I've spoken about how I originally wrote on a blog with my friends called The Brick Wall, and one of the posts I made in January 2015 was My Top Ten Favorite Movies By: not_luna_lovegood. After two years, I regretted the post for a myriad of reasons. First of all, a lot of the opinions I expressed just weren't the same after two years. But more importantly, I regretted how I expressed those opinions. Instead of talking about what the movies meant to me personally, it was very fill-in-the-blank. Every entry was like, "The acting is (insert synonym for 'good' here). The plot is (insert another synonym for 'good' here). The conflict is (insert a third synonym for 'good' here)." Due to my irrational anger for my original "Favorite Movies" list, I was inspired to make a new blog solely for the purpose of rewriting a new "Favorite Movies" list. That blog is, of course, the one you are reading at this very moment. The first post I made on Stellar in Neverland was this brief introduction to myself, then a list of my favorite movies, link here. Other than a few scant lines, I'm still pretty proud of that post. But I did write it three years ago, so my opinions have changed quite a bit. Because of this, I wanted to make a sequel to that list. First, I'm going to respond to each opinion from the 2017 list. There, I'll reflect on what I think of the movie now and say if it would be on my list now, along with mentioning any lines I regret. Then, I'll go over some movies that weren't on the list originally, but would stand a fair chance now. After that's all done, I'll list my current, definitive favorite movies!
10. The Outsiders (1983)
This would absolutely not be in my top ten if I made it now. It's still a very good movie and a very faithful adaptation of my all-time favorite book, but I've only seen it once. My favorite movies are the ones I can watch countless times, the ones I know like the back of my hand. That's not the case with this movie.
9. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
I feel like this is at a good place. Not towards the top of the list, but still on it. I go back and forth on whether I prefer this or The Little Mermaid, but they're both Disney classics. Although, if I were to ever make a "Least Favorite Movies" list, I would put the Beauty and the Beast 2017 live-action remake on it. It doesn't exist for any reason other than "Let's cash in on nostalgia." The things they add to the story are all superfluous. I will probably write a rant about it at some point. (Side note: I'm not sure if I ever will write a "Least Favorite Movies" list, but just know that if I do, The Last Airbender will 100% be number one. Even if I see anything worse than it from an objective standpoint, no movie will ever personally anger me as much as this brutal massacre of the best show I have ever watched.)
8. High School Musical 2 (2007)
This should have been an honorable mention and nothing more. It does bring me a lot of nostalgia, and I love singing "Bet On It" at the top of my lungs, but my appreciation for it doesn't go beyond that. I'm still planning to make a Top 10 Favorite High School Musical Songs in a few weeks, though.
7. The Princess Bride (1987)
This should have been higher. The Princess Bride is a complete and total joy. Everything about it is so clever, witty, and overall memorable. There are so many iconic lines, from the famous "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die," to "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means," to "Anybody want a peanut?" to the simple, classic "As you wish." My dad can probably quote the entire thing. That's a sign of a good movie.
6. Big Hero 6 (2014)
I'm not sure about this one. I still love it and think Baymax is one of the cutest cartoon characters of all time, but it might get nudged off the list by the many movies I have either seen for the first time since 2017, or the movies I've grown to love even more. I do regret the line "The last fifteen minutes or so are proof of this" in reference to Hiro and Baymax's bond. It rubbed me the wrong way for the longest time, and I was never sure why. I always thought it was just really nondescript, but I finally realized why it irks me: it's in passive voice when it doesn't need to be! I don't think I really knew what passive voice was when I wrote the original post, but now that I've learned what it is, I try to avoid it as much as possible. There's such an easy fix to that line: "The last fifteen minutes or so prove this." That still seems a little nondescript, so how about "In the last fifteen minutes, Hiro and Baymax's bond is put to the test in one of the film's most heartbreaking moments"? Perfect. Or at the very least, better.
5. Pitch Perfect/ Pitch Perfect 2 (2012/2015)
I'm not sure about this one either. I still love watching them and have many good memories of watching them with my mom, but I've seen better. They hold a sentimental place in my heart, so I would still mention them somewhere. I did, however, say that "If Pitch Perfect 3 ends up being like its predecessors, you can expect it added to the tie." Having seen Pitch Perfect 3, I can now say that it would absolutely not be added to the tie. I wouldn't say it's the worst movie I've ever seen. Again, The Last Airbender is damn near unbeatable in its atrocity. But it still is pretty bad.
