Top 10 Movies Of 2023

Hello all my lovelies! I hope you've all had a great holiday season! It's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies, tv shows, and Asian dramas of the year! I've been doing these for about seven years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2023 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies Of 2013, Top 10 Movies Of 2014, Top 10 Movies Of 2015, Top 10 Movies Of 2016, Top 10 Movies Of 2017, Top 10 Movies Of 2018, Top 10 Movies Of 2019, Top 9 Movies of 2020, Top 10 Movies Of 2021, and Top 10 Movies Of 2022 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My Movie OTPs & Ships lists! 

Coming in at number 10 is The Little Mermaid!! So I really didn't have any expectations for this movie given the fact that it's another Live Action Disney movie and other than Cinderella I haven't really and truly enjoyed one of these adaptations but I went into this with a fairly open mind figuring at least the songs will be good and came out of the movie fairly content. By no means is this movie better than the cartoon like in the case of Cinderella but it's not egregious either like the Lion King adaptation. To be completely honest it's only on this list cause I didn't have anything else I enjoyed more. The casting was fine, the music was fine, and the cinemography was fine. I did like the way Eric and Ariel were given the same drive for exploration in order to give them another reason to be into each other other than the typical wow this person is handsome thing but Eric's adoption was also strange.

At number 9 is The Marvels!! Okay so this movie even being on my Top might be a bit of a surprise for anyone cause 90% of the public have decided that this movie is the worst thing in the world and is the reason that Marvel is on a downward slope and blah blah blah but to be completely honest I had a blast watching this movie! I mean yeah it's no Infinity War or Winter Solider but it's not Antman Quantomania either! I thought this movie was meant to be a lighthearted space adventure and that's exactly what it was! I mean yes the plot was a bit wonky and yes the whole singing planet thing was not needed but on the whole I think Iman Vellani's charm was just so good that I couldn't help but like this movie! She actually made Carol Danvers seem interesting and that's something after everything we've gotten so far in the MCU which makes her dull as a rock. And like don't get me wrong cause it's definitely not Brie Lawson's fault cause I found her charming in the Fast franchise so it's definitely the writing. I loved the cat space station scene and I loved the post credits as well!

Coming in at number 8 is Fast X!! Once again this is probably a surprising move to be on this list but sue me I'm clearly a sucker for movies where I have fun or I see the cast having fun over movies which are grim and dark! I've always been a fan of the Fast movies and I really don't care that much that they've become so unrealistic that cars are driving in space or people are literally coming back from the dead. I'm just out here to see big explosions and hear Vin Diesel say family! Jason Momoa was another pleasant surprise in this movie cause for once I actually really enjoyed the villain of one of these movies! He was totally playing a version of Joker with his unhinged craziness and I loved it. I also loved Alan Ritchson who played a double agent cause I'm obsessed with him and how hot he is.

At number 7 is Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves!! This might surprise you but despite how nerdy I am, I've actually never played a single game of D&D. Now this isn't because of some need to say that I'm too cool for something like that but just because no one I know plays so I've never had the chance to! I have however watched a lot of online D&D campaigns and I've seen VOx Machina so that's all to say that I'm familiar with the way D&D works. This movie was truly a love letter to anyone who enjoys D&D and that made me smile. I love that the whole story plays out exactly like a campaign but subtly enough that it  feels like this is what the characters would do in different situations rather than we're just acting out a campaign. I loved the nods to different stereotypical character tropes and I loved the ending and how it was so bittersweet! The movie was hilarious to watch and I loved every second!

Coming in at number 6 is Oppenheimer!! Another surprising entry but only because I think this movie would be higher on so many other people's top 10 lists. My reasoning goes back to everything I've said before. I honestly just prefer more lighthearted movies! Tbh I probs wouldn't have even watched this movie in a normal year cause this isn't even the type of movie I go for but with Barbenheimer sweeping the world this summer I ended up checking this movie out and enjoying myself. Given that it's probs an Oscar bait movie obviously everything was top notch here. The plot, the cinematography, the acting was all chefs kiss. I loved how dark and emotional the whole movie was given what it was about! My only complaint would be that it felt like it ran a little too long cause by like halfway through I was checking my watch like wow it's only halfway?

At number 5 is Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes!! Of all the movies on my list this is the one that was probs the biggest shock to me while I was both watching this movie and after I left. I mean I love the original Hunger Games movies but I really and truly didn't expect this prequel to hit as hard as it did cause usually prequels and sequels never stand up to the original but low and behold this one did! I absolutely loved every moment of this movie from beginning to end. It was fascinating seeing how different this Hunger Games was compared to the 74th and the 75th cause of course like in real like the technology was poorer but more so it was interesting how differently the public viewed the Hunger Games compared to our present day. The characters were all fascinating to watch and Snow really hit the ball out of the park. My only complaint of the movie might be that Snow was played a bit too nice compared to how evil he was with Katniss but I suppose 60 years could change a person enough,

Coming in at number 4 is A Haunting In Venice!! This is another surprise movie that I was shocked to find out how much I enjoyed. If I think back to my favorite movie going experience this year it would be this movie over everything else! I'm always surprised every time another of these Agatha Christie movies come out cause I really don't know of anyone other than me who enjoys watching them compared to something like Knives Out which I never stop hearing people gush about. Murder On The Orient was my first experience of anything Agatha Christie and I fell in love with the way she wrote her mysteries. Yes Death On The Nile wasn't as good but this movie was perfection. I loved the haunted scary movie type of mood this film took given that it came out in October and I loved the way the mystery played out. For once you could actually follow along Hercule and discover clues alongside him in a way that you could yourself figure out whodunnit rather than it being some lame plot twist that was only there to show you that the detective was this genius. I totally figured out who the killer was very early on but I didn't guess how until the end!

