SiftPop

Throughout my storied tenure as SiftPop’s Managing Editor, I’ve seen countless BEC articles published. If you were to go through all of those articles, assign an “awesomeness” value to each movie on the list, and add them all up and divide the number you would then have the average “awesomeness” level per article. I’m about to say something that is said very few times on the internet: everyone would agree this week’s BEC has the highest “awesomeness” average cause this list is absolutely stacked! You could spend your entire weekend watching one of these franchises and still be set for another two months worth of watches.

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle is a movie that skyrocketed its was to close to $1 Billion dollars world wide. It was a movie that when it was announced was met with resistance on the internet as millions of people asked “why?”. Even with Dwayne The Rock Johnson attached to star, people were just not having it. Jumanji Welcome To The Jungle is a movie that I will always say is way better than it ever had the right to be. It is a terrific film that shows even after only 23 years since the original, it was time for an update. The first film, the came into our world but for this fun romp we go into the game. The charisma between the Rock, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan shine throughout the film making the adventure worthwild. A sequel has been announced and I want to say I’m skeptical, but I was the first time around and they managed to prove me wrong. Now let’s hope they can capture lightning in a bottle twice, until then I’m going to have to give this film a re-watch later today. (Frank Kemp)

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time but also a cult classic. It did not make much in terms of box office on the initial release. That is probably hard to believe today with how much attention and acclaim Blade Runner receives now. Who the hell thought of creating a sequel after decades and do it on a budget of $150 million? I have no idea but I am glad that they did! I am definitely in the camp that believes visionary director Denis Villeneuve was able to create a greater film than the original. First off, Blade Runner 2049 quite honestly might be the most visually striking film I have ever seen. That has a lot to do with my man Roger Deakins who FINALLY received an Academy Award for his impeccable work in cinematography. This film builds on the original and scales up what it has to say while being engaging and impactful. As a self-professed robophobe, I cannot believe this film made me believe in a romantic pairing of two A.I.’s. My mind was blown in so many ways. Blade Runner 2049 has the visuals, the story, the themes, the acting, and the genuinely amazing cinematic experience. This is the highest class of science fiction I could ever ask for (and that means so much as sci-fi is my favorite genre). (Shane Conto)

The Batman reboot in 1989 is arguably the most important reboot to happen to such a beloved and popular character. Before the release of Tim Burton’s film, Batman had been seen as a character for children. The update we see brings the Dark Knight from The 1960s camp of Adam West into the dark and Gothic nature that was already present in the comics. 
Michael Keaton amazingly walks the line between Bruce Wayne and his vigilante alter ego. By threading this needle so expertly, the film was lauded and held in high regards. Without this primary reboot, the very landscape of our cinematic experience might be completely different today. This was a Comic Book movie for Adults as well as kids alike. The world has never been the same since. (Dexter Hansen)

I wasn’t expecting to love IT like I do. It is part horror, part comedy, part coming of age film and it balances all three genres so masterfully. The film has an ensemble of incredibly likable kids, played by actors hitting high above their weight class. They are given the chance to talk like real kids do, four letter words and all, which makes for hilarious banter in between horrific scenes featuring the main villain. Speaking of, Bill Skarsgard is terrifying as Pennywise. He has such obvious bad intentions but he has a charming way about him that makes the character very compelling. IT was not only one of the best horror films of the year it came out – it was one of the best films, period. I can’t wait for Chapter Two. (Logan Van Winkle)

I am not a Star Trek fan. Correction, I was not a fan of Star Trek until this Star Trek came out. It was a fantastic introduction to characters I had always heard about but never truly experienced. The cast was awesome with Chris Pine playing a charismatic loose cannon with a strong moral code and the choice of Zachary Quinto as Spock seems perfect after seeing his calculated performance from NBC’s “Heroes”. The film is visually stunning and the story was smart. I have heard other Star Trek themes but Michael Giacchino’s Star Trek suite is by far the best, come at me, Trekkers. As someone who never watched Star Trek before this film, it marks a great introduction to a world I had never explored and garnered a lot of anticipation with the sequels to come. (Evan Lucken)

