Ranking and Reviewing All Movies I saw in 2024.
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I ranked and reviewed all the movies I saw in 2023 so I thought I would do it again!
Notes:
*- Early screening
**- Dolby or Imax format
***-saw alone in an empty theatre
Let's first review!
Boys in the Boat (PG-13) 123 minutes/
The Iron Claw *** (R) 132 minutes
(double feature day)
"Boys in the Boat" was simple. I quite enjoyed it. One of the simplest movies I have seen in a while which felt like a breath of fresh air. Was it great? No. Will it go down as the best film of the year or decade? Never. But was it a nice true story that was enjoyable? 100% and for that it moves farther up my list than it probably should be, especially if you look at it from a critic's standpoint!
I was the only person in my screening of "The Iron Claw", which was neat. The story was compelling. The acting phenomenal. But dang was it sad! I don't think I could ever rewatch it. It tells the tragic true story about The von Erich family. If you have heard or read about them, you know it's not a happy story. I think it is unfair that because this movie came out late Dec 2023 it wasn't nominated for any Oscars, and it should have been! Great film, it would be hard to rewatch.
Ferrari (R) 131 minutes
This movie was good and simple in many ways but also hard to follow. What I mean by this is Enzo Ferrari lived to be 90 years old and the movie only focuses on 1 year of his life. I had so many questions before these events took place. I think it would've been better as 2 episodes in a mini-series. The acting was incredible! Adam Driver was great truly; but Penelope Cruz stole the show! I just don't understand why this was a movie instead of a series. How focused the story is will knock it down spots in my rankings, for sure.
American Fiction (R) 117 minutes
This movie was so good. It made me laugh big laughs and cry too. It has everything a good movie should have. The acting is great. It is simple yet deep. I really enjoyed it. This movie MAY offend the extreme far left. It definitely pokes fun at you all. It gets slightly political without bringing in specifics or politicians. While this movie isn't going to keep you on the edge of your seat, I think you will enjoy the story. I truly enjoyed this movie a lot!
Warning: The N word is used frequently but given the context, it fit the movie. The guy in front of me was laughing so hard he couldn't breathe, and he was a Black man.
(Note: The first four films were all released in Dec 2023. Now let's get into 2024!)
The Book of Clarence * (PG-13) 120 minutes
rly surprise screening. Clarence is a man who lived the same time from and city as Jesus. It does NOT make fun of God, Jesus, religion etc. It has some Biblical truths, but the film's main focus is Clarence, not the Bible, so some details are not accurate. If you have little to no sense of humor this is NOT the film for you. If you can't separate Bible and Hollywood, you won't like it.
The Beekeeper (R) 105 minutes
Jason Statham is a bad ass! There's nobody quite like him in Hollywood. His acting is always OK. The real star was Josh Hutcherson I loved his acting. His character is a terrible human, which was weird to see him in this role and reminded me of a real-life person. The action was great. It had some nice comedy; but it did not push the boundaries at all. It was like taking 5 action movies and putting them all together for a new decent film.
Argylle (PG-13) ** 139 minutes
This was my most anticipated movie of the year! It was not what I expected; but that's OK. I thoroughly enjoyed it anyway! I do not want to give anything away. There were several plot twists. This film is very silly and serious. It goes for it all the time. Sometimes too much! I think it could've been just a little shorter. It was fun and way more rewatchable than some on this list because of that. Bryce Howard Dallas is great, as always!
One Love (PG-13) 107 minutes
*sniffs* what's that smell? Oh, right.... * Biopics might be my favorite genres, even if I don't know much about the person. I don't know much about Bob Marley. I thought this one was mediocre. It reminded me a lot of Ferrari in format. Meaning it was so laser focused on one specific time period. The acting was good. I just wanted more about his childhood, since I know basically nothing about this man.
Ordinary Angels * (PG) 118 minutes
I love Hilary Swank and real event films, so I was excited for this movie! This was also neat because it was a special one-day screening with some interviews from the cast and crew. The movie was religious, without shoving religion down your throat. It just mentioned it a couple times in passing. The story was sad and compelling. The acting was good. Hilary Swank is one of my favorite actresses and I think she can hold up any film.
Dune Pt. 2 (PG-13) 167 minutes
Fresh off the heels of "Wonka", comes "Dune 2" proving Timothee Chalamet is the man of the hour! I knew he was talented but his acting in this movie is next level! I was extremely impressed! In fact, that last scene gave me chills because he commanded the screen! This one is way better than the first; but sci-fi will never be my genre! I would think if sci-fi is your genre you would love it! Even though it's almost 3 hours the run time flew by!
