Movie and Show Retrospective for 2018

By: Cam Wohlfeil
Published: 2019-02-05 1245 EST
Modified: 2019-02-05 1400 EST
Category: General

Very late I know, but I'm a busy guy! There's a lot of bleed over on this list with 2017, I didn't do a good job tracking which ones I finished in which year, but since this is my first time doing these lists for media besides games I'll cut myself some slack :)

✠ - Complete Series (up to this point)

☦ - Rewatch

Movies

REDLINE
Very fun and entertaining, beautiful animation.
5 Centimeters Per Second
Short and not so sweet, left me feeling a bit empty afterwards. I'm usually a fan of anything that can leave me feeling a strong emotion, but I can't say I liked this very much. Very well made though.
A Bridge Too Far
Definitely lived up to my expectations, a solid war movie.
Black Panther
Fun and well made, but lots of bad CGI and some questionable world building decisions.
Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse
Delightful and very stylish.
Spiderman: Homecoming
Pretty good, nothing much else to say. I appreciated the low stakes and how it actually felt like teenagers, not late 20s actors pretending to be teenagers.
Thor: Ragnarok
Much better than Dark World, reminded me of how much I liked the original Thor movie.
Avengers: Infinity War
What is there to say that hasn't been said? I appreciate a good villain.
A Quiet Place
Very good, lots of bold choices that I appreciated. Killing a child in the first few minutes of your movie is bold. It's good to see Hollywood still take chances.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Meh. Much like the last one was a bad remake of the original, this was a bad remake of Lost World.
Deadpool 2
I didn't think they'd be able to follow it up, but they knocked it out of the park again.
12 Strong
Decent action, and I learned a lot about the early days of the war I didn't know. It was okay overall.
Annihilation
Loved it, bad ass all female cast without beating you over the head about it.
Ready Player One
Much like the book, it was a dumb pandering fest. Visually it was cool though.
Dunkirk
I was a bit underwhelmed honestly, it felt too small and reserved for a war movie. It felt like a battle with 4,000 troops, not 400,000.
Venom
Definitely one of those so bad it's good movies, but enjoyable enough. Every character was the most generic stereotype.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Fun, but forgettable.
Ghost in the Shell (1995) ☦
It's literally one of my favorite movies ever, what can I say? I only ever appreciate it more.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence ☦
I appreciate this movie more now than I used to. It's halfway between Stand Alone Complex and the original movie in tone and content, and I appreciate that
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Visually gorgeous, but the action was meh and the story was so dumbed down.
Your Name
Beautiful and emotional, left me feeling satisfied.
A Silent Voice
Like Your Name, well animated and very touching. Just when you think it won't get any sadder, it does.
My Neighbor Totoro
I didn't actually like it that much, it sort of felt like I was watching a child's made-up fantasy, which I guess is what it was?
Wolf Children
An emotional rollercoaster, lots of highs and lows throughout. I really empathized with Hana's struggle, and the obvious metaphor of children growing up and finding their own way in life.
Grave of the Fireflies
Very depressing, an amazing anti-war film showing the toll it has on a country and people.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
A dark horse for me, I liked the interesting world and adventure story.
Princess Mononoke ☦
Still my favorite Miyazaki movie, perfect in every way. The mix of historical and fantasy elements, nature and science, politics and romance just makes this an incredible achievement.
Spirited Away
Visually amazing, and relatable characters, but felt a bit confused overall. More of a ride than a story.
Castle in the Sky
I actually liked this a lot, but it didn't leave a huge impact on me afterwards. Well-made, beautiful, fun romp.
Kiki's Delivery Service ☦
I like it less than I did, but I like it in much the same way as Little Witch Academia. A fun and cozy coming of age tale.
Ponyo
Another dark horse, just a delightful adventure.
The Wind Rises
Another excellent historical drama anime, showing Japan's painful process of modernization before WW2.
Perfect Blue
Incredible, Satoshi Kon is an absolute legend of filmmaking. The mix of complex writing and visuals were stunning to behold.
Porco Rosso
