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FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH – Only on APPLE TV+

My first good streaming movie of 2025 is a little better than I expected despite the mixed reactions from critics and audiences.

Guy Ritchie’s newest heist film stars John Krasinski and Natalie Portman as a pair of estranged siblings who team up with a crew to find the famed – well, you get it. Other major cast include Eiza González as a badass woman competing with John’s character to find the fountain, Domhnall Gleeson as the supposedly-dying billionaire who funds the journey, and a small performance from Stanley Tucci as a mysterious character known simply as The Elder.

I wasn’t expecting much and yet more so since the first reviews came in. You could say the story copies from the many other heist and adventure films before it, but at this rate, I don’t care. I still had a good time watching this at home. The performances are mostly solid, the action is a lot of fun, and I love the locations these characters go to. Before the first trailer premiered online, when I heard about this film, I thought it was going to be a fantasy adventure because it’s about finding the Fountain of Youth. The marketing just made it look like another typical heist flick yet believe it or not, when we get to the fountain, we start to get a feel of the fantasy genre. I mean, the ending was pretty tense.

Guy Ritchie has made better films with his underrated big screen movies THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD, and ALADDIN being my three favorite films of his. However, I still enjoyed his expensive small screen action-adventure film. It’s basically mindless fun and it’s also exciting to watch.

~ 7 out of 10 ~
* rating subject to change

LILO & STITCH – RealD 3D

Disney’s newest live-action remake has the same heart and charm as the original 2002 animated film. However, because of the fact that it’s a remake, there’s bound to be changes. Some good, but also some bad.

Without spoiling too much, I’ll start with the changes I didn’t like. The big one being that the main villain of the original, Captain Gantu, is not in this movie. According to director Dean Fleischer Camp, the hulking evil alien was excluded because he apparently didn’t work so well in live-action and still stands by that decision. Like I’m good with the character of Pleakley not dres in drag, but he did try to make that work too. However, to get rid of Gantu entirely and make Stitch’s creator Dr. Jumba Jookiba the bad guy when he redeems himself in the animated film is still baffling. Speaking of which, I have nothing against Zach Galifianakis, but I miss Jumba having a Russian accent. I also don’t like how the opening sequence where Stitch escapes from captivity in space is shortened and rushed and that we don’t even see the lizard-like alien soldiers’ faces.

Despite all these negative changes, this new take on the millennial Disney classic still tells the same story of a lonely little girl adopting an alien who mistakes him for a dog. Chris Sanders reprises his role as Stitch to perfection and he still gives the same energy as the iconic character. The rest of the cast is pretty good too aside from already mentioning Zach Galifianakis being a poor Jumba, but maybe he’ll warm up to me later.

Young newcomer Maia Kealoha nailed it as Lilo and she might have a bright career ahead of her. Lilo’s older sister Nani is hardly in crop tops and doesn’t wear a bikini compared to the animated film, but Sydney Elizabeth Agudong still makes for a hot Nani and I love the added character development this remake has given her. I won’t spoil it, but for all the bad changes I brought up, the changes to Nani’s story are just a few of the good ones.

I also liked the casting of Billy Magnussen as Pleakley who is just as animated as in the original, Courtney B. Vance as Cobra Bubbles who goes full CIA agent in this version, and Hannah Waddingham as The Grand Councilwoman. As ideal as those three castings are, I arguably still would’ve preferred Ving Rhames reprising his role as Cobra Bubbles from the animated film and I definitely would’ve preferred seeing the character as the strict social worker before revealing himself as CIA like in the original. I mean, animated Cobra Bubbles was partially inspired by Ving’s badass character Marsellus Wallace from the Quentin Tarantino classic PULP FICTION, so of course I would’ve enjoyed seeing Ving as the character in live-action. I still liked Courtney’s performance, but the changes to Cobra are somewhat of another negative for me.

The last thing about the casting that I should point out is that three actors from the animated continuity return, but they appear as new characters. Tia Carrere, the original voice of Nani, is the new social worker. Amy Hill, who originally voiced Mrs. Hasagawa, is Lilo and Nani’s neighbor and grandmother to Nani’s love interest. Jason Scott Lee, who used to voice said love interest David, ironically plays Nani and David’s strict Lū’au manager. This is apparently also Jason’s third live-action Disney remake after playing grown-up Mowgli in the 1994 version of THE JUNGLE BOOK and the evil Böri Khan in the 2020 version of MULAN.

Overall, it’s nowhere near the best live-action remake, but it stays true to the original film – for the most part – and it’s a fun and entertaining night out at the movies. Plus, now that it’s had a huge Memorial Day weekend at the box office, don’t be surprised if it makes over a billion dollars and they announce a sequel. I know they will and I can’t wait.

~ 8 out of 10 ~
* rating subject to change

Watched on Tuesday May 20, 2025.

Watched on Tuesday May 20, 2025.

Watched on Saturday May 17, 2025.

Watched on Tuesday May 13, 2025.

Watched on Monday May 12, 2025.

Watched on Saturday May 10, 2025.

Watched on Friday May 9, 2025.

Watched on Friday May 9, 2025.

Watched on Friday May 9, 2025.

Watched on Friday May 9, 2025.

Watched on Thursday May 8, 2025.

Watched on Thursday May 8, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday May 7, 2025.

Watched on Monday April 28, 2025.

Watched on Sunday April 27, 2025.

