After barely surviving a mandatory shutdown in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the executive class running some of the largest film studios in the world decided that they weren’t quite ridiculously rich enough yet and furthermore they hadn’t taken enough liberties – financial, creative and moral – with those employed by them.

And so the actors and writers collectively said no and downed tools for five months in a dispute over pay (including residual payments in the age of streaming), working conditions, and especially the increasing threat of artificial intelligence being used to not only write screenplays based on algorithms but to steal the likenesses of actors (living and dead) and store them in perpetuity without just compensation.

With Hollywood productions quiet for half the year and none of the “talent” allowed to promote those movies that were completed prior to the strikes, we ended up with a more limited and less enthusiastically received slate of major releases. Not even superhero movies or franchise sequels fronted by Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise were guaranteed hits anymore.

Despite all this, 2023 ended up being a pretty good year for cinema, with plenty of examples of not only memorable blockbusters but of distinct filmmakers leaving their mark and under-represented communities providing vibrancy and freshness to a myriad of new stories. Based upon UK release dates, these are my 10 Best Films of 2023.

Follow me @SSPThinksFilm on X (Twitter).

10. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah Review

2023 has been a great year for films about how Gen-Z processes their major life experiences, and this delightful, hilarious little film starring most of the Sandler clan (including Adam as an adorably schlubby dad) is up there with the very best.

As she approaches her her 13th birthday and the Jewish coming-of-age ritual, Stacy Friedman (Sunny Sandler) is determined to make her Bat Mitzvah the most perfect and memorable of her peer group, including that of BFF Lydia (Samantha Lorraine). But things get a lot more complicated as hormones, teenage crushes and petty but damaging psychological manipulation via social media enter the mix.

Five years ago, Bo Burnham made his memorable feature debut with Eighth Grade and told one of the most connective, visceral stories about becoming a teenager in years. Sammi Cohen’s film has the same aim but demonstrates how seismically culture has changed in just half a decade, all through a Jewish cultural lens. There may have never been a more challenging time to be growing up in an always-online age, and Alison Peck’s insightful script in addition to the across-the-board wonderfully naturalistic performances help to make this an unexpectedly profound crowd-pleaser.

9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Review

#JusticeforJamesGunn incarnate, the final chapter of the unlikeliest a-hole superhero team’s story shatters expectations and satisfyingly delivers on almost every level.

After years of defending the countless worlds together, the Guardians team has reached a precarious place. Their leader Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) has slumped into a depressed, alcoholic stupor after losing the love of his life Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), and Rocket’s (Bradley Cooper) past as a bio-engineered test subject comes back to haunt him in a very real way. Can the team come together one last time and save the galaxy, and themselves?

Marvel is seen as a pretty risk-averse studio and certainly much of their recent output has been received with a shrug from many viewers, but Guardians Vol 3 shows what happens when one of the best directors they partnered with is left to finish the story he wanted to tell. The action has never been more polished and visually dazzling, the performances from people and animated raccoons alike so honest and full of pain, Gunn’s love of animals so prominent as the team go up against a truly detestable figure who causes pain for the hell of it.

Recommended for you: MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Ranked

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse swung into theaters in December of 2018 and immediately captivated audiences with its revolutionary take on the beloved superhero genre and breathtaking animation style. Directed by the talented trio of Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, and Bob Persichetti, this animated masterpiece defied conventions and soared to unprecedented heights.

The film successfully introduces the concept of the multiverse and seamlessly weaves together the stories of various Spider-People from different dimensions. At its core, the film follows the journey of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a teenager grappling with newfound powers in the wake of the death of his universe’s Spider-Man. His world is spun even more out of control as he meets alternate universe heroes that make him question if he is ready for his new responsibilities.

Accolades poured in for the film, with the crowning achievement being the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. This recognition affirmed not only the technical brilliance of the animation but also the emotional depth and storytelling prowess that elevated Into the Spider-Verse beyond the status of a mere superhero film.

As first time viewers delve into the intricate web of dimensions and the extraordinary journey of Miles, it becomes clear that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is more than a cinematic experience – it’s a groundbreaking achievement that redefined expectations for animated storytelling in the West and left an indelible mark on the superhero genre.

