We all love movies so much, that it's hard to pick what the best ones are. However, having grown up watching a ton of them, I thought I'd offer my opinion on what I think are the best. Granted, this is all based on my personal opinion and may not reflect what are universally considered the best films (for example, Citizen Kane will not be featured on this list). These are films that have either had a profound impact on me in some way, or that have just been good enough to watch over and over again. And keep in mind, some of the movies on this list are purely entertaining, having little merit in the arts - but that's okay. So with that being said, these are what I consider to be the best movies of all time.
#10: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1984
This is another one that comes down to personal preference. Raiders of the Lost Ark redefined the action genre and brought us a new kind of hero, in the form of a whip-wielding archaeologist made famous by Harrison Ford. In all actuality, it was inspired by the action/adventure serials of the 50s, and gave us everything, from flaming bar fights, to car chases in the desert, in an epic quest that pitted our heroes against the Nazis in a race to find the holy Ark of the Covenant. The film was so big for even Spielberg and Lucas, that a few ideas were left out; such as a mine cart chase. Temple of Doom continued the tradition of the original. Sure, the Nazis were absent and most of the film was confined to the dark reaches of an evil palace - but that didn't mean it was any less entertaining! In this prequel, set one year before Raiders, Indy and friends Short Round and singer Willie Scott land in India (quite literally) and end up going after the sacred Ankara stones, which were stolen from a poor village - along with the townspeople's children. The film bled into darker territory, with a bloodthirsty villain that led an ancient religious cult. It moved at a slower pace, but I felt it also gave us time to warm up to the characters a little more. And once the action starts, it simply doesn't let up. And I know, there aren't any races in the desert, and Indy isn't seen leaping from a horse or sliding under a moving vehicle - but it has great fist fights, a lot of suspense, and... get this... a mine cart chase through the palace tunnels! Some of the wilder moments (such as Indy and friends falling from a plane using an inflatable raft) are seen as silly, but I think the over-the-top nature of it makes it all the more enjoyable. People tend to complain the further a movie moves from reality, but when I go see a movie, I want to suspend disbelief, and this is the film I think of when I think Indiana Jones. Some would say of all the Indiana Jones films, this one sticks out like a sore thumb - but that's why I like it, because it's kind of a departure.
#9: The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King, 2003
Peter Jackson crafted a film trilogy that was so epic and so memorable, that it's really one of the only modern pieces of cinema that people still love to talk about. Both Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers are brilliant in their own rights, but generally the third act of a trilogy tends to fall flat. Return of the King surpassed everyone's expectations, giving us breathtaking battles and believable characters that filled the screen. At one point, it stopped feeling like a movie because there was just so much stuff going on at any given time... it's a true accomplishment. Whenever a fantasy movie comes out, there's a sense that everything is compared to this one film, and it starts to become a letdown when they don't give us the same level of quality that this one did. The ending is simply epic; yes, I know a lot of people claim that it has too many endings, but you have to realize that it ended one of the greatest trilogies in movie history, so I thought it was definitely called for. It's a real tear jerker, and its only real fault is its epic run-time; if you've experienced Jackson's Extended Edition, you're looking at a film that's well over four hours - a little long for my tastes. Needless to say, Return of the King is rampant with action, character dilemmas, and cinematic gold.
#8: Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, 2005
Yes, I know... the classic trilogy will never die. If you asked me what the most memorable of the Star Wars films were, I'd probably say The Empire Strikes Back, and choosing this one over one of the classics is a pretty tough call. But when you look at the actual scope of the story, its place in the saga, the epic battles and the emotional impact - not to mention its segue into the original Star Wars film - there's a lot to like here. John Williams is at the top of his game with the triumphant score, as are most of the the performances (aside from Natalie Portman... she still seems pretty wooden). It has its flaws; the romance between Padme and Anakin is as contrived as ever, and there's that laughable moment when Darth Vader steps off the platform and realizes what happened to his beloved Padme. But the lightsaber battles, the story, and the characters are as in-tune with the saga as you're going to get.