4. Finding Nemo (2003)
Finding Nemo will always have a special place in my heart and a high spot on my "Favorite Movies" list. The animation and bright colors are absolutely stunning, and the storyline is fun, relatable, and tugs at your heartstrings. The sequel, Finding Dory, is also pretty good, although I will always prefer the original. I also just realized that both movies were accompanied by my two favorite Pixar shorts. Nemo was released with Knick Knack, the one with the snowman trying to break out of the snowglobe, and Dory was released with Piper, which is adorable and has some of the most breathtakingly life-like animation I've ever seen.
3. Inside Out (2015)
I already had Inside Out pretty high on my list, but my appreciation for this movie has only blossomed since I took AP Psychology in my junior year. The world of Riley's brain is filled with so many ingenious references to actual psychological concepts. I also really appreciate the message of how sometimes, you just need to cry it out. I especially love how Riley's parents act when she has her cathartic release. They don't belittle her or punish her for acting out. They just give her as much comfort as they can. That message is something that is relevant no matter who you are. Strong emotional releases are inevitable, and that's okay.
2. Lemonade Mouth (2011)
I don't know if I'd put this movie at number two now, but it would still be in my top 5. Lemonade Mouth brings me more joy than just about anything else. I can't even describe it, it just fills me with such a fervent feeling of happiness. Also, I often think about the girls from this movie and what they've accomplished since. Hayley Kiyoko is a lesbian pop icon for this generation (I really love her songs "Curious" and "Cliffs Edge") and Naomi Scott played Princess Jasmine in the Aladdin remake. But what has Bridgit Mendler really done since Disney Channel?
1. Tangled (2010)
For the time being, this will always be my number one. The characters are absolutely fantastic. Rapunzel is the most likable, adorable Disney Princess, Flynn Rider is my favorite Disney prince by a long shot, and Mother Gothel is such an underrated villain. She's so subtly terrifying, with the facade of a nurturing, motherly demeanor masking a truly abusive, psychopathic soul. Tangled has everything I could ever want from a Disney movie: a fun story, interesting characters, a well-developed romance, gorgeous animation, humor, and a killer soundtrack. "I See The Light" will be played at my future wedding. If it's not, I will rage. I love everything about this movie so much. The only thing I really regret from this section is the sentence "plus he's the hottest animated character ever in my opinion" in reference to Flynn Rider. I don't necessarily disagree with what I was trying to say, as he's always been one of my biggest fictional crushes. (I'll probably make a post about fictional crushes at some point, and it will be embarrassing.) Just the phrasing of that line rubs me the wrong way and I can't really explain why.
Honorable Mentions:
-The Little Mermaid (1989)
Ah, the movie that saved Disney. The 1980s were not a good decade for Disney's animated movies, as they lacked any world-conquering successes. The Little Mermaid, released at the tail end of 1989, was a critical and commercial success that kickstarted a period of total Disney dominance, known as the Disney Renaissance. I think a large part of that success is due to the amazing songs courtesy of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, which are, to this day, some of the best Disney songs ever created. Although people like to debate over the toxic morals of Ariel's actions i.e. completely changing who you are for a man, but everything else about this movie is so good that I don't really care. I go back and forth on whether I prefer it or Beauty and the Beast.
-The Sandlot (1993)
This wouldn't be on my list at all now. It's still enjoyable, but I'm just not a huge sports movie person. I would replace it with Remember the Titans, which is my favorite sports movie. Its message of black and white people putting their differences aside to accomplish a common goal is more relevant now than ever before. I love how the movie uses classic 1960s songs to establish its setting in that decade. Plus, I never really cared that much about Ryan Gosling, but I find him absolutely adorable in this movie.
-Moana (2016)
I'd keep this as an honorable mention. The two big things I loved about it are the animation, which is unbelievably gorgeous, and Maui, played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. I love The Rock and Maui, a shapeshifting, muscular Polynesian demigod, is the role he was born to play. "You're Welcome" is such a fun song. I also really like Auliʻi Cravalho's performance as Moana and I want her to play Katara in the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Netflix series. I feel like she'd be absolutely perfect for that.
-The Fault In Our Stars (2014)
I haven't seen this movie in five years or so, and as I said with The Outsiders, my favorite movies are the ones I've seen countless times. It's not bad, I just wouldn't put it on my all-time favorites list.
