2024 CGI Fridays Rankings

2024 was the year I stopped going to the movies. Not completely, but for the better part of the 2010s, I was going to at least multiple movies a month, especially in the summer. In 2024, I went seven times.

There are many reasons 2024 saw my CGI Fridays total drop quicker than Christian Bale's weight in The Machinist. Less movies to choose from, quicker streaming releases, rising ticket and concession prices, horrible movie crowds... it wasn't just one reason, but an amalgamation of many factors turning me off of a thing I once loved... the cinema.

I wrote about exactly this topic in April 2023, and just like so many things in our wonderful world, it's just gotten so much worse since then.

But hey, here's a positive! By being so choosy and seeing less movies in 2024, I saw less bad movies! See, I found a positive. Everyone quit telling me I'm so negative!

Anyway, let's recap the shortest list I've ever had.

28. Spaceman; F

Adam Sandler movies hold a special place in my heart, and "Spaceman" is one of my favorite songs ever, but this movie is just a waste of time space.

27. Argylle; D-

Dear Matthew Vaughn, when can we expect Kingsman 3? Argylle is full of good actors and great ideas, but the final product is a joke, and not in a funny way.

26. Elevation; D

I avoided movies this year that looked like nothing burgers, but because of Anthony Mackie and director George Nolfi's partnership that produced The Adjustment Bureau (#481 on the Infinity List) and The Banker (A in 2020), I gave it a shot. And guess what was on the burger? Nothing.

25. Society of the Snow; D+

I wanted to like this movie because the acting is great and director J.A. Bayona previously dramatized a natural disaster so well with The Impossible (A+ in 2012), but it's too boring. More like Society of the Slow, am I right? Okay that's not funny.

24. Dune: Part Two; C-

The Dune movies are obviously cinematic beauties. You'd expect nothing less from director Denis Vellenueve. I gave the first movie a B, but I found the second slow, underwhelming, full of questionable character motivations, and didn't buy the ending. But my friend Brian watched it twice on back-to-back days, so which one of us is wrong?

23. A Quiet Place: Day One; C

The latest example of a franchise pooping out a prequel and this one doesn't compare to the flagship films -- A+ in 2018 in and A in 2021 -- and the most unbelievable part of this zombie apocalypse movie is a quiet cat. Meow. 

22. Kraven The Hunter; C+

I have to admit, I had some guilty fun with Kraven. Surely benefiting from low-to-no expectations, I didn't think this was as bad as, say, Venom: Let There Be Carnage (D+ in 2021) or Morbius (D in 2022). Still, it was enough to shut Sony's Spider-Man-Adjacent-Villain-Universe-That-Can't-Use-Or-Even-Say-The-Name-Of-Spider-Man down for good.

21. Oddity; B-

Scary movies dominated my 2024 list and I'm not sure that's a good thing. But is it a bad thing? There's a scary thought. Oddity... which one was that again... oh yeah, it was decent.

20. Immaculate; B-

You want me to admit I watched this for Sydney Sweeney? Because I won't. I watched it for the compelling mystery, production design, lighting and soundtrack.

19. The Bikeriders; B-

Not a spin-off of this line from Captain America: Civil War and not really my type of movie, but Tom Hardy Tom Hardy's his butt off.

18. Rebel Ridge; B

The movie with "Rebel" in the title that I was willing to see. Definitely not this one.

17. Am I Racist?; B

A mockumentary about DEI that sometimes drifts a bit too far into the right lane, it's still a bunch of good laughs and it's gotten very hard to find good comedy the last several years.

16. Alien: Romulus; B

Back to the roots of the franchise with a simple story and a lot of atmosphere, the scares are aplenty, most of the cast is solid, and the aliens deliver.

15. Carry-On; B

A by-the-numbers, 80s/90s nostalgia hit that isn't afraid of ripping off movies like Die Hard (#294 all-time) orThe Negotiator (#514) and is fittingly carried by the likable performance of Taron Egerton.

14. Challengers; B

The tennis scenes are a highlight, shot with dramatic and exciting precision. However, the movie made headlines for... other reasons. 

13. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; B+

A franchise full of near-and-dear A+'s, I wasn't as enthusiastic about Kingdom as I was the originals or the 2010s trilogy. (The Tim Burton one doesn't count.) The story isn't very strong and the future doesn't seem to properly reflect what Caesar worked so hard for. I suppose "humans ruined everything" is an appropriate theme, but I couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by the narrative groundwork laid down by the previous films.

The effects work from WETA is still top notch and the photorealism of the apes has never looked better -- and it's always looked incredible. It's another technological jewel in the franchise, but doesn't come close to its predecessors with story.

12. Smile 2; B+

An ending that will either excite you for Smile 3 or pull you out of enjoying Smile 2, I think it's possible it accomplished both. Just like its happy predecessor (A in 2022), the ending is suspect, but the leading performance of Naomi Scott makes the sequel worth smiling for.

