A Cavalcade of Cinema
My Favorite Movies of the 2010s
Originally, this post would be about my top ten favorite movies of the decade. However, looking over the number of movies I loved, I realized this would be either a.) impossible or b.) take too long. Also, my policy on entertainment is that i won’t check it out unless I think I’ll like it. Instead, I decided it’d be better to do what I call a cavalcade of cinema.
I’m going to list off all the movies this past decade that I enjoyed. Then I’ll sum up my thoughts about them in a two sentences or less. That way it’s a cavalcade of cinema
Despicable Me (2010)
The start of a great new franchise and the creation of the Minions. Those little guys are so much fun.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
I have yet to fully see it, but I’ve seen enough clips of it online to count. Was the perfect way to cap off the franchise that started Pixar’s success.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
An infinitely better reboot than that mess in the 2000s. Was also what first introduced me to Andy Serkis
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
A Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard masterpiece that satirizes the horror film genre. One of the few horror films I enjoy.
Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)
Heralded the start of a new era of movies with an unprecedented crossover. This deserves to be preserved in the National Library of Congress for all time.
Despicable Me 2 (2013)
An improvement over an already amazing film with a great plot. Also gave us “Happy” by Pharell Williams
Book of Life (2014)
Jorge Gutiérrez perfects the art style he created with El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera in this movie that was Coco before Coco was Coco.
The LEGO Movie (2014)
A movie about one of the greatest line of toys of all time was awesome enough. Also, it’s what introduced me to Chris Pratt.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
As much as I criticize the Sequel Trilogy, I admit that it did give us some great new characters. Thus, it gets on this list. However, it also killed off Han, and I’m convinced its because Harrsion Ford didn’t want to play Han Solo anymore.
Jurassic World (2015)
Another Chris Pratt success whilst serving as a soft reboot to the classic 1990s franchise. The fact that most of the park’s sponsored by corporations is so realistic.
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F (2015)
This film saw the return of one of the most iconic villains in anime history, gave him a godlike new form, and did the same for Goku and Vegeta. The best part is that Frieza comes back for a third time later!
The Martian (2015)
It’s Castaway meets Saving Private Ryan in space. Matt Damon was amazing in this film.
The Peanuts Movie (2015)
The first new addition to the legendary Peanuts franchise in years. It captures the magic that made Charlie Brown and his friends so beloved in the first place.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Started off Phase 3 of the MCU with as big a bang as possible. It functioned as a mini-Avengers film and served as our introduction to the best live-action Spider-Man to date.
Your Name (2016)
One of the most romantic and surreal films I’ve ever seen in my life. I can’t sit through the ending without feeling tears welling up in my eyes.
Deadpool (2016)
This film made me acknowledge something that I tried to deny for years: Deadpool can be pretty funny. It also made Ryan Reynolds one of my favorite actor’s.
Sausage Party (2016)
This film’s like if South Park decided to make a satire of Pixar movies, complete with humorous messages about life and learning to find meaning in it without relying on others. Also, the ending is hilarious.
Doctor Strange (2016)
Benedict Cumberbatch gives us our first true dive into the mystical side of the Marvel Universe as Doctor Strange. It also introduces an important Macguffin for Infinity War.
Get Out (2017)
This is one horror film that you have to see in order to fully understand. Jordan Peele’s a master of the genre
Isle of Dogs (2018)
A true masterpiece of stop-motion animation. That sushi making scene alone is a work of art.
Black Panther (2018)
A cultural phenomenon that takes a good, hard look at the legacy of Western intereference on Africa. Michael Jordan’s role as Erik Killmonger remains one of the best villains in the MCU, as he has very genuine reasons to hate Wakanda
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Marvel did the impossible by juggling almost all of its roster in one of the most ambitious crossover films ever made. The ending will leave you with your mouth hanging open in shock.
Spider-Man: into the Spider-Verse (2018)
A love-letter to Marvel’s poster boy and one of the greatest heroes of all time. I couldn’t stop listening to “What’s Up, Danger” for days afterwards.
Ready Player One (2018)
Pop Culture: The Movie, and I loved every minute of it.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
Tom Hanks effortelessly slips into the role of Mister Rogers and reminds us of how a little kindness can change the world for the better. We need another Mister Rogers.