In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we are highlighting the 10 best moments from the film that define why Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse continues to enthral audiences, and we will explore its legacy as one of the best comic book movies of all time.

Follow @thefilmagazine on X (Twitter).

10. Welcome to the Spider-Verse

This is how you start a movie.

The rising intensity of the opening music. The glitching of the studio logos. The flashes of graffiti. Then blam: the intro fully kicks in and we are treated to the visual feast that is this movie. An explosion of colours and funky graphics inform us that Into the Spider-Verse is unlike any other comic book movie in that it is unashamed of its genre.

Following this is the opening monologue from Peter Parker (don’t get too attached), beginning the recurring “Alright, let’s do this one last time” gag. Peter, voiced by Chris Pine, gives a brief rundown of things most audiences will already know, narrating his life and the responsibilities that come with being Spider-Man. Yes, we’re technically seeing another screen Spider-Man origin story, but the writers make this one concise and fresh. This self-awareness lends itself nicely to some humorous moments, such as detailing the smaller Spider-Man duties, like having his own cereal or recording a Christmas album. 

Furthermore, there are plenty of references to Spider-Man in pop culture for fans to feast on. Did anyone expect them to reference the abominable Spider-Man popsicle? The animators even draw comparison to other Spidey iterations on screen, like the upside down kiss, the train scene in Spider-Man 2, and the legendary dance scene from Spider-Man 3.

It is the film’s thesis statement: funny, fast-paced and visually spectacular. The perfect introduction to one of the most unique comic book movies. Simultaneously, these opening 2 minutes are a celebration of all things Spider-Man, and a reminder why the iconic hero has endured for so long on page, on screen, and in wider popular culture.

Recommended for you: 10 Best Moments from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy

9. Meet Miles

A film is arguably only as good as its characters, and a film filled with fantastical Spider-people could have a hard time making its protagonist stand out. Within seconds of meeting Miles Morales, its clear audiences have a beloved hero to root for.

The first time we see Miles, he is caught up in his passions: artwork and music. His singing is gradually drowned out by his parents calling his name. He is pulled out of his daydream and into an all too relatable scenario – a teenager late for school. 

This quickly transitions to a high-energy montage showcasing Miles’ daily life, complete with the vibrant backdrop of Brooklyn. We are immersed in the sights and sounds of Miles’ world as they see a new side to him. As he walks through his neighbourhood, he is cool and approachable. His effortless charm makes him instantly likable. The dynamic animation, coupled with a hip-hop soundtrack, creates a sense of kinetic energy that mirrors the pulse of Miles’ urban environment. As Miles parades through the streets, leaving stickers of his artwork, he trips and is caught by his dad, a police officer. We are reminded that, despite his coolness, he’s still an awkward kid. These relatable struggles form the necessary strong connections between Miles and each of us.

These first moments with Miles do more for the film’s central character than a lot of comic book movies manage to do in their entire runtime. Miles’ humour and occasional awkwardness make him endearing. He embodies the youthful enthusiasm and idealism associated with adolescence, making him a perfect vessel for audiences diving into this larger than life story.

Follow me on X (Twitter) – @poor_and_clean

10. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Starring the incredible Aubrey Plaza, and loveable goofs Mark Duplass and Jake Johnson, Safety Not Guaranteed is a heart-warming time travel jape. While it has big names attached – including director Colin Trevorrow, who went on to steer the wheel of the Jurassic World franchise, it has a real indie charm.

It begins with an intriguing want-ad in a local Washington newspaper. Jeff (Jake Johnson), a journalist at a different paper, assembles a motley crew to investigate. While everything is set up for us to believe Kenneth (Mark Duplass) is a weirdo, and delusional at the very least, he isn’t and the film’s beauty lies in how deftly it draws the viewer to his side.

It has heart, humour and Jake Johnson. I’m not sure you need much else in a film.

9. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review

As a rule, I don’t do superheroes. DC, Marvel, I don’t really care, they’re all the same, aren’t they?