-Thunderstruck (2012)
This movie is absolutely terrible, I mostly just mentioned it because I watched it in my fifth grade class and had a great time doing so. If I'm going to honorably mention any movie that is pretty terrible, but makes me nostalgic for school related reasons, I'm going to mention August Rush. It's about this kid named August who is a musical prodigy, but even by the standards of the most amazing musical prodigies, he's really unrealistic. The dude literally learns to read a basic C scale, then immediately writes a symphony afterward. It's really dumb. But we watched it a lot in seventh grade band, so I have something of a soft spot for it. My friends and I liked to joke about how our director always started the movie from the same point; right after August's parents had a one-night stand. I don't get it either.
-Mulan (1998)
This absolutely should have been on the list proper. Mulan isn't just my favorite Disney Princess (if we can even call her that) or my favorite Disney character. She's a contender for my favorite fictional character, period. I love how she doesn't depend solely on raw, brute force to take down her enemies; she instead uses cleverness and strategical genius. I also think that, in many cases, when people write badass female characters, they focus so much on her badassery that they forget to give her a personality other than "stoic, heartless badass." Mulan doesn't have that problem, as her entire motivation for her actions is a desire to protect her father. Pretty much all of Disney's recent heroines have been admirable role models for young girls, but none have destroyed the patriarchy as much as Mulan has. Mulan herself is the main reason why I love this movie so much, although "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" is still my favorite Disney song. I do regret saying that it's quote-unquote "sexist" in my original Favorite Movies list, though. I suppose the song could be interpreted that way just on its own, but combined with the visuals, I think the titular line is supposed to be ironic. We see Mulan overcoming the physical disadvantages that come with being a woman and outperforming all of the men. Awesome.
-Shrek (2001)
Shrek is a movie I grow to love more and more as I get older. DreamWorks movies are pretty hit-or-miss generally, but Shrek is iconic. It cleverly subverts all the famous Disney tropes, and it has a fair share of jokes that go completely over the heads of younger viewers. For example, in the scene where the Magic Mirror is telling Lord Farquaad about the princesses he can save, he says that Fiona likes "piña coladas and getting caught in the rain." I didn't notice that until really recently, but I laughed my ass off when I did. I don't know if Shrek would be in my top 10, but if it wasn't, it would be a very high honorable mention.
-The Lego Movie (2014)
At first I thought The Lego Movie was just going to be a dumb cash-in on the popularity of the Lego toys, but I think it really shows the possibilities of animation. Animation is one of the best mediums for storytelling, as anything is possible with a little creativity. The whole appeal of Legos is that you can build anything you want with them. The limitless potential of animation makes it a perfect medium to tell the story this film presents. This movie is also pretty clever!
-Monsters Inc. (2001)
It's good, it'll always have a place in my heart, but I don't know if I'd mention it at all now. There are just other Pixar movies I like more. Still, the ending is one of the most emotional Pixar moments for me. Just incredibly well-done and touching.
Now I'm going to list a few movies that I would mention as some of my favorites. Not all of these would be in my top ten, but these are movies I've either seen for the first time since I wrote the original Favorite Movies list, or movies I've started to appreciate more.
-The Iron Giant (1999)
This movie was directed by Brad Bird, who would go on to direct Pixar classics like The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Despite the fact that well-known actors like Jennifer Aniston and Vin Diesel had voice roles, The Iron Giant was something of a box-office bomb. However, it has since garnered a cult following and a reputation as a modern animated classic. It's about a boy named Hogarth who finds and befriends a giant alien robot during the 1950s. The relationship between Hogarth and the Iron Giant is really moving. I'm always a big fan of the Gentle Giant trope, and I love how the Iron Giant must choose between the life of destruction he was intended for and a desire to help people and be a source of good in the world. The ending of this movie makes me really emotional, and I love the quote "You are who you choose to be." That's a quote everyone should live by.
-Coco (2017)
Coco is one of Pixar's more recent movies, and I adore it. It's about the Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, and it portrays Mexican culture in an authentic, meaningful way. You can tell that the filmmakers took special care to shine a positive, respectful light on the culture. The animation has so many vibrant colors, and the themes of family, culture, life, and death are expressed wonderfully throughout the story. Coco is also the first movie with a nine-figure budget with a principal cast entirely of actors of Latin American descent. So this movie isn't just enjoyable, it's also groundbreaking. What's not to like?