11. The Wild Robot; A-

It's been a while since an animated movie came along and charmed its audience. The Wild Robot is that movie and I highly recommend it, especially for kids who are growing up in a world without a lot of good stuff to see.

10. One Life; A-

A little-known movie about little-known Holocaust hero Nicholas Winton, who smuggled thousands of children out of Nazi-occupied Europe when much of the world (and their governments) did nothing until it was too late.

9. Juror #2; A-

As far as enjoyment, Juror #2 would be higher if it wasn't a logistical nightmare. I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV, but I smelled a mistrial quicker than my niece's dirty diaper. 

8. The Fall Guy; A-

I don't see how movie theaters can survive if movies like The Fall Guy can't even hit $100 million in the U.S. It's a fun ride for all types of audiences... that aren't showing up.

7. Heretic; A-

I'm naturally skeptical when it comes to religion and Heretic is an intelligent take on such a sensitive subject. It's a horror movie so things get rather unholy, but Hugh Grant's heel turn as a duplicitous lead is divine.

6. Late Night With the Devil; A-

It was rewarding to see perennial side character David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight, Ant-Man 1 & 2) in a leading role. He soaks up the screen as a desperate talk show host who turns to the dark arts to save his failing late night show.

5. Strange Darling; A

I totally dug the way Strange Darling told its story in non-sequential chapters. It preserves the twist and the movie thrives off its intimate cast and beautiful cinematography.

4. The Substance; A

The dual leading performances from Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley both deserve recognition. The message that Hollywood devalues aging stars is told in such a clear, creative, dramatic and entertaining way. The only reason it's not an A+ is the ending, or maybe I'm just bummed it ended.

3. Speak No Evil (2024); A

A remake of a Norwegian film made all the way back in... 2022 (A-)... I think the American Speak No Evil is a bit of an upgrade. It's a step up in terms of acting and production value, but not written as well as the foreign version. The international ending is better, but the American rendition has one big advantage: James McAvoy. 

2. Deadpool & Wolverine; A 

When I heard Hugh Jackman (arguably my favorite actor) was coming back to play Wolverine, I was surprisingly okay with it IF IT DOESN'T TOUCH LOGAN'S ENDING. They said they wouldn't, and like a fool I believed them. The movie even jokes about how difficult it would have been for Deadpool to leave that alone as he desecrates Logan's grave. Still, I was completely on board and so glad to be living through an MCU hit in 2024... and then the TVA showed up.

The TVA represent what went wrong with the MCU: the multi-verse. Deadpool & Wolverine wants to hate on the multi-verse, yet -- and probably at Disney's request -- the plot of the film revolves around everything the film wants to make fun of. It's fitting that a Deadpool film became of a parody of a parody in a parody about a franchise that's become a parody.

When it's Jackman and Ryan Reynolds, it works. Simple as that. When a plot that throws words around like "Anchor Beings" and "Nexus Events" tries to get off the ground, it doesn't. Think about it for more than a minute and it falls apart. As ridiculous as Deadpool 1 & 2 were, they were coherent from a storytelling perspective. This one isn't, but it has a Wolverine. (And a Hulk.)

Focus on the characters, the cameos, the nostalgia for the Fox Marvel Universe of all things, and it's an undeniably joyous time. 

1. Green Day: 20 Years of American Idiot; A+

Green Day is no stranger to documentaries, with hits like Bullet in a Bible and Heart Like a Hand Grenade, and it was no surprise to see a commemorative film celebrating 20 years of the greatest album in music history. (*Opinion alert!*)

It's another fun look into the decorated history of the band and it's biggest strength is some new footage related to American Idiot. However, it's a lot of stuff that's been seen before and the inclusion of a new interview adds very little to the overall product.

Despite not reaching the highs of previous Green Day documentaries, the mix of all-time hits and some new looks behind the curtain add up to the one and only A+ movie of 2024. 

2023 CGI Fridays Rankings

My 2022 recap ended with a simple request: Hopefully 2023 is better.

Spoiler alert: it wasn't.

Worse than the continued drop in quality across the cinematic board was the plain fact that I barely went to the actual cinema. My love of movies is on life support for several sad reasons, detailed in separate blog posts both HERE ("Why Do Movies Suck Now?) and HERE ("The Cinema Is Dead").

My movie total dropped to an all-time low, falling below the pandemic affected 50 in 2022. There was an actors strike, a writers strike, but the Texas Rangers finally got the last strike.

Here's the annual list. I hope you like some of these more than I did.

49. No One Will Save You; F

Cool alien, bro. But where's the rest of a movie?

48. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; F

Frantic plot, chaotic editing, cringey singing and another previously successful franchise thrown on the scrap heap.

47. The Marvels; F

No matter how bad things have gotten, I've never given an F to a big screen MCU production. On the small screen, She-Hulk earned one, and now we have Marvel failure stretching to the silver screen.

