Joker Posted December 31, 2016 Share Posted December 31, 2016 First bad movie on the list is Batman v. Superman, everything below that I would consider bad. Everything above it I would consider good. Enjoy La La Land Arrival Rogue One The Nice Guys Hacksaw Ridge Nocturnal Animals Manchester by the Sea The Witch 10 Cloverfield Lane Don't Breathe Moonlight Sausage Party Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Silence Hell or High Water Fences Kubo and the Two Strings Edge of Seventeen American Honey Captain America: Civil War Sing Street Everybody Wants Some Deadpool Star Trek Beyond Lights Out Zootopia The Jungle Book Elle A Monster Calls Green Room Train to Busan The Handmaiden Don't Think Twice Hunt for the Wilderpeople Captain Fantastic Finding Dory The Lobster X-Men: Apocalypse The Shallows Patriots Day Toni Erdmann Snowden Deepwater Horizon Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk Hidden Figures Paterson The Conjuring 2 Sully Swiss Army Man Lion Eye in the Sky Hail Caesar The Girl on the Train The Accountant Doctor Strange Allied Kung fu Panda 3 Moana Jackie Miss Sloane Denial Julieta Gleason Love and Friendship The Little Prince Storks Knight of Cups Bleed for This Keanu A Bigger Splash Midnight Special Money Monster Magnificent Seven Jason Bourne Bridget Jones' Baby Ouija: Origin of Evil Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Pete's Dragon The BFG Hardcore Henry Miles Ahead Loving Queen of Katwe Indignation Our Kind of Traitor Morris from America The Meddler Neighbors 2 The Man Who Knew Infinity Eddie the Eagle Sing Café Society Anthropoid Nerve Ghostbusters Barbershop: The Next Cut Live by Night 13 Hours Triple 9 Demolition Elvis and Nixon The Neon Demon Blair Witch The Infiltrator Southside with You Office Christmas Party Central Intelligence Angry Birds Kevin Hart: What Now? The Purge: Election Year Bad Moms Passengers Now You See Me 2 (unintentional comedy) Gods of Egypt (unintentional comedy) Batman v. Superman (unintentional comedy, but less so than Gods of Egypt) The Huntsman: Winter's War (unintentional comedy) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 20th Century Women Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Secret Life of Pets Why Him? Trolls Middle School: Worst Years of My Life Florence Foster Jenkins Mr. Church American Pastoral The Birth of a Nation Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Equals I Saw the Light The Finest Hours A Hologram for the King The Light Between Oceans Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 Warcraft Inferno Assassin's Creed Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Suicide Squad Batman: The Killing Joke How to be Single Legend of Tarzan Zoolander 2 Almost Christmas Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie Morgan The 5th Wave The Boss The Boy London Has Fallen Keeping up with the Joneses Rules Don't Apply Masterminds Alice Through the Looking Glass My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Criminal Mechanic: Resurrection The Other Side of the Door Bad Santa 2 Risen Race Ben-Hur Boo! A Madea Halloween Incarnate Hands of Stone Sea of Trees Jane Got a Gun Free State of Jones Ice Age: Collision Course Ride Along 2 The Forest The Brothers Grimsby The Darkness Dirty Grandpa The Choice The Young Messiah The Wild Life Ratchet and Clank When the Bough Breaks Hello, My Name is Doris Miracles from Heaven Allegiant Cell Pride and Prejudice and Zombies The Perfect Match The Bronze The Masked Saint Regression The Bounce Back Disappointments Room Hillsong - Let Hope Rise Me Before You Mother's Day Meet the Blacks Shut In Yoga Hosers Believe Max Steel God's Not Dead 2 Fifty Shades of Black I'm Not Ashamed Norm of the North Nine Lives Hillary's America Collateral Beauty Independence Day: Resurgence (yes, it's that bad) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SG19 Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 How were Secret Life of Pets and Fantastic Beasts worse than Batman vs. Superman? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katniss Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 (edited) Adios, 2016. One could certainly talk about more pressing reasons why the year was bad, such as world events, but I’m here to complain about the bad music. There were definitely some good songs, which will be evidenced by my best list, but a lot of the hits this year were so unpleasant or downright boring to listen to. I’m not saying everything has to be fun, upbeat party music, but would’ve it been so bad to lighten up a little? Anyway, it’s 2017 now, and I’m ready to wash my hands of these crappy songs. Strap in as I rant about my opinions on the worst hit songs of 2016. Before we get the main show started, here’s some dishonorable mentions. This list of songs that didn't make the bottom 10 actually used to be longer than it was right now. That's really telling to the quality of music this year. "Down in the DM (remix)" - Yo Gotti feat. Nicki Minaj You know how some shows shoehorn references to social media in their plots? This feels like the musical equivalent of that. Doesn’t help matters that “I tell her, Snapchat me that pussy, mood/Or Facetime me that pussy if it’s, cool” is probably one of the most cringeworthy song lyrics I’ve heard in 2016. Nicki brings a bit more fire with her verse, but it’s still got it’s problems. Man, this song sounds so lifeless. And the thing is that I’ve heard better from Yo Gotti this year. Law is a catchy jam with decent lyrics. But sadly, the songs you want to get popular almost never do. “Pop Style” - Drake feat. The Throne When I heard that Drake, Kanye, and Jay-Z were releasing a song together, I couldn’t help but get a little hyped. Leave it to this song to dash my hopes as soon as I got them up. Drake’s lines are so lackluster (“got so many chains they call me Chaining Tatum”) and he sounds positively bored. Kanye’s not that great either, and Jay-Z barely even says anything on the track. Instead of popping with energy, this song just fizzles out. “Die a Happy Man” - Thomas Rhett Ugh, I can’t believe this atrocious Ed Sheeran rip-off song got popular enough to make the year-end list. Thomas Rhett keeps listing off stuff he might never get to do, but as long as he’s got his woman, he’ll die a happy man. Dude, who’s stopping you from doing these things or even bringing her with you? And why do you love this girl anyway, besides the fact that she looks sexy in red and black dresses? Every line out of this guy’s mouth makes me want to roll my eyes. And that look in your eyes and that Marvin Gaye Between you and that Charlie Puth/Meghan Trainor duet last year, I never want to hear another mediocre white singer mention Marvin Gaye in a song ever again. “Hands to Myself” - Selena Gomez Oh Selena, why? I defended you last year with Good For You, and I liked Same Old Love as well. But not even I can sign off on this. I know you’re trying to sound sensual with those breathy vocals but it just isn’t working. That’s almost as bad as the yelping on the pre-chorus (“all of the downs and the UPPERS keep making love to each OTHER”). This song does nothing for me, whether I pay attention to the lyrics or not. “One Dance” - Drake feat. Wizkid and Kyla Ladies and gentlemen, this is your 2016 Song of the Summer...somehow. Drake must’ve taken a sleeping pill before he got into the recording studio. That’s the only way I can explain his lack of energy on this track. Can you at least try to infuse some energy? As for Wizkid and Kyla, their parts near the end of the song are utterly unremarkable. A song inspired by reggae and dancehall should be a hell of a lot more engaging than this. “White Iverson” - Post Malone By the lyrics you can tell this is a typical brag rap song, but it’s devoid of the typical bombast, energy, and fun that makes some songs of that genre interesting. The hook is dull and his singing isn’t great, to put it frankly. This song sounds like such a drag to me. Now, ready or not, it’s time to tackle my bottom 10: Spoiler 10. I Hate U, I Love U" - Gnash feat. Olivia O'Brien I can dig a good “I broke up with you and I miss you” song. But this is...not good. Gnash and Olivia O’Brien don’t sound like they’re torn up about the relationship ending at all. If anything, they’re just operating in a bored mode the entire time. And if neither of them can act like they care, then why should I be invested in the story of the song? I’ve never heard of Gnash or Olivia O’Brien before, and “I Hate U, I Love U” doesn’t leave me with a good first impression of the two of them. What a depressing slog of a song. Spoiler 9. "H.O.L.Y." - Florida Georgia Line I used to despise country music, but in recent years I’ve warmed to it somewhat. Johnny Cash is a classic and on a more contemporary note, Kasey Musgraves is pretty damn good. However, bro-country is something I’ll never get around to liking--case proved in point by the latest piece of dreck served up by Florida Georgia Line. “High on loving you?” Ugh, how ridiculous. The rest of the lyrics are just cringey. “We’ll be touching heaven?” “You’re my ecstasy?” Come on. You can’t use all this religious symbolism (which sounds ridiculous when talking about this one girl) and then just jump to the tired “your love is my drug” theme with being high on love and comparing the girl to ecstasy. This sounds beyond cheesy and isn’t even interestingly bad like “Cruise” and “This Is How We Roll.” Spoiler 8. "Treat You Better" - Shawn Mendes *sighs* Hello again, Shawn Mendes. I thought Stitches was bad but you managed to do even worse in my eyes this year with “Treat You Better” so...congratulations? Not only has his singing gotten worse--he sounds incredibly whiny, and the way he enunciates “better than he can” is awful”--but the lyrics instead are incredibly lame. Shawn Mendes is playing the role of a Nice Guy “gentleman” who believes he can, well, treat this girl better than the boyfriend she’s currently with. A boyfriend who we get zero info on regarding why he doesn’t treat this girl right, by the way. And it rubs me the wrong way that Mendes says “you should be with me instead.” How do we even know this girl is into you like you’re into her? It’s such a boring, annoying, generic song. Spoiler 7. “Don’t Mind” - Kent Jones As I listened to this song for the first time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d heard something like this before… Oh yeah, we already have a song about a smug guy who brags about having sex with girls from all around the world. At least Talk Dirty had a rockin’ sax to keep me from loathing the song too much. Don’t Mind doesn’t have those kinds of redeeming factors. So the chorus shows him interacting with different women in various languages. I guess that’s a cool touch, but I call bull on the fact that he loves them all. Oh, but the worst part? These lines right here: She said she got a man keep it on the low I said he don’t speak English, fuck he gon' say So it’s okay for her to cheat because her boyfriend doesn’t speak English and therefore Kent Jones won’t understand what he’s saying. That has got to be one of the flimsiest excuses I’ve ever heard. She from Africa but she fucks me like she Haitian Ass black, but the eyes looking Asian Is this supposed to mean something? Maybe he’s trying to come across as “cultured” but it just sounds like he’s just throwing different cultures together. Do...do people from Haiti have sex differently than people from Africa? Never mind, if I think about it too hard I’ll get a migraine. And I haven’t even talked about the incorporation of Barry White’s “Practice What You Preach” in the chorus. I have no issues with sampling, interpolation, and all that...when it’s done well. It doesn’t seem to make sense in the context of this song, especially since Kent Jones hasn’t exactly been monogamous here. Anyway, this song is stupid and I’m done talking about it. Adios, sayonara, and arrivederci. Spoiler 6. "Cake by the Ocean" - DNCE At first, I thought this was going to be a good song. It opens up with a funky bass riff that makes you want to groove. And I thought, “Hey, maybe this’ll be all right.” ...And then Joe Jonas decided to open his mouth and sing lyrics. I can’t remember if Joe’s voice was this annoying when he was singing as part of the Jonas Brothers, but I am not a fan of what he’s doing here, especially on the chorus. If you can’t go high, don’t go high, dude. I honestly didn’t know this song was about having sex when I first heard it. DNCE tries too hard with the cake metaphors and makes this song markedly unsexy. I cringe whenever Joe Jonas says “You’re fucking delicious.” Too much info, man. And the reference to Diddy and Naomi Campbell that’s shoved into the chorus seems weird and unnecessary---like, of all the couples you could’ve chosen, why them? Oh you don’t want this cake, Mr. Ratburn. Trust me. Spoiler 5. “Pillowtalk” - Zayn So this is Zayn’s first single after spreading his wings and flying away from One Direction. I wasn’t expecting a masterpiece, but I certainly didn’t think it was gonna sound like this. I don’t know where to begin. Technically, it’s a song, but it feels more like a patchwork quilt of music that was haphazardly put together.Despite the obvious sexual references to being in bed and fucking (oh yeah, Zayn is a big boy now and can curse in his songs! Oooo) I don’t feel like this song is sexy. Zayn said in an interview, “The actual intent of the song is even though you have great times in a relationship, you have really bad times as well but that's what makes it worthwhile because you learn things and you go through experiences that bring you closer together." ...I didn’t get that message from the song at all. What I got was that you and your girlfriend stay in bed, have sex and fight, and piss off your neighbors? This barely gives me any insight into the relationship. This is a noisy, nothing of a song and it’s a shame that this was the single from Zayn to get hot when he has a better song in Like I Would. Now that’s a straight-up banger. Hopefully Zayn truly grows as an artist with time, because even though Pillowtalk is supposedly a more mature sound for him, it’s not doing anything for me. Spoiler 4. “Work From Home” - Fifth Harmony feat. Ty Dolla $ign I think it’s time for me to face facts: I’m not crazy about Fifth Harmony. Even though I lowkey kinda like All In My Head (Flex). I decided to try and be open-minded about them, but holy crap is Work From Home a bad song. The nicest thing I can say about this is that at least Ty Dolla $ign’s guest verse is more competent and has more personality than Kid Ink’s spot on Worth It, even though it’s still not great. The premise of this song is incredibly stupid to me. So the girls are bored at home and tell their man that instead of going to his job, he can “put in work” in the bedroom. And cue the lame work-based references! The girls are decent singers, except for Camila, who I unfortunately have to hear at the very beginning of the song and on the chorus. (Welp, at least Camila is leaving the group so we don’t have to worry about her on their next hit.) I’d take Rihanna’s “Work” over this. Heck, I’d take Iggy Azalea’s “Work” over this. But Work From Home? To borrow from its well of songwriting, this song is fired. Spoiler 3. “Hide Away” - Daya Some young performers are really talented. Look at Lorde. She was 16 when she wrote the songs for and recorded Pure Heroine. Though the songs on the album deal a lot with being a teenager and the ups and downs of youth, they’re written in a mature and profound way that I can appreciate. I cannot say the same for Daya’s Hide Away. She moans about “the good boys” and assumes that the majority of guys are dicks who like girls who are vapid bimbos. This is the kind of crap that would make me roll my eyes even if I was back in my high school days like Daya. She makes a lot of assumptions about what girls like and what boys like, and maybe some of that is true, but you can’t assume everyone is like it. The idea that all the good boys are “hiding” somewhere is just silly to me. Add in inane lines like “To be fly as a mother” (I can tell that this was written by adults trying to sound cool) and Daya’s not-so-great vocals here, and this just frustrates me. Can someone hide this song somewhere so I never have to hear it again? Spoiler 2. “7 Years” - Lukas Graham I can appreciate the fact that this song tried to tell a story about something (*side eyes Pillowtalk*) but boy, what a lousy story it tells. So the lead singer talks about his life at various ages. Sounds like an interesting idea, right? Well it would be if he said anything interesting. What we learn is that his mom told him to make friends, his dad told him to go get a wife (why would you tell that to your 11-year-old?), his “story gets told” at 20, and the rest is just speculation about his later life. But he doesn’t touch upon any significant moments that changes his life. I still don’t feel like I know much about him as a person. And when he’s not half-assing his life story, he’s stroking his own ego and sounding pretentious. Something about that glory just always seemed to bore me Cause only those I really love will ever really know me I only see my goals, I don't believe in failure His voice is annoying, the lyrics are annoying, and that random snippet of "LUKAS GRAHAAM" is annoying. Lukas Graham, Lukas Graham, I do not like them, Sam I Am. I used to be sure that my pick for #2 would be the worst song of 2016. It sounds pretty terrible. I’ve heard my share of crap this year, but nothing seemed like it could top it. But then! Then I heard this...and it left such a bad taste in my mouth. I knew that as lousy as my #2 was, at least it wasn’t this. Spoiler 1. "Me Too” - Meghan Trainor There’s nothing wrong with writing a song about feeling self-confident. In fact, Demi Lovatos Confident was one of my favorite songs of 2015 (put a strikethrough here) that didn’t chart. However, Meghan Trainor crosses the line from confident to smug, especially on the chorus, where she sounds downright irritating. “If I was you, I’d wanna be me too?” Um, I’m content with being myself, thanks. It doesn’t help that she hammers in this line again and again and again and AGAIN. The main verses aren’t much better. I’ll just leave these here: What's that icy thang hangin' 'round my neck? That's gold, show me some respect My life's a movie, Tom Cruise So bless me, baby, achoo If you’re gonna brag about yourself, at least have it make sense. This song reeks of a girl who thinks she’s the absolute shit. Now I’m not saying to go the Katy Perry and Rachel Platten routes and write a boring self-empowerment song, but it’s hard to enjoy a song when 90% of it is saying how if she was in someone else’s shoes, she’d rather be Meghan Trainor. Her attitude is so arrogant and off-putting, and it's coupled with some rather weak production to boot. Dear Future Husband is a worse song that promotes worse ideas, but at least she didn’t sound this bad. So there you have it, folks. My worst of the worst. *wipes brow* I'm glad I'm done with this trash so I can focus on the gems that 2016 brought us. Edited January 2, 2017 by Katniss 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 2, 2017 Share Posted January 2, 2017 4 hours ago, HelloMisterSpringtime said: How were Secret Life of Pets and Fantastic Beasts worse than Batman vs. Superman? I thought both of these were kind of underwhelming and mediocre. Batman v. Superman at least had some unintentional comedy I could enjoy in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoBibbles Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 tfw my 2015 best tv list BUT IT'LL CHANGE IN THIS YEAR'S LIST. Maybe. Well, it's that time of the year. 2016 may be a really bad year globally but if there's one thing, TV continues to be incredibly strong. Although I could say that in every year because we have so much variety of tv shows that people put their creativity in it and we love them to death but still I'm impressed with getting new excellent shows, while other shows we loved continue to be strong. Sadly I kind of failed at watching just as much tv shows as you guys do this year AGAIN. Infact lets get these out of the way. I still haven't seen Better Call Saul and American Crime Story and I haven't seen anyting past season 2 of Brooklyn Nine Nine because I'm still lazy to binge watch sometimes and I have exams in my way, so those shows aren't gonna be on the list, DON'T MURDER ME. I could check those shows out but tbh I just want this to be out of the way, so I can focus more on my movie list this year. Hopefully you can all forgive me and like this list. Thankfully I saw more shows in 2016, so I'm proud of this and hope to see more shows in 2017. Before I get into the list, here are some HONORABLE MENTIONS Spoiler South Park (Comedy Central): I really did not want to include this one on honorable mentions list because like a lot of people, I had issues with this season. It was so overplotted to the point, everything fell apart at the end and I knew that would happen and I'm still disappointed. Even to the point, I just want them to go back to being episodic because it's clear in this season that Matt and Trey had hard time with these story arcs, even one episode of this season pointed that out. It worked (almost) in season 19 because episodes were still on their own themes, while it set up PC arc and even tho that also ended up not so well (ignore what I said about finale on my last year list), I still thought the episodes stood on their own and I loved it. Here, it hitted 5 same themes and it got a bit overkill and less funnier than season 19 but I still think this season was fun enough. I loved memberberries, I loved what they did with election plot (until they wrote it off), Kyle was amazing and Ike was funnier than he ever was before and Randy was smart. There were just enough good for me in this season to include it on honorable mentions at least but seriously, I just hope either they find a way to do these story arcs well and end them well or just go back to basicls. Also MORE KENNY PLEASE. SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon): Ah I add this show on honorable mentions again. Why am I doing this? Seriously, I really think season 9.2 ended up being really good, I call season 9 as a whole the best season since season 4. Yes, what I said negativily about these new episodes is still there. To add one more negative thought, I feel like I miss more dialogue humor. Not because I want this show to be like first three seasons but I feel like slapstick can be a bit overdone and I wanna see more clever jokes from what comes out of the characters. Still I'm pretty much impressed with most of the episodes in 2016. The crew continues to bring new premises to the table, the episodes are just fun to sit through, characters are likeable. I'm so glad to the fact it was just great to see more episodes this year but hiatuses still suck lel. I'm glad I like this show again. New era is still not that great to me and I don't think everyone who doesn't like this show anymore will like these new episodes but it's definitely a huge improvement over season 6-8. Trust me. The Venture Bros (Adult Swim): Oh man, this show that I still like it but not love it but I really think season 6 was mostly so good. Unlike South Park, I think this show is capable of pulling off a huge story arc well. Although I know some fans aren't too happy with this, I still got a good enjoyment out of this season. Well then why isn't this on the list? Because it was just 8 episodes and story arc of this season hasn't been finished yet, yeah. It's not even that this season ended on a cliffhanger. It ended just there with a pretty weird random episode. Despite that episode was decent enough, I'm so disappointed that we won't see the conclusion of this in 2-3 years because you know, the hiatuses of this show are some of the longest in tv history to me. I don't even know why this season was kept so short. I didn't mind season 5 being short cuz it didn't have a story arc to be focused but this season was a new direction for the show, I'm let down with number of the episodes. I just hope it'll be worth it whenever this show returns. Until then, well, idk. Adventure Time (Cartoon Network): I do not regret for putting just "The Stakes" on my 2015 list and sadly AT is not on the list again but It's definitely on honorable mentions. Season 7 is such an improvement over so-so season 5 and 6. Granted I still feel like the show is slowly recovering from season 5 and 6 but episodes like "Crossover", "The Hall of Egress", "Broke His Crown", "Beyond the Grotto", "The Music Hole" and "Daddy-Daughter Card Wars" were definitely fantastic and the whole story involving Finn's sword was definitely interesting and I'm so happy Finn's more fleshed out this season. And the really amazing season finale called Preboot/Reboot really shows that the show is moving forward with it's stories and I couldn't be more satisfied. As a bonus, the season ended up being mostly silly "fun" to me. So nice to feel early season vibes and hopefully that'll continue in season 8-9 and the new miniseries. So good to be back in form, Adventure Time. Legends of Tomorrow (The CW): This show is just freaking awesome and there's so much to be talked about. At first season 1 was pretty flawed. Hawkgirl was just an uninteresting character, Hawkguy didn't even stick around so much for having a characterization and Savage was such a bland villain. It sucks cuz those three were the ones that set up the show (remember Arrow and Flash crossover episodes in 2015?) and Rip Hunter himself was such an hypocrite and harsh leader to the team sometimes. Thankfully they replaced Hawks with better characters, Nate and Vixen (Vixen from 40s, not Vixen in that online show on CW Seed) and Savage was replaced by Reverse Flash and Damien Darhk and Rip's character was put to rest until next episode and Sara became team leader. Seriously, the changes they made with the show impressed me and now this show has become the most fun DCCW show ever (not the best, we'll get into that soon) and characters we loved from Flash and Arrow are better than they ever before and Mick Rory, whom I didn't give a crap in Flash, is the best character in the show. The show is still far away from perfect but in the end, this is definitely a great fun to my eyes. Ash vs Evil Dead (Starz): All of Evil Dead fans should just see this show asap. As a fan of original trilogy, this became on par with the original. I loved first season last year and second season was also great. They continue to develop Ash's character; while I continue to love Kelly, Pablo and Ruby on this show. Sadly, there's only one thing that kept me put this one on honorable mentions and that's the season finale. It really ended on a stupid cliched ending that really made me scratch my head. The reason for this season to end this poorly is that there were some disagreements around the staff, so the snowrunner of this show left the show and now the future of this show is so unsure. Although his planus for ending of this season