SINNERS – The IMAX Experience in 70MM Film

Ladies and gentlemen, I never thought I’d be saying this months ago, but I now officially have a new favorite R-rated horror movie. Before this, it was BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, but believe me. If they casted Johnny Depp as Jonathan Harker like Winona Ryder suggested instead of Keanu Reeves, then that film would’ve likely still been my favorite of the horror genre. I’m getting off the subject.

For those who’ve seen the trailers and wondered what the hell is going on, let me explain without spoilers. The story takes place in the Mississippi Delta in October 1932. Michael B. Jordan plays identical twins and World War I veterans Elijah and Elias Moore, better known as “Smoke” and “Stack”. After spending years working for Al Capone and the Chicago Outfit, they use money stolen from gangsters to purchase a sawmill from a racist landowner to kickstart a juke t for the local black community. The night starts off good until as you might’ve guessed, vampires attack. But it’s not just the supernatural that the main characters deal with. Apparently, the Ku Klux Klan are also involved, but I’ll let you figure out how.

Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, this is his first truly original feature and what better way to make an impression with an original story than to shoot it with IMAX 65MM cameras. Mind you that there are only 10 locations in the world showing the movie in IMAX 70MM Film and the only one in Canada that I was lucky enough to go to is the IMAX theatre in Vaughan, Ontario… and it’s worth it. If you’ve seen it in the aforementioned format or in select IMAX theatres with Laser, you can see certain moments where the expanded ratio fills the whole screen. What can be annoying about it is that it doesn’t last for the whole movie. Heck, some of the expanded ratio scenes only last for a few seconds. However, what I found interesting about the IMAX 70MM viewing is that it gives off a sort of grainy feel to it. You pretty much can see this movie anywhere including at your local drive-in because it kinda does feel like a drive-in movie at times.

Honestly, I can’t wait to see this movie again whether it’s at home or if someone invites me to any theatre or drive-in to rewatch it because this is a horror film that needs to be seen more than once to understand everything and to enjoy the hell out of it all over again. Mind you that it’s 2 HOURS AND 17 MINUTES LONG! So, it can at times feel like a slow burn. The first hour is about introducing the characters, their backstories, and their motivations. That’s good and all, but once the vampire carnage kicks in, oh buddy. It becomes quite a bloodbath. Considering that this is a frightfest with incredible storytelling that deals with racial themes, it’s pretty much a horror movie Jordan Peele would’ve made.

Michael B. Jordan is flat-out incredible as Smoke and Stack to the point where many people like me believe that this is his best performance. I don’t know if the Academy Awards would nominate him playing twins, but who knows and if they did, history would be made there. It’s not just Michael’s movie though as it’s got a hell of an ensemble. Hailee Steinfeld plays Mary who is Stack’s former flame and es for white. Wunmi Mosaku gives a thought-provoking performance as Annie who is Smoke’s estranged wife and grieving mother of their deceased infant. Jayme Lawson also makes an impression as Pearline the singer. Omar Miller goes from lovable to insanely dark as Cornbread the field worker and bouncer. Li Jun Li and Yao play Grace and Bo Chow the local Chinese shopkeepers. Saul Williams delivers a stern performance as Jedidiah Moore the preacher. But the three biggest standouts for me have to be young musical prodigy Miles Caton starring in his first movie as Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore whose aforementioned pastor father sees blues music as sinful, Jack O’Connell as Remmick the Irish vampire leader, and Delroy Lindo as the scene-stealing blues player Delta Slim.

They’re all great, but if I’m being honest, Delta Slim might be my favorite character here as he is one cool dude and has a sense of humor. However, one performance everyone’s going to be talking about is Miles Caton as the aspiring blues musician. Many people like me didn’t know who he was until either seeing this movie or hearing about how great he was in reviews before the film’s release. Now, we’re all like who is this kid? He is amazing. Apparently, he’s accomplished so much on the music scene before even turning 20, yet he’s now starring in his first movie and already making a huge first impression on the big screen. One scene in particular that stands out is when Sammie plays his music at the juke t where it becomes so transcendent, it elevates you to another world. I bet good money that this scene alone will be seen as iconic in the near future because it really is something else.

Well actually, the whole movie is something else. The story, the acting, the cinematography, the blood-filled action, Ryan Coogler’s vision and direction, the costumes by Ruth E. Carter, the music by Ludwig Göransson, and a killer blues soundtrack. It all chalks up to a thoughtful and outright entertaining love letter to cinema. Why else would it receive a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, shatter expectations at the box office, and become the first horror film in history to earn an A rating on CinemaScore? I always want the movies I plan on seeing to do at least good, but I never imagined that this film would receive such acclaim and make this big of an impact. Now it just needs to have some serious Oscar consideration and it deserves it because this will go down as one of the best movies of the year. Regardless of where you see it, stay seated during the credits because there is a really long mid-credits scene and a shorter post-credits scene. The mid-credits scene is like the movie’s true ending. I don’t know why Coogler would have it in the middle of the credits. It’s about five or six minutes long and it’s like the longest mid-credits scene I ever witnessed. My butt was hurting while watching it. That’s how long it goes on for. It’s not a bad scene, but it definitely takes it’s time.

