TIED for #3- The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

#9- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) review

Simply said, Terminator 2 is one of the greatest sequels of all time. James Cameron knew exactly what to do with Terminator 2 and that is to get a bigger budget, a deeper and bigger story, more characters, better action sequences and an iconic villain. 

In Terminator 2, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the T-800 from the original Terminator film whilst Robert Patrick plays the T-1000, the most deadly terminator to ever live....Forget about the T-X..that simply did not happen! Two terminators were sent back in time, one to kill John and one to strike out his mother before John was born. John Connor managed to re-program one of the terminators to save him on this particular moment. 

This is why the story is simply so much bigger in Terminator 2. It is so much more grander, a more visual and technical achievement and features a surprisingly good enough performance by Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose T-800 is still intimidating even if he is the good guy. Robert Patrick does a good job playing the T-1000 and he brings a certain intensity to the film. Linda Hamilton is absolutely terrific in this film as Sarah Connor and Edward Furlong is definitely great at playing her son John, despite some moments where he is rather weak in acting. 

Visually, Terminator 2 is an amazing achievement in cinema. It features incredible T-1000 special effects that still stand out today. The action sequences in Terminator 2 are more entertaining than they were in the original. Scenes such as the T-1000 chasing John Connor on truck, to Arnold fighting the T-1000 in the mall stand out as amazing. But the greatest stuff in the film comes right at the end, in the last 15 minutes which is full of iconic moments that were beautifully shot and has some incredible suspense. 

Terminator 2 is definitely a more realistic film than the original and features some incredibly emotional sequences throughout the film. The scene where Sarah learns that Miles Dyson is the man who will one day be responsible for building Skynet and thus, destroy mankind is amazing. Her mission to then kill this man is an amazing moment as Sarah herself, was becoming a Terminator. That was a fantastic character arc right there and the themes and questions that this film tackles are absolutely fantastic. Terminator 2 has these type of scenes that make the characters all the more interesting. The best part of the film isn't the action or the effects but instead the fatherly bond that the T-800 grows for John and the T-800 becoming more human throughout the film. This was absolutely brilliant and when it comes to the end of the film, it makes it that much more emotional.
 
In the end, 'Terminator 2' is one of the all time great sequels improving upon every minor weakness by the original and making it a simply grander and more entertaining film! James Cameron certainly did know how to make sequels. 

Grade- 10/10 
 

#13- The Dark Knight (2008) review

Despite now being overrated, it is completely impossible for me to ignore the masterpiece that is, The Dark Knight. Released in 2008, this was "the" film that ensured that Nolan became one of the greatest directors of all time. Even with films such as Memento, Batman Begins and The Prestige, it wasn't until 2008 that the world began to realize that Nolan would become one of the greatest directors of the modern cinema.

Following the defeat of Ra's Al Ghul and Scarecrow from 'Batman Begins', Gotham City has just begun to enforce new rules and drive back the criminal society living in Gotham. Then lands the mysterious and psychotic Joker, played in the most amazing way by Heath Ledger (may he R.I.P) who begins once more to cause chaos across all of Gotham City. Gordon and Bruce Wayne must team up with the new DA, Harvey Dent, and take down the Joker, who has begun his own plans to make Gotham a better place for criminals by taking down the Batman himself.

The best thing about The Dark Knight, though numerous, is the acting. More specifically, the performance given by Heath Ledger who cast a figure of fear and chaos. His performance is one of the extreme intensity. Despite being extremely frightening, Ledger was truly able to bring humor into the character. The rest of the cast, consisting of legends Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart do a fantastic job. Despite my praise of the acting, which is brilliant, there was one major issue in the acting department I had with this film. That would be Maggie Gyllenhall, whose performance, much like Katie Holmes, was pretty poor. Neither of the two were able to illustrate Rachel Dawes, given the tone created by these films. It is quite a relief when the Joker captures Rachel, for us as a movie audience. The worst thing about this is that we do not fully feel the pain that Bruce goes through, after his love is killed off. 

