Written by Aaron Radcliff:
Over the years, I’ve been asked what my favorite movies are. Seeing as I’ve been running this blog for nearly two and a half years, I figured my 25th birthday would be the best time to open up that side of my cinematic love. It’s time to unveil the movies that have meant the most to me and put a smile on my face every time I view them.
So what follows is a list of my 15 all-time favorites. The obvious thing would’ve been to make a list of my 25 favorite, but that would’ve made too much sense.
Admittedly, there are some movies on here people like and more than a couple that some might consider “very bad.” I’ve certainly seen “better” movies than these, but these are the ones I keep coming back to for all these years. I don’t always have a great reason for why I love some of these other than the simple fact that I do, and that’s all that really matters. They’re like a weird friend that way. Sometimes it’s just the time you share that means the most. Whatever the reason, these are the movies that hold a special place in my heart no matter what. Good or bad, I love them dearly and nothing will change that…so please don’t crucify me if you disagree.
15. Titan A.E.
A hidden gem in turn-of-the-century sci-fi animation, Titan A.E. is a perfect melting pot for traditional animation and the increased use of CGI. It’s a film with a large, earnest spirit that taps into some of the best of what a galactic adventure can be. Each planet and action sequence is uniquely its own, which allows them all to be as memorable and enthralling as the next. It’s a perfect crossroads of Star Wars, Star Trek, and a dash of Treasure Planet. An added bonus atop this splendid sci-fi sundae is the inclusion of the central villains: the Drej. To this day they’re some of the most interesting and scary villains I’ve seen in a sci-fi film, much less a “kids” film.
14. Showgirls
Look, I know what you’re going to say. This is the cinematic equivalent of saying, “I only like Hooters for their chicken wings.” Often listed as one of the worst films ever, Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls isn’t THAT bad. Ok, maybe it is, but it’s undeniably enjoyable in its over-the-top sleazy cheesiness. It may lack some of the more artistic satire found in Verhoeven’s other films, but I’ll be damned if he and writer Joe Eszterhas aren’t as honest and brutal as possible when it comes to skewering Hollywood, sexuality, and selling out. Whether it’s legitimately good or so-bad-it’s-good, you can’t deny that Showgirls isn’t one hell of a trip with all its pervasive nudity and goofy sex scenes.
13. Jarhead
Sam Mendes is on everyone’s Nice List thanks to his recently-released World War 1 epic, 1917. But I think his third film, 2005’s Jarhead, is his best. Rather than taking an overt political stance or even looking at the horrors of war, Jarhead instead focuses on the mental anguish found in a swirl of anticipation, fear, and an overwhelming desire for victory. What sets it so squarely in my memory, however, is Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance as Anthony Swofford. It’s one of the more intense but understated performances of his career, and it’s the pounding edge of a thunder-and-lightning duo with Jamie Foxx. It all culminates in an experience which shows that the greatest enemy one faces might not be another soldier or the repercussions of their actions, but the unknown demons hidden just out of sight, waiting for the right moment to take hold.
Fun fact: The real Swofford teaches creative writing at my alma mater.
12. Monsters Inc.
Now the birthplace of several memes, Pixar’s 2001 effort was one of the first movies nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards (falling to the king of meme movies, Shrek). In the years since its release, my enjoyment has only compounded thanks to the fun and clever writing on display and plenty of jokes to be enjoyed as a child and an adult. Is there anything remarkable about it? Not really. But that’s ok. It’s cute and fun, and sometimes that’s all you need.
11. Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy
I enjoy the 4th and 5th movies fine enough, but I’m only focused on the core trilogy. I know I’m cheating here, but I can’t include one of them without the others. It’s like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings that way. Why wouldn’t you want to experience the full ride?
I was never one to find pirates particularly interesting or fun, but that changes any time I throw on this trilogy. While the overall story may be weak, especially as the films progress, there’s enough charm and fun to counteract that. Johnny Depp’s iconic portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow is awash with humor and charm as he incessantly mugs for the camera. Likewise, the supporting characters are often overlooked as a strong point of the franchise.