-Mean Girls (2004)
On the other hand, Mean Girls is the chick flick to end all chick flicks. I actually didn't see this movie until this March, when I watched it in my sociology class. (Yes.) I had wanted to see it for a long time because I had heard so much about it, and it was kind of everything I wanted it to be. The best thing about Mean Girls, for me, is its utterly quotable screenplay, written by Tina Fey. There are so many iconic lines in this movie that I could make a top 30 list of my favorites. (I probably will do that when I have nothing better to post.) I also like the commentary this movie provides. The Plastics are intentionally portrayed as brain-dead and vapid. The whole point of the movie is to show that the vapid popular cliques aren't all they're cracked up to be, and I really like that.
-Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
This is in my top 10. I wrote an entire post specifically detailing my love for this movie. I haven't seen that many John Hughes movies, but I would still consider him one of, if not my favorite, directors. The 80s are probably my favorite decade in movies, and Hughes' coming-of-age films are one of the first things I think of when I think of 80s movies. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is my personal favorite. After quarantine is over, I hope to go to Chicago and relive all my favorite scenes.
-The Breakfast Club (1985)
This wouldn't make my top 10, since I like Ferris Bueller better, but it's still really good. It shows adolescence in such a realistic way. I love that although the characters all seem to have their own cliques and niches, they really have a lot in common.
-Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
I've still only seen this movie once since I wrote my MOVIE TALK on it, so I wouldn't put it on the actual list, but it's still good enough for a mention. Even if everything else about this movie was terrible, I'd still mention it just for how incredible the animation is. It has such a distinctive, comic book-inspired look that is gorgeously appealing. Luckily, everything else is fantastic. It says a lot that even as somebody with little knowledge on Spider-Man, I was still able to really enjoy Into the Spider-Verse. It has so much heart to it.
-Enchanted (2007)
Frankly, I'm pretty outraged at myself for not mentioning this movie at all in the original post. This movie is so clever and has such a creative premise. Amy Adams is so perfectly perky as Giselle, and Patrick Dempsey's character, Robert, is the perfect compliment to her. Giselle and Robert are probably one of my favorite fictional couples because of how they make each other better. Not only does Robert make Giselle more grounded and realistic, but Giselle teaches him to be more optimistic and free-spirited. The songs, written by the legendary Alan Menken, are also fantastic. They balance being very tongue-in-cheek parodies of your standard Disney songs, but they're also able to stand on their own as fun musical numbers.
-The Greatest Showman (2017)
This movie is a biopic of P.T. Barnum, the man behind the famous Barnum and Bailey Circus. It's also a musical. The fact that somebody thought it would be a good idea to make a movie musical about P.T. Barnum is just bizarre. It's one of the greatest examples of a movie where the critics were pretty mixed on it, but any criticisms were rendered obsolete by just how much the movie resonated with fans. I won't deny that The Greatest Showman is pretty flawed in a lot of aspects. For example, the real P.T. Barnum was not the champion of diversity that the film paints him to be, as he notoriously exploited his circus acts. The plot is pretty busy, and the film is also pretty cheesy. However, it's still a favorite. The songs were written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (best known for La La Land and Dear Evan Hansen), and they're easily the film's highlight. My personal favorite is "Never Enough." I also love how you can tell just how much heart was put into the making of this movie. Hugh Jackman in particular just radiates charisma and passion as P.T. Barnum. The movie also has Zac Efron and Zendaya, two of my favorite celebrities, as a couple. Yay!
To end this, here's the new, current list of my favorite movies of all time. I'm not going to explain my reasoning, since that's what the rest of this post has been for.
10. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
9. The Iron Giant (1999)
8. Shrek (2001)
7. Mulan (1998)
6. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
5. Lemonade Mouth (2011)
4. Finding Nemo (2003)
3. The Princess Bride (1987)
2. Inside Out (2015)
1. Tangled (2010)
And now, here's a smattering of honorable mentions in no particular order!
-The Little Mermaid (1989)
-High School Musical 2 (2007)
-Big Hero 6 (2014)
-Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2 (2012/2015)
-Moana (2016)
-Remember the Titans (2000)
-Coco (2017)
-The Breakfast Club (1985)
-Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
-Enchanted (2007)
-The Greatest Showman (2017)
-Mean Girls (2004)
-August Rush (2007) (My token "This Movie is Really Bad, But It's Sort of an Inside Joke Amongst My Friends and I" mention.)
Next Saturday is the Fourth of July, and since I'm American, I probably should make something in celebration of it. But due to everything going on in the world, it just doesn't feel right to celebrate America when this country is so flawed. So no, next week's post is not going to be a Top 10 Patriotic Songs list. In fact, I'm planning to do almost the exact opposite of that. See you next week.
Stellar
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