To put it in perspective, I love this movie way more than I thought I would. It’s practically a lot of things. It’s a horror movie, a western, a period piece, a crime thriller, a Southern Gothic fairy tale, a monster movie, and a musical. Well, if you want to even go there. I suggested the latter genre because music is really like a main character in the movie as it is central to the story and many of the musical sequences flat-out slay. I’m usually not a blues person, but this has some of the best blues music I ever heard. For all the people that complain that there are no original movies, here you go. You not only get an original film, but also a massive blockbuster horror movie. Heck, actor Pedro Pascal himself gives us his own ringing endorsement on his Instagram with nine simple words: “shut the f--- up and go see this movie”. Well said. It’s an exciting, intense, daring, vein-bursting genre picture and an instant classic.

~ 9 out of 10 ~
* rating NOT subject to change

Watched on Thursday April 17, 2025.

Watched on Sunday April 13, 2025.

THE AMATEUR

Based on the novel by Robert Littell, this is both a spy movie and a revenge story. I’m basically here for both as I recently came out of seeing an exciting, sleek, and thrilling tale of a heartbroken CIA cryptographer who blackmails his agency into training him as a field operative to go on a one-man mission to avenge his wife.

Rami Malek, who won an Academy Award for playing Freddie Mercury in BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY and it’s a well-deserved win, delivers an honest performance as Charlie Heller who will do anything for justice. Laurence Fishburne is also onboard as the badass Colonel Henderson who mentors Charlie, but tells him he’s not a killer. He’s kinda right as Charlie has a hard time pulling the trigger, but who says you need guns to kill? Sometimes, the best way to get justice and take matters into your own hands is to MacGyver your way to your enemies, which is what Charlie does. This also leads to Henderson saying his best line “Maybe y’all misjudged this individual?”.

Mind you that I’m not usually into spy movies other than Guy Ritchie’s THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. from a decade ago, but I had fun with this stylistic and action-packed thriller with edge-of-your-seat moments and a good cast that also includes Rachel Brosnahan as the murdered wife, Michael Stuhlbarg as the man responsible for killing her, Jon Bernthal as a colleague nicknamed The Bear, and my favorite of the ing cast being Caitríona Balfe as a fellow widow who helps Charlie on his revenge quest. The film never really feels predictable either. Sure, the pool scene was constantly spoiled in the marketing, but the other action-filled scenes and deaths do come out of nowhere at times. I don’t understand how critics can call this “formulaic”, but as I already said, I’m not much of a spy person. I’m more into the vigilante movie and this is just about up there with the likes of Brandon Lee’s THE CROW, Denzel Washington’s THE EQUALIZER trilogy, David Fincher’s THE KILLER, and Dev Patel’s MONKEY MAN.

Overall, it was better than I expected and it’s one of those movies that make you want to travel. Paris, London, Istanbul, you name it. If you’re looking for that spy-vigilante combo, then this is what you need to see as it is fun to watch and it ends on a satisfying note. Moral of the story? Don’t underestimate the guy behind the computer.

~ 8 out of 10 ~
* rating subject to change

A MINECRAFT MOVIE – RealD 3D

For the record, I’ve never played MINECRAFT before. I my youngest cousins being obsessed with it on the PlayStation 3 and occasionally fighting over it, but it was never my type of game. I’m more into the inFAMOUS, UNCHARTED, occasional mature movie-themed game, and SOUTH PARK game. Still, I was looking forward to this insane film adaptation because I knew eventually it would have some serious big screen potential and I love Jack Black. I know the teaser trailer and the words that came out of Jack’s mouth are mocked, but I no longer cared. As long as it’s not the disaster people thought it was going to be. I thought it was an AWFUL… LY great time at the movies.

The games in the MINECRAFT universe were never story-based games, so if you’re going to make a movie out it, the story has to be original and creative. It begins with Jack Black’s character Steve explaining how he became part of the Overworld and how he encountered the piglins in the Nether followed by 25-ish minutes of the real world where we are introduced to Jason Momoa as former gaming champion Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison, two orphaned teens played by Emma Myers and newcomer Sebastian Hansen, and Danielle Brooks as a real estate agent. After getting to know everyone, they all end up JUMANJI-ed into the Overworld after combining the Orb of Dominance and the Earth Crystal. These worlds look breathtaking and I really like the feel of them. It’s as if you were stepping into a real-life video game. I also couldn’t help, but laugh at the ridiculous humor and dialogue, no matter how cringey some of it may be. Jack Black and Jason Momoa really play off each other’s ridiculousness and seeing them become a team does put a smile on my face.

I went to what was literally the first ever showing at my nearest theatre and it was mostly full. Kids, families, adults. All types of moviegoers were there as it goes to show that MINECRAFT and this movie is very much for all ages. You can tell that everyone was having fun when a group of teens or adults a few rows behind you are saying “I… AM STEVE” when Steve himself says it. Yes, that actually happened. I did not expect that and it was hilarious. The movie is just dumb fun and it knows it. It’s not meant to be taken seriously. But is it me or do the villagers, illagers, and iron golems look like a bunch of Squidwards? As a SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS fan, I am so disappointed that no one made a Squidward reference with these guys. Maybe in a sequel, who knows?

I really enjoyed this colorful film. I liked the action sequences and the look of these creatures in the Overworld. It’s a blast and it kind of made me feel like a kid again. If you hated the trailers and thought the movie as a whole would be terrible, I recommend seeing it for yourself whether you play the games or not. It’s not peak cinema, nowhere near it, but it’s a fun time. Also, stay for the credits because there is a mid-credit scene and a post-credit scene. Please remain in your seat for both and until next time –– I… AM CODY!