#7: Interstate 60, 2002
This is one of those movies you pick up because you notice who the filmmaker is: Bob Gale, the guy who wrote all of the Back to the Future movies. It's also an undiscovered gem, dodging a theatrical release for reasons unknown. This is really just a great story, full of thought-provoking insight and sugarcoated with memorable performances. Neal Oliver (played by X-Men's James Marsden), an aspiring artist, tries to avoid becoming his father's shadow by sticking with his dream. On his birthday, he encounters a waiter (played by a red-headed, charismatic Gary Oldman) who grants him a wish. The wish itself is intriguing, although expected: Neal wishes for an answer to his life. He meets with the enigmatic Ray (Christopher Lloyd), who gives him a package to deliver to the city of Danver, which is a city he'll get to by traveling the fictional route of Interstate 60. Neal reluctantly takes the package, finds the uncharted highway, and encounters all sorts of whimsy characters that he helps out on his journey through the interstate. There are all sorts of memorable characters, namely O.W. Grant (the Gary Oldman character serving as the Master of Ceremonies) and a charmingly psychotic cancer patient named Bob Cody (Chris Cooper). There are also several enjoyable cameos from Michael J. Fox, Kurt Russell, and Amy Johnson (the Pink Power Ranger). From start to finish, this film is non-stop entertainment. It's simply told, with very little if any special effects to sugarcoat it, and it asks a lot of moral questions that adds to the charm and the humor.
#6: Moulin Rouge!, 2001
I would almost swear that Baz Luhrmann's musical masterpiece suffers from a form of bi-polar disorder. It starts off dark and depressing, revealing the central character Christian (Ewan McGregor) as a suicidal writer, grieving over the loss of his lover. Within seconds, however, the film ups its tone 50 notches, becoming an explosion of color and over-the-top energy that would throw even the most avant-garde filmgoers offguard. The film becomes one big flashback of Christian's journey to France, where he meets Toulouse-Lautrec and his happy-go-lucky band of Bohemian revolutionaries. It's completely out-of-character when contrasting the film's opening, and yet undeniably enjoyable, as the film's visuals take us on a rollercoaster ride of acid-induced entertainment, swinging us through the doors of the underground nightclub, the Moulin Rouge, run by the eccentric Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent). The premise is a basic love story, in which Christian falls in love with Satine (Nicole Kidman), a courtisan making her living at the Moulin Rouge - she makes her entrance by performing a dazzling rendition of Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend. In between her and Christian is a corrupt Duke who is on the brink of transforming the nightclub into a spectacular theater; the only catch is that he gets to claim ownership of Satine. McGregor and Kidman are great together, and you genuinely believe they fall in love through brilliant, fantastical set pieces. During the course of the film, they continually have to hide their love from the Duke, who becomes progressively jealous of their time spent together. It also gets pretty dramatic, as on several occassions Satine gets dragged off to the Duke's bedroom. Without spoiling how it all ends, it always gets dangerously close to the realistic solution: does the girl go with the rich and powerful Duke, securing a financial future, or does she follow her heart, throw away her dreams and live happily ever after with the penniless writer? Granted, I can see how the film's whimsy dance numbers and exotic lightshows would turn away unsuspecting viewers; but to me, that's what makes it so great - that, and one hell of a dramatic love story.
#5: Back to the Future Part II, 1989
While all three Back to the Future movies are definitely classics, this one is my personal favorite. It's able to maintain the spark and the humor of the first movie while throwing in some unusually complex time travel elements, and that's a hard balancing act for most sequels. Doc Brown takes Marty and his girlfriend to the year 2015 in order to save his family from disaster. While there, the future Biff steals the time machine to travel back to 1955, in order to change history, making himself a powerful entreprenuer. This results in a cascade of events, causing an alternate timeline that transforms the current 1985 - thus creating a parallel 1985 in which all the characters are changed around into Twilight Zone-versions of themselves. I like the slightly darker atmosphere of this one. Whereas in the original film the main antagonist was time, this one contains a more threatening villain in the form of Biff, the film's pivotal character. Sure, he was a high school bully before, but this time he's married to Marty's mother - and he's a murder suspect. I also love how we get to see various time periods - the future, an alternative version of the 80s, and then finally venturing back to 1955, which was the period of the first movie. My favorite part of the film is when they travel to the future. The jokes are all spot-on, and when Marty walks into the Cafe 80s, it's as if the movie is making fun of the decade it takes place in. Today, it's common for movies like The Wedding Singer and Hot Tub Time Machine to make fun of the 80s; but this is an 80s film making fun of itself. It's also the most bizarre film in the trilogy, because it approaches the climaxing events of the first film from a different perspective. All these elements make this such a stand-out sequel for me, and there are so many other scenes (such as seeing the futurisitic McFly family, where Michael J. Fox plays everyone) that defines this as a great sequel. Don't get me wrong, the original is certainly a classic, but the sequel manages to top it.
