Paddington 2 (2017)

IMDb plot summary: Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.

Directed by Paul King. Starring Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, and Hugh Bonneville.

Paddington 2 is the sequel to 2014's Paddington, and in this installment of Paddington's life with the Browns, he finds himself framed for an antique store theft, so he works to transform the jail from within while the Brown family searches for the real thief on the outside. This is definitely more fun than the first film, with more fun characters and adventures, better jokes, and one surprisingly wonderful musical number. Watching this and Dungeons & Dragons back to back, I am fully on board with Hugh Grant entering his villain era as an actor. The supporting cast as a whole is just much stronger than it is in the first, and I find it much easier to be charmed by the adventures than I did previously. This is a weird analogy maybe, but it reminds me of the best Muppets movies in its vibe and how it structures its story. I'm still anti-franchises and I'd still rather have only one film in the Paddington franchise, I'd just rather it be this one.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Paddington 2 > A Silent Voice

Paddington 2 > Key Largo

Paddington 2 < The People Under the Stairs

Paddington 2 > Spencer

Paddington 2 > Down With Love

Paddington 2 < Pink Floyd the Wall

Paddington 2 > Regarding Henry

Paddington 2 > I've Loved You So Long

Paddington 2 < In the Loop

Paddington 2 > Lawrence of Arabia

Paddington 2 < Tomboy

Paddington 2 > Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Final spot: #572 out of 4005, or 86%.

Paddington (2014)

IMDb plot summary: A young Peruvian bear travels to London in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone at Paddington Station, he meets the kindly Brown family, who offer him a temporary haven.

Directed by Paul King. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, and Julie Walters.

Paddington is based on the children's book about a young bear from Peru who comes to live with a family in London. In the film version, Paddington is staying with a family called the Browns as he searches for the British explorer who first made contact with his bear family. This has been on my to-watch list for a very long time, particularly on the strength of my friends' recommendations. While I didn't love it quite as much as many of them did, it is a charming little movie. Ben Whishaw as Paddington captures the perfect amount of innocent formal politeness, and it makes his character immediately endearing. The supporting cast of Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, and the rest of the Browns is also pretty sweet, although I don't feel as much of an immediate affinity with them. And I'm much less interested in the subplot with Nicole Kidman as a villain -- her story feels like a bland distraction to the core of the story. Overall, though, it's a pleasant movie and a nice way to spend an afternoon, if not life-changing.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Paddington > The Call

Paddington < Elf

Paddington > Flight of the Navigator

Paddington > Seven Chances

Paddington > Florence Foster Jenkins

Paddington < Creature from the Black Lagoon

Paddington > How to Train Your Dragon

Paddington > Borrowed Wives

Paddington < Wolf

Paddington > Carefree

Paddington < The Song of Lunch

Paddington > The Pirate Movie

Final spot: #1323 out of 4006, or 67%.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

IMDb plot summary: The story involves Maverick confronting his past while training a group of younger Top Gun graduates, including the son of his deceased best friend, for a dangerous mission.

Directed by Joseph Kosinski. Starring Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, and Miles Teller.

Top Gun: Maverick is a sequel to the 1980s war drama Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise as a hotshot fighter pilot. Here, it's decades later, and Cruise is brought back to teach the next generation of fighter pilots and get them through a near-impossible mission. When I got this movie assigned to me in my 40 to 4K challenge, I think I literally said out loud, "Ugh, I can't believe they're going to make me watch this one." Probably an overreaction, but I wasn't a fan of the original Top Gun and have an aversion to sequels, so chances are this wasn't going to fare well. It went about as well as it possible could, which is... it was fine. As is the case with most franchises, it leans too heavily on the emotional beats of the original for me to be fully invested when I didn't remember the original. The flying scenes look good, for sure, and were probably the most interesting thing about the film overall. Most of the emotional beats don't land for me, but it is a fun high-energy action movie for a good chunk of the film, and that's interesting enough to watch. Like most sequels, it's a challenge to review because even during good moments, it just feels unnecessary, but at least I can say I've seen this now!

How it entered my Flickchart:

Top Gun: Maverick < The Call

Top Gun: Maverick > I Am Number Four

Top Gun: Maverick > Legends of the Fall

Top Gun: Maverick > You'll Never Get Rich

Top Gun: Maverick > Strawberry and Chocolate

Top Gun: Maverick < Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Top Gun: Maverick < Nine Queens

Top Gun: Maverick < To Be or Not to Be (1942)

Top Gun: Maverick > A Delicate Balance

Top Gun: Maverick > The Trial

Top Gun: Maverick < Malignant

Top Gun: Maverick > Fatherhood

Final spot: #2117 out of 4009, or 47%.

Blink Twice (2024)

IMDb plot summary: When tech billionaire Slater King meets cocktail waitress Frida at his fundraising gala, he invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. As strange things start to happen, Frida questions her reality.

Directed by Zoë Kravitz. Starring Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, and Alia Shawkat.