~ 8 out of 10 ~
* rating subject to change

Watched on Sunday March 30, 2025.

Watched on Sunday March 30, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday March 26, 2025.

Watched on Monday March 24, 2025.

Watched on Sunday March 23, 2025.

SNOW WHITE

Walt Disney’s first ever feature film SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS premiered on December 21st, 1937 and changed animation forever. Now, almost 88 years later, Disney finally makes a live-action re-imagining with Marc Webb from the two AMAZING SPIDER-MAN movies directing this $270 million fantasy musical. Here we have a Snow White who is Colombian, a few of the old songs, a lot of new music, CGI dwarfs and animals, and themes on fascism and rebellion. It’s a heavily controversial movie albeit also a very expensive one. So, what did I think of it?

As great as I thought it was and thinking it doesn’t deserve most of the hate it’s been getting, it’s nowhere near Disney’s best live-action remake. The two leading ladies are very controversial, but Rachel Zegler makes for a magical Snow White and I even thought Gal Gadot was pretty good as The Evil Queen. Her performance has received criticism, but I had a hard time seeing any negatives in her acting. Among the controversial choices Disney has made for this movie is their handling of the dwarfs. Instead of hiring actual little people to play these characters, they are created with motion capture CGI with actors voicing them behind a microphone. I will it, they do look uncanny and while many have compared them to characters from THE POLAR EXPRESS, I thought they were more like the giants from Steven Spielberg’s THE BFG. I think the goal with the dwarfs was to make them look exactly like their animated Disney counterparts and they did get that part down, but I can’t help but debate whether or not they should’ve hired small actors instead. Regardless, my favorite of the dwarfs has to be Grumpy because he is voiced by Martin Klebba who plays Marty the scene-stealing little pirate in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN franchise.

When it comes to the soundtrack, it’s pretty solid. Classic songs like “Heigh-Ho” and “Whistle While You Work” were updated for this movie and they turned out very catchy. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul were also brought on to create a bunch of amazing new songs with my favorites being “Good Things Grow” and The Evil Queen’s new villain song “All Is Fair”. Come on, Gadot wasn’t that bad. It’s not like the time she sang “Imagine” during the pandemic. I will say that the small reprises of these new tunes minus the finale version of “Good Things Grow” are very tedious.

If there’s any other problems I do have aside from the huge price tag and not a lot of people seeing it, it’s some of the changes like the love interest being a bandit instead of a prince and the third act. I’m not saying this should’ve been a shot-for-shot remake, but I was a little disappointed with the queen’s demise. It doesn’t pan out the way it did in the animated version. If it did and if there were beautiful songs in the end credits like maybe a cover version of “Good Things Grow”, it would’ve been better. Also, some of the commercials and featurettes started with the classic blue Walt Disney Pictures logo, which made me think that Disney was going to use that to open and close the movie with because it’s a live-action remake of the studio’s first feature film. But they don’t and not seeing it in the actual movie reminded me of the Hawkeye meme where he’s like “Don’t give me hope”. Honestly, if I ever make a live-action remake of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, of course I would use that iconic logo from our VHS days and give that movie a 90s grainy feel while I’m at it. This is off-topic, but I’m just saying.

Overall, the new SNOW WHITE is great for both kids and adults. The visuals look magnificent, the musical numbers minus most of the reprisals are fun, and the production design on the castle and the dwarfs cottage are spellbinding. I just wish it was released under better circumstances.

~ 8 out of 10 ~
* rating subject to change

Watched on Saturday March 15, 2025.

Watched on Friday March 14, 2025.

Watched on Thursday March 13, 2025.

MICKEY 17 – The IMAX Experience

My first IMAX movie of the year is an epic new sci-fi film directed by Academy Award winner Bong Joon-ho. After winning four Oscars in one night for PARASITE, the acclaimed filmmaker returns to adapt Edward Ashton’s novel MICKEY7. It’s received good reviews, but is heavily underperforming in North America yet could make a ton internationally. Let’s just say it’s going to be a cult classic.

Robert Pattinson plays Mickey Barnes in the year 2054 who decides to get off of Earth with Steven Yeun’s character Timo to evade loan sharks. Unfortunately for Mickey, he applied to be an “Expendable” and no, it’s got nothing to do with Sylvester Stallone or Jason Statham. Here in this movie, an “Expendable” is a disposable worker who gets cloned using Earth-banned technology for research purposes every time he dies. After four years on a spaceship where he’s given lethal assignments while falling in love with Naomi Ackie’s character Nasha, the crew arrives on the ice planet known as Niflheim where Mickey dies a couple more times so that the scientists can develop a vaccine against the planet’s pathogens. Cut to Mickey 17 where his mission is to capture a lifeform known as a “creeper” for analysis, only to fall into a fissure in the ice and get left behind by Timo. That’s when we learn that the creepers are not hostile as they help Mickey 17 out of the fissure and return to the ship. Once he lays down, he meets Mickey 18 and that’s where the meat of the story comes into play.

Robert appears to be having a fun time playing two versions of himself while the rest is alright too. The villains of the movie are Mark Ruffalo as Kenneth Marshall and Toni Collette as his wife Ylfa. Let’s just say they’re nuts. Kenneth is an egomaniacal failed politician who plans to colonize Niflheim and wipe out the creepers. Mark appears to give the character a Donald Trump vibe, but Bong has clarified that the character is not based on any specific individual but rather a mix of many different politicians and dictators throughout history. Still, a good performance though. Toni, who has always been a great actress, nails it as the devious and controlling wife who is just an outright psychopath.

