2017 was a great year for entertainment. This was possibly the best year for comic book movies; as they all range from passable to absolutely incredible. Games were also great, possibly the best year for gaming in over a decade. A lot of the greatest games that came out this year I didn't play so don't be surprised when your favorite doesn't show up. I'll also be adding the biggest surprise and disappointment for each. (EDIT: I saw Kingsman: The Golden Circle while writing this, and didn't feel like editing it in while kicking out Get Out. It would probably be 7 though, not quite as good as the first one but a very unique and stylized film only brought down by way too many Deus Ex Machinas.)
Movies
10. Get Out: I'm not a big horror film fan, but this "horror/comedy" was very well made. Even before you dissect the racial commentary all over this film, you see a film that knows how to tell a gripping story with witty writing, excellent cinematography and a consistent tone that brings this fantasy world to reality. Then when you see the commentary you see a film that expertly tells it's message without being preachy. I myself am not researched enough to comment on what the film says as far as race, but I can commend the film for telling the message so well.
9. Split: Another horror film, that really had not a lot going for it. I wasn't a fan of what I saw of The Visit, so I still saw M. Night Shyamalan as a director with an impressively long string of bad films; Split changes that. Not a great film, but a very well made thriller, starring a man with numerous personalities, kidnapping 3 young girls. The conversations that the main character has with one of his victims, as well as the backstory they sprinkle in for her, makes for a compelling and disturbing narrative, that makes you eagerly wait for any follow-up that may or may not come. Unfortunately, I feel as though the climax of the story requires too much suspension of disbelief in regards to the main character, but it does lead to a gripping ending. If this is the end of the story though, it's a great chilling thriller.
8. Justice League: Even though I think this wasn't the best comic book movie this year, I had a great time watching this film in the theaters. Not as objectively bad as Batman v. Superman, despite the fact that director Zack Snyder doesn't really show much development of his craft, and some of the writing is still stilted; this turns into an enjoyable blockbuster and a fun movie for people who enjoy the DC characters. The effects range from outstanding (anything with the Flash) to ugly (Steppenwolf) to laughably bad (Superman's upper lip), but the action is well coordinated and really showcases the power many of these heroes and villains have. In the climactic final battle, Batman feels completely outmatched, because the raw strength of Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and Steppenwolf steal the show. Despite Steppenwolf being the worst villain in a comic book movie since Mr. Freeze from Batman & Robin, I had a fun time in the theater watching this. NOTE: Thor Ragnarok is not on this list. A better-made movie than this, but I really felt the "Marvel burnout" on this one. The unique style used in the advertising doesn't really showcase itself, and despite being the best Thor movie, and being very fun and enjoyable, it wasn't very remarkable. I can remember more moments from Justice League that I enjoyed than Thor Ragnarok total.
7. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: I would say that this movie is made better than the next film on the list, but that is mostly because I feel the Marvel formula of filmmaking dripping all over this movie. But I had a great time watching this movie regardless. Chris Pratt once again shows his skills as a charming leading man, and Dave Bautista once again shows his skills as being one of the funniest actors in this universe. The whole cast does a great job in their roles, and David Hasselhoff has a great credits song. Not much to say outside of, if you liked the first one, it's more of what made that movie great.
6. Wonder Woman: So far the only DC movie I can objectively say is well made. Not perfect, but tells a consistent narrative built on realistic emotions with a great pairing of Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. A final confrontation pretty much ruins the only thing in this film that would have set this apart from the rest of the genre aside, this film has a great coming of age story for Diana Prince and her emotional maturation that develops during her journey through real-world Europe during WWI. Even the setting of WWI perfectly punctuates the complex nature of the human spirit that is present in this film. It doesn't go too far with this commentary, but it does enough to make this movie a fun watch. Has many issues, but great action setpieces and great chemistry between Diana and Steve make for a fun movie.
5. Spiderman: Homecoming: Of all the traditional comic book movies to come out this year, Spiderman was the best one. Following a similar story of Wonder Woman, in which a naive hero must realize their own shortcomings to rise above the threat they face, but Spiderman tells it much more effectively, as a dorky high school Peter Parker must also try to balance his life as the infamous and mysterious Spiderman, which he doesn't do that well at. His numerous failures humanize the superhero, an anxious and guilt-ridden Tony Stark provides the father figure role in the Uncle Ben sized hole in this movie, and the Vulture is perhaps the best Marvel villain since Loki. great writing, a small-scale threat, and great performances make for a great film about your friendly neighborhood Spider-man. It also helps that Tom Holland is the best Peter Parker/Spiderman yet too.
4. Dunkirk: An intense look at the battle of Dunkirk, weaving 3 different stories together into a masterful story of resilience and hope. I saw this in theatres, and while that was the absolute best way to see it short of seeing the 70mm reel, that should not deter people from experiencing this film on their TV. The sound design and cinematography transport you to the battle no matter how big your screen is (although I wouldn't watch it on your phone). The dialogue is sparse, but Christopher Nolan's inventive filmmaking tells the story better by showing, not just telling. An intense journey by one of the best directors of our era.
3. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi: There's not much I could say about Star Wars that hasn't already been said, except for that I think people are giving it too much crap. I can't elaborate too much without getting into spoilers, but I should just say that after 2 viewings and a lot of thought and debate, this is the better than Force Awakens, but sits relatively low on my series ranking (II, I, III, IV, VII, VIII, V, VI). A challenging and gripping narrative dripping with dread and despair before leaving off on the smallest bit of hope, The Last Jedi offers a great bit of character development to Luke Skywalker, Poe Dameron, Finn, and even Rey to an extent while giving Kylo Ren a great set up for being a big threat. A lot of what makes this film good does depend on how Episode IX pans out, but the bold and inventive narrative is something to be admired, even if Episode IX is just The Star Wars Holiday Special: Director's Cut.
2. John Wick: Chapter 2: John Wick was absolutely amazing. Throwing away the swooping camera work and editing that can either enhance or take away from action scenes, Chad Stahelski opts instead to keep the camera still and let the action play out clearly. The result is some of the best-choreographed fight scenes ever being presented clear as day; truly showing how well these actors can fight. The best thing this movie does though is building upon the wonderful world the first film set up about this crime world. Hopefully, the Starz show set to be set in The Continental will live up to the high expectations that these movies set.
1. Logan: This was the best comic book movie this year, but only by technicality. This is not a traditional comic book movie, this is a bona fide Oscar-winning best picture film. Great performances from everyone involved including Dafne Keen propel this film to being one of the best stories told. Very minimal X-Men information is needed to get the most out of this film, and it is well worth seeing for anyone interested in a gripping and dark story with extremely memorable characters and a wonderful relationship between Logan and Laura.
Surprise: Logan: The surprise is how above and beyond this film goes at being a comic book movie. As a Fox made X-Men movie, this could have been as cookie-cutter as comic book movies are now, following the steps of the previous movie The Wolverine. But the filmmaking is so great that it exceeds at just being a Wolverine movie, it's a great movie starring very great characters, with excellent writing. A must see for anyone, not just comic fans.
Disappointment: The Lego Batman Movie: I love Batman, I love Legos, and I love movies; why was I disappointed? Juvenile is the best way to describe this movie. Not a bad movie, and it is great at what it is trying to be, but the hype after this movie released left a lot to be desired for me. The movie's jokes felt disjointed, as it tries to appeal to hardcore Batman fans like myself, leading to jokes about the previous movies (Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale and Ben Affleck) while also sticking to low hanging jokes for kids. The tone never felt inconsistent, and I did like the "anti-love story" narrative that Batman and Joker have. But this film never really went above good like the first Lego Movie did with its witty writing and an interesting twist ending. This movie's humor always just seemed to rely on references to other movies while telling an admittedly good story about dependency issues plaguing Bruce Wayne. Glad I saw it, but it wasn't as great as I was led to believe it was.
Video Games
10. Super Bomberman R: Didn't get a lot of time with this game, and for all intents and purposes, I should probably put Puyo Puyo Tetris here due to time spent playing it, but as the first Bomberman game I've played, this multiplayer game is great fun. Hopefully playing the story mode is reasonable enough.
9. Golf Story: A very bizarre and interesting golf game. Simple mechanics leave a little to be desired, but bizarre characters, witty dialogue, and interesting courses leave golf game fans satisfied with a unique experience. Not for everyone, but I'm sure fans of the old school Mario Golf games will get a new experience out of this delightfully weird game.
8. Kingdom Hearts 0.2 ~A Fragmentary Passage~: This game would be higher if it was longer than 4-5 hours, but lands on the list because it is essentially a long demo for Kingdom Hearts III. If this game is a small taste of what could come (hopefully) this year, then I'm even more excited, which is pretty hard to believe. An inconsequential story (it plays like a long epilogue to Birth By Sleep) can't hamper the smooth as butter gameplay and flashy magic spells. It really takes the best of the gameplay styles of series past, while fine-tuning everything to perfection, and adding in other fun mechanics in for good measure. A must for Kingdom Hearts fans with a KHIII sized hole in their heart.
7. Fire Emblem Heroes: As far as mobile games go, this game doesn't necessarily stand out for it's generosity or brutality. However, as far as translating something as involved as a Fire Emblem game to something as casual as a mobile device, Fire Emblem Heroes passes with flying colors, retaining the fun strategy while sacrificing the brain-teasing difficulty. The additions of characters from New Mystery of the Emblem, Genealogy of the Holy War, Thracia 776, and Binding Blade gives me hope that they will find their way to the west soon like Fire Emblem Gaiden did later on this list. If you want to get into strategy RPGs, this might be a good VERY first step, but veterans shouldn't expect a whole lot.