Apollo 11 (2019)
An incredible, minute by minute documentary of one of the defining moments in human history. It comes out just in time for the 50th anniversary.
Detective Pikachu (2019)
I’m convinced that Ryan Reynolds took this job so he could reference it in the next Deadpool movie. However, that doesn’t stop it from being the best movie based on a video game that I’ve ever seen.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
No words can properly describe the level of excitement from this culmination of eleven years of films. Go watch it on Disney+!
Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2019)
BROLY. IS NOW. CANON. Nuff said.
Steven Universe: The Movie (2019)
If there was a way for a TV Movie to win an Oscar, then I would want it to be this movie.
Joker (2019)
It’s dark, depressing, and nihilistic, yet I couldn’t stop watching it. For the first time since Heath Ledger, we have a Joker. Jared Leto doesn’t count.
Klaus (2019)
One of the best Christmas movie’s I’ve seen in years
Cavalcade of Cinema
Agree with my cavalcade of cinema picks? Let me know your cavalcade of cinema in the comments down below! Happy New Year!
Click here to see more stuff recapping past years.
Click here to see my reviews for various films.
The Clone Wars Were Awesome
My Top Seven Favorite Arcs Of Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Right when we thought Star Wars couldn’t get any better, we got Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Airing from 2008 to 2013 on Cartoon Network, The Clone Wars became an immense hit with fans, myself included. Even the people who hate the Prequels have to admit this show was good. As a bonus, it marked the debut of Dave Filoni in the Star Wars franchise. Ten years later, and people now consider him George Lucas’ apprentice and heir.
With The Rise of Skywalker out in a few weeks, and the final season of The Clone Wars coming to Disney+ in 2020, now is the to strike. Now is the time for me to look back on my favorite stories from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Two things, though: this will be about story arcs which span several episodes. I’ll be doing my favorite episodes of the show at a later date. Secondly, there’s going to be spoilers ahead. If you haven’t seen it, go watch it on Disney+.
The Malevolence Arc
The very first arc of The Clone Wars, The Malevolence Arc started the show with a bang. In this three episode story, the Jedi face down against General Grevious’ deadly new flagship, the titular Malevolence. Aside from absolutely massive, what made the Malevolence so terrifying was its twin Ion Cannons that could shut down any ship. In a tribute to the original trilogy, the firing sequence of said cannon’s copied the Death Star’s firing sequence.
What some people may not realize is that this arc and the Malevolence were based on the real-life battleship, the Bismarck. This Nazi warship had the potential to turn the tide of World War II in the Atlantic. As a result, the British threw everything they had into hunting it down. Like the Malevolence, the Bismarck was crippled by a small group of bombers before ultimately being sunk. However, seeing the Malevolence crash into a moon looks cooler.
The Zillo Beast
When the Republic tries to test its new droid-destroying bomb, they wake something up. That “something” is a nigh-invincible called the Zillo Beast, and its armor’s so thick not even lightsabers can cut through it. As a result of this revelation, Palpatine orders it captured and brought to Coruscant. Predictably, it gets loose and starts killing everything; which I called, by the way.
When I first saw the Zillo Beast in The Clone Wars, I knew where the show was going: a Kaiju story. However, with the plot and themes, I thought it was more like King Kong than Godzilla. The end result was still epic in scope though. Even if thousands of Coruscanti died as a result, it felt a little cathartic to see Palpatine/Darth Sidious genuinely afraid. I actually hoped the Zillo Beast ate him.
The Nightsisters Trilogy
As Dooku’s best assassin, Asajj Ventress, continued to grow in strength, Darth Sidious saw her as a threat to him. As such, he ordered Dooku to leave her to die to prove his loyalty. Unbeknownst to all, Ventress survived and returned to her homeworld of Dathomir. There, she plotted with her fellow Nightsisters to take revenge on Dooku. This, in turn, would lead to the birth of a powerful new enemy, and hinted at the return of an old one.
Dathomir and the Nightsisters were first introduced in the Expanded Universe content as a group of powerful dark side users. Seeing them get focus in The Clone Wars was an absolute joy to see. It also marked a big change to the show’s status quo, as Ventress went from outright villain to cool anti-hero and the introduction of recurring villain Savage Oppress, voiced by the great Clancy Brown. In the long run, it laid the foundations for the return of one of Star Wars best villains.