One Life * (PG) 109 minutes
This movie follows the true story of Nicholas Winton. I don't want to spoil anything because it's a fascinating story everyone should know. If you are a history buff, you must see it! The story starts of slow and isn't particularly exciting until about halfway through. Once you get to the halfway point, you feel the urgency. I truly enjoyed this story and the acting. I need to read a book about this man now! (I saw this as a surprise early mystery screening.)
Kung Fu Panda 4 (PG) 94 minutes
I was not super excited about this I did not love KFP 3 but I gave this a chance because I like Jack Black and Po. Plus, Akwafina voiced a new character. I loved it! I liked the twist, although halfway through becomes sort of assumed. It had all the workings of what I like in a movie and for that reason I think it may be my favorite of the four. I think this series is so funny. Po and his adopted goose Dad are so charming together in all four films! School of Rock is one of my all-time favorite films!
Arthur the King (PG-13) 100 minutes
My friend Josh and I went to see this movie. It was an interesting true story that followed a competition. The way it was filmed almost at times seemed like a documentary or reality competition show. Which is sort of unique for this type of movie. It was intense in parts and didn't quite have the outcome I anticipated, but that's OK. I enjoyed my time watching this story unfold.
Cabrini (PG-13) 145 minutes
Set in the late 1800's this film follows the story of Frances Cabrini, a nun who came to NYC to start an orphanage and hospital for Italian immigrants. Her movement eventually spread worldwide. It his quite the fascinating story. The cinematography though was not good. I think if the director had thought for 5 seconds about how to film each scene it would be a beautiful film because the sets and costumes are good. The acting and story is compelling, yet the lack of cinematography took me out of the moment a couple times.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (PG-13) 115 minutes
While I think this is better than Ghostbusters 2 or the remake with all the ladies, it is not nearly as funny as the original and the story is not nearly as good as 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife. I do like how this doesn't have to set up anything and we can right into the story, but I feel like they tried to take the best of all the movies and cram it in here. It felt like it tried to do too much and had too many characters.
The Long Game *** (PG) 112 minutes
I got to see this alone in theatres. It started off a little slow but turned out to be a good, charming little film. I may be pretty good at putt-putt golf, but I know nothing about normal golf. The acting was good, the story was nice. The costumes were nice as well. Sport films are never my favorite genre; but, this one is just a nice simple film that I would recommend to people who like the genre.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare * (R) 120 minutes
This was one of my most anticipated films because Guy Ritchie directed, and Jerry Burkheimer produced. I did enjoy the story; the cinematography and special effects were awesome. There was a lot of dry humor which I enjoyed. The acting was good. I love historical films, especially WW2 era. But it did not live up to my hype. It was too one-sided and what I mean by that is, these men came in like they were invincible, and the Nazi's couldn't put up a fight. Which knowing what we know about Nazi's wouldn't have been a bad thing, but ridiculously unrealistic and given the fact it was loosely based on a real story kind of made it feel like you were watching a Marvel film instead, at times.
Unsung Hero (PG) * 112 minutes
I wasn't overly excited about this film; but, decided to watch it anyway, because I got to see an early screening. I moderately enjoyed this film. I am not too familiar with the songs of either 'For King and Country' or 'Rebecca St. James', but I do know all 3 of these performers have been successful so I thought it would be cool to get some more background. I do think faith-based films have improved a lot of the years with production value, actings, scripts etc. and this is no exception. Will it go down as one of my favorites in that genre? No; but I do think it is a nice entry. I enjoyed the pacing of the film and how it stayed pretty simple. I think it could've easily gotten too many sub-plots and lost focus on moving the story forward as a whole, so I applaud the fact that it stayed simple, while not shying away from depression and other hardships.
The Fall Guy (PG-13) ** 126 minutes
I will say right off the bat I truly enjoyed this film. The first trailer did not sell me, the second one did. Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling were great. I think this movie should've been about 10 minutes shorter in the middle. I was ready to go halfway through, but I am glad I stuck it out because the last 30 minutes or so were awesome! It had a lot of humor, but less than I expected. I did like the concept of this movie; I think it is cool to show a movie about the stunt guy. It is a creative concept. The twists I did not expect. I would describe this movie as 'Big Fat Liar' for adults.
