Sixty left to go! That means I have gone through 100 movies, which is pretty wild. I am looking forward to breaking these down! We head to the Top 50 here – getting to see #50-41!
#60 – Back to the Future
Back to the Future should probably be higher on this list? I do love this movie, and #60 doesn’t do it justice. Back to the Future is a sci-fi classic, with comedy, heart, and a dash of cinematic magic that has made it endure for generations. It holds up incredibly well, and is well beloved for a reason.
#59 – Megamind
Apologies for the whiplash of going from Back to the Future to Megamind. Perhaps this was unwise placement, but Megamind has earned its spot on this list, easily. I have not been a huge fan of Dreamworks over the years, disliking the overt adult humor they throw into movies marketed towards children. The first Dreamworks movie on this list was The Prince of Egypt, which I dearly love. There are a few more of them here, but the majority of the Dreamworks catalogue does not appeal to me. Later on, I will talk about one potentially glaring omission to this list: Shrek (though I am becoming more of a Shrek apologist lately).
However, I’m not here to talk about my issues with Dreamworks – I’m here to talk about Megamind.
This is not your ordinary superhero movie. It is brilliant because of how it challenges tropes (something that I will begrudgingly admit Dreamworks has done with success more than once). It managed to create movie magic, with great characters, a fantastic cast, and a legendary plot that took this viewer off guard and impressed him completely. I highly recommend this movie if you’ve never seen it before (or if you haven’t seen it since you were younger).
#58 – Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
I need to remind myself when writing this list that the movies in the 60s are still my favorites, despite the fact that they are so low. With 160 movies to cover, the top 60 is pretty significant. Miracle on 34th Street was once in my top 10. As a matter of fact, I made a list of favorite movies on this blog many years ago, and this movie was on it. This is a Christmas classic, one that I rewatch every single year without fail. Since early in my childhood, I loved this movie. As a matter of fact, the only reason it isn’t higher on this list is my dislike of the “misunderstanding drives the plot” trope. It doesn’t hurt this movie very much though – it shines in every way and is one of my favorite Christmas movies.
#57 – Captain America
I truly will never understand most of the criticism of this movie. Is it flawed? Sure. Most movies have flaws. The discussion of whether or not a perfect movie has ever been made has been going on for decades. But Captain America is a movie that was criticized way more than it deserved at its release. Even now, it is referenced as a “commercial for The Avengers”. It might have contained a commercial for The Avengers, but the movie was actually quite well done, with great characters and a fantastic soundtrack (possibly the best soundtrack in the MCU besides the Avengers films [excluding Age of Ultron, unfortunately]). I unapologetically love this movie, and consider it one of the best MCU films.
#56 – Avengers
Now that the commercial for #56 is over, here it is! The Avengers. Is it lower than expected? Probably. I love The Avengers – I went to go see it over and over again when it came out. It holds up incredibly well. Could it be higher? Probably. But this is where it rests for now, possibly because of all the movie I love more.
#55 – Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
My ranking of Star Wars VI over IV might turn some heads. There are a few reasons for its placement here. The first is that I genuinely love this film. I love Jabba’s Palace, and the close look at the crime underbelly of Star Wars. I enjoy the climax, and the fight between Luke, Vader, and Palpatine. The criticisms of the Ewoks were hard for me to understand, because I watched them when I was young – they were simply a part of Star Wars. But perhaps the most significant of all – we watched these movies slowly. I watched Episode I first – that was the one that came out when I was young, and I watched again and again and again. It was definitely one of my most watched movies, until, of course, Episode II came out and I watched that one again and again and again (particularly the arena scene and the final battle – I loved to just rewatch that sequence). Episode IV was the next one I saw, and I did not watch V and VI until much later. When I did, watching these movies was incredibly special experience, and became a treasured memory for me. This might inflate VI’s ranking a bit, but that’s why we’re here – not to do a list of the best movies, but a list of my own favorites.
#54 – Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Another classic I need to rewatch, I did not see this movie until much later in life. But it holds up incredibly well! Harrison Ford’s performance as Indie is legendary for a reason, and he sells the character in the first film without question.
#53 – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
I wish I had more to say about this movie, but the most significant thing I have to say is that it blew me away. And also that I need to rewatch it – it was very, very good, and more than worthy of being this high on my list, if not higher.
#52 – The Cinderella Remake
The Disney remakes have been primarily cash grabs. This one remains a very stark exception. They accomplished something fantastic with Cinderella – they captured the magic of the original, and, if I may be so bold, improved on it narratively. Cinderella is a story that is rooted deep in the hearts of cultures all around the world, years and years before Disney Disnified it. The magic of the original Cinderella cannot be understated – it accomplished something beautiful, incredible. It is not on my list because I do not have a strong personal attachment to it, but it would be on a list of best movies, if only due to its incredible cultural impact. The remake takes the original and decides to step out of its shell and do something new. Tell the Cinderella story in a different way, but keep a sprinkle of Disney magic. By honoring the original while expanding significantly on the narrative, it creates a meaningful and well-done classic that is easy to enjoy independently from the original, something that future adaptations suffer from.