The Mortis Arc
On a mission to investigate a distress beacon, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ashoka wind up on the mysterious planet known as Mortis. There, they encounter a family of Force-users so powerful, they’re essentially the embodiment of the different aspects of the Force. The time that the three spend on Mortis with these three beings ends up changing how we view the Force itself.
Unlike much of The Clone Wars, which dealt with the war and its effects on the Star Wars Galaxy, the Mortis Arc’s unique. It deals with the spiritual aspects of Star Wars: the purpose of the Chosen One and the different aspects of the Force. It’s been years since these episodes, and I still don’t think we fully understand the ramifications of what happened.
Aside from dealing with the Force, this arc also saw cameos of deceased characters Qui-Gon Jinn and Shmi Skywalker. The show even got Liam Neeson and Pernilla August to reprise their roles.
The Mon Cala Arc
Season Four of The Clone Wars may have been its best overall, as it includes my last three picks on this list. In the three-part opening to Season Four, Anakin, Ashoka, and Padme travel to Mon Calamari to aid in its planets civil war over the planet’s throne. On one side is the Mon Cala and the young Prince Lee-Char against the Separatist-backed Quarren. However, Dooku has no plans on giving the planet to the Quarrens.
Aside from reminding me of the stories of The Lion King and Hamlet, I love this arc for several reasons. Firstly, the battle in the premiere episode involved thousands of characters and animals, and that’s an impressive feat of animation. Secondly, it gave us a look at Ackbar, the future Rebel Admiral that uttered this legendary phrase: “It’s a trap!” Seeing Ackbar fighting alongside the Jedi in his younger years was enough to make fans squeal with joy. Third and finally, and I didn’t learn this until years later, it served as my introduction to Adam McArthur. Providing the voice to Prince Lee-Char, Adam would go on to play the role of Marco Diaz in Star vs. The Forces of Evil.
Darkness on Umbara Arc
As The Clone Wars progressed, I noticed that the show was getting progressively darker and grittier, and I consider the Umbara Arc one of the darkest stories in the show. That is both metaphorically, and very literally. When the Republic launches an invasion of the darkened world of Umbara, Anakin’s recalled to Coruscant. Meanwhile, his Clone Troopers are placed under the command of Jedi Pong Krell, who proves to be a terrible leader! His strategies are so bad, that’s it’s almost like he’s trying to lose.
Underneath the Sci-Fi technology, I think that the Umbara Arc was the closest The Clone Wars got to a big budget war film. Whereas much of the show focused on the Jedi or leaders of both sides, this arc focused exclusively on the Clone Troopers. Characters like Captain Rex and Fives had done wonders for humanizing the Clone Troopers. However, seeing the Clones chafe under Krell’s seeming incompetence reinforced the idea that they were still people. I shared their frustration at Krell’s poor plans, and when Krell’s true alliegance came to light, I felt my rage boil over. In my eyes, making a viewer or reader feel great emotion is the sign of a great story, and Umbara was one.
Return of Maul Arc
After disappearing for the rest of Season Three and most of Season Four, the four part finale to Season saw us return to Savage Opress and Asajj Ventress. Left without a home and no one else to trust, both end up on the run from the Republic and Separatists. While Ventress eventually builds a new life as a bounty hunter, Savage goes searching for his lost brother. As a result, we see the return of one of Star Wars best villains, Darth Maul.
SAY WHAT?
When I first saw The Phantom Menace years ago, I thought that Darth Maul was one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen. Seeing Kenobi slice him in half remains one of my favorite moments from the Prequel Trilogy. So when The Clone Wars brought him back to get revenge on Obi-Wan, I went crazy with excitement. He was every bit as scary as I remembered him. Maul went on to become a recurring villain in The Clone Wars and its successor, Star Wars: Rebels. Thank you, Dave Filoni and everyone else!
May the Force Be With You
Without a doubt, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was one of the best things the franchise has ever given us. Every time a new episode came on, I’d stand in front of the TV and swing my old toy light saber to the opening credits and I had a blast. With the Skywalker Saga seemingly about to end, I’m glad I got to look back on this amazing addition to the Star Wars mythos. Now, though, I have to ask all of you: what was your favorite story from The Clone Wars? Let me know in the comments. May the Force be with you!
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Putting the “Pop” in Pop Culture!