At number 3 is Spiderman: Across The Spider-verse!! Honestly the next three movies on my top 1 are going to be pretty basic with no real surprises cause I feel like these three movies were universally loved! Spiderverse really did tell the best multiverse story I've seen so far. It was able to balance so many characters and worlds in a way that I was interested in them all while also making sure that you knew that Miles was our guy and the one we're still following and looking out for. So many movies (especially sequels) try to go bigger and better only to lose their main character in the jumble but this movie didn't. We followed Miles through his family problems and insecurity as we jumped from world to world and the ending truly shocked me cause I didn't see it coming even though all the clues were right there for you to see! I can't wait until the next move comes out!

Coming in at number 2 is Barbie!! Like I said earlier, is this any surprise? I mean seriously this movie shook the world to it's core when it came out and proved to the world with it's numbers how much women enjoy movies written for women! This movie didn't hit so hard cause it's a Barbie movie but because it was a love letter to women. I loved the plot, the acting and the sets oh gosh the sets! I truly couldn't believe that Mattel let Margo and Greta tell the story they did but somehow they did and it was everything. I loved that you could go see this movie as a child and enjoy yourself but if you're an adult you can catch  so many of the heavier moments. I don't agree with any of the criticism saying this movie is a man-hater cause honestly this movie was meant to be a parody of a lot of male focused movies.

And finally at number 1 my favorite movie of 2023 is Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3!! Once again no surprise to the general public but maybe it was a bit of a surprise to me personally. I enjoy the Guardians well enough as characters but I never find myself loving them as much as the public does so I was surprised watching this movie and crying as much as I did. This movie really was a love letter to saying goodbye to the Guardians as we knew them. It told such a heavy story but was able to balance it with enough humor that it still felt like a Marvel movie. Every character had a moment to shine and it reminded me once again why Chris Pratt despite how hard he'd been meme-d about recently is still a movie star. It showed me that maybe I can trust James Gunn to do Superman given that he's able to do more than just comedy. It showed me that Marvel fatigue is not a thing cause we're not all tired of superheroes but of bad superhero movies.

And with that we've come to the end of my Top 10 Movies of 2023 list. I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2023!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 Movies Of 2022

Hello all my lovelies! I hope you've all had a great holiday season! It's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies, tv shows, and asian dramas of the year! I've been doing these for about seven years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2021 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies Of 2013, Top 10 Movies Of 2014, Top 10 Movies Of 2015, Top 10 Movies Of 2016, Top 10 Movies Of 2017, Top 10 Movies Of 2018, Top 10 Movies Of 2019, Top 9 Movies of 2020, and Top 10 Movies Of 2021 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My Movie OTPs & Ships lists! 

Coming in at number 10 is Black Adam and guys to be completely honest I was so epically bored during so much of this movie! The only reason that it's even on my list of top 10 movies is cause I couldn't think of anything else that could take it's place! The saddest thing is that I didn't even go into this movie with high expectations so the fact that it fell even lower is really saying something. The movie's pacing was so off the whole time and there was so much focus on so many different characters that it felt like two different movies were shoved together. The fact that this movie is supposed to fit into the same world as the Justice League and Suicide Squad confuses the ever living hell out of me cause all of a sudden we have Amanda Waller running a superhero team in which we can enough heroes out there to have a shifting roster? Having said all that I did like the idea of Black Adam focusing on the fact that sometimes heroes aren't perfect like how they can ignore full countries being taken hostage by international gangs but the second a powered person shows up they arrive. I also loved Dr Fate's character and it was fun to see Aldis Hodge who I adored in Leverage. Superman's appearance deserves a shout out too but it has been soured since the movie released with the fact that Henry Cavill won't be returning as Superman again. 

At number 9 is Thor: Love And Thunder. I went into this movie curious because while I did enjoy Thor Ragnarok I had a few tonal problems with it. Unfortunately rather than fix those problems I feel like Love And Thunder doubled down on the abrupt shifts in tone which took me right out of the movie. I can't help but feel like this movie should have almost completely been about Jane and not Thor. I understand on a meta level why it had to be this way but I just could not get behind anything with Thor whereas Jane pulled on my heartstrings constantly. I also really hated everything with the Asgardian children and honestly that might be a little of me projecting cause I'm so tired of every big show suddenly making their leads parents. The only show that this has ever worked for me is Superman & Lois and that's only cause the kids there are fully grown themselves. It was also confusing how little screen time Gorr got for how much he was hyped up to be this big bad villain. All in all I'm over this and ready to move onto a different superhero who can balance humor with darkness.

