K-Robe's Top 10 Movies of 2013!

Yes, that’s right. I write Top 10s now. Catch it under the break!

10. Thor: The Dark World

“You just decapitated your grandfather!”

I hesitated on placing Thor: The Dark World on this list for a number of reasons. It’s almost the sole “honorable mention” that I’m placing here for kicks. What Thor: The Dark World is, is basically a fun action flick that doesn’t really give anyone much to think about. Stuff happens, there’s some cool special effects, fun characters (as usual, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki steals the show), and some plot twist odds-and-ends. Nothing really that stands out, but it’s cool and it gives us some more continuity to play around with in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

9. Gravity

“You’ve got to learn to let go.”

Gravity is what happens when you take a Universal Orlando theme park ride and make it into a gloriously special-effects heavy movie set in geosynchronous orbit. With great character interactions between the always-amazing George Clooney and the surprisingly engaging Sandra Bullock (though a lot of it seems a bit overdone and maybe just a little bit cheesy), there’s a lot to like. Of course, there’s not much of a plot and a lot of people didn’t like a certain third-act plot device that comes out of left-field. Opinions, opinions. But I believe Gravity deserves a spot for simply being a great and very enjoyable thrill ride.

8. Ender’s Game

“In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him.”

A lot of people will disagree with me placing Ender’s Game anywhere near Top Ten, let alone above Gravity due to concerns about old Orson Scott Card. However, I always like to separate art from the artist, so screw you all. Regardless, I found this movie surprisingly enjoyable (and somehow, more enjoyable than Gravity). It has really good special effects, an engaging main character (played brilliantly by favorite up-and-coming male actor, Asa Butterfield, who really nailed it in Hugo), and a wonderful supporting cast (props to Viola Davis and, of course, Harrison Ford - but I’m really talking about Abigail Breslin as Valentine Wiggin). So, there you have it. Maybe it’s because I’m a teenager, but I really liked the film! Relatable characters and all that.

7. Man of Steel

“You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.”

I have a feeling that people will get really angry at me for placing this here. Truth be told, I really don’t care. Man of Steel does for Superman what the Dark Knight Saga did for Batman. It’s a gritty reboot, yes, but is that really such a bad thing? Superman as the conflicted savior figure of humanity works really well from a thematic point of view (not to mention the religious parallels). The film could have done more with the concept, but I really do think that Superman’s climactic choice at the end allows his character to be the way he is. Other than some stilted dialogue and some iffy chemistry between Amy Adams’s Lois Lane and Henry Cavill’s Superman, you’ve got a pretty good movie. Last but not least, dear God, those action sequences were amazing.

6. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

“I am fire... I am death!”

It was a darker, more action-packed film than the first, but it’s otherwise almost exactly the same film as An Unexpected Journey. That’s not a bad thing, of course, the first Hobbit flick was one of my favorites of 2012, so them sticking to their guns is a good thing. It’s nice to see some character development on Thorin’s side and expanding on the roles of the individual dwarves was great, though Orlando Bloom’s Legolas seemed a bit lacking. Also, the film deserves to be here simply for the glorious special effects, fun characters (as usual), and the absolutely breathtaking scenes between Martin Freeman’s Bilbo and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Smaug.

5. Star Trek Into Darkness

“My name is... KHAN.”

What’s this? Into Darkness sneaks into the Top Five? What an upset! But really, though, about the only thing I can fault Into Darkness for (other than an extremely brief, cliche sequence involving Noel Clarke’s character’s motivations) was that there was a scene involving unnecessary fanservice from Alice Eve (and really, is that such a bad thing?). There are a lot of fun little callbacks to previous works in the franchise (quick, spot the NX-1!) and, as usual, a lot of character interactions that work really well. They assembled a great cast and I really do believe Chris Pine works well as young Captain Kirk. It’s got great special effects, funny writing, and a wonderful performance by Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison (aka Khan).

4. Iron Man 3

“I'm Tony Stark. I build neat stuff, got a great girl, occasionally save the world. So why can't I sleep?”

