Top 3 Christmas Movies

Happy holidays, everyone! It's that time of year again, and as such, what better way to commemorate the 'most wonderful time of the year' than by looking at my top 3 Christmas movies? There isn't too much of a criterion here, other than that the movies in question must take place on Christmas Eve/Day or during the holiday season; my list will also be going in descending order, so we’ll be going from what I think is the weakest (#3) to strongest (#1) Christmas film. This is my personal opinion, so please don’t go ballistic just because an entry you hoped to see didn’t make it onto the list; in fact, if you want, feel free to list your favorite Christmas movies in the comments! With all that said, let’s get onto the countdown!

#3: It's a Wonderful Life 

Although Frank Capra's 1946 classic is considered by numerous people to be one of, if not the, greatest Christmas films of all time, and I appreciate what it contributed to cinema, I do have a reason for putting it so low on the list. While the recapping of George Bailey's life leading up to his contemplation of suicide is undoubtedly necessary, not just for viewers but also for Clarence Odbody (the angel tasked with saving George in exchange for subsequently earning his wings), on repeat viewings, the first 2/3rds can feel like a bit of a 'drag' to get through, which in turn weighs the movie down, as arguably the most memorable portion of this flick has to be the last 3rd (starting with Clarence's intervention all the way to the end credits). Despite this tediousness, witnessing the establishment of who George is, the lives he impacted, and what led him to consider suicide in the first place is what makes the third act of It's a Wonderful Life one of the most compelling and downright satisfying (starting when George is finally returned to his reality) endings in cinema. It's A Wonderful Life definitely earns its place as one of the 'greats' of cinema, but the slow pacing that accompanies the buildup it takes to get to the movie's legendary climax it what keeps this flick from ranking further up on my list.

#2: Home Alone

How could I not put this beloved Christmas comedy on the list? Home Alone benefits from solid directing courtesy of Chris Columbus (who would go on to direct the first two installments in the Harry Potter film series), well-executed humor, and a talented cast which includes the likes of Macauley Culkin, Catherine O'Hara, the late John Candy, as well as Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. With all this going for it, what prevents Home Alone from landing the top spot on my list? This movie, like It's a Wonderful Life before it, is held back by how the climax, where Kevin McCallister defends his family home from the 'Wet Bandits' Harry and Marv, is easily the most memorable (thanks to the numerous creative traps our hero sets up) part of the film, which makes the path to get there something of a grind. What places Home Alone above It's a Wonderful Life, however, is its unique and noteworthy script, which was penned by the late great John Hughes (who also served as this movie's producer). Hughes sprinkles enough moments, based in action or in dialogue, that manage to stand out in their own ways (e.g., Kevin's ingenious weaponization of the fake movie Angels with Filthy Souls, the McCallister family's rush to make it to the airport before their plane leaves as a result of accidentally oversleeping, Harry and Marv's exchanges in the van they're operating out of, etc.), and therefore keeps viewers of all ages entertained and invested in what's going on. If you somehow haven't seen this comedy, I recommend giving it a watch (especially at this time of year), because John Hughes and Chris Columbus proved they make one heck of a filmmaking team with Home Alone!

Before we get to my pick for #1, here's an honorable mention: 

HM: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

Let's just say, there's a good reason this animated film is regularly put on at Christmastime! This TV adaptation of the renowned Dr. Suess book of the same name almost effortlessly captures the spirit of its source material, which is helped by the fact that Dr. Suess himself penned the screenplay and provided the lyrics for the songs heard throughout the special! Even though Suess' contributions are certainly worth praising, what really helps this animated retelling of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! shine is having the legendary Chuck Jones as the director. Jones brought his experience from directing various Looney Tunes shorts to this project, and his signature style is on full display, especially in regard to the humor, with most of it coming from visual gags that blend surprisingly well with the world originated by Dr. Suess! Another thing to enjoy about this short film is how excellent its pacing is, as enough time is given to establish the Grinch as a character, set up the parts that'll factor into his Christmas heist (e.g., creating his Santa disguise, getting his own 'reindeer' in the form of his hapless dog Max, etc.), the heist itself (which eventually gets accompanied by the delightfully fitting, "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch", sung by Thurl Ravenscroft), and both the climax and resolution, all in a runtime of less than half an hour! Finally, the message, that the true meaning of Christmas lies in cherishing being with those you love (as demonstrated by the Whos, who still passionately sing all together despite their sudden lack of presents courtesy of the Grinch) is particularly timely in this era of rampant commercialism. What keeps this animated short as just an honorable mention, however, are two factors: its runtime of 25 minutes (which means less content overall compared to the numbered entries on this list), and how it's simply (and arguably) outclassed by the other 3 movies listed here. Despite this, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has deservedly earned its place as a holiday classic, and undeniably warrants its high Rotten Tomatoes score of a whopping 100% 'Fresh'!