The film as a whole is weird yet thought-provoking. I will say that around the first hour of the movie until we get to the fissure is pretty slow for the sake of explaining how everything works with the “Expendable” program and the character development. You can almost immediately tell the movie is pretty long even if you didn’t know about the “2 hour 17 minute” runtime. It’s that long and that’s not including the trailers and ads preceding the movie. Because of only having a few hours of sleep the night before seeing this, I was feeling tired at times and eventually, I really wanted to go to the bathroom, but I didn’t want to leave. So, that takes out some of the enjoyment I could’ve had with the film. Some could argue that maybe the film could’ve removed some things, but I personally don’t know what I would cut out.

However, it’s an entertaining sci-fi black comedy with an interesting premise. The acting is really good, Bong’s direction is a huge highlight, you root for the Mickeys throughout the film, and the creepers look amazing. While the adults are intimidating and sometimes terrifying, the babies are pretty cute. Not saying the year 2054 could be like what we see in the film, but the themes on cloning and colonization seem to be pretty relevant today. It’s nowhere near the best science fiction has to offer and while 2025 has not been the best year for movies as of writing, I recommend every film buff to check out this visually-stunning and strange tale in IMAX. If you decide not to see it in theatres because unfortunately, a lot of people aren’t, there’s always home video and streaming where the film could make an impact.

~ 7 out of 10 ~
* rating subject to change

Watched on Wednesday March 5, 2025.

Watched on Saturday March 1, 2025.

Watched on Friday February 28, 2025.

Watched on Thursday February 27, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday February 26, 2025.

Watched on Tuesday February 25, 2025.

Watched on Monday February 24, 2025.

Watched on Monday February 24, 2025.

Watched on Sunday February 23, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday February 19, 2025.

Watched on Tuesday February 18, 2025.

Watched on Monday February 17, 2025.

Watched on Friday February 14, 2025.

Watched on Thursday February 13, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday February 12, 2025.

Watched on Monday February 10, 2025.

Watched on Monday February 10, 2025.

Watched on Friday February 7, 2025.

Ranking my favorite movies that premiered exclusively on streaming services. I'm not counting the Apple TV+ movies that were given a wide theatrical and IMAX release!

1. Soul
2. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
3. Luca
4. Turning Red
5. Lady and the Tramp
6. Mulan
7. Klaus
8. Wendell & Wild
9. Dolemite Is My Name
10. Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle

...plus 45 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my favorite movies streaming exclusively on Apple TV+.

Note that while most of these movies were not given a wide theatrical release, movies like KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, NAPOLEON, and WOLFS did go to theatres and IMAX before streaming on Apple TV+ and were given a digital home video release!

1. Killers of the Flower Moon
2. Wolfs
3. Spirited
4. Finch
5. Fountain of Youth
6. Emancipation
7. Blitz
8. Napoleon

Ranking all the live-action remakes and their sequels to animated Disney classics!

1. Aladdin
2. The Jungle Book
3. Lady and the Tramp
4. Mulan
5. Cinderella
6. Christopher Robin
7. Cruella
8. The Little Mermaid
9. Dumbo
10. Beauty and the Beast

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my 16 favorite movies from the year 2000.

I never thought I'd be doing a Top 16 ranking because I always assumed that "best of" year lists were only Top 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, you get it. Here, I'm making an exception because I was struggling to figure out which Matt Damon movie - TITAN A.E. or THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE - should I include, but both were starting to grow on me for various reasons. This wasn't easy to figure out. Eventually, someone on Reddit told me that if I badly want to fit them onto my list, there's nothing stopping me from making it a Top 14 or Top 16 or whatever because it's all arbitrary. So, here's the rare rule-breaking exception.

1. Gladiator
2. Almost Famous
3. Chocolat
4. Finding Forrester
5. Cast Away
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
7. Dinosaur
8. Titan A.E.
9. The Road to El Dorado
10. Chicken Run

...plus 6 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my 80 favorite movies from another amazing classic decade.

I was born in 1994 and I'm pretty lucky because it is considered one of the greatest years for movies and it shows.

Note that the top three - EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION - are a three-way tie for first place. So, it's hard to pick one over the other!

1. Edward Scissorhands
2. James and the Giant Peach
3. The Shawshank Redemption
4. The Nightmare Before Christmas
5. The Prince of Egypt
6. Men in Black
7. Jurassic Park
8. A Far Off Place
9. Jumanji
10. Bram Stoker's Dracula

...plus 70 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my favorite movies streaming exclusively on Disney+.

Note that while MULAN, SOUL, LUCA, and TURNING RED were not given wide theatrical releases and were rebranded as Disney+ original movies, they're still given physical and digital home video releases!

1. Soul
2. Luca
3. Turning Red
4. Lady and the Tramp
5. Mulan
6. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
7. The One and Only Ivan
8. Young Woman and the Sea
9. Togo
10. Peter Pan & Wendy

...plus 4 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my favorite movies streaming exclusively on Netflix.

Note that while THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, VIVO, THE MAN FROM TORONTO, and GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S PINOCCHIO were not given a wide theatrical release, they were still given a physical and/or digital home video release!

1. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
2. Klaus
3. Wendell & Wild
4. Dolemite Is My Name
5. Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
6. Maestro
7. tick, tick... BOOM!
8. The Killer
9. The Mitchells vs. the Machines
10. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my 30 favorite movies from the year 2024.

Movies that premiered on streaming services instead of having a wide theatrical release include BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F, BLITZ, DEAR SANTA, THAT CHRISTMAS, and WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL. Mind you that YOUNG WOMAN AND THE SEA did have a limited theatrical release before it’s streaming debut, but they wouldn’t show it in Canada. So, I didn’t see that movie in theaters either unfortunately. WOLFS had a one-week-only limited theatrical release, but I was lucky enough to see it in an IMAX theatre a week before it’s streaming debut.

This list does not include re-releases of older movies even though I went to see them in a theater. The first of which is being a guest to a free private screening of the Netflix movie MAESTRO in a nearby film house a few weeks after already watching it at home. Early in the year, Pixar released their Disney+ movies SOUL, TURNING RED, and LUCA in theaters. I only saw TURNING RED in 3D and was all alone, so I regretted that decision. The one re-release that I wished I went to yet gets sold out so fast is the IMAX re-release of INTERSTELLAR for it’s 10th Anniversary. Fate is so cruel!

Click here for the one Honorable Mention of 2024 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-30-best-movies-of-2024-honorable-mention/

1. Dune: Part Two
2. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
3. The Wild Robot
4. Venom: The Last Dance
5. Wicked
6. Abigail
7. Twisters
8. Kung Fu Panda 4
9. Better Man
10. Monkey Man

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

The one Honorable Mention from the year 2024, which premiered on Netflix instead of having a wide theatrical release.

• Carry-On

Ranking all the movies in the much-maligned and confusingly titled franchise: Sony’s Spider-Man Universe!

• Venom
• Venom: The Last Dance
• Venom: Let There Be Carnage
• Morbius
• Kraven the Hunter
• Madame Web

Ranking my 30 favorite movies from the year 2023.

Movies that premiered on streaming services instead of having a wide theatrical release include WE HAVE A GHOST, PETER PAN & WENDY, NIMONA, THE KILLER, DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW, CANDY CANE LANE, CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET, and MAESTRO.

The only movie on a streaming service that I have seen in a theater is the Prime Premiere free screening of CANDY CANE LANE.

This list does not include the 30th Anniversary 3D re-release of JURASSIC PARK even though I went to see it in a theater.

Click here for the one Honorable Mention of 2023 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-30-best-movies-of-2023-honorable-mention/

1. Wonka
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
3. Killers of the Flower Moon
4. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
5. Elemental
6. Maestro
7. The Little Mermaid
8. The Equalizer 3
9. The Killer
10. Gran Turismo

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my 30 favorite movies from the year 2022.

Movies that premiered on streaming services instead of having a wide theatrical release include HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: TRANSFORMANIA, TURNING RED, CHIP ‘N DALE: RESCUE RANGERS, HUSTLE, THE GRAY MAN, DAY SHIFT, PINOCCHIO, WENDELL & WILD, DISENCHANTED, SPIRITED, EMANCIPATION, and GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO.

Movies on streaming services that I have seen in a theater include THE GRAY MAN, WENDELL & WILD, and GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO.

This list does not include the 40th Anniversary IMAX re-release of E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL and the Remastered re-release of AVATAR even though I went to see them in IMAX theaters.

Click here for the Honorable Mentions of 2022 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-30-best-movies-of-2022-honorable-mentions/

1. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
2. Avatar: The Way of Water
3. Turning Red
4. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
5. The Fabelmans
6. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
7. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
8. Jurassic World Dominion
9. Wendell & Wild
10. Bullet Train

...plus 20 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my 25 favorite movies from the year 2021.

Movies that premiered on streaming services instead of having a wide theatrical release include COMING 2 AMERICA, THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, WISH DRAGON, LUCA, THE TOMORROW WAR, VIVO, FINCH, RED NOTICE, and TICK TICK... BOOM!

Click here for the Honorable Mentions of 2021 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-25-best-movies-of-2021-honorable-mentions/

1. Dune
2. Luca
3. Godzilla vs. Kong
4. Judas and the Black Messiah
5. West Side Story
6. Encanto
7. In the Heights
8. tick, tick... BOOM!
9. Cruella
10. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my 25 favorite movies from the year 2019.

Movies that premiered on streaming services instead of having a wide theatrical release include DOLEMITE IS MY NAME, LADY AND THE TRAMP, KLAUS, 6 UNDERGROUND, TOGO, and THE AERONAUTS.

Click here for the Honorable Mentions of 2019 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-25-best-movies-of-2019-honorable-mentions/

1. Alita: Battle Angel
2. Aladdin
3. Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood
4. Toy Story 4
5. Lady and the Tramp
6. Klaus
7. Motherless Brooklyn
8. Dumbo
9. Dolemite Is My Name
10. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my 20 favorite movies from the year 2017.

Click here for the Honorable Mentions of 2017 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-20-best-movies-of-2017-honorable-mentions/

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
2. Kong: Skull Island
3. The Lego Batman Movie
4. The Greatest Showman
5. Murder on the Orient Express
6. Coco
7. Beauty and the Beast
8. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
9. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
10. Ferdinand

...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my three Honorable Mentions from the year 2014.

