Laury Scarbro: Top Five Movies Of 2016

By Laury Scarbro

Star Trek Beyond

First and foremost, it has to be said that there are many movies that were released this year that I have not yet had the privilege to see. Several of those have yet to be released in theaters, or haven’t made it to DVD yet, so I’ll save that for another post. That being said, let’s get on with the list. This is also not the easiest list to put in any kind of order, so I’m not going to number them.

Ghostbusters
I’m just as surprised as the next person that this movie even hit my radar. I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want any part of it, but curiosity got the best of me, and I’m glad that it did. Of course there was plenty of controversy, even outright boycotting. The truth of it is (and I’m probably going to be cast into Nerd Hell for saying this), this incarnation of Ghostbusters far surpasses what the original was. Could some things have been done differently? Sure. I probably would have cast a few roles a little differently, but that’s my personal preference. Leslie Jones made it all worthwhile for me. Overall, it’s a really fun movie to watch, and getting a Chris Hemsworth dance scene didn’t hurt either. (By the way, there’s an extended cut in the credits; if you haven’t seen it you’re missing out.)

Star Trek Beyond
I have long loved anything to do with Simon Pegg, and so of course when I learned that he was going to be involved with writing the story for this movie, I knew I had to see it. I was NOT disappointed. The third installment of the newest Star Trek universe captures the essence of what the original series and subsequent movies felt like. This was a movie written by a fan, for the fans. Idris Elba makes for an amazing antagonist, and Chris Pine is becoming more and more believable as Captain Kirk. The memorial to Anton Yelchin and Leonard Nimoy at the end really hurt, but I believe they would have loved the movie as much as I did.

Captain America: Civil War
I avoided publicly getting into Team Iron Man/Team Captain America declarations, but my family and anyone who really knows me knows that I have been and always will be Team Cap. He represents a bygone era, and despite the challenges he’s faced and all that he’s lost, he still possesses the drive to go on. That being said, Tony isn’t without his traumas, and he’s a more flawed human being than most. I can see both sides of the argument between them, and so, with them facing off against one another and effectively tearing the Avengers in half, I too, was torn in half. Vision on one side, Cap on the other? Are they trying to kill me? I believe with time, the damage done by this movie’s plot can be repaired, but things will never be the same. If you haven’t been following the storyline of the MCU, you really should put that at the top of your to-do list.

Warcraft
Already having done a review of this movie, I don’t know what more I can say. The special effects are absolutely amazing. One of the greatest things about World of Warcraft has long been the atmosphere, the landscapes, and those things are expertly brought to life in this movie. The characters, both human and non-human, are believable, with their own backgrounds and quirks to pull you even further into their world. I would really love to believe that people would watch this movie and fall in love with the storyline regardless of whether or not they’ve ever played any of the games.

Deadpool
What can I say about Deadpool that I haven’t said a million times? You’ve got a guy who, on the cusp of finding happiness, gets the worst news a guy can get. He does everything he possibly can to avoid death, only to become cursed with a horrifying disfigurement. On the upside, he does get the benefit of a healing factor. It’s like playing a really bad version of “Would You Rather?”. Of course, revenge is necessary, resulting in violence and hilarity in equal portions. This is my absolute favorite movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far.

Honorable mentions:

Gods of Egypt
Pretty sure I’m in the minority where this movie is concerned. I love movies that put a huge focus on the visuals. And yes, it could be said that the movie relies too much on the visuals and not enough on the plot, but there are much worse ways to spend a couple of hours on a movie. Like Don’t Blink, for instance.

Batman Vs. Superman Dawn of Justice
Another movie that really got critics’ panties in a twist. I didn’t honestly care about whether I saw it or not, but this was another situation where the family wanted to watch it and I got drawn in. I would go so far as to compare this one to Captain America: Civil War, being torn between these two superheroes fighting one another. Ultimately a great movie, and made even better with the beginnings of the Justice League.