From action throwbacks to kid-friendly fare, hard-hitting dramas to game-changing horror,
this year has already delivered a bumper crop of excellent flicks for film lovers.
We're still just a few pages into the calendar, but let's take a quick look back at the best
movies of 2017 so far.
The LEGO Batman Movie
Trying to follow up The LEGO Movie was a tough proposition, and spinning off Will Arnett's
Batman into his own movie could easily have backfired.
The filmmakers could've faltered under the pressure of making this Batman likable or
interesting enough to carry his own film — or buckled under the weight of all those DC Comics
in-jokes and gags ...
"Crazy Quilt, Eraser, Polka Dot Man, Mime, Tarantula, King Tut, Orca, Killer Moth, March
Harriet, Zodiac Master, Gentleman Ghost..."
Happily, The LEGO Batman Movie turned out to be one of the best family-friendly movies
in ages, while packing in enough smart comic stuff to keep Batman geeks coming back for
repeat viewings.
Fun, wacky, and a rollicking adventure in the wild world of LEGO, the movie's been showered
with praise from critics who are calling it one of the best animated offerings of the
year — and one of the best Batman movies ever.
John Wick: Chapter 2
More than 15 years after The Matrix saga began, Keanu Reeves has reinvented himself as an
action hero for a whole new generation.
This sequel to his surprise 2014 action hit John Wick is a bone-crushing, R-rated thrill
ride that finds Reeves' namesake hitman pulled out of retirement to take on a shady international
conspiracy.
"So I guess you have a choice.
Do you want a war, or do you just want to just give me a gun?"
Sure, it's mostly just a setup for Reeves to kick — and shoot — a bunch of bad-guy
butt.
Critics, however, say the film feels like a throwback to the simpler days of action
films, focusing on practical effects instead of distracting CGI.
It's also one of the most stylish films of the year, regardless of genre.
Hidden Figures
This historical drama technically opened late in 2016, but didn't go wide until this year.
It tells the inspiring true story of the black women who worked at NASA during the early
days of the U.S. space program, and the critical roles they played in helping America with
the space race.
Stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe did a fantastic job of bringing
this era to life while lending genuine emotional heft to the film's portrayal of their struggles
and triumphs.
Not only is it a fascinating real-life story — it's uplifting and all-around entertaining.
Patriots Day
Director Peter Berg's dramatic retelling of the real-life 2013 Boston Marathon bombing
stars Mark Wahlberg, making this his third fact-based thriller with Berg.
Wahlberg plays a police sergeant thrust into the middle of the chaos and the ensuing investigation
of the bombing.
Critics have praised Patriots Day, which also opened in limited release late in 2016, for
managing to tell a compelling story without exploiting the real-life tragedy.
While some reviews question whether it's too soon to bring this particular story to the
cineplex, there's no denying it finds Berg and Wahlberg in their wheelhouse … and lets
Wahlberg be Boston as all get-out:
"You gotta start lettin' Boston workin' for us, I'm tellin' ya."
Split
Pretty much no one saw it coming, but M. Night Shyamalan's surprise hit, Split, is among
the best films of the year.
The taut thriller follows a group of young women abducted by a man, played by James McAvoy,
with multiple personalities.
And those personalities' struggle for dominance threaten to upend his plans…or make things
even worse for his captives.
Critics have hailed it as an unexpected return to form for the writer/director, and a big
part of the film's buzz comes from Shyamalan's traditional big twist in the final act.
And it isn't just the shocking fact that the twist is actually good this time that makes
Split so much fun, either.
McAvoy ties it all together with a tour de force performance.
The Founder
This true-story tale follows Ray Kroc, played by Michael Keaton, and the twisty real-life
saga of how the McDonald's fast-food chain was born.
For those who've never stopped to consider the Big Mac's origin story, it's a surprisingly
timely tale that delves into the dark side of the American Dream.
"I just cannot stop thinking about this tremendous restaurant!"
Critics have praised Keaton for his multifaceted performance.
And while some have noted that the movie could have dug a little deeper, it all goes down
about as easy as a Micky D's shake...
"Do they have Krusty partially gelatinated, non-dairy gum-based beverages?"
"Mmm hmmm…
They call them shakes."
"Shakes?
You don't know what you're getting."
Get Out
Point to a February horror movie on your average release calendar, and you're probably singling
out a pretty lame film.
but there's always an exception.
This year, Get Out is that amazing exception.
Helmed by first-time feature director Jordan Peele of Key & Peele fame …
"Everybody here gets to design their own gremlin."
… this horror/comedy hybrid follows the increasingly frightening misadventures of
a young man venturing into the suburbs to meet his girlfriend's parents.
They have no idea he's black until he arrives, which feeds into the film's creeping tension…but
of course, that's only the start.
Thrilling as it is thought-provoking, this is one 2017 movie no film buff will want to
miss.
Logan
Comics fans have loved Wolverine for decades, partly because the character has a dark, violent
streak a mile wide.
And although Hugh Jackman has played the X-Man just about perfectly, none of those outings
have truly captured the grueling angst and berserker rage that help make his saga so
poignant.
That all changes with Logan, a loose adaptation of the Old Man Logan comic book story that
finds our hero in a grim wasteland, called upon to defend a mysterious girl targeted
by a pack of bloodthirsty villains.
A brooding Western road trip with claws, Logan's been hailed by critics as a fitting farewell
for Jackman — and perhaps the best entry in the X-Men franchise to date.
Kong: Skull Island
It's been a long time coming, but Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures knocked it out of the
park with the new-look version of King Kong in Skull Island.
The story follows a team of explorers and soldiers as they head off to a mysterious
island...that turns out to be the home of giant monsters.
Critics have been raving about the A-list cast, praising the aesthetics of the 1970s
setting, and saying it strikes the perfect balance of big stakes, dumb fun, and wildly
enjoyable action.
"I call 'em skull crawlers…"
"Why?"
"Never said that name out loud before.
It sounds stupid now that I said it.
You call 'em whatever you want."
It also looks to set the stage for an eventual crossover with Godzilla that'll set up the
studio's MonsterVerse.
Skull Island is only the beginning.
With luck, we'll finally get that modern reboot of the greatest monster story ever told: Godzilla's
journey to become a great dad.
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