1. Noah
2. Exodus: Gods and Kings
3. A Million Ways to Die in the West

Ranking my 20 favorite movies from the year 2014.

Click here for the Honorable Mentions of 2014 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-20-best-movies-of-2014-honorable-mentions/

1. The Lego Movie
2. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
3. Hercules
4. How to Train Your Dragon 2
5. Big Hero 6
6. Edge of Tomorrow
7. Interstellar
8. Son of God
9. The Equalizer
10. Winter's Tale

...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my 15 favorite movies from the year 2012.

Click here for the Honorable Mentions of 2012 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-15-best-movies-of-2012-honorable-mentions/

1. Men in Black 3
2. Total Recall
3. Wrath of the Titans
4. Rise of the Guardians
5. Dark Shadows
6. Wreck-It Ralph
7. Ted
8. Brave
9. John Carter
10. The Amazing Spider-Man

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my 15 favorite movies from the year 2009.

Another great year for cinema includes three movies I unfortunately did not see in theatres and regret with THE HANGOVER, 2012, and INVICTUS. If I didn’t include them in this list, it would’ve been a Top 10 with two Honorable Mentions and that is difficult for me to deal with.

1. Avatar
2. Where the Wild Things Are
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
4. A Christmas Carol
5. Invictus
6. Up
7. The Hangover
8. 2012
9. G-Force
10. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my 10 favorite movies from the year 2008.

Now, this is not really my best ranking as most of it is family-friendly, but that’s because this was not a good year for movies.

I'm not a fan of IRON MAN, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, THE DARK KNIGHT, or QUANTUM OF SOLACE. Also, there are two more mature movies that I didn’t see in theatres and regret including THE LOVE GURU and HANCOCK.

Click here for the Honorable Mentions of 2008 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-10-best-movies-of-2008-honorable-mentions/

1. Bolt
2. WALL·E
3. Kung Fu Panda
4. The Love Guru
5. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
6. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
7. Beverly Hills Chihuahua
8. Hancock
9. Bedtime Stories
10. Horton Hears a Who!

Ranking my 10 favorite movies from the year 2003.

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
2. Elf
3. Big Fish
4. Johnny English
5. The Haunted Mansion
6. Finding Nemo
7. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
8. Holes
9. The Core
10. Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd

Ranking my favorite movies in the DreamWorks Animation library.

The list does not include THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, the direct-to-video film JOSEPH: KING OF DREAMS, SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON, SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS, FLUSHED AWAY, SPIRIT UNTAMED, the Netflix film TROLLHUNTERS: RISE OF THE TITANS, RUBY GILLMAN: TEENAGE KRAKEN, the Netflix film ORION AND THE DARK, and don't even get me started on that godawful Peacock television sequel MEGAMIND VS. THE DOOM SYNDICATE!

1. The Prince of Egypt
2. Shrek
3. The Wild Robot
4. Kung Fu Panda
5. How to Train Your Dragon 2
6. Shrek Forever After
7. Rise of the Guardians
8. How to Train Your Dragon
9. Shark Tale
10. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

...plus 31 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking all the movies in the Pixar library!

1. Toy Story 3
2. Soul
3. Luca
4. WALL·E
5. Turning Red
6. Finding Dory
7. Toy Story 2
8. Elemental
9. Ratatouille
10. Toy Story 4

...plus 18 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking all the movies in the MonsterVerse!

1. Godzilla vs. Kong
2. Kong: Skull Island
3. Godzilla × Kong: The New Empire
4. Godzilla
5. Godzilla: King of the Monsters

The one Honorable Mention from the year 2023, which premiered on Netflix instead of having a wide theatrical release.

• Leo

Ranking my two Honorable Mentions from the year 2022.

Both movies premiered on Netflix instead of having a wide theatrical release, though I did see THE ADAM PROJECT in a theater.

1. The Adam Project
2. The Man from Toronto

Ranking my favorite movies streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Note that while most of these movies were not given a wide theatrical release and were rebranded as Amazon Prime Video original movies, they were still given a physical and/or digital home video release!

1. The Aeronauts
2. Hotel Transylvania: Transformania
3. Coming 2 America
4. The Tomorrow War
5. Candy Cane Lane

Ranking the SPIDER-MAN movies from Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Sony Pictures Animation.

The list does not include any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies featuring the webslinger because I hate the MCU!

1. Spider-Man 2
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
4. Spider-Man
5. Spider-Man 3
6. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
7. The Amazing Spider-Man

Ranking my favorite movies in the Sony Pictures Animation library.

The list does not include THE SMURFS franchise, ARTHUR CHRISTMAS, and the direct-to-video sequels to OPEN SEASON and SURF'S UP!

Also note that THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE and PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY are not on here because they were neither produced nor released by the studio.

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
3. Goosebumps
4. The Mitchells vs. the Machines
5. Peter Rabbit
6. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
7. Vivo
8. The Star
9. Open Season
10. Surf's Up

...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my two Honorable Mentions from the year 2021.

1. The Little Things
2. Dear Evan Hansen

Ranking my 15 favorite movies from the year 2020.

Movies that premiered on streaming services instead of having a wide theatrical release include THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, MULAN, HUBIE HALLOWEEN, THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7, MANK, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, and SOUL.

