Phil’s 5 Best Films of 2016 (Updated)

Phil’s 5 Best Films of 2016 (Updated)

by Phil Hobden 2016: In Review Quick Review Year In Review

So 2016 may be in the rear mirror but having now seen a few of 2016’s last few must see movies I’m having a do-over and republishing my list of the best films of 2016.

So here it is: my FINAL pick of the BEST films of 2016.

 

Film of The Year: The Nice Guys 
In Brief: It was pretty much Room or The Little Prince all the way this year until The Nice Guys came along.  But then any film directed and written by one of my favourite filmmakers in Shane Black was always going to have a fighting chance. Smart, funny and sharp as a tack… The Nice Guys is the best film you probably didn’t see this year!

2.  Kubo And The Two Strings
In Brief: : Paranorman, Coraline, The Boxtrolls and now Kubo.  That was high bar for sure but amazingly Kubo sets it higher still. Near perfect.

3. The Little Prince
In Brief:  Who saw this coming?  Adaptation of a popular kids book, released almost exclusively on Netflix. But man it knocked it out the park.  Brilliantly animated and heart wrenchingly performed, Little Prince is up there with the best of the genre.

4.  Sing Street
In Brief: Much like Sunshine Of Leith a few years back, Sing Street brings the songs, the charms and the heart and brings them all in spades.  One of the best films of the year for sure.

5. Hunt for The Wilder People
In Brief: A coming of age family drama that will spawn a million “Shit Got real” T-shirts.  Worth all the amazing reviews…

6. Room

7. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

8. Moana

9. Green Room

10. The Girl With All The Gifts

Bubbling Under:  Deadpool, The Big Short, Arrival, Doctor Strange,  Train To Busan, Eddie The Eagle, Midnight Special , Creed, Bad Moms, Spotlight 

 

Phil’s 5 Worst Films of 2016

Phil’s 5 Worst Films of 2016

by Phil Hobden 2016: In Review Quick Review Year In Review

So 2016 is almost over and it’s that time a year again where everyone reflects back on their best and worst films of the year.

So first up… the 5 WORST film of 2016.  And there were quite a few to choose from..

Stinker of The Year: Point Break (2016)
In Brief: A film that had no purpose to exist.  Point Break touched on hallow ground for me so it would have to be pretty special for me to like it.  This film wasn’t.  In fact it totally sucked. Whilst the original was sharp, smart and exciting this remake is by the numbers, dull and worst of all made no sense. A bomb, critical failure and a mess.

 

 

2. Central Intelligence
In Brief: Neither funny or action packed, the first bomb the Rock has ever made.  Yes Central Intelligence is a film that the Rock can’t save.

3. London Has Fallen
In Brief: Other films scored worse but after the Top 5 film that was Olympus Has fallen, London Has Fallen was SUCH a come down that it, on reflection, rated as one of 2016’s worst films.

4. Inferno
In Brief: Oh Dear.  Ron Howard drops a total bollock with this horrid film.  Witness some of the worst dialogue ever put on screen with Tom Hanks worst performance.  Utter tosh.

5. Jason Bourne 
In Brief:  It’s almost criminal that a Bourne film could be this bad, especially as it reunites Greengrass and Damon. It was just dull.

6. Kickboxer Vengeance
7. The 5th Wave
8. The Girl On The Train 
9.  Cabin Fever
10. 31

 

Dis-Honourable Mentions: Divergent Allegiant, Triple 9, Bastille Day, The Mechanic Resurrection, Independence Day Resurgence, Dad’s Army