Garfield (PG) 105 minutes /
Sight (PG-13) 100 minutes
(double feature day)
"Sight" is quite an interesting true story about an eye doctor but it made for a mediocre movie. I only knew one actor. I think the budget was low. It had some comedy and sweet moments but nothing seemed urgent. It could've been at least 10 minutes shorter.
I was not super excited for "Garfield" but I have to tell you I LOVED this movie! It is both a prequel and a sequel to the normal Garfield Canon. I liked all the new characters and liked how the film stayed true to Garfield, Odie and Jon. I liked the humor and the plot line. I would love to see more from Garfield in the near future. Garfield hasn't changed much, he still loves lasagna.
Ezra (R) 100 minutes
The acting was pretty good and so was the story; but I will say I think this movie would serve a better purpose as a PG-13 film. Movies that have characters with children or adults with autism are rare and they should be more family-friendly until they are more representative.
(Double feature day with The Muppets- 45th Anniversary Screening).
IF (PG) 104 minutes
This movie surprised me a lot! Halfway through I thought 'Hmm, I know the ending'.. WRONG! I really enjoyed the storyline. The acting was fine. It was funny and it moved me. I was not really planning to see this one; but, the reviews made me say "OK. I'll check it out!" I'm very glad I did!
Inside Out 2 (PG) 96 minutes
I took my niece to see this one opening day! It was solid. I feel like Pixar has made some wrong turns lately with films and this one seemed to be back on track. I will say I think the script is tighter than the 1st film however the 1st is easier to watch due to lighter content. Also, I loved the fact that Riley is more of a main character, not a side piece.
Bikeriders (R)* 116 minutes
My parents and I went to see an early surprise screening of this film! I liked the acting and the story. Was it my type of film? No. Will I ever sit down and watch it beginning to end again? No. Did I enjoy it? 100%. It was compelling. It is one big long interview and shows the story unfold from that which is a pretty cool way to tell a story I think. It is loosely based off a book complied of photos which is also creative.
Despicable Me 4 (PG) 94 Minutes
Another cute movie that I enjoyed; but, it felt like they had four ideas for a movie and meshed them together. Now I will say they meshed them together well. The villain was lackluster; however, the backstory was cute. This movie seemed like it took 4 or 5 plot ideas and weaved into one. Having said that, I think they did a nice job making it work. But I think with 3 sequels and 2 prequels I think this series is pretty played out. Just continue with shorts!
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (R) 115 Minutes
This was a fun one; however, I do think it is the weakest of the 4. But, let's look at it this way, when a movie has 3 solid sequels you are doing something right. I think the 3rd one was the best of the series, so it is hard to follow that. I do think the story has ran its course though. It is time for these bad boys to ride off into the sunset.
Fly Me to the Moon (PG-13) 131 Minutes
This was a movie I truly enjoyed, a lot. I did not expect to like this one as much as I did. It was funny but had a great plot twist at the end. At over 2 hours long, I was not bored and truly wasn't ready for it to end. The casting was great. The costumes were nice. I liked the story of following the space race. This is one of the biggest surprises for me of the year.
Deadpool & Wolverine** (R) 128 minutes
The MCU is not usually movies I particularly like, nor dislike. I do, however, like the first Wolverine movie a lot and think Deadpool is funny. I was interested in seeing this movie but when the most 'adult' movie in your top 5 movies of all time is "School of Rock" raunch isn't really something I am comfortable with. My friend Josh said "You wanna go to the movies?" I said "Sure." I will say, while very raunchy, I truly enjoyed this film! The special effects, costumes, great one liners from Ryan Reynolds and great acting skills of Hugh Jackman combined with a clear defined plot will put this higher up than I could've imagined.
Twisters (PG-13) 122 minutes
I'll be honest, I had no desire to see this one but I went one day after work because I kept hearing good things. It was fine and I didn't dislike it. The special effects were well done. The acting was solid and the storyline was good but it's just not my type of film. The original is better and a classic.
Reagan (PG-13) 141 minutes
This movie was so different than I anticipated and I quite enjoyed it. I was neutral on what to think of it from the trailers but decided to see it anyway. The acting was good but the storyline just took a vastly different idea and that will propel this movie much higher than I assumed. It was sad, funny all the emotions and educational.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (PG-13)*/** 109 minutes
I don't necessarily love the first Beetlejuice but my friend Shelby does and we got to see an early screening. I thought this movie was good particularly for a sequel but it's just not my type of flick. It was very funny and the plot was nice but I think too many subplots weighed it down a bit.