Gyllenhall is a minor complaint when compared with every other factor of brilliance in this film. The direction and writing in this film is downright brilliant and the restriction of CGI effects is fantastic. Most of the effects look truly amazing and the production designs were amazing. The dialogue is amazingly sharp, and each line delivered by Heath Ledger is truly amazing. Whilst Batman Begins truly created a new standard of superhero films, The Dark Knight is the deciding point of superhero films. The way that Nolan was able to change superhero films forever, by adding an amazingly dark and serious tone was fantastic. Of course, since then every film has attempted to do this but never to the brilliance of the Dark Knight. 
 


The action sequences in the film are truly enjoyable.Not only is this film mindblowing in the fact that it has fantastic acting and amazing story telling, but The Dark Knight improves upon Batman Begins in terms of cinematography, making some of the action easier to follow and enjoy. Where this film makes the action seem better than it is, is from Hans Zimmer's musical score which is breathtaking! The music lights up each scene in the film and adds extreme intensity. The opening scene with the bank robbery is one of the finest examples throughout the film. 



The Joker is undeniably, one of the greatest villains of all time and The Dark Knight, though overrated, is undeniably a great film. Christopher Nolan, in 2008, brought every aspect of great film making into one movie, which would since then be regarded the  best film of the decade. To that, I respectfully disagree. 

Grade- 10/10 most definitely!!! 

#15- Toy Story 2 (1999) review

Creating a sequel to an animation film had never been successful until Toy Story 2 and even since then, has only been successful in one other film- The third installment of the Toy Story trilogy. So, just prior to the release of this film, audiences would've been anxious and uncertain whether the film would live up to the hype of the original

Not only do I consider Toy Story 2 one of the all time great sequels but I even consider it better than the original. This is how a sequel should be made to an animation film, not how Shrek did it or how any of the other animation films such as The Lion King II have done. 

Woody is one day, mysteriously stolen by a man at a garage sale whilst saving another toy from 'facing the inevitable'. Woody is stolen and comes to learn about his past and how he is a famous and rare sheriff woody doll. It is here that he  meets Bullseye, the horse, Jesse the cowgirl and the Prospector, who are Woody's Roundup Gang as they were also featured on his TV show. Out of curiosity, Wood learns that he is about to be sent to a museum in Japan, where he will indeed by able to prolong the inevitable and where the other toys will also be sent if he is there. Eventually Woody comes to realize that maybe going to Japan may well be the only option but Woody's loyal friends are once more, out there to save him! 


Here is a sequel, much like The Empire Strikes Back which proves that it is not a cash grab but a a necessary installment to a series of films. The fact that the plot is split into two clearly indicates that this is a fresh film. In terms of entertainment, this film has more to offer than the original. Even in terms of emotion, this film may even contain more emotion than the first and the characters are truly put to the test here. The dialogue is clever and witty and works charmingly well, the story is written and directed brilliantly and the new characters, being some of the best of Toy Story, are done fantastically. 



Jesse is the most interesting character of the film and her constant mood swings are what makes her interesting, even if her character is often jerky! When her character is given the flashback sequences involving Emily, there is the emotion of the film right there. In terms of story, Woody is definitely put to the test in terms of prolonging the inevitable, something which his penguin friend Wheezy said was useless as it comes right back at you. Simply the fact that both Woody and Jesse have such an explained past makes them extremely great characters. Jesse's backstory is some of the finest emotional moments of the series, something which Toy Story 3 seems to rip off to some extent with Lotso. 

So many memorable stuff do happen in this film. Some absolutely classical lines and scenes such as the toys driving the car, the scene in the airport and plane, the scenes early on and Jesse's backstory truly make for one of the greatest animation films, right up there with the other two installments of the Toy Story trilogy. In fact, these three films should be tied for the best animation film of all time, each having a place in my top 25. To make Toy Story all the better for me, I have no nostalgic feelings towards it!  