Geoffrey Rush was born to be a pirate. He looks like he’s having the time of his life as Captain Barbossa, and his return at the end of Dead Man’s Chest had me leaping out of my chair as a kid. Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) developed into one of the most interesting characters in the series and Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) was a solid and even sentimental villain.
Add in some beautiful visuals, fun action sequences, and memorable music (including Klaus Badelt’s iconic He’s a Pirate) and you’ve got the makings of a high-seas spectacle that’s continually fun.
10. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
I could save us a lot of time and just regurgitate my Titan A.E. thoughts here, but I won’t do that. As a kid and pre-teen, I watched both films hand-in-hand and this felt like the mature adult to Titan‘s fun college days. It’s a film far more concerned with its visuals rather than its story or characters, I’ll admit that immediately. For the time, the visuals were strong and some of them still look rather solid nearly 19 years later. The scale and visuals make for something memorable, even if the rest of it isn’t at the same level. It’s very much the product of its time and not much more, but that’s ok. It serves as a good time capsule for the intersection of technology and film, Hollywood and video games, and the forward eye toward the future. It’s a solid watch on its own, but team it with Titan A.E. and you’ll have a turn-of-the-millennium sci-fi experience that’s harder to replicate than you might think.
9. Sicario
I’ve seen Denis Villeneuve’s look into the War on Drugs be compared to Apocalypse Now, and that feels like an apt comparison. Sicario looks into the conflict with a gritty and cynical tone. Nobody is the good guy, not even the “good” guys. It’s further bolstered by great acting, a compelling story, some brutal visuals, and Villeneuve’s masterful skill as a director.
Emily Blunt gives a career best performance as she balances the horrors of the reality she’s been thrust into while still trying to maintain a moral compass. Meanwhile, Benicio del Toro’s enigmatic portrayal of the titular sicario is alluring in all the right ways. He sucks you in with his aura that’s equally dangerous, protective, and ever-so-slightly unhinged, only to pull back his mask in sporadic, violent bursts.
It’s a film that not only looks into the complexities of the issue at hand, but asks you –not if it’s right or wrong to break the rules– but how far you’ll go once you finally do it.
I also can never talk about Sicario without mentioning this absolutely incredible video from CineFix that breaks down one of the film’s best moments and why it’s so great.
8. Big Daddy
Remember when Adam Sandler used to be funny? I do. In all honesty, this might be Sandler’s best movie besides Uncut Gems, so take that for what it’s worth. My love of Big Daddy, as with a surprising number of the films on this list, comes from how involved it was in my childhood. It’s a film that I watched multiple times with my dad, which developed some kind of kinship between us Sandler’s complete misunderstanding on how to raise a child.
It has your typical early-Sandler laughs and has enough material to make a solid date movie. While it’s predictable and not terribly remarkable, it’s still heartfelt and has enough laughs to be fun. It’s a movie I still quote to this day, and I’d be lying if I said I don’t get a little misty-eyed at the phrase, “I wipe my own ass.” Thanks for that, Sandman.
7. Elizabethtown
What separates Elizabethtown and Showgirls is the fact that Showgirls at least has a cult following. Elizabethtown is the one movie on this list that I’ve been unable to find more than one other person who likes it, which makes it kind of hard to defend. But I’m not here to defend it. I’m here to tell you why I love it and that reason is entirely Kirsten Dunst. Yep. The character that gave birth to the term “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” in a review by Nathan Rabin.
Say what you will about how one-note the trope is and how it swings the emotional pendulum wildly in the other direction when compared to the rest of the film’s wallowing melodrama, but it’s so strangely engaging. It’s undoubtedly heartfelt and genuine, which makes it such a bright spot.
The rest of the film, melodrama and all, also feels good-hearted and lovely. I find myself sympathetic to Orlando Bloom’s self-pitying plight, drawn to Dunst’s way-too-bubbly personality, and the final act feels genuinely well done. It may be a more lighthearted, less well-done version of 500 Days of Summer, but it’s the most manic of all the manic romantic dramedies and I love it for that. It’s the one movie I throw on when I want to feel genuinely happy, despite its many flaws. It’s basically the movie equivalent of a puppy pissing on its own face. You can’t help but love it even though you have a mess to clean.