I grew up in a strange era where Val Kilmer was Batman and Lois Lane was a Desperate Housewife and the genre just never really hooked me. Then along came Miles Morales and I fell hard. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a visually stunning and standout offering in (what I and seemingly I alone feel is) a saturated market.

The Spider-verse animation is just incredible – unusual and unique. The film is brimming with detail and flashes of brilliance. I could watch it 100 times (100 more times) and notice something new with each viewing. The characters are larger than life yet somehow completely grounded and believable, and who knew the match up of Nicholas Cage and John Mulaney is what we needed in our lives? The soundtrack is perfect and the message behind it is so important.

The first time my kid saw it, she said, ‘oh so I could be spiderman’ and for that reason alone it deserves a mention in my Best Films of All Time.

Recommended for you: Spider-Man Movies Ranked

Film gets me where I live like little else and has done ever since I was a teenager. It’s almost impossible to pick just 10 films to stand in for over a century of my favourite form of artistic expression, so what follows are a combination of groundbreaking, ageless films and the most personally impactful cinematic works for me, today. 

Follow me on X (Twitter) – @SSPThinksFilm

10. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review

This one’s a twofer. I love animation and I love superhero movies, and Spider-Verse is one of the finest examples of both to release in the last decade.

After being bitten by a radioactive spider, awkward teen Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is thrust into inter-dimensional superherodom when his universe’s Spider-Man is killed in action. Miles must overcome self-doubt and team up with the many very different spider-people from other realities to stop his, and all other worlds, from being destroyed. 

Animation is cinema, it has the potential to visualise anything you can imagine, and while I could have picked any number of films from Studio Ghibli, Laika, Disney or Pixar, nothing else was as revolutionary and influential to the medium’s aesthetic than Sony Picture Animation’s Spider-Verse in recent years. This didn’t look or feel quite like anything else, a living comic book packed with pleasing details and gags referring back to print mediums and constant movement and dynamism. 

Few adaptations of popular characters manage to sum up their very essence with a single perfect phrase, but this film distils it all with “anybody can wear the mask”. So many superhero movies get the basics fundamentally wrong, but this gets it just so right – Spider-Man has always had incredible powers but struggled to balance his superhero responsibilities with everyday ones, and the same goes if you’re a dual heritage teenager, a cartoon pig or a black-and-white detective voiced by Nicolas Cage.

Recommended for you: Spider-Man Movies Ranked

9. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The titanic cultural influence of the MGM fantasy musical The Wizard of Oz is often criminally overlooked. Musicals speak to me as a form of extroverted expression I could never hope to take part in myself, but Oz also stands for the whole fantasy genre.

This rough adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s fantasy novel follows young Dorothy Gale (instant star Judy Garland), a Kansas dreamer who is swept away to the magical land of Oz by a tornado where she is persecuted by the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton, still terrifying) as she quests to find her way home.

It wasn’t just the way film musicals were staged for decades it inspired, either. Next time you watch Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy and see the orc armies marching past the gates of Mordor, think about how similar the blocking and the aesthetic is to the patrols outside the Wicked Witch’s castle.  Speaking of the Wicked Witch, you know the classic green-skinned, warty-nosed, pointy-chinned default look for such characters at Halloween? That comes from this film as well. And Margaret Hamilton’s all-timer of a baddie performance in contrast to the uncomplicated good of Dorothy and her companions is still one to behold. 

The “it was all a dream, or was it?” story structure is clichéd now, but this helped start it all. Startling Technicolor fantasy is kept entirely separate from sepia reality (the moment one world becomes the other still takes your breath away), but there is always that playful, winking final scene for you to hope that Dorothy perhaps has further adventures on her horizon. 

Though at times critically divisive, Sony Pictures Animation’s films have regularly been box office hits, and can even claim to be Oscar-winning, 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse earning the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2019.