The Forge (PG) 123 minutes
Finally The Kendrick brothers have learned how to make a good movie. They've never made a terrible movie but they've never made a good one either, until now. This one I thought had all the bells and whistles. Good acting. Good soundtrack. Good plotline. Good conflict. It had suspense without being too over the top. The pacing of the film was good. Now is this movie phenomenal? No. But it's a HUGE step in the right direction.
Am I Racist? (PG-13) 111 minutes /
Transformers: One (PG)* 100 minutes
(double feature day)
This documentary is cringe, yet funny. I think it was well done in bringing to light different idealogy around race and DEI. I have lots of thoughts. I think some people get too easily offended; but, I do think we should learn from the past to improve the future. (Note: I do not rank documentaries because they are so different than regular everyday films.)
The prequel of Transformers was solid. It FAR exceeded my expectations. The animation was STUNNING! It literally blew my mind. It was funny, very funny. The storyline was pretty good. It's always fun to watch a movie early!!! The voice cast was quite the star line up as well! I definitely recommend this movie!
The Wild Robot (PG)** 102 minutes
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The animation in this film is amazing. It looks like digital watercolor meets storybook drawings, which blew me away. The backgrounds especially had my jaw on the ground. The characters were cute. The film had lots of good humor and the story had nice pacing.
The story could end about 60 minutes in and be heartwarming but it continues another 30 or so. Of that last 30-ish minutes the first 15 I thought were the worst of the film; however, the last 15 made it all worth it and I understand why the filmmakers took us through that last 3rd act. It may be the new DreamWorks classic. I can see a sequel happening, after all there are multiple books in the series already. My niece loves those books.
White Bird *(PG-13) 121 minutes
I had been waiting to watch this movie for a long time it was delayed nine months. I did get to see it 3 days before it hit theatres as a surprise screening so I guess that made up for it. It serves as a prequel/sequel to 2017's "Wonder." The grandma tells a story of growing up in France in the 1940's to her grandson. (This was a surprise early mystery screening.)
Venom 3: The Last Dance ** (PG-13) 109 minutes
While I enjoy all 3 Venom films, I don't love any of them. Tom Hardy does a great job and the dance scene I thought was hysterical! I liked the storyline of the hippie family Eddie meets. The banter between Eddie and Venom was funny like always. But I think the original Venom is the best in the trilogy.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever * (PG) 99 minutes
I have been waiting for a proper movie (not a TV special) since I was in 4th grade. It has finally happened. The book that has made me cry every year since 4th grade finally hit the big screen. I was nervous but I'm here to tell you it was so good and far exceeded my expectations.
The story about 6 delinquent children who get mixed up with a church play and take roles of Mary, Joseph, 3 Wiseman and the angel of the Lord makes for a compelling story as a book or a movie. I'm so happy with how this turned out. It was low budget but the messaging was clear and made me cry. I can't wait to watch every year! (Went and saw a 2nd time.)
Bonhoeffer:Pastor. Spy. Assassin.* (PG-13) 135 minutes
I think learning about this guy I didn't know much about was super cool and I quite enjoyed it. Was the movie top level? No! Will it land in my top 15 for the year? Probably. I like history films. I like the character and what he stood for. He was very brave and I am glad his story finally got to the big screen. I want to read his books now. (This was a surprise early mystery screening.)
Red One */**(PG-13) 123 minutes
This movie is fun. I laughed. I was moved by a really special part but the plot is super silly. The acting is fine. Nothing about this movie is phenomenal. It's like Deadpool and Santa had a baby. I liked and hated it at the same time.
Wicked pt 1 */** (PG) 160 minutes
What can I say about this movie? So much! The acting. Great. The music. Amazing (How did they do that live?) The costumes and makeup. Incredible. The cinematography. Perfection!
I have loved Wicked from the moment I saw the Broadway show in 2018. I saw it again in 2022. I was a little nervous but that quickly went away with watching. I cannot tell you how much I was blown away.
Moana 2 (PG) 100 minutes
This wasn't bad; but, it did seem pieced together. I feel like two side characters in particular seemed randomly added in. The songs were lackluster. The animation was pretty I'll give it that. It played it safe and gave lots of laughs.
Mufasa: The Lion King (PG) */** 118 minutes
Two Disney films in a row and they both were not good. The music was awful. The storyline was OK at times a little too convoluted. Mufasa's story made sense. Scar's went from 0 to 100 in 3 seconds, it didnt have an impact. I liked the visuals a lot of the times.