is weird but honestly I'd take that over such a messy and cheesy ending. I just hope the show won't jump the shark because of this disagreement. I still love this show and I don't wanna be disappointed by the next season. Luke Cage (Netflix): This is kind of an controversial choice here because I did really like this first season of Luke Cage and I still stand by it. Did I overrate it? Yeah, I did. Jessica Jones season 1 is still the best thing from Marvel Netflix and I agree that second half did not match to first half but still I think it did a good job at developing it's characters, especially Misty and making me invested in more of Luke's backstory. Heck, unpopular opinion, Diamondback was fun to me, he wasn't as compelling as Cottonmouth but I just enjoyed him as over the top and cheesy villain for Luke. This is not the best superhero show of 2016 but it's still worth to check it out imo. Supergirl (The CW): Yep, this is definitely the best show out of all DCCW shows. Sorry LOT, Flash and Arrow (I'd love to add this show just for how I'm amazed with first half of season 5 but second half of season 4 hurts so much, I couldn't) but Supergirl's the shit. I'd also say it's the most improved show of DCCW because seriously first couple of season 1 were just trying too much and just forcing some of it's messages but later on, season 1 got better for me and it has become just an optimistic, cheesy and fun superhero show that Flash failed to do in it's latter season 2 episodes and first half of season 3 imo. Even then, season 1 still had issues but as a whole, I thought it was just so much fun. And season 2, while it also has some flaws here and there, they are less than season 1 and the show definitely matured more but also kept it's energy. I loved how they have been dealing with it's themes in season 2 and Chris Wood as Mon-El is just a sexy and funny addition to this show. I'm so impressed with the improvement of this season and hopefully latter episodes of season 2 will be even more amazing. Mr. Robot (USA): WAIT WAIT WAIT THE SHOW THAT WAS #1 IN YOUR BEST SHOW OF 2015 LIST ISN'T ON 2016'S LIST? HOW? Here's the thing. I still loved what I've seen from second season, I really did. This is definitely a season of Mr. Robot, which divided fans. Some enjoyed, some got annoyed. For me, I thought it started off slowly due to introducing us more characters and world building around it but It really paid off mostly. Although I can see why some fans are bothered by constant twists, too many stories, the show playing mind games with us and not being able to explored too much of the purpose of Mr. Robot himself yet but seriously, this season has gotten way crazy, I enjoyed it and the ending of this season was way thrilling and mindblown. Overall, I didn't enjoy this one as much as first season due to how overstuffed and slow at parts it was, so I didn't include this on the list but in the end, this was another good season of this brilliant show. Hopefully season 3 will unite us all. Oh btw season 2 finale spoiler here: Spoiler TYRELL IS BACK AND HE'S IN LOVE WITH ELLIOT? OH GOD I CAN'T STOP BREATHING. I WASN'T EVEN SHIPPING TWO OF THEM UNTIL NOW IT'S CANON. TYRELL IS SUCH AN A-HOLE THAT I CAN'T LOVE MORE AND HIS CRUSH ON ELLIOT IS JUST <3 Wander Over Yonder (Disney XD): It was too tough for me to not include this on the list but I had to exclude this on the list because I just loved the shows on the list more in 2016. And part of me wanted this to have season 3 because the crew was planning to tell more stories in season 3. Heck, even end credit scene teased that. Sadly Disney X D just had to cancel it. Oh well. I still got a good kick of out second half of season 2. The story arc was so interesting but the episodes still stand on their own. The show continued to bring more craziness, sweetness and humor in it, it's such a shame it ended so quickly but at least the ending was satisfying. Maybe one day this show will be back but if it doesn't, this show will stay as fresh forever in my mind. welp, now that those are out of the way, let's get started. DR. WHOBOB'S TOP 10 BEST TV SHOWS OF 2016 Spoiler #10 Steven Universe (Cartoon Network) I didn't want to include this show on this list due to me being kind of frustrated with slow start of season 4 (until season 4 picked up with it's leaked episodes that are going to be aired in January 30-February 2) but after thinking this through, It wouldn't be fair to not include this fantastic show, so I decided to include this on the list. It's still far away from perfect for me; slow pace can be a bit annoying, I'm not such a fan of episodes about minor characters and I'd like more focus on Garnet and Lapis but I gotta say last episodes of season 2 were just amazing and they ended Peridot's redeemption arc so well. Later on we got Summer of Steven, when we got most of other season 3 episodes and I loved what I've seen, especially episodes after Amethyst and Steven started to get focused. I still stand by me not being impressed with first couple of episodes of season 4 but I still have so much faith in this show that it's gonna continue to be so strong. Spoiler #9 iZombie (The CW) Now here's imo the best comic book TV of this year. They definitely raised the stakes in second half of season 2 and everything I was kind of skeptical in first half of season 2 like Major's arc ended up so beautiful. Characters became more loveable than they ever were in first season, the humor stayed strong and intensity of this marvelous season 2 was wrapped up in an epic way and the cliffhanger of season 2 finale really made me hyped for season 3, which I'm still dying to see. I've never checked out The Walking Dead and I've heard a lot of mixed opinions from it but if you love The Walking Dead, you'll adore this show so much. Please just see it. It needs to be recognized. Spoiler #8 Black Mirror (Netflix) Ugh this show just can't stop being so disturbing, sad and so right all the time. This is really a show that we needed for a long time. I don't recommend this to everyone because it has so many messed up situations and often episodes end on depressing mode. If you can't handle these, don't check this show at all but I'd love if you tried because it just has so much to say. The show has more questionable and true implications than just saying "technology is evil" because that's not the message of this show. It's about how people effect each other terribly using the technology and questioning what's right or wrong but the show did really break that theme in one episode of season 3 that I won't mention it because that'd be spoiling how it ended and that episode was just one of Black Mirror's finest episodes ever. I can see why some people wouldn't want to check this show out but I admire how dark and scary this is, so I at least recommend seeing one of the episodes (don't worry, this show is an anthology show, so all episodes are episodic with different characters). Spoiler #7 Regular Show (Cartoon Network) Could it be? I love Regular Show again? It's unbelieveable for a show that we all thought it lost it's touch. Of course, it's up to you how you will feel about latter episodes of this show but as someone who wasn't fan of season 5-6, season 7 brought Regular Show to it's silly and charming stories but it had enough time to focus on other characters and It had a story arc about Rigby that ended so sweet and a pretty intense dome storyline that set up season 8, which is in my opinion on par with first three seasons. The show not only has got more fun that it ever was in last 3 years, the story arc of season 8 has added new and fresh to this show and I adore how it's setting up to the finale of this show which will air in 2 weeks. If you lost interesting in Regular Show, please get back into it, you will not be disappointed, it's the most improved show of 2016. Spoiler #6 Atlanta (FX) I didn't love this show as much as others did but I still thought it was great for what it was and I really get the love of this show. It's definitely brave enough to discuss serious topics like race and povetry, heck even it even had time to discuss transphobia in two episodes. It is a show that should be admired for discussion these topic. And seriously the show can be pretty intense but it can also be funny, especially in B.A.N. episode, which I thought was one of the funniest stuff I've ever seen in a while. And characters are just so likeable. Earn is definitely relatable for someone who wants to be successful in life but Earn gets more credit for trying so hard to get into top. Same for Paper Boi but I also feel bad for him because he doesn't get respect from people and media treats him badly. And Vanessa for trying to balance her life, especially in one episode when the focus was just her and that was amazing as well. There's just so much to like about this show. The only reason why this isn't so high on the list is that I personally enjoyed my top 5 more tbh but still this show had a good first season and hopefully second season will be even better. Spoiler #5 You're The Worst (FXX) Here's another show that plays with your emotions and I still love it so much. Granted, this season wasn't as strong as season 2 and I can see why some would felt off by characters at times but I didn't have much issues with this season. Now season 2 is still better imo but if there's one thing this season did it so well is that it fleshed out characters that weren't too much focused on previous seasons. Yeah, Edgar had a role in season 2 but we finally got a chance to get a look at how PTSD has been to Edgar and it was so sad to sit through but it was also necessary and I'm so happy that they gave him more focus on this season. As well as Paul, Vernon and Dorothy from season 2. I'm so glad to see a bit more Jimmy as well and he was such an highlight to this season and Gretchen, while I'd would have loved to see more, one episode about her acting like mother to Jimmy, Lindsay and Edgar was one of the funniest episodes of this season and it gave us more detail on why Gretchen has been in season 2. The relationships were still so funny and really dramatic (in a good way) and end of this season was just heartwreching. I'm so hyped to see how things will continue in season 4. This is a show that is must see and this is coming from someone who doesn't like romantic tv shows that much (and we are getting one more in this list, spoiler alert) Spoiler #4 Stranger Things (Netflix) This was definitely one of the highlights of my last summer vacation, which was so dreadful. Where should I even start? The characters, the acting, the music, the horror, the cinematorgraphy, the stories and the twist; all of them were cramned intıo one spectacular ride. For an homage to 80s movies, the show is so creative and imaginative. And this show was just 8 freaking episodes and I still wanna see more. Thankfully second season is coming because this show needs another season. It's my favorite new tv show of 2016. Go see it now. Don't do anything before this show. I beg you. Spoiler #3 Gravity Falls (Disney XD) Adios, Gravity Falls, you have been such a great ride for me overall. There's not much to say since others said it so many times. What else to say? It was epic, it was funny, it was investing and it wrapped up the show in such a satisfying conclusion. It even teared me up a little. It sucks that we won't see more from Pines family but it's definitely for the best. The show didn't drag like most other successful shows have, Alex Hirsch had freedom to write whatever he wanted to tell and ended in his way. Man, this is just so emotional for me. I'll miss this show so much but I also love the fact it ended well, so It can stay as one of the best tv shows forever. Spoiler #2 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW) Well, speaking of romances, here's another show about romance but in such a different way. I knew I was going to like this show but I never knew it would have gotten this powerful. For a raunchy comedy-musical, a really witty show and a catchy musical show, it sure knows how to break your heart in such a meaningful way. Rebecca has become one of my favorite characters of all-time due to the fact there's so much we can have in common here. We can be so obsessed over stuff that it can get out of hand really, especially for Rebecca. She can be really bad when she wants to be and I still get her pain but she also brought me laughs and cheers through im 2016 and the other main characters are loveable af and I get their pain too. And big praise to Greg's character and his singing really <3. I loved how this show started but now it has become one of my favorite shows of this decade, hell, maybe even one of my favorite shows of all-time With such an impactful season 1B and a masterpiece that is season 2A. This show just gets better and better and I can't wait for season 2B so soon. I love my CW superheroes but Rebecca Bunch is my superhero of CW or my anti-hero really lel. And no crap, my #1 is Spoiler #1 BoJack Horseman (Netflix) Please end me right now. This is the show I have been thinking about so many times. It's the show that had the most impact on me for a long time. There's something for everyone here. If you can't relate to BoJack's pain, at least have some sympathy for him because of what he has gone through but also don't deny his badness to people, ok? See? This is a show that just questions if our main protagonist should be liked or not. This show questions life in general, the happiness, sadness, redeemption, relationships and so many more topics. I loved first two seasons but season 3 took the show into darker places but also funny situations and even we got some really experimental episodes too. Fish Out of Water, which is the most praised episode of this season, was definitely so creative with it's premise and it was fun all the way. I loved that one but if you ask me, That's Too Much Man episode takes the cake for me. No episode to this day has depressed me this much. I didn't even cry, I just felt empty inside and that's a high praise to this episode. It's one of the best episodes of any episodes. Season 3 is one of the best episodes of any seasons. And this show as a whole is one of the best shows ever made. It's painful to wait for season 4 but I have to be patient. Out of all shows of 2016, BoJack Horseman is the most personal show to me. I already recommended other shows on the list but this show should be everyone's prioty. I'm serious. <3 That's it really. I hope you all loved this list. Thank you so much for reading, happy 2017 to you guys. See you all at the end of January when I do my best movies of 2016 list. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katniss Posted January 8, 2017 Share Posted January 8, 2017 (edited) Now that we’ve trudged through the stinkers of 2016, it’s time for the fun stuff---talking about songs I actually like! Yes, this year threw massive amounts of crap at us, but it’s always good to try and look on the bright side. And this year did serve up a bunch of solid hits. So sit back, relax, and enjoy my favorite songs of 2016. First off, the honorable mentions that just missed the cut for the main list: “Closer” - The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey If there was a pop music award for Most Improved, it would definitely go to The Chainsmokers. After the dreck that was “#Selfie” back in 2014, the duo made a surprisingly good comeback this year. While I’m not as crazy over this song as I used to me, I still dig the hell out of it. The production is solid, I like the lyrics, Halsey sounds good on the track (and it’s so nice to see her on a quality hit song, especially since I didn’t care too much for New Americana last year), and while Andrew Taggart isn’t the best singer, he does okay. Everything just combines to form something really pleasant. “Hymn for the Weekend” - Coldplay feat. Beyoncé Bands have every right to change up their sound if they want to, but honestly Coldplay was at their best in the 2000s. They’ve had a song or two in the past few years that I liked, but a lot of their newer stuff wasn’t something I could totally get into. But this song managed to hook me in and not let go. I love those horns that kick in during the chorus. I love how bouncy and fun the song sounds. I love Beyonce’s beautiful vocals (although the song could’ve obviously used more Bey). This song fills me up with happiness just hearing it. “Cold Water” - Major Lazer feat. Justin Bieber and MØ Ladies and gentleman, your #1 charting artist of 2016: Justin Bieber! While Love Yourself didn’t do much for me, Let Me Love You didn’t do anything for me, and Sorry was okay but not good enough to make it on this list, this song was one that left an impression on me. Major Lazer’s stellar production helps a lot, though Justin does his part too, and though MØ is underutilized, she still sounds good in her verse. “Close” - Nick Jonas feat. Tove Lo Another year, another single by Nick Jonas that I dig. Maybe the “space is just a word made up by someone who’s afraid to get close” is a bit dumb, but it doesn’t bother me too much. This song just works. Nick Jonas and Tove Lo have good vocal chemistry together. You can really hear that they desire to be closer to each other. It’s a cool, sultry jam and to put the cherry on top, there’s some sweet steel drums in the mix. If only I could take this song close and give it a hug...or would that be weird? Never mind, let’s move on. “On My Mind” - Ellie Goulding Ed Sheeran got to tell his side of the story with “Don’t”, but now it’s Ellie’s turn. She refutes his logic and offers up her own reasons why the two of them didn’t work out. While it doesn’t pack as much of a punch as Don’t, Ellie still brings her own sass to the track and it’s nice to hear the other side of the story as well as the layer of complexity added by Ed still being on Ellie’s mind despite the fact that she’s done with him. Ellie sounds great and the beat is catchy and fun. “Stressed Out” - twenty one pilots twenty one pilots (or is it Twenty One Pilots?) are certainly a polarizing group, but I err on the side of liking them myself, at least based on the singles I’ve heard. I like this song because of how I can identify with it. We can all relate to being stressed out by the troubles of growing up and wishing we could go back to childhood days when everything was easier. I still don’t know who Blurryface is and why he cares what I think, but that doesn’t take away from my appreciation for this song. “Sorry” - Beyoncé I really wish Lemonade had made more of a lasting impact on the charts in 2016 because it was a fantastic album. And while I didn’t absolutely love Sorry, it’s still a good song and I’m glad it made the year-end list. Bey is pissed off at Jay-Z for cheating and I love how the track is infused with her anger at him as well as dismissal as she goes out and does her own thing. And yet, she also sounds a bit sad at the end, which hints that this is affecting her more than she lets on. It’s a fun song to jam to but it’s also so much more, which is great. And now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for...Kat’s top 10 best hit songs of 2016! Spoiler 10. “Roses” - The Chainsmokers feat. ROZES Damn, Chainsmokers, back at it again on with the good music! ...That meme isn’t cool anymore? Drat. But seriously, The Chainsmokers have done it again. The instrumentals in this song are a treat---sorry to borrow from TheDoubleAgent here, but just list to that drop. Lovely. ROZES is a good singer and her “ah ah ahs” are a nice touch. Yes, the lyrics are repetitive, but I actually don’t mind that when this song is so compelling. It’s as sweet as actual roses. Spoiler 9. “Never Forget You” - Zara Larsson and MNEK I was first introduced to Zara Larsson through her song Lush Life, which is an absolute jam (and definitely deserved more love on the charts in 2016 than it got, but I digress), but this might be my favorite song she’s released so far. It’s beautifully sung by both Zara and MNEK and the lyrics poignantly describe both of their points of view after a breakup and how they miss each other. See, this is what I want to hear. Not dreary crap like “I Hate U, I Love U.” I have a feeling I won’t be forgetting this song anytime soon. Spoiler 8. “Dangerous Woman” - Ariana Grande Dangerous Woman was a pretty good album, and how fitting that the titular song shows up on my list. It’s a sultry, sexy jam that makes me believe that little Ari from Nickelodeon really is a dangerous woman. It’s a damn good vocal performance from Ariana backed up with some solid instrumentation, especially on the chorus (and that harmonizing with herself on the final chorus---gave me goosebumps). While I do prefer “Love Me Harder” as the better sexy jam, this song is pretty good in its own right. Thank you Ariana for further cementing yourself as one of my favorite pop stars currently. Spoiler 7. “When We Were Young” - Adele This hit me in the feelings even though I’ve never had an ex-boyfriend. That’s the magic of Adele, I guess. The lyrics are beautiful: Adele finds an old lover at a gathering and nostalgia starts flooding back for past days. Adele’s vocals are as beautiful as ever and the track is infused with emotion. It’s simply lovely. Now excuse me, I need to find some Kleenex. Spoiler 6. “Starboy” - The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk The Weeknd is good. Daft Punk are good. Put them together on a track and you get magic. The lyrics are an interesting look at The Weeknd’s attitudes toward fame, swirled into a dark track with a haunting chorus thanks to Daft Punk’s production. It’s another example of a great title song from this year. Spoiler 5. “Don’t Let Me Down” - The Chainsmokers feat. Daya I loathed Hide Away and I didn’t like Sit Still, Look Pretty either (and I’m kicking myself a bit for not at least putting it on my dishonorable mentions). But The Chainsmokers must be King Midases because they took an artist I wasn’t terribly fond of and led me to love a song with her on it. She’s never sounded better than she has on here, especially on the bridge and the final chorus. The intro to this is probably my favorite out of the three Chainsmokers singles---I just love that guitar. The drop isn’t as good as Roses, but the production is still fairly quality. This song didn’t let me down at all. Spoiler 4. “Ride” - twenty one pilots Once again, twenty one pilots make a relatable song, but this one hits the mark for me even more than Stressed Out does. The ride in this song is a metaphor for the journey for life, and the lyrics are a thought-provoking, introspective look at it as well as what’s out there to actually live for. And the end, when Tyler talks about thinking too much? I have definitely been there before. Whenever I listen to this song, I imagine going on my own ride, and I’m enjoying every second of it. Spoiler 3. “I Took A Pill in Ibiza (SeeB remix)” - Mike Posner If you’d told me in 2015 that I would have a Mike Posner song on my best list, I would’ve laughed in your face. But miracles do happen. The original version is kinda dull, but the SeeB remix breathes life into it and makes it a great track. It actually got me to feel for Mike Posner. He’s gotten fame, it fizzled out, and now he’s disillusioned and unhappy. Damn. The beat is great too and matches the melancholy nature of the lyrics perfectly. Oh, apparently the tourism board in Ibiza got mad at this song because they thought it promoted a negative picture of the island as a place to get high and party. Seriously? I can’t imagine getting upset at this for such a trivial reason. The song is just too great. Spoiler 2. “Into You” - Ariana Grande I knew Ariana was talented, but holy crap did this song blow me away the first time I heard it. She sounds so beautiful and sultry on the track, truly on the brink of desire like the lyrics suggest. Some artists try too hard in their songs to sound sexy, but Ariana has proved yet again that she’s got this. The production’s got a nice vibe that’s a sprinkling of EDM and disco, and great synths that beautifully kick in during the bridge. I could spend so much more time gushing about this song because it’s that good. It may not have been a huge hit with the general public, but it’s a slam dunk in my eyes. As you can see by this list, I haven’t stuck to a “one song per artist” rule. I can’t help myself. While there were a variety of good songs this year, some artists happen to strike gold more than once. With that said, I’m happy to introduce this repeat offender as the artist of my favorite song of 2016. Spoiler 1. “In The Night” - The Weeknd For the second year in a row, The Weeknd has had the honor of being my #1 pick. And for good reason: this song is fantastic. I love how this song tells a story, a sad one about a stripper who’s suffered sexual abuse. This is dark territory that a lot of mainstream artists wouldn’t stray towards, but The Weeknd went there and handled the subject matter well. This song brings definite 80s vibes with its synth-driven instrumentals that perfectly add to the mood of the song. So many elements of this song add up to something that’s as close to musical perfection as you can get this year. It’s incredible. It was a pleasure to talk about these best songs of 2016. I’m always happy to be reminded that there are gems on the Billboard chart even though a lot of lousy stuff squeaks by as well. Catch you next time when I talk about my favorite TV shows of the year. Edited January 8, 2017 by Katniss 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clappy Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 Well this was long overdue: TV was incredibly strong this year and….dammit I knew I took too long. No kidding, WhoBob pretty much reworded my preamble about how strong television was this year :laugh:. So I don’t sound like a repetitive fool, I’ll just state that my ideology is that television is going through a bit of a modern day renaissance with streaming now on the uptick and network programming trying to borrow elements that streaming does so well and it’s just leading to such a quality revival that I adore. So with my original preamble pretty much being thrown out the window, I’m just going to keep moving forward with my list. As a reminder, my qualifications are that at least one episode had to air of a program in 2016. I’m just putting that out in the open because…you’ll see. Spoiler Honorable Mentions: Love (Netflix) Honestly, this should be on the worst list in terms of how much this show pissed me off at times. Believe me, the main characters are such fascinatingly awful characters. Mickey is a trainwreck in every single thought of the imagination and Gus is the epitome of how awful “nice guys” really can be in all reality. Gus pisses me off even more because the guy who plays him is an executive producer and one of the lead writers of the show, so I wonder how much of the writing he gives himself is self-servicing fanfiction. No, the real reason this show is on the best list posting is because it is the realest show I’ve seen about modern day relationships I have ever seen. It gets so much right about love and infatuation that it left a lasting impression on me. Sure I know there are other shows out there that do the same thing that I’ve been meaning to try out, but I can’t imagine them just hitting it out of the park like this one did in accurate reality. That reason alone is worth the binge watch. American Dad (TBS) I’ve been mixed at times on if I want the show to end or not because it’s had a far longer run that it has any right to be. But I’m on the opposite side of the spectrum saying that American Dad’s move to TBS was the best thing for this show as it’s given the series a much needed rejuvenation. The Flash (CW) Still the best superhero show on television. As much as I’m enjoying Marvel’s Netflix build up to The Defenders, I like my superhero television series to be far more light heartedly fun and entertaining. Only thing DCU is doing better right now to be completely honest. The Loud House (Nickelodeon) As awful as modern day Nickelodeon is and probably will be for the forseeable future, every once in awhile, I’m reminded that they are still capable of finding quality original programming. And with the ratings this show is currently getting, hopefully it can stick around for quite some time… Regular Show (Cartoon Network) …but Cartoon Network is kicking their asses without a reasonable doubt. I’m enjoying this final season and while I’m definitely further behind than the rest of you guys right now, I hope this space season keeps up in terms of reminding me why I love this show. Survivor (CBS) This was a tough one. I wanted to do what I did a few years ago and divide the two seasons and rank them separately on here, but I’ll just place them on here like this: -Brains vs Beauty vs Brawn 2 was mediocre. -Millenials vs Gen X was one of the best seasons the show has ever had. