overly ridiculous story still has plenty of charm, and fits into Indy’s world quite nicely. Yeah it’s got some issues, but as a way to send off Doctor Jones, there were way worse options to pick!

(Also.....nice to see Indiana beat the crap out of a couple Nazis again!)

1) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Trailer)

This movie did something to me. Something that has never, ever happened to me in my entire life of being a devout PC Gamer. Something that I never ever expected to happen to me.....it made me feel nostalgic for something I have never played.

Sure, I handled a couple of the various Mario Party games, and drove a little bit in some of the Mario Kart titles, and even briefly handled some of the older Mario releases, but for the first time ever I felt my heart strings tugged so hard over a game franchise I never truly sat down & tried. My heart strings were tugged so hard, that I almost cried in the theater (You know the part). But putting that aside, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is one of the most sincere video game movies that has ever been made. Whereas as 90 percent of them are soulless cashgrabs, this was one that was honest & heartfelt. Not only did Illumination respect the source material, but they added their own small spins to the characters that made seemingly complete sense in the film’s realm. On top of that, there were so many references not only to the Mario games, but to so many of Nintendo’s older franchises as well. If this quality can be carried over to any future Nintendo based film, you can be that my ass will be in a seat!   

And those were my top 5 movies of 2023. Again, I saw a few more movies this year than in 2022, and in a strange they were a little bit better. Not knocking what I saw last year, but I thought that there was some more consistency & quality this year as we’re getting out of the plage-ridden time that was 2020. So, stayed tuned for some seasonal goodies this coming Monday, and take care!

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If you’d like to see what I thought of last year’s movies, click on the link below:

Top 5 Movies Of 2022