46. Justice League: Warworld; D-

DC Animation has absolutely cratered after a really solid run from the 90s through the 2010s.

45. Infinity Pool; D-

Deserves an F for the ending, but avoids one for at least getting me to the finish line.

44. Shazam! Fury of the Gods; D-

For the first time in my adult life, I skipped superhero films this year. I should have skipped this one too.

43. When You Finish Saving the World; D

It attempts to be endearing and uplifting by the end, but is instead dreary and pointless.

42. American Fiction; D

Just too boring to make up for Jeffrey Wright and some thoughtful ideas. And even if it makes contextual sense, I can't stand to listen to the N word.

41. 65; D+

An original idea for a film, much less a sci-fi film, doesn't really happen anymore. 65 looks good on paper, but there's not a fully developed story to accompany this concept.

40. Leave the World Behind; D+

Post-apocalyptic movies are my jam and I like to think I'd last at least a day. This movie tries to mix the genre with terrorism, social commentary and general human terrible-ness. Or maybe I'm giving them too much credit because it's really about nothing.

39. A Man Called Otto; D+

A movie trying way too hard to make you feel good that you feel bad.

38. 97 Minutes; C-

A sort of fun throwback to a 90s action film with stock baddies that makes absolutely no sense.

37. The Killer; C-

David Fincher and Michael Fassbender had my full attention, but the only thing The Killer kills is time. (And sells some The Smiths records.)

36. The Pope's Exorcist; C-

Russell Crowe's storied has career is stumbling to the finish line. Apparently playing Zeus in Thor: Love and Thunder (B- in 2022) inspired him to take on the role of an Italian priest. To that I say, "perche?"

35. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania; C

Ant-Man 3 had a lot stacked against it. A lot. Chief among them was finally introducing Thanos 2.0 - Kang The Conqueror. Yes, Marvel's newest overarching villain was going to be put on full display in an Ant-Man film. Quantumania is an insulting story that, in modern Disney fashion, constantly tears down its main protagonist despite him literally saving the universe. Marvel continues to trample on its hard-earned legacy and I don't know that there's a multiverse out there that can save it.

34. The Boys in the Boat; C

I didn't expect a movie about rowing to rock my boat, but promising source material and the historical backdrop of the Great Depression forced me test the waters. Unfortunately, it was shallow.

33. The Son; C

A slow people-focused feature that benefits from the indomitable Hugh Jackman and not much else.

32. The Flash; C

Like most people, I saw The Flash for Michael Keaton's Batman. I was both pleased that he had a sizable role but also sad that his return was for this. Even without the Ezra Miller controversy, this oft-delayed superhero headache is a exactly what this genre has worked hard not to be. It's ugly, bloated eye candy and so reliant on cameos to leave any sort of impact that it's no wonder the DCEU has died.

31. Rustin; C

Rustin has an interesting story about a lesser-known civil rights activist to work with. It doesn't do enough and isn't as engaging as it should be despite Colman Domingo delivering one of the best acting performances of the year.

30. Saltburn; C

I didn't really enjoy watching Saltburn but I enjoyed reflecting on it afterwards. It's a solid revenge tale but all the attention it garnered was for its shock value scenes, which are all shock but have no value to the story or the movie.

29. The Boogeyman; C+

The horror genre is on life support (what genre isn't?) so I guess I'll happily settle for some good scares.

28. To Catch a Killer; C+

Another genre that is very hit and very miss is the crime thriller. Unraveling the mystery here was relatively interesting, but the conclusion was unsatisfying.

27. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; C+

GOTG Vol. 3 is a relic from the MCU's past. At least in name. In terms of quality, it fits right into the current state of Marvel. A lot of people really liked this movie. I thought it was average. Rocket's backstory is used so desperately for emotional beats that the audience is practically being instructed to feel. Adam Warlock is a complete and unforgivable joke, and there's a whole side quest that serves absolutely no purpose except to be silly and colorful and weird and shoehorn Nathan Fillion into James Gunn's final Marvel project.

The Guardians trilogy is a pretty perfect way to sum up the MCU over the years. The first film (A+ in 2014) is a classic, the second (A+ in 2017) is lesser but still great, and the third ends with a whimper, highlighted by bad joke overload and a sloppy conclusion to Peter and Gamora's arc.

26. Murder Mystery 2; C+

The first Mystery (A+ in 2019) was worth solving and a laugh riot all the way through. The second starts with the same energy but by the end, you have a clear answer to whether this needed a sequel.

25. Super Mario Bros.; B-

Four years ago, 2019 had nine billion dollar movies. Only two hit the mark in 2023: Mario and Barbie. This is the one I saw and I thought it was... fine. It's a great kids movie with a simple plot, tons of nostalgia and the famous Super Mario Bros. music.

24. The Creator; B-

Director Gareth Edwards (sort of) helmed the crown jewel of the Disney Star Wars collection: Rogue One (A+ in 2016). He hadn't created anything since until The Creator. His penchant for visual effects is on full display, but the story here is weak with a weaker climax.