Sonic 3 (PG) ** 109 minutes
I think the first Sonic was good. Not crazy about the 2nd but #3 is amazing! Surprise of the year as far as films. I was expecting mediocre at best. Boy was I wrong. The sound, the visuals, the voice acting all great. I was truly impressed.
A Complete Unknown (R) * 120 minutes
The last movie of the year. 52 movies in 52 weeks! I did it. What can I say about this movie? Timothee Chalamet's hard work paid off, no doubt. I feel like the second half specifically I felt like he was truly Bob Dylan where the first half he was acting. I think because the time lapse they had to make him look a little older and that helped. Seeing Chalamet play guitar, harmonica and piano was impressive. The acting throughout the film was great.
Bonus:
6 Other Films I saw in theaters.
Wizard of Oz (PG) - (85th Anniversary Screening!) 110 minutes
It was only in theatres 3 or 4 days, and I got to see it! I have wanted to see it in theatres for YEARS! It was my favorite movie when I was like 8 years old! So glad I got to experience it on the big screen! It was better than I remembered, and I saw little details I had never noticed.
Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (PG) (25th Anniversary Screening) 135 minutes
I enjoyed this film. It was only the 2nd time I had ever seen it, so I had forgotten many details. I despise Episode 2 though. I am not a huge Star Wars fan but working at Walt Disney World in the hotel and in Hollywood Studios has made me appreciate it more than I did prior.
The Muppets (G) (45th Anniversary Screening) 100 minutes
I have always been a Muppets fan, so when I saw, the original was coming to theatres, I got pretty excited. I did take in The Muppets Christmas Carol in theatres a few years ago. While this one wasn't part of my AMC stubs membership, I had enough bonus points to pay for my ticket, so it was still free! I like these Fathom events. Before the movie starts they always give cool trivia facts. I laughed a lot and glad I went. Plus, I worked at the Muppet store at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
(Double feature day with Ezra)
Pixar's 3 pandemic films!
Soul (PG) 2020 *** 100 minutes
Turning Red (PG) 2022 *** 100 minutes
Luca (PG) 2021 95 minutes
These three movies were unreleased to theaters due to the pandemic. So, I watched all three when they briefly came back to theatres this year. I now have seen all Pixar movies in theatres except "A Bug's Life." Maybe one day...... These three Pixar films are some of my least favorites, but they all have great scenes that made me appreciate them a little more on the big screen. Which made me glad they got their moment to shine in cinema.
Other tallies: I got to see 14 movies early. 9 in IMAX/Dolby formats. (Some overlap those 2 categories.) I got to see 5 movies completely alone nobody else in the whole place! I also had 4 double feature days!
Tally of movies and their ratings:
G- 1 PG - 22 PG13 - 19 R - 10 Grand total- 52
Now let's get ranking!
Two stars:
45 One Love PG13
44 Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare R
43 Sight PG13
42 Ezra R
41 Bikeriders R
40 Unsung Hero PG
39 Ferrari R
38 Red One PG13
37 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire PG13
36 Moana 2 PG
35 Mufasa: The Lion King PG
Two 1/2 stars:
34 The Long Game PG
33 Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice PG13
32 Bad Boys 4: Ride or Die R
31 Venom 3: The Last Dance PG13
Three stars:
30 Twisters PG13
29 The Boys in the Boat PG13
28 Reagan PG13
27 White Bird PG13
26 Argylle PG13
25 The Forge PG
24 Ordinary Angels PG
Three 1/2 stars:
23 Dune pt. 2 PG13
22 The Book of Clarence PG13
21 Deadpool & Wolverine R
20 The Beekeeper R
19 Arthur the King PG13
18 Kung Fu Panda 4 PG
17 Despicable Me 4 PG
16 A Complete Unknown R
Four stars:
15 Transformers: One PG
14 The Iron Claw R
13 Bonhoeffer:Pastor.Spy.Assassin. PG13
12 Inside Out 2 PG
11 Sonic The Hedgehog 3 PG
10 Cabrini PG13
9 IF PG
8 Garfield PG
7 The Fall Guy PG13
Four 1/2 stars:
6 Fly Me to the Moon PG13
5 The Wild Robot PG
4 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever PG
3 Wicked Pt 1 PG
Five stars:
2 American Fiction R
1 One Life PG
Thanks for reading. Feel free to like, comment and share. Let me know what movies I missed!
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