2017 Was a Classic Year for Movies

Sometimes the way we perceive art can change over time. Creative works can be praised when they are released but then forgotten or be less appreciated in years to come. With that said, I don’t think it’s too soon to say that 2017 was an incredible year for film. Every year will have some films that are disappointments, but 2017 had many amazing standalone, series starting and sequel films.

Standalones

More and more studios are trying to lock actors into long term contracts for long term franchises. Nevertheless, 2017 had numerous great films that never intend to lead into a sequel. Lady Bird’s comedy, charm and drama made it loved by most audiences. Good Time staring Robert Pattinson was a surprisingly great suspenseful crime drama. Similarly, Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Mike Flanagan’s Netflix released Gerald’s Game were surprising Horror/Thriller hits. Dunkirk was an unconventional but innovative historical action film. Finally, Logan is part of a series, but I consider it a standalone because of how disconnected it is from the rest of the franchise. Logan was probably my favourite movie of 2017. I’m partial to most superhero movies, but Logan was exceptional for its violence, comedy and tone. It is now one of my favourite films ever and my second favourite superhero film behind The Dark Knight.

Series Starters

The list of great 2017 movies that looked to start a series is much more sparse than the other lists in this article, but I feel that there are two main movies worth discussing. Wonder Woman put the D.C. extended universe back on track. 2016 saw the release of Suicide Squad and Batman Vs Superman which both did well financially but are generally not highly regarded. However, one of the most positive parts of Batman Vs Superman was that Wonder Woman and her theme song were awesome and this continued to be true in the Wonder Woman film. Hopefully Wonder Woman 2 will keep this trend going. My other favourite series starter was Spider-Man: Homecoming. Tom Holland was already introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the most believable Peter Parker, but Homecoming was his first solo film as Spider-Man. Thankfully it was the best Spider-Man movie since 2004’s Spider-Man 2. Homecoming had my favourite handling of Peter’s personal life, and the conversations between Peter and Micheal Keaton’s Vulture are some of the best moments of any of the Spider-Man films. Another series starter worth discussing is It, which unfortunately I have not yet seen. However, It has been hugely successful with audiences and critics. Even Stephen King, who is often very critical of adaptations of his written work, has praised 2017’s It and has high hopes for part 2.

Sequels

2017 also saw impressive sequels. John Wick 2 delivered great action and expanded on the story of the original. Recently, the third John Wick film established the series as a great modern action trilogy, but John Wick 2 set it as strong series first. Speaking of third films, Thor Ragnarok revitalized the Thor series. Thor Ragnarok is generally thought of as not only the best Thor film, but also one of the best films in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Another Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, continued to turn lesser known Marvel heroes into fan favourites. The sequels above I think of as conventional sequels as they continue the story of recent successful films, and are more likely to be made. However, 2017 also has some sequels that were less obvious to make but nonetheless enjoyable. Jumanji; Welcome to the Jungle is a sequel to the original Jumanji from 1995. It isn’t a movie I would consider as one of the best movies of the year, but I think it’s enjoyable for all ages and I liked how it incorporated video game concepts into film. A long awaited sequel that should be considered one of the best films in 2017 is Bladerunner 2049. Sequels can be very hard to get right, but Bladerunner 2049 does an amazing job of continuing the series more than 30 years after the first and only other installment. Other noteworthy sequels include Paddington 2, War for the Planet of the Apes and Kingsmen 2. Finally, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is another reason I feel 2017 was so great for films, but most people aren’t as positive about it as I am. I wrote defending my enjoyment of the last Jedi here.