Top Film Picks of 2013

Well I have been rubbish at keeping up to date with posting lately haven’t I?! The festive period proved to be a lot busier than I had anticipated! I was planning to do a post on my favourite Christmassy films but alas I didn’t have time…there’s always this year though right?! Anyway, here is a post on my favourite films from the year. I saw so many good movies in 2013 that it was quite tough to pick a top few, but here is a run-down of the ones that really stood out.

10. Les Miserables

I was surprised by how much I loved this film as I wasn’t sure whether I would be into it – there is a hell of a lot of singing in it and the plot is a bit, well, depressing. Once it got going though, it completely won me over. The only reason I’ve put it at number 10 is that it’s not the sort of film you’d find yourself watching over and over again in a hurry – I think you have to be in the right mood to watch it!

9. Frozen

Since this film was made by the creators of ‘Tangled’ I had a feeling it would be good (‘Tangled’ is brilliant). It has all the Disney charm you could wish for – lovable characters, romance, magic, an evil, arrogant arse who’s out to have it all (there’s always one!) and a talking snowman (because why not?). Olaf the snowman really stole the movie for me. He’s fab. Wish he was mine.

8. Stuck in Love

Not your typical romance film. It’s a lot more realistic and relatable than most romantic films are. It has a great original plot and an all-star cast that are fantastic. I really enjoyed this one.

7. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

This second instalment is even better than the first. It really hits the ground running from the start and doesn’t lose pace the whole way through. I think you probably have to be a fantasy fan to really enjoy this though as it is a little odd at times. Being a big fan of fantasy films, it was obviously right up my alley.

6. Mud

This film is a real gem – it makes a refreshing change from the bog-standard comedies and such that are always about. It has action, drama, suspense romance…a bit of everything really. It’s a unique story that really pulls you in – it makes you really root for these characters. Matthew McCounaughey really comes into his own in this and it was nice to see him step away from the cheesy rom-coms. He was superb. It was just a shame the southern accents of the characters was a little hard to understand in places!

5. Iron Man 3

This film had everything that I hoped it would. Sometimes with big movie franchises the films seem to get worse with each instalment (Iron Man 2 was a bit hit and miss at times), but this one completely won me over. Obviously I think you have to be a fan of superhero type films to really get into it but it does have potential for wider appeal.

4. The Lone Ranger

I realise this might be an unpopular choice as it didn’t go down so well with the critics, but personally I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting – the way the story was told as a memory from an aged Tonto chatting to a little kid in a museum was a little odd at first, but as the film got going I actually quite enjoyed hearing the tale that way. It was quite unique. Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer made a great team and both portrayed their characters beautifully and their comradery throughout really brought a sense of fun to the story. If you love a good adventure movie then I would certainly recommend it!

3. The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

I went to see the first of The Hobbit movies at the start of the year and I really enjoyed it. At the time I had never read the book or seen any of The Lord of the Rings movies either (I’m always behind with getting into huge franchises!) so I wasn’t sure what to expect. After seeing the first film I have since read The Hobbit and have recently begun to delve into The Lord of the Rings. Obviously having read the book first, this second instalment of The Hobbit was a lot easier to follow! I thought the ‘Desolation of Smaug’ was even better than the first – it’s a lot more action packed, exciting and thrilling. Bilbo really comes into his own in this one and the scenes with Smaug were superbly done (even though they strayed quite a lot from what happens in the book!).

2. The Great Gatsby

I absolutely adore this film. Like The Hobbit, I didn’t know much about the story of Gatsby before I went to see it. I enjoyed it so much that I went out and read the book straight after and I have to say I was surprised by how close the film had stayed to the original text. DiCaprio really did make the perfect Gatsby, capturing his charm, his mystery and his desperation perfectly and the rest of the cast were equally superb. I thought they all did justice to their characters. The settings in this movie are also incredible – the extravagance and glamour of it all (Gatsby’s parties in particular) makes it an irresistible watch. I have recently watched it again and it was still as thrilling as the first time I saw it. 

1. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

There’s nothing better than when a book you adore is made into a movie and it is actually done well – I’m always a little worried that it’ll be ruined (like Twilight). I had been looking forward to the release of ‘Catching Fire’ for ages and when the time finally came to see it thankfully it didn’t disappoint.  In fact, it was even better than I thought it would be. The second instalment of this franchise is a lot more exciting and action packed than the first and even more dangerous (if that’s even possible in a film where they all have to fight to the death). After being thrown back into the arena for a second time around, the odds are definitely not in Katniss and Peeta’s favour. It does leave you thinking there is no way they can survive it all this time. It’s a thrilling ride from start to finish and with a film as gripping, amusing and as exciting as this one, I don’t see how they’re going to top it.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Year of Release: 2013

Director: Thor Freudenthal

Starring: Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson

Well, I finally got myself down to the cinema to see this after months of waiting. I’d previously ignored the Percy Jackson films as friends of mine had put me off with their claims that it was like a poorer version of Harry Potter, but I was intrigued by it and having watched the trailer I figured, well, how bad can it be? I’m glad that I decided to give it a chance because I actually really enjoyed it. So, having loved the first film I’ve been eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

     Whilst the first movie was certainly full of adventure, I found this next instalment to be a little more action-packed, dangerous and exciting. After the magical border protecting their camp is broken, leaving them vulnerable and unprotected, Percy (Logan Lerman), along with his loyal friends Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) and Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), head out on a quest to the Sea of Monsters (aka The Bermuda Triangle) in search of The Golden Fleece in a desperate attempt to save their home.  

Needless to say, their quest is a dangerous and unpredictable one, with new and old faces joining them along the way. Percy acquires a long lost half-brother, Tyson (who turns out to be a Cyclops –mythical giant creature with one eye. Probably not quite the brother he was expecting), who is a lovable, charming character, but has a habit of landing them in hot water due to his clumsiness and inability to tread quietly. Luke returns and is still hell bent on revenge and seems more likely to succeed than ever. And then there is Clarisse, an egotistical and arrogant fellow resident at Camp Half-blood who loves nothing more than to win and beat Percy in everything he does.

     While the new characters do bring more depth to the story, it is still the trio of Percy, Annabeth and Grover that really make the film for me – these three actors are fabulous together and Lerman in particular never fails to impress me. So I was a bit disappointed that Brandon T. Jackson’s character didn’t feature in this one quite as much. There is a huge chunk of the film where his character is missing – granted this is a result of the script and can’t really be helped (I suppose I can’t really argue with the plot, can I?), but I do think it suffered a bit in his absence as I feel he brings the most comedic value to the film. His responses to sticky situations always manage to amuse me. The character of Tyson, who was featured more heavily, wasn’t quite as engaging to watch and he didn’t bring the same wit and charm as Grover.

Still, there were plenty of laughs and from start to finish and the plot remained interesting and entertaining. It wasn’t one of those films that take a good hour to really get going. To really enjoy the Percy Jackson movies though, I do think you need to have a good imagination. The film really does contain a lot of weird – strange, mythical creatures, peculiar legends and prophecies, magical powers and returns from the dead (to name just a few). If you didn’t have a good imagination you would just end up sat there chiming ‘yeah right’ or ‘as if’ the whole way through. But the special effects are brilliantly done so it’s easy to allow yourself to believe what you’re watching.

     It’s a rip-roaring adventure from start to finish, with engaging characters both new and old, and an ending that promises an epic follow up somewhere down the line. With its all-round great entertainment and enjoyment value that had me interested and engrossed the whole way through, I have to say that this follow up didn’t do bad. It didn’t do bad at all.

Favourite bit: It’s a toss-up between the scene where they take a ride in the taxi and Percy (Logan Lerman) almost comes a cropper when it splits in half, or the one where Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) is dressed as a female Cyclops. Both equally amusing.

Rating: 9/10