Classics Considered

These days, I don’t watch many movies, but here’s a few thoughts on some of the ones I did watch this year…

Tenet (2020) – My records are iffy, but I’m 99% sure this was the year we finally watched Tenet. Apart from the rough ending, I really enjoyed the mind-bendy plot of this movie. It helped for comprehension that we watched it with subtitles…

No Time to Die (2021) – This one was pretty meh. We watched it with my dad for Father’s Day, and that was really the best part of the whole experience. The film is visually stunning, but the story is painfully long, and I find James Bond to be quite a dull character.

Retribution (2023) – Liam Neeson has done some pretty great thrillers like The Commuter and Non-Stop, but he seems to have resigned himself to these really bad movies lately. This one had a decent concept—a bomb threat in a moving car—but it didn’t really deliver.

Belfast (2021) – A movie by Kenneth Branagh, somewhat based on his childhood during the Troubles. I don’t know much about this period of history, but I thought it was a very evocative movie, if (understandably) depressing.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) – I went into this thinking it would be a quiet village drama, but it turned into a horror film. I would not have watched it if I had known this, but I have to admit it was extremely memorable and drove its point home with macabre precision.

Around the World in 80 Days (2021) – It took me far too long to learn about this adaptation starring David Tennant, and I went into it with extreme trepidation because I had very high hopes. I was not disappointed—my siblings and I absolutely enjoyed this series. It’s not a purist adaptation of the book, but it’s gloriously steampunk, sensibly updated, and extremely romantic. :] I can’t recommend it highly enough, and I’m already ready to rewatch it.

The Little Mermaid (2023) – This was a “meh.” I liked Halle Bailey as Ariel, but I found myself wishing the script had been more risk taking. It was really unmemorable compared to the remakes of Beauty and the Beast or even Aladdin.

Anastasia (1997) – I watched this animated film for the first time with my sister this year. Neither of us liked it that much, truth be told. For a story about the Romanovs, it was pretty light on history and just not as compelling as Disney animations from the same time period.

Wish (2023) – My sister and I thought the trailer was pretty promising, so we saw Wish in theaters in spite of the poor reviews. I personally enjoyed it… I would agree it’s an objectively bad movie, but I didn’t hate it like other people did. It has some nice songs and funny moments, just can’t be taken too seriously. 😉

Wonka (2023) – This Wonka movie was a fantastic story of friendship and chocolatey hijinks, and I really want to see it again. Timothée Chalamet was great as usual, but several of his co-stars like Calah Lane, Jim Carter, and Keegan-Michael Key practically stole the show whenever they came on screen. Going into it, I didn’t realize it was also a musical, and I have been listening to the songs quite a bit ever since. :]