23. May December; B-

Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore give a master class in acting, but a movie that tries to positively portray a child abuser is a tough sell no matter the performances.

22. The Holdovers; B-

Paul Giamatti is one of my favorite actors and he certainly doesn't disappoint. All the pieces are there for this to be right up my alley: great acting, strong writing, heartwarming narrative. It's just too long and lacking focus to be garner a positive score.

21. John Wick: Chapter 4; B-

Speaking of too long, I've really had it with movies getting longer and longer. A John Wick film should be two hours MAX, which is exactly where I watched JW4 because I wasn't sitting through a three hour action exclusive ride at the theater. The first two Wick's (A+ in 2014, 2017) are in my CGI Fridays pantheon, but the last two have not come close.

20. Creed III; B

Another franchise that, sadly, I'm over. The Rocky franchise stalled after two for me and Creed has done the same. I can only watch so many boxing movies.

19. The Covenant; B

Even though I liked The Covenant, I'm not calling it Guy Ritchie's The Covenant. Has Guy Ritchie earned that? No! Did you go see Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer? No, you just saw Oppenheimer.

18. They Cloned Tyrone; B

A rare original science-fiction entry in a cinematic landscape of remakes and sequels. Would have been higher rated if not for the incessant use of the N word. Unnecessary and vulgar.

17. Godzilla Minus One; B

In 2014, I enjoyed Gareth Edwards' Godzilla (B+) reboot. Since then, America's Godzilla has embraced the chaotic looney tunes nature of the beast and lost its heart. With Japan's Minus One, the heart is back and this is the coolest version of Godzilla I've ever seen. The problem is he seldom shows up and the character drama, while well done, drags on and on and on.

16. Cocaine Bear; B

You know how you prepare for a movie like this? With Coke. A Coke Zero that is.

15. Dumb Money; B

Cool story and I'm glad I watched it at home so I could constantly pause and google financial jargon. But my god, what an insufferable soundtrack.

14. Pain Hustlers; B+

If you can't trust the pharmaceutical reps, who can you trust? Chris Evans, that's who.

13. Missing; B+

Told completely through computer, phone and other various cameras, it's a style that is super cool for a long time. Then it starts to get exhausting. Like a camera battery, the story runs out of juice at the end.

12. Reptile; B+

I like to fancy myself a scholar, but when I watch whodunit movies I'm usually the last to figure out the "who." That wasn't the case here. But despite its predictability, I enjoyed my viewing of Reptile.

11. Cobweb; B+

A couple of scary movies surprised their way into the upper tier of my 2023 ranks. Cobweb is successful in being weird and creating an uncomfortable, chilly atmosphere. Unfortunately, it gets a little too looney for its own good in the end.

10. The Iron Claw; A-

While I found the setup a tad slow, once Iron Claw has its characters introduced, it starts hitting... hard. There's nothing fake about the emotions this well directed film induces. The punches land in the ring but especially out of it, and Zac Efron continues to show his underrated talents (and muscles).

9. A Million Miles Away; A-

A lot of films try to tug on your heart strings to no avail, but this one made it work. Michael Pena and cast deliver a heartwarming story about space exploration but also shine a spotlight on the American Dream from an immigrant family's valuable perspective.

8. M3gan; A-

A film that looked like it could go either way ended up being a surprising hit. Artificial intelligence stories have never been more in vogue and even though M3gan threatens to go off the rails, it stays on a realistic enough path to be pretty scary, which is its biggest strength.

7. Oppenheimer; A-

Perhaps the hardest film for me to rank as I found the court room drama of Oppenheimer very engaging thanks to Christopher Nolan's direction and all-star cast. As usual, Nolan assembles a cast of incredible depth and starpower and they make a very talky film appealing. I was hoping for more actual atom bomb and three hours felt gratuitous, but it's a bounce back effort for Nolan after Tenet (D+ in 2020) and Dunkirk (C in 2017).

6. Stan Lee; A

A fun documentary about Stan The Man. There's tidbits of new information here, but it's all pretty much been told before in various forms of media, specifically 2010's With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (A+).

5. Tetris; A

Of Kingsman fame, Taron Egerton is one of my favorites. Period. This may be personal bias, but I believe he is so very underrated despite his many many achievements in both film and television. He's on his A game once more in Tetris, a very fun ride about the history of the computer game with roots in corporate warfare as well as the actual Cold War.

4. Blackberry; A

Speaking of old tech, I never realized the story behind the Blackberry phone (which was my second cell phone after the Motorola Razr) was so... wow... incredible. Of course the iPhone gets the fame - and the movies, like Steve Jobs (A in 2015) - but Blackberry has its own remarkable history. Mix that with a stylish aesthetic and fantastic performances and you have one of my favorite films of the year. 