Coming in at number 8 is Everything Everywhere All At Once. I didn't actually end up seeing this movie in theaters cause to be completely honest I didn't know anything about it until after Doctor Strange came out and everyone was dissing that movie to say this one was better so when I saw it come out on streaming I turned it on out of curiosity and I have to say it did not disappoint. It was everything everyone was gushing about! I loved the way it played with the multiverse and how it made you care about every version our main trio. I could not believe how emotionally invested I got into our characters and this just goes to show you that film makers should never use the excuse that there isn't enough screen time to invest in character development. The pace of the movie was perfect with the plot being slow enough to let you sit with scenes and fast enough to make it feel like things are happening. I laughed so hard at the rock scene but I also really loved the speech the father gave to the mother in the world she was a celebrity.

At number 7 is Doctor Strange: Multiverse Of Madness and I know you're laughing at me cause I literally just said that Everything Everywhere All At Once had a better multiverse but sue me I'm a sucker for comic book movies! I know that this movie had it's faults like America not needing to be a character in this or really even Christine who I was over in five minutes after of this movie but all in all I just had so much fun with this movie's plot and pacing. Yes I agree that this was a strange shift in Wanda's character after Wandavision where it felt like she was starting to heal but I could sort of understand why she went full on villain here after being corrupted by the Darkhold though I do wish we could have seen the transition on screen. Like what if Wanda originally showed up to help find America and Strange after they dimension hopped on accident but by using the Darkhold more and more to dream hop she actually got more and more corrupted into wanting to steal another Wanda's kids instead? Having said that I still loved the way this movie felt the closest to a horror movie the MCU could make (outside of Werewolf By Night) and I adored the Illuminati cameos!! 

Coming in at number 6 is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. My goodness did this movie had so much to do in it's limited screen time. We had to mourn Chadwick and figure out a way to move forward and on the whole I do think this movie was able to do that. I liked that we focused so much on Shuri and her grief and made it so though we were all trying to guess who the new Black Panther would be out in the real world, watching the movie made it clear that there was only ever one person who could take on the mantle. I do think that Riri wasn't exactly needed in this movie but everything with Namor was so incredible and interesting to watch that I didn't mind what didn't work. High key I was sympathizing with Namor more than anyone else and I couldn't help but feel like he stole the show. I was honestly shocked when he killed Shuri's mother and I was shocked that she was able to start to forgive him by the end and I can't wait to see where he shows up next. I am torn on Tchalla's son appearing at the end cause though it was sweet in the sense that Shuri knows she's not actually alone it was a bit cheesy to be like yeah he had a child offscreen.

At number 5 is Glass Onion. Though I wasn't the biggest fan of Knives Out you all know I love murder mysteries so I was definitely going to check this one out but then I started to hearing rave reviews and it made me even more curious. Rian is like really known for his plot twists and while sometimes they work and sometimes they feel lazy, here I thought the twist halfway through the movie was fascinating. The first half of this movie low key confused me cause it felt like a super straightforward and simple Agatha Christie style whodunnit only not as well done as one of her stories cause a good whodunnit is all dependent on the characters we're introduced to and here they all felt super one note and boring. That's when the twist hit and bam I was back on board! I do think the villain was kinda obvious from the start but I don't entirely think Rian meant to confuse us but instead make us look as society as a whole so it was fine for me.

Coming in at number 4 is Death On The Nile which is the second Agatha Christie murder mystery movie that has been released recently. Though Murder On The Orient Express is still up there as my favorite murder mystery movie this one was still a ton of fun. I love the way Agatha Christie writes her mysteries in a locked room scenario where we slowly remove each suspect from the list one by one. I was on board with the whole mystery and I loved the answer we got at the end cause I totally didn't see it coming just like with Murder On The Orient Express! I do think that Hercule's backstory was a bit unnecessary especially given that this is his second movie outing and it did take us away from the story each time but I've only seen this movie the one time in theaters so far and I feel like I need to give it a second shot to see if I feel the same way again.

At number 3 is Rosaline! I absolutely adore period pieces but what I adore even more is unique takes on stories that we know so well! After I watched Extraordinary You (the kdrama about a minor character in a rom com webtoon who comes to life and realizes that she's in a comic) I've had a soft spot for side characters finding new stories as well. I was a little thrown to find out this was actually a modern take on the story with how characters spoke as if they were in 2022 but once I realized that I was on board. This movie was absolutely hysterical and I loved the way it poked fun at the story of Romeo and Juliet and I loved that Rosaline was able to find herself a new love by the end. It was extra funny to see that our main lovers didn't even know what to speak of together once the excitement of being star crossed lovers wore off! If you like comedies this is for you!

Coming in at number 2 is The Batman! I mean at this point you should know that superheroes are everything to me but I was surprised at the fact that is a DC movie that ended up so high on this list rather than a Marvel one and low key when I was making this list I even forgot I had watched this movie this year cause it came out so early in 2022! I truly had a blast watching it. I mean yes there were some problems with the fact that I didn't really love Catwoman and Batman's chemistry and yes I wish we had gotten a bit more Bruce without the mask but I can pretty much either forgive or explain away any problems I had. I also loved that we went with Riddler as the villain here rather than another freaking version of the Joker even if I wish that Batman was able to a bit more detecting on his own. I loved the dark take on the world and the ending was so hopeful despite everything.

