2017's Good Films, But Not Great

Good Films, But Not Great from 2017

1. Murder on the Orient Express

Based on Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name, Murder on the Orient Express is a story about the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.  (Not Hercules, he does not slay the dragons.)  Attempting to have a holiday, murder and mystery seem to follow Poirot wherever he goes.  While aboard the Orient Express, a grisly stabbing occurs and Poirot is forced to cut his holiday short to solve the crime that everyone aboard appears to have a connection to, including the sleuth himself.  

A massive Poirot fan my whole life, I was ecstatic at the prospect of a new, high budget adaptation of Christie’s most famous detective.  It was enjoyable, though imperfect.  You can read my full review here.

2. Kong: Skull Island

Under the pretense of research, a team of scientists enlist the help of the military to accompany them on an expedition to the unexplored Skull Island, somewhere in the pacific ocean.  When they arrive and find that they are no match for the primitive species, they have to fight to make their escape.

An unexpectedly well done remake, Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson star in the second installment of Warner Bros MonsterVerse (the first installment being 2014’s Godzilla remake).  The film’s themes of humanity and keeping perspective on war bring the 70’s setting to modern relevance, and the breathtaking visuals are hard to ignore.

3. Spider-Man: Homecoming

Though perhaps not quite the caliber of Marvel’s best, Sony breathes fresh life into the overused Spider-Man franchise, returning it to what it should be: a funny and relatable coming of age/origin story about the friendly, neighborhood hero.  Tom Holland is Peter Parker in the latest iteration of the character, and he nails it with his quirky boyish charm.  It’s a film that fits nicely into the now enormous MCU, and movie-goers can enjoy seeing Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man as Peter’s sarcastic mentor.

4. Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Sequel to the 2014 spy film, the story follows Eggsy, a troubled kid turned secret agent who works for an organization that helps protect the world.  When a drug syndicate kills most of the Kingsmen and holds the world hostage, Eggsy (codename Galahad) and fellow agent Merlin must join forces with a brother organization to try and save the world once again.

A hilarious and action packed spy flick, these films are so much fun.  The comic-book style violence and plot are over the top and gratuitous, but lend themselves to an entertaining night out at the movies. You can read my full review here. For my more in depth thoughts, you can check out the Superhero Moviecast podcast episode where I was a guest.

5. The Mountain Between Us

Love blooms where nothing else can in this survival romance.  Kate Winslet is Alex, a wildlife photographer chartering a private plane despite weather warnings so that she can get to her wedding.  Idris Elba is Ben, a neurosurgeon who joins Alex because he has an important surgery to perform.  When their pilot dies and plane crashes in the mountains during the middle of winter, Alex and Ben have to fight for their lives and figure out a way to get home.  Through this impossible situation, they find connection.  

Actually filmed on location in extreme temperatures, one can’t help but be impressed by Kate Winslet and Idris Elba’s commitment to the job, and their respective performances.  They deliver beautifully under circumstances that most actors would run away horrified from.

6. American Assassin

Dylan O’Brien sheds his teen personas and trades in for damaged with violent tendencies.  After living through a terror attack and losing his just-barely fiance, Mitch Rapp (O’Brien) devotes his life to counter-terrorism.  He finds himself a mentor in ex-Navy Seal Stan Hurley, played by Michael Keaton.  Together they help make up a black ops team intended to bring down a Turkish terrorist cell.  

Though a very violent film, what’s almost more terrifying is the relevancy it has to the world’s current state of affairs.  This could easily be a true story, and one can’t help but feel outraged at that reality.  It strikes a sensitive chord by addressing real-life issues in an entertaining way.

7. Pitch Perfect 3

Rounding out the Pitch Perfect series, this film reminds us all what we loved so much about the original.  The Bellas are back together for a reunion when they decide to join the USO entertainment to perform together one last time, but their plans get interrupted when Fat Amy’s criminal father shows up.  The nostalgia for the first film is strong, and the theme of sisterhood gives the warm fuzzies.  With a (hilariously) added spy subplot, the laugh-out-loud comedy and relatable characters are the core of these films, which makes them so fun for a girls night.  

8. Ghost In the Shell

Based off of the anime of the same name, (which full disclosure, I haven’t seen) the story follows Major, a cyber-enhanced human made to be the ideal soldier for taking down criminals.  But living in an age where terrorists can hack people’s minds, it can be difficult to know the truth.  Major’s memory is blurry about where she came from, and she wants answers.

Visually, the film is so striking.  It was made to be seen in 3D.  Having never seen the anime, I was pleasantly surprised by the creativity and uniqueness of the story and cinematography.  It had a more emotional center than I expected, and though fans of the anime seem to have troubles with it, for an action packed Sci-Fi film it hit the marks.

9. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

Perhaps one of the most over-told myths of all time, King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone is a story we all know.  Director Guy Ritchie puts his own fast paced, humorous spin on the classic tale, giving off strong Lord of the Rings vibes.  A little too reliant on CGI to deliver unoriginal visuals (seriously, it looks straight from LOTR), combined with jokes going so fast you can’t catch them, and choppy editing make this film a case of somewhat unfulfilled potential.  That said, Charlie Hunnam gives good reluctant-but-dashing hero, and the soundtrack was a definite highlight.

10. Before I Fall

Samantha Kingston thinks she has the perfect life.  She has friends, a boyfriend, popularity- basically everything a high school girl wants.  That all comes to an abrupt halt when she is in a fatal car crash.  Now she’s stuck living her last day over and over again, trying to figure out what she did wrong.  The answer?  Everything.

This film easily could’ve been an annoyingly pointless attempt to make a film about teens that was either too preachy, or had no good message.  The opposite is the case.  Though parts of it did get tedious watching snotty teenagers angsty social interactions, it purposefully contrasted with the film’s ultimate truth: love and selflessness.  Zoey Deutch strikes a good balance as Sam, delivering both selfish adolescent and loving human.  Teens and adults alike have something to learn from a film like this.

11. The Zookeeper’s Wife

Antonina and Jan Zabinski are keepers of the Warsaw Zoo in 1939 Poland.  They’ve dedicated their lives to their animals, but as the Germans are making their presence known and invading, Antonina and Jan start sheltering an entirely different kind of creature: people.  Based on the heartbreaking and astonishing true story, the Polish couple really did hide over 300 Jews in their zoo during the course of the second World War.

Jessica Chastain shines in the role of Antonina, delivering a raw and authentic performance.  It’s always satisfying to see such an amazing story done proper justice on the big screen.

12. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Johnny Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow in the fifth Pirates film, as a hunted man.  Javier Bardem is Captain Salazar, an old enemy from Jack’s past.  Joined by Geoffrey Rush also returning as Captain Barbossa, the franchise isn’t what it used to be, though it does take aim to revert to what worked for it.  Will Turner is back, older but still cursed as the Captain of the Dutchman.  His son Henry, played by Brenton Thwaites, is bent on finding a way to break his father’s curse.  Poseidon’s Trident is what he needs, and he runs into some of his father’s old mates to help him.  Newcomer Kaya Scodelario plays Carina Smith, a woman astronomer searching for her father, who might just have what Henry needs to find the Trident.

The charm of Depp’s performance as Jack Sparrow has faded into parody, though the backstory on the character does spark some interest.  Thwaites and Scodelario as Henry and Carina don’t have the same chemistry that drew fans into the franchise originally, chemistry that Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly did have as love interests. That said, the prospect of Will and Elizabeth’s return to the franchise that catapulted Bloom and Knightly’s careers is alluring.  With another film in the works, let’s just hope that (SPOILERS) their reunion isn’t the last we see of the fan favorite characters.  You can now watch this pirate tale on Netflix.

13. Logan Lucky

Not your typical heist movie, Channing Tatum and Adam Driver star as Jimmy and Clyde Logan, hillbilly brothers turned robbers in this offbeat comedy.  They are joined by Daniel Craig who delivers a very different performance than we’re used to from him (this is no James Bond, people) as Joe Bang, an eccentric safe-cracker in the middle of a prison sentence.  A unique film directed by Steven Soderbergh, while the actual heist of the story leaves something to be desired, the one liners and quotable scenes from this movie make up for it.  I’ll never say the word cauliflower the same.

14. Despicable Me 3

The third film in the Despicable Me franchise, this time Gru is in for the biggest shock of all.  He has a more handsome and successful twin brother, Dru, who wants to join the family business of crime.  Since Gru has recently been fired from the Anti-Villain League, he finds the prospect of returning to his Super-Villain roots just too tempting.

These movies have always been a good laugh for kids and parents alike.  With slapstick comedy and endearing characters, it’s not hard to see why the franchise warranted two sequels to the 2010 hit, as well as a minions spin off.

15. 47 Meters Down

In the same vein as every other shark movie, this suspense-filled tale is good for anyone who is a fan of Jaws or The Shallows.  Starring Mandy Moore and Claire Holt, this low budget film is impressively tense.  Add in a twist ending and it’s a good fit for your nightly Netflix and chill.  Literally, you can now catch this shark thriller on Netflix.

Well there you have it!  Every good, but not great film I saw in 2017.  Did you see any of these films?  What did you think?  Let me know in the comments.  Also, stay tuned for my third article in this series, The Worst Movies I Saw in 2017!

*I don’t own any of the movie posters or photos, they all are owned by the respective film studios*