2016 Movies in Review

I saw many movies over the past year, but only 12 of them were actually released in 2016 and those will be the focus of this list. I will spoil the films to some degree, though I won't be writing full-length reviews.

Of course, a particular film, which is the latest addition to the greatest Sci-Fi saga in history, will be soon viewed but not in the year of release due to various reasons. As I've said to many people in person, if you spoil that film to me I will find you, and I will Liam Neeson you.

What follows are the 12 films of 2016 that I watched in the reverse order of my preference.

12 - London Has Fallen
Director: Babak Najafi
Stars: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman

Synopsis: Sequel to Olympus Has Fallen, this action redux was enjoyable despite predictability and ridiculousness. Gerard Butler adequately fills the roll Schwarzenegger and Stallone developed and is only slightly less one-dimensional than those two. Plenty of explosions and machine guns, plenty of poking fun at itself, little to no re-watch value.

Reflective Rating: 3/10
Twitter Rating: 5/10 
For those of you who don't follow me on Twitter, I typically tweet out a 10-scale rating within a few hours of completing a movie. Keep in mind, these tweets are in-the-moment and I don't always do them.

11 - Pete's Dragon
Director: David Lowery
Stars: Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Karl Urban

Synopsis: Boring. Couldn't keep the kids' attention which really makes me wonder why we sat through it. I think BDH is an underrated actress and she was quite good but otherwise a forgettable Disney afterthought.

Reflective Rating: 4/10
Twitter Rating: N/A

10 - The Jungle Book
Director: Jon Favreau
Stars: Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken, Garry Shandling

Synopsis: Same old story. Breathtakingly beautiful CGI. Expected more from the A++ cast though Walken's performance as King Louis was great. It also struggled to keep the attention of my toddlers and its been a pretty solid year for movies so it comes in at 10th.

Reflective Rating: 6/10
Twitter Rating: N/A

9 - Hail, Caesar!
Director: Coen Brothers
Stars: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Ralph Viennes, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Jonah Hill

Synopsis: I'm not sure how to describe this movie. A week in the life of a 50s Hollywood executive, but not any normal week. Tatum's turn as a Gene Kelly-type is particularly puzzling yet delightful. The film as a whole was a bit disappointing and lacked the perfection of other Coen Bros material. (I think Fargo may be one of the greatest representations of north-Midwestern culture ever filmed) It still was full of memorable and hilarious scenes.

Reflective Rating: 7/10
Twitter Rating: 6/10

8 - Zootopia
Director: Byron Howard
Stars: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, JK Simmons


Synopsis: A clever Disney spin on the challenges of multiculturalism. A highly charged political film starring talking animals. Bateman is so good and the overarching themes of the film are important and well communicated. Unfortunately the concluding song left a terrible taste in my mouth due to its lameness and Shakira-ness.


Reflective Rating: 7/10
Twitter Rating: 6/10

7 - Star Trek Beyond
Director: Justin Lin
Stars: Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, Idris Elba (busy year!), Ben Kinglsey, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin

Synopsis: Meh. The villains of the reboot series have been so disappointing and Elba's was no different. I don't count Cumberbatch's Khan because of the ambiguity of the character in case you'd just shouted his name. Here's hoping they come up with some ridiculous reason for Pine's crew to encounter the Borg and resurrect this once hopeful but ultimately kind of lame series. On a bright note, Zachary Quinto was born to play Spock, every bit as much as Leonard Nimoy was, rest his soul.

Reflective Rating: 7/10
Twitter Rating: N/A

6 - Deadpool
Director: Tim Miller
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, TJ Miller, Ed Skrein, Morena Baccarin

Synopsis: Truer to the comic than was expected. Certainly a funny movie, but not one a kid should watch (and my mother would chime in "or an adult!" and she'd probably be right.)

Reflective Rating: 7/10
Twitter Rating: N/A

5 - Finding Dory
Director: Andrew Stanton
Stars: Ellen DeGeneres, Kaitlin Olson, Albert Brooks, Ed O'Neill, Idris Elba

Synopsis: Sequel to the fantastic Finding Nemo, this movie felt slower. Likely because it all took place in the same general area, and the audience doesn't suffer from Dory's memory loss. An enjoyable film and hopefully closure for the Nemo universe.

Reflective Rating: 7/10
Twitter Rating: N/A

4 - The Angry Birds Movie
Director: Clay Kaytis
Stars: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Peter Dinklage, Sean Penn, Keegan-Michael Key

Synopsis: Surprisingly good. Admittedly, pretty dumb but what do you expect from a movie spawned from a phone app starring Sudeikis? I also think Josh Gad has a nearly limitless potential, but I kind of want him to stick to stupid sidekick characters cuz he nails them.

Reflective Rating: 7/10
Twitter Rating: N/A

3 - Kung Fu Panda 3
Director: Alessandro Carloni
Stars: Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, JK Simmons, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, Kate Hudson

Synopsis: I love the original KFP and enjoyed but wasn't thrilled with part 2. I figured the characters would live out their usefulness in mini-series' and holiday specials. Then this awesome movie came out. Simmons was the best animated villain of the series and maybe ever (seriously, his theme music alone is boss). Black and the A+ ensemble of voices managed to produce even more original laughs and I'd actually entertain a 4th. Ok, maybe not, but this was a good flick.