In this edition of Ranked, we at The Film Magazine are re-evaluating every Sony Pictures Animation feature release, judging each based on their qualities as individual pieces of art, places in our wider pop culture, their impact on animated film, and their popular appeal. These are the Sony Pictures Animation Movies Ranked.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

24. The Emoji Movie (2017)

Budget: $50million
Worldwide Box Office: $217.8million
Starring: T.J. Miller, James Corden, Patrick Stewart, Maya Rudolph, Anna Faris, Sofia Vergara, Christina Aguilera

Bland and uninspired, Sony Pictures Animation reached the bottom of the barrel with their 2017 shallow trend-following adAPPtation The Emoji Movie, and were rightly given the critical boot.

The height of emoji-culture was already over by the time this film came out. And, despite a great and varied voice cast, the contents of The Emoji Movie were so insipid that it even lacked that all-too-familiar quality: being so bad it’s good.

The Emoji Movie Review

23. Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2022)

The fourth instalment in the widely popular box office franchise Hotel Transylvania wasn’t up to the standards of the previous three films, and perhaps that’s why it ended up going directly to Amazon Prime Video rather than finding a home on the big screen.

Transformania was, effectively, the Sony Pictures Animation equivalent of the straight-to-video releases Disney’s B-Team animation house used to produce in the 1990s: all the logos and designs of the widely successful thing we liked, only made for a fraction of the cost and thus featuring a fraction of the detail.

Dracula himself, Adam Sandler, didn’t even return to his leading role for this one (they replaced him with a voice-alike), which says it all.

Recommended for you: Blue Sky Studios Animated Movies Ranked

22. The Smurfs (2011)

Budget: $110million
Worldwide Box Office: $563.8million
Starring: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, Anton Yelchin

Often, you’ll read that poor animated films “aimed too young”, and that is certainly a criticism to be levied at this ill-conceived studio animation adaptation of the popular 1980s Smurfs cartoon.

The Smurfs (2011) committed the cardinal sin of rewriting the lore of its universe, and perhaps worse seemed absent of all that made the original cartoon so beloved: witty comedy, educational messages regarding community, and heart.

At least this particular franchise got better from here on out.

Recommended for you: Warner Animation Group Movies Ranked

21. The Smurfs 2 (2013)

Budget: $105million
Worldwide Box Office: $347.5million
Starring: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, Jayma Mays, Anton Yelchin

It’s not good, but it did at least patch up some of the issues of the original The Smurfs movie, albeit through reverting to the most simplistic and derivative of creative choices.

The Smurfs 2 was a film Sony Pictures Animation seemed to stuff with as many things as possible in the hope that at least some of them might land, and yet it never quite got to shake the image of being a plasticised, cheap and uncaring knock-off of a once better intellectual property.

Sony’s Spider-Man (2002) is unquestionably one of the forefathers of superhero cinema as we know and love it to be, and Sony’s further Spider-focused films (plus several major spin-offs) are some of the most popular and influential blockbusters of the 21st century.

In this edition of Ranked, we at The Film Magazine are counting down each Spider-Man Universe feature-length theatrical release from worst to best, judging each inclusion by its own artistic merits, critical reception, and importance to its genre and cinema as a whole.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

13. Morbius (2022)

Morbius Review

Very little was expected of Sony’s Spider-villain-verse entry Morbius when it was revealed to be hitting our screens in 2020, but when it finally arrived after mass delays the low bar for “acceptable” superhero/villain cinema was… barely met.

Jared Leto worked hard to carve someone interesting out of a character with little by way of development, and the pacing was rapid (which is particularly impressive as a lesser Spider-Man entry), but Morbius ultimately felt like the best moments from other films thumb-tacked into a CGI mess that left said moments absent of meaning or purpose.

A lot seemed to happen in this 2022 film, yet very little gave us a reason to care for the characters, and the feature’s almost complete absence of threat only compounded this issue. It would be a stretch to claim that Morbius was trying to say anything about anything – it certainly wasn’t allegorical of past or present human issues like most vampire films, nor presenting a particularly obvious audience fantasy like other superhero movies – and it did little-to-nothing to make it look, sound or feel unique within its franchise.

Like Venom before it, Morbius was a film that seemed to be made for audiences of the mid-2000s, and yet unlike Venom it lacked all of the charisma needed to carry its more corny or less inspired moments. Even the post-credits’ mildly exciting previews of other films to come couldn’t save this one from the title of “worst Spider-Man movie”.

12. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was bad. The sad, grim reality is that this Marc Webb-directed film was so badly received critically and at the box office that Sony finally caved in and brought Marvel Studios back to the table, in effect admitting their own inadequacies as regards their treatment of the character and thus sacrificing some of their multi-million-dollar profits to rival studio Disney in an attempt to fix their mistakes.

The major issue with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is its woeful screenplay, written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci of Transformers, Star Trek and The Mummy (2017) fame. In this fifth live-action franchise entry, focus shifts from a sub-par, by-the-books plot surrounding Peter Parker (and particularly his on-and-off-again relationship) to the life of his hard-working Aunt May, the reason apparently being to ensure Sally Field got her share of the run-time, the amount of space given to prominent comic book characters elsewhere in the film sacrificed as a result, the run-time dragging on to a tiresome 2 hours and 22 minutes.

Despite featuring a stellar cast including star Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Sally Field, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Felicity Jones and Paul Giamatti, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 features some of the most ridiculous cases of over-acting in the entire franchise, every highly paid professional seemingly acknowledging the standard of movie they were in even ahead of it being released. This, mixed with a woeful narrative, worse dialogue and a Spider-Man 3 level problem of filling up the movie with characters for an expected “Spider-verse”, make The Amazing Spider-Man 2 one of this beloved franchise’s certifiably lesser releases.

11. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

A considerable improvement on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the film that preceded it, The Amazing Spider-Man, a feature that made a new-look Spider-Man franchise feel viable once again; Marc Webb’s inexperienced but grounded take on the web-slinger being refreshing enough to earn the film a number of favourable reviews and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man a number of fans.

Inevitably, the creative decision to just re-do the Peter Parker Spider-Man origin story we’d seen just 10 years prior (that’s like seeing Iron Man rebooted in 2018…) was not the smartest idea, and even though director Marc Webb and company managed to effectively avoid revisiting a lot of the tropes established in Sam Raimi’s franchise, the dye was cast for what would come to be diminishing returns for the series.

A more sarcastic, some would say millennial, take on Peter Parker was the film’s shining beacon, but the studio’s obvious hesitation to try anything entirely new was evident, this 2012 release feeling every bit as much of a part of the preceding decade as its Sam Raimi-directed brethren, only with less charm and less to offer in terms of visual awe, unique scenarios and social commentary.

The Amazing Spider-Man makes for a good, although mostly irrelevant, watch; one that does just enough to keep you engaged but never once takes a stride towards creating something special.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Screenwriters: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Dave Callaham
Starring: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Bryan Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez

After four long years, the sequel to the “electric, atmospheric festival of colour” that was Sony Pictures Animation’s Oscar-winning, genre-defining, form-shaping Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has arrived. The film that fought against a tried and tested formula, that rewrote the lore of a studio staple, that was so fresh and interesting it was almost as if it should have never existed, was such a critical success that perennial safety shooters Sony were willing to experiment once again. This time, Miles Morales and company, under the stewardship of original co-writers and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, are rewriting even more of the rule book.

Shameik Moore’s cool and relatable hero is introduced to a wider spider-verse by Hailee Steinfeld’s returning Gwen Stacy, who takes on a more central and well-rounded role in this highly-anticipated sequel. The heroine uses portal devices to cross between a multi-verse of spider-people as she and Miles experience grave family struggles. The concept of the multiverse may have been overplayed in recent years, but so rarely has it seemed this original, dynamic and brimming with life, and only in Into the Spider-Verse have the personal stakes been this high.

There are spider-people and spider-creatures galore, the cameos and more influential inclusions each being illuminated by an array of animation styles, a cornucopia of unique audio-visual elements. There are eye-widening design choices and smile-inducing casting choices, and every promise Sony’s marketing department offered in Across the Spider-Verse’s trailer is spectacularly realised.