6. Finding Nemo
In itself, Finding Nemo is a wonderful movie with clever humor and animation that helped push boundaries at the time and still looks incredible. That alone might be enough to have landed it on this list thanks to how many times I’ve watched it, but that’s not why it’s here. As a kid, I always viewed it as a fun Pixar movie, but I never really watched it with an adult eye until I found myself in the middle of the most difficult time of my life.
I was 17 years old and was nearing the end of BCT for the U.S. Army. I’d been away from home for the longest I’d ever been, learning all there is to learn about the Army and combat, and I still hadn’t started my senior year of high school yet. I found myself in the waiting room at the hospital with a severe case of heat rash (thanks to the near-continuous 90-100 degree temperatures in Georgia) on the eve of our final ruck march after our final outdoor training exercise. I was in a strange mindset at the time, still feeling lost and confused as a teen and on the verge of huge change in my life. Subsequently, my father was also going through his own changes as he was planning to move several states away and begin a new life of his own. He was one of the only people I corresponded with during BCT.
As I was in the waiting room, Finding Nemo was on the TV. I passed the ungodly long wait time by finding comfort in one of my favorite childhood movies. But as I watched and thought about my life, I finally started to see Marlin’s paternal perspective as well as Nemo’s rebellious desire to carve a path for himself and break free of the monotony of his life. I started seeing the parallels between it and my own life, and it hit me in a way that it hadn’t before and hasn’t since.
That singular time cemented it forever in my memory as one of the most effecting movies I’ve seen. Nothing ever made me feel as viscerally as Finding Nemo did in that moment. At the end of the day, that’s what I believe cinema is. So long as there’s a deep emotional connection to the art, whatever it may be, that’s beautiful to me and deserves to be praised.
5. Starship Troopers
Oh boy, Paul Verhoeven’s back! I mentioned the satire on display in his prior film, Showgirls, but where that lambasts American sexuality, Starship Troopers manages to turn it up to eleven while focusing its sights on violence, sensationalist news, and war/American foreign policy. To this day, it’s some of the most biting and simultaneously entertaining satire I’ve seen all thanks to Verhoeven’s approach and Edward Neumeier’s script. It’s vastly different from the book (something more controversial than I expected) but I love them both.
Even if the satire isn’t your thing, it’s still a highly entertaining sci-fi war experience thanks to its intense violence, great battle sequences, and most memorable aliens this side of the Xenomorph. There’s also Casper Van Dien’s immaculate jawline. Who doesn’t love that?
My favorite pastime is finding this on a network TV channel because it plays EXACTLY into some the film’s talking points. The censors will allow all of the intense violence and gore in all its over-the-top glory. Meanwhile, they’ll employ all the editing techniques in the book to avoid a momentary glance at nudity. It’s fine seeing people being literally torn limb-from-limb while screaming in horrific pain, but seeing Dina Meyer’s tits is a bridge too far.
4. Jurassic Park
Words cannot begin to describe the impact this Steven Spielberg classic has had on my life. His adaptation of the titular Michael Crichton book has everything you could ever want from a movie: Thrilling action, solid scares, beautiful imagery, likable (and some unlikable) characters, numerous memorable scenes, and is endlessly quotable.
The initial T.rex attack is a masterclass in tension and is still effective years later. The first time John Williams’ swelling score hits after the famous, “Welcome to Jurassic Park” line is enough to bring a tear to your eye. Laura Dern’s performance as Dr. Ellie Sattler was my first celebrity crush and that’s stuck with me to this day. I’m also willing to bet I could successfully quote the majority of the film with few-to-no mistakes, that’s how much I’ve seen it.
