2021 was a great year for movies. Some highly anticipated films such as Dune, Spider-Man No way home, Licorice Pizza, West Side Story, and more were released…some great, some not so great. After watching over 35 movies throughout the year, below are Cory’s top 5 of 2021. (SPOILERS) The criteria I use to rate these films can be seen here -> How we rate movies.
5. Shang-Chi and The Legend Of the Ten Rings
A new MCU character amongst us? It is true. Shang-Chi, starring Simu Liu (Shaun, aka Shang-Chi), trained from birth to become a skilled martial artist (and ultimately, an assassin). Now, in the MCU we already have plenty of individuals that have some martial arts skills, so…what’s so special about Shang-Chi?
To start, Shang-Chi is the first big budget Asian superhero, which is a substantial step in the right direction for the MCU. Despite being the first Asian superhero, Marvel made sure not to make the movie too cliché, and although Shang-Chi does do Kung Fu, that his character development went much farther than his martial artistry struggles and training.
Shaun throughout the film struggles with his character identity throughout the film, and he doesn’t really know who he is, and when learning about his past…we can understand why he wanted to escape that lifestyle and try to start over.
What really makes this film standout is its lack of connection to the overall MCU. The overall vibe of the film was certainly superhero-like but besides the ending, made no real connections back to the MCU (unlike Black Widow which was also released this year). This film felt like a standalone Asian action film, which was fantastic and had some of the best action scenes in MCU history. From the directing, special effects, to superb acting of Liu and others, this film breaks my top 5 for the year. I think Shang-Chi and Liu are going to be a huge asset to the MCU moving forward.
Final Thoughts and Rating
Shang-Chi was an incredible experience for the viewer. A much needed new character in the MCU brought out an extraordinary cinematic experience. Although Black Widow got most of the hype for 2021, Shang-Chi was unequivocally better in every way. Excited to see more of him in the MCU.
4. Free Guy
Another video game inspired film – many to date have not been very successful, so how does Free Guy fare?
Ryan Reynolds (Guy) stars in Free Guy as an NPC in a multiplayer online video game, which is an interesting, albeit not entirely new concept. So…what makes this movie so great?
The beginning of the film makes the movie seem like an ordinary city, and Guy is just a regular old bank teller working alongside his best buddy, Buddy. This city is a bit odd though, as there seems to be Chaos and bank robberies daily…so what gives?
Turns out, Ryan Reynolds (Guy) is actually an NPC created by the developers using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. During the development of the film, Guy starts to develop feelings for an individual in the game, which turns out to be someone actually playing the game…not another NPC. How does Guy figure this out? Well turns out this AI technology from the developers actually works as intended and Guy (along with the other NPCs), starts to become self aware of his surroundings.
Overall, the plot is a bit cliche and not necessarily novel, but I do think the concept of AI in the video game was really intriguing. What really draws the viewers in I believe is the phenomenal job by the writers and actors, as they combine the fun-loving comedy side of Ryan Reynolds with the love interest story of the game developers. Fantastic job by the stars of the film, with especially strong performances by Reynolds, Jodie Comer, and Taika Waititi.
Final Thoughts and Rating
Ryan Reynolds rarely disappoints, and he did not in Free Guy as he plays an NPC in a multiplayer online video game. From start to finish it is an overall enjoyable movie with plenty of comedy to match the energy of the film. The film and plot itself is a bit goofy, but the movie follows a great flow and is easy to follow for viewers. This is one of the better video game inspired films I have seen to date.
3. The Suicide Squad
What? The horrible Jared Leto Joker film? No. Don’t worry, not that Suicide Squad.
Remaking a movie after a horrible failure (although, I thought it was okay, although most other critics would disagree), is certainly a bold move. So how did it pay off?
First off, good choice to recast almost the entire cast (besides Margot Robbie). No offense to Leto, Will Smith, and the others, but I think they were kind of screwed by the writers and directors, as the film had many things that went wrong besides the acting. However, for a film like the Suicide Squad, you can’t do much better than John Cena, Idris Elba, Pete Davidson, and others. Of course, the addition of James Gunn as director helped tremendously.