Across the Spider-Verse is the longest animated feature in history at 2 hours and 20 minutes, but it leaves barely a moment to blink, the rapid and ever-original action slowing only to propel moments of inner conflict, interpersonal dynamics or existentialism to the forefront. Every central character is well taken care of, the beating heart that made the original so comforting and charismatic still intact – every development in Across the Spider-Verse feels at one with the film that came before. This is more than a good sequel that ramps up all that we enjoyed about the original, it is a reach into an unknown pool of perfection, a ginormous studio-backed swing at something special.

This version of Spider-Man has undergone one of the more trying coming-of-age tales of the feature film spider-people we’ve seen across various live-action franchises to date, and the connection this has forged between us and him ensures that each of his potentially multiverse-altering choices is felt from the off. Lord and Miller, who worked on the original Spider-Verse and fellow Sony Pictures Animation film Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, have always given a lot of room for character choices in their texts. And, in a world of so many moving parts – characters, narratives, themes, animation styles – it is testament to their commitment to character choice that Across the Spider-Verse manages to capture the same connection as the original.

There is a short period in the middle of the film where the narrative sags a little, and certainly more could have been done to develop one of the film’s two central villains and the extent of their powers in the first half of the film – where we are left guessing as to just how much of a threat this character could be and what this might mean for Miles and Gwen – but these pitfalls are barely noticeable among the pantheon of extraordinary efforts made to excite and ignite our imaginations. In these moments, comedy, cameos, references and soundtrack take the lead, each expressively exploding out of the animation.

As an animated film, there are few contemporaries. Not since Toy Story rewrote animated feature history in the mid-90s had mainstream western animation been evolved and shunted forward with such force as in Into the Spider-Verse, and Across the Spider-Verse is somehow even more eccentric. Whether it be minutes of black and white sequences, pen lines and all, or watercolour constructions that change colour to match the conflict apparent in the dialogue, Across the Spider-Verse is an Oscar-winning short film’s unique and ultra-expressionistic sensibility attached to a mainstream intellectual property and presented by over 1,000 of the world’s best animators. It’s wondrous stuff, the kind of style that is worthy of the film’s dream-factory concept.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is why people go to the cinema. It is why you should go to the cinema. It is a phenomenon of style and substance that begs to be seen on the big screen. Lord and Miller, and their partners at Sony Pictures Animation, have once again captured lightning in a bottle. Across the Spider-Verse is ultra modern storytelling that captures the personality, fears and ambitions of our current era – it is eye-popping spectacle and hearty, moving passion side-by-side. As a sequel, we must consider this among the pantheon of greats that Spider-Man 2 (2004) belongs to, and as an animated film this is a certified all-timer. There’s no doubt that you’ll be left wanting more, but as things are… Spider-Man doesn’t get better than this.

Score: 22/24

Recommended for you: Spider-Man Movies Ranked

In this edition of Ranked, we here at The Film Magazine are comparing the house of mouse to upcoming animation giants, independent documentary-animations to record-setting studio darlings, to judge each of 2022’s Oscars Animated Feature nominees from worst to best in terms of overall quality, artistic achievement, social relevance, critical reception and audience perception in this: the 2022 Animated Feature Oscar Nominees Ranked.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter. 

5. Raya and the Last Dragon

Raya and the Last Dragon Review

Raya and the Last Dragon is no doubt the product of a mountain of ideas, but forty minutes of direct exposition and the subsequent spoon-feeding of information makes for a difficult to stomach two hours that is likely best enjoyed by the youngest members of the family.

Quite why Walt Disney Animation saw a need to have characters name the locations they were entering multiple times even after egregious title cards is beyond anyone, but the biggest faux pas of this particular Animated Feature nominee at the Oscars 2022 is that it is… boring. So much thought has gone into the lore, so much attention paid to the dynamics, that very little creativity was added to a by-the-numbers script that does everything every other Disney-owned property has done over the past few decades only less good.

There’s always a space for Walt Disney Animation movies, and even ones fundamentally floored across several important aspects can be a worthwhile watch, but a genuine Animated Feature contender this is not, and questions should probably be raised as to why this film was even nominated at all.

4. Encanto

A significant step up from Raya and the Last Dragon, Walt Disney Animation’s 2nd animated feature of 2021 has proven to be a zeitgeist-piercing phenomenon in the ilk of Frozen (remember “Let it Go”?).