#4: Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1988
A 1940s-style murder caper with an animated rabbit as the prime suspect - what more could an animation fan ask for? This certainly wasn't the first time live-action was blended with animation, but it was the first film to get it so perfect. Watching Bob Hoskins interact with Roger and the rest of the animated characters is a treat, and the live-action villain, Judge Doom (played by Christopher Lloyd) is just as memorable. It was also our first glimpse at the jaw-dropping, vivacious Jessica Rabbit. Yeah, it caused a lot of ruckus from pervs everywhere, especially with the supposed Laser Disc release where people were noticing certain "animation easter eggs" hinting at partial nudity. Regardless, this is just such a wild ride, with a great story, great characters, and a lot of energy from beginning to end. It serves as an excellent homage to the golden age of animation, with the highlights being cameos from several classic characters, namely Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse.
#3: Starship Troopers, 1997
In a futuristic society, humans have waged war against giant blood-thirsty arachnids! It's a pretty basic concept, but director Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Total Recall) made such a sweeping epic out of it, that it's hard not to enjoy the hell out of it! It came out at a time when CGI special effects were becoming the norm, but everything from the bugs to the spaceships look great. It possesses that gritty look that a lot of 80s sci-fi movies had, and it's one-upped by its larger-than-life full scale battles and Basil Poledouris' epic score. Of course, the most important aspect of any film is the characters, and this one's no exception. Casper Van Dien plays the film's protagonist, Johnny Rico, as he starts off as an adventurous cadet of the mobile infantry and advances through the ranks; he gets separated from his high school sweetheart Carmen (Denise Richards), and befriends the loud-mouthed Ace and high school pal Diz (Jake Busey and Dina Meyer). There's also Michael Ironside playing a cold-hearted but likable military leader of freedom fighters called the Roughnecks; and Clancy Brown even makes an appearance as a stone-cold sergeant. The story bounces back and forth between characters, but they always tend to meet in the midst of battle. The film is really one large campaign, as Earth survivors plan an assault on the alien world of Klendathu. It was also followed by a computer-generated animated series, as well as two forgettable direct-to-video sequels. Casper Van Dien reprised his role in Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, but I'd only recommend it if you're in serious need of your bug-bashing fix. As it stands, this is one of the greatest sci-fi epics to date.
#2: The Shawshank Redemption, 1994
Frankly, I'm surprised I don't see this on more peoples' top 10 lists - it's that good. I once had a film class where the instructor asked everyone to write down their top five favorite movies. When he tallied up the votes, Shawshank Redemption was on seven students' lists. When you look at how many movies are in existence, that's saying something. Based on Stephen King's non-horror novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the tale follows ex-banker Andy Dufresne as he's sent to prison for murdering his wife and her lover. While inside, Andy undergoes a dreadfully routine way of prison life as he's scrutinized by fellow lifer Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman). However, as time goes by Andy becomes somewhat of an enigmatic legend, uplifting the hopes of his fellow inmates while currying favor with the guards. Frank Darabont did such a great job not only crafting a flawless screenplay, but directing a movie that is completely fulfilling and rewarding. There isn't one bad performance to be had in this film, with Freeman narrating the story brilliantly. At the same time, it examines themes of being institutionalized, finding hope inside of hopelessness, and finding friendship in a place as cold-natured as prison. At its surface, this is simply the story of two men who find companionship from within the confines of prison - but those who've seen it know it goes far beyond that.
#1: Forrest Gump, 1994
Aside from everyone and their grandmother making fun of the title character for his lack of an I.Q., this is such a likeable movie. Helmed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit), I believe it was the film that really made Tom Hanks stand out as one of the greatest actors of all time. The story, about a southerner with a low I.Q. who impacts major moments of 20th century American history, is so enjoyable and often emotional as it takes us on a journey that spans 30 years. The cinematography is bright and colorful, but also appears gritty when it needs to be. I especially love the scenes in Vietnam, where we only get the battles through Forrest's eyes - if you notice, we never actually see the Viet Kong. The scenes with Forrest running past rivers and sunsets as he explains his journey to Jenny Cullin toward the end are also spellbinding. This is also one of those films where the special effects don't call attention to themselves. In 1994, a year after Jurassic Park made its mark on cinematic history with ILM's lavish visuals, CGI in film was still at an experimental stage. However, we saw Forrest interact with such historical figures as Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy seemlessly. We believed it when the crotchety Lieutenant Dan (played by Gary Sinise) lost his legs. There are so many visual effects shots in this film, and most of the time it's as if they aren't there - that's the power of a truly remarkable story.