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix) While this series absolutely picked back up once Kimmy started to seek counseling, I can’t help but think that the second season was a definite step down from such a great first season. So much of season two was stagnant and uninteresting as it focused far too much on Kimmy’s love life and Jacqueline’s adjustment into finding her roots and life without her fortune. BORING…but at least we had Titus still being the best character in the entire series as his foray into romance and stardom was beyond entertaining. Absolutely loved his arch. Broad City (Comedy Central) With Workaholics on its final season in 2017, I highly recommend checking this series out as the best original series on Comedy Central. It has finally reached its peak season this year as the series finally figured out what it is. I love the main cast and the writing is sharp and very funny. Both Abbi Jacobsen and Ilana Glazer play off each other very well as the series main stars and their chemistry is what makes this show as good as it is. Highly recommend checking this one out guys. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) I try my best to leave talk shows off this list, but in a presidential election year where talk show hosts are at their peaks in terms of political satire comedy, this was by far the best of the bunch. Trevor Noah may finally be getting into his groove as the host of The Daily Show, but I feel Comedy Central seriously missed out by passing over Samantha Bee. She is fantastic and easily my favorite of the late night talk show hosts. You wonder why Conan O'Brien is getting his late night show potentially trimmed down in ongoing contract negotiations with TBS? Because Samantha Bee is smoking him right now. Timeless (NBC) Something that some of you may not know about me, but I’m a massive history nerd. Like hardcore. I go to museums for fun and enjoying reading about American history, worldwide history, wars, and so much more. I knew immediately that this series would be right up my alley once it was announced. That being said, I have plenty of skepticisms as to how this show will not run dry so quickly, but as of now, I am still enjoying the hell out of this show. CLAPPY'S TOP TEN BEST TELEVISION SHOWS OF 2016 Spoiler …you know I’m still not done talking about how much I fear Timeless is going to run out of material so quickly. Not because I love history, but if you are going back in time to save history from a terrorist…eventually the company is going to replace the main characters with someone else for failing so often. If only there was a historical show that was equally as entertaining and not so convoluted. 10. The Crown (Netflix) Yeah…I’m going to go out on a limb and say this show is probably not going to be for everyone on here. I mean it’s a show about the early years of Queen Elizabeth. How dull and boring, right? No…it’s actually very compelling. Because unlike other historical period pieces, this show is actually quite grounded. See? That’s a problem I often run into when it comes to shows about my favorite school subject. They can often be quite boring because they don’t want to entertain you, but lecture you. Timeless definitely doesn’t do that and The Crown definitely doesn’t either. The Crown manages to make the life, marriage, family obligations, and her role in an ever evolving England feel intimate and exciting. Credit is definitely due to the writing and especially the acting from Claire Foy and Matt Smith. I mean I don’t see it straying too far from historical accuracy because unless you haven’t done any studying or reading about the life of Queen Elizabeth, you know exactly where this is going. However, I for one, can’t wait to see how they adapt her life even further because Peter Morgan knows his shit when it comes to historical period pieces. He’s written some of the better historical films of the past decade, so I can’t wait to see what he does from this point forward. Spoiler You’re not going to see South Park on my best list this year. Nowhere close. Yes I am on the record saying that a decent season of South Park is still a lot better than most television, but I couldn’t find myself to even place a decent season on my best of 2016 list. So allow the old adult animation boss to exit off my list this year and enter the new: 9. BoJack Horseman (Netflix) What took me so long to finally give this show a shot? Consider it hesitation a tad, but after ignoring it the past few years, I couldn’t go on any longer. This is a pretty damn good show. I don’t think it’s as perfect as the critics are proclaiming it is. If it was, it would end each season one episode earlier because the eleventh episode of every season always manages to have the strongest ending. But that doesn’t mean its not as awesome in its own right. I could focus on the past two seasons of this show and talk in greater depth about them, but let’s focus on what aired in 2016. Season 3 was my personal favorite season of this show as it dove into a far better depiction of celebrity and fame than the previous two thanks to its realistic insight into celebrity comebacks and watching it all crumble down again. If I had any complaints about this season…it wasn’t as funny as the previous two. The season as a whole gets an A no doubt in my mind, but the comedy gets a B, which is kind of disappointing because I wish the comedy was as memorable as the other two seasons. But that doesn’t steer from the fact that this show is as great as everyone says it is and you should definitely give it a shot. Isn’t that right Character Actress Margo Martindale? Damn right it isn't. Spoiler FINALLY! 8. New Girl (Fox) I can FINALLY say that the wedding between Cece and Schmidt not only defied my expectations, but they managed to make me compelled about the Jess/Nick relationship and where it goes. Because after the series took a nosedive due to multiple reasons between the back half of Season 2 and nearly all of Season 3, one of said reasons was because Jess and Nick being together was insufferable often. I wanted a proper build for their rekindling to be warranted and they gave it to me by putting Nick and series newcomer Reagan together. Now when that relationship goes kerplunk at some point in 2017, rekindling Jess and Nick will feel not as forced upon and welcomed. But the real highlight of the year that was New Girl was Cece actually showing some real growth as a character. Termi said it best when the two of us talked about this series in his ask thread, now EVERYONE is far more compelling as characters than the titular New Girl. And you know what? I absolutely agree. Maybe Jess will become more intriguing in 2017, but this series is still one of my personal favorites right now and I love it. Spoiler Honestly….I can’t think of a clever preamble for this series. All I’m going to say is this series is number one on your speed dial right next to your weed dealer. 7. Better Call Saul (AMC) After two seasons, are we any closer to finding that definitive moment when Jimmy McGill becomes Saul Goodman? Yeah sort of. In this season of Better Call Saul, we got to see more of Saul’s influence, from the flashiest of office suits to the true extent of Jimmy’s creep mode. The seeds are set for another season of slow burns and beautiful cinematography. Do we know when more Breaking Bad characters will ease their way into the series? Not at all. But truthfully, Better Call Saul can take all the time in the world it needs to let things play out; waiting has been one hell of a ride. Spoiler If you think that was barely elaborated on, then skip over this next choice because honestly, what haven’t I said about this before that I haven’t said previously the past two or three years now? 6. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox) Actually, I do have a few new compliments to give this series and heads up to those who need to catch up because SPOILERS. Got it? I don't want to have a spoiler tag in a spoiler tag about this. That's redundant as they come. So I repeat. DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET SPOILED! GOOD! I love how it followed a narrative throughout the second half of season three where they try to locate the mole who wants Adrian Pimento dead as well as a few other top notch FBI officials. I love how they humanized their main characters even more so than they have in previous seasons. I love how they keep finding ways to make this series fresh by adding new storyline elements that stretch upon episodes to elaborate on. I love how they still manage to make tired gags that have often appeared throughout the series, still keeping them fresh. Guys, this will be my favorite series on Fox until the day this gets cancelled or until they manage to create a series better. Spoiler You guys all know Ryan Murphy, right? Of course you do. He’s one of the biggest television producers in Hollywood. One of my biggest complaints with him is that he can’t follow through with a strong series after an often great first season starting point. Take a look at what became of Glee, American Horror Story, what’s currently going on with Scream Queens. The dude just can’t sustain momentum in quality. The only reason I mention this is that my next choice has potential to be able to do just that…I hope. 5. American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson (FX) Earlier this year, I teased that this was my frontrunner for best television series of 2016. So much for that…but this is still a damn good watch regardless. The OJ Simpson story was revisited multiple times in 2016 media whether it be this, ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, the news about racial tension in modern day America. This mini-series made the story feel new again. The script was sharply written and the acting performances were just fucking fantastic. It reminded me that when attached to the right material, Cuba Gooding Jr., John Travolta, David Schwimmer, just to name a few of the big names in this project, are all capable of surprising you with great performances. However, I think the thing that resonates the most with me in this retelling of one of the most controversial stories of my lifetime is how real it all feels now, especially in 2016. We all know that we have a giant orange oompa lumpa as our president elect. What this election exposed is that our country is divided as not everyone sees our modern reality entirely differently. Comparing the OJ Simpson verdict to the 2016 presidential election is two entirely different stories, but our country was absolutely divided on this verdict as we were about our election. If anything, I give the series credit for being able to capture what a divided nation feels like as well as being one of the best series of this year. Ryan Murphy, I look forward to whatever crime story you tackle next. Please don’t fuck it up. Spoiler Wow…that last one made me feel slightly depressed. Let’s lighten the mood a bit with this next choice. Because I try to not let my favorite celebrities biases show, but I can’t help it at times. I say this now because Donald Glover, I worship you. 4. Atlanta (FX) If Atlanta proved anything that we didn’t already know, it’s that Donald Glover deserves to be one of the biggest stars in the entertainment business. We already knew he was a great entertainer. The fact that he can cross platform between acting and music and be near the top of the class in both fields is already impressive enough. But clearly, not even I knew that he was a great writer/producer/creator of honestly the best show FX has had in years. Ever since its debut, Atlanta immediately defined its own style through polished visuals, a loose narrative style, and often somber tone. The pilot feinted in the direction of a rags-to-riches hip-hop story before hitting viewers with a daisy chain of mesmerizing tangents. The show managed to turn the city of Atlanta itself into a character, with its own idiosyncrasies and banalities. It went weird and gave pop culture a surreal gift that’s not often seen. It foregrounded the kinds of nuanced conversations and problems that almost never get airtime. From start to finish, thanks to its vision and confidence, Atlanta had one of the best debut seasons in recent memory and I can’t wait to see where this show goes from here. Donald Glover, I love you. Spoiler Remember that one episode rule? It has its exceptions. And after being so far behind everyone else, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this series got the sendoff it deserved. No it's not. It's Gravity Falls on another best list, what can I say? 3. Gravity Falls (Disney) Allow me to apologize for leaving this off entirely in 2015 because clearly I missed almost all of the series great episodes that came out last year. And it still ended supremely strong in its only episode, the final part of Weirdmageddon, in 2016. Well apology hopefully accepted because this is the highest I’ve ever had this series on my year end list. Gravity Falls will forever be a series I probably underestimate in the present but will always remember looking back on in the future as a cartoon that transcends time and ages even better. Alex Hirsch, you’re a genius and I honestly can’t wait to see what he does from this point forward. Even if his next series is a total complete flop, Gravity Falls has created more than enough goodwill to forgive for future years of potential suckage. But I doubt that will happen as Alex Hirsch is too good to allow such a thing to happen. Gravity Falls: potentially the best animated series of the 2010s. As good as everyone says it is and then some. Spoiler Speaking of one episode exceptions, this one shouldn’t even count at all because I had to go to a fucking Fathom event to see this. But with the constantly rising star power of the two leads, and the fact that this series has been a personal favorite of mine for so long, I was without a doubt going to watch it. 2. Sherlock (BBC) That nostalgic retrospective looks at best lists from yesteryear was a real eye opener for me as to how I do them now. How did I keep neglecting to place this series on my best list? It’s so damn good and is one of the best British television exports in years. Speaking of rising star power, I know this series is about to run its course now that Benedict Cumberbatch is becoming more and more of a household name and Martin Freeman is taking on more work too (check out Fargo fam). But I’ll always remember them for these three episode miniseries and the fact that they continue to show their dedication to try and keep this show going for so long. I mean let’s be honest, Elementary is garbage, the Guy Ritchie Sherlock films are mediocre at best. In comparison to this, this the 2010 Sherlock Holmes adaptations we deserve. Season 4 is out now btw, so no better time than the present to go to Netflix and catch yourselves up. What else can I say about this series except: I'm having too much fun with the GIFs for this list... Spoiler What’s my number one choice? I hate to be that guy who has made his best show predictable for this year, but what else is there to say to you except that anyone who didn't expect this to top my best list is nothing short of a 1. Stranger Things (Netflix) It's not original by any means of the imagination. This is absolutely a love letter to the 1980s from the setting, to the soundtrack, to even the plot devices. I lost count how many times I felt like this series paid homage to Steven Speilberg movies, Stephen King novels, John Hughes movies, and other movies from that era like The Goonies, Stand By Me...you name a 1980s movie, there is probably a love letter dedication towards it. It's definitely easy to call this miniseries unoriginal in every single way possible and I wouldn't argue against it. But if you hold that as your reason to hate this show, you are completely missing not only the point, but you'll be robbing yourself of one the smartest written original series in quite some time. I like to look at all that nostalgia as unapologetic because they play it off in it's favor. It seamlessly ties it's story not only into the 1980s, but into the 2010s as well with compelling storytelling. Let me put it this way. The 1980s is often regarded to as one of the best decades in recent history when it comes to entertainment media. I regard it as that as well. Everything in the 1980s wasn't always good mind you. It had it's fair share of clunkers when it came to entertainment formats, but the good stuff just felt huge in hindsight. Like everything from that decade just felt so big and over the top levels of good. In the 2010s, we don't have those levels of originality anymore as we either have adaptations of source material, sequels, remakes, reboots...it's like Hollywood has ran out of original ideas, so let's go to the retread pool and see what we can dust off to make a quick easy buck. How this ties into Stranger Things, is that they pull out not just the vibe of the 1980s setting for it's story, they take what works from that decade and pay homage to it while crafting a story that feels as big as the decade itself. You're going to be left on the edge of your seat in anticipation as to how much bigger this universe is. It's just not the writing that makes this phenomenal, the acting is as well. This is the best Winona Ryder has been in quite some time to be honest. Maybe it's due to how many clunkers she has starred in over the past twenty years, but this has been the most in character she has come off in years. Yes, she gets over the top at times in this series with her acting, but think about it. She has no idea where her kid is and most of the town already thinks she is crazy. Making her an over the top lunatic absolutely makes sense. David Harbour also does a great job too as the police officer who keeps getting more and more invested the deeper he dives into this missing child case. Trying to avoid spoilers in this review since I want every single one of my readers to take the time to watch this show, but it makes sense as to why Hopper gets so invested the further this series goes. The cliffhanger involving him especially makes me supremely intrigued as to where his character goes in Season 2. All the kids in this show are fantastic too, since they actually feel like kids acting as kids. Most of the time, it's hard to write dialogue for child actors because you need to get into the mindset of actual children. I fully believe they pulled this off excellently for each and every single child from the main middle school aged boys to the conflicted emotionally strung high schoolers. But I'd like to highlight one child actor in particular: Millie Bobby Brown who played Eleven. She was SSSOOOOOO GOOD. It's like they were inspired by Charlize Theron's Furiosa from Mad Max: Fury Road, not just because of the buzzed haircut. She was so fantastic from start to finish that you could feel her emotional and physical pain with such little dialogue. Out of all the adult performers in this series, this girl was the most adult of them all. Someone in the Emmy committee, please do not overlook this performance when it comes to nominations for the next awards cycle. From start to finish, I absolutely loved this show. Some may say that the ending was kind of weak, but I think it's setting up for even bigger stories to delve into for Season 2 because that's what this show did so well. It left me wanting more in the best ways possible. The Duffy Brothers made something special this year and I can’t wait to see where this show goes from here. I've binge watched this countless times and this show is still an eleven out of ten. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoBibbles Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 why thank you for your compliment, Clappy <3 Spoiler - Well I gotta admit Flash is still a fun show. Action scenes, visiuals and comedy are still there to keep me entertained but compared to how improved Arrow, Supergirl and LOT were in their new seasons, this show hasn't improved from it's same themes (lets keep secrets from our loved ones or prevent them from being heroic, so we can protect them/pep talks/Barry makes dumb mistakes but still it's not his fault etc/another hateful speedster) and I'm not so fond of the sour drama of last couple of season 2 and first half of season 3. Even Killer Frost episode, which I did like the drama in it, had some flaws and same themes in it's story. And speaking of Barry making dumb choices, I hated the fact he changed the timeline to save his mom and later fixed it, as a result, he created a big mess like making Cisco's brother get killed and erasing John Diggle's baby daughter from history. I get what Barry wanted to do this, he was feeling painful but you can't just ignore the fact Barry choosed to not save his mom in season 1 finale, now that bittersweet moment is gone for good. Not the mention people told him so many times changing timeline is very risky, why can't Barry listen them for once? Idk man, I still enjoy this show but at times it can be annoying to me. And I felt same about Arrow being same old stupid in season 3 and 4, now they seem to take a right direction in season 5 so far but I still couldn't see that from Flash. I still have a hope that second half of season 3 will make this all go away because all I want from Flash is to not take itself so seriously. Right now, Supergirl is my favorite superhero show. - I liked The Loud House but occasional toilet humor did turn me off and most of sisters are one-dimensional, so I didn't include it on my honorable mentions and I think Harvey Beaks is a better Nick show, tho I haven't caught up with that one. - I haven't seen American Dad and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in a while. Need to catch up. - Yes, I adore new Regular Show in it's final season, can't wait for the finale. <3 - Actually I found season 3 of BoJack Horseman to be funnier than first two seasons. In fact, couple of episodes felt so different from rest, they managed to be as funny as hell and even eleventh episode of this season was pretty hilarious, despite it's the darkest episode in the entire series. - glad you made a spoiler warning for Brooklyn Nine Nine cuz I still haven't caught up with that show - Yes Atlanta was great and I agree with you that the show made entire of Atlanta a character. - WOOHOO, WE HAVE SAME #3. I have to agree, Gravity Falls had a satisfying and epic conclusion. Rest in peace. - Glad to see Stranger Things as your #1. I really thought it was the best new show of 2016 and I can't wait for season 2. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katniss Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 (edited) Some people are music lovers. Others are film buffs. And while those types of media are well and good with me, I’ve always primarily been a girl who loves TV. And like WhoBob and Clappy have said, 2016 has been another year continuing the great streak of “peak TV”. Sadly, because I’m not a superhuman with unlimited free time, I wasn’t able to watch every critically-acclaimed show out there last year. But a lot of the shows I did manage to see were ones that I really enjoyed. So without further ado, let’s get this show (har har har) on the road. Honorable mentions: Spoiler Gravity Falls (Disney XD) Don’t kill me for only putting this in my honorable mentions Even though the show only aired one episode in 2016, it was a pretty satisfying and solid finale (I wish certain characters like Pacifica had gotten more to do, but that’s just a personal gripe). The second season of Gravity Falls was excellent and I’m glad that it ended on a high note. Thanks for the fun ride, Alex Hirsch. Jane the Virgin (The CW) It would’ve been so easy for this series to go stale, especially after Jane had her baby, but it still manages to stay fun and interesting. The soapy drama continues to fascinate me but what I really love is the way Jane the Virgin explores familial relationships, which have always been at the core of the show and give it its heart. This show always keeps me on my toes with what’s going to happen next and I’m happy to be along for the ride. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX) This show continues to be absolutely hilarious and enjoyable. The writing is sharp and the jokes land more often than not. I especially love the treatment of the main characters. Instead of being one-note, they’ve developed into three-dimensional characters with their own unique traits and depths. Not to mention the plotlines remain interesting. This is one of the best comedies on television and it keeps finding ways to get better and better. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) Samantha Bee was one of my favorite correspondents on The Daily Show, but it’s on her own program where she really gets a chance to shine. She brings the right amount of humor and anger when it comes to talking about the news, especially during the election cycle. My only grief with the show is that it only airs once a week...I surely wouldn’t object to seeing more. Trevor Noah is doing fine and John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight is good, but I’m most impressed by Full Frontal. Samantha Bee is fantastic and I can’t wait to see what she does this year. Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) If I had to sum up this show in one word, it would be delightful. A comedy about an orchestra seems like an out-there idea, but there’s something about the show that just works. It’s quite funny, but the characters are also a delight to watch. I really came to care about this motley assortment of musicians and their eccentric conductor. This show continues to put a big smile on my face and makes me appreciate the world of classical music more. The Grinder (FOX) Speaking of good FOX comedies...yup, another one just made the list. I finally decided to give this show a chance when it got added to Netflix, and I don’t regret it. Rob Lowe was hilarious on Parks and Recreation and he continues to show his comedic chops here. Fred Savage is also funny in his own right as the straight man to his brother’s antics. I love how self-aware this show can be about his premise and the glimpses we get at the fictional The Grinder show are campy fun. It’s a shame that this got canceled because I was looking forward to see where else the series could go, but I loved what we ended up getting. Star vs. the Forces of Evil (Disney XD) I admit that I don’t watch many animated programs these days. (Side note: The Loud House is good, especially for a Nickelodeon cartoon, but it won’t be making the list.) However, this show still manages to catch my attention. Season 2 is a step up in my opinion. There’s less dimension-hopping but in place of that we get more lore about Mewni and Star’s wand, intriguing point-of-view episodes centered on Buff Frog and Ludo, and emotional development for Star and Marco. The show still has its share of filler episodes (some are more entertaining than others) but it’s also raised the stakes and made things more intriguing. You’re the Worst (FXX) I know this term gets thrown around a lot, but You’re the Worst truly is underrated. It’s taken the romantic comedy and flipped it on its head, putting these two unlikeable characters together yet making them likeable in their relationship. I thought the show truly hit its stride in season 2 with the storyline about Gretchen’s depression. While season 3 is a bit of a step down from the previous season, it was still solid for the most part. There were some truly hilarious gags, I loved Samira Wiley’s therapist character, the Edgar-centric episode is one of the best episodes of any show I’ve seen this year, and that two-part finale felt like an emotional punch to the gut. Even if I’m not always happy with the actions the characters take, I can’t deny that this show has been a fascinating watch. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix) Even though season 2 had focus on Kimmy’s relatively uninteresting relationship with Dong, that cringey episode about Titus being a Japanese geisha in a past life, and Jacqueline’s plotline could’ve been better (plus the show could’ve used more Xanthippe and her sarcasm) it managed to pick itself up and still remain quality.The guest stars were great, especially Amy Sedaris and Anna Camp, who were an absolute treat in their roles. Titus’s romance with Mikey was adorable and I like how Mikey was developed beyond the stereotypical pervy construction worker that we saw in season 1. I also loved the plotline of Kimmy going to therapy...hats off to Tina Fey for being wonderfully hilarious as Kimmy’s therapist. The season was a tad uneven but damn it if I don’t love this show and am anticipating season 3. Kat's Top 10 Best TV Shows of 2016 Spoiler 10. The Good Place (NBC) I love Mike Schur’s work on The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation, so when I heard that he was creating another new show, I was hyped, especially since it's a departure from his previous work-focused sitcoms. Then I binge watched the show on Hulu and fell in love. Schur has done it again, folks! The Good Place is weird, whimsical, clever, and a ton of fun to watch. It has a really interesting view of the afterlife and what it really means to be a good person. Kristen Bell is great in whatever she’s in, and I love her performance as the snarky, uncouth Eleanor who’s trying to be a better person. Ted Danson is practically a sitcom actor legend thanks to Cheers and is hilarious as Michael, the creator of the Good Place neighborhood where Eleanor lives, and his efforts to try to understand human culture are very amusing. I could go on but just know that the supporting cast is great too. I love what’s been done with the show so far and I can’t wait to see where this wildly inventive premise continues to take itself. Spoiler 9. Lovesick (Netflix) Here’s a fun fact: this show used to be called Scrotal Recall. I’m dead serious. I cringed when I first read about this show because can you really expect top quality from a show with such an awful pun for a title? However, the show thankfully changed its title, and I decided to give it a go. On the surface it’s about a British guy who finds out he has chlamydia and calls up all the previous women he’s slept with to let them know in case they need to get tested. However, the show is more than that. It’s heartfelt, often heart-wrenching look at modern relationships. The second season especially filled me with emotions. It’s also pretty funny and has fairly likeable characters, even though one of them is the typical womanizer. (Don’t wanna spoil too much, but he gets this storyline in season 2 that really makes me feel for him and amazed at his character growth.) It’s a lovely little show that’s worth checking out. Spoiler 8. Search Party (TBS) Search Party’s main characters consist of self-absorbed, twentysomething millennials living in New York City. And yet, I loved this show. The show knows these people can be awful and selfish, but its tongue-in-cheek humor skewers them as part of the joke. On the other hand, it also shows the frustrations and anxieties faced by members of this generation. And on top of that, it has an intriguing mystery about a missing girl, filled with twists and turns that had me constantly wondering what was going to happen next. It’s clever, captivating, and one of the best new shows to premiere this year. Spoiler 7. Veep (HBO) Veep has always been great political satire, though this past election has really brought a whiff of life-imitates-art to the whole thing, especially with Selina pushing forward in her campaign to become the first female president. Even setting aside the parallels to real-life politics, however, this past season of Veep has been a real treat. Selina and her political staff bumble their way through the hurdles that separate Selina from the Oval Office, some of which are caused by her herself. This show continues to kill it in the comedy game, from excellent one-liners to some sweet bits of physical comedy. Creator Armando Iannucci may have left the show, but this season has proven that Veep has still got it and remains as smartly funny as ever. Spoiler 6. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW) This show is crazy good. Okay, that pun was terrible, but this show is seriously great. I love the characters and their development, I love the humor, and I especially love the musical numbers. The second half of season 1 that aired earlier this year was absolutely fantastic. I love how it delved into the themes of love, friendship, and what it truly means to be happy, while also touching on the subject of depression. Thankfully these topics are further discussed in season 2, which is off to a good start so far. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is a highly entertaining blend of romance, drama, comedy, and musical and it’s my favorite show on the CW. Spoiler 5. Fleabag (Amazon) A little goes a long way, and Fleabag manages to pack a punch in a short season of only 6 episodes. For those who don’t know, Fleabag is a British comedy created, written by, and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge as “Fleabag”, a young woman trying to navigate life in London and dealing with relationships, both romantic and familial. The show is sharply, darkly funny and Waller-Bridge’s fourth-wall asides feel like she’s conversing with the viewer as if they were a close friend. But this show is also deeply emotional in the way it deals with grief, as Fleabag is struggling with the deaths of two people close to her: her mother and her best friend. This isn’t a lighthearted show but it’s so, so good and I can only hope we get a second season because I was left wanting for more. Spoiler 4. The Crown (Netflix) I like history and have an interest in the British royals, so this series was like catnip to me. And boy did it deliver. Not only does it look visually stunning (thank you Netflix for giving this show such a huge budget) but the acting in this show was superb. Claire Foy definitely deserved the Golden Globe for her portrayal of a young Queen Elizabeth II because wow, her performance was lovely. I also have to give credit to Matt Smith for holding his own against her as her husband, Philip, and John Lithgow’s excellent turn as prime minister Winston Churchill. From start to finish, this show managed to stay captivating with its plotlines about the challenges of being a royal, issues with marriage, and how politics come into play. Elizabeth II is a monarch who is expected to be good at doing nothing, but even that was entertaining because the show displays her feeling conflicted about certain decisions as well as wanting to learn more and do more. These characters are more well-off than I’ll ever be, yet I still sympathized with their plights because the writing of this show presents them as human characters with their own hopes, dreams, wants, and struggles. Man, what a wonderful show. Spoiler 3. Stranger Things (Netflix) I didn’t grow up in the 80s or with the pop culture from that time. I’m a mid-1990s baby who had the majority of her childhood in the early 2000s. So Stranger Things doesn’t bring up nostalgic vibes for me like it may for other people. However, it’s still a pretty damn good show in its own right. The 80s atmosphere is nice, but what I really love about this show are the characters. Eleven is mystifying and cool thanks to a great acting job from Millie Bobby Brown. Mike, Dustin, and Lucas manage to be child characters who aren’t totally annoying. Even the teenagers and adults (especially Hopper and Joyce) were fun to watch. I loved the suspenseful atmosphere and the great writing as well. This was one of the best binge watching sessions for a show that I’ve ever had because I was so intrigued by each episode that I had to keep glued to my seat and watch more. Part of me is worried about the second season being able to deliver the same quality content that made me love the first, but I have faith in the Duffer brothers to bring us more exciting adventures and great character moments. Spoiler 2. Atlanta (FX) I can enjoy a show no matter what the setting is, but it’s so nice to have a program that takes place where I live for once. (Technically I live about 45 minutes outside of Atlanta, but shush.) The show does a great job utilizing the setting of Atlanta and incorporating it as a part of the story. I like how Atlanta isn’t a typical rags-to-riches music story but instead focuses on the day-to-day lives of Earn, Paper Boi, and Darius. And that life isn’t glamorous--there’s struggles with poverty, struggles with Paper Boi trying to get his music out there and become more well-known and discussion of that big elephant in the room, racism. It smartly handles these issues and the social commentary is great (hats off to “Juneteenth” especially, one of my favorite episodes of the series, for its dealing with racism and economic class). Its surrealist tone adds an awesomely weird vibe to the whole spectacle. I already knew Donald Glover had talent from his work on Community as well as his rap career as Childish Gambino. But Atlanta takes things to the next level. He acts, writes, produces, and created the show, which blows my mind. I also gotta tip my hat to the all-black writing staff for nailing aspects of black culture, which is important to me as a black person. This show is fantastic and while the next season probably won’t come until next year due to Donald Glover being in the young Han Solo movie, it will certainly be worth the wait. Spoiler The top show on my list is something that never got on my radar until March 2016. I decided to give it a chance since it was on Amazon Prime and I got so hooked that I blew through three seasons of it in no time at all. Now this is one of my favorite shows ever. But enough suspense, let’s get to it. My best show of 2016 is: 1. The Americans (FX) Holy crap has this show continued to blow me away ever since I first season. It’s filled with Cold War-era tension and spy intrigue, always managing to keep things interesting without employing cheap tactics just to add drama. And damn, the latest season has been proof that the show keeps getting better and better. It’s really hard to get into specifics without giving spoilers but let’s just say that season 4 did a great job of raising the stakes. Philip and Elizabeth’s complex marriage as well as their relationship with their children continues to grab my attention as well. Things are starting to heat up and I’m really looking forward to what the last two seasons will bring. FX has been killing it with content lately but The Americans is the channel’s finest masterpiece in my opinion. Edited January 15, 2017 by Katniss 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoBibbles Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 Spoiler Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Atlanta and Stranger Things on the list <333333333333333333333333333333 I haven't seen other choices on your list and some of other honorable mentions but I really liked the list. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sauce Mama Posted January 15, 2017 Share Posted January 15, 2017 God bless you for putting Atlanta on this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel Sponge Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 WARNING: This list mostly contains spoilers for those who haven't seen any of the shows or movies that appear on the official list or the pre-list! 2016…some major things have happened that year, and things have gotten very stressful for a lot of good people. Generally, there have been a number of sad and bad times. Donald Trump, one of the most notoriously controversial candidates, won the election and will be impeached as President, while Mike Pence will be Vice President, tomorrow. A bunch of beloved celebrities passed away, a fair number of dangerous events took place, Harambe the gorilla got shot and killed, and to some minor extents, video game movies are still doing poorly, B.o.B. revealed how much of a conspiracy nutcase he was after the events of trying to prove the Earth is flat followed, and there was just a whole bunch of assorted problems that surfaced on YouTube that I’m not going to bother going into full detail. And here I am, trying to be optimistic about the future of 2017, and that things won’t take a turn for the worst. (God forbid Mike Pence ends up becoming President, whatever happens to Trump.) However, just thinking about the future is not what I’m here for. I’m also here during my second-to-last day of my holiday vacation writing up my top 10 list for the best animated shows and movies 2016 had to offer before finishing and posting it on my first day out of holiday vacation. If there’s anything 2016 was really good for, it was for its memes……but seriously though, it did had a great batch of remarkable animated products. Some people love to make lists for music (well, including myself, but I am making a bit of a retirement from music reviews soon after I’m done with my best/worst hits list), television, and movies, but animation is my real calling right here! So what better way than to debut my entertainment lists than to do that first? Animation of 2016 in general was not as excellent as 2014 or 2015, (2016 in animated films were superb while animated television was mostly “ehhh” for me, but I might change my mind later on when I get the chance to see BoJack Horseman, Venture Bros. season 6, and some others.) You guys are probably going to be sick of reading through this preamble, but before I even begin with the pre-list, here’s something you’d never expect from a yearly top/bottom entertainment list maker until now: I’m going to lay just a few ground rules: -Take note that this isn’t a very broad list. I have not seen every animated film or show that I probably needed to see. This is unfortunately so for at least some various TV list favorites like Adventure Time, Regular Show, BoJack Horseman and South Park. Sorry folks. However, I’ll at least say there’ll be a couple of mature picks on the list. -In terms of animated television, there’s a fair balance of quality and quantity. There would have to be at least 4 or more episodes that I’ve really enjoyed so I could be willing to put it on the list since I will be listing my favorite segments from that year, because I’m not just listing my favorite shows and movies of this year on the countdown, but also what I felt highly represented this year in animation from what I’ve seen. -Animated shorts count and they are judged based on how much value I can get from them. And NOW, let’s move onto the pre-list. Here are the honorable mentions: Spoiler Star Vs. the Forces of Evil Best episodes: On the Job, Game of Flags, Bon Bon the Birthday Clown At the lowest point, surprisingly enough is this show. I really want to adore this season, but there wasn’t so much for me to write home about. However, this was still a great season in general, since the characters are still very likeable and it does come with some surprises. Honestly, I felt this season (so far, now that more episodes of S2 have been confirmed, leading up to a “Starbomb”), had too much of an emphasis on developing Star and Marco’s relationship and I felt something major wasn’t going on up until “Page Turner” or “Naysaya” with some history of Mewni and Marco and Jackie developing a relationship. The end of the 30 minute special also gave some indication that Ludo could start to pose as a real threat, so that’s also great. Not the strongest efforts I’ve seen so far, but maybe the upcoming Starbomb will make things more interesting, who knows? We Bare Bears Best episodes: Nom Nom’s Entourage, Christmas Parties, Baby Bears on a Plane Honestly, I’m sparing this show from my list because I haven’t seen enough so that I can only consider it for an honorable mentions spot. Regardless, from what I’ve seen, there are a good number of enjoyable and charming segments. Piper And now here’s one of two animated short films that contended for the top ten. Piper in particular made the honorable mentions. What can I really say about this? It’s cute. No. It’s beyond adorable! However, the biggest highlight is, of course, the animation. It’s just another piece of effort from the people behind Pixar. SpongeBob SquarePants Best episodes: Mall Girl Pearl, Married to Money, Mermaid Pants And here is one of my all-time favorite shows, making a good enough impression to make it to the honorable mentions, as well as demonstrating that the show is making some improvements. The show’s humor is starting to click better, the mean-spiritedness is starting to fade away and the characters are becoming more tolerable. Unfortunately though, it was close, but no cigar. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Best episodes: A Hearth’s Warming Tail, To Where and Back Again (1 & 2), The Times They Are a Changeling, Where the Apple Lies Season 6 is living proof that the show’s still got it, but I wouldn’t say it was better than Season 5. For what it’s worth, it’s still got that genuine charm, it came out with a season finale that astounded me a lot more than the time travel special from S5, and we got some interesting characters and development along the way, nothing much to say, really. It’s a remarkable season, but it just didn’t break as much ground as much as S5 IMO. Some other highlights include the continuing presence of Discord (the season finale and “Dungeons and Discords.”), the return of Queen Chrysalis (Also the season finale.), a “Liar Revealed” narrative done in a subtle way (“Where the Apple Lies.”), a dragon-related episode that fixed some of the damage “Dragon Quest” made (“Gauntlet of Fire.”) and of course, guest voice actor Patton Oswalt. (“Stranger Than Fan Fiction”) Gravity Falls Best episode: Weirdmageddon Part 3: Take Back the Falls Hey, wait a minute! Gravity Falls is one of the best animated series of the decade, why am I sparing this from my top ten? As you guys can tell, this is where rule #2 comes into effect. And yeah, putting this show on my list would make the top ten generally a lot more legitimate, but sorry folks, it needed more of a balance in quantity, even if this is the year where the show officially ends. I really adore this show, and there’s a very good reason as to why it takes the #1 position in my best list for 2015. Was the final part of the Weirdmageddon trilogy one of the best episodes I’ve seen all year? You bet. Do I wish there was more from this show in 2016? Yes, pretty much. The Loud House Best episodes: 11 Louds a Leapin’, Toads and Tiaras, Butterfly Effect, Sleuth or Consequences Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you my official #11. Yeah, Nickelodeon has been faltering for quite a long time, now that one of few things they want to accomplish now is finding the “next SpongeBob.” The Loud House gave me some hope that the network can still shine. (At least before NAS ever decides to give it “the move.”) When I first heard about this, I had high hopes that this could be a great Nicktoon. I was glad with the final result. The premise is thoughtful, the characters are colorful and filled with life, some of the jokes work very well, and most of all, it has its own brand of genuine charm. It does have some flaws though. Its biggest flaw is why it was so close to the top ten. After watching more of the series, this was the one flaw that I’ve gotten from it: some episode storylines are just so predictable. I mean, this is something I could expect from a children’s cartoon, but sometimes it’s easy to predict a certain episode’s outcome. There are at least some surprises, and when they do bring some surprises, it can amuse (very much why I consider “Butterfly Effect” and “Sleuth or Consequences” as two of my favorite segments). Even when some of the episodes have a predictable outcome, the plots don’t spread too thin and can back things up with its fair share of humor or its character development. It’ll probably never gain the type of glory as the well-loved 90s Nicktoons, but it’s pleasant to see another impressive Nicktoon from the network. And now I got that over with, it’s time for…. STEEL'S TOP 10 ANIMATIONS OF 2016 Spoiler So, let’s talk about Secret Life of Pets….is it anywhere on my top ten? It’s not on my honorable mentions list. Well, it’s not in my countdown either. I do like the movie, but I can’t get myself to ‘love’ it. To break things down, one thing people will point out right away is the similarities with Toy Story. Even if some of the similarities are glaringly obvious, I believe the movie is a bit of homage to the standards of Pixar. SLOP (yes, that’s actually the acronym for the movie) has a lot of charm to make it likeable, but it has its flaws. There are some scenes I believe were either rushed or forced, take for example the scene with Snowball having to group up with Max near the climax of the movie. It’s justifiable, but I still felt like it came by pretty fast. And then there’s also what could’ve been the saddest moment, and it’s when an animal sitting by the porch of Duke’s past owner and it just casually tells Max and Duke that the latter’s owner is dead. It’s probably because I immediately predicted that Duke’s owner has died once I glimpsed at the flashback scene from earlier, but still. If that’s the case, then why am I bringing this up? For a while, I wanted to express my thoughts about that movie, but I also wanted to discuss the concept of animated movies with sentient characters, and I never thought that I would near a movie that parodies that trope…. 10. Sausage Party This was the type of movie that got a surprise amount of praise from contemporary critics, and even I, an independent reviewer on a forum dedicated to a children’s cartoon, enjoyed this movie. It’s surprisingly when you consider the ratings difference between critics and audiences in the Rotten Tomatoes website. Now, I can very much say that I did enjoy the movie more than just from its premise. For an animated adult comedy, breaking ground as the first R-rated CGI feature length film, it did get some laughs from me. And of course, we can’t seem to have a comedy built around adult humor without some raunchy and stereotypical humor, but that didn’t bother me too much. I can’t blame anybody if any few things in the movie made some people uncomfortable. It’s got an enjoyable villain and an enjoyable climax. Yeah, this is basically repeated commentary from my older post detailing my thoughts on the movie, but overall, what makes Sausage Party barely edge into my top 10 is that it’s an entertaining and interesting film at most. Spoiler So, Dan and Swampy, the minds behind Phineas & Ferb, have recently released a new animated series for Disney XD. When I heard about this type of news, I was instantly excited to see what the two creators will bring to the table, and needless to say, they really gave me something overwhelming enough for a first impression that I just couldn’t say no to putting their newest show on the list…. 9. Milo Murphy’s Law Best episodes: The Doctor Zone Files, The Note, Rooting for the Enemy, Party of Peril Only ten segments of this series have aired in 2016, and I already fell in love with Milo Murphy’s Law. In fact, if there was something that made me laugh more than Sausage Party did, it was this show. Within the first ten episodes, the show was already packed with some humorous moments, the main characters are very likeable and entertaining, it’s got a variety of songs thanks to Danny Jacob and I’m liking what I’ve heard so far, and lastly it has a pretty solid premise. And what really makes the premise work is that there are some moments that would make you wonder what will go wrong, think of it as the 22 minute segment of the possibilities of Phineas & Ferb’s inventions disappearing, but except it’s all about Milo’s bad luck. Oh, and if Phineas & Ferb didn’t impress you for its basic episode formula, then you might get into Milo Murphy’s Law. It’s an example of experiencing new blood while it keeps the charm from Dan & Swampy’s older series. Definitely can’t wait for more episodes to turn up this year. Spoiler The next animated show on the list is another effort from Disney XD (while being a Disney Channel original). It’s my second favorite animated series of 2016, but it’s also one of the most underrated and it’s a show that I’m going to miss quite a lot, so I can’t have it any other way…. 