With Amazon’s premier of The Aeronauts this weekend, we are reflecting back and gazing up at the sky for the other movies that feature balloons. Not everyone floats away in a balloon in our top 10 like The Aeronauts, but here are 10 great movies to continue the weekend with. Honestly, floating isn’t always the best idea in some of these.
“27 years, I dreamt of you, I craved you, oh, I missed you.”
Bill, Beverly, Richie, Ben, Eddie, and Stanley are all successful in their own ways but they are also dealing with their own demons. It Chapter Two was a very fine follow up to the most successful horror film ever. It was fun, it had its laughs, but also its scares and sad moments. The only problem is the runtime. It’s a whopping 169 minutes long. For some of you who don’t know, it’s almost three hours long. Did anyone expect a horror film to ever be this long? No. The reason? The flashbacks. The constant flashbacks. There’s nothing wrong with it because it gives us more to the story, but they could’ve trimmed them a little bit. Also, this is a horror film. The scares this time around were a bit weaker than the first. I was petrified seeing the first one, and with chapter two, I was disappointed. I wanted more, but I will say Bill Skarsgård delivered once again as the menacing and dreadful Pennywise. This was a good way to end this scary ride. I couldn’t expect anything more. Well, it could’ve been more, but I can’t complain. This film got the remake it deserved and gave us that important message: we’re losers and we always will be. (Chantal Ashford)
Johnny Deep has had a pretty rough go of it. If you are a movie fanatic (I can’t imagine you’re not), then you heard the news of how Deep paid someone to read him his lines in Pirates 5. Clearly he is getting tired but Deep really was a force for decades. His ability to jump into someone else’s skin is impressive and honestly close to the caliber of what Daniel Day-Lewis does. Deep just picks more whimsical characters and fun movies so he doesn’t get thought of at the same level of Lewis. His performance in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a great reminder of just how incredible Deep is when he is doing a character he cares about. The original Wily Wonka was a classic but Deep and the rest of this cast do the source material justice in this super fun remake. Gene Wilder is a cinematic treasure but Deep is able to make this role his own enough so that you don’t have to have them compete for the role in your heart but rather you enjoy each in their own way. (Blake Hodges)
Superman is the world’s most well known Superhero to date. Even with the current success of the MCU, nothing can take away how iconic of a hero he’s portrayed as nowadays. Superman 2 is the sequel to the first live action film. After three krptonians have escaped from the phantom zone, they come to earth to try to rule it, but Superman is here to save the day. For people who aren’t aware, it has some behind the scenes drama that many aren’t aware of today. Richard Donner was the original director of the first film, but would be replaced by Richard Lester from Warner Bros, halfway through its production for a more serious tone. That’s a bit ironic seeing that Zack Snyder was replaced for Joss Whedon during the production of Justice League back in 2017. Lester went on to do Superman 3, but didn’t return for 4. And if the theatrical cut isn’t your jam, then the Dinner cut exists and is also an option to view as well. In the end, it came out good enough that fans see this as the best live action Superman movie to date. I guess in the end, some things just work out. (Alex Henderson)
What is a surefire way of making a ridiculous amount of money off of a film? Revitalize a classic film from 1964 and create a new story after decades, that’s how! Mary Poppins Returns is the long-awaited sequel that most audience members were shocked that after so many years there would be another film. How does a new actress come in and take on a role of a lifetime formerly portrayed by a Hollywood legend? The real answer is you cannot be Julie Andrews. Emily Blunt gives a fine performance as Mary Poppins with her beautiful voice, snappy and sarcastic wit, and bottomless charm. The themes of growing up and dealing with loss are as poignant and relatable as ever before. This magical cast does not stop at Blunt including an energetic and fun Lin Manuel Miranda, a sleezy Colin Firth, Meryl Streep herself, and let’s not forget a wonderful cameo from Dick Van Dyke. The music is catchy and rousing and all we have left to realize is that “life is like a balloon” but the memories of this respectable sequel will not go away. All that is left for the legacy of Mary Poppins is to go up! (Shane Conto)
Before I begin, let me just rattle off some names: Steve Coogan, Jackie Chan, Jim Broadbent, John Cleese, Owen & Luke Wilson, Arnold Schwarzenegger. These are just some of the names that pop up in this long forgotten 2004 masterpiece. Following Coogan’s Phileas Fogg and his Chinese (pretending to be French) valet, played by Chan, embark on a journey to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days during the 19thcentury. No easy feat to say the least! It’s not often talked about, but this 2 hour should-be-classic has some really great moments that show up out of the blue, surprising and delighting the viewer. It has mystery, conspiracy, romance and some insane cameos! If this isn’t enough to convince you to give it a go, I should also mention that it is based on the classic Jules Verne novel of the same name, therefore you’ll also be getting in some high-class chops, as well as comedic ones in your viewing experience. Whether with the family, a few mates, or on your own after a long day, this fun-filled adventure is bound to bring a smile to anyone’s face. (Alice-Ginevra Micheli)