And finally at number 1 my favorite movie of 2022 is Bullet Train! I cannot tell you just how much fun I had watching this hilarious movie! I had been seeing trailers for this movie for months before it came out and I was so into the vibe but I was a bit worried going in cause I was afraid that sometimes when a trailer looks really cool it's just cause they picked the best scenes from a movie to showcase like was the case in Don't Worry Darling. Fortunately I was not able to find a single gripe I could have with this movie! It was so funny from start to finish and I had no problem with the pacing or the characters or the plot. In fact I found the plot twist to be so good! If you haven't seen this movie yet do it!!!

And with that we've come to the end of my Top 10 Movies of 2022 list. I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2022!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 TV Shows Of 2021

Hi everyone! As promised, I'm back with my Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of 2021! Again, this list is based on my personal opinions and may have spoilers. I'm going to start with some honorable mentions which are some shows that I binged this year but that aren't on air anymore followed by my actual Top 10 list! If you want a refresher, check out my Top 10 TV Shows Of 2013, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2014, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2015, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2016, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2017, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2018, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2019 and Top 10 TV Shows Of 2020 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My TV Show OTPs & Ships lists!! Fair warning, there may be spoilers below so keep that in mind!

What If...?

Coming in at number 10 is What If! So we're all surprise that the last show on my list would be a Marvel one but I think something about the fact that this show is kinda outside MCU canon and animated makes it feel like it had less stakes than the others. I also have to say that the standalone aspect of this show made for a mixed bag cause it meant that there were weeks that I really enjoyed myself and weeks that I was tuning out though I liked the way it all tied together at the end and that this show basically redeemed Ultron as a villain cause it was the first time I was actually scared for him and the consequences of his evil plots!  

Stargirl

At number 9 is Stargirl! So I ended up liking this season a ton more than the previous one mostly cause now that everyone who was important knew Courtney's secret we could see a lot more fun family kicking ass time and honestly between this and Superman & Lois apparently this is a thing that I've always wanted but never known I needed. I loved the villain of the season and the way it redeemed others from last season but of course given that it's so low on my list there were flaws. I really didn't care for any of the team splitting nonsense this season gave us and I'm still torn over Cameron's role in this show but other than that it's a good season of a good show.

Legends Of Tomorrow

Coming in at number 8 is Legends Of Tomorrow! It's honestly kinda sad how far this show has fallen from my favor cause honestly even a season ago I would have ranted and raved about the fact that this is my favorite superhero show on air right now. Like don't get me wrong it's not a bad show anymore and it's definitely not Flash levels of unwatchable but I think I'm just bitter about the fact that the show had to write off Constantine's character cause of the DC overlords needing him in the movies and the fact that removing him removed a lot of Zari 2.0's screen time when she's my favorite in this show. I did think it was creative of this recent season to force our characters to stay in one time period for an extended amount of time and I am open to seeing what's next when the midseason break is over.

Wandavision

At number 7 is Wandavision! This show is hilarious cause I really couldn't decide where it deserves to go cause honestly when I heard about all the Marvel Disney+ that were slated to come out this year this one was probs bottom of the list and having watched it all it's still not my most favorite storyline but I can't help wanting to put it higher on my list just cause of how I can't separate the fan hype from the actual show. This was the first Marvel thing we had gotten in almost two years since Endgame came out and it was coming out weekly so though in hindsight our expectations were too high it was so much fun to speculate week in and out. I also have to say this show succeeded on one level just for making me actually care about Wanda when before I really didn't and for giving us Agatha who's a gem.

Hawkeye

Coming in at number 6 is Hawkeye! Honestly two weeks ago this might have ended up higher on my list than 6 but the finale didn't do this show all that much in my eyes which is why it's here. I really liked Kate Bishop as a character and I was thrilled that Clint didn't end up dying at the end like I was afraid of. I also loved that we got Kingpin and Yelena though I think both were a little underutilized. Kingpin wasn't nearly as terrifying as he was in Daredevil in this show and I think that can be chalked up to him being off screen for most of this show but Yelena's writing was totally all over the place. It made no sense that she was so sure that Natasha would never sacrifice herself for the greater good when that was Natasha to the core and it also made no sense how easily Clint convinced her to see the truth. I did really like the emphasis on trick arrows though and that chase through the city might still be one of the best moments in this show.

Loki

At number 5 is Loki. Okay so look Loki has always been one of my favorite Marvel characters so at first glance you'd think that would make my ranking of this show feel unfair but I think that actually it was a disadvantage for this show cause that meant that I would have much higher expectations for this show going on and yet this show hit them anyway. I loved the characterization of Loki throughout this show and the way we saw him go from the villain in Avengers to the antihero in Thor Ragnarok and find love even if it's with a version of himself. I loved the timeline shenanigans and the fact that it introduced Kang to us in such a perfect way when I think he'll end up being an overarching Marvel villain for this phase!

