DOA's Top Five Films for 2017

It appears I spent almost no time at the theater this year.  Yikes!  I was hard put to find five films I've seen.  Most years, I would have seen pretty much all genre films that were out there.  This year, I didn't even see all the ones I was interested in.  I need to improve on that for 2018.

In order:

1.    Star Wars, The Last Jedi

 I loved the movie.  It may be the best of all the films.  While I didn't care for Rey in The Force Awakens, she was resplendent here, and everything a Jedi should be, to her core.  All of the cast were in top form, their characters were great.  Long Live General Leia Organa!  I'm ok with how Luke's story went, except for the drinking of the milk from that creature on the island, eep.

2.   Wonder Woman   

This was a great movie by any standard.  The action was perfect, Gal Gadot was perfect as Diana Prince and Wonder Woman.    A film in which a hero is allowed to be purely heroic.  Imagine!



3.  Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2.   

You'd think you couldn't follow up Guardians of the Galaxy with an equally entertaining film, but they pulled it off.  Pure fun start to finish.



4.  Blade Runner 2049

   

The movie needed much more Harrison Ford, is my only criticism.  The world was gritty yet compelling.  The villain slimy.  I loved the AI love of "K".   How a completely utilitarian bit of household AI could have such intelligence, personality and soul, and ultimately bravery is a wonder.  No Rick is not a replicant.



5.   Logan    

I wanted Logan and Professor Xavier to sail off to that little island.  No reason they couldn't except the plot didn't allow it.   I really didn't like the destruction of the farm family that took them in.  Also not necessary.   On the other hand, the little girl Laura and all of the child mutants on the run would be a great movie on their own, and they should have started filming it right away before the kids aged a day.

Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner 2049 is a fitting sequel to the original Blade Runner film.  The world feels much the same, the stakes are similar when it comes to the lives of the Replicants.  The way they're hunted down and "retired" is familiar.  The guilt of the detective hunting them is much the same, though since he is a Replicant himself, you'd think it shouldn't be.

I haven't seen anything else with Ryan Gosling that I recall (though La La Land is in my To-Be-Watched Pile), and there is something of a teddy bear in his looks, particularly his eyes.  As his story unfolds, he maintains a childlike aspect that makes him relatable and you have to root for him.

In another era, you would be certain he would make it out of the film alive, but you never feel that way here.  At a certain point, he feels disposable.

Harrison Ford needed far more screen time.  He stepped comfortably back into the role of Deckard, and from previews, I hoped he and Gosling's character would spend some time as a kick ass team.  I liked his dog, and vote for him being a real dog.

Robin Wright's character was a surprise, and great to watch.  I haven't seen House of Cards because---politics---so I kept thinking, Oh, Buttercup.

Luv, the super efficient Replicant Secretary/Researcher Slayer seemed ripe for a redemption arc, you just know deep inside she would have liked things to be different.

Jared Leto, in the first thing I've seen him in, was creepy.  He seems invariably creepy in interviews.  I saw a quote from him that he isn't the villain of the piece.  Hmmpf.

Gosling's live in Electronic Girlfriend was quite charming and layer upon layer, who is real, who gets to live, she definitely deserved a chance.

Several storylines and plots are set up for sequels, I hope the stories get told.