Blink Twice stars Zoe Kravitz as a food service waiter who finds herself somehow invited to party with a billionaire and his friends at their remote private island retreat. Everything is great, until she starts to realize that maybe it isn't. I'm a big fan of this emerging horror genre that is basically "rich white jerks get what's coming to them" -- it's very satisfying, and this one is a fun addition to the genre. The mystery is paced well, so even though I knew something was wrong, I couldn't figure out exactly what it was until it was actually revealed, which was nice. Channing Tatum is often more interesting than I think he's going to be -- I should start remembering I like him -- and that's definitely the case here, as his rich playboy philanthropist character starts unraveling. And it was, as expected, a very satisfying ending that has a great sense of poetic justice. Definitely worth watching.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Blink Twice > A Silent Voice

Blink Twice < Key Largo

Blink Twice > Flight of the Navigator

Blink Twice > Seven Chances

Blink Twice > Auntie Mame

Blink Twice > Zoolander

Blink Twice > The Game

Blink Twice < The Menu

Blink Twice > Barbie

Blink Twice < Pariah

Blink Twice < Leaving Las Vegas

Blink Twice < Teen Beach Movie

Final spot: #1026 out of 4013, or 74%.

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

IMDb plot summary: A coming of RAGE love story about a teenager and her crush, who happens to be a corpse. After a set of horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a journey to find love, happiness - and a few missing body parts.

Directed by Zelda Williams. Starring Kathryn Newton, Liza Soberano, and Jenna Davis.

Lisa Frankenstein tells the story of a teenage girl in the 80s who finds herself unexpectedly resurrecting a dead body, and then doing whatever it takes to supply him with fresh body parts so he can be as good as new. I wanted this to be so much better than it was. The concept is delightfully weird, but it's not as deliberately funny or as over-the-top as I'd like it to be until the very end. Our lead character is self-centered in a very unpleasant way -- I actually found myself most intrigued by the character of her stepsister, who has good intentions but is usually insensitive by accident. The last quarter of the movie finally finds the right combination of macabre and humor, and it is by far the most enjoyable piece, but it's a really uneven ride up to that point. It's a fun concept that I wanted to like a lot more than I ultimately did.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Lisa Frankenstein < The Call

Lisa Frankenstein < On the Waterfront

Lisa Frankenstein > Julia

Lisa Frankenstein > Meet the Parents

Lisa Frankenstein > The Cheap Detective

Lisa Frankenstein > Queen Margot

Lisa Frankenstein > The Killing

Lisa Frankenstein > Purple Hearts

Lisa Frankenstein > Zorba the Greek

Lisa Frankenstein < The Third Man

Lisa Frankenstein > Definitely, Maybe

Final spot: #3014 out of 4012, or 25%.

MaXXXine (2024)

IMDb plot summary: In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.

Directed by Ti West. Starring Charley Rowan McCain, Simon Prast, and Mia Goth.

MaXXXine is the third in Ti West's horror trilogy, which also includes X and Pearl. We follow one of the actresses from the first film trying to break into Hollywood, distance herself from her past, and avoid the serial killer that's taking down women. I have only seen X, but was under the impression that the three mostly stood alone, though this one definitely doesn't. It's a narrative and emotional throughline from X, and since I didn't really care for or remember it, a lot of this fell flat. Mia Goth is a very engaging actress, but this is the least interesting performance I've seen from her in a long time. I've heard that Pearl is the best of the three, so I suppose I'll have actually watch that one at some point, but this was a disappointment. 

How it entered my Flickchart:

MaXXXine < Can't Hardly Wait

MaXXXine > I Am Number Four

MaXXXine < Wordplay

MaXXXine > The High and the Mighty

MaXXXine > Red Notice

MaXXXine > I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore

MaXXXine < Mongol

MaXXXine > Dr. No

MaXXXine < Fun and Fancy Free

MaXXXine < For Your Consideration

MaXXXine > Adam

MaXXXine > Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

Final spot: #2548 out of 4008, or 36%.

Erin Brockovich (2000)

IMDb plot summary: A flamboyant law firm secretary works tirelessly to gain justice for a small town wrecked by a utility company's pollution.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, and David Brisbin.

Erin Brockovich is based on a true story about an administrative assistant for a legal firm who discovers that all the residents of a particular neighborhood might be suffering from decades-long chemical contamination... and their utilities company knew about it and lied to them. This is a film I absolutely should have seen long before now, and after watching it I think it does deserve the attention it got, particularly in Julia Roberts' leading performance. The character is seriously flawed -- impulsive, defensive, and always unnecessarily escalating conflict -- but that is also exactly what makes her a good advocate for the people seeking compensation for what was done to them. The pacing of the mystery is well-done. It's impressive that Soderbergh was able to set up so much tension around something as mundane as getting the right amount of signatures. The scenes with Aaron Eckhart as the next-door neighbor she starts dating are helpful for fleshing out the character as a whole, but I did find them to be the least interesting part of the movie by far. Overall, this was a good watch that hits basically all the right emotional beats, and Roberts is fantastic. Glad I finally watched it!

How it entered my Flickchart:

Erin Brockovich > The Call

Erin Brockovich > Elf

Erin Brockovich < The People Under the Stairs

Erin Brockovich < Spencer

Erin Brockovich < Kismet

Erin Brockovich < The African Queen

Erin Brockovich > Finian's Rainbow

Erin Brockovich > Sherlock Jr.

Erin Brockovich > Hannah and Her Sisters

Erin Brockovich > Children of Men

Erin Brockovich > The Paper

Erin Brockovich > Mixed Nuts

Final spot: #940 out of 4007, or 77%.