The animation is as high quality as you’d expect, though less unique than Raya and the Last Dragon and less detailed than the Pixar offering on this list, but it’s through music that Encanto best… enchants.

Chart-topping hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is of course the talk of just about everywhere right now, but Encanto features a number of emotional and exciting numbers, each designed to enhance the narrative in a manner akin to the classic Hollywood musicals of the past.

Like those musicals, Encanto is filled with colours and colourful characters, the film earning praise for its representation but remaining interesting due to its class of different personalities and the bond that ties them. There’s little in this manner to separate Encanto from the successes of the Disney Renaissance, but when it isn’t broke don’t fix it, and anytime you can evoke the best period in Western animation history you’re onto a winner.

It’s not quite a blow-away force of emotion, as perspective-shifting, or as unique and energetic as the nominees to come on this list, but it’s a lot of innocent fun with enough to say about generational trauma and familial responsibility to ensure a good time for anyone willing to jump in.

Recommended for you: 10 Things You Might Have Missed in ‘Encanto’

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
Directors: Michael Rianda, Jeff Rowe
Screenwriters: Michael Rianda, Jeff Rowe
Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Michael Rianda, Eric André, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Chrissy Teigen, John Legend, Charlyne Yi

Between Into the Spider-Verse and The Mitchells vs the Machines, Sony Pictures Animation are in a league of their own. Nobody else is creating animated features with the same energy, emotion and visual uniqueness quite like the creatives currently found at this studio.

Aspiring filmmaker Katie’s (Abbie Jacobson) plans to start college and finally “find her people” are scuppered by her dad Rick’s (Danny McBride) misguided insistence that they bond one last time on a road trip that will take Katie on the scenic route to college. On the way in and amongst all the expected family squabbles, a planet-spanning robot uprising caused by the scorned operating system of the world’s largest tech company occurs and forces the Mitchells to pretend to be a fully-functioning family unit for the sake of the human race’s survival.

Like Spider-Verse, Mitchells looks like nothing else. It’s CG-animated, but incorporates hand-drawn elements, live-action footage, even DIY puppetry (sometimes all in the same shot). The pitch for both films by producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller was to retain the rough energy and dynamism seen in early concept art and storyboards for animated movies in the final product, and that target has been hit dead-centre.

Early on, the Mitchells are branded by a helpful on-screen graphic as the “worst family of all time”. The fact that the first we see of them is their haphazard attempted escape from the robo-apocalypse in a crappy brown station wagon while completely and utterly failing to coordinate their actions or work together fully cements this idea. Certainly on the surface, compared to perfect human beings their neighbours the Poseys (Chrissy Teigen, John Legend and Charlyne Yi) appear to be, the Mitchells seem to be found wanting, to put it mildly. But ultimately, this is a film about why none of that really matters.

Writer-directors Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe, and their passionate animation team, bring to life a vivid and beautiful CG/hand-drawn hybrid world and story that’ll leave you crying with laughter and just plain crying, especially if you’re from a family of weirdos yourself. When this project was originally announced it was called ‘Connected’ so it’s highly appropriate that that’s what it’s all about: human connection. 

On the cry-laughing front the visual inventiveness and quick-fire rate of the gags is in danger of leaving you needing medical attention from inadequate oxygen supply, everything from the family pulling grotesque faces at Rick as he insists on phones down and eye contact during their evening meal to Katie’s liberal peppering of knowing movie references (only the slightest bit annoying), from youngest Mitchell Aaron (Mike Rianda) getting upset over non-anatomically correct dinosaurs to the surreal nightmare fuel that is a giant demonic Furby declaring “Let the dark harvest begin!”. Monchi, the family’s pug with astigmatism, probably deserves to be a thesis focus all his own, acting as the family’s mascot and whose unique shape hilariously proves to be a robot Achilles heel as they malfunction trying to decide what he actually is (“dog-pig-dog-pig-LOAF OF BREAD!”).

