Sunday, January 1, 2017

DAM NATION Year-End List: 20 Best Movies of 2016

Like every year, 2016 seems to have gone by far too quickly. But, like almost every year, 2016 was filled to the brim with a couple of great movies. From moving dramas to the usual big summer blockbusters, and endless movie franchises, DAM NATION had its work cut out sifting through all the diverse, and downright good films of 2016.

One thing though, it’s not physically and financially possible for me to go and watch ALL films that were released this year, so you may not find some of them here. And yes, I regret to say that I haven't seen the other early Oscar favorites, so again, you will not see them on this list.

Read on to see what made the shortlists and let us know in the comments what made yours.

20. Finding Dory
"While this was not revolutionary nor Pixar's best, Finding Dory was still quite solid. It's a sequel geared towards the whole family that was sort of light on heart, but engaging enough and a lot better than most cynically churned out sequels." READ FULL REVIEW

19. Kung Fu Panda 3
"Nothing was lost in terms of appeal, luster and charm, and while it was clearly in the same vein as the original and a plot line that was all too familiar, this animated film built on it as any good follow-up should do and altered just enough to make it feel fresh." READ FULL REVIEW

18. Sausage Party
This was raunchy and crude, but absolutely hysterical. Clearly, the film is defiantly NOT for kids or those who are easily offended because the humor here was offensive, derogatory, silly, and downright vulgar. However, there's something about it that's oddly charming.

17. 10 Cloverfield Lane
"Dark. Twisted. Intense. I was genuinely skeptical with the whole film taking place mostly inside a bunker with only three characters to latch on, but 10 Cloverfield Lane was so immensely involving and intense that I was on the edge of my seat the entire time." READ FULL REVIEW

16. Always Be My Maybe
"In a sea of sloppily sentimental and terribly formulaic romantic comedy films, Always Be My Maybe was wonderfully simple." READ FULL REVIEW

15. Moana
Moana was an utterly charming animation that set out to be highly imaginative and thoroughly heartfelt.

14. Star Trek Beyond
"Star Trek Beyond didn't go to new territories as much as the first two films, but I cheered at the spectacle of the action scenes, laughed at the jokes, and was just thoroughly entertained." READ FULL REVIEW

13. Ghostbusters
"I went in skeptical, and came out pleasantly thrilled. This version of Ghostbusters was thematically and tonally different from the original, but it made for a fresh take on the series." READ FULL REVIEW

12. Imperium
I went in to Imperium with less than high hopes, but I was pleasantly surprised. I literally found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the film given the relevant premise of the film, not to mention an excellent acting performance from Daniel Radcliffe.

11. The Shallows
"I don't usually take shark movies seriously, but The Shallows was just wickedly good. It wasn't a game changer, but it did exactly what it needed to do and that's a shark movie I never knew that I needed." READ FULL REVIEW

10. Trolls
This animated flick was a chock-full of fun visuals with a ton of great characters, fantastic music, and solid writing, which made this one of the strongest animated films of the year.

09. Arrival
It was a rather brilliant science fiction thriller. Wonderful cast. Solid storyline. Brilliant writing. Stunning special effects.

08. Zootopia
".. may not be the most original or inventive animated film ever - the story was, in fact, a tad derivative - but it was an unexpectedly good piece of entertainment." READ FULL REVIEW

07. Train To Busan
"I found it refreshing that the film didn't rely heavily on gross out murders and graphic blood spattered effects, but still maintaining a terrific balance of suspense, terror, and drama." READ FULL REVIEW

06. Doctor Strange
".. another appealing Marvel movie. It had enough moments of pizzazz to intermittently soar, and while not perfect, this was an excellent introduction to the character." READ FULL REVIEW

05. Don't Breathe
Rarely do films leave me so terrified - take note of the word. Ha! - but Don't Breathe had that scary lingering effect, which made this movie an effectively disturbing and creepy movie experience.

04. Deadpool
"I really thought Hollywood had pretty much reached saturation point in superhero movies with the last few films being terribly banal and mundane. Then, Deadpool came, slightly broke the mold, and it was glorious." READ FULL REVIEW

03. The Jungle Book
".. has to be one of the most immersive, fun, and visually stunning movies I've seen in recent memory. It wasn't really meant to transcend the material, but it was a delightful romp with a strong theme and a lot of charm." READ FULL REVIEW

02. La La Land
Vibrant. Joyful. Spellbinding. La La Land was a brilliantly conceived cinematic experience that's charming, hopeful, and heartbreaking all at once.

01. Captain America: Civil War
".. an absurdly entertaining action spectacle that may just be, bar none, the best superhero movie ever! This made me do something increasingly rare in these over-franchised times - root for a sequel." READ FULL REVIEW

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