Wheel Of Time

Coming in at number 4 is Wheel Of Time! So to be honest this might be a show that no one is watching cause I haven't heard anyone talk about it but it's an adaptation of a popular book series that my brother is into which is why I ended up checking it out and it ended up being a lot better than I thought it would be. I adore fantasy shows and I never think there's enough out there which is why if one can keep my attention for long enough I think it's worth a shot. So yes I've heard it's a shitty book adaptation but in my opinion it's a pretty solid tv show outside of that. Moiraine is the best character though Lan is up there too and I love the world that this show has built. Yes the pacing for this show is a little off and yes I feel like Rand who's actually supposed to be the main character of this show is one of the weakest with the dumbest rationale for why he does what he does but I have higher hopes for all that to get better. I do also hope that future seasons will expand the complexity of the characters and the world so it's not as simplistic as it is now. 

Leverage: Redemption

At number 3 is Leverage: Redemption! So this show is more of a sequel series to the original Leverage rather than a reboot and I think that's one of the best parts of it. The show feels exactly like an extension of the original season with the same vibe and characters and actions but with a slight upgrade so we're facing more modern day problems. Every case is exciting and fun to watch and I'm so glad that it stuck with it's episodic approach rather than upgrading to the more modern day serial telling of a story cause that means we got more cons and we actually got to see our heroes win every episode. It's truly a love letter to the original show and I really hope we get more.

Superman & Lois

Coming in at number 2 is Superman & Lois. This show was a true shock to me when I first watched it cause I went through a whole emotional rollercoaster with it. When I first heard about this show I was hesitant to care given how little I've liked Supergirl since season 2 was the only good season in my opinion but when the trailers came out I was shocked at how beautiful it looked. Now having seen the whole first season it's hands down the best superhero show airing on tv right now. The acting, writing, and cinematography are out of this world. Characters actually feel like real people with the way they react to situations and nothing feels cheesy or overdone. The Kent family feels like they would die for each other and I love the way they all work together to get things done. I also love that Lois and Clark both have real purposes in this show so that neither feel like they need to reduce themselves in order to make the other have a purpose like Barry and Iris on the Flash. If you haven't seen this show by now you have to!

The Witcher

And finally last but not least my number 1 show of 2021 is The Witcher! I mean seriously could it have been anything else? I absolutely adored the first season of this show and somehow this second season upped it's game in ways that I didn't expect and made me love it even more than the first. I've never read the books for this series but I've heard it's an excellent adaptation of them which makes me happy for those fans since it's so rare that it happens. I loved that this season expanded on the world in a way that we not only saw more kingdoms and players but that it did the thing I said Wheel Of Time didn't and made everything more complex. I loved that as the show went on we started to question if anyone is on the right side or if everyone is a different shade of bad and who we should root for. I loved that our characters finally all met up and are working towards a goal even if we don't yet know what it is. Every actor is hitting it out of the park with their acting and of course the fights and the cinematography are to die for!

And that's the end of my Top 10 TV shows of 2021 list! I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 Asian Dramas of 2021!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 Movies Of 2021

Hello all my lovelies! What an absolute crazy year this has been! I hope you've all been safe and healthy and well and that you had a great holiday season. It's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies, tv shows, and asian dramas of the year! I've been doing these for about seven years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2021 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies Of 2013, Top 10 Movies Of 2014, Top 10 Movies Of 2015, Top 10 Movies Of 2016, Top 10 Movies Of 2017, Top 10 Movies Of 2018, Top 10 Movies Of 2019, and Top 9 Movies of 2020 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My Movie OTPs & Ships lists! 

The Suicide Squad

Coming in at number 10 this year is James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. It's technically a sequel to the original Suicide Squad but it could also act as a soft reboot given how poorly the first one did. I wasn't one of the many people who watched the first and despised it beyond measure but that doesn't mean that I couldn't also see how many flaws it had so I went into this one curious to see how Gunn would do with this world given that he's kicked ass with the Guardians. On the whole I had a blast and I liked that this version dialed up the campiness to 11 rather than try to be serious with the nonsense like the first did. The new characters were fun too though I was glad that Harley and Rick Flagg remained behind. It's nowhere near as emotional or hitting as some of my more favorite Marvel movies but it's a fun turn your brain off kinda flick.

Eternals

At number 9 is Marvel's Eternals. Speaking of Marvel movies here we are with my first Marvel pick. It's kinda surprising how low it is but truthfully it really was my least favorite of the Marvel movies that came out this year so it can't be helped! I think in concept this movie should have been better than it was but I think it honestly worked better as it prelude to more exciting things. My biggest problem with this movie was the fact that I just couldn't believe what it was trying to convince me. Like it tells you that all these Eternals have known each other for thousands of years but the chemistry between the characters made it feel like it was the first time they were meeting one another and no one felt like they really cared for one another given how easy it was for most of them to try to kill the others. Circe was our main character and yet I felt she barely had a character and I was pissed as all hell that Icarus died at the end rather than having to stick around and try to redeem himself like Loki did. 