If you had to pick one director to helm a film that is meant to warp the audience’s sense of what is real and what is dream or fantasy, who would you pick? In my mind, there is really only one choice and that is Terry Gilliam! Gilliam is famous for his series of films that deal with the characters trying to find their sense of reality and the direct themes of Baron Munchausen are quite relatable. Do you have that one person in your life that is a tall tale teller? They tell the most wonderful stories but you honestly deep down believe that they are full of crap. That is the exact purpose of John Neville’s fantastical Baron who tells of speedsters, strongmen, and sharpshooters. The audience hops on a balloon with the Baron and young Sally as they travel to the moon, the center of the earth, and inside a whale. This tale is fantastical to say the least with a wonderful cast including fun performances from Robin Williams as the King of the Moon and Oliver Reed as Vulcan. When it is all said and done, did this crazy adventure really happen? Or is it our imagination that flies up like a balloon to the sky? Honestly it doesn’t matter at all. (Shane Conto)
There is seldom a time where a remake or re imagining is better than the original, this is the case of IT (2017). In the summer of 1989, a group of friends come together to take down a fear mongering monster disguised as a clown who feeds on children. Up and coming director Andy Muschietti does an excellent job of bringing the source material to life and building a dark and dreary version of Derry. He effectively brings this world to life utilizing the writing talents of Chase Palmer and Cary Joji Fukunaga to really create something eerie. The movie as a whole has a solid and steady pace that makes the film highly rewatchable. While the film is terrifying in a lot of respects, it’s strongest element is the way it constructs a coming of age story so effectively. This is also in large part due to the great casting of the lovable group called the Losers. Each one of the kids provides great performances and have true synergy throughout the film. Especially the efforts of Jaeden Martel, Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer and Sophia Lillis. Every horror film needs a memorable antagonist and in particular this role had some huge clown footed shoes to be filled. Luckily Bill Skarsgard was more than up for the task to dawn the clown costume and embody the character of Pennywise. Skarsgard provides his own take to the character that is parts odd, hilarious and downright creepy. While assuming the iconic role once played by Tim Curry, Skarsgard really pops in this role in his own right. The facial expressions, the voice and body mannerisms really add to the charm and terrifying nature of the mischievous clown. If you’re in the mood for a film that combines horror with a coming of age story, there is really none better that IT (2017). (Joseph Vargas)
If you thought the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman was controversial, go back to 1989 when they cast Mr.Mom star Micheal Keaton. Fans across the world were outraged that a comedian was cast as the Caped Crusader. They also weren’t fond of the fact that the guy who directed PeeWee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice was directing it. The only bright spot, many thought at the time, was the fact that Jack Nicholson was cast as the iconic villain, The Joker. Now though, the 1989 feature is heralded as a classic and Michael Keaton is still regarded by some as the best Batman portrayed on the big screen. Gotham is such a big part of Batman, and Tim Burton was able to make Gotham a real living/breathing place. The epic/gothic architecture is still something that resonates with me in Batman to this very day. It’s hard to talk about Batman 89 without talking about Jack Nicholson’s Joker. The menace and hysteria Jack Nicholson is able to bring to the character is something special. He’s charming and scary all at once in a way only Jack Nicholson can be. 1989’s Batman is indeed a classic and showed the world that making great comic book movies is possible. (Ben Davis)
This August marked the 80th anniversary of the release of director Victor Fleming’s beloved classic, “The Wizard of Oz.” Based on the book by L. Frank Baum, the movie tells the story of Kansas girl Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland, in her star-making role), who’s swept away by a tornado, along with her dog, Toto, to the wonderful land of Oz. Accompanied by her new friends, the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), The Tin Man (Jack Haley), and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), the group sets out to defeat the armies of the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and send Dorothy home. If there was ever a definitive example of the magic that movies can offer, this is it. All of the actors involved have become iconic in their roles, especially Garland, and the enthusiasm that they show in their performances gets you caught up in the sense of adventure that greets them. No matter how many times you watch this movie, you can’t help but feel the same sense of wonder over and over again, particularly when the movie shifts from black-and-white to color once Dorothy arrives in Oz. Between that, the acting, the story, the music, the costumes, the sets, and the makeup, you are sure to remember everything about this movie, which is one that should be passed down from generation to generation. When Dorothy says the timeless words, “There’s no place like home,” you will say to yourself that there isn’t anything like this movie. (Vincent Abbatecola)
Everyone knows that the beginning of Up is one of the most powerful and emotionally moving sequences in recent moviemaking. So while I acknowledge it’s almost unparalleled greatness, I’m going to talk about what makes this movie so great in relation to the theme of this BEC. This week’s theme is balloons, and the balloons in Up are the encapsulation of the movie’s main themes. Russell and Carl both desire the ability to go and explore, but because of their respective stages in life, they aren’t able to do so. Balloons, and by extension, flight, give them the ability to go out and explore the world around them and experience things together that they wouldn’t have otherwise. Through their exploration and adventures, they form a bond with each other that can’t be taken away. It’s a film that’s full of humor, love, and exploration, not only for the characters, but for the viewers as well. (Robert Bouffard)
Also See:
The Red Balloon (1956), The Great Muppet Caper, Night Crossing, Christopher Robin