My top-10 movies from 2018

Another year has passed, so it's time for an annual summary of the best movies I've seen in 2018. Was it better than 2017? As for me, by all means. There have been several productions that I will definitely return to more than once. Even when I found things that pissed me off (e.g. "First Man" box-office, or the terribly bland "Solo" that I couldn't see to the end), I quickly forgot about them. Not extending - I invite you to my top-list of the 10 best films of the past year! I took into account those that had their premiere between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018.

1. Hunterkiller - At first I wanted to put Venom here, but then I changed my mind. Both productions present a more or less similar level, but "Hunterkiller" is more consistent in its form. The creators made a consistent film of class B action, without too much freaking out, or changing the concept during the filming. Although Spiderman's antagonist has more things I can praise him for, it looks like a monster glued together from various ideas. This is not the level of the embarrassing "Suicide Squad", but being a better picture than this crap is no challenge. The older I am, the more I appreciate the solidly made 2-hour movie, full of one-liners, with at most good acting rather than "more ambitious" but less successful Sony studio cinema. If you like such solid productions in the spirit of the 90s with a simple storyline, uncomplicated heroes, medium special effects, then "Hunterkiller" is pretty good. Unless you require anything over 6/10.

1. Deadpool 2 - I have a problem with this movie. On the one hand, this is the best superheroic comedy I've ever seen, but on the other - I'm forced to admit some complainants are right. Once you know what will happen, "Deadpool 2" (like the first part) is more boring than funny. Don't get me wrong - it has a really good climate for a long time, and the creators have not been limited by idiotically understood political correctness and allowed themselves a lot of different jokes. Humor alone, however, will not maintain a defective movie structure, especially after the second screening, when the defects become even more apparent. Uneven, sometimes even unnatural pace of the film, too frequent repetition of some jokes, you can also see that for some time they lacked ideas. It's noticeably better than in the first part, but the level of two still oscillates among those slightly worse (not the worst) movies from the MCU.

It would be great if Disney decided to re-record Ryan Reynolds and give his "Deadpool" adult rating. Disney's management has been positive about this, so I hope they'll get on with it. You can complain about movies from the MCU and the fact that despite the variety, they are still similar to each other. However, it is difficult for them to refuse their skills in building the world, head to good ideas, and meticulously stick to the assumed plan. If it were combined with the vision of Ryan Reynolds, then the comedy from Przeplica could come out ... And I hope that the next "Deadpool", if it is created, will be just as good. For now - a very nice movie at once, not necessarily for more.

1. Mission Impossible - The "Mission Impossible" series has been with me since childhood. I could watch the development of this brand from the film side, as well as the proto-memes, alterations, parodies, simple flash animations that were being born at that time, etc. Although this was not the level as today, but throughout my childhood and teenage period, I've seen thousands of fans rework of the most iconic scenes from this movie. Despite the fact that hardly anyone expected success (there were other trends at the time and the producers were not sure about the success of their work), the brand caught on, and Tom Cruise and the already iconic musical theme became recognizable almost all over the world. After bad sequels, the series returned to the right track only on the occasion of the 4th part. The latest edition was not very surprising to me (apart from the action with an artificial room from the very beginning), it had a fairly predictable, but correctly written script. I am not saying that it is weak or just as written. It's pretext, it's true, but if it wasn't for the endless imagination, I wouldn't have much to complain about.

How are Cruise stunts and the rest? Great, it's worth watching "Fallout" for the bathroom fight scene itself, I haven't seen such a well-directed duel in 2018. It is equally good with the other moments when Tom Cruise presents his huge ego at every turn. Although, on the other hand, it's difficult to deny the actor his stunt skills and learning new things. Not only was he recording all risky scenes himself, but he also learned to operate a helicopter for a better effect. I don't really like him myself, but admit that hardly anyone would be so brave (or crazy) to do it. Tom Cruise masterfully showed most of today's "action movie actors" where they belong. A well-deserved place 8.

1. Black Panther - This is one of my favorite MCU productions. It has a few drawbacks, but not counting on the IMO's unsuccessful final, I don't have much to fault. Its advantages were too noticeable - a perfect presentation of one of the classic motifs from art (books, parables, films etc.), effective and creative combination of tribal traditions with super technology. The actors who created one of the most interesting Marvel heroes did their work. The plot is simple and known to us (in one form or another), but the road to the finale eluded patterns that white scriptwriters got used to. I don't want it to sound racist in any way, you can just see that "Black Panther" is a film directed directly at black people. For me it is a great value - the screening was not linear, and I see many ideas as original. The heroes are played like in a very well-written manga battle - you really like everyone, some of them a little less. I hope that the large profit will translate into greater interest from producers. I don't know about you, but I am fed up with saving the USA all the time and it would be great if the action of subsequent productions takes place more often in Africa or Europe. As for the sequel, I don't have too many expectations ... Well, maybe except that I would like to see as many Shuri as possible, probably my favorite character from "Black Panther". I have not seen such a talented young female actress in facial expressions for a long time.