3. Talk to Me; A

I guess there can still be good scary movies. Outside of a not sticking the ending, Talk to Me has a cool plot, likable characters, and some genuinely terrifying moments. It walks the same ouija board-like path as so many scary movies before it but does it well and gives "talk to the hand cause the face ain't listening" a whole new meaning.

2. Air; A+

A+ scores are far rarer here at CGI Fridays than they used to be. I thought three in 2022 was rough, but 2023 provided just two A+ films. Air is another chapter in the lucrative Ben Affleck-Matt Damon duo, this time a raunchy, fun biopic about Nike and Phil Knight. Specifically, their quest to find a poster athlete before landing on "Air Jordan" himself. It's nice to know movies can still be made this well and be this entertaining.

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; A+

I learned after watching Across the Spider-Verse that plans for a Gwen Stacy solo movie were morphed with the Miles Morales sequel. That makes sense as a lot of this film, including the entire open, is about Gwen. She's an interesting character in her own right and, no pun intended, crosses over naturally with Miles' coming-of-age adventure.

Their adventures together as well as another hit score from Daniel Pemberton and the brilliant comic book-y animations form a sum that, while not be as good as Into the Spider-Verse (A+ in 2018), is still a great time at the movies, something I can't say too often anymore and therefore do not take for granted. I hope Miguel O'Hara (voiced by the awesome Oscar Isaac) is better utilized in the sequel.

I also hope 2024 is better. We'll see, friends.

CGI Fridays Holiday Feature: A Boy Named Sue

Every December, you can feel the holiday spirit in the air. Even here in Arizona, where “winter wonderland” is just a cactus covered in sun, a middle school is a perfect way to gauge the collective holiday spirit.

At my school, Christmas spirit has been raging since before the calendar turned to December. There are decorations, costumes, Santa hats, ugly sweaters, treats aplenty and lots of dress-up days. We even had a “wear blue day” for Hanukkah and my plastic Menorah sits proudly on my classroom desk.

The environment closely resembles my first teaching job back in Texas. Each school’s PTA goes all-out in thanking the staff for raising their kids… err, I mean doing their job as educators.

Sandwiched between these two high-achieving schools planted in prosperous communities was my experience at a Title I school last year. The holiday season felt very different around those kids, even with the lure of a two week break from school on the horizon.

The thing is, those kids weren’t going on vacation over break. They might go to the mall. They’re not getting cool new clothes or a new iPhone for Christmas. Some won’t celebrate Christmas at all. Some don’t have a family to celebrate it with. There are no eight days of Hanukkah. There might be one night of joy, and that’s pushing it.

What troubles me most about this egregious difference in class, quality of life and imbalance of childhood is these kids are just that… kids. They have no say in the matter and didn’t choose the family they were born into. Many of the young boys and girls at my previous school don’t even live with their birth parents. Some don’t even know where they are. Some do, and that answer is worse than the unknown.

At the center of this personal conundrum, a specific boy comes to mind. For obvious reasons, I won’t be divulging his name. So, like the famous Johnny Cash song my dad used to play all the time in the car, he’s going to be a boy named Sue.

This boy lives with his grandmother. His mom is a drug addict living in Wisconsin. He wears a Packers jersey sometimes and occasionally speaks positively about his birth mother. Most of the time, he laments about how she only calls to ask for money, constantly relapses, and is a negative influence on his older brother who is out of the house and has joined mom up north.

He knows where his dad is. Sort of. He has an idea. He’s strung out somewhere in Phoenix.

Grandma is incredibly supportive and, despite the hurdles placed on this boy since before he even entered the world, he was one of my best students. In fact, he was often bored in class as so many students at this school required extreme attention for both academic and behavioral reasons.

When Christmas or any holiday or even just the weekend came around, Sue and many of the other students said something that surprised me. I was shocked to hear a middle school kid ever mutter these words.

“I don’t want to go home.”

Staying at school meant not being home. This boy had a grandmother who cared about him, but his home wasn’t teeming with space or fancy toys. Long weekends and holidays are loved the world over by all ages. It really woke me up to the life these kids live when they would rather stay at school than have time off.

The day before a break, I’m used to students bouncing off the walls, barely able to contain their excitement. For many at the underserved, ignored Title I school, the days before breaks were somber, tepid and nervous.

This holiday season -- scratch that, any given random Tuesday -- it’s never a bad time to appreciate what you have. I never did that enough. As I’ve gotten older, and especially after sharing my life with disadvantaged young people who have a stacked deck against them in a laughably uneven playing field, I do it every day.

Appreciate what you have, because some have never had it. Think not about what more you want, but what you've never needed. Be grateful for the things you never need to ask for, but are always there.

We don't choose the family we are born into. Some of us are more fortunate than others. Always keep that in mind and never lose perspective.

Have a Happy Holiday!

___________________________________________________________________________________

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Two Truths and a Why: A CGI Fridays Feature

Website analytics show most readers skip past the introduction and get straight to the point. I do it, you do it, your parents used to to not do it but are doing it now.