And my #1 favorite Christmas movie is:

#1: Die Hard

Now, I know what many of you are likely thinking: "What? Yes, Die Hard is extremely well-regarded, but how does it qualify as a Christmas movie?!?" Well, there are two factors to consider: firstly, this flick's events occur on Christmas Eve, with the holiday being referenced by name multiple times throughout the film as if to remind audiences of this, and second, there's not one, but two Christmas-themed songs that can be heard in the movie. First is "Christmas in Hollis" by the hip hop group Run-DMC that's heard near the beginning of the movie as our hero, John McClane, arrives at Nakatomi Plaza (the skyscraper that serves as the film's setting), and second is Vaughn Monroe's rendition of "Let it Snow" which plays over the end credits. With that out of the way, Die Hard shines thanks to its several well-executed set pieces (e.g., the various chases/shootouts with terrorists, a brutal-looking throwdown with the secondary antagonist Karl, etc.), unique premise (a New York-based cop finds himself trapped in a Los Angeles skyscraper against over a dozen terrorists who've taken hostages that include said cop's wife), and especially its terrific cast! Firstly, Bruce Willis proves himself to be a shining example of perfect casting as John McClane, as he captures the aura of an 'everyman' with little effort, and he exudes plenty of charisma in his onscreen performance, to the point that it's easy to root for McClane even before bullets start flying. And of course, Willis' excellently deadpan delivery of lines, such as his now-iconic catchphrase "Yippee-ki-yay, motherf****r", helps to make them stand out that much more. While Willis manages to carry Die Hard well enough on his own, the late great Alan Rickman easily rivals him in terms of terrific portrayals, as he brings terrorist ringleader Hans Gruber to life in such a memorable way that it's all but impossible to picture anyone else realizing him in the way Rickman does. It certainly helps that Gruber is allowed several humorous/somewhat light-hearted moments (e.g., his brief comments regarding Mr. Takagi's suit prior to the latter's untimely end) that help to balance out his more depraved actions. This prevents Gruber from coming off as a one-note antagonist like other action movie villains and makes this conniving foe yet another thing worth remembering in Die Hard! Top these two main characters and performances off with a supporting cast made up of such individuals as Reginald VelJohnson (aka Carl Winslow in the TV show Family Matters) as policeman Al Powell, Alexander Godunov as the vengeance-obsessed Karl, and De'voreaux White as John McClane's youthful and inexperienced limousine driver Argyle, and you have an admirable cast propping up an already impressive action flick! Even though it's over 3 decades old (having come out in 1988), I highly recommend checking out Die Hard; it's been considered by many to be one of the greatest action films of all time, and it certainly deserves such an honor!
 
And that does it for the list of my top 3 favorite Christmas movies! Once again, feel free to leave any thoughts you may have in the comments (whether they may be of your favorite Christmas films or otherwise), and have a merry Christmas, as well as a happy New Year!

Tropic Thunder review

Is this film up there with parody comedies like the works of Mel Brooks, or is it as much of a disaster as the in-universe movie almost turned out? Let’s find out in this review of:

 

 

Ben Stiller may be primarily known in the entertainment industry as an actor and comedian, but he’s also dabbled in directing his own cinematic works. Although he isn’t exactly on the level of comedic filmmakers such as Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers (who, together, directed the comedy classic Airplane!), in 2008, Stiller managed to capture lightning in a bottle with Tropic Thunder, a movie that sees a group of Hollywood actors getting a lot more than they bargained for while attempting to make a movie out of a Vietnam War veteran’s book. This film is a true comedy gem, with the humor sprinkled throughout repeatedly hitting home-run thanks to how smartly written it is. Top that off with a cast that oozes talent, and it’s safe to say audiences are in for a ride of a cinematic experience!