Let’s talk about the best trilogy of all time for just a second. That’s right, I’m talking about the Planet of the Apes Caesar trilogy. I’m a fan of reboots as well as prequels and this movie is exactly why. This movie shows that both reboots and sequels do well. On the heels of such an awful attempt at a reboot, we get this greatness. So many movie trilogies fall apart with one movie and I’ll make a strong case that this trilogy is the best, but we’ve just got to talk for a minute about Rise. For a movie that should not work at all, this movie delivers. With exceptional performances by James Franco and John Lithgow and, as always, spectacular Andy Serkis snubbed for an Oscar again, Rise hits all the right notes. In a movie that is focused on telling the story of apes, this one shows more humanity that 90% of other movies you see in the theaters. When it wants to be funny, it is. When it wants to be serious, it is. When it wants to callback to the original movies, it does and does in a way that does not feel distracting to new viewers. This was the first Planet of the Apes movie that I encountered and as far as I am concerned, this new trilogy are the only ones worth watching and it is all thanks to Rise. People often look at Dawn as the best of this trilogy, but when it comes down to it, there just is nothing I would change about Rise. (Aaron Schweitzer)

Spider-Man is perhaps the most iconic and transcendent of all Marvel heroes, not through sheer commercialization (though that helps) but through his relatability. Sure, his costume looks nifty, his powers are inventive, and the revolving door of kooky villains keeps things refreshing. But at the heart of it all is the dorky, confused kid who’s going through some unexpected changes, and has no idea how to cope with them. This is what Spider-Man: Homecoming, the third silver screen reboot of the web-slinging comics franchise, gets right. What the other two attempts at this franchise may have put on the backburner—high school hijinks, teen friendship and romance, dual identity crisis—this one puts at the forefront, creating something that feels like a mash-up of elevated John Hughes and peak Joss Whedon, with a touch of the Marvel Studios flair that everyone has become so accustomed to. However, unlike with so many of those movies, the hectic action and quips don’t drown out the characters in this film; what we have instead is a surprisingly tender teen drama, where characters grow, develop, and learn. Spider-Man is a character whose extreme want to belong somewhere, the dual identities fighting within him, and struggle to hold his life together, is what connects people so strongly to him. This is the first film to truly capture the essence of what makes him the wall-crawler we know and love. (Devan Meyer)

People who love the comicbook genre who didn’t grow up in the 90’s really don’t understand just how great they have it now. Back then, we were subjected to a much harsher, much more cruel reality: BAT-NIPPLES! While I grew up enjoying those films, in retrospect they’re really bad. Sure, there’s some stand outs—Val Kilmer’s Batman is a favorite of mine—but overall those films are the best unintentional comedies of the 90’s and almost killed the character of Batman and the genre as a whole. It wasn’t until 1998’s Blade and 2000’s X-Men that studios started to recognize that they could actually make really good films out of comic book movies and not campy garbage. In 2005 we got what I call the definitive reboot:Batman Begins. This film takes what fans of the character love from the comics and adopts it perfectly to the big screen. It’s gritty and realistic take on the caped crusader is still one of my favorite interpretations of the character (Batfleck is still my favorite). This is due to Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer’s excellent script and Nolan’s superb direction. I would also be remised if I didn’t mention our lead performer, Christian Bale. He’s performance of Bruce Wayne/Batman really grounded him and made him relatable on many levels, not to mention the awesome bat-voice. The first entry into The Dark Knight Trilogy still holds up as one of my top 10 favorite superhero films of all time. (John Benjamin)

One film that really comes to mind as far as memorable rebooted film is Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) directed by George Miller. The phrase comes to mind is an understatement, it utterly thrashes the brain with intense action and visual storytelling that is seldom seen. It contains a great visual storytelling through gorgeous cinematography and well choreographed stunts. Mad Max: Fury Road paints a detailed canvas of a post apocalyptic world that contains a colorful cast of characters in a bleak, desolate and nuclear fallout ridden future. As far as storytelling goes it is often said that a person should show, not tell and this film fits that description to the utmost degree. Well framed visuals and visual language help build the world of Fury Road. George Miller and company are not here to hold your hand and have large scenes of exposition, but instead show you the state of the world and how people are chugging along to survive. The film breaks down into a large chase scene that is well paced out, but still provides terrific narrative and character development without derailing the terrific action sequences. Intense visuals are accompanied by a beautiful and bold score by Junkie XL. The two aspects meld together terrifically like a frantic, yet harmonious symphony. Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) are at the forefront of a varied cast of characters. Tom Hardy gets top billing here as the titular character, but it can be argued that Charlize Theron is the true main character of this story. The two have a complex and ever evolving relationship as the film goes on which really makes you care about their insane journey for redemption and hope. Arguably Mad Max: Fury Road is the greatest film of 2015, best entry in the Mad Max series of films and quite possibly the greatest reboot of all time. (Joseph Vargas)