Journalism is a barren wasteland full of repetitive, pointless buzzwords and that's why I'm not going to waste too much time writing this introd

The following is the Top 50 of my CGI Fridays Infinity List - my all-time movie rankings - and I'll be identifying two of my favorite truths about each film, but also something I would have chang

Without wasting any more of your time, lettuce begi

*please forgive any formatting nonsense - this is Blogger not the Arizona Republic*

How it started...

1, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

Truth: The Duel on Mustafar is everything

Truth: The impending sense of doom and rise of the Empire is oddly satisfying

Why isn't it longer? (I know I want more, but I shouldn't.)

There was a time when directors were cognizant of the two and a half hour mark. I appreciate that in film, but Revenge of the Sith could and should have been at least three hours.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Truth: Chris Evans solidifies his place next to RDJ in the MCU

Truth: Spy thriller + super hero blockbuster + action movie = yes

Why does everyone have actual plot armor?

Hard to find a flaw with my favorite superhero movie of all time, but multiple characters take pretty serious bullet wounds and turn out alright.

3. Spider-Man 2

Truth: The most successful telling of a hero's journey

Truth: Almost 20 years later, the train sequence still amazes even my students (who were born years after the movie even came out)

Why does Peter say "There are bigger things happening here than me and you" to Harry?

After the misunderstanding of a lifetime, he could have given him something better than that. Something! Anything! 

4. Captain America: Civil War

Truth: There are no winners in this war; Steve and Tony both have good reason for what they're doing

Truth: Airport fight was the most impressive assembly until 2019

Why did Rhodey live?

Okay, that sounds barbaric, but they should have killed someone off and the clear answer given the circumstances, unfortunately, was Rhodey.

5. The Dark Knight

Truth: Joker is the best villain performance of all time

Truth: Hans Zimmer's soundtrack (like all his work) is iconic

Why did Christian Bale go so hard with the Bat-voice?

A small, insignificant complaint but someone get this (Bat)man a lozenge. 

6. Avengers: Infinity War

Truth: The best alien villain performance of all time (was anybody else rooting for Thanos?)

Truth: A decades worth of characters and stories culminating in an historical epic for the ages

Why does Nebula tell Peter Thanos (probably) killed Gamora?

Keep it to yourself! Read the room...err...planet!

7. Spider-Man

Truth: The origin story of superhero and supervillain origin stories

Truth: The emotion - but also the brutality - of the climax is something you don't see often in superhero films

Why make it so obvious?

Hiding Peter's new powers is something Spider-Man films have always struggled with for dramatic effect, from the fight with Flash (Tobey) to the basketball scene (Andrew) to Peter's disappearing act in Europe (Tom).

8. Iron Man

Truth: The best casting decision in cinematic history

Truth: Pre-Disney Marvel tone was more mature and less jokey

Why don't the kidnappers in the cave realize Tony is misbehaving?

They should have figured out a lot (lot) sooner that he wasn't building them their weapon.

9. The Avengers

Truth: Marvel's plan to bring all these heroes together somehow worked - after never working before

Truth: Alan Silvestri's Avengers theme... nuff said

Why is Captain America wearing a onesie?

The Avengers is a masterpiece, but Cap's suit is not.

10. Guardians of the Galaxy

Truth: Awesome Mix revolutionized music in movies

Truth: Genuinely funny and even more fun

Why did Ronan fall prey to the dance-off?!

You know what, it works. Guardians was a perfect foil to the seriousness of The Avengers... although it inspired Disney to make everything sillier.

11. Kingsman: The Secret Service

Truth: The church scene. The ****** ****ing church scene.

Truth: A breath of fresh air in a Hollywood losing its creativity

Why were the Kingsman so easy to infiltrate?

Eggsy, Harry and Merlin formed the most surprising Big 3 of the 21st century.

12. Avengers: Endgame

Truth: An emotional, triumphant culmination of 21 movies

Truth: Where so many franchises don't get a proper sendoff, Endgame got to, well, end

Why is Thor fat?

Marvel did so many things right over the years but the gradual character destruction of Thor was not one of them. There are plenty of other impactful ways to write grief than giving up vegetables.

13. Batman Begins

Truth: The emphasis on an origin story builds character on screen and with your audience

Truth: Nailed the Batman reveal in the warehouse

Why did Batman kill (read: not save) Liam Neeson?

Batman won't kill, but "doesn't have to save" Ra's al Guhl? Chalk it up to a rookie Batman, but I'm surprised it was never spoke of again like Peter Parker tracking down his uncle's killer.

14. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Truth: "No, I am your father." (sorry spoilers!)

Truth: The good guys don't always have to win

Why does Obi-Wan not remember Leia as their other hope?

The Star Wars Original Trilogy has some moments that are simply chalked up to "Lucas hadn't written the prequels yet," with a certain kiss being the least aged moment of the saga.