My least favorite Miyazaki movie, which isn't saying much really. Still very charming and enjoyable.
Paprika
More straightforward and lighter subject than Perfect
Logan
A mature, fun action movie with a lot of great themes. Clearly inspired by Westerns.
Apocalypse Now Redux
Finally watched this legendary movie, and while it dragged a bit it truly deserves its reputation.
War for the Planet of the Apes
An okay action movie.
In Bruges
Not much to say really, just a solid, well executed movie.
Training Day
Excellent adventure, the writing and acting built up a ton of suspense.
Operation Red Sea
It was interesting seeing a blatant propaganda piece from a culture different than my own.
Blade
Very fun and goofy with decent action, dripping with late 90's/early 00's style.
13 Hours ☦
I really like the action in this movie, total popcorn action flick for me.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
I never watched these as a kid so I have no affection for them, other than the general cultural influence they have. I was surprised how well it held up. Just solid action, characters, and writing. It wasn't even that culturally insensitive.
The Man With No Name Trilogy
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is an amazing movie, I'm glad to have finally seen it. The others are enjoyable Westerns, a bit slow at times but with great tension, action, and acting.
The Bourne Identity ☦
Still one of my favorite action movies. Less really is more here.
A Clockwork Orange
Visually impressive and well made, but other than that I didn't care too much for it. Maybe it was a time and place thing.
American Psycho
A bit more confused and slow than I wanted, but dripping with tension and subtlety.
Boondock Saints ☦
I knew going back to these movies I loved as a teen would be asking for trouble, but I didn't fully realize how goofy and bad this movie was. Poor writing and total Mary Sues. Still, has some good visual style and competently shot.
City of God
I'm honestly not sure why this movie is so well regarded, it seems fairly average to me, but it was interesting to see a point of view you don't get very often. Maybe it was a time and place thing, or grading on a curve.
Der Untergang
Excellent acting, and a very interesting subject. I think it did the job of humanizing the subject matter, especially late war Germany, without glamorizing or forgiving it.
Spiderman 1-3
Honestly better than I expected. I didn't watch them in their time so I have no nostalgia, and the fight scenes and costumes might be more appropriate on the set of Power Rangers, but the movies are enjoyable with a fun style. Spiderman 3 was not as bad as I was lead to believe, at least not relative to the others.
The Amazing Spiderman
Unlike the Raimi Spiderman movies, there was nothing here to enjoy. Just a boring superhero movie.
Predator (2018)
Yikes. At least there were some funny moments and it wasn't afraid to kill likeable side characters.
Pacific Rim 2
Meh. Felt very phoned-in and way too busy.
Once Upon a Time in America
I was turned on to this movie being a lesser known masterpiece, and I must agree. It was very easy to follow (especially compared to Godfather), and despite the long running time I was engaged throughout the whole movie. It was interesting to see a Jewish mobster film for once, with so many options for Italian mobsters.
John Wick 2
Even more visually stunning than the original, with even better action scenes. Still, hard to beat the pure simplicity of the original.
Jaws
Just like Raiders of the Lost Ark, I was pleasantly surprised how well this held up despite me having no nostalgia for it. Lots of tension, great acting, and more of a serial killer psychological horror than scares.
Lost in Translation
I'm somewhat mixed on this, I enjoyed it and I'm glad I watched it, but didn't really stick with me. I liked the themes and emotions it explored.
Mission Impossible: Fallout
Much like John Wick 2, just a well-made, pure over-the-top action and adventure film.
Narc
All around decent crime drama movie, not much to say here.
Gattaca
Glad I finally got to this, possibly even more prescient in the days of CRISPR, though often abused as a blunt metaphor much like 1984.
Dirty Harry 1-3
The first is clearly the best, and gave me a further appreciation for the goings on at the time, much like Ken Burn's Vietnam and Taxi Driver.
The Mist ☦
I still really appreciate this movie, despite the B movie-ness it covers a lot of interesting ideas and the ending is great.
Girls und Panzer: Der Film
Very fun for a history nerd like me, good animation and action and sprinkled with WW2 easter eggs.