1. Isle of Dogs - Before the screening, I thought I would have to force myself to finish this movie ... I love to be so surprised! I still think that it is "art for art's sake" to some extent and that not everyone will like this idea. If it wasn't for great direction and curiosity, I would probably lose my patience in the middle of the screening. Why curiosity? Because I was intrigued by how this unique animation would go and whether Wes Anderson would remain faithful to the convention imposed on him. I will not try to be smart and do not look at Google to see when such animations were viewed by people, but it was a few decades ago. While I or my peers could watch fairy tales like "Uszatek Bear" or other Coralgol, the current youth associate puppets only with the children's theater. As for me, I don't watch such "hipster" productions. They rarely give me pleasure, usually, they are too talkative for me and they don't have too much action. In the case of the "Island of Dogs" it is different - the plot immediately bought me and just like with "Lego Batman", after a few minutes I stopped paying attention to how different it is from other fairy tales. I am glad that I listened to my friend Samanta and watched this movie - I have never seen such a good show of our four-legged friends in the cartoon.

2. Upgrade - One of my favorite movies of the past year. If you like futurological cinema, and TV series dealing with similar subjects as "Black Mirror" are not strange to you, then "Upgrade" is a film for you. Initially, I didn't even plan to watch it, because I came across a lot of critical voices on the Internet. However, the opinions of my two friends prevailed and today I am grateful for that. "Upgrade" is not a high budget film, you can even say that it is such a cheaper "Blade Runner 2049". You can feel the savings from many scenes, but the creators made up well with the fights. Although I liked the fight in the latest "Mission Impossible" the most, but the choreographies from "Upgrade" are simply beautiful. Blows full of surgical precision and murderous murder techniques. Perfect bodies controlled by the processor, full of violence and devoid of emotions. Figuratively speaking, it reminds me of the Ultra Instinct with DBS (the ability to make the body react independently of the mind).

As for the story, I felt like I was watching the next episode of "Black Mirror". Only the long and one of the best ones that came out (because not every episode can be considered successful). It's easy to identify with the main character, among others because he is convincing in his role. They were not special heights of acting, but he did the job well and has solid material for his portfolio. However, he did not make "Upgrade" hit so high. It is thanks to someone else. Someone with cool calculation and unblemished perfection. Everything Stem says and invents is logical and accurate. I don't want to spoil anymore, so I'll just say that - if you like transhumanism, cyberpunk, this is one of the best items I've ever seen. It's definitely worth watching this movie and seeing the likely future, as in the episodes of "Black Mirror".

1. Avengers: Infinity War - I wrote so much about "Infinity War" last year that this time I will limit myself to a short entry. The first part of the largest event in the history of superhero films was a great pop-cultural event. We experienced it for a very long time (which could be seen on the Internet), and Marvel's bosses swam in profits, like Sknerus McKwacz from "Duck Tales". Despite their hard-to-reach goals, the Russo brothers did their job and did something that a few years ago seemed unreal to many people. "War without Borders" is not a perfect movie, it suffers from a few accretions typical of the production with a super-hero, but its extremely visible advantages mask it well. Thanos is excellent. I could say that he is the most competent character of all Villians presented in any production with superheroes. His motivations are based on real premises with which we can identify and understand to some extent. And for the first time we see the interaction between the characters on such a scale. Perhaps the emotional relationship slightly disturbs my judgment, but in my opinion, "Infinity War" has entered the history of the genre as a "must-watch" item!

2. Creed II - This year, the sequel went to cinemas, which I waited for half my life. As I wrote several times, I am extremely associated with these characters. Rocky Balboa, Ivan Drago, and Apollo Creed are an important part of my childhood and teenage age. Now that the emotions have subsided and I can sum up this film coldly, then ... my opinion has not changed much during this time. "Creed II" is the spiritual heir to the Italian Stallion series. Adonis has some features of his father and at the same time is similar to his mentor. Like young and middle-aged Rock, he can be really charmingly clumsy in matters that cannot be achieved physically. We also have a return to the roots at its best - fights are more about technique, which can be seen both after the script, camera work, and boxer injuries. I don't know about you, but when the doctor told Adonis what young Drago had done to him, I got light chills. The claptrap of 3 and 4 parts has moved to other aspects - arena fitting, pyrotechnics, lights, and original photos are just a masterpiece. A level not seen in any part - the Moscow arena is simply stunning.

