What a year in film: you could escape everything and find a world where animals live peacefully side-by-side, or find a surprise superhero and get lost for an afternoon with a couple of instant cult classics!
Our number 1 has to be the latest (and greatest) installment of Star Wars. Rogue One is a stunning visual experience, with enough nostalgia (yes, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, CP30 and R2-D2 all feature) to please any fans of the traditional. The story is one of the best with brilliant acting from a cast led by Felicity Jones (Theory of Everything). It’s a must see this holiday season.
As an animated film, Zootopia builds on a long history of animated films made for children, but easily transcending into the adult world. It’s one of our favourite films of 2016 as it taught us that no matter if you are a fox or a rabbit, a cat or mouse, a lion or zebra you can live peacefully side-by-side.
In one of 2016’s most anticipated films, the star studded Suicide Squad was the pick of our own Tanya. “I’m a massive Margot Robbie fan,” said Tanya in reference to the once Neighbours star-turned Hollywood success story. Suicide Squad is a film that pushes the boundaries and has become an instant cult classic. As Tanya highlights, “it’s a film that proves that evil can triumph.”
One film from 2016 we couldn’t leave off the list is the remake of one of the 1980’s most iconic trilogies, Ghostbusters. Starring some of 2016’s most talked about actors, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, the cast had brilliant comic timing and enough nostalgia to please fans of the original. You’ll love the performance from our own Chris Hemsworth!
A late entry into our top ten was The Founder. It’s a powerful expose of the corporate world and it was top of the list of Steve’s 2016 favourites. “I loved The Founder,” said Steve, “it shows how evil the corporate world is.” Directed by John Lee Hancock (of Academy Award winning The Blind Side) the dramatisation of the birth of the company that would bring us Ronald McDonald, the Golden Arches and the Big Mac is one of our top films of 2016.
Coming in sixth is the dazzling Doctor Strange. The cinematography and special effects create a surreal world, while the flawed Doctor Strange and his transformation into a surprise superhero will stun you many times over.
Another trip into a surreal world comes in the form of a return to J.K Rowling’s world of witchcraft and wizardry in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Set 80 years before the time of Harry, Hermione and Ron, the intricate insight into the wizardry world is one all of us Muggles will love.
From the opening scenes of Deadpool, starring Ryan Reynolds, you just know it’s not another comic book inspired film. Violent and hilarious this is one just for the adults.
Returning to the big screen as a 40 something single woman, Bridget Jones’ Baby saw the original novelist Helen Fielding team up with Emma Thompson and Dan Mazer to recreate the magic of the early films. There’s plenty of wit and warmth and having made over $210 million at the box office, it was clear millions of Jones’ fans wanted to catch up on one of their favourite characters.
Yes, there’s 3 comic book inspired superhero films on our list. The latest film in the X Men franchise takes us to the rise of the first and most powerful mutant, Apocalypse. Being the 9th installment, you would think the series would be out of ideas, but with Magneto, Xavier and Raven all there the film made more than $540 million at the box office to make it one of 2016’s largest grossing films.
2016 will be remembered for many things; but don’t forget there’s always a film to take you away to another world.