5. Arrival
Arrival is a very different science fiction film. There is no fights, no action, no explosions. But instead, focuses on the science side of Sci-Fi. In this film you see multiple alien aircrafts arrive on Earth but make no attempt to contact humans. Linguistic, Louise Banks (Amy Adams) teams up with Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner) to try and figure out and understand why these aliens are on Earth. Arrival is incredibly different to other Sci-Fi films. It is stripped back of the over the top CGI, making you truly connect with the characters and the plot. This film is not only entertaining but makes you think too. It will have you questioning the whole structure of life and how we, think we, understand it.
4. Bridget Jones's Baby
Bridget Jones is a classic film and this is the third film in the trilogy, and it does its precursors justice. This is the funniest film I have seen in 2016, I could not stop laughing throughout. As the name would suggest, Bridget Jones (Renée Zellwege) is having a baby but unfortunately, doesn't know who her baby daddy is. There is not too much I can say about this film, my recommendation would be not to read too much about it and just dive straight in.
3. Moana
Moana is the newest 'Disney Princess'. This film gives Frozen a run for its money. Not only does it have an incredible soundtrack but it also has a great plot, with beautiful characters. Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) is a smart, strong and independent character who is a near-perfect role model for the children watching this film. Although other princess films like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White are great, they weren't made for this generation, they might not be all that relevant to kids anymore. That's why I love how Disney is developing their new characters to fit with the times. Moana is a story about the ocean and a demigod, it's about this young girl who must face incredible dangers to save her family and island. If that doesn't sound like the perfect Disney film, what does?
2. Zootopia
This is on of the best Disney films realised in a very long time. This film is so action packed, there is so much to it. Every time you watch this beauty, you will discover something new. It has so many hidden messages that are dealt with in the right way to not shove it down the audience's throat. And although myself and my friend were one of the only people in the cinema without a child, you will enjoy this film despite your age. Zootopia is about Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) who enlists the help of her new fox friend (Jason Bateman) to solve the case of mysterious disappearances of animals. If you haven't seen this film yet or you're not a typical Disney fan, give it a go anyway, try everything, and you might just find yourself giggling along. I firmly believe that this film will go down in history as one of the Disney classics.
Honourable Mention: Deadpool.
Although this film did not make my top five, as two superhero films in one list can get a bit much, I wanted to mention it. It is arguably one of the best X-Men films and Ryan Reynolds is absolutely perfect as Wade Wilson.
This was my most anticipated film of the year and, boy did it deliver. Making a film with that many Avengers, with some of the most iconic Marvel heroes, along with the arrival of Spider-Man to the MCU, with the plot of one of the biggest comic book events is a tricky job. I take my hat off to Joe and Anthony Russo because they pulled it off. Although it could be argued that Civil War is more of an Iron Man or Avenger film than Captain America, it was still great. The reason this film is at my number one of 2016 is because it made me feel more emotions than any film this year. I was crying from the excitement as soon as I saw the Marvel logo appear, and with the heartbreaking flashbacks, the death of a beloved character, the emotional and heart-wrenching arguments, and the hilarious dialogue from Spider-Man and Ant-Man, I did not stop crying until after the end credits. This is a must see for any Marvel or superhero fan.
2017 looks hopeful on the cinema front, let us hope the big titles live up to the expectations.
I also did a video of my top 5 TV shows of 2016 over on my YouTube channel!