8. Wander Over Yonder Best episodes: The Bot, The Flower, The End of the Galaxy, The Bad Neighbors When it came to the first half of Season 2 when it premiered back in 2015, it had an alright start. This was usually due to the flaw I’ve had with Lord Dominator as a character, and the latter half of Season 2 helped with making Lord Dominator more than just the villain who’s more malevolent than Lord Hater, the villain who can conquer and destroy planets no problem, and the villain who can normally curb-stomp Wander and co. It’s a big shame that higher ups for Disney Television Animation decide to cancel the show, especially since there was supposed to be more to the story for Season 3, but there’s a lot about WOY that makes it shine through. The series has a lot of endearing moments (one example being “The Bot”), and it’s especially the case when it comes to the interactions between Wander and Sylvia. It’s also got a fair share of humor, with “The Bad Neighbors” being the funniest example. It’s also got a good amount of surprises. Take the storylines for “The Bad Hatter,” “The Night Out,” and especially the apparent series finale, for example. It may have come to an abrupt end, but its glory will live on. If it ever comes back, I can only hope for a miracle. Spoiler For a long time, Disney has had a track record for astounding animated movies, and their most recent installment only proved more of their success. 7. Moana Once again, the team of Ron Clements and John Musker never fail to amaze. Ever since I heard about the movie when it was just in pre-production, I had high hopes that it could be excellent and well….what can I really expect from an animation studio with a strong track record? To sum it all up, the animation is gorgeous, the storytelling is intriguing, the characters are interesting, a lot of the jokes are funny (the best being the one little self-awareness joke from Maui), the twist near the end was a surprise, and the songs are pretty good, the best being that glam rock styled musical number from Tamatoa. Yep, this movie is an example of just being effortlessly wonderful. However, I’ll admit that this isn’t the most surprising or the most extraordinary. Of course, there’s one other movie this year from Disney that’s unmatched compared to the other efforts from the revival era. Spoiler Let’s talk animated short films. What does it take it for it to be one of the most astounding? An excellent animated short film would appear to be thought-provoking, it would have a brilliant atmosphere, and it would have some very pleasant animation. (Paperman would be my #1 hands-down if I ever did a countdown for 2012.) It would do so much in its power to be simply remarkable. I think some of you guys would be surprised if I told you folks that this piece was made by a group of animators from Pixar…. 6. Borrowed Time While I tend to point out some spoilers for some of my picks, I’m going to keep this one spoiler-free, because this needs to be seen to be believed for the story’s profound and dark depth. The narrative tells a story about an old sheriff reminiscing his days with his father when he was younger. The more that his past thoughts come following through, the more you can determine how dark and miserable the atmosphere appears in the short’s present time. So yeah, this is all I’m going to cover, but overall, it’s a very brooding independent animated short film that will make you want to re-watch Piper after it’s done. Go and watch it whenever you guys have the chance. Spoiler When it comes to my taste in animated films and shows, I’m soft and I’m normally attached to ones for the young-hearted. So, I wouldn’t say putting this animated movie as high is a surprise. 5. Kung Fu Panda 3 I’ve been starting to consider myself as a fan of the Kung Fu Panda film franchise, and this shows that Dreamworks can still impress, even with a second sequel. It’s not up to the standards as Kung Fu Panda 2, but the third installment is still a very pretty sight. The major villain is interesting, the storyline is intriguing, some of the occasional jokes get to me, and all those quiet moments really get to me. To top it all off with a really exciting, climatic battle against Kai and the ending with Po succeeding Oogway’s role as one of kung fu’s greatest masters, this movie stands out, making it a definite treat to someone who enjoyed the previous two installments. Now I can only wonder what the fourth movie will bring to the table and how the people working on it will make it deliver. Spoiler And now we are moving on to Pixar’s biggest release this year, and they really knew how to impress with this interesting sequel to Finding Nemo… 4. Finding Dory I love Pixar. I loved Finding Nemo when I was a small child. I still love the original movie now. Finding Dory might not be better than the first installment, but I still loved it enough to give the movie this high enough of a spot on the top ten. I have already expressed my thoughts on the movie before, but what’s the best I can say outside of the movie being one of the most endearing movies Pixar has given us? Well, the movie is more than just that perilous rescue journey formula and shows off its own brand of thrills and depth. This is not just a sequel to Finding Nemo, this is a story all about Dory and her quest to find her parents again and overcome her disability. In fact, what makes the movie so endearing is that the movie shows a larger emphasis on disability, and it’s not limited to Dory’s short-term memory loss. Most of these new characters we have, they are established with a disability of some kind. We got Hank the octopus with a missing tentacle, we got a near-sighted whale shark, and a beluga whale with sonar issues. Other highlights include the animation (as always, the look of the underwater scenes are nicely done.), the interactions between Dory and Hank, and Crush’s small return. Overall, it’s a new movie that doesn’t lose any of the old charm from the first movie. On a lighter note, while it’s nice to see the tank gang post-credits, I could still only wonder what happens next for them. I still can’t sleep at night until I know their journey back to the ocean will come to an end. Spoiler What can I say? Steven Universe is one of the most outstanding shows on Cartoon Network right now. 3. Steven Universe Best episodes: Mr. Greg, Bismuth, Earthlings, Monster Reunion, Bubbled While the episodes leading up to the Cluster were mostly great than absolutely wonderful, the post-Cluster/Summer of Steven nuke was where a lot of big things started to happen. We get introduced to Bismuth, one of the original Crystal Gems, for one special and we get to know her story and see how her motive causes her to become poofed and bubbled before and after Steven found her gem. We hear and get to know more from Lapis after she gets unfused back in “Super Watermelon Island.” We even get some more history from Rose, not just from “Bismuth,” but also from one of the most shocking episodes, namely with “Earthlings,” where Steven, for the first time, fuses with a gem (Amethyst), and Jasper meeting her own demise by getting corrupted before making the implication that Rose shattered Pink Diamond. Immediately after, it becomes revealed that Rose, indeed, shattered Pink Diamond. What really stood out for me the most was some of the storylines outside the main plot, preferably with “Mr. Greg,” a musical episode leading up to Pearl and Greg trying to make amends with each other. Then there’s “Monster Buddies,” giving us more interactions between Steven’s friendship with a centipeetle, as well as some insight about gem corruption and past gem lives. Then you also got one of the best Looney Tunes tributes you’ll ever see. (“Kindergarten Kid”) Lastly, of course, I can’t forget to mention the big finale to the Cluster storyline in “Gem Drill,” as well as the battle between Malachite and Alexandrite before that. Yeah, you guys can already tell what my final thoughts are on this. All these episodes I’ve seen are filled with big surprises, excellent world building, and superb storytelling as usual. It still keeps its #3 spot, but it reins supreme as the best animated series I’ve seen this year. Spoiler When I saw the trailer for this most recent project from Laika, I was immediately impressed, and already convinced that this movie might be able to top the one animated movie I’ve had set in stone as my #1. Well, here it is at #2, but regardless, I’d go far as to say that 2016 managed to give us two 10 out of 10 classic animated movies. 2. Kubo and the Two Strings Where do I begin? The stop motion animation and special effects are absolutely gorgeous. The characters are well thought out and unique. The villains are very interesting, most preferably the major villain. The major events in the movie deliver some deep depth. The Japanese folklore theme and cultural elements really intrigue. The action scenes are thrilling. The somber and/or quiet scenes really work. And the central message….okay, it’s definitely not the best with the whole thing about “memories are society’s greatest strength, even memories from our departed spirits,” but given that Japanese folklore is a central theme for the movie, it doesn’t bother me too much. This should all sum up my thoughts on Kubo and the Two Strings. Note: the following is related to rest of the review, but includes a very debatable rambling: Spoiler Although, before I go, I can’t forget to mention the big pink elephant in the room: the film was controversial for its “whitewashed” cast. And I know talking about whitewashing in Hollywood is very risqué, but let me sum up my thoughts on this issue by saying this: Po, a Chinese panda from the Kung Fu Panda franchise, is voiced by an American white man. While the franchise does have its fair share of Asian voice actors, so does Kubo, even if all the major characters are not voiced by Asian actors. However, at the end of the day, it’s nothing more than just voice acting. If the acting is pleasant, I’ll take it. I can see the problem with whitewashing in live-action films, because the look of an actor matters a lot when it comes to what a character is meant to look like. For what it’s worth, Kung Fu Panda is a movie with elements of Chinese folklore meant to be told for its eager audience, like how Kubo has elements of Japanese folklore and is meant to be told for its eager audience. Nonetheless, I’ll give you guys Rooney Mara’s acting as Sariatu’s sisters, though, and I’m not saying it’s because of the actress’ skin color. Still, that’s one nitpick I’ve had with the movie. Spoiler It has now come to my #1, and you guys can already tell what it’s going to be. Well, there’s no time for me to keep you guys hanging around. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the greatest, the boldest, the undefeated heavyweight champion of quality animated films of 2016, the extraordinary, groundbreaking animated film that is not only one of the best this year, but of the DECADE so far, it is the one and only, the magnificent…. Let’s just get it over with. It’s Zootopia. 1. Zootopia Kubo and the Two Strings did come close to topping this, but Zootopia has still won me over as of the best animated movies I’ve seen all throughout the decade. The movie delivers with a lot of surprising storytelling elements, a central message that works so well, and its emotional depth for the two main characters: Nick and Judy. With its story being its biggest strength, it never fails to intrigue. By the time the film moves over to the first scene with an animal under the influence of the night howlers serum, that’s where it just keeps me hooked. From there, I adored Nick’s flashback scene, I adored those quiet and dramatic moments between Nick and Judy, and the one moment that detailed the tolerance between prey and predators after Judy’s investigation. Then you got the climax, and I’ll have to admit, Bellwether’s reveal as the criminal mastermind got a bit of a surprise out of me, even though I wish there was some more detail or backstory behind Bellwether’s true nature. And then there’s the subject matter that people have discussed the most when it comes to the movie: the central message that expresses the relationship between animals of two different categories, or otherwise its allegory of prejudice. They establish this message in a very subtle way without making it too sententious. We get these kind of moments from Judy’s childhood, Nick’s flashback, Chief Bogo’s relationship with Judy on her first few days working with the police force, and most importantly, before and after the events leading to Nick’s conflict with Judy, and they make all these moments feel so natural and provocative. Some smaller highlights include Judy being a very likeable (if you save her blackmailing Nick into working with her on the otter investigation.) and strong female lead character, and Nick being a very entertaining character in general. There’s a lot within this movie that it values, and it makes Zootopia the best animated film of 2016, one of the best animated films of the decade, and the best animated product of said year. Now that 2017 is around the corner, let’s look right into what animated movies we’re going to expect for release this year, shall we? -The Lego Batman movie is coming out sooner than later. I loved the Lego Movie, so I know I’m going to love this. -Despicable Me 3. I have not seen the first sequel, but I think I have a reason to do so. I have hopes that this will be good. -Cars 3 and Coco. I’m excited for both those movies, of course. -And we also got the…..Emoji Movie….The Nut Job 2…..Boss Baby…..Charming…. -There’s also the Captain Underpants movie….uhhhh…I’m not a fan, but I did read the first book. -*Looks at posters for Blazing Samurai and Animal Crackers* I guess Hollywood really wanted at least a couple more movies featuring a CGI Garfield abomination…. -Speaking of Animal Crackers, I guess a movie about humans turning into animal-shaped graham cracker cookies is something we’re all dying to see…. -We also got an animated movie about a teenage monkey in space. It looks like one Space Chimps wasn’t enough. -Uh, the Croods 2…wait, that’s cancelled? Nevermind… -Why do I keep talking in ellipses like this…..you may ask? There’s just one more thing I need to say… 2017 in animation: PLEASE don’t suck! Anyway, next up is my music lists, and they will be arriving a lot sooner. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clappy Posted January 25, 2017 Author Share Posted January 25, 2017 2016 was a weird year for movies. After the burning dumpster fire that was 2015 to me, 2016 was without a doubt a step up, but something just felt off about the film industry this year. I’m not just talking about the high number of high profile celebrity deaths. Despite the record year at the United States box office, thanks to Disney’s MASSIVE box office grosses, something just felt incredibly stale about the massive tentpoles this year. Minus a few exceptions, 2016 was the year that could best be summed up with: “this was a better movie last time”. I know I’ve talked about this for so many years now that the massive amounts of sequels, reboots, and remakes are going to effect the long term health of cinema, but this was the year where I truly felt like that Hollywood has destroyed creativity by not giving original stories a chance. So many of these scripts felt like they were not even ready for prime time television. With the original ideas and content going straight to television, only the blandest and stalest of ideas are being sent to theaters and today I’m going to cover the worst of the worst. Spoiler Dishonorable Mentions: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Why not start out with the cream of the crop? I mean the Razzie nominations are rolling in and this is the frontrunner for nearly every award imaginable. Critics and audiences are tearing this one a new one. So it has to be the worst movie of 2016, right?Consider it incredibly low expectations on my end because I called this one sucking long before most of the people in the thread for this movie did. It sucked yes, but at least I saw the vision it was trying to go for. That doesn’t it excuse it from making my own list though because this deserves to be here. I thought long and hard about it, but I think it’s safe to say Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor would make my Mount Rushmore of bad superhero movie acting. Every single scene he was in was insufferable. Not to mention the more I think about it, him creating Doomsday is entirely implausible. I could go on and on about Eisenberg’s Luthor, but he’s not the only problem. All the dream sequences are confusing as fuck as they try to build for future DCU movies, Lois Lane is given absolutely nothing to do, the disappointment that was Batman and Superman’s meatheaded reasoning for fighting….I’ve already written a full post about all the problems I have with this movie and there are a lot. While this is only technically a dishonorable mention, I think this movie will certainly have a lasting impact of sucking far longer than any of the other choices on this list. Suicide Squad Want proof of that last sentence? Take a look at this as a prime example as to how Batman v Superman fucked up the DC Universe for the forseeable future. All the reshoots, all the editing they did to Suicide Squad were all a result of all the complaints people had about Batman v Superman. I don’t know what the original vision this movie had would have made it any better or worse than the finalized product, but this finalized product ended up being such an ugly mess. The plot is muddled and has an overkill of plotholes, nearly all of the characters are so paper thin that you can blow them over and not notice them, I thought I would never say this about a David Ayer movie, but it’s poorly directed (I blame the reshoots)….and dare I say this about the last one, but it just felt like it was pandering at times. Like they were trying way too hard to pander to the haters of Batman v Superman as DC Films tries to prove that this is a 180 from the former. I do think the highlights here at least make this more redeemable than Batman v Superman. Margot Robbie is a great Harley Quinn and Will Smith doesn’t get enough credit for being an entertaining Deadshot. Hell, this movie provided us the best Jai Courtney role ever making me legitimately laugh at times. But you guys all know how fucking awesome the trailers were for this right? It was promising a fun time about supervillains kicking ass…yet they barely kick any ass and when they do kick ass, it feels forced in because they needed more action sequences than the ones they previously filmed that do connect to the story. Sorry. Dirty Grandpa Just when I thought Robert DeNiro couldn’t sink any lower. I take back anything negative about Little Fockers being the most desperate paycheck film Robert DeNiro has ever done. This is just flat out humiliating. I’m glad R-rated comedies are making a comeback in the 2010s but this is a reminder as to why they were on the decline beforehand. It’s crude, disgusting, nauseating and not even in a clever R-rated fashion. This movie just sucks very hard. Oh yeah, Zac Efron is in this too. I like Zac Efron and think he has a ton of potential, but to me, I can’t think of a single actor who is in a dire need of a better agent to pick out smarter projects. He gets relegated to some of the most utterly useless movies that waste his underrated comedic chops. Gods of Egypt I don’t know guys. This probably should be on the worst list. Very high up there. This is a fucking disaster of a movie. Every single possible thing wrong with this movie is obvious. The direction is terrible (Remember how good The Crow was? Alex Proyas sure doesn’t anymore.), the acting is over the top bombastically bad, the writing is atrocious, the CGI is god awful. I could go on and on about how bad this movie was in every single way imaginable. Yet…I can’t place this in good consciousness on the worst list because this was dangerously close to making my best list too for being so bad it’s good. But I couldn’t even do that because I do think everyone involved was trying and the movie itself took itself way too seriously for me to even place this as an official “so bad, it’s good” movie. However, this isn’t making my bottom ten because I did manage to find myself amused quite often at how horrible this is. The Secret Life of Pets Honestly, I might be in the minority here who outright can’t stand this movie. I get that it’s not aimed to be for me with the colorful aesthetics and the juvenile humor. This is a perfect example of something that was not made with me in mine. But I’m a huge animal lover. This movie should have still worked for me, but nothing worked for me. The characters were forgettable, the villain was way too obnoxious (Kevin Hart being obnoxious Kevin Hart), and the plot has the biggest problem of them all. It rips off Toy Story…WAY TOO MUCH. The plot summary of the first Toy Story is shamelessly done here with one dog being the owner’s center of attention until a new dog shows up and the old dog gets jealous and then they get lost in the city and have to make their way back home by trying to hitch on to a truck and….DO YOU GUYS NOT SEE THE SHAMELESS TOY STORY PARALLELS? Hell they even have the Toy Story 2 plot point of having all the side characters team up in search for the two dogs. I get that movies borrow plot points all the time. They are all universally recycled at one point or another, but this borrows way too heavily from the Pixar-verse for my liking. X-Men: Apocalypse Wow. I’m looking back at the thread for this and I got way too mad after my initial watch. But if I got one thing right about that rant, it’s how much the main X-Men franchise is in serious need of a new direction. I don’t want to see them included in the Marvel Cinematic Universe persay, but I do want Fox to actually put forth more effort into these movies. This wasn’t the worst one by any means, but this was definitely the most useless and disposable of the X-Men movies. Apocalypse was a terrible villain, the Wolverine cameo was supremely forced, someone get Jennifer Lawrence out of these movies because it’s become abundantly clear she doesn’t give a shit anymore, and outside of Jean Grey, I don’t give a shit about any of the new characters. Nothing else to say except this was an apocalyptic disappointment. Zoolander 2 “If there is anything that this horrible tragedy can teach us, it’s that a male model’s life is a precious, precious commodity. Just because we have chiseled abs and stunning features, it doesn’t mean that we too can’t not die in a freak gasoline fight accident.” This quote from the original can also be applied to this massive waste of a sequel too btw. The Choice At the beginning of the year, I declared this the worst movie of 2016. Boy were those hilarious memories. Honestly, I’ve got nothing to say about this except Nicholas Spark movies need to cease from existing…but hell, even his target audience of chick flick admirers aren’t afraid to admit that. Pointless movie is pointless. The Fifth Wave Anyone remember this blip on the radar? Anyone? Bueller? I love Chloe Grace Moretz and I think she has a supremely bright future, but 2016 was simply not her year. From the already forgettable Neighbors 2 to this atrocity. If you want to look at why this teenage dystopian future trend is finally dying, look at how badly this bombed as a reason why. The CGI was trash, the acting was horrific, and the story just flat out sucked hard…and you’ll probably forget this existed after my dishonorable mention reminder that this was a thing. Next. The Boss Oh ho ho ho ho, Christ on a cracker did I want to place this on the worst list so badly towards the beginning of this year. I can’t be the only one who finds Melissa McCarthy unbearable in comedies that aren’t directed by Paul Feig, right? While this isn’t as terrible as Tammy, Melissa McCarthy plays another unbearable human who annoys the ever living piss out of you for ninety minutes, while we are supposed to find her hilarious and charming in the end. I’m sorry but I don’t know if I’m supposed to have an acquired taste for these sort of movies because The Divergent Series: Allegiant Was highly tempted to place this on the worst list because it was a colossal train wreck of a franchise killer. At the end of the day though, I’m keeping this off for sheer pity purposes. For those of you who don’t keep up with movie news, the follow up to this, Ascendant, is being moved to Showtime as a television movie. Two years ago, the original made about 150 million stateside. Now, the final part will premiere on a premium cable network that barely anyone watches because why would anyone want to? Especially when they could be watching HBO, Cinemax, and Starz…aka the good premium cable networks. Let this be a lesson to all movie studios as to why you’ll never see another teen book series adaptation split the final book into two movies ever again. Don't know if it's just me but that dishonorable mentions list went on longer than usual. Anywho, time for the main list. The one that I know you've all been waiting for...yes every last one of you on this site about an underwater sponge are waiting for a movie list that has nothing to do with him. We're counting down! CLAPPY'S TOP TEN WORST MOVIES OF 2016 Spoiler In years past, I had my movie lists up sooner than this. Primarily because I wanted to have them posted while I was still in 2016. I’m glad I wait until the first two months to wrap these lists up now because it gives me even more time to catch shit I could have possibly missed. Like this for example: 10. Assassin’s Creed If there was ever a video game adaptation that could have translated well onto the big screen, it was the Assassin’s Creed franchise. The games, for the most part, played out like movies; especially the first one, which had so many cut scenes that it could have worked well as a movie. The source material was all there ripe for the taking, but what everyone involved chose to focus on was the wrong aspects of the games. Does it nail the looks? Yes, right down to the death defying jumps, which has probably one of the best stunt work jumps you’ll ever see. But just because it nails the look of the games doesn’t mean it nails the story. Which, holy crap, the story sucks supremely hard. In my post on this thread, I said I would rather see what Uwe Boll could do with this because he would have at least made this interestingly bad. Director Justin Kurzel, who directed last years Macbeth, takes this story and turns it into a brooding dark dreary mess, when it has zero right to be as such. If you guys thought Batman v Superman was too unnecessarily dark, you guys should check this out because at least Batman v Superman tried. Yes, it tried to be interesting. This is such a massive bore with a bunch of Academy Award nominated actors and actresses not even trying to invest you into these characters, this story, and this movie. Once again, making me lose hope that there will ever be a video game adaptation that can become a successful movie. Hell, as much as I know that the new Resident Evil movie will not change that fact, I know it will at least be entertaining levels of bad unlike this steaming slog of shit. Next. Spoiler I’ve been on the record in the past for stating sometimes a movie gets panned so heavily that it ends up surprising me in terms of not being as bad as it’s made out to be. That doesn’t excuse them for being terrible mind you, but I didn’t outright hate this next one either. So let’s get the puns out of the way now. Nine Lives? More like I need nine wines. HAHAHAHAHHAA cat jokes. 