Films of 2023


1. Oppenheimer
This is what the movie theatre was made for. This is cinema. Full review here.

2. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
I can't believe we'll never get another new 'Indiana Jones' movie - a series that has been so good to us for the past 42 years. I will miss that fictional character. I don't want him to go away, but here we are. Take a deep bow and a tip of the hat to the fedora. If adventure has a name, it was, is and will always be 'Indiana Jones'. Full reviews here and here.

3. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Tom H. Tap-dancin' Cruise, that was ridiculously entertaining. Insane madness. Great music. Laugh-out-loud funny scenes in Rome. Hayley Atwell for president. Can't wait for part two.

4. Avatar: The Way of Water
Gorgeous images aplenty, but a tad too long.

5. Barbie
Lovely production design, inspired casting, and some laughs. Expected more after the enormous hype, though. Bunch of notes and observations here.

6. Shazam! Fury of the Gods
More of the same, and that's not a bad thing. Dame Helen Mirren steals the show, and there's a Goonies reference. Had the chance to interview the cast and director:
* Lucy Liu, Dame Helen Mirren and Rachel Zegler
* Zachary Levi
* Asher Angel & Jack Dylan Grazer
* Djimon Hounsou
* David F. Sandberg

7. Creed III
The Creed series takes a darker turn. Old friendships are rekindled, and old wounds are reopened. Touching extended scenes in the American Sign Language, and Mila Davis-Kent is a cast standout. Both Creed and Creed II are better movies, though, and the character of Rocky Balboa is missed. Had the chance to interview the cast:
* Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors
* Tessa Thompson

8. Blue Beetle
Xolo Mariduena (there should be a tilde on the 'n' of Maridueña, but as you can see, it shows up as an error) is super charming. A bright silver screen personality. A true movie star. Other than that, Blue Beetle is suprisingly mediocre. Full review here.

9. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem
A decidedly mixed bag. As a big TMNT fan, it breaks my heart to bash the movie. It's perfectly adequate. I just expected more, especially after the glowing reviews. Full review here.

10. 65
I never turn down a good dinosaur movie. Sadly, this is not a good dinosaur movie. Oh well.


Honourable mention

Return of the Jedi
The third best Star Wars movie returned to the silver screen for its 40th anniversary. Hurrah! Still amazing. My spouse fell asleep after the first sixty minutes, though.



Julian De Backer, 24 December 2024