Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, we’re counting down our favorite movie Part Ones! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
Following up the 1999 smash hit The Matrix was not going to be an easy task. The Matrix Reloaded swings for the fences, though, and really tries to expand the universe and lore of the world. Neo (Keanu Reeves), Morpheus (Laurence FIshburne), and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) are all back for a new adventure to save the city of Zion from the machines. This movie sets up a lot of amazing plot points: We’re introduced to the human city, the Matrix is enhanced with new threats, and Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) is rebooted. That epic car chase to get The Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim) to a door to help discover the origins of the Matrix is one of my favorite parts in the entire trilogy. The Matrix Revolutions doesn’t exactly do a good job of building on the foundation that movie before laid; however, The Matrix Reloaded is a strong sequel to the original masterpiece. (Mike Hilty)
It is one of the most influential blockbusters in recent memory. Perhaps Stephen King’s most known work, this adaptation rests solely on the shoulders of the kids and the actors who play them. Stranger Things gets a lot of the attention for its talented child cast, but in my opinion, It has helped launch the careers of more potential movie stars. This year’s TV and movie releases have already featured several of the cast in critical roles. So many King adaptations, and horror movies in general, have tried to recreate this movie’s balance of humor, jump scares, and psychological scenes. The thing that this film does so well is disarm you with the charm of the young actors. It really gets you invested in their journeys so that when the time comes for them to confront Pennywise, you are experiencing the horrors with them. Bill Skarsgård is pitch perfect as Pennywise — equal parts deranged and creepy — and he’s aided by well done visual effects. I really think this is what a lot of blockbuster releases should try to be: It is not afraid to carve out its own path in the story, but it still stays true what made it so popular to begin with. (Kaleb Wolters)
Pretty much anyone over the age of 10 knows Alexandre Dumas’ tale of The Three Musketeers. Even if you didn’t read the book growing up, you probably saw the 1993 iteration starring Tim Curry and crew, 2001’s The Musketeer, 2004’s Mickey Mouse version, or one of the countless TV adaptations that run the gamut, from Wishbone, to the multi-season series on Netflix and the BBC. Unfortunately, the best adaptation (and most true to the source material) is the most often overlooked today: 1973’s The Three Musketeers. Starring Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain, and Frank Finlay as the titular trio, the casting director could have stopped there and the film would have had enough star power for the time to sizzle at the box office. But fortunately for us, that was only the beginning. Michael York and Raquel Welch are perfectly paired as D’Artagnan and Constance, while Charlton Heston and Christopher Lee embody evil in the roles of Richelieu and Rochefort. Director Richard Lester finds the perfect mix of comedic dialogue and visuals, intertwined with exhilarating fight choreography, colorful costuming, and lavish sets to get audiences anxiously anticipating the conclusion that follows in 1974’s The Four Musketeers. If you’re a fan of the story, or just adventure in general, this quirky turn at the tale is for you. (Patrice Downing)
The best Part Ones are those that still work on their own. And although some fans might have had an issue with how Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ends, I… Okay, I won’t pretend it didn’t catch me by surprise the first time I saw it. But when I thought about why, and upon my second cinema rewatch (yeah, I loved this film so much I went to see it twice in the cinema), I discovered it was because I wanted more. Also, I think that it is the best place for the movie to finish. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse continues to build on themes of free will versus predestination, about having your own agency, and how good deeds may lead you to the wrong path if taken to extremes. It’s a clever, funny, and gorgeously animated movie that is currently my number one film of 2023. And I hope something will surpass it, because that would mean I found a movie I loved even more than this. When I rewatched Into the Spider-Verse just yesterday, I realized how those same themes run throughout that movie too, and how both films uplift each other. Meaning, you will enjoy the first one more after the second one, and the other way around. I can’t wait for Beyond The Spider-Verse! (Luke Burian)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 tells the visceral tale of The Bride (Uma Thurman), a former assassin mercilessly gunned down by her former colleagues on what was believed to be her wedding day. She wakes from a coma four years later, fueled solely