9. Nine Lives Listen guys, I know a lot of you were expecting this to be much higher and who knows, maybe I might be underestimating how bad this really was. But for what I saw, it was just another dumb family comedy from people who should know better by now. This wasn’t any different than The Shaggy Dog, Freaky Friday, or any other sort of movie with a moral about how family time is very important for the overworking business person who doesn’t know any better. So yeah, I feel like I’m more lenient on this than I have any right to… …but this was 20FREAKING16 we are talking about. We should have left these sort of plot points in the 2000s where they rightfully died. Also, and a slight spoiler here, but there is one scene in particular that is so completely the fuck out of left field about suicide that it baffles me as to who thought adding this was a good idea for a family comedy? What the actual hell movie? Bite me. What a waste of an actually talented cast. I sure hope they got made a good paycheck. Spoiler Earlier this year I said that this was a great year for horror movies. As the year comes to a close, I can definitely stand by saying that this was one of the best horror movie years of the 2010s. Definitely the best since 2013. That being said, not all of them were good obviously. Some far worse than others. 8. Shut In As a matter of fact, despite not mentioning them as contenders for this list, there were a couple of others that just missed out like The Darkness and The Disappointments Room. However, I was willing to forgive those with the slightest of intentions because those were on the shelves of studios that are no longer in business. THIS PIECE OF SHIT ON THE OTHER HAND I don’t forgive even the slightest. Naomi Watts is still a big name actress, Jacob Tremblay is the new Hollywood it-child, Charlie Heaton was in my favorite show of 2016, Farren Blackburn is a solid television director. How did all of these good things make such a shit horror movie? This movie baffles me at how awful it was down to the spoiler free twist ending that makes no damn sense. Side note, but Luc Beeson’s studio EuropaCorp has done nothing but release shit movie after shit movie since its first film in 2015, that horrible Transporter reboot. With Nine Lives and now Shut In, EuropaCorp has given me no faith that anything they release will be even the slightest bit good. Spoiler Hey Ron Howard. Hey Tom Hanks. STOP ADAPTING DAN BROWN NOVELS INTO MOVIES! 7. Inferno You know, I was WAY too lenient on the Robert Langdon movies when I talked about them a few months ago. I re-watched The DaVinci Code the other day and wow it was far more boring than I remembered. If it had a few more action sequences, it could have had potential, but as it stands, it’s a mediocre thriller without the thrills. Angels and Demons was only slightly better, just slightly though because it suffers the same problems. Inferno, on the other hand, was garbage three months ago and it’s still garbage today. Tom Hanks is an icon, so a movie this bad won’t taint his legacy since he’s done far too much good to make us question him. Ron Howard, on the other hand, has his fair share of good films, but he hasn’t done anything redeemable in over a decade. We keep giving him so many passes because he made A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13. Both movies that were made far too long ago to keep allowing him to get away with making such lifeless boring shlock, while stilling maintaining a title as one of the best directors working today. Sorry Richie Cunningham, but you have to EARN such a proclaim and lately, I don’t buy it. Spoiler 2016. It was a record year for the Disney Corporation as they made over 6 billion dollars (and counting) this year with their stacked lineup of hits. Not only did they lap their competitors twice, but they had the three most profitable movies of the year in Rogue One, Finding Dory, and Civil War. That’s unheard of. I’ve never seen a studio have this dominant of a year not just in terms of finances, but in terms of quality. They made so many good movies this year that I decided to check out every last one of them…not a good decision on my part because the one I expected to suck sucked harder than I ever expected. 6. Alice: Through the Looking Glass Yeah not every picture they released was a smash hit because this one flopped and it flopped hard. The moment this was announced, people knew this was completely unnecessary because there was no way they were going to catch lightning in a bottle twice with this universe. Say what you want about the original. It hasn’t held up well and I’m not a fan, but at least Tim Burton made something visually stunning. James Bobin was in over his head the moment he got announced as the director for this because he doesn’t have the vision and color scheme that Tim Burton and anyone from the Burton school of film making has. I know that metaphors aren’t my strong point, they’ve never been, but Bobin’s artistic vision of Wonderland is what it would like if a kid on a sugar high threw up all over the movie screen. Not only is the direction a mess, but not a single actor or actress is remotely watchable during this. Whether it be out of pure boredom, only in it for the paycheck, or just flat out obnoxious Johnny Depp in particular pulls off the trifecta of being all three. Did we really need a Mad Hatter backstory? Because if so, this is nearly identical to the one Willy Wonka got in that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remake. Hopefully we never come back to Underland Wonderland ever again. Spoiler Some movies make it high on this list for being fundamentally broken. Others make it for just being an incompetent mess. This next one makes it on here just based on an immoral ethical dilemma, but boy what a dilemma it was. 5. Passengers Is Passengers one of the worst movies of the year overall? Honestly, probably not. Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence have good chemistry. The CGI is fine. Morten Tyldum is interchangeable, you could have given this director spot to anyone and you probably would have gotten the same result. However, there is no denying that this movie just makes my skin crawl. It’s repulsive to know that there was a bidding war to get the rights to this awful screenplay. For those of you who haven’t heard the immoral ethics in this movie, the male lead (Pratt) opens up the female lead’s (Lawrence) pod because he’s lonely and thinks she’s hot. How is subjecting a woman to a 90 year death sentence supposed to be found romantic and charming? I don’t care if Chris Pratt is one of the most likeable leads Hollywood has right now. His character is still an irredeemable creep. Even when Jennifer Lawrence’s character finds out what he did and gets rightfully pissed off at him, they still want to push his character as a nice guy/hero who she is still in love with. This movie is the worst ad for Stockholm Syndrome that I’ve ever seen. That’s the movies biggest flaw. It has no idea how profoundly creepy that one plot point really is because it just sets a large clout over the rest of the movie that’s so gruesomely inescapable no matter how many times they try to focus on the rest of the movie. Passengers is such a hard plunge into a narrative black hole that you should all skip on. Spoiler So this sequel happened... ...do you want to talk about it? Because I sure as hell don't... 4. Independence Day: Resurgence …is it bad that I struggled to even remember a single thing about this? The first one had one of the most memorable instances in the history of CGI by blowing up the White House. How could it be THIS hard to remember a single thing about this unnecessary sequel? The first one was dumb fun and what you think of when you think of popcorn flicks. This sequel was just flat out dumb. The CGI was all over the place, the acting was wooden and stale, Roland Emmerich knows how to utilize CGI, but his stories make next to no fucking sense. How is anyone supposed to believe it took twenty fucking years for such a superior alien race to invade our planet? Yes my rhetorical question gets answered, but in the most illogical way possible that you have to see to believe. If you want to point out the reason Hollywood had such a bad case of sequelitis this year, look no further than this. No wonder Will Smith took such a hard pass on being in this. Spoiler You know what, I’m not even going to give this one a full preamble because it doesn’t deserve one. 3. When the Bough Breaks ScreenGems knows what they are doing with these movies and the sole purpose of their existence is solely to make cash. Which yes, all movies are made to make cash, but this one in particular is so blatantly obvious. It has no reason to exist. Here is the formula in a nutshell: -Just change around the main actors and actresses every one or two movies from Idris Elba to Morris Chestnut. Taraji Henson to Regina Hall. Add a recognizable supporting actor like Romany Malco or Michael Ealy and a young upcoming actress. -Rehash the movie Fatal Attraction umpteen times on a small budget. -Release it in theaters the second weekend of September, and watch the money pile up. This movie is the epitome of lifeless. It has zero personality, zero charisma, nothing stands out, nothing to recommend. This is the epitome of a cash grab if I’ve ever seen one. It’s a functioning product served to make money. Fuck this movie. Spoiler I’m posting this trailer first because this trailer doesn’t represent the movie. Not even the slightest bit. 2. Collateral Beauty Don’t you mean Collateral Marketing Scam? Because that’s what this movie is. Nothing like the trailers lead you to believe. The real plot of this movie is Will Smith is going through depression due to his daughter’s death and his coworkers hire actors/actresses to play Love, Time, and Death so they can talk to Will Smith and his coworkers film him talking to these people, editing the actors out, and show it to Will’s bosses so they can make Will come off as crazy so they can fire him and save their jobs. ...unlike Passengers, this is a moral ethical dilemma that doesn’t have anything else for me to recommend the movie in general. This movie is ten times worse than Passengers, hell it might be much more than that because I can’t not think of this movie without going through unparalleled rage as to how mean spirited, how emotionally manipulative, how condescending, how unbelievably bad this movie is. If you’re the kind of movie goer who is attracted to films just based on the names involved, well you are going to waste your time seeing how much collateral damage they are going to receive following this stinker. I’m going to be hard pressed to sit through another Will Smith movie, or Helen Mirren movie, or Keira Knightley movie, or many more without thinking of how insufferable each and every actor was while during this. This movie has no idea how human emotions even work and it robs of us of the actors we love, just so they can collect a paycheck by manipulating the faith based/awards bait audience the studios were so clearly aiming for while making this disasterpiece. Spoiler Time for the moment you’ve all been waiting for DUM DA DA DA DA DA DA DUM DUM DA DA DA DA DA DA DUM DEE DA DEE DA LEE DA LEE DA DE LEE (runs out of breathe) DEE DA DEE DA LEE…oh forget it. It’s Norm of the North. 1. Norm of the North What else can I say about this fucking terrible piece of dog shit that I haven’t already said in my only Crap Cinema review of 2016? I was slightly tempted to not even qualify this movie for my list because it WAS supposed to go straight to DVD, because so little effort was intentionally put into this animation, story, acting, etc. But no. If Lionsgate thought this movie would be far more profitable in theaters than rotting in the 99 cent discount bin at Wal-Mart you’ll find this in five years from now, then I’m going to put this at number one. Right where it deserves to be. My dog could put more effort into a movie than everyone else involved did with this. Norm of the North, a disservice to not only the Arctic, but all polar bears everywhere. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoBibbles Posted January 25, 2017 Share Posted January 25, 2017 your pun at #9 was funny. great list. i haven't seen these, except for Batman v Superman and X-Men Apocalypse. While i did enjoy B v S from first viewing, the more i think the more poorly-written it gets. i personally found Batman and Superman's fight scene to be underwhelming because they didn't have strong emotion into it. it was fun but man it's 8 minutes long and i thought the scene lasted for 3 minutes. that's how underwhelmed i was. I still like X-Men Apocalypse and found fun stuff in it but man it's another cliched superheroes have to save big baddie from destroying earth. it worked so well in movies like Avengers, Watchmen and Guardians of The Galaxy (tho this was about universe lol) because they had great characters and way more interesting story behind them. The villain was bland and most new additions to X-Men, Angel and Pyscoke (whatever name was ) were just there. That being said, i still have bias for Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy's romance I mean friendship here, Wolverine cameo was fun, even if forced and who doesn't love Quicksilver? for #1, it's such a normie movie. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 26, 2017 Share Posted January 26, 2017 Thank god ID:R is at #4. That movie was absolutely soulless garbage. Easily the worst of the year for me. And yes, I saw a lot (top of the page is my list for reference). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel Sponge Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 (edited) It looks like everyone is done with their bottom/top ten hit songs lists, everyone except for me. Yep, just take it from me to wait on making my year-end retrospective, but can you blame me? I managed to churn out 6,600+ words worth of material for this one review, minus the bonus commentary for my #9 pick. I like music. I like reviewing it, so let’s talk about the pop scene in 2016. It wasn’t terrible. It wasn’t one of the worst year-end lists I had to skim through. No, I’m not pulling my year-end Hot 100 review for 1997 out of my butt. Was this year the worst of the decade in pop music? Well…it at least beats out 2014 and 2010. There was a decent enough amount of good stuff, but the bad stuff was definitely more than just bad. So, as usual, I’m beginning this countdown with the bad. The choices that I have for my bottom 10 is just so awful, that I’ll dread to hear any one these hit singles ever again. Let’s set it all up, beginning with some ground rules: -When it comes to my lists, there are means of eligibility. A hit single has to make my list if it debuted in the year-end charts of this year. -However, each list is limited to at least one backwash song, but only if a song, that has already appeared in last year’s top 100 list, didn’t make my top/bottom ten last year. -The pre-lists are also limited to at least one or two backwash songs (except for the bottom 10 pre-list, which features more than ten dishonorable mentions). And now, before I discuss the most rancid hit songs of this year, I’ve a long list of dishonorable mentions that’ll tell you I’m insane, and this year around, this list features 16 other hit songs that I despised but didn’t make the cut: Spoiler Don’t Wanna Know / Maroon 5 featuring Kendrick Lamar This is a year-end 2017 hopeful and it doesn’t appear on the list for 2016, but since I will not be covering year-end 2017 in the near future (at least not in full), I better go into detail of what’s already one of my most despised hit songs for this year. My biggest gripe with the song is just how painfully generic it is, judging the songwriting and the overall sound. In fact, this song sounds remotely like if M5 were just desperate to put out another surefire hit. The Maroon 5 I come to know is the type of band that embraced their funky, dangerous, and sensual side. I know that the band have made a batch of softer songs, but I think to myself, could this song sound any more sugary sweet? By judging the upbeat dancehall instrumentation and the very simplistic lyrics… I don't wanna know, know, know, know Who's taking you home, home, home, home And loving you so, so, so, so Do you think of me Of what we used to be? Is it better now That I'm not around? It’s hard to determine how a song about drinking away your sorrows is meant to sound something like it’s made for a children’s cartoon (Well, if you save any of the mature lyrics and subtext). It’s really distracting to me. Oh, and even if Kendrick is undeniably one of the most well-respected rappers, giving him a guest verse doesn’t help make things any better. Gold / Kiiara Now we’re moving on to songs that appear on the actual list. Of all things I could be biased about when it comes to pop music these days, I can’t help but adore a good number of minimalistic sounding songs, but “Gold” is an exception, because most days, the lack of allure in this song makes me wish Lorde could come back and show ‘em how it’s done. The biggest issue I have with the song is the hook which sounds like it’s edited in the style of YouTube Poops. It may be catchy as heck, but it’s also really distracting. Otherwise, the songwriting and Kiiara herself doesn’t sound all that interesting or brooding. Overall, the song is just a mess, but I’ll have to admit, it benefits a little from its hook. Down in the DM / Yo Gotti Eh, generally, Yo Gotti is a fine rapper, but this is an incredibly cookie-cutter hip hop song. Also, the songwriting is pretty iffy at times. Here’s one lyric I can’t get behind: I tell her, Snapchat me that pussy or Facetime me that pussy if it's cool One Dance / Drake featuring WizKid and Kyla Not only is this song boring, but it also pretty formulaic. 85% of this song is utterly the hook. WizKid and Kyla are also in it too, but they don’t leave off an interesting impression. I’ll give Drake some credit though, he doesn’t come off as unlikeable, and sometimes I don’t mind this song as much when I’m in the best mood. Stitches / Shawn Mendes Remember when I left this out from being anywhere close to being one of my dishonorable mentions list back when I made my 2015 list? Well, this song really soured on me. What a bunch of melodramatic, clichéd, dreck. I wouldn’t consider it one of my absolute worst hit songs of 2015 now, but it was very close to my bottom 20. And I’ll also have to admit, I like the folk flavored instrumentation, that’s what prevents me from hating it any more. See You Again / Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth Two years later and I still haven’t changed my mind about this song. Heck, I’m remotely surprised that the song barely edged into the year-end list at #99. This is not on my bottom 20 for 2016, but I still can’t stand this track. If you want to know my full thoughts on this, it’s on my bottom 10 for the worst hit songs of 2015. Wicked / Future Wasn’t originally considering this for the dishonorable mentions list, because I can at least take a good dark-sounding hip hop track, but after thinking about it….yeah, this song definitely has its pitfalls. Future’s voice is one thing, but the dreary tone in his voice is what bothers me than his enunciation for “wicked.” Also, there’s the songwriting. I’m saying this because Claps has already pointed this out, but it shows that “Wicked” is also a painful jab at Future’s ex, Ciara: We ain't pullin' up in cribs that we can't get You can't pull a bitch on Instagram I ain't hit, huh And then she tellin' lies about me cause she ain't shit, uh She want that big-big dog status For Free / DJ Khaled featuring Drake DJ Khaled may be the savior of the internet, and his production work on this song may be worthwhile, but the biggest flaw is that “For Free” is an over-glorified Drake song. The songwriting doesn’t make anything better. Like, I can’t listen to or look into the lyrics without having “prostitution” in my mind. What an unattractive song, but make no mistake, DJ Khaled has released far better songs from his newest album. Starving / Hailee Steinfeld and Grey featuring Zedd If you thought the production work in “Gold” was too overbearing, then let me just say that the choppy YTP-esque hook in “Gold” is butch compared to the drop in “Starving,” which sounds like someone trying to summon a demon: I didn’t know I was starving till I tasted you I diDn’T kNoW- I dIdN’t kNoW- I DiDn’T kNoW tasted you DON’TNEEDNODON’TNEEDNO NEED NO- WHOLE DAMN ZOOOO Yeah, this isn’t what it actually sounds like, and I should’ve used a TubeChop video to set my example, but still, the pitch shifted drop sounds so unnerving and I thought I’d illustrate this myself. It doesn’t help with the fact that the song itself is a dance track meshed in with an acoustic guitar song. Also, not getting over this line either: By the way, right away, you do things to my body. One Call Away / Charlie Puth I once said that the song was so bad it’s mediocre, but I had to backpedal on this since I still detest the song as I did when I first heard it, and you guys pretty much already know my experience with Charlie Puth: gutless songwriter, unconvincingly romantic, and repeat offender in making crappy songs. Heck, he even started out as a Lonely Island wannabe of all things. Overall, it’s a very gutless, clichéd love song, but it doesn’t rub me the wrong ways as “Marvin Gaye” or any of his other worst songs. Also, “We Don’t Talk Anymore” isn’t anywhere on the pre-list or on the list proper, so be surprised I decided to leave out his other hit single in 2016. Back to Sleep / Chris Brown And now here’s an example of a song that somewhat impresses with the instrumentation, and yet the songwriting rubs me the wrong ways already with this one line: Just let me ride, fuck you back to sleep, girl This song is not on the bottom 10 since it’s not “Look at Me Now,” “Deuces,” “Ayo,” or even “Kiss Kiss” levels of bad. Don’t / Bryson Tiller I just don’t get Bryson Tiller, let alone his biggest hit. I beg to ask why this guy got so popular over the course of 2015/2016, or what makes this song so exceptional. When I first heard this song and gave it a few re-listens, I got absolutely nothing from it. Bryson Tiller, to me, came off as nothing more than a bland Drake clone and the production work makes the song feel drearier to listen to. For a while, it was an easy contender for one of the worst hits of 2016 IMO, but then I started to find a little bit of something from this song after looking back at it again. Eventually, it crossed my mind that the bulk of this guy’s personality is within his songwriting…and the premise with Tiller trying to be with a girl who’s being mistreated by another man only half-works when it comes down to the fact that the so-called man is fantasized. Bryson Tiller isn’t one of the worst Drake wannabes I’ve heard this and while within time, the production also grew on me just a little bit, I still think the song is a complete bore to listen to. Don’t Mind / Kent Jones Starting with this song is a small list of songs that I actually didn’t have enough room for on my proper list. You know, there’s nothing wrong with trying to speak the language of women all around the world and express your love for each and every one of them, but listening to this song makes me feel like I have some more respect for “Talk Dirty,” because if you think you’ll get a beauty with these lines…: She from Africa but she fucks me like she Haitian Ass black, but the eyes looking Asian I give her the can in Kansas She said she got a man keep it on the low I said he don't speak English, fuck he goin’ say Then you’re not making yourself out as the most comfortable person, and also…. She said, "Pardon my French," I said, "Bonjour, Madame." “Pardon my French” is what you say when you need to excuse your vulgar language. What’s the context in saying “hello” in French to respond!? *Sigh* Next song… Work from Home / Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla Sign I was thinking about having enough room for this song to appear on my list, but it turns out that I’ve heard worse, and then again, this isn’t as bad as “Worth It.” The underlying issue that I have with this song is pretty much the values of sex appeal in pop music, and what you can get from it, and 5H just don’t come off as sexually appealing. Yep, just take it from a team of songwriters all composed of men to deliver the premise of 5H getting some guy to quit his job so that he can “work from home” and trying to make it all work. (Look, more job-related puns!) Other pitfalls include Camilla Cabello’s voice, and Ty Dolla Sign’s verse being kinda forgettable. What really sucks is that the instrumentation here is pretty good and catchy to boot, so that saves it from being any lower. Watch Me / Silento Oh wow, “Watch Me” was still relevant enough for 2016 to squeeze into the lower regions of the year-end list? This year, man…. Hide Away / Daya Yep, I even had to spare this song from the list proper, but it’s otherwise my #11. The single suffers from the same kind of problem as the typical Meghan Trainor song: the disgruntled-sounding, groan-worthy social commentary. It’s your basic, average song about your basic, average teenage girl musing about how she think it’s funny that other girls and boys have a certain preference that is against her perception of her “Mr. Right:” one who can meet all her demands, one who can instantly take a hint and save her life like Superman, ugh! Okay, seriously, I’ve seen Superman being used as a metaphor before, but I already suffered enough with “One Call Away!” Oh, and considering the fact that Daya landed two more songs (one of them with The Chainsmokers) on year-end, it’ll be a matter of time until I talk about “Sit Still, Look Pretty” as well, and honestly….I can’t get myself to hate it, despise it having a similar model in songwriting as “Hide Away,” except it’s about how annoyed Daya is for the way men…objectify women as means of sex appeal….okay, I’ll have to admit, the message is attentive, but it’s definitely not perfect with the misguided nod to Snow White and all. Also, I really like the synthpop production, okay? Back on topic with “Hide Away,” it’s your typical song about a teenage girl’s fantasies, meant to relate to other teenagers. Before the signal the start of this countdown, let me just say that my bottom 10 turned out to be a lot broader than I originally intended for it to be. I had to think carefully about my choices, and Im proud for each one. There is some hip hop, some pop, some contemporary ballads, and there’s at least one “dancehall” song, as well as one “country” and “crossover rock” song on the list. Anyways, this is…. STEEL’S TOP 10 WORST HIT SONGS OF 2016 Spoiler Let’s talk about the so-called dancehall song that I mentioned just earlier. First of all, this dancehall explosion came around when a subgenre of house music called “tropical house” started getting big, thanks to the likes of Skrillex, Justin Bieber, SeeB, and others. It was a matter of time until “Work” by Rihanna and Drake was released and showed off their influences towards dancehall.... I know what you’re thinking. No, those ellipses don’t mean that “Work” is my #10. However, the name Drake is still involved when it comes to my choice. 