I hope we will get another part. Preferably also from Steven Caple Jr. The guy pulled out everything that was most beautiful in "Rocky" and translated it into a new way for the young generation. Apollo's son has established himself as a worthy successor, so Sylvek can retire calmly. In the first part he did not convince me as a protagonist, but with his progress in private life, he aroused my greater sympathy. I hope to see him and his family together on the screen.

1. First Man - If it wasn't for "Halloween", then "First Man" would get a gold medal. I've been waiting for such a movie since I was a child (such a serious, realistic, and high-budget picture about space) since I first searched the encyclopedia devoted to flying to the moon. I have been passionate about this subject since I was a child, and I don't think that another equally realistic film will come out before it. There was "Gravity", but there was a little too much fantasy and too little brutal truth about space. The "First Man" is different, the shots from the rockets are extremely immersive and allow you to feel a substitute for what astronauts could feel. In addition, it was superbly sounded, which was evident in the fact that we heard every crack and other sounds caused by the rocket launch. In one sentence - when it comes to technical aspects, this is an essay. It's a bit worse with the actors. I still praise the performances of Ryan Gosling or Corey Stoll, but they presented "only" good acting. Claire Foy was definitely better and if it wasn't for her role as wife Janet Armstrong, "First Man" would lose a lot of its charm. I can also stick to the moments of a somewhat lazy pace, but I've seen worse examples in this field.

It is a pity that he achieved such a poor financial result. What's worse, such "middle movies" (having a budget high enough to look like a first league production, but too low for blockbuster) have a really bad situation. There are several culprits: rising ticket prices (which is felt especially by families, a joint trip to the cinema becomes too expensive), more and more productions that are worth watching in the cinema, etc. If a person does not have good earnings and/or a permanent cinema fan it has to make selections, and thus, these less-effective productions for blockbusters usually fall off. At least Netflix always stays, though I don't think they have reached a comparable level (in terms of special effects and set design) over the next few years. It remains to be hoped that such images will not disappear completely, but will find their niche, e.g. on streaming.

1. Halloween 2018 - I have never liked too many horror movies. I've seen a dozen or so of them during my lifetime, but I've never liked this genre. Hype on the series "Halloween", "Friday the 13th", or other "Texas Massacres" etc. missed me, and all in all I probably never felt the need to catch them up. My approach changed when I started "Halloween 2018" at the beginning of my holiday. I got so into it that I forgot that I started at 1am and watched until the very end.

While watching, I complained about a few scenes or ideas, but they gave the impression that they were meant to be. It looked like such a laurel to fans - that's what you know "the best of". For this reason, I ignored the fact that everything comes out for Michael, he moves quickly, he is always where he needs to be, that he has superhuman endurance - such a charm of films of this genre. As long as such a picture is naturally coherent and consistently made to me, I am able to turn a blind eye to a small fantasy. I know this may be a silly and a bit pulled translation, but such are slashers. Watching such horrors, it's natural to wait for this type of action. If the real possibilities of such a killer were kept faithfully, most slashers would be boring and would end quickly. Just like historical series would simply be boring, they would not have so many different and effective threads, people would not be so pretty (with particular emphasis on women).

What convinced me the most to put "Halloween" in the first place? Unusual heroes, namely: Michael, Laurie, her daughter Karen and granddaughter Allyson. Michael is an extraordinary character. From the beginning, you can feel that he is pure evil. An element of destruction that kills with a logic known only to itself. Or does it completely randomly? We don't know, "Halloween" doesn't give us a definite answer, which makes Michael's character even more intriguing. This may sound a bit disturbing, but the murder scenes performed by him are majestic. Photos are the strong point of this film, and the shots mostly look really "nice" ... So this one, maybe we'll talk about something else?

Laurie, one of his victims, subordinated all her life to meet her again. She trained her daughter, prepared her for the worst, instilled her specific reflexes and reactions, thereby slightly overriding her daily, motherly responsibilities. Michael became her obsession, and as her developed intuition rightly showed her, the case did not end at that fast night of the summer years ago. Since her appearance in "Halloween 2018" for the first time, her charisma has been felt, and with subsequent scenes, her emotions have become more and more authentic. When she cried or was depressed, it was visible after her body language. When she was choosing a gnat and launching "battle-mode", she responded perfectly to every move, like a cat with sharp senses, which is preparing to attack. I can't imagine it could be played differently, Laurie sold me this story. Her girls also stood out from their cliché counterparts. Both had some nice scenes in which they showed that they are not defenseless white-heads. Thanks to this, the finale at home was extremely satisfying ... And if it wasn't for this brazen sequel, I would have absolutely nothing to say. On the one hand, I would like to see him, but on the other, I'm afraid he will spoil my memory.

So much from me. What does your top-list look like? Which movies did you like the most? I'd love to take a look.