Return of the Jedi (1983)
There are few movies with which I have a more mixed reaction than Return of the Jedi.
Series: Top 100 (2009 List)
In 2009, I made a list of my 100 favorite films. I am rewatching all 100 to see how I feel more than a decade later.
The Lion King (1994)
The animation is astoundingly beautiful, the story epic and Shakespearean, the Zimmer score aggressive but stirring. The politics are wonky and the protagonist uninspiring, but the overall product is still mesmerizing. Near-masterpiece.
Ocean’s Eleven (2004)
I’d never argue it’s one of the best, but Ocean’s Eleven is undoubtedly one of the coolest movies I’ve ever seen:
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
The consensus among my peers in recent years is that To Kill a Mockingbird is Baby’s First Anti-Racism Story with a heavy dollop of white saviorism.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
The passage of time is funny.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Part of me wants to be contrarian and rain on all the love this movie gets.
A Goofy Movie (1995)
When I watch The Goofy Movie, I become Anton Ego from Ratatouille after he takes that first bite — a crotchety old man brought back to his childhood with some “peasant food.”
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Scene 1: Three scoundrels wait at a train station at the end of the world.
The Departed (2006)
The Departed is simultaneously ridiculous and exciting — a potent combination for a watchable movie, but not necessarily a great one.
The Godfather (1972)
I fear that I will never again be able to watch The Godfather with fresh eyes or a sense of wonder.