Film is a medium that takes us to completely different worlds, combining visual and audible elements to influence the entanglement of emotion and struggle that encapsulates the human race. As an avid film analyzer and enjoyer, my ideas toward film have become refined and notable. It may be bold of me, but in this issue of The Talon, I will name the absolute best ten movies that have ever been made.

#10 Benchwarmers

An honest movie about America’s favorite pastime! Dennis Dugan really outdid himself with this one. I will refrain from spoiling the incredible ending to this film, but the final baseball game where the opposing team decides to set their differences aside and let the benchwarmers win is truly heartfelt.

#9 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part

This lego movie makes the first lego movie look like Playmobil! This film is able to evoke elements from other movies like Mad Max, Back to the Future, Star Wars, and Jurassic Park, and manages to perform better than all of those franchises combined. This film would rank higher if it weren’t for the fact that it’s not actually made with real legos like my younger self believed.

#8 Bedtime Stories

You can’t go wrong with some Adam Sandler! Silly Sander really pops off in this film. The actor is often criticized for his goofy sense of humor, but this movie allows him to divide his silliness and seriousness between the real world and the bedtime stories he tells. Perhaps this is a commentary on Sandler’s creative abilities. The world wants him to be based in reality and mimic other “normal” actors, but this film asserts that his authentic and goofy style is more of a perfect construct, or dream, that others strive to achieve.

#7 Teen Titans Go! To the Movies

This movie was so awesome and so cool, it was the the most incredible superhero movie that I have ever seen. Whether it was the way the streets lit up or the cool explosions and special effects, the visuals of this movie blew my mind! This movie creates a beautiful commentary on superhero movies, often jabbing at different cliches that appear in films of that genre.

#6 Tooth Fairy

Dwayne “the rock” Johnson killed it with this one! A truly heartfelt story about belief, redemption, and following your dreams. As with many children’s movies about holiday creatures, like Santa or the Easter Bunny, I question whether this ruins the magic of it all for children who watch. Surely kids know that the real tooth fairy isn’t actually Dwayne “the rock” Johnson. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how the younger generation turns out with this films influence.

#5 Titanic

What a classic! Leonadro DiCaprio shocked the world with his performance in Titanic. I’m not quite sure where to begin – there are so many incredibly famous scenes. The details and historical accuracy of the Titanic make it feel like we’re actually on the boat, experiencing the beauty and terror simultaneously! I have never watched this movie.

#4 Zookeeper

Paul Blart’s method acting really prevails in this film. My favorite scene in the movie has Blart riding an ostrich and ultimately falling flat. Many don’t realize that this was not a real ostrich, but actually a human in a blue suit for special effects. This just goes to show Blart’s dedication, as he and his crew are willing to go to extreme lengths for their products.

#3 Surf’s Up 2: WaveMania

This may be a controversial decision, but Surf’s Up 2 far outranks the original Surf’s Up. It was an extremely wise decision to convert the original film, well known for its beautiful animation and storyline, into a super rushed attempt at a crossover with WWE. As far as movies about wrestlers and surfing and penguins goes, this has to be the best.

#2 Joker (2019)

This film puts a great spin on the story of the famous Batman villain and tackles many modern day issues. As stories about heroes and warriors get more and more stale, films about struggling villains have become more appealing. The goal isn’t to make the Joker seem like a good guy, but rather a man negatively impacted by his own circumstances to a degree that renders him villainous. We live in a society!

#1 The Haunting of Molly Hartley

The Haunting of Molly Hartley follows Molly (Haley Bennet) as she struggles to avoid ghosts of her past. Yes, actual ghosts. Robot zombie ghosts. Luckily, she meets Chace Crawford at her new school. Chace helps Molly with his hidden water-bending abilities. This film does an incredible job of combining the sci-fi and horror genres in a way that isn’t overly ambitious. Director Mickey Liddell, known for his work on shows like The Sleepover and Gunt House, has called this work his greatest masterpiece. Liddell voiced his desire to turn the 2008 film into one of many “Molly Hartley” movies. However, nearly fourteen years later, it seems like Liddell is more focused on directing new episodes and spinoffs of Gunt House.