2016 was a massive year for Drake. No, this is a huge decade for Drake, but regardless, Drake’s output in 2016 was mostly disappointing, and what did I think was the most disappointing hit of all? 10. Controlla / Drake [No video available. Go and listen to it on Spotify/Apple Music] Yes, this song of all things gets me on my bad side. Not the repetitive bore that was “One Dance,” not “Work,” in which it brought us a different meaning of warbling, not “Pop Style,” in which Drake delivers a dreadful pun based on Channing Tatum, but yet it was “Controlla” that I really thought was the stalest, foulest bread in the basket of Drake’s singles from that year, and depending on who you ask, this is regarded as one of Drake’s better singles or one of the best songs off of “Views.” So why am I starting it off with this as one of my biggest contenders for the worst? While you either like or loathe Drake’s voice, I just can’t stand it when Drake’s voice sounds very monotone, for the most part. The instrumentation is fine, but it still doesn’t help by how bored and unenthusiastic Drake sounds, which is no wonder why he’s telling his love that he needs all the energy that she brings to him. Songs like “Energy,” and “0 to 100 / The Catch Up” work very well enough for me, because they have energy, while Drake doesn’t sound anything close to energetic in “Controllaaa-*yawn*” Oh, and there’s also a few bits where Drake tries to use some Jamaican dialect. He at least brought in a legitimate dancehall artist (Beenie Man) into the mix, but still…: But you can't just diss and come tell man sorry You can't listen to me talk and go tell my story My last girl would tear me apartBut she'd never wanna split a ting with me Those parts just come off as pretty phony and it’s not even funny to me. Spoiler Once I was 20 years old. I discovered a band named- LUKAS GRAHAAAAAM! 9. 7 Years / Lukas Graham There’s a lot more I could say about this band more than just their biggest hit that managed to slip into the countdown, so let me start off by saying that I despise Lukas Graham’s (and yes, I’m referring to them as a band, I have not mistaken.) music. “Strip No More,” “Mama Said,” “You’re Not There,” all detestable tracks, and it’s not even limited to “7 Years.” This song isn’t any lower on the list, because I understand why this song was written. There’s nothing wrong with making a little tribute to one’s father who passed away, but still….there’s one thing that just makes my skin crawl and it’s the mere fact that the band just zigzags the song’s meaning of reflecting on Lukas Forchhamer’s past of smoking herb and burning liquor, when his father was still around, remember all the things his parents used to say, etc., by turning it into an excuse to stroke the band’s egos. “Something about the glory just always seemed to bore me,” you remember seeing that in the lyrics? Lukas then starts to go on about their songs have been sold and have been touring around the world. I mean, their success rings true in their home country, Denmark, but those lyrics tell me that, in the near future, they’ll play like 100+ sold out concerts outside of their home country, and I just can’t take them seriously. Sure “Mama Said” did barely reach the Top 40 in the U.S., but it flopped after reaching its high. Lastly, don’t even get me started with the climax where Lukas sings his heart out about life at sixty. So yeah, it’s an awful song, but if you think that’s bad, get a load of their follow-up, “Mama Said: Note: the following is unrelated to the countdown review in general, but is relevant to the band I am discussing. You may be warned, because this is where I lean towards harsh criticism. This is even my actual, absolute worse hit song of 2016, so not even do I feel the same way towards the song that actually appears as my #1 worst contender. Spoiler WHAT THE HECK IS THIS? Why does this song sample “It’s the Hard Knock Life!?” Well, I got myself the answers! It’s the same song as before where Lukas reminisces some of the things his mother and father used to tell him, but except it’s also about their hometown, and it’s even clearer that the song is about the band living like the rich and famous while mama said it was “OKAY!” because they were good kids! But wait, there’s more! The last time I heard “It’s a Hard Knock Life,” it was about a group of orphans singing about how their caretaker makes the orphanage a crappy place to be in, and since “Mama Said” is an upbeat ode to the band’s hometown, and that it’s about the band talking about being rich and famous with the whole bit about being in Hollywood and performing on TV, the usage becomes flat out ironic, and not in a way that I’m supposed to take it as ironic! Somewhere in this lone Earth, Jay-Z is probably weeping when he noticed the band has made this sampling choice. I mean, you want to sample the song to incorporate a strong hook? Fine, but don’t make it even more grating than it needs to be! Oh, and then there’s the climax….just listen to it!: http://www.tubechop.com/watch/8875687 The lead singer pours his heart and soul with the repeated chorus of mama telling him and the rest of his friends that they were good kids and it was okay, in the most grating pitch! (And also his dad told them not to listen to people pointing nasty fingers and all, but that’s not important.) I can at least take the music video a little nicely, but it doesn’t help that Lukas Graham states that Christiania, Copenhagen was magical, as it was where the band was born. You heard that, folks? That magical place in Denmark was extraordinary because of THEM! What a conceited, pretentious pile of dreck! *breathes* In other words, the song sucks. For a good reason, it’s my “number zero.” Spoiler Let’s talk about P!nk, because I haven’t expressed my thoughts about the singer until now. Heres a little rundown about my relationship with P!nk’s music: her debut was incredibly boring, her Missundaztood days were spectacular, I haven’t heard much from her Try This days, I’m Not Dead had a lot of very good pop songs, including what’s possibly my #1 favorite hit song of 2007 (“Who Knew”), Funhouse continued to impress me, but….I’ll have to admit, “So What” aged very poorly. That verse after the first chorus still gets me though, so if you’re looking for someone to ruin your virgin ears, you’ll know where to find me when someone chimes in with “The waiter just took my table and gave it to Jessica Simps.” Then P!nk came out with her next album, and needless to say, it wasn’t the most impressive, with “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” being another of my least favorite songs from her, but I’ll also admit I really liked “Try” out of the bunch. So, in other words, I am a bit of a fan of P!nk’s music, but for someone with a batch of good songs, she also has her duds. So, here we are in 2016 where P!nk released a single for Alice Through the Looking Glass… and yes, you guys can already tell what my next choice is, and to date, it’s her worst song: 8. Just Like Fire / P!nk So, the biggest issue of the song is that I have no idea what it wants to be. Does it want to be an empowerment anthem? Does it want elements of hip hop (if you judge the “run its!” and the out-of-nowhere rap verse)? Does it want anything to do with the movie that this song is made for? The song is very much a case of an identity crisis. And speaking of the movie, did I mention that the lyrics have nothing to do with Alice Through the Looking Glass? While I did say that I somewhat enjoyed the bridge before (or otherwise what I’ve already called the “run it!” verses), I can’t say that this is true now, since it feels so forced, like that incredibly awkward rap verse. “Just Like Fire” is just like your typical song with no real identity, no real thrills, and no extraordinary substance. It’s a really forced mess. Spoiler Before I talk about this next song, I just wanted to say that even if Drake’s music has been underwhelming in 2016, he has his imitators, and he’s at least better than any of them that broke into the top 20 that year. Case in point, it baffles me that Post Malone became a thing…. 7. White Iverson / Post Malone Okay, okay, maybe Drake and Post Malone is not a smart enough comparison, but this song still exemplifies my annoyance towards the lack of energy among some rappers. I guess I can understand the appeal of this song, as it’s a basketball anthem in some sense. If that’s the case, then I can hardly find anything interesting about Post Malone’s style that he brings to this “jock jam.” It’s really hard to take Post Malone’s dreary tone in his voice for earnest when he tells us that he’s showing off his skills and kissing off his haters in a way that well….bores me. It’s got some emotional depth, and by that, I mean, just listen to the pre-hook. It sounds pretty out of place for a self-pride basketball anthem: http://www.tubechop.com/watch/8875682 To give this song some credit, the wordplay is fairly interesting, but man, Post Malone is just an incredibly boring performer in general and his voice especially doesn’t help. In other words, the song could’ve been a lot better for a sports “jam.” Spoiler I’ve stated it before that Meghan Trainor, as obnoxious as she can be, has made some fairly decent songs. That doesn’t stop me from despising her music in general, because at this point, I’m torn on whom is worse: she or Charlie Puth? I got this idea after looking into her most recent output, this single included: 6. Me Too / Meghan Trainor Oh goodness, that outdated production work, that insufferable arrogance, that lazily written chorus…all of these factors would’ve made the song a strong contender for my #1 worst, as it was the #1 worst hit song for most critics. Even I absolutely despised this song, and well….here it is at #6. My reason for its ranking can be summed up like this: the song feels like a joke leading up to a punchline, but doesn’t have a punchline whatsoever. To put it this way, the song feels so into the lowest common denominator, but I can’t help but feel I could get some hilarity from it. I would consider this “the “Wiggle” of 2016.” (Coincidentally enough, “Me Too” is co-written by Jason Derulo.) Spite how I’m feeling towards this song now, I can’t deny that the song still suffers from how much Meghan Trainor has jumped the shark these days, and that the song still comes off as pretty annoying at times. Spoiler So, 2016 was an interesting year for crossover rock, even though Billboard has already proven that it’s on its way out. However, that doesn’t mean that we didn’t have a great variety of options for returning and approaching bands/artists having a song on the rise towards the general Hot 100: The 1975, BORNS, The Strumbellas (yeah, “Spirits” actually grew on me), Cold War Kids, Bastille, Kings of Leon, and even Disturbed of all things. While “Sound of Silence” barely avoided the top 40, and all the rest couldn’t get past the Bubbling Under charts, (but this is what I usually expect from Billboard when it comes to rock.) there were some other options of crossover rock that Billboard responded to us with. So what was one of few of those bands that we were blessed to have to represent the rock in 2016 that wasn’t any of those bands/artists that I listed above? Oh…. 5. Unsteady / X Ambassadors I mean, seriously. How did we end up giving this band another Top 20 hit!? “Renegades” was one of my dishonorable mentions from last year, but that was because it was harmless at best, and I don’t even “hate” X Ambassadors (“Jungle” is amazing), but I don’t “love” them either. Still, of all these options we had for a crossover hit that year, why X Ambassadors!? “Unsteady” isn’t even as remotely interesting as “Renegades” and it manages to be duller than their last hit! Now….let me make one thing clear, this song does have some substance, and I usually tend to highly appreciate songs all about parental dilemmas from the eyes of a child. “Because of You,” “Stay Together for the Kids,” “Little Toy Guns,” “No Son of Mine,” all great songs, so I can at least appreciate “Unsteady” for its narrative. Nonetheless, what doesn’t make “Unsteady” great is that it’s devoid of well….just about anything besides the subject matter. The instrumentation is bland and almost non-existent (with one repeating beat sounding like a mix between a movie projector and a slow-pouring sink), while the lyrics have very little detail. Don’t even get me started with Sam Harris’ “crooning:” http://www.tubechop.com/watch/8875670 And finally, you know how this song even got popular in the first place? Outside of the constant $1.29 to $0.69 to price shifts on iTunes, it was used and remixed for a romance-drama movie. So in other words, the means of marketing values made a song about a kid telling mommy and daddy to never let go because he/she is still apart of their world, into the disguise of a contemporary love ballad. Whatever “Unsteady” may be about, this hollow “rock” song still downright sucks. Also, do me a favor and buy “Way Down We Go” on iTunes. It’s climbing on the charts right now, and the year 2017 deserves a song that better defines the rock sound. Spoiler Zayn... I guess I can’t discuss the rest of my worst list without talking about the one song most people tend to hate: “Pillowtalk” or “PILLOWTALK” in all caps. Ooh, edgy! I can at least speak for everybody when I say that the song’s fatal flaw is that it sounds utterly unfinished. The lyrics don’t make as much sense either, even when it tries to express some kind of pain & pleasure narrative in sex. Clearly, he’s focused too much on his aesthetic to focus on making a genuine-sounding pop song. Yep, for these reasons, I should hate this song. ….. Unpopular opinion time! I’ve got two of them in mind. First, for a few reasons, I can’t hate this song as much as I should. Now look, I’m not a fan of Zayn, or ZAYN in all caps, (Ooh, edgy!) by a certain stretch. Let me point it out first that I actually hated the song upon first impression, but as Zayn’s first solo record was coming close to its release, it was then that I decided to listen to some of the rest of his output. Listening to songs like “It’s You,” “Like I Would,” and “Befour” made me think, “okay, I think I know now where this guy’s getting at.” In the argument of whether or not “Pillowtalk” is a song, well….it doesn’t fit the description of being a pop song, rather an alternative R&B song, and YES, I know, there are artists who have made better songs based on this format. (Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Anderson .Paak, Miguel, etc.) So yeah, I like to acknowledge that there are far better R&B songs done in an alternate style, and that Zayn has made a couple of serviceable songs where he focuses a little more on embracing his pop side, so I recommend listening to “Befour” and “Like I Would” if you might. Back on topic with “Pillowtalk,” when I decided to look into this song more, I found myself liking it, but since those past few months, the song has soured on me, ‘cause I’ll admit, I was a little too sweet on “Pillowtalk,” but for what it’s worth, Zayn’s voice in the chorus can come off as dynamic and the sound/structure overall is pretty creative. Also, it doesn’t fit the description of being “sultry,” but Zayn doesn’t come off as gutless. To me, it’s the musical equivalent of spending so much time decorating a cake than baking it, (otherwise ending up half-baked). I can still salvage this song enough to give it a fair ranking of #56 on my full list. Enough talk, what’s my second unpopular opinion you may ask? I can’t see much of a reason to be convinced by this song’s romantic undertones: 4. Hands to Myself / Selena Gomez What adds to my unpopular opinion is that contemporary critics have called this one of the best pop songs of 2015, let alone one of the proper best songs of that year. Critics have also said that the sultriness was a big selling point. This is somewhat funny to me, because before the release of “Revival,” some critics said that they were afraid to find Selena sexy due to the way her face still looks as it did back in Selena’s Disney Channel days. An attempt in sultriness in a song can really impress when I feel it’s being done right. Subtlety is pretty much one of the strongest factors towards it. In “Hands to Myself,” Selena tries too excessively hard to pass of as a surefire charmer. I’ve expressed a lot of appreciation towards “Good for You,” for those who haven’t seen my full rankings list for year-end 2015, and the song works for me because it was about trying as much as you could to look good and charming for someone. I also really liked “Same Old Love,” but that’s a different story. So, what exactly is it about “Hands to Myself” that sucks away the fun for me? First of all, it’s really not subtle, at all. Lines like “metaphorical gin and juice” and “the downs and uppers” just don’t hit home. Second, the lyrical subtext makes me feel that Selena is just so desperate to fulfill her fantasy and get her hands on the certain guy. Third, the gist of not keeping your hands to yourself feels so iffy to me, especially when it comes to the Genius verified page that states Selena generally can’t keep her hands to herself (the song is written by four dudes and one woman, not including her, but it gives me a clue that Selena did give her own ideas.) To add to this, the subtext of the song’s tone of sexual desire is meant to be wishful, but hear me out on this: imagine if this song was performed by a guy. Like, I don’t agree with the so-called “rapey” subtext in Blurred Lines,” and I don’t think the same for “Hands to Myself,” but the former has gotten flack for this. Still, I find the songwriting really iffy at times. Fourth, this line: “I mean, I could but why would I want to?” And finally, it’s like I said before when I feel she tries too much to fit in the sultriness description. I have tried a few times to get into this song, but no matter what, I can’t help find this song’s content in sexual lust fulfillment to sound so uptight. With all fairness, Selena does right with the playfulness tone, and the song is not “Come and Get It” bad where she depends on being like a different artist (Rihanna) for means of expressing her personality. Still, the song is so unromantic to the point of not being fun-sounding for me, and trying to enjoy it was just frustrating. So yeah, one of the best songs of 2015 is my fourth worst hit song of 2016. How do you like them apples? Spoiler After expressing my thoughts so much on two songs on one segment of this countdown, let’s move on to my #3. Apparently, the year 2016 in pop music had a fairly sizeable amount of contemporary ballads. One song that comes to mind is “Lost Boy,” but I’ve said enough about my liking towards the song in order to discuss the balance between boring and beautiful. So let’s take a past hit from 2014 as my example of an acceptable piano ballad: “All of Me.” Is it boring? Pretty much, but does that mean that I think the song is awful? Well…I do appreciate the song’s subject matter and John Legend’s voice, so I wouldn’t go around hating it as much, so it lingers towards the element of beauty in order to be passable. Why I’m determining ballads this way is because sometimes a ballad can get under my skin by not being insufferably dull, but by coming off as ugly. 3. H.O.L.Y. / Florida Georgia Line If you guys probably think I’m giving this song such a high disapproval ranking, that’s because I really do hate this song that much. I’m not even a big detractor towards Florida Georgia Line’s music. Their previous record had some good singles under its belt: “Confession,” “Dirt,” and even “Sun Daze,” a typical county party song, I find it to be decent. The song really gets on my bad side primarily for its premise: the band compares a lover to finding grace in religion, but twists it up with a comparison to ecstasy, given that H.O.L.Y. is short for “High On Loving You,” and it just feels so tasteless and strips away the romantic undertones. And sure the vocals are passionate, but in a sense, it also gives me that hair metal ballad vibe. Another part of the song that gets me off is the usage of autotune during the bridge. Overall, “H.O.L.Y.” leaves a really bad taste in my mouth, and it’s definitely not my kind of high. Spoiler oh, and there was this song too, and it was amongst the insufferably boring bad category: 2. i hate u, i love u / gnash featuring olivia o’brien i said it once that i hate the clichéd “we’re broken up, but i miss you a lot” narrative, but i should point out that i have a limit for these type of songs. it actually could’ve been something intriguing, but there’s just a few things that seriously ruins the song for me. one of the most underlying issues is gnash himself. gnash makes himself out as an incredibly boring performer and he doesn’t even try to make himself sound any less uncharismatic and inexpressive. you remember what i’ve said about the drake wannabes, right? he expresses a similar style to him and it’s safe to say he’s among one of them, but compared to drake, this gnash dude makes himself sound like fluttershy in terms of his own tone. olivia o’brien can at least provide herself as a much better singing companion. i still can’t say that she makes the song feel any better otherwise, because it’s also really weak in terms of the songwriting. the songwriting in that chorus….i just can’t help but find it so clingy. i mean, it entails the narrator’s vulnerability with her attachment towards her past lover while the male narrator himself admits missing the girl and wonders if she misses him too, but why feel so attached to hip hop’s very own ben stein? the female narrator even claims that her past lover doesn’t even give a darn about her, but then again, that would be because she realizes the male narrator cares so much more about his new lover and doesn’t need to worry about his past lover since, you know, they split up – that in which gives me the idea that “i hate u i love u” is basically a tsundere ballad, so congrats billboard for making this a thing. oh, and putting everything in lowercase letters is not doing gnash any favors, and it sure as heck isn’t doing me any favors. Anyways, let me introduce to you folks my #1, shall we? Spoiler *insert BETTAH DANNY KEN joke here* 1. Treat You Better / Shawn Mendes There’s no use making this choice feel suspenseful, because you guys would’ve seen this one coming. While “Stitches” was awful, I absolutely cannot stand “Treat You Better” from beginning to end. Let’s talk about the nice guy stereotype that Shawn portrays in the song. The “nice guy” is a type of personality trait that affiliates to those who does anything they can for one girl who is struggling in a relationship with another guy and make her feel comfortable with [“the nice guy”]. And this a part of why I hate the song so much: Shawn is trying to force this girl into a relationship with him, telling her that he can treat her better than her boyfriend, without acknowledging why she should go with him instead. Shawn doesn’t even mention the bad qualities of this girl’s lover, or explain why he can treat her better. The fact that Shawn is trying to get the girl to promptly quit crying and just roll with him gives me the impression that he comes off as unlikeable, because really, THAT’S NOT HOW RELATIONSHIPS WORK! Now, I haven’t been in a legitimate relationship before, but I beg to know if Shawn intends to acknowledge that he knows the girl very well. Relationships starts out when you get you know the person so well! The song doesn’t even illustrate if Shawn knows the girl and her boyfriend as well to make it all feel justifiable! What makes this song even worse is the fact it’s written by the same guy who composed “Stitches:” Teddy Geiger. This song even has the same structure as “Stitches.” All in all, the song is basically a neckbeard anthem (well, for those who can AND can’t grow a neck beard.), and so I’ll leave this message for the Mendes Army: if you think this song is charming now, think about what I’ve said about it for a moment, and maybe you’ll agree with me that Shawn Mendes isn’t quite ready to prove himself as a love expert quite yet. This is my absolute worst hit song of 2016, and that officially concludes my countdown. Best list should be coming later next week. Edited February 12, 2017 by Steel Sponge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clappy Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 Well it's been a fun ride ladies and gents, but this is it. The final list. The coup de grace for everyone that is still following this thread all the way into February . My best films list of 2016. Honestly, this might be my favorite list of them all. Primarily because these are the best lists that stick with me the most. I may not be as good about talking about television as I am about everything else in this thread. I do love talking about music a lot and it's the one that I feel I can talk to you guys about easiest because there are a ton more music convos on this site than there are the rest. BUT...I got my start into reviewing on this site as a movie critic first and foremost and it's the format of media that I love the most. Yes it's easier to talk about bad films than it is great ones, but the great ones are the ones I rewatch the most and they are the ones that leave the longest lasting impression on me the most. That's why this part is my favorite. To share with you all what I loved the most this year. I doubt this will translate nearly as well into what I'm about to post, but take the time to seek out everything here today. Because it was time well worth it for me and hopefully it will be for you too. First, let's start with what almost made this list. The honorable mentions. Spoiler Jackie I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Sometimes, one performance makes a movie for me. And I can’t think of a better example this year than Jackie. Natalie Portman just made this movie far better than it had any right to be. I’m not sure if it would be nearly as memorable without her as Jackie Kennedy. And that’s coming from someone who has written a report about Jackie Kennedy so I would consider myself