This is one of the great dysfunctional family films about parents and children who mean well but continually fail to communicate, who are ultimately both helped and hindered by modern technology along the way. Katie processes her experiences and expresses herself through technology, through making her art, and Rick does the same through handmade craftsmanship and outdoor experiences. They inevitably clash over their very different views of the world and out of guilt at having grown apart as Katie has gotten older. Ferocious father-daughter arguments over fundamental misunderstandings rack up one after the other before it is revealed just how much Rick has sacrificed for Katie’s sake and how their bond can be repaired, stronger than ever (that’s the just plain old crying part of this movie). The final “Live Your Life” musical action sequence is a real punch-the-air feelgood moment and a wonderful conclusion to both characters’ arcs.

The Mitchells vs the Machines is also notable for its LGBTQ+ representation, having Katie front-and-centre, visible and not closeted despite the added hurdles it would give the film to be sold in some international territories. Her sexuality isn’t an issue to her or her family, it’s just a part of the many facets that make up Katie Mitchell alongside her imagination, her goofy sense of humour and her complete loyalty to her often annoying family.

It’s telling of the completely genuine place the film comes from that its end credits feature cast and crew family photos and the real inspirations behind the Mitchell clan. The Mitchells vs the Machines is another game-changer from Sony, a hilarious, inventive and big-hearted family sitcom turned disaster movie that, in 2021, proved to be one of the few genuinely bright sparks of hope released in a particularly trying year. 

23/24

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In this Movie List of the 10 Best Films 2021 are some of the movies that most accurately articulated the experience of cinema-going and of cinema as an art form. These are the films that enhanced the medium, reminded us of why diversity of genre, performer, filmmaker and national film industries is vital to our overall consumption and analysis of this great art, and more: why these things are central to the continuation of all that we love about film.

Follow the author of this article, Joseph Wade, on Twitter @JoeTFM.

10. Herself

Herself Review

What could have been a thinly veiled centrist’s movie about disadvantaged people being able to escape poverty through sheer will power alone is instead an empathetic and powerful film that will hit hard for those who are or have been affected by similar issues.

Phyllida Lloyd’s Herself, starring and co-written by Clare Dunne, unflinchingly explores a victim of abuse as she tries to navigate her way through the poverty and isolation she has been forced into by her controlling and vicious ex. Protecting her children at all costs, even in the midst of shallow apologies from her former lover and restrictive social policies that obstruct her right to restarting anything close to an ordinary family life, Dunne’s Sandra is a fully formed multi-dimensional character of whom the other characters glow in the presence of, this powerful drama excelling through the honesty in which it tells of these way-too-universal truths of womanhood and single parent life.

Herself is the kind of cinema that feels necessary, the type of story we visit picture houses one hundred times per year in pursuit of experiencing just once. It is truth and art all in one, a phenomenal tool for empathy and wider understanding; an outstanding achievement.

9. No Time to Die

No Time to Die Review

In a year in which the film industry leaned so heavily on the shoulders of blockbusters and franchises to keep exhibitors alive, the latest James Bond movie No Time to Die not only ushered in a new boom period for the box office through record-breaking numbers (especially in the UK where it is now the third highest-grossing film of all time) but it offered something more timeless than any of its contemporaries, twisting and turning from all-out action set piece extravaganza to golden era Hollywood romance and back again in the undisputed thrill-ride of 2021.

There is a monologue delivered by Daniel Craig in one particularly noteworthy scene from this, his fifth and final Bond instalment, that would not look out of place in Casablanca or Gone with the Wind. And, while the computer graphics were updated from Craig’s debut in Casino Royale and there were elements of the throwaway tack evident across the entire Bond franchise and blockbusters as a whole, No Time to Die will be best remembered for its portrayal of 007’s personal relationships, how its cathartic narrative tied the threads that had been pulled from film to film, and for its use of brutal hand-to-hand combat stunt work.

There was simply no other mainstream hit like No Time to Die in 2021, this Cary Joji Fukunaga movie excelling as one of the greatest examples of action filmmaking of the past 10 years and being one of the best examples out there of how to bring a sense of truth, genuine stakes, feeling and character progression to a raging mixing pot of violence and catchphrases, even with close to 60 years of expectation weighing it down.

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