 

Tropic Thunder revolves around a motley group of Hollywood actors trying to make a big-budget movie adaptation of the book of Vietnam War veteran Four Leaf Tayback (brought to life by Nick Nolte). However, as the production descends into chaos (evoking the infamously troubled production of Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, one of the war movies Tropic Thunder pokes fun at), the actors are taken deep into the remote Asian jungle as an attempt by director Damien Cockburn (portrayed by Steve Coogan) to get genuine-looking performances out of them to save the movie from being shut down. However, neither the cast nor crew making this movie-within-a-movie know the jungle they’re filming in is within the territory of the drug-manufacturing gang known as Flaming Dragon, and the danger that's detailed within the script the actors are following soon becomes far less artificial…

 

One of this movie’s major highlights has to be its cast, which consists of such names as the aforementioned Ben Stiller, Jack Black (aka Po in DreamWorks' Kung Fu Panda film series), Robert Downey Jr. (best known as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), Jay Baruchel (aka Hiccup in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise), Danny McBride, Tom Cruise (of Mission: Impossible fame), and Reggie Lee (who’s had roles in The Fast and the Furious, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises). While the actors involved are all excellent as their respective characters, it’s both Cruise and Downey who truly stand out from the crowd. Even though he plays Les Grossman, an foul-tempered and greed-fueled film producer, Cruise nonetheless seamlessly infuses his character with enough charisma and moments of humor (such as this golden scene) that viewers will be unable to help but relish whenever Grossman is onscreen. As for Robert Downey Jr., finding someone willing to play Kirk Lazarus, an Australian method actor (in-universe) who has the audacity to do what equates to blackface in order to play an African-American character, would be a nearly impossible feat (thanks to how taboo the concept of blackface is). Despite this, Downey pulls off portraying "A dude playin' a dude disguised as another dude" so incredibly well that one would be hard-pressed to believe it’s actually him playing Lazarus! Suffice to say, Downey earned his Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and if he didn't have to compete with the late Heath Ledger's legendary portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight, there's a strong chance Downey might've taken home the Oscar!

 

While the ensemble cast is, without a doubt, a standout feature of Tropic Thunder, they wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable as they are without the script penned by Justin Theroux, Etan Cohen (no relation to Ethan and Joel Coen, aka the Coen Brothers) and Stiller himself. The trio’s screenplay gleefully satirizes various facets of Hollywood and the American movie industry as a whole (which is arguably best demonstrated in the fake movie trailers the film opens with that give audiences an introduction to Stiller, Black, and Downey's characters) in a way that’s shrewd without becoming too confusing for more casual viewers to follow. The humor in this script, while leaning very much on the satirical side (especially in regard to such topics as method acting and typecasting), is also not without several moments of taking full advantage of the fact that Tropic Thunder is R-rated. F-bombs and similarly vulgar language are practically rapid-fired by various cast members throughout the entire film, and despite this, the movie somehow manages to make this incessant use of such crude language work, which is testament to the tone and characterization, as well as world, that Stiller and company have created. 

 

Tropic Thunder is an incredibly entertaining comedy that succeeds thanks to its ability to cater to multiple kinds of viewers. Movie buffs are sure to get enjoyment out of this flick’s lampooning of the modern-day film industry (and the entertainment business in general), while casual viewers can get a kick out of seeing some of their favorite stars bounce off each other and exchange all kinds of vulgar language. It's truly a shame that this movie seems to have fallen under the radar in the years since its release, so consider this a strong recommendation to give it a watch!

News regarding future content

 Hey there, readers! Just wanted to give everyone a heads-up. Now that I'm finished with my college classes for the fall semester, I'll have much more time to upload new content, so keep an eye out in the near future! For my next review, I'm shaking things up a bit in that the review format will be a bit different from past reviews like those for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King or Jurassic World. I just wanted to let you all know as a bit of a disclaimer so you aren't taken by surprise come my next review. I'll see you all soon!