This iteration of The Suicide Squad was everything 2016’s needed to be. It was hilarious, the characters were well chosen and had meaning contributions to the film, as well as a connection to each other. This film brings out true character in each of the members of the Suicide Squad. Rather than have each character be a cliché killing hungry villain, Gunn and the crew decide to show and describe their character arc that brought them to where they are now.
This movie certainly isn’t your fun loving family-friendly super hero movie. The film sticks to the traditional idea of the “Suicide Squad” where these villains are literally disposable as we can see early on in the film. The violence and gore in this film is top notch and not a ton of time goes by before we see guts and organs ripped open. There is a plethora of sexual innuendos throughout the film which you may or may not find amusing, but it certainly added character to the film. At the end of the film we see (spoiler) Peace Maker is still alive, and may have his own show coming…stay tuned.
Final Thoughts and Rating
Now if this was the 2016 iteration of the film, it would not sniff the top 5; however this remake truly delivers a great experience. James Gunn does a fantastic job of creating a much more enjoyable iteration of the Suicide Squad, with a great cast including Margot Robbie, Sylvester Stallone, and John Cena. There’s plenty of gore in this film, similar to the 2016 experience…however the actors and comedy integrated into this film far outweighs the previous. If you are weary of some previous DC films, do not be with The Suicide Squad, this is a much watch film for any comic fans. This is one of my favorite rated R superhero film to date, behind Deadpool.
2. Dune
Dune starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya (sort of) is a sci-fi themed film based on a novel. This movie is set thousands of years into the future and follows the life of Paul Atreides (Chalamet). Paul and his family set off on a journey to replace House Harkonnen as new rulers of Arrakis (aka “Dune”), which is a desert planet with giant sandworms, and a valuable resources known as “spice”. However this transition isn’t as easy as it sounds, as Harkonnen isn’t taking lightly to this transition and sabotages the Atreides arrival with various tactics, including an assassination attempt on Paul.
Although most of the film is futuristic sci-fi based, the overarching theme of the movie is driven by a theme as old as time – wealth and power. This “spice” resource is arguably the most valuable resource in the universe, as it fuels space travel; so you can see why Harkonnen wasn’t too happy about the Atreides coming to take over their world. This greed fuels the entire conflict between the two families and drives the majority of the plot (there are of course other major themes such as war, resources crises, etc).
Besides the incredibly exciting plot, the cinematography and visual effects are fantastic. Every scene you feel completely immersed in the surroundings. It has an Avatar-like feel to it (which is a huge compliment). The imagery ranges and blends various categories from sci-fi futuristic technology to medieval times to desert planet is fascinating to watch unfold throughout the film.
Final Thoughts and Rating
This movie is a must see experience. This film was extraordinary from start to finish. A suspenseful action packed movie filled with plenty of great scenes and actors. Especially strong performances by Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, and Jason Mamoa. Excited to see Dune Part 2.
1. Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man: No Way Home. How good was this movie?
I wrote a full length review you can see here -> https://cbcinematicuniverse.com/2022/03/30/spider-man-no-way-home-review/ so I won’t go into too much depth. But this Spider-Man movie may be the best one to date.
If you’re a fan of nostalgia, Spider-Man in general, action, comedy, character development, and old Spider-Man villains and references, this is the film for you. The movie transitioned perfectly from Spider-Man: Far From Home’s end cut scene of Mysterio revealing who Spider-Man is to no longer even knowing who Peter Parker is. What a twist. If this is an end to Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, well done…this was a fantastic film to watch.
Final Thoughts and Ratings
Inarguably my favorite film of 2021. Nostalgia, great acting, great plot, and overall a well put together film. A tough ending to swallow but Marvel has done a great job of not necessarily ending movies how everyone wants them to end. The Tobey and Andrew cameos were fantastic and were appreciated by Spider-Man fans around the world.
Just missed the cut – House of Gucci, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage
The Five Dollar Tuesday Movie Critics 