by revenge. Quentin Tarantino’s fourth feature is driven by the director’s irrefutable passion for genre-melding cinema, including a world immersed in vivid color with shades of spaghetti westerns, ‘70s blaxploitation, Asian action movies, and even anime. Vol. 1 is made up of five distinct chapters, the first of which opens out of chronological order, depicting frenetic hand-to-hand combat between The Bride, codenamed Black Mamba, and Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), codenamed Copperhead. It’s easily the most engaging, self-contained kinetic mayhem in the film, making it an obvious springboard with which to lead the story. Chapters Two through Four include the origin story of one of the unfortunate souls marked for death by The Bride told entirely in gangster anime, the origin of the sword with which The Bride seeks to exact her revenge, and even a flashback to her waking moments after her coma. That brings us to the final slice-em-n-dice-em chapter, which is soaked in so much blood from lost limbs that much of it appears in black and white. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is a pulpy homage to Kung-Fu movies of old, topped off with an intriguing cliffhanger that promises an evolving motivation and even wilder ride in Vol. 2. (Jonathan Fedee)
What a way to bring 76 MCU characters together through a 10-year journey of storytelling in a movie like Avengers: Infinity War. The film centers on intergalactic Mad Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his army bouncing from planet to planet and destroying its inhabitants in order obtain six Infinity Stones. Once he gets them, he’ll kill half the population to preserve the universe’s resources and have a “balance.” In his way are the Avengers, led by Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). The characters from Black Panther, and Guardians of the Galaxy also appear in this film, along with Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Vision (Paul Bettany), Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and James Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle). Co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo and co-writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus brilliantly organize the storyline. The movie’s dark opening sets the tone for the rest of the film, and not every character survives, so for anyone who left the film bummed out, the movie did its job. Infinity War succeeds in centering itself on Thanos, because viewers get a better understanding of his motivations, though obviously there is no justification for his genocidal tendencies, and it leads to the ending really ripping our hearts out. (Christian Grullon)
The fact that Denis Villeneuve’s remake of the 1984 cult classic Dune was in fact a Part One was a surprise to everyone — including me — who sat down to check it out opening night. Getting over that shock, it does what a good Part One, particularly one adapting as dense of source material as this is, needs to: It introduces the audience to the world and its players, and centers around young Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as his family is given control of the spice trade, the lucrative key to space travel, earning them powerful enemies. Paul, himself the son of a powerful house leader and mystic mother, finds himself trying to square who he is and what it could mean for his destiny. The performances are great, but the true star of the show is the technical aspects of the film. As with most of Villeneuve’s films, Dune is gorgeous. The cinematography is sublime. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s all set to the best score that Hans Zimmer has put out in a number of years. (Jake Bourgeois)
In 1985, Robert Zemeckis delivered an action/adventure film so inventive, bursting at the seams with so much indelible heart and imagination, that for nearly 40 years it has remained firmly atop most every list ranking of the greatest time travel films ever made. I was born that very same year, and grew up adoring that film, Back to the Future — my personal favorite movie, one I’ve watched hundreds of times, every line of which I can recite verbatim, with the proper cadence, inflection, and appropriate level of enthusiasm — and its main conceit laid the groundwork for time travel in just about every science fiction property that has existed in popular culture since. It’s a hilarious comedy, a touching love story, at times a gripping drama, and a bombastic sci-fi thrill ride, gunned to 88 miles per hour with a plethora of memorable set pieces, culminating with the lightning bolt at the clock tower that still leaves me in awe every time I watch it. The stainless steel centerpiece of the tale is the DMC DeLorean time machine, the coolest car to ever roll off an assembly line, transformed into the slickest mode of time travel in any form of modern media. Its inventor, Doc Brown, is perfectly portrayed by the distinguished Christopher Lloyd, and his partner in time, Marty McFly, was somehow even more perfectly cast with Michael J. Fox. Their unwavering friendship through the space-time continuum, much like this iconic masterpiece that frames them flying off into the sunset at its conclusion, is timeless. (Jonathan Fedee)
