2019 in Review

  1. Toy Story 4, A, great movie with a message about midlife
  2. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, A, satisfying ending to an uneven trilogy
  3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, A-, a fitting conclusion for a strong series
  4. Knives Out, A-, fun whodunnit with a fine cast and story
  5. Avengers: Endgame, A-, a strong finish for a very long series
  6. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, A-, nice, but fictionalized, story about Mr. Rogers
  7. Yesterday, A-, great concept, funny, and good performances
  8. Ad Astra, A-, weird and interesting, looks cool
  9. Apollo 11, A-, highlights of the moon mission without narration
  10. 1917, A-, good war movie from a soldier's perspective
  11. Ford v Ferrari, B+, good racing movie about a forgotten triumph
  12. The Farewell, B+, sentimental family movie about a good lie
  13. Little Women, B+, well made period piece, but a soap opera
  14. Joker, B+, dark and depressing, not in a good way, but bold
  15. Jojo Rabbit, B+, incongruous movie with comedy and Nazi horrors
  16. Frozen II, B+, some good messages and interesting story
  17. Midway, B+, unwieldy look at a crucial US victory
  18. Aladdin, B+, adds modestly to an already strong movie
  19. Rocketman, B+, great success story falls apart too soon
  20. Lady and the Tramp, B+, fleshes out the original story in a good way
  21. Shazam, B+, a fun superhero movie for a change
  22. Blinded by the Light, B+, typical coming of age from a different perspective
  23. The Irishman, B+, familiar territory plus a lot of Jimmy Hoffa
  24. They Shall Not Grow Old, B, soldier's view of war, but a little underwhelming
  25. Captain Marvel, B, average Marvel movie too heavy on space magic
  26. The Lighthouse, B, a film fan's fetish, but a little too grim
  27. Downton Abbey, B, fun visit with Downton characters, a little simple
  28. Marriage Story, B, big acting movie feels too made for TV
  29. Booksmart, B, ridiculous characters, but it still works
  30. Abominable, B, well made and enjoyable if overly familiar
  31. Klaus, B, fun, if predictable, Chirstmas movie
  32. Clemency, B, slow moving character study about executions
  33. Missing Link, B, not Laika's best work, but still decent
  34. The Lion King, B, a different look for almost exactly the same movie
  35. Jumanji: The Next Level, B, bigger, but not as clever second installment
  36. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, B-, not much going on, but some good characters
  37. The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, B-, loses a lot of the spark from the first
  38. Us, B-, glorified zombie movie
  39. The Peanut Butter Falcon, B-, lightweight indie movie needs a stronger plot
  40. Reign of the Supermen, B-, sequel relies too much on action and sci-fi
  41. Queen & Slim, C+, good characters and situation, meandering plot
  42. The Personal History of David Copperfield, C+, overstuffed book adaptation fails as a movie
  43. Dumbo, C+, plays out a little conventionally
  44. Spies in Disguise, C+, tired spy spoof relies too much on slapstick
  45. John Wick 3: Parabellum, C, insanely violent and ultimately not that smart
  46. Spider-Man: Far From Home, C-, disappointing movie relies too much on technology
  47. Uncut Gems, D, obnoxious main character yells for two hours

Years in Review