Star Wars fans are somewhat divisive when it comes to Episode 7. Some fans love it, and some fans hate it. When it comes down to me, I not only love this movie, but I also consider it my favorite of the franchise. People make the same argument about how this movie is too similar to A New Hope, and I agree. It takes everything I love and reminds us not only why we love ‘star wars’ but what it’s capable of within it’s future. The story revolves around a Scavenger named Rey (Daisy Ridley) who comes across a runaway first order soldier named Finn ( John Boyega) along with a droid who has a secret map that will lead the resistance to help find ‘Luke Skywalker’ so that he can take down Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and defeat the first order. Along the journey they will come across Han Solo, Leia Organa, Chewbacca, Poe Dameron and more to help guide them along the way. I think people forget very easily how great the chemistry is within this cast. I absolutely love the scenes with Rey and Finn. Harrison Ford feels like he’s actually excited to be in a movie and does a great job playing an experienced “Han Solo”.  I think Director: J.J. Ahbrams does a fantastic job reviving this franchise, and makes me excited for Episode 9. (Alex Henderson)

Honorable Mentions

Amazing Spiderman

I think The Amazing Spider-Man is very underrated. It is a reboot, so if you look at it without any of the baggage from what came before, this is a very solid film in its own right. And Andrew Garfield is what makes it great. He portrays a Spider-Man who enjoys being Spider-Man, and he gives the character a lighthearted feel with lots of jokes and jabs at criminals. But the best part about his performance is how he brings Peter Parker to life. The scene where he gives the young boy his mask to show that anyone can be Spider-Man is extremely powerful, and you can’t help but be charmed by Peter and Gwen’s relationship. This is a film whose reputation gets bogged down by a poor sequel, but that introduced an amazing (pun intended) new take on the character. (Robert Bouffard)

Casino Royale

Reboots are the hottest thing to do in Hollywood today. You think two iterations of Spider-Man were enough but nope! Bring on a third in less than 20 years. Originality is becoming a lost art in film but the key to creating a reboot is to take a fresh and unique take on your source material. But what franchise has been working the reboot since the early 1970’s? James Bond, that’s who! “Who will be our next James Bond?” has become on of the film world’s favorite questions to ask and spread all over the internet. With each new lead actor, we get a reboot Bond. Will there be new influences? Will there be a new sense of humor? Will there be a new and engaging edge? The king of the Bond reboot is director Martin Campbell. Goldeneye was his first foray into the Bond world but his second reboot in Casino Royale really takes the cake. A dark, serious, and grounded James Bond is what fans were given. A blonde Bond…blasphemy, right?! Besides the hair color controversy, Daniel Craig brought a raw and dangerous take on Bond with a dark and biting wit. The best of Connery and Moore combined, Campbell brought Craig’s new Bond to screen with an engaging and intense story that is one of the best in the 50 plus year history of the franchise. Let’s not forget one of the greatest femme fatales in Bond history with Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd. Top to bottom, one of the franchise’s finest films. (Shane Conto)

Godzilla

When a new Godzilla movie was announced in 2009, it had the potential to be something great, but fear was cast in people’s mindset (I’m looking at you “amazing” 1998 Godzilla film). Gareth Edwards is able to capitalize on most of the potential to deliver one tense, entertaining film. When Godzilla is actually on screen, he is the star of the film. From his atomic breath to just him crashing into buildings, he is the reason why this film is great. People just love Godzilla. The design of him is actually respectful to the source material instead of that horrific 1998 Godzilla film. When the human characters actually get some sort of material to work with, it makes you connect to them which is surprisingly hard to do in monster movies. Bryan Cranston is fantastic in his supporting albeit small role. From his wife’s death scene to him being interrogated, Cranston brings it his all. This film will probably be Gareth Edwards’ crowning achievement in his directing skill. The HALO jump scene is a perfect example of how Edwards is able to build a tense tone throughout the film. With any reboot there are always a few common flaws. Characterization and development for most of the characters are putrid. Aaron Taylor-Johnson does okay as generic navy soldier #83. Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) and Dr. Ishirō Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) are the only characters that get any sort of development, but even them are basic to say the least. Also, there are one too many cop-outs in the movie. When the film could use a nice battle scene or just a destruction scene from Godzilla or one of the MUTOs, the film cuts from it and moves on to the next day just recapping the battle/destruction on a TV. In order to build up stakes, they have to show, not tell. Gareth Edwards commits common mistakes with a reboot, but he still shows poise and dedication to the source material to deliver one of the better, if not the best reboot in recent times. (Eric Moss)

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