Red Notice

Coming in at number 8 is Red Notice! So I know that this movie has basically become a meme and synonymous with the idea that a movie will do well if it just has a star cast and little plot but honestly I unironically had a blast with it. I absolutely adore shows and movies about heists or con artists so I was totally on board with the plot of this movie and though the twist was fairly obvious, I didn't have any problem enjoying the journey to the reveal! Yes the characters were a bit bareboned but really isn't it just enough to sit back and watch a fun adventure movie?

Night Teeth

At number 7 is Night Teeth! Now this movie might be one that you're scratching your heads about given that it's a Netflix movie that I feel like no one really watched but it popped up on my feed one day and I thought I'd give it a chance and it was a true blast! The movie is about vampires and basically how one human lands in the middle of a vampire civil war over who will lead them and falls in love with one of the vampires. I loved the thriller aspect of this movie and though the romance was basically instalove I was into it anyway! The ending was basically a fantasy but sometimes we need that given the times we're living in.

Zack Snyder's Justice League

Coming in at number 6 is Zack Snyder's Justice League. When I was making this list I have to say that I was honestly a little shocked to realize that this movie actually came out this year cause of how insanely long this year has felt! I remember not really liking the original and truthfully I never really had a stake in whether the Snydercut would come out but when the movie finally came out on HBO Max you know that I was still out here ready to check it out and I can say that it definitely was better than the original. This can definitely be chalked up to the fact that it had a much longer run time. On the whole plot beats remained similar though a lot hit differently cause we were shown them in different ways. Flash was definitely less goofy and Cyborg actually had a purpose and a fleshed out backstory. The villain was much better this time around and I can see why the hype was real this time.

King's Man

At number 5 is King's Man. This movie is actually the prequel to the Kingsman duology and though I never actually had the thought before that I needed it, I still went out and checked it out cause I think this world plays with a lot of fun James Bond parody tropes. I do still think the original Kingsman movie was the best of the bunch but this one had it's moments as well. I liked the idea of the whole war being the evil plot of one man and that this movie was set as a period piece rather than a modern spy film though I do wish that Gemma had more to do given she was the only woman in this movie to have speaking lines.

No Time To Die

Coming in at number 4 is No Time To Die. The irony hasn't escaped me seeing as I put an actual James Bond film in front of a James Bond parody film. Honestly I just got into the Bond films this year with a binge of every Bond from Connery to Craig and though this one is definitely not my favorite it still was a great watch for me. I do personally find that I connect more with the modern take on Bond but I think that's heavily due to the fact that I've grown up in this time so I prefer my Bonds to be a little more action oriented even if Craig's not the most charming and suave Bond I've seen. Rami was great as the villain and I liked the vague ending in which we're not certain of Bond's fate given that this is the last Craig film even if I prefer Vesper over Madeline as Bond's love interest.

Black Widow

At number 3 is Black Widow. This movie was postponed and delayed to hell until it finally released this year and honestly the only reason it's so high on the list is cause we had such a poor showing for films this year. I felt like this movie was long overdue and at this point there was no need to return to a character that was already dead in the Marvel universe but I think the movie was saved entirely due to Yelena's existance. I loved the way Florence Pugh played her and I love that she has stuck with the Russian accent every time we've seen her unlike Wanda who's accent comes and goes. I actually ended up liking the cast and the plot of this movie and I think it's crazy that if you really sit down and think about the message this movie portrayed about the Widow program it's totally insane and dark but that's why it works for me.

Shang Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

Coming in at number 2 is Shang Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings. I absolutely adored this movie from start to finish and though it was an introduction I also liked that it didn't exactly play as an origin movie given that Shang Chi was already established and we really only went back into his world. I loved the mystical elements of this movie and I think Wen Wu was hands down maybe the best villain we've had in the MCU barring Loki though they feel like such different kinds of villains. Every fight was incredibly choreographed and the characters were all super fun. I mean yes I did think that maybe Katie was a little shoehorned in especially at the end with Wong but I also loved the fact that she and Shang could be friends and friends alone.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

And last but not least at number 1 is Spider-Man: No Way Home. I mean really what else could number 1 have been? Okay yes I did go back and forth over whether this or Shang Chi deserved to be in this spot but in the end I think the highs and lows of this movie hit harder than Shang Chi just cause we've seen these characters much longer. I loved that this movie was basically the live action Spiderverse movie and despite the fact that I think we all knew that Toby and Andrew would be in this movie, it didn't hit any less when they appeared not to mention the fact that Matt freaking Murdock showed up as well! I truly loved the plot of this movie and how different each Spiderman felt and yet also showcased the same goodness. The bittersweet ending really broke my heart and I don't think a single other movie other than maybe Infinity War destroyed a whole character's world as hard as this one did.

And with that we've come to the end of my Top 10 Movies of 2021 list. I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2021!

xoxo Allie

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

Hello everyone and welcome back! Let's dive right in shall we?

