My Top Ten Film Picks of 2017.

10. Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I have to admit, I’m one of those fans that was disappointed in this one. The writing and directing were all over the place, it was too long (they could have easily chopped it to two hours) and the acting was either terrible or amazing — no in-between. There was even one point where I almost got up and walked out of the movie.

The saving grace and the only reason why it made the list was the last act. The movie pulled a complete 180 and it was everything that I needed it to be. I would say the last part was a true Star Wars movie and the previous parts were a movie trying too hard to be a Star Wars movie.

9. Guardians of the Galaxy: Part 2. To be honest, I loved the first film. It had depth of character, loads of humor, a multitude of different story-lines that tied together well at the end, the list goes on. Which is why I had such high hopes and, subsequently, felt let down by this one. It still had the humor and the characters and an interesting story — but it suffered from the fate that most sequels do. While it’s not a bad film, it didn’t live up to my high hopes and expectations.

8. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. I would have to say that this is the only time when the fifth installment of a movie series is actually one of the best. It brought back a lot of the humor that I loved about the first movie (without making fun of itself) and it was nice to see Johnny Depp play Jack Sparrow and not a caricature of Jack Sparrow (the third film in the series felt that way). In fact, I would put it as my second favorite of the franchise.

7. Spider-Man: Homecoming. Finally a good Spider-Man movie! Growing up, he was my favorite superhero — which is why I’ve been severely disappointed by all the previous movies about him that have come out. The previous films all had terrible adaptations of the dual lives of Peter Parker and Spider-Man. It didn’t help that neither Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were really young enough to play him. They were actors in a superhero movie and that was it.

This installment had a young actor in the role and it made all the difference in the world. Here you have Peter Parker as a total fanboy of Tony Stark. Here you have Peter Parker as a kid struggling with having this whole new set of responsibilities that he doesn’t know how to fully deal with — but is trying so hard to keep his head above water when he’s clearly in over his head. Here we have a Peter Parker that has only the kind of stubbornness that comes from hormones and a die hard desire to make the world as he sees it. In short, we have Peter Parker (AKA Spider-Man) as what he truly is — a teenage boy. Two thumbs way up.

6. Alien Covenant. The original Alien series is one of my favorites and this one didn’t disappoint. It had suspense around every turn, unpredictability, and a well written plot with some amazing characters. Not for the faint of heart.

5. John Wick 2. Again, the first John Wick is one of my favorite movies. Thankfully this one didn’t suffer the same fate that Guardians of the Galaxy: Part 2 did. It held the same suspense, it carried itself from one movie to the next (which is something that Guardians was lacking in), and John Wick is still a badass that takes a licking and keeps on ticking. This film dives deeper into the mythos of the underground hitman world that the first film revolved around. This one, like the first one, is not only a must-see, but also a must own. It also improves each time you watch it.

4. Kong: Skull Island. I have to admit — I’m usually not a fan of giant monster movies. They usually are way too fake feeling for me to believe in them. And I was incredibly skeptical when this movie started. But, the reason why it’s not only on this list, but also this on the list is John C. Reilly. His character is…exactly what this movie needed. He’s hilarious, a bit mentally unstable, and yet is the only one of the group that is making sound decisions. He has spent decades on this island and knows it inside out.

I admit — I was expecting to hate this movie. But I’m more than willing to admit when I am wrong and I’m glad that I gave this flick a chance.

3. Thor: Ragnarok. Apparently I like comedies. This one had me laughing out loud (I was not the only one in the theater who was doing this) from the beginning of the film and throughout most of it. This was (admittedly) another film I wasn’t expecting to enjoy and I’m glad that I gave it a shot. With so many superhero movies (and television/Netflix shows) that take themselves way too seriously, this one was a breath of fresh air.

2. Logan. I admit — the ending of this made me cry. Not just the first time that I saw it in the theater, but with each subsequent viewing since. It was beautifully written, superb acting, and the performances would win Oscars (except for the fact that it’s a superhero movie and the Academy, as a general rule, frowns upon such ‘lowbrow entertainment”).

Here we have a broken shell of a man. One who has succumbed to his demons and wants nothing more than to pass into oblivion. He’s seen war. He’s lost those who he loved. He’s killed countless times and now he just wants to die. This is one of the rare times when having a “gift” shows just how much of a burden and a curse it can be. Gone is the “devil may care” attitude and what’s left is a broken husk of a man who cared too much.

Gone too is everything that we know about his mentor, Professor Charles Xavier. Age has now taken not just his body, but his brilliant mind. Here is a man with whom death should have taken; but had yet neglected to do so. He’s withered, he is relentlessly tired, and his greatest tool has become his greatest foe. He, like his pupil, truly has nothing left to live for. At least that’s what they thought.

Insert a mysterious woman with a mysterious proposition. Take her and her little girl north. As far away as possible — as soon as possible. Haste is of the utmost importance in the matter. The girl, as we quickly learn, has many of the same characteristics as the main character. Including his “gift”. Could this be a long-lost daughter?

This movie takes us on a journey — one wrought with even more pain, suffering, sacrifice, and soul crushing death. This film is not only the final chapter of a franchise, but one of a man who has lived too long. Fought too long. Suffered too long. And cared too long.

1. The Disaster Artist. Side note: a group of friends and myself have a slightly unhealthy obsession with the movie The Room. I say unhealthy because this movie a slaughter of cellophane. A film so bad that it’s almost haunting. And thoroughly cringeworthy. It’s also immensely quote worthy. It is, as the title of this film implies, a disaster.

“The Disaster Artist” is the exact opposite. This biopic of Tommy Wiseau shines a light on this enigma of a man and the film that he brought forth into this world. It’s shown through the viewpoint of Greg, a fellow student in an acting class who almost immediately becomes Tommy’s best friend. For better and for worse.

Where is Tommy from? How old is he? Where did he get the money to not only have two homes in California, but also subsequently fund the film? What’s The Room really about? This film answers none of these answers — as the people in this film are just as bewildered as the audience. No one knows. And no one can get a straight answer from Tommy.

This movie is hilarious, sad, and rather frustrating. We endure, just as everyone in this movie, all of Tommy’s horrific life decisions and unrelenting string of lies. We see a portrait of a man who’s more than a little unbalanced trying to make it in an industry that is kill-or-be-killed. This film shows the merciless reality that Hollywood has for those who dream of moving there and making it big. It also shows that, at the end of the day, not every film should see the light of day.