If you were to speak with anyone in my family, they could talk for hours about my love of this movie as a child and how it affected everything from how I played to what I’d develop lifelong interests in. I’m a lover of dinosaurs as well as movies, and it’s all thanks to this. Thank you Mr. Crichton and Mr. Spielberg for being such a formative force in my life.
3. We Were Soldiers
Randall Wallace hasn’t exactly been known as someone who is entirely accurate when it comes to writing about historical events *cough* Braveheart and Pearl Harbor *cough* but he does a much better job with his adaptation of the book by Hal Moore. Even though it still holds on to some of the typical overdramatic Wallace-isms, We Were Soldiers really feels like it’s one of the Vietnam movies that “got it right.”
Based on the Battle of Ia Drang, we’re placed into the lives of men on both side of the conflict and neither is presented in a negative light. They’re simply soldiers, men, sent to fight and die in a conflict that neither really wants to be involved in but they have no choice.
The conflict is drawn out, chaotic, and brutal. The “Broken Arrow” sequence is one of the more difficult and emotional scenes to watch in a war movie. You feel for the men on both sides and want them all to make it out, which makes it all the more tragic when any of them die. It’s a level of individual humanity that’s often absent for a sense of wider, composite humanity. Its individuality helps it to stand out in the sea of other great Vietnam films.
It’s certainly not a perfect movie, but the more historically-accurate nature and Mel Gibson’s strong performance help it feel like the real, genuine deal.
2. Black Hawk Down
If We Were Soldiers thrusts you into the fear and humanity of war, Black Hawk Down throws you into the gritty, pulse-pounding nature of it. Ridley Scott received a Best Director nomination for his work on this film, and it’s easy to see why. It’s more concerned with telling the story of what happened and making you feel like you’re a part of it rather than connecting with any one person or questioning the motivations that led to the failed raid. Many would consider that a negative, and I generally do as well, but it’s strangely almost forgiven due to the sheer spectacle of the chaos that’s unfolding.
This used to play on TNT all the time when I was a kid, and I consider it partially responsible for why I find myself so fascinated with war and history and my desire to study it. It tells a story that we may have heard about but don’t truly know. Of course, with the current state of the world and American policy, many might view this as an almost pornographic pro-war film, and I can certainly see that. Whether the alleged deleted scenes and dialogue would’ve changed that to make the film more sympathetic and questioning is up for debate. Whether you can separate principles and modern history from your viewing experience will also dictate if you enjoy Black Hawk Down or not.
Whatever drives you to watch, it’s undeniable that it’s frenetic spectacle that feels more real than many war films.
1. Mulan
So this is it, huh? Of all the movies I’ve seen in my life, of all the art and expression that’s been ingested and appreciated, this is my all-time favorite movie? Abso-fucking-lutely.
I could go on for hours about how much I love Mulan, but I’ll do my best to keep it to a paragraph or two. The animation is rich and vivid. It has my favorite soundtrack of any Disney film with memorable songs like, “Reflection,” “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” and “True to Your Heart,” as well as a solid score from Jerry Goldsmith. The story, while straight-forward and typical, is still well done and heartfelt. The dialogue is funny and the characters are memorable. Shan Yu is one of the most intimidating villains in Disney’s entire catalogue (and I wish we could’ve gotten more of him) and the action is fun.
If there was one complaint I have, and this seems to be one with a lot of people, it’s that it doesn’t embrace the legends of the titular character and Chinese culture as much as it could/should have. However, that’s relatively minor gripe all things considered. It’s still willing to tackle more adult themes like war, sacrifice, and personal identity while balancing it out with music and humor found in most Disney movies.
With this being my favorite film, I’m naturally hesitant as we get closer to the release of the live-action remake. While it doesn’t appear to be as lively and humorous as its animated counterpart, perhaps it will be able to take the original’s shortcomings by presenting the other side of the coin and bringing honor to the legend and culture that inspired both versions.
Those are my all-time favorite movies. It probably wasn’t the lineup you were expecting, but that’s what makes it fun. Were there any on the list that you liked? What are your favorite movies? Be sure to let me know!
The Radcliff Reviews 
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