#51 – Hook
I know I have said this a lot, but I need to rewatch Hook. I have watched it many times, but it has been too long since I have stepped back into this interesting portrayal of Neverland starring one of the greatest actors of all time: Robin Williams. Surrounded by a fantastic cast, this dip into the world of Neverland tells a “what if” story that is incredibly successful, and it remains to this day the best live-action take on Peter Pan and Captain Hook.
#50 – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Prisoner of Azkaban is this high on this list because of how well it adapts the book. It is probably the best book-to-movie adaptation here, and it again has the strong casting, effects, and characters that the Harry Potter franchise is known for.
#49 – Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day is another holiday classic, probably the only non-Christmas holiday movie on this list. This movie inspired hundreds of copycats – it popularized the repeated-day phenomenon that many sci-fi and fantasy movies and shows, including a movie that SHOULD be on this list but isn’t because I have not seen it recently enough to rank it: Edge of Tomorrow. Groundhog Day is a classic for a reason, and is a near-yearly watch for me.
#48 – How to Train Your Dragon 2
Talking about How to Train Your Dragon 2 before 1 is an interesting experience, because of most of what I have to say about How to Train Your Dragon 2 connects deeply with 1. These movies weren’t afraid to take risks, and because of this they are some of the best animated movies of all time, on par with Pixar classics. They are emotional, well-written, and genuinely funny without resorting to classic Dreamworks humor.
#47 – Pride and Prejudice (2005)
I have been told that I should watch the classic Pride and Prejudice show, and that it will change my view on this film. That makes me want to watch the show less, because I love Pride and Prejudice so much. This movie is incredibly well-written, well acted, and tells the story of Pride and Prejudice in a truncated way without missing the heart of the story.
#46 – Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2
If you’ve been counting Harry Potter movies on this list, you’ve known this one was coming. Because it’s the 8th and last Harry Potter movie on this list. Deathly Hallows Part 2 ends the story incredibly well. Is it perfect? No. Does do J.K. Rowling’s climax justice? Absolutely, without a doubt. This film wraps up the story with flying colors, and I love it for that. It is a finale befitting an excellent series of movies.
#45 – Toy Story 3
This is a new change for me, and I won’t lie, it’s a rough one. I wrestled with this for a long, long time. For ages, Toy Story 3 has been my favorite Toy Story. But recently, I made a shift – perceptive readers will know what changed. This is now #2 on my Toy Story list. These Disney classics are emotional and heartfelt, and Toy Story 3 is again one of the least rewatchable Pixar films. The ending is very difficult to watch, but the film shines brighter for it. If it was the finale, it would have been the perfect finale, but I am so happy they pushed for one more with Toy Story 4 (I’ll have to put out a review of 5 when it comes out to see if it stacks up).
#44 – Toy Story 2
Aaaand here it is. Neck and Neck with its competitor, Toy Story 2 has pulled ahead as #1 on my Toy Story list. There are quite a few reasons why this movie is here, but its staying power is a big part of it. It is simply too big of a classic, with too many legendary scenes and lines. Toy Story 3 was only as good as it was because of how good Toy Story 2 was, and while I don’t consider that as complete grounds for ranking one over the other, I believe TS2 wins this fight on merit as well. I have been converted, all of you naysayers that said my order was wrong. You won.
#43 – WALL-E
If you told me WALL-E was on your top ten movies of all time I wouldn’t bat an eye. Another incredible Pixar movie, WALL-E tells the story of a robot, and teaches lessons about life, love, change, and stewardship. It discusses the environment in effective ways that seek to warn without agenda on issues we all know exist. This is a movie worthy of being here or higher on any list.
#42 – The LEGO Movie
This is the movie that started a brand new brand of LEGO films, including Batman, LEGO Movie 2, and LEGO Ninjago. Since then? We haven’t seen another movie with this same vibe, but in my opinion (which I know is not shared by everyone) all of these movies are great (INCLUDING the LEGO Ninjago film which I watched for the first time recently and was wholeheartedly and pleasantly surprised by). I even enjoy LEGO Movie 2, which is not on this list, but even liking this movie seems to be a hot take these days. It all started here, with what is I believe objectively the best LEGO film – The LEGO Movie. With a star-studded cast and a wacky brand of humor all its own, this movie’s charm has been chased down unsuccessfully by its competitors throughout the past years. It remains the best, without contest, of its breed, and is a movie to rewatch over and over again.
#41 – Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
This is another movie that feels like it should be higher (though these next 40 movies are way more packed with genuinely incredible films than previous ones). Bill & Ted is a classic film that is completely aware of its own absurdity and is all the better for it. Its self-awareness is what drives it to be so excellent, and creates legendary scenes that have endured generations of viewers remaining just as hilarious as they were upon release. Don’t sleep on Bill & Ted if you have never seen it before – it is truly worth your time.
The next list will be #40-21. I can’t believe we’re almost at the end! Just three more weeks and we’ll be going through my top ten movies of all time. Have an idea of what they might be? Let me know in the comments below! Until then, see you next week!
A Thinker in Space 
What do you think?