1. Soul
2. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run
3. Tenet
4. Mulan
5. Trolls World Tour
6. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
7. News of the World
8. The One and Only Ivan
9. Onward
10. Mank

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my three Honorable Mentions from the year 2019.

The only movie that premiered on a streaming service instead of having a wide theatrical release is NOELLE.

• Noelle
• The Goldfinch
• Good Boys

Ranking all the movies in the Blue Sky Studios library!

1. The Peanuts Movie
2. Ferdinand
3. Robots
4. Epic
5. Spies in Disguise
6. Ice Age: Collision Course
7. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
8. Horton Hears a Who!
9. Rio 2
10. Ice Age: Continental Drift

...plus 3 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking the movies in JURASSIC PARK and JURASSIC WORLD trilogies!

1. Jurassic World
2. Jurassic Park
3. Jurassic World Dominion
4. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
5. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
6. Jurassic Park III

Ranking the movies in J.K. Rowling's WIZARDING WORLD!

1. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
5. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
7. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
8. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
9. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking the movies in my favorite film franchise ever!

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
3. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Ranking my two Honorable Mentions from the year 2018.

1. The House with a Clock in Its Walls
2. A Wrinkle in Time

Ranking my 20 favorite movies from the year 2018.

Definitely one of the best years for film in the last decade of normalcy. And yes, I'm now ranking movies that were released on streaming services instead of theatres with MOWGLI: LEGEND OF THE JUNGLE.

Click here for the Honorable Mentions of 2018 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-20-best-movies-of-2018-honorable-mentions/

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
2. Venom
3. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
4. Ralph Breaks the Internet
5. Bohemian Rhapsody
6. Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
7. Christopher Robin
8. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
9. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
10. The Equalizer 2

...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my two Honorable Mentions from the year 2017.

1. The Dark Tower
2. The Mummy

Ranking my 25 favorite movies from the year 2016.

1. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
2. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
3. The Jungle Book
4. Finding Dory
5. Ben-Hur
6. Moana
7. Kung Fu Panda 3
8. Sausage Party
9. Pete's Dragon
10. Zootopia

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my four Honorable Mentions from the year 2015.

1. Black Mass
2. Seventh Son
3. Tomorrowland
4. Jupiter Ascending

Ranking my 20 favorite movies from the year 2015.

Click here for the Honorable Mentions of 2015 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-20-best-movies-of-2015-honorable-mentions/

1. Jurassic World
2. Straight Outta Compton
3. The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
4. Goosebumps
5. Ted 2
6. Cinderella
7. The Martian
8. Krampus
9. The Peanuts Movie
10. Home

...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my three Honorable Mentions from the year 2013.

1. After Earth
2. Grown Ups 2
3. Turbo

Ranking my 15 favorite movies from the year 2013.

Click here for the Honorable Mentions of 2013 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-15-best-movies-of-2013-honorable-mentions/

1. Pacific Rim
2. The Lone Ranger
3. Saving Mr. Banks
4. This Is the End
5. Oblivion
6. Captain Phillips
7. The Hangover Part III
8. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
9. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
10. The Croods

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking my three Honorable Mentions from the year 2012.

1. Cloud Atlas
2. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

   Titled as THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS in North America!

3. The Campaign

The one Honorable Mention from the year 2011.

• Zookeeper

Ranking my 15 favorite movies from the year 2011.

A year that didn't do any favors for me for the most part. Sure, a good lineup of movies that year, but not a good year for me personally. Regardless, I've seen 16 movies on the big screen and the number of movies I see a year will just keep growing.

Note that the top two, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and HARRY POTTER, are actually tied for first place just like back in 2007. It's just hard to pick one over the other!

Click here for the one Honorable Mention of 2011 - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-15-best-movies-of-2011-honorable-mention/

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

   This movie and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 are tied for first place!

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

   This movie and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES are tied for first place!

3. The Adventures of Tintin
4. Super 8
5. Rango
6. Happy Feet Two
7. Kung Fu Panda 2
8. Cowboys & Aliens
9. Cars 2
10. Johnny English Reborn

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Ranking the 10 movies from the years 2007 to 2010 that I regrettably did not see in a theatre.

1. Invictus
2. Inception
3. The Hangover
4. The Love Guru
5. I Am Legend
6. 2012
7. Hancock
8. True Grit
9. The Social Network
10. Grown Ups

The one Honorable Mention from the year 2010.

Despite being ranked as an honorable mention, GROWN UPS is one of the 10 movies from 2007 to 2010 that I didn't see in a theatre and regret.

• Grown Ups

Ranking my 15 favorite movies from the year 2010.

Movies that I regrettably did not see in theaters include INCEPTION, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, and TRUE GRIT along with an honorable mention. The three Oscar-caliber movies I unfortunately didn’t fully watch and appreciate until a decade later in 2020!

Pretty sad, am I right? Well actually, my first viewing of INCEPTION was in 2013. I saw it in a Psychology in Film course back in college, but missed the first few minutes of it. I still didn’t understand the hype then, but I get it now.

Click here for the one Honorable Mention of 2010 which I also didn't see in a theatre - letterboxd.sitesdebloques.org/codyfearlesslee/list/top-15-best-movies-of-2010-honorable-mention/

1. Toy Story 3
2. Clash of the Titans
3. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole
4. Shrek Forever After
5. How to Train Your Dragon
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
7. Inception
8. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
9. TRON: Legacy
10. Alice in Wonderland

...plus 5 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.