Grade- 10/10 

#17- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) review

It is quite a pity that this film can often be lost in the Indiana Jones series, as are all except 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' considering the huge impact it had on cinema's action adventure films. Had this been the first installment of the series, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade would possibly be regarded greater than what Raiders of the Lost Ark is currently considered. 

Indiana Jones is once more on a quest to find the Holy Grail, a mysterious object which his father, Henry Jones, played by Sean Connery has been seeking all his life. It is Henry's quest to find the Holy Grail that eventually causes him to disappear and force Indiana Jones on this quest. 

Next to the Arc of the Covanent, the Holy Grail is the best object that the Indiana Jones franchise have told a story about. It also has some of the best characters in the series, most brilliantly of them all, Henry Jones. Sean Connery brings such light to the film in his fantastic and energetic performance. Every line uttered out of Connery's mouth is charismatic and is something we just love. What better than to hear James Bond himself talk to Indiana Jones! Next to Henry Jones, is a completely different and lost Marcus Brody in one of the film's funniest aspects. That scene where Indy tells the Nazis that Marcus is a good three days ahead of them and he knows his way around, only for us to then see that Marcus Brody's true clumsiness and his inability to mix in with the locals is one of the greatest scenes of the entire franchise! Seeing old characters in a film can either turn out terrifying or they could turn out fantastic, and there is one other returning character who is terrific. Sallah, played by John Rhys Davies, is one of the coolest and most interesting and lovable characters in the series. His friendship with Indy is one of the best relationships of the entire franchise, quite possibly second to the father-son relationship of this film. 

The story begins with a young Indy played by River Phoenix, and played terrifically. River truly shows us Indy's charm and his adventurous mood. It is a pity that he passed away because he could really have been a great Indiana Jones in the future. Young Indy's archeological life begins when he sees some men steal an artefact that belongs to a museum and causes him to try and retrieve it. This prologue also shows us a glimpse of Henry Jones. The flashback was action packed, entertaining, funny and rather intense and done amazingly. The fact that this film, being the real conclusion to Indiana Jones, decides to reveal stuff about the character and does so very well. 

The action in the film is truly amazing and is definitely, the funniest of them all. A lot of entertainment, backed up by great writing and fantastic Speilberg direction make 'The Last Crusade' definitely an amazing and entertaining film. 

Grade- A+ 

#18- Toy Story 3 (2010) review

 


Now, I am perfectly clear that this isn't the best Pixar film nor is this one of the greatest films of all time, but I am certain that this is one of my all time favorite films. Very few releases, since 2010 have made my top 20 list but this is one of them. 

Prior to its release, audiences were uncertain whether or not this third installment to a now Pixar trilogy would work, considering the last Toy Story film was released in 1999. 11 years later, people were uncertain whether or not Pixar could do it once more and actually make an amazing animation trilogy. WELL OF COURSE THEY DID! 



Woody and his crew of toys now face the challenge of 'prolonging the inevitable' as Andy has grown up and lost his love for toys. A major misunderstanding by Andy's often foolish mother, prior to Andy's first day of college, causes the toys to get thrown out as trash. The toys manage to escape at the last moment and realizing that Andy has no special place in his heart for them, they decide the only thing to do is to head off to daycare. 

Toy Story 3 is definitely the most emotional of the Toy Story trilogy. As the penguin, Wheezy, said in Toy Story 2 "What is the point of prolonging the inevitable?", Toy Story 3 spends a lot of time focusing around this question. Despite the toys heading off to Sunnyside Daycare, which is run by a teddybear named Lotso, Woody realizes that this was all a big misunderstanding and decides to somehow get back to Andy's before he moves off to college. As he is picked up by a girl named Bonnie, who somewhat resembles a much older Boo, Woody is taken to her place where he must get back to Andy's, whilst learning the truth about everything. This is what I love about Pixar, how they can make each of their films work. Toy Story 3 most definitely does not feel like a cash grab like the Shrek sequels but actually has a lot to offer in terms of story and characters, which are done amazingly well! 