Stargirl Season 2 Episode 9

So the big secret that Barbara and Pat were keeping from Courtney is the fact that the JSA stopped Eclipso back in the day by killing the host and I'm sitting here like okay so it was as dumb of a secret as I expected it to be which is why I need Courtney to build a bridge and get over it. I mean what was she going to do if she knew this at the start of the season? Eclipso didn't have a host back then and I actually still don't know if he has one now (or is it Cindy?) so that advice is useless not to mention the fact that I don't see her stepping up to murder someone after she saw how killing Brainwave affected Yolanda. On the plus side we did see that Shade is somewhat okay though confused and I wanna shout out the fact that on this Earth Jay Garrick is also played by John Wesley Shipp cause it makes my heart smile whenever I see him play another Flash! Poor Mike was also tormented by Cameron and the fact that despite what he's said I think a part of him does feel guilty about accidentally killing Jordan though I also think this was definitely a preview for what's to come cause there's no way that Cameron lets his father's death go.

FINISHED What If Season 1 Episode 9

With this final episode What If has come to an end. I don't think anything could beat the horror that I felt watching Ultron rule the world last week but I had a fun time watching how our team of Avengers beat him. It ended up being all of the heroes we met over the past 7 episodes and a Gamora from a world we actually didn't experience. Zola did end up being the lynchpin to save the day though it was also heavily in part due to Dr Strange who caught Killmonger and Zola in a pocket dimension fighting to capture the Infinity Stones. I'm still left a little discombobulated in terms of the overall story cause we never really got answers as to who the Watcher was or why he couldn't interfere but I guess we're not meant to cause this was just supposed to be a quick pop into this world. Maybe next season we'll see him being punished for interfering? 

Titans Season 3 Episode 11

As penultimate episodes go this really wasn't a great one. I don't know why in the world this show is so adamant on separating the Titans all the time. If the showrunners/writers wanted to write a show for Nightwing that's what they should have done rather than pretend like they wanted to write an ensemble show about a team of heroes. Like don't get me wrong the Batfamily is for sure my favorite part of DC but I also have a soft spot for the Titans and Young Justice and the Justice League so I wanted a show like that! We never actually see the team be a team and I'm exhausted by it. Starfire found out that she never actually had fire powers and that they were stolen from Blackfire as a child so Tamaran didn't fall into a civil war. I wonder if this means that we'll get more comic accurate starbolts now? Dick was a dick and took out Connor and Krypto using Kryptonite in order to fight Jason but was shot by a civilian instead. Jason is still all over the place in terms of writing but I think him seeing Crane having lost his mind will probs have been the last straw. It also appears like Dick will be going into the Lazarus Pit that Gar and Rachel found given that he is practically dead at the end. I'm still kinda wondering where Bruce is after Donna found him trying to kill himself. She meanwhile has teamed up with Tim as they arm more civilians to fight the cops on Crane's payroll. 

FINISHED Leverage: Redemption Season 1B

Back in July when I originally watched the first half of this Leverage revival I think I knew that it was actually only going to be part 1 of 2 for this season but somewhere along the way I totally forgot that there was a second part coming so when I realized this week that it was airing, I cannot describe to you how excited I was! I absolutely adore this show and I was ready to jump back into the world it built. 1B was just as good as 1A which like I said in my previous review was just as good as the original Leverage. The Jackal Job actually made me cry and I always live for cases like the Hurricane Job and the Golf Job which separates some parts of the team from the rest so we can see them shine in new ways. I also had a soft spot for the Train Job cause like Parker and Sophie I adore trains and the romanticism of them and movies like Murder On The Orient Express! Mr Wilson was still working for me as the new Nate and though I still prefer Hardison over Breanna, I was used to her presence in this back half so she didn't bother me as much either. Having said all that I do have to say that the overarching season villain of RIZ did feel a bit like a James Bond type of villain trying to come up with this absurdly complicated take-over-the-world plan but I did like that they connected back to Mr Wilson who started off this whole Redemption arc at the top of the season through Ethan and I had fun watching the Leverage team take them down anyway. I really really really do hope that this show gets a season 2 and we get this same cast back again but if this was just a one and done type of revival I would be happy enough too given that I never thought that I would get a chance to see more of this world in the first place!!

xoxo Allie

What Shows Did I Watch This Week?

Hello everyone and welcome back! Let's dive right in shall we?

Stargirl Season 2 Episode 8

Darkness is the name of the game and I really really really feel bad for poor Rick who started the episode thinking about colleges and now might be going to jail for assault! Like I don't know why exactly I thought that Eclipso would only target Beth and not both at the same time other than maybe a meta reason thinking that it would be better to spread out the mayhem over 3 episodes rather than 2 but he's for sure getting exactly what he wants. With Yolanda quitting and now Rick destroying the Hourglass, it's just Beth and Courtney now. I did like that Beth dug deep and found her courage rather than succumbing to her fears like Yolanda and Rick did though all the race commentary was a little heavy-handed of the show given how little it clearly wants to actually touch on race. In the end though her goggles might be the only thing able to see through Eclipso's visions making her a trump card. I'm also still waiting for the Green Lantern to come back! It does look like Mike and Barbara might be next on Eclipso's list though which kinda sucks.