6. Sonic Mania (PS4): I'm not a huge Sonic fan, but 1-3 are fun, Adventure was enjoyable, and Generations was fantastic, and I haven't finished Colors yet. Everything else I either haven't played or am not impressed by. I like the sense of speed the series offers, and find great satisfaction in that style of platforming when done well. Sonic Mania does it so well, and while I would like to put this higher, not being a huge Sonic fan in the first place gave it an uphill battle. But succeed it did, with a catchy soundtrack, great levels, and amazing controls, and the Chemical Plant Zone boss was something special. A must for platforming junkies, as even my positive review, can't do such a well-crafted game justice.
5. Everybody's Golf: Can you tell I love golf games? I may have liked Golf Story, but mechanics-wise, Everybody's Golf is the best there's ever been in the genre. Taking the RPG mechanics from the Mario games and tailoring them to specific clubs, rewarding creativity and skill, fully customizable characters from a wealth of options, and some of the most satisfying button presses ever on some truly imaginative courses. If you like golf, you'll love this game.
4. Fire Emblem Warriors: Hyrule Warriors was one of my biggest surprises of 2014 (second to one of my favorite games ever Bravely Default). I knew it was a hack-and-slash game but didn't anticipate the strategy needed to win games. Managing your allies while seeing the map to know where to go and how to execute plans in order to topple the enemy, it required the knowledge of how to do it, and the skill to execute it. So naturally, a franchise with a touch of skill added made it a perfect candidate for the Fire Emblem series, especially when given the settings and how they translate to the Dynasty Warriors parent series. Needless to say, I thought the game was up to the task. Adding in the ability to control up to 4 characters per battle, and command up to 8, strategy is key. It requires a bit of pausing, as AI allies tend to act out of your strategy (I've had archers run away from several Pegasus Knights to protect our base that had no enemies nearby). Small hiccups aside, I felt that leveling up multiple characters per battle really helped ease a lot of pacing issues present in Hyrule Warriors, and while controlling the characters really was the fastest way to level characters up, every little bit helps when you have to manage 22 characters (before DLC) individual levels ranging from 1 to 110. But Fire Emblem Warriors succeeds in being a fun journey to supremacy while still providing a decent challenge.
3. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia: It's weird to look back on the series to 2012, when the franchise put out what was planned to be it's last entry ever, to suddenly having 3 games in one year while waiting for a new main series entry in 2018. But aside from the 2 spin-offs, this remaster of the Famicom game is excellent. I don't know how faithful the story is (it's probably better), but I do know that they translated the gameplay well, given how strange it is. No weapon triangle, no master seals, no inherent archer>flier bonuses, archers and mages with varying ranges, mages casting magic at the cost of health, and even friggin dungeon crawling! This game is NOTHING like we've seen before, and I love it for that. It's a fresh take for us non-japanese people and provides a new and exciting experience. The level design leaves something to be desired, but the gameplay is perfect for Fire Emblem fans that have played all the other entries, want to get back to the tough challenge of the pre-Awakening days, and want something different. A great story with memorable characters might be common fair for the series at this point in its life, but it bears repeating for how well this game does that. A must play for fans of the series.
2. Super Mario Odyssey: You Nintendo fans just KNEW that these two would top the list. I might not be a platforming junkie, but I've always held the Mario franchise in the highest regard. Super Mario Odyssey returns to the gameplay and design of Super Mario 64, a game that hasn't been replicated since. The open and expansive worlds begging to be explored, the best controls this year, the inventive capture system, and the best music this year (sorry Nier and Persona fans, haven't played them yet) wraps up into what might be the best Mario game ever made. It might not dethrone Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 for me but took everything that Super Mario 64 did and improved it on a bigger scale. Anyone that has even THOUGHT of trying to play a platformer needs to play Super Mario Odyssey, it is just simply the best.
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: What might be one of my favorite games ever had to top this list. Breath of the Wild marks a very important milestone for the series, radically changing up the gameplay for the first time since A Link to the Past. The open and massive world of Breath of the Wild never feels empty, as the land of Hyrule is littered with sidequests, dungeons, towns, Koroks and many more. I want to be as vague as possible because the game is most magical when one experiences the world first-hand. How to fight, use weapons and the slate, cook, explore, puzzles and even what order to do things in this game is done at the whim of the player, and the freedom allowed to the player is the most of any game I've played on this scale. The only downside is that there are some boring songs, as there are some beautiful compositions, but most of the OST is just atmospheric pieces, which really helps the laid back and gorgeous visuals a lot. You've probably never played a game like this, especially one called Zelda.
Surprise: Golf Story: The surprise didn't necessarily come from the gameplay, but the wacky story and characters. I couldn't name any of the characters, but I can name each of their personalities. A fun game, nothing that golf game fans haven't seen, but it's a setting and personality that would provide a new experience for anyone.
Disappointment: Puyo Puyo Tetris?: The only other new game I've played, so while I ahve played this game a lot, I didn't like the characters, the story or the writing. But as a Puyo Puyo/Tetris puzzle game, it does a good job. After all, it is very hard to mess up Tetris. I mostly like the Tetris part anyway, so it's a good Tetris option for your Nintendo Switch, but nothing more than that.
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