I hadn’t read the books, and I knew next to nothing about Lord of the Rings before I watched Fellowship of the Ring. The movie has an insanely large task: set the stage for two more movies, introduce almost all the characters, get the audience to care about them, and still tell a compelling story. Never in my wildest dreams would Fellowship of the Ring become one of my favorite movies of all time. It’s also among one of my favorite theatergoing experiences too. I went with a group of 18 people back in the day when theaters didn’t require reserved seating. We waited for an hour before the movie started to get good seats together. Thankfully, Fellowship of the Ring was worth the wait, and helped make The Two Towers and Return of the King worth the wait as well. (Mike Hilty)
What was one of the great trend-setters movies separating their series into parts? The Godfather. Before Part II and especially Part III were considered, this classic gangster drama laid the groundwork for one of the greatest stories ever put on film. The Corleone family makes for a familial drama epic if there ever was one on film. The powerful patriarch in Don Vito, portrayed with such unique prowess by Marlon Brando, leads a family of three sons This impeccable cast of James Caan, James Cazale, and of course Al Pacino, to name a few, makes for one of the best acted films of all time. We are treated to a mafia war of great proportions, and the rise of Michael Corleone, one of the most dangerous mafiosos ever put to film. Before we see his fully realized power, we are treated to the incredible transformation of a man into a cold-hearted monster in this incredible Part One. This film is considered one of the greatest films of all time for a reason. (Shane Conto)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
The Harry Potter franchise grew up alongside the characters, and took on a progressively dark and adult tone with each new installment. It’s delightful seeing the Warner Bros. logo at the start get darker each film to match the tone. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is the peak of the darkness, as Harry’s protection is gone and the storied trio must finally venture out into the real world with no safety net. There is no House Cup, dance, or Quidditch match to worry about — only life and death. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint are given the chance to show what great actors they have grown into throughout the series, and they run with the opportunity. The search for the Horcruxes is a beautifully crafted slow burn for most of the movie with gorgeous — albeit mostly drab — cinematography throughout. This makes the contrast of the limited action scenes extra intense. As with most great Part One entries, this provides fully-fledged character arcs, while managing to tantalizingly tease what remains. (Jason Mack)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is a big-budget, swashbuckling adventure the likes of which we haven’t seen since, well… Pirates of the Caribbean. Even more so today than when they were initially released, Gore Verbinski’s Pirates trilogy feels like something of a miracle, given how well he was able to infuse them with his own unique directorial sensibilities. While perhaps not a Part One in the typical sense, Dead Man’s Chest was shot back-to-back with its trilogy-capper, At World’s End, which picks up right where Dead Man’s Chest left us with its cliffhanger ending. With an awesome mix of Rube Goldberg-style action, practical body horror, and slapstick comedy, Dead Man’s Chest doubles down on everything that made The Curse of the Black Pearl work. Add in wonderfully ghoulish cinematography and production design, an all-time great score from Hans Zimmer, and a gnarly villainous turn from Billy Nighy as the tentacle-bearded Davy Jones, and you’ve got yourself one of the most ambitious and exciting sequels of all time. (Foster Harlfinger)
A Quiet Place
After losing their youngest child in a world where you can’t make any noise, Evelyn and Lee Abbott (Emily Blunt and John Krasinski) plan to have a baby. You might be asking why they want to have a baby in a world where you can’t make noise. Because they’re trying to live an actual life in this world, not just survive, as shown through the ordinary family life things they do in a way where no noise will be made, such as playing a board game with cotton ball pieces. The characters express almost all the dialogue through relatively limited sign language, so the tone centers around the atmosphere and the building tension. It’s impressive how much emotion the actors convey in sign language conversations. Millicent Simmonds, who is deaf, is particularly outstanding as the family’s daughter Regan in these conversations. Some say the monsters look genetic, which might be accurate, but I don’t think that matters; the point is they pose a significant threat by having enhanced hearing. They don’t show up until the third act, but the