Shows

Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex ☦ & 2nd Gig
Finally got around to re-watching SAC and finishing 2nd GIG, I love police procedurals and the added GiTS elements only makes it better, truly one of my favorite series. I love how the arcs are self-contained to. Re-releasing the original arcs as separate long movies was a smart choice, it flows more naturally.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine S1-2
Consistently funny, though not as creative as Always Sunny.
Goblin Slayer
So-so, I wish it was more consistent.
Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai
Really just Monogatari but toned down and easier to consume. Still good.
Hellsing Ultimate ✠
Great series, I loved the self-contained story and animation. Goofy, but in a very enjoyable way.
Narcos S3
I go back and forth on thinking this was better or worse than the previous seasons, it's just different. Still, I can feel the seams coming undone, the show can easily jump the shark next season.
Stranger Things S2
Meh. Lost a lot of the charm and mystery of the first season.
Altered Carbon S1
A mixed bag, I liked the world building but the story was a bit confused and inconsistent. Doesn't help that different actors played the same characters due to the body swapping nature of the story. Maybe this didn't translate well?
Godless S1
Huge slump in the middle, but enjoyable enough. I don't think I'd be interested in a S2.
The Punisher S1
Excellent action, good overall but a few missteps. I think the show would be better if Frank Castle wasn't the main character, but more of a force of nature that shows up. This is what made him incredible in Daredevil
Bojack Horseman ✠
Very smart, funny, and relatable. Loved every season.
Halt and Catch Fire ✠
So-so. I enjoyed my time with it, but I wish there was more focus on the tech as opposed to the drama, but startups are inherently dramatic. Still, I felt like they kept the story going well and the ending felt good.
Gravity Falls ✠
Excellent little cartoon, being two solid seasons long to represent a summer adventure was perfect.
Hannibal ✠
Great story, suspense, and characters in the beginning, but it was impossible to maintain the suspense in a logical way for too long. Jumped the shark in the end, but they ended it shortly afterwards.
Band of Brothers ☦✠
I've seen this a few times, once when I was far too young to understand and once before I became a history buff, and now I appreciate it even more. Rivaled only by Saving Private Ryan in depictions of war, imo.
Curb Your Enthusiasm ✠
Amazingly funny, the actors do an incredible job creating ridiculous and funny scenarios that are still relatable.
Parks and Recreation ✠
Funny and enjoyable, ended maybe a bit after it should have.
Seinfeld ✠
I didn't watch the whole thing, but I wanted to watch a large chunk of Seinfeld after watching Curb Your Enthusiasm, plus it's such a cultural touchstone. Still very funny and obviously inspired so many shows.
Ken Burns The Vietnam War ✠
Incredible, this is my first Ken Burn's documentary and I'm so glad I watched it. I now feel much more informed about the war and the situation surrounding it. I look forward to his Civil War series now.
Twin Peaks S3
Incredible that this exists and it's so good, following perfectly in the footsteps of the original. I'm glad I finally watched the original series and experienced this.
FLCL Progressive
It's alright, I'm glad I saw it and that it exists but it's impossible to follow-up the original. I wish they tried a bit harder though!
Yuru Camp/Laid-Back Camp ✠
As the name implies, just a very comfy anime, and even somewhat educational! Watching it really gives me the urge to go camping.
Aggretsuko ✠
Charming and relatable, I hope to see more anime that features young professionals as opposed to teenagers, like this and New Game.
Darling in the Franxx ✠
Good buildup and story that absolutely bungles everything, with no payoff. I'm glad I saw it because otherwise I wouldn't believe how much of a mess it became.
New Game S1-2 ✠
Enjoyable as someone who works in software and with creative people.
Kemono Friends ✠
Just silly and fun characters, but surprisingly engaging mystery. The CGI was very charming.
Youjo Senki/Saga of Tanya the Evil ✠
Love it to bits, the fantasy WW1 setting is very interesting, plus great characters. Tanya's mixture of cute and crazy faces, plus her ruthlessness give me chills. I plan to start reading the books and eagerly await S2.
Magical Girl Raising Project ✠
Decent imitation of a Gen Urobuchi show, glad I watched it but no real impact.
Girls und Panzer ✠
Same as the movie above.

Dropped

Not much to say for these individually, they all just failed to grasp me or keep me watching, and I have more enjoyable ways to spend my limited time. Biggest disappointments were The Expanse, Steins;Gate, and Westworld since I enjoyed the previous seasons.

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