FTS takes a look at the best of 2013 with a series of genre top 5 lists for 2013 In Review. In this introductory post, we count down the best popcorn flicks of the past year.
#5. Pain & Gain
Pain and Gain is the outrageous film based on an equally crazy true story starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, and Anthony Mackie as a trio of inept criminals that plan to obtain their very own warped version of the American Dream. The film is as fast and loud as you might expect coming from blockbuster director Michael Bay and the three leads make the movie pretty damn funny too. The Rock’s standout performance as the born again Christian with a cocaine problem is plenty enough reason to check this film out. -Lindsay [FTS REVIEW]
#4. World War Z
World War Z was a surprise hit for a lot of us here at French Toast Sunday. From the news and trailers leading up to the release, it seemed like the film could go in either direction. Thankfully, it went in a positive one and gave us a great summer movie starring Brad Pitt in a zombie flick with a smart storyline.-Rob [FTS REVIEW]
#3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Orcs, Elves, Spiders, Dragons, Oh My!! Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is fantastic from beginning to end. It’s a sequel, which means rather than going through a backstory and develop the characters, you’re dropped right into the action and it doesn’t stop as our characters traverse forests, lake towns, and elvish lands as they finally make it to the mountains and meet Smaug! (which is an incredible scene and hands down the best use of CGI dragons ever. EVER!) -Nick [FTS REVIEW]
#2. Iron Man 3
Shane Black filled Jon Favreau’s sizable directing shoes for this third installment of the Iron Man saga, reuniting Black with his Kiss Kiss Bang Bang star Robert Downey Jr. Where Iron Man 2 was perhaps a little bogged down in pre-Avengers plot set-up, Part 3 threw an anxiety-attack prone Tony Stark against his most deadly villain yet, Ben Kingsley’s The Mandarin. What made this one of the year’s best action films was the sheer variety of fighting and stunt work on display, from a fight between goons and a semi-suited Tony, to a massive explosion-fest climax, and the first-act destruction of Stark’s lavish mansion, during which the guy takes out a helicopter with a piano. A piano! -Jay [FTS REVIEW]
#1. Thor: The Dark World
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first Thor film. After the excellence of Tony Stark, this new superhero just didn’t feel like much in comparison. And I wasn’t sure if I was into someone from out of this world. It just wasn’t clicking. Not at all the case for this sequel. Thor 2 feels like a superhero movie with a dash of Lord of the Rings and a zip of Star Wars. Just watch the scene with the futuristic ships flying and shooting through the ancient city of Asgard. Chris Hemsworth is charismatic (okay, not RDJ levels, but good enough) and I enjoyed his contrast with the Earth world quite a bit in this one. Its building off the events of The Avengers and Loki’s status as supervillian mixed with new, original action set pieces and a twisty plot raised the bar on non-Iron Man Marvel films. -Jess [FTS REVIEW]
*Notable Exceptions: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Ender’s Game, Machete Kills, Elysium, Pacific Rim, Star Trek Into Darkness, Gangster Squad, Fast & Furious 6, Man of Steel, White House Down, The Wolverine, 2 Guns, Rush