thought that they could show up at any moment keeps things tense. The sound editing and camera work in this make it a thrilling edge-of-your-seat experience, and shows the characters trying to live as everyday a life as possible. (John Tillyard)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Let’s be honest — in a perfect world, An Unexpected Journey wouldn’t be on this list, as The Hobbit didn’t need to be split into two films, let alone three. The original novel, while great, is shorter than any of the three The Lord of the Rings novels and certainly doesn’t have the material to sustain eight hours of cinema. That being said, the first installment is definitely the least impacted by this thinning out of source material, providing a mostly faithful adaptation of the first half of the novel. The several additions to the original story feel much more organic here than they do in the later films, where they feel like ham-fisted attempts to pad runtimes and pockets. Martin Freeman is great in the starring role as Bilbo Baggins, and it’s nice to see familiar faces pop up throughout the film, including Gandalf (Ian McKellan), Elrond (Hugo Weaving), and Gollum (Andy Serkis). Although it runs a bit long, and never reaches the excellence of The Lord of the Rings movies, there are some great moments throughout, such as the climactic confrontation between Bilbo and Gollum in the caverns of the Misty Mountains, that make this prequel worth checking out. (Jake Hjort)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
I remember walking out of Mockingjay – Part 1 movie furious. Having read all the Hunger Games books prior to the movies being released, I was upset at the idea of the final story being broken into two parts. It was a long story, but it was one story in my mind. Tearing it in two seemed to be nothing but an obvious cash grab, copying straight from the playbook of the boy wizard. And when the credits rolled, I thought it was just a feature-length trailer. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that some narratives can’t be told well in a single movie without being four-and-a-half hours long. Giving the appropriate amount of time to the beginning of your story let’s the themes and characters grow naturally. Mockingjay – Part 1 explores the war in the world of Panem. We see Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) struggle with the conflicting duties of being a soldier and a figurehead all at once. Her relationships with loved ones are tested and stretched. While there isn’t a resolution for her here, items are put in motion that will end her story well. Sometimes you need a part one. Someone has to throw the touchdown pass so someone else can catch it in the end zone. (Sam Nichols)
Insidious
James Wan, Leigh Whannell, and Oren Peli have all been responsible for our nightmares since 2004. It’s easy to see why: They have four different horror franchises under their collective belt. Insidious is one of these franchises — it may be yet another demon possession movie, but its lore and camerawork of make it truly terrifying. When Dalton Lambert (Ty Simpkins) falls into the further, held by the most terrifying demon, his father Josh (Patrick Wilson) is left to tiptoe through the tulips into the further to save his son. Whannell and Wan craft a terrifying movie that has you on edge for its entire runtime. Wilson shines — he doesn’t just stay the oblivious father role — he believes something is wrong. Lin Shaye as Elise the paranormal investigator is now the staple of the franchise, and she is phenomenal. With the recent release of the fifth, and possibly final film, there’s no time like the present to check this movie out. (Austen Terry)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1
I remember when I heard Twilight‘s last book, Breaking Dawn, was being broken into two films to end the franchise. The only question I had was, why? Of course, another cash cow, but I realized there is another reason for breaking it into two parts once I saw Breaking Dawn – Part 1. The first half follows what happens after Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward’s (Robert Pattinson) wedding and honeymoon, with the abrupt pregnancy and the baby growing alarmingly. Once the newlyweds return to Forks, the Cullens and Bella’s best friend, Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), must agree on what to do about the baby, as Bella doesn’t want any harm to her child. Bella’s body changes rapidly as the baby feeds off its only life source, and she drinks blood bags to keep herself alive. While trying to keep Bella and the baby alive, the Cullens, Jacob, and the Clearwaters keep the wolf pack at bay, as they want to hurt Bella. It’s the first time we see the Cullen family at odds with each other, trying to do what’s suitable for the mother and the unborn child, while trying to keep themselves fed before the child’s birth. Breaking Dawn Part 1 is a little darker and does drag a little, but the performances are solid, and leave the first part off on such a cliffhanger that you need to watch Part 2 immediately. (Chantal Ashford)