2024 in Movies

I don’t claim to be any kind of movie critic, just a movie nut. I present, as evidence, my list of the best and worst movies of 2024, which could induce gastrointestinal disruption to any serious movie critic. What can I say, I just love movies that entertain, not so much that teach or make some kind of obscure ethical lesson. As promised/threatened what follows is my rundown of the best and worst movies I saw this year. I am an unashamed movie fanatic.  Each year I pontificate on the best and worst from only the movies I went to see. I’ve also included what I considered to be the worst movies of the year, because that’s almost more fun. You won’t find my movies on many critics top ten for the year because we go to the movies for different reasons. I go to be entertained not to judge. I’ve also chosen a quote from each of the top ten movies. As you can see I lean heavily towards action (and science fiction) but I think these films are a lot more mainstream than the out of touch film critics whose top tens are usually incomprehensible and barely entertaining. If nothing else the films below (except for the bottom two) were hugely enjoyable. Again this is only one man’s opinion and reflects only the movies I saw this year.

Best Movies

#1 – The Beekeeper. A perfect vehicle for Statham as a semi-retired government fixer/assassin. He goes after a well connected rich boy running an internet company that specializes in stealing personal info and stealing from senior citizens, a target rich environment. Complete escapism, but that’s what made it so much fun.

Quote:

Derek: You're scared.

Wallace: Dead right I'm scared. Terrified. So should you be.

Derek: Wallace, just tell me what the fuck this guy is.

Wallace: He's probably the last pair of eyes that you're going to sneer at.

#2 – The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.  A surprise for me in that I didn’t expect to like this so much. A great cast of action actors in a World War 2 scenario. I was also surprised to find this was based on a real world unit. Of course, I’ll enjoy anything with Eiza González in it.

Quote:

Marjorie Stewart: It's one thing taking over the world, but do they have to take over the kitchen too? It's all sausage, cabbage and black bread.

Heron: We're between a rock and a hard place. If the Brits win the war, we're stuck with fish and chips. If the Germans win the war, we're stuck with this menu.

#3 – Deadpool and Wolverine. They finally got together! After getting repeatedly joked about in the prior two movies Deadpool finally got his Wolverine and it was just too funny as they unsuccessfully try to keep killing each other. The non-stop cameos were hilarious, a fitting send off to Deadpool.

Quote:

Deadpool: [after she's captured by Deadpool using Juggernaut's helmet] You're gonna send us home or I'm gonna twist your f*cking head off.

Deadpool: [Cassandra laughs] Why are you laughing?

Cassandra Nova: I can't send you unless you get this thing off my head. And as soon as you do that, I'm going to boil your brains on an atomic level whilst flicking my bean to the Enya box set.

Deadpool: There's an Enya box set?

#4 – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. I thought this was a stretch, but Keaton delivers once again. They took all the original characters and made you love them again. Ortega was perfect cast as Lydia’s daughter.

Quote:

Beetlejuice: You know, Bob, long distance relationships can be difficult, especially when one of you is dead and the other is ignoring you for thirty years. But Lydia and I, we have definite psychic connection, and I'll tell you something, she definitely saw me that last time. I felt a little tingle.

#5 – Dune Part 2. A stirring epic by anyone’s definition.  Chalamet soars as Paul in the massive battle against his father’s killers. Incredible job taking such a complicated plot and making it so watchable.

Quote:

Jessica: Your father didn't believe in revenge.

Paul: Yeah well, I do.

#6 – Here. You almost have to be a senior citizen for the message of this incredible movie to resonate. Looking at various families moving through a single space over hundreds of years. I know it didn’t fare well at box office but the impact early life decisions have on every one’s life was elegantly brought to the screen by two amazing actors.

Quote:

Richard: You know, if you like, you could spend the rest of the night here.

Margaret: I could spend the rest of my life here.

#7 – Venom the Last Dance. The usual fun when Venom and Eddie are having their internal discussions. Venom’s relatives come looking for a fight and the final showdown in Area 51 combines, action, humor, and dare I say, pathos.

Quote:

Venom: Eddie... my home has found us.

#8 – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. A great look at the early life of the most compelling characters from Fury Road. It made you realize where that haunted look in that movie’s character came from. As usual, the crazed action scenes from director Miller were worth the price of admission themselves.

Quote:

Praetorian Jack: This place at the end of your map of secrets. Where is it? {Furiosa pulls away from him] My mother and father were soldiers. Even as the world fell, they yearned to be warriors for a virtuous cause. For them, it never happened. I wanna help you find this place, wherever it may be.

Furiosa: Come with me.

#9 – Young Woman and the Sea. I didn’t say I hated all “message” movies. I watched this with my granddaughter and was so happy she reveled in the message of female empowerment. Ederle is a heroine for the ages.

Quote:

Young Trudy Ederle: If Meg swims, I swim!

#10 – Borderlands. I wasn’t encumbered with any knowledge of the game this was based on so I could just sit back and enjoy a great sci fi action movie. Any cast with Jamie Lee and Cate in it will be worth a watch.

Quote:

Lilith: I have something you'll *never* have.

Atlas: What's that ?

Lilith: Enough.

Honorable Mention –

The Fall Guy – Gosling continues his hot streak as a put upon stunt man in this tribute film to stunt men.

Gladiator 2 – would have rated this in the top ten if not for the sharks in the coliseum. Other than that overreach, this was a fitting sequel to the original.

The Worst Movies of 2024

Madame Web – don’t know how they made such a bad movie with such a great cast, Marvel’s fall continues.

Joker Folie à Deux. What the hell were they thinking! How do you follow up Joker with this? Tried really hard to watch/understand this, failed.

2024 Superlatives:

Best Comedy:  Deadpool and Wolverine

Best Horror Movie:  Alien Romulus

Best Drama:  Here

Best Romance:  Deadpool and Wolverine

Best Action:  Beekeeper

Best Special Effects:   Dune Part 2

Best Scene of the Year:  Post credit scene in Deadpool and Wolverine where Johnny Storm tells Deadpool to say to the villainess exactly what eventually gets Storm killed.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete –

 my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course