As Woody is told that Lotso is actually an evil teddybear and he runs Sunnyside Daycare, Woody decides to return to save his friends, out of love. The last act of the film is truly hilarious, entertaining yet emotional. Whilst the first and second act are truly great, they have some slow moments but the third act truly makes this is a fantastic film and a near masterpiece due to its emotional and comedic satisfaction, even if the final scene with Andy and Bonnie is laughable. 

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are fantastic in this film as always, as are the rest of the voice acting crew. John Ratzenberger is a Pixar veteran, appearing in basically all Pixar films. He is great as always, nailing the role of Hamm. It is Ratsenberg's ability to deliver comedic lines perfectly that makes his character one of the best! Don Rickles is amazing in this film as Mr Potato Head and Estelle Harris is fantastic as Ms. Potatohead! Part of the reason that this Toy Story trilogy is successful is due to how amazing the cast is! 

Any concerns regarding Toy Story trilogy, prior to its initial release was lost as sparkling reviews came by. To think that this third installment has an 8.5 on IMDb and a high 90% rating on RottenTomatoes clearly indicates how loved this film has already become. It is so brilliantly that people have a tough time choosing the best of the three. Officially, Toy Story is now one of the greatest trilogies of our time!

#23- The Godfather Part II (1974) review

Considered to be one of the greatest sequels if not the greatest, The Godfather Part II is yet another cinema changing film. Much like its predecessor, The Godfather Part II gets every single aspect of a film right but the big is, which is better? The original or the legendary sequel? 

The Godfather Part II tells the story of the new Don of the Corleone family, Michael, and his rise to power whilst also telling the story of a much younger Vito Corleone. Never in any way connecting to each other, the stories in The Godfather Part II play out as parallel storylines. Describing the story of The Godfather Part II generally a hard thing to explain due to the amount of content that is put into these films. 

The acting in The Godfather Part II is downright legendary! Al Pacino is the star of the film and absolutely destroys it! His performance of Michael Corleone in this film is just breathtaking, especially a scene late in the film involving Michael and Kay, regarding their baby. Just the facial expression alone in that scene was worthy of an Oscar. It isn't an understatement, it was just that intense. 'Intense' is a word that is often thrown around a lot but his performance is definitely intense. Those who claim that the last half an hour of Zero Dark Thirty is the most intense thing they've ever seen have clearly not seen The Godfather Part II. That is a fact! Whilst Al Pacino steals the show, there is another scene stealer. A young Robert de Niro absoluely owns the role as a young Vito Corleone. His performance is so realistic and so amazing that is compared to Marlon Brando's portrayal of Vito Corleone. De Niro himself, definitely deserved the Oscar that he won for The Godfather Part II. Other fantastic performances include Robert Duvall, who is definitely the most underrated of the cast and other performances by Lee Strasberg as Hyman Roth and performances including Talia Shire as Connie are great! Performance wise, The Godfather Part II is one of the best, proving indeed that Francis Ford Coppola does know how to direct and work with actors. 



The musical score in these films is legendary. It is music at its most powerful and most iconic. The musical score is such an intense and such an emotional score that it blends perfectly with these films. Nothing more can really be said. Francis Ford Coppola won Best Director for this film and truly deserves it, being the masterpiece it is! In terms of writing and directing, it is legendary! 

That said, The Godfather Part II, in my opinion, is not a greater film than the original Godfather film for many reasons. I do not find the characters in the film nearly as iconic and interesting, nor the story and the scenes. That said, I still love the story and characters and find it iconic, which should indicate how much more I love the original Godfather film! 

Despite Al Pacino giving the best performance of the film, in my eyes, young Vito's storyline is the more interesting for me. Both are fantastic, definitely, but the way the young Vito's storyline fleshed out the character and tied in perfectly with Brando's Vito was amazing! 



The Godfather Part II is close to perfection whether it be the story, the characters, the acting, the music, the direction or the writing. Alongside the original Godfather film, it is possibly tied for the best crime film of all time.  

Grade- A+