What If Season 1 Episode 8

Good god guys this episode should have been named Anxiety for all that it made my heart palpitate the whole time! Ultron was so so so much scarier in this show than he ever was in the Age Of Ultron movie and I spent the whole time biting my nails worried out of my mind over Ultron's power even though I knew well and clear that I should be hyped cause his taking over the universe and the multiverse meant that we would see all the What If heroes we followed for the last 7 episodes come together to fight in a new Avengers lineup! Talk about good storytelling! The fact that he could see the Watcher was one thing cause so could Dr Strange but jumping into the Watcher's world was a whole other! I also can't help but wonder if the fact that he so easily defeated big dogs like Captain Marvel and Thanos and even the Watcher himself makes it a little unbelievable that Party Thor and Captain Carter can but then again we already have a built in way to win with Natasha and Zola next week!

Titans Season 3 Episode 10

Color me not at all surprised to find out that this show is making Jason turn bad all over again. If it couldn't have shit on him any more then here we are. After tricking the Titans into poisoning Gotham's water supply, Crane convinced the city it was the Titans who did it and made them fugitives. He also paid off the cops to kill them and I'm left here like maybe they should just wash their hands of Gotham's hot as mess. We end the episode with all of the Titans split up. Dick and Connor are together as are Starfire and Blackfire who speaking of ended up switching powers with one another somehow though I wouldn't be surprised if this show ends with both of them having half of Starfire's powers. Also important is that Donna is in Gotham now as is Raven who found Gar and I guess that is the most exciting thing about this show to see them all come together again. I do wonder what is up with everyone constantly talking about being more than a soldier cause not only did Blackfire give that talk to Starfire but Donna got one too. I know in some incarnations Starfire runs the Titans while Dick's off doing his Batfamily thing but if that's where this show wants to go then why Donna?

xoxo Allie

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

 Hello everyone and welcome back! Let's dive right in shall we?

Stargirl Season 2 Episode 7

Okay so I seriously love that like the characters themself we the audience really can't tell if what's happening with Yolanda's headaches is Eclipso or Brainwave or Yolanda's guilt. Like it's been going on longer than Eclipso has been freed and I know a ton of people theorized that Brainwave really did put himself in Yolanda's brain but I think that if I had to make a guess I would say that it started out as Yolanda's guilt and now it's Eclipso expanding on that fear. It looks like he knows who to target one by one and it's clear that next is Beth. On that note it was interesting that Yolanda and Courtney finally told everyone what happened in the tunnels and it sucks that though Beth was the only one to not understand why Yolanda did what she did, one negative opinion was enough to convince Yolanda that she was a sinner. I hate that all this has just pushed Yolanda back into her terribly abusive family cause before this she was doing so well! She had friends and a job and was living her life! In other news I do have to say that maybe it's the Superman & Lois stan in me but I think my favorite part of this show might also be the family kicking ass part. I adored that final scene when the four were sitting around the dining table discussing JSA problems!

What If Season 1 Episode 7

In the midst of depressing episode after depressing episode it was nice to finally watch a low stakes episode that was actually funnier than expected! In this world Loki was not adopted by Odin so Thor grew up alone and spoiled and so never really grew out of his party stage. When Odin entered his Odinsleep, Frigga went off to visit her sister and Thor descended to Earth to party the planet away which SHIELD did not appreciate. I thought the whole thing was super fun and I liked seeing that Thor and Jane would fall for each other no matter who they were. I also thought that SHIELD was a little extreme in deciding that they needed to drop a nuke on Thor to get him to stop as if they wouldn't be bringing a whole ass alien race to war and really maybe it's my dislike of Captain Marvel but her whole vibe was really no fun. The end was absolutely hilarious though with Jane calling Frigga to tattle on Thor and that everyone was terrified of her enough to clean up Earth and pretend that they were all just studying. I'm not entirely sure what arrived at the end but it looked like Thanos with the Infinity Stones several years too early.

Titans Season 3 Episode 9

Truly I will never understand Titans both as a show and a concept. Like we spent all episode in the Afterlife where we followed Donna, Tim, and Hank as they attempted to return to the living and I don't understand what's happening for real. I thought this would be the perfect way to bring Hank back and then in turn negate whatever real evil Jason did so he could return to being a Titan but then Hank sacrificed himself to let Donna and Tim return and now I'm confused again. Maybe the fact that Hank chose to move on or let go or whatever will make the other Titans less inclined to hate Jason for killing him? I did like the idea that he found Donnie again though cause that made my heart soft. Also confusing is whatever mess Bruce is in. I have hated this show's version of Bruce Wayne since he was introduced but like now it's an even weirder. Like okay so apparently he wrote up his will and then killed Joker and then fled Gotham and tried to kill himself? And where in the hell did Donna appear from cause her body was definitely supposed to be on Themyscira? 

FINISHED My Hero Academia Season 5 Episode 25

We returned to what feels like the normal My Hero shenanigans and man was it a breath of fresh air. I'm truly so excited to see what I think will be the actual big arc that changes everything in this world next season! We've jumped forward 4 months to April in which our heroes have gone from first years to second years and at the same time Tomura will have completed whatever experiment is being run on him. The doctor did mention the fact that he's studying quirk singularities too and that got my attention given that's what Deku was told too. Like All Might said One For All had been slowly strengthened over time through the multiple quirk holders that wielded it and now it's reached peak performance inside Deku. Maybe he should have gone through Tomura's evil training too cause I'm starting to wonder if he's anywhere near the League in terms of strength!

xoxo Allie