15. Captain America: The First Avenger

Truth: The MCU's true beginning and first superhero is a feel good film

Truth: When world-building was an artform done well 

Why did Hydra write the names of the cities on the bombs?

Wouldn't there be some sort of targeting system, even in the 1940s?

16. Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Truth: Drugs are bad, murder is wrong, but good writing is good

Truth: The action (and music) somehow ramps up even more

Why were the Statesman so underutilized?

Probably saving them for the sequel, but here we are over six years later with nothing to show for it.

17. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

Truth: Now THAT is podracing!

Truth: The Duel of the Fates (that is all)

Why is Jar-Jar Binks so annoying?

My issue isn't the character himself because the Gungans are a great concept, but why did George "The Maker" Lucas go so far with poor Jar-Jar?

18. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Truth: Making Electro pathetic made him a stronger, sadder villain

Truth: Following through and pulling no punches on Gwen's arc elevates this movie

Why did they set up the Sinister Six so hastily?

Of course, the answer is money. It's always money.

19. The Dark Knight Rises

Truth: Batman's return is just as cool as his introduction from Begins

Truth: Christopher Nolan nails the emotional sendoff

Why didn't Bane and Talia just blow up Gotham? At any moment?

Because the slow knife cuts the deepest... duh!

20. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Truth: Luke's hero's journey gets a humble, innocent, endearing start

Truth: Darth Vader is the coolest character in cinematic history

Why didn't the Imperials shoot the escape pod?

Even during Imperial tax season, one laser can't possibly set the Empire at its peak too far behind. 

21. Spider-Man 3

Truth: The heart of the previous entries remains

Truth: By bringing Peter down, Raimi's Spider-Man moments continue to hit hard

Why was Gwen Stacy in this movie?

I know what you're thinking. He's not going after Goth Tobey? Or the three villains? I actually think the movie's biggest issues stem from Gwen being shoehorned into an already jammed narrative. If you want to know more, you know where to find me.

22. Black Panther

Truth: A superhero adventure but also intelligent social commentary

Truth: Villains with something to say are the best villains

Why didn't T'Chaka take Erik home to Wakanda?

To the movie's credit, they address this question. But "to maintain the lie" makes the former King look like a coward. (So I guess like most Kings in history.)

23. Avengers: Age of Ultron

Truth: All the Avengers on screen again is worth every second

Truth: Ultron is super cool, but...

...Why doesn't he hack the internet or something?

Ultron is a fascinating villain and chews up every bit of screen, but his plan should have been more practical.

24. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Truth: Caesar is a GOAT protagonist

Truth: The depth of both the apes and humans are so well written

Why do some of the apes join Koba?

This is less a plot issue and more me screaming at the screen wondering why any ape would turn on Caesar.

25. John Wick

Truth: "Gun fu?" Yes, please.

Truth: The combat deserves praise, but the story has heart at its center 

Why doesn't Viggo protect his son better?

Safe house? More like party house! He hangs him out to dry because he doesn't love him. Sad.

26. Ex Machina

Truth: Movie about artificial intelligence that is more intelligent than artificial

Truth: Three dynamic, magnetic performances from a tight cast

Why is the house so advanced in every way but security?

It takes a man to admit when he is nitpicking. This is a nitpick.

27. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Truth: The omnipresent compelling mystery of the Clone Wars keeps you guessing

Truth: Yoda-Dooku lightsaber duel (actually the whole final act)

Why are Anakin and Padme's love scenes so coarse and rough?

Like sand. I don't mind the love story and the actors aren't an issue for me. It's the wooden dialogue and emotionless performances. Without them, this is a top 20 movie.

28. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Truth: Bring Spidey firmly into the MCU? Mission accomplished

Truth: Tom Holland is the best Peter Parker yet

Why is Tony's security at Stark Tower nonexistent?

The climax of Homecoming is dependent on Tony and Happy's negligence. The cargo on that plane should have been guarded by a legion of Iron Men.

29. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Truth: Shows a smaller story can be just as rich in plot as a big one

Truth: The best Darth Vader scene in the saga, although...

...Why didn't Vader use the force to retrieve the Death Star plans?

Not a plot hole, but still a moment worth questioning.

30. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Truth: A prequel/reboot better than the classic original is worth celebrating

Truth: Takes its time with a slow build that develops character

Why is the laboratory staff so careless?

Surely nobody expects the worst (in this case a global catastrophe) but the medical staff is pretty loosey goosey with protocol.

31. Sicario

Truth: Tension built at peak levels

Truth: Incredible ensemble cast

Why do the Americans allow dangerous cartels to grow for personal benefit?

As if the U.S. government would do such a thing!

32. The Greatest Showman

Truth: Hugh Jackman is a tour de force

Truth: So many original hits in one soundtrack inspired sing-a-long bonus viewings

Why is there a love triangle?

*He asks to a society addicted to nonsense like The Bachelor*

33. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Truth: Luke and Vader's father-son conflict (and their lightsaber rematch) reaches an emotional conclusion

Truth: The raid and rescue from Jabba's palace is fun, but...