Who is Iron Man? That’s the question posed by Iron Man 3. It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that this made it into the Top Five, so let’s get rolling. Robert Downey Jr. is amazing in the role of a Tony Stark who is quickly finding that his life is falling apart. He’s having panic attacks (thanks to brief flashbacks to 2012’s Avengers!), he’s been obsessed with building new armors, and hasn’t been spending as much time with his significant other as he should. So, when a terrorist attacks him and he spends most of the film without his suit, the film dares to ask, is Tony Stark still Iron Man even if he doesn’t wear the suit? And that’s why this is such a great film! It’s a wonderful character study of one of the best characters in recent film history. Props to Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce, Jon Favreau, Don Cheadle for their great performances in this film.

3. Pacific Rim

“Today we face the monsters that are at our door and bring the fight to them. Today, we are cancelling the apocalypse!”

Pacific Rim is exactly the kind of movie that I like to see on a Friday night. It’s one of the best movies of the year purely for being one of the most enjoyable movie watching experiences I’ve ever had in a theatre. Ever had the impetus to just cheer and wave like a maniac in a movie house? Yeah, that’s what this movie did to me. Amazing special effects, wonderful homages to monster movies and anime (everything from Neon Genesis Evangelion and Gundam to Ghost in the Shell), and fun characters. Props of course to Rinko Kikuchi’s Mako Mori character, who absolutely steals the show, being one of breakout strong-female-lead characters in a long time. Also, Idris Elba. Because Idris Elba is awesome and he should be in every movie ever. Oh, and Ron Perlman. Also, if you’re going to complain about the plot, you probably shouldn’t be watching Pacific Rim. There are so many things that are thrown in there that you probably don’t realize are references to old things. Unashamed to be cheesy and glorious and fun, Pacific Rim is an absolutely amazing experience.

2. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

“Thanks. Let's do it again sometime.”

Boy, oh boy! Catching Fire is number two! What a surprise! I’ll be honest, this movie is precisely where it needs to be because this was my signature “fanboy” movie of the year. I just nerded out so hard when watching it. The book it was based on was probably the worst of the trilogy by a long way, but that didn’t mean the adaptation was bad. Oh, no. Far from it. It was way, way better than the first movie. A distillation of all the best things in the book and placing them on the big screen. Every single important moment is kept. The funniest scenes (I’d be lying if the elevator scene wasn’t the reason this so high up in the list). The best action sequences. Everything you’ll want is in there. Amazing performances by the leads (Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson and, of course, Woody Harrelson as the ever-amazing Haymitch), they really grew into the characters well, you know? The real scene stealers, though, were Sam Claflin and Jena Malone as Finnick and Johanna, respectively. Irredeemably funny, great action sequences, and wonderful dramatic tension, this is easily one of the best movies of the year.

1. Frozen

“The cold never bothered me anyway.”

Best movie of the year! The least impressive thing about the movie is the flawless pacing, and I didn’t misspeak there. Least impressive thing is the flawless pacing. Amazing performances from Kristen Bell as Anna and Idina Menzel as Elsa. My goodness! Idina Menzel absolutely nailed it as Elsa, best new character of the year. Of course, props have to be given to the second-best character in the movie, Prince Hans, played by Santino Fontana, for what must be the absolute best characterization of a Disney Prince in a very, very long time. The supporting cast is great, as well, and Olaf the Snowman is surprisingly not-annoying! The special effects! Amazing physics-based dynamic snow effects! The shaders! The textures! Look at how expressive all of the character models are! This movie is the definition of gorgeous 3D animation. I don’t even know if I want Disney to go back to traditional 2D after this! Of course, last but not least, the songs are amazing! As someone who loves musicals (especially Disney musicals), it is absolutely one of the best silver screen musicals I’ve seen in a long time. Every single song save for one (two at most) are absolute stunners! Best song, of course, goes to Idina Menzel’s breathtaking "Let it Go". There’s so much that can be said about this film, especially for how culturally and socially significant it is, considering it’s a Disney film. If one has a child and wants to get them to enjoy Disney, Frozen is the movie to get them to watch. Absolutely enjoyable (and the first film I’ve ever seen more than once in a theatre!), and funny, and smart, and beautiful, Frozen is the best movie of 2013.