knowledgeable about what she has done for American history. Natalie Portman took what could have been a “by the numbers” biopic into an enthralling look into the life of the former first lady. Finding Dory Honestly one of the biggest surprises of this year. Yes I know, you should have expected a Pixar movie to be this good. But as much as I expected this to be good, I didn’t expect what I got at all. The original Finding Nemo is pretty damn untouchable to me as god-tier level Pixar. This sequel ends up being one of the best sequels in the Pixar library. While I wish Marlin and Nemo got more of a plot than the plot they were given, this was never their story. It was all Dory’s and Dory’s story was far more phenomenal than it had any right to be. Congratulations Pixar, maybe the next couple years of nonstop sequels will be better than I initially expected if they continue to be this well done. Don’t Breathe As I said in the last post, this was one of the best horror film years of the decade. With the likes of The Witch, The Conjuring 2, and Ouija 2 to name a couple of the ones I would recommend checking out. However, I would place this one above those because this one I just didn’t see coming. I’ve always thought Stephen Lang is an incredibly underrated actor and him playing a vengeful blind man out to kill the thieves robbing his house was just fucking awesome. Talk about wanting to see three little shits get their come uppance…hell this movie actually had me feeling for the three thieves Lang was out to kill for breaking into his home. This movie just kept managing to surprise me through intense directing, smart writing, and great acting. The ending wasn’t as strong as the rest of this movie, but I love it regardless and the best horror movie of a year full of great ones… The Neon Demon …oh yeah there was this. I don’t know if this technically counts as a horror film, but IMDB says so, so in that case, this was better. I don’t know how many of you actually saw this, but Nicolas Winding Refn does it once again. I swear this guy continues to be one of the most underrated directors of this decade. He continues to make compelling stories with such great direction and a certain style that is undoubtedly his. I will say this is not as good as Bronson or Drive, but this is far better than other people have let on. The best comparison I can give you is imagine Stanley Kubrick directing a movie about the fashion industry. Go check this out, you won’t be disappointed. Deadpool Don’t worry die hard fanboys who have been asking me if this was going to make it on here, I knew it was a good movie the moment I saw it. We needed a movie like Deadpool to come and be as self-aware as it was about the many superhero movie clichés, the fourth wall breaking about past reincarnations of said character and other comic book films, and managing to know a fine line between entertaining and focusing on still making a stand alone film to boot. I still have my fair share of complaints about the hypocrisy that it still manages to be as clichéd and recycled as the movies it consistently mocks, but hey at least it still manages to entertain its audience, which is what Deadpool is about. It’s not here to break convention or to continuously fuck up the overcomplicated X-Men Universe. And at the end of the day, I would take this over what the X-Men Universe has providing us as of late. Keep on slicing up some chimmyfuckingchangas Wade. Rogue One Probably wouldn’t have placed this on here if it weren’t for the fact that the action sequences kicked so much ass and gave us the best Darth Vader scene in any Star Wars movie ever…mark my words, that sequence will be untouchable for the rest of the series. Still far better than I expected it to be though because the story always seemed befuddled from the very early trailers. I swear to all of you that give or take five years, the public will start to get sick of getting new Star Wars movies every freaking year, but today is not that day. The Accountant I actually rewatched this the other day wondering if it was as fine as I remembered it to be and surprisingly, it was actually better on rewatch. This was probably one of the more underlooked movies of the year in hindsight because people see all the talent attached expecting it to be so much better than it actually is, but for a fun sleek action thriller this was pretty damn good. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping 2016 was a supremely weak year for mainstream comedies. This was the best comedy of the year though for certain. If there was any doubt that The Lonely Island’s major motion picture would be disappointing, it definitely wasn’t. I absolutely loved this and I seriously wish that the box office performance didn’t reflect the quality because this is probably the most underlooked movie of 2016. With all of the music talk on this site, you all should definitely check this out. Because this is the most realistic parody of the music industry since This Is Spinal Tap. Moonlight If it means anything, I like this movie 1000 times more than the movie that it has structural similarities to in Boyhood. It actually feels like a real movie and not an embarrassing home movie. Because while Boyhood feels like an absolute gimmick of a film (WE FILMED IT IN 12 YEARS!!!!), Moonlight is just filmed so beautifully and makes you feel the heartfelt emotions so much deeper and better. This should be on the list in all honesty and the main reason it’s not is because…I’m not going to sit through this ever again. The replay value in this movie is a big fat zero. It’s a movie you have to commit yourself to sit down and force yourself to watch in one sitting. 10 Cloverfield Lane Yeah I know, wouldn’t it be funny to place this at number ten? Think of all the puns LOL. Trust me guys, I had it placed there for a brief while just for all of the puns I wanted to write up. Some of the “best” ones include: -10/10 Cloverfield Lane -Ten times better than Cloverfield -Do not pass over my number ten choice Hahaha….no seriously, thank god I remained true to myself. The ending was sort of underwhelming despite the final reveal. I wanted more than what we got and with a sequel allegedly on the way this fall, we might just get it? But these characters man…you could tell Damain Chazelle wrote this script. The three focal point characters are absolutely deep in terms of depth and John Goodman in particular is amazing. Absolutely recommend checking this one out. Doctor Strange Yeah I know, I’m biased because time and time again, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is just so damn good. But this was honestly one of the best character introduction films Marvel has done in years. What really won me over was the direction of this. These are some of the most amazing visuals I’ve ever seen on the big screen. It’s just absolute pure eye candy. Benedict Cumberbatch is a welcome addition as the titular hero and I could honestly see him being a potential upcoming leader of The Avengers if the MCU decides to retire some of the current ones. His starpower is only going to rise from here ladies and gents. The Jungle Book Last, but certainly not least, let’s talk about the honorable mention I couldn’t have been more proud to be proved wrong by. You go back to this point last year and I would have laughed at any notion of this being as great as it ended up being. The CGI was underplayed as to how damn good it ended up being. The kid…yeah the kid was the reason this didn’t make the best list because this was a child actor who was way too nervous to be fully committed. But I'm glad I was proven wrong about how awesome this turned out to be. I fully believe in these live action adaptations now...well at least until they milk them into sequels... I wanted to include more on those honorable mentions, but I had to trim this list down a bit because the good stuff this year was really good fam. Well let's move forward with the moment you've all been waiting for. The most prestigious film awards show in town.... CLAPPY'S TOP TEN BEST FILMS OF 2016 Spoiler In my worst list, I complimented Disney about how damn good of a year they had in terms of gross profit and quality. What Disney did this year was unprecedented and I doubt it will be replicated by another studio, even Disney themselves, anytime soon…in terms of money. The quality has been there for years now as Disney rarely falters with the quality of their filmmaking. That rings especially true in their animation department because Disney animated films have a formula that they have nailed piece to piece. Case in point: 10. Moana You can argue that Moana is the perfect example of this because it doesn’t take any massive risks as a movie to make it a god tier Disney movie, but just because it doesn’t take any risks doesn’t mean it’s damn good in its own right because this movie is fantastic. What still rings true about this movie is this is the best animation I’ve seen in a movie all year and in quite some time. I took a couple animation courses in high school and again in college. I know how hard it is to animate water in particular. The water in this movie looks realistic as fuck. Like if I didn’t look at the characters at all during any of the water sequences, I would have mistaken myself for watching a live action movie. And of course with those Disney tropes come the same things you expect from a Disney movie. Except these were some of the better ones in recent memory. I love the characters so much, the songs were some of the best ones in the modern Disney animation renaissance (“You’re Welcome” in particular is my personal favorite), and of course just a great all around story. So despite all my talk about not doing enough to defy the Disney tropes and make itself stand out more that is not necessarily a bad thing. Disney knows what they are doing and they are just so far ahead of the pack (outside of Pixar) when it comes to making great animated movies that they don’t need to stray away from something that works. Hell, the movie even has a scene that pokes fun of those tropes. They know what works and know how to make great movies out of it. It deserves it’s place on here and I can’t wait to rewatch this movie again and again. Spoiler So remember that shortly lived project where I ranked box office years? Let’s talk about that 2005 list again. If I did an honest to god list of movies of that year and not films ranked 1-100, the real number one would have been the grossly underrated Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. For those who haven’t heard of this movie, it’s a crime comedy from director Shane Black starring Robert Downey Jr. as a petty thief posing as an actor and Val Kilmer as a P.I. hired to help Downey study for his role. The main reasons this movie is so great is the chemistry between all the actors involved and the fact that Shane Black knows his shit when it comes to crime comedies and action movies since he wrote the Lethal Weapon franchise. It took nearly a decade (and a brief stop directing a MCU film) for us to get another original film from Shane Black, but boy did it deliver. 9. The Nice Guys Friends online and offline recommended this movie for months to me and I had every intention of seeing it at some point because of my love for Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. This follows along the same lines of that movie with two actors who have damn great chemistry together in a crime comedy based off a Brett Halliday novel with a score by John Ottman…seriously the amount of parallels between this and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang are uncanny. Probably the main reason this isn’t better than the former to be honest, but this is still a damn good movie regardless. You know what is awesome about this movie? The setting. They could have taken this plot and applied to any other decade and I don’t think it would have worked nearly as well as it did here. Only in the 1970s would you be able to apply a crime comedy about the hazards of the environment due to the automotive industry and porn. You know what else is awesome about this? Having a child actor who actually feels integrated into this movie perfectly and not make her out to be an annoying child…well except for that one scene with her friend, but they even poke fun at that fact. You know what’s even more awesome? It’s an original idea. Not a sequel, not a reboot, not an adaptation, not a remake…yeah it takes light inspiration from a Brett Halliday novel, but so did Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Shane Black made something original in a time where Hollywood is lazier than it’s ever been. I wish more people would take the time to go out and support original film making. To let Hollywood know that we want more original material. I love this and will gladly support original material if it’s as great as this. Spoiler One of my most often asked questions is what my most underlooked movie genre is. While I do love all genres and think that some need more love than others, I’ll always be partial to two because of what I grew up watching the most: coming of age high school comedies. It’s been awhile since we’ve gotten a particularly strong one, probably since Easy A, and that’s being biased due to my Emma Stone infatuation. I don’t know when the last general consensus was of great coming of age high school comedies was. Mostly because comedies, in general, have been one of the weaker genres of the 2010s. I don’t think we’ll ever have another coming of age high school comedy renaissance like we did in the 1980s ever again in all honesty. That being said, it always warms the pit of my cynical heart when I find another great one being made out there. 8. The Edge of Seventeen I talked about this more in depth a few months ago so I’m not going to dive too deep into the well again, but who would have thought that the writer of the god awful Post Grad would ever make something this amazing. This is the best John Hughes inspired movie I’ve seen in a long time with sharp writing, relatable characters, and most importantly, it feels real. I honestly felt like I was back in high school watching Hailee Steinfeld’s Nadine go through her everyday life dealing with relatable matters at that age like love, friendship, family, and acceptance. Also coming to the aid of Steinfeld as her adult consultation figure is Woody Harrelson, who keeps flying under the radar with so many great performances that I wish he was a bigger star than he actually is. Guys, I can’t give this movie enough justice with all of these posts talking about how amazing this movie is. Go see it. Spoiler During my nostalgic trip down memory lane of these Best/Worst of the Year threads, I missed a note about my 2013 best list. The Wolf of Wall Street would have absolutely made my best list of 2013 in hindsight. It’s one of the best Martin Scorsese movies in recent memory, even with the abundance of f-bombs, tons of drug usage, loads of nudity…it’s just a fascinating movie. Martin Scorsese is just one of the greatest directors of all time and I’m hard pressed to find bad movies of his in comparison to good and if you haven’t figured out where this preamble is leading to by now, yes Martin Scorsese has a movie on my best list this year. 7. Silence I’m still in utter disbelief that this got only one nomination at the Oscars this year. Really? Only one? Did the Academy really want to push the point that they love La La Land THAT much? They couldn’t throw an award for cinematography? Or director? Hell, why not nominate Andrew Garfield for this movie over the other one about Andrew Garfield being persecuted for his religious beliefs? Most underappreciated film of 2016. I don’t know how you all feel about “talkative movies”, but they converse so much with purpose because this is a movie that you have to keep your ears open at all times to build upon the suspense, This is a movie about testing one man’s faith and you feel the pain and suffering he goes through at all times. You will feel emotionally drained as you watch Garfield go through hell and back through horrific imagery and shock, but you will understand why if you pay attention and the payoff will be worth as it you will be moved. I don’t know where I would rank this on Martin Scorsese’s best films list since he’s that damn great of a director, but I would definitely say this is his third best film of the past ten years after The Departed and The Wolf of Wall Street. This once again proves that Scorsese is one of the GOATs as he is one of the few that just loves making films for the love of making films. Spoiler Honestly, some of these movies were easy to write about how great they are. Others were not. Primarily because I feel I can’t do it enough justice with just a summarized paragraph about my thoughts. This next one definitely was a tough movie to write about. 6. Manchester by the Sea This movie hurts to even think about. I usually am not fond of lowkey dramas about loss and trying to stay strong. Mostly because most movies like this make the characters too unlikeable or not relatable enough for me to feel an emotional bond amongst them. Not here. Give Casey Affleck the Best Actor award already because his acting here moved me to tears. Honestly, the acting here is just strong all around and what makes this movie work as well as it does. Everyone is just committed to their roles and just moves me so hard. It hurt writing this last summary and honestly out of all the movies on this list, I think this will be the one that will jump higher up if I do a retrospective on it. If you do see it, make sure you have a tissue box handy. Spoiler I’ve already talked about this next one enough too, but just like I found a great coming of age high school comedy this year, it makes me super happy to find a great western this year as well. And if you’ve followed my commentary on movies all year, you all know what exactly I’m talking about. 5. Hell or High Water Rewatching this has made me feel not as supremely high as I was on this. Didn’t realize how moody the whole movie felt on second glance, but it made more sense though because I felt it was building up the tension between Bridges and Pine/Foster. Which makes the shootout after the final bank robbery all the more a climatic high. I’m glad though to know this movie was not forgotten after a crap ton of prestige flicks were dropped between the summer and the winter. I hope this leads to even more modern day westerns because great westerns are harder to come by these days more so than high school comedies. Spoiler Well…I finally saw it. My thoughts? 4. Arrival That ranking for starters. I don’t think this is overrating it at all. This movie highly entertained me from start to finish. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, the movie makes a complete 180 and has me think even harder about what’s going to happen. I’ve never been that high on Dennis Villeneuve films for as much critical acclaim as they’ve gotten. His previous films that I’ve seen were more substance and not enough flash. Not only does the flash flash here, but it leaves your jaws dropped. The spaceships feel larger than life, the aliens actually feel mysterious with how little we see of them, and the storytelling is amazing. I did not see the huge twist in this movie coming and when it happened, my jaw dropped. It made so much more sense and all the loose ends that left my head scratching up to that point started to interconnect. I love it when a giant puzzle of a film gets completed because it makes it that much better. And don’t get me started on the acting. I finally see why so many people were pissed about Amy Adams getting snubbed. She would have given Natalie Portman an actual challenge for that Best Actress award this Sunday. Congratulations 2010s. This is your Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I said it last year and I’ll say it again this year. I’m glad that the thinking man’s science fiction movies are making a comeback. I've got high hopes now that my most anticipated movie of 2017, Blade Runner 2049, is in great hands now. Don't disappoint me Villeneuve. Spoiler Honestly, what else is their left to say about this that hasn’t already been touched upon? A modern day animated classic brought to you by no one else other than Disney. 3. Zootopia We needed a Zootopia in 2016, plain and simple. Not just because of what the story touches upon that nobody expected from an animated movie, but because we needed a movie like this to remind us through the crazy chaotic times we are living in, everything will rectify themselves in the end and to have faith in our society. Subject matters aside, the story is great, the characters are memorablnd the animation, while not being Moana top notch, is pretty damn great. I love everything about this movie and I’ve given it countless numbers of replay wondering if I’m buying into the hype way too much? The answer is: not even close. Remember that talk earlier about a second Disney animation Renaissance? Well this is their Lion King to me. A perfect animated classic. Come on Academy. You aren't even making the Best Animated Feature any less predictable. No actual best picture nom to your best reviewed movie of 2016? Spoiler …my most hyped movie of 2016 ended up being my number two year end. Let that sink in as to how good the great films of this year were. 2. La La Land I just got back from seeing this again and yeah, this movie is still excellent. I love everything about this movie. The musical numbers, the characters, the cinematography, the direction, the story, the ending (don’t cry again man)…it’s just an unapologetic love letter to classic Hollywood. Honestly, you won’t find someone else on this site that loves classic Hollywood movies more than me. Who would have thought that we would get a Singing in the Rain and Casablanca all in one movie in 2016? …honestly probably all of you because Damian Chazelle proved with his last movie Whiplash that he loves to be nostalgic of not just the music, but the movies of yesteryear. This movie is just unbelievable amounts of amazing and yeah I think the awards for it speaks for itself more so than I ever will. Perfection. Spoiler How can I top perfection? With imperfection… …wait what? Yep, this is the first year in a while where my number one choice didn’t feel like my number one after my initial watch. Sure I really liked it but it had its fair share of problems. Then I saw this movie again in theaters and all my initial criticisms started to resolve themselves. Then I watched it multiple times on Blu Ray and my love for this just kept growing more and more. And as the year came to a close and I sat back and thought about which movie would be my number one, this was it. So with that in mind, all I have to say is: AVENGERS. DISSEMBLE? 1. Captain America: Civil War See DC? This is how it’s done. I love my critical darlings/awards bait movies as much as the next guy, but I’d rather watch an excellent superhero movie far more than the next great prestige movie. Yes I’ve spent all of this post talking about how great it is to see a great coming of age high school comedy in 2016, a great sci-fi flick in 2016, a great western in 2016, a lowkey drama that actually moved me to tears in 2016, an animated masterpiece in 2016, a great musical in 2016. All of those are…well great…but what I will find myself rewatching time after time after time, will be an all-time great superhero movie. I’ve been in love with superheroes since my childhood and while we are living in a modern Hollywood where we get way too many superhero movies, the great ones are what will stand out from the rest and my god was this the best one of the past five years. Who would have expected to see a movie about superheroes learning that their acts of heroism have repercussions in 2016? Humanizing our heroes was the most shocking thing I’ve seen in a film all year. And for the first time in awhile...I am left wondering what is going to happen next. Marvel has mastered the art of long term storytelling, but this is the first time where I feel the climax actually works perfectly. The Avengers are no more. Lines are divided. Half the team is on the run and in hiding. Where the hell do things go from here? That was the big flaw with Phase II. There was no real suspense. The start for Phase III actually leaves us contemplating where this story is going. I love it because I want unpredictability. I want our heroes to feel real and for us to want to see the team reuniting feel like a significant accomplishment. This will without a doubt make the eventual reunion feel all the more satisfying. It's not only great storytelling but leaves me completely in awe. This is everything a blockbuster should be and Marvel just continues to know how to excel their universe to higher levels of quality entertainment. Perfect movie? Of course not. My favorite movie of the year though...oh hell yes. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katniss Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 Man, I can really tell how passionate you are about film because I loved how well-written these rankings were. Nice work. Haven't seen Silence yet and it probably won't make my list since my top 10 is pretty solidified, but it looks great. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clappy Posted February 24, 2017 Author Share Posted February 24, 2017 23 minutes ago, Gwen Stefani said: Man, I can really tell how passionate you are about film because I loved how well-written these rankings were. Nice work. Haven't seen Silence yet and it probably won't make my list since my top 10 is pretty solidified, but it looks great. Definitely recommend checking it out when you get the chance. I didn't initially plan on it, but it's Scorsese so I had to see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoBibbles Posted February 24, 2017 Share Posted February 24, 2017 well I can't comment on most of these (spoilers) yet but as for others. Spoiler - your #1 was so surprising for me man. But I'll tell my thoughts when my list is finished. - Honestly I wasn't fond of The Neon Demon. It definitely had a great theme in it and I definitely loved the crazy bloody shit parts of it but for some of other parts in the movie, I kind of found myself bored watching it. And Idek what was the purpose of Keanu Reeves' role in this one, he felt kind of wasted to me here but I definitely liked Elle Fanning's perfomance here. - I decided to not put Rogue to my honorable mentions because there were tons of 2016 movies I enjoyed and impressed more than Rogue One. And most of characters were just there to be rebels, nothing else but still it was definitely a great action movie and it has the most badass Darth Vader scene ever. The story felt different for the franchise, tho I was expecting it and I loved how it had a bit darker tone, compared to other Star Wars movies I've seen. I definitely loved seeing your best movie list again. I hope you enjoy reading mine this weekend. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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