...Why did the plan to save Han have 98 steps?

What if step 48 and 63 were to fail? What then?!

34. The Replacements

Truth: My favorite sports movie because it's more than sports

Truth: "At first I was afraid, **** I was petrified."

Why did the Sentinels bench Falco for Martel? 

I assume Dan Snyder was also the owner of this fictitious Washington football team.

35. Sing Street

Truth: A great coming-of-age story even without the great music

Truth: Adam Levine has a song and it's also great

Why does the brother let him go at the end?

I know exactly why, I'm just saying the journey will be extremely treacherous! Perhaps even deadly!

36. Iron Man 3

Truth: While derisive of its predecessors, it has some of the most fun in the entire MCU

Truth: Final act is a blast

Why does Tony give the world his home address?

It's meant to demonstrate Tony's erratic behavior, sure, but come on.

37. Kick-Ass

Truth: Answers the eternal question of "could I be a superhero?" pretty accurately

Truth: Nicolas Cage is the perfect Big Daddy

Why does Hit-Girl cuss so much?

Manners, girl!

38. Doctor Strange

Truth: Benedict Cumberbatch is yet another spot-on MCU casting

Truth: Visual expectations met and surpassed

Why did the Beyonce joke make the final cut?

Humor isn't easy, but the MCU used to do it so, so well.

39. Tarzan (1999)

Truth: PHIL. COLLINS. SOUNDTRACK.

Truth: Heartwarming, emotional, poignant and genuine

Why did *NSYNC only have one song?

Best song on the soundtrack? "Son of Man?" "Strangers Like Me?" I'm gonna go with "You'll Be in My Heart."

40. District 9

Truth: Neil Blomkamp is a sci-fi genius

Truth: Sharlto Copley is fantastic yet tragic (fantastically tragic?)

Why are so many of the aliens kind of useless?

Okay, that's every alien movie.

41.  Taken

Truth: Liam Neeson had always been a badass. Now everyone knows.

Truth: Taken is intense but it has brains and heart, unlike its sequels

Why couldn't Qui-Gon Jinn or Ra's al Guhl fight like Bryan Mills?

The Jedi Master and League of Shadows architect are lacking a particular set of skills.

42. Eddie the Eagle

Truth: Taron Egerton's + Hugh Jackman = Yes, please

Truth: As uplifting as a movie can get

Why wouldn't the Olympics take Eddie seriously? 

Are you telling me a book was judged by its cover?! IN THIS SOCIETY?!

43. Thor

Truth: The scene where Thor gets his powers back is elite

Truth: Shakespearian Thor is the best Thor, even if it isn't the most popular

Why wouldn't Odin tell Loki the truth earlier? 

That situation was handled very poorly... but being a father is hard, especially the All-Father.

44. War for the Planet of the Apes

Truth: Michael Giacchino's soundtrack is some of his best work in a catalogue of gems

Truth: You don't mess with the GOAT protagonist's family

Why did the Colonel/the traitor apes keep Caesar alive?

Plot armor for a protagonist is nothing new but there are a lot of reasons not to keep him alive.

45.  You Don't Mess With the Zohan

Truth: My favorite Sandman movie (followed by The Longest Yard and Big Daddy)

Truth: It's Sandler's most hilariously Jewish movie

Why is this the best movie about Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Sandler does a lot of schtick, but he actually has something to say here besides the bush.

46. John Wick: Chapter 2

Truth: Gun fu is back and better than ever!

Truth: Another pair of fun villains

Why does John kill on Continental grounds knowing full well the consequences?

Don't be silly... to spawn another movie or two or three or eight.

47. Boyhood

Truth: Richard Linklater making this movie over 12 years is a remarkable achievement in film

Truth: Kids are fun and growing up is sad

Why did they make another Star Wars movie? 

Confused? Watch this scene, which takes place in 2008.

48. Iron Man 2

Truth: Robert Downey Jr. IS Iron Man

Truth: If you didn't like Iron Man 2, go watch it again and then let me know

Why does Tony keep his illness from Pepper? 

Tony's ego may be big, but there's no reason for him to self-destruct after the lessons of the first movie..

49. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Truth: I believed in the reboot (at this point)

Truth: Kylo Wren had so much potential (at this point)

Why did they do the heroes of the original trilogy -- Luke, Han & Leia -- so dirty? 

Han is a deadbeat dad, lost the Millennium Falcon and isn't with Leia, who is a toothless politician, and Luke... I have nothing to say that hasn't been said.

50. 42

Truth: Chadwick Boseman can do it all, from Jackie Robinson to James Brown to Thurgood Marshall to Black Panther

Truth: Along with The Replacements, is my favorite sports movie of all time, followed by Like Mike and The Longest Yard (2005)

Why did racism and segregation exist? 

Seriously... give me one good reason. Society's biggest sin continues to plague us today.