Reflective Rating: 8/10
Twitter Rating: N/A

2 - Anthropoid
Director: Sean Ellis
Stars: Jamie Dornan, Cillian Murphy, Charlotte Le Bon

Synopsis: I'll not say much, because this film flew under the radar a bit and I'm guessing not as many have seen it. I will say however, its one of the best war films I've ever seen. It slides in nicely along side Saving Private Ryan, A Bridge Too Far, Enemy At the Gates, and the Band of Brothers series telling the story of the heroes of WWII. I also really enjoy Cillian Murphy's work and look forward to his appearance in Nolan's upcoming WWII film Dunkirk (my most anticipated of the new year).

Reflective Rating: 10/10
Twitter Rating: 9/10

1 - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Director: David Yates
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterson, Colin Farrell, Don Fogler, Ezra Miller,

Johnny Depp

Synopsis: The only movie I hit the theater for this calendar year. I'll watch every single one of these they decide to make, and likely love them all. Redmayne and Farrell were both excellent additions to the Harry Potter universe. It fits snugly with the other HP films, particularly the feel of 5, 6, and the 7s.

Reflective Rating: 10/10
Twitter Rating: N/A (I guess I didn't do a whole lot of these this year).








The other movies I watched this year and Twitter rated but weren't released in 2016 were:
The Giver 9/10
The Revenant 8/10
Spectre (James Bond) 7/10
The Big Short 10/10
The Martian 7/10
Bridge of Spies 8/10
Goosebumps 4/10
Sicario 7/10
Love and Mercy 8/10

Have a Happy New Year and thanks for reading.

Robots and American Government

Isaac Asimov is my favorite author of all time. One of the many reasons is his ability to make his fantastical technological fiction so logically consistent. He is considered to be the father of robotics and if you haven’t read his Robot short story compilations, go now and be inspired.  A foundational (pun intended) element to Asimov’s robots is the 3 Laws. Much has been written, primarily by Asimov himself, on their various facets, but I recently had a light bulb moment in regards to a more political application. The 3 Laws are as follows, from an excellent book (and OK-ish movie) I, Robot,

“The Three Laws of Robotics:
1: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; 2: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; 3: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law”

A full understanding of the laws and their impact on a Robot is the subject of Asimov’s Robot series and I highly recommend.

               

          My use of them is in a different realm altogether. Read the first sentence of the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the 

pursuit of Happiness.”

I believe we can take from that sentence the 3 Laws of Robotics for a Free Society.

The First Law would be:

1: A Free Citizen may not infringe upon the life of another human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to lose their life.

The unalienable Right to Life announces that all life is equally valid. It announces that all ages, races, classes, and ethnicities have intrinsic value and that we all share the responsibility of defending each other and of defending the right to defend ourselves. It outlaws murder; it places a stern disapproval on capital punishment; and discourages all forms of war, particularly unjust total war. A society which practices abortion, euthanasia, genetic breeding, and human drug trials is breaking this law. It sits at the foundation of Freedom. No one who is scared for their life is truly free.

The Second Law would be:

2: A Free Citizen may act in accordance with their conscience in all matters, except in cases where such inclinations would conflict with the First Law.

                The unalienable Right to Liberty is the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Freedom. The catch phrase “It’s a Free Country, isn’t it?” captures the defiant toddler like desire we all have to be the masters of our own destiny. While a more adult approach to life is expected, the ability to do whatever we please should be valued. I don’t have to ask the government before I travel to another part of the country. I don’t have to check with my governor before I buy cheese. I don’t have a supervisor which assigns me a living space. I am free. I pick my leaders and I pick my leisure. However, this is a qualified provision. I am not free to kill who I please. I am not free to kill myself. I am not free to withhold basic human needs from my peers which would result in sickness and death. I am not free to recklessly pursue enjoyment at the risk of others. On the one hand, one who takes a life is never truly free of the consequences. On the other hand, when others are prevented from killing me I’m free to enjoy my life without fear.

The Third Law would be:

3: A Free Citizen may pursue what they deem to be the sources of their happiness, insomuch as that pursuit does not conflict with the first two laws.

               The unalienable Right to pursue Happiness requires a definition. Happiness can be many things. It can simply be that which makes us smile. It can be what gives our lives meaning. It can be our children, our toys, our past times, or our passions. It is impossible to pursue Happiness without Liberty. The freedom to act however I deem necessary free of fear to achieve Happiness is essential. Alternatively, the restriction of another’s liberty or taking of another’s life cannot and will not result in true Happiness.

               So, there you go. Next time you evaluate a law or political stance you should consider the 3 Laws. A Law which stresses liberty over life (such as Abortion) or happiness over liberty (Universal Healthcare) should be rejected by Free Citizens. Comments welcome.