SFFWorld Review of the Year 2016: Part 3 Film & TV

It’s that time of year when, as we have done for the last decade or so, we have dragged ourselves from the revelries here at SFFWorld to try and put some sort of order to our favourite (and not so favourite!) stuff from 2016.

And so, as 2017 approaches, here’s the third and final part of our attempt to show what we liked (or didn’t) this year. (The first part, on Fantasy & Horror books, is HERE and the second, on SF Books, is HERE. )

In this last part we’ve written about what we’ve liked/not liked/noticed in Film and TV.

Taking part are Rob Bedford (Rob), Mark Chitty (MarkC), and Mark Yon (MarkY).

Part 3: Genre Film and TV.

Let’s start with film.

3a. Film

To start with, here are the Top 20 grossing films in the UK for 2016 at the time of typing in mid-December (not including the final result for Star Wars: Rogue One, which, of course, should continue to go up this list.) Like last year, though this is a UK list, I doubt the general list will change much for the US.

Mark Yon’s comments: Like last year, it is pleasing to see that the majority of the Top 20 are genre movies. Many of them reflect the ongoing nature of series and franchises. Interesting to see that, even though it is only been released for a week at the time of writing, Rogue One has earned more than Star Trek Beyond.

I really enjoyed Rogue One, and was less enamoured with Star Trek Beyond. As I said in my review, Star Wars was a fan-movie that ticked all the boxes, with a grittier edge than The Force Awakens. Star Trek Beyond was also a fan-movie (appropriately for the 50^th anniversary year of the TV series) but I liked it less. The plot was more akin to the old style of the television series but some major plot weaknesses and an unimpressive villain made it a disappointment for me.

Of the others mentioned in the list, Doctor Strange was better than I thought it was going to be, despite Benedict Cumberbatch’s odd American accent. It was also one of the first movies I’ve seen in recent years that was worth seeing in 3D.

XMen: Apocalypse was a little disappointing, despite a quality cast. In particular, Michael Fassbender as Magneto seemed to be phoning his role in, though the rest did well to wrestle with a dull script (which really shouldn’t have been.)

Captain America: Civil War was good, but, surprisingly, I enjoyed it less than The Winter Soldier (though more than Age of Ultron.) There were major changes which were troubling for me (the new Spiderman being one of them) but Robert Downey Jr continued to dominate whenever he appeared onscreen. Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther did impress, though.

Finding Dory was, after a lengthy and often-delayed production, generally well-received, especially for a sequel. Fantastic Beasts, the Harry Potter prequel, had a rather mixed critical reception, with your like or dislike rather dependent on your opinion of Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne. (Not a fan myself.) Oh, and your ability to suspend your disbelief with some jarring plot holes and inconsistencies.

Deadpool was great fun and perhaps the biggest superhero movie of the year. It was the biggest R-rated movie ever, and seemed to reinstate Ryan Reynolds as an actor worth watching.

Much less successful (critically, anyway) was the Zack Snyder DC franchise movies, Batman vs Superman and Suicide Squad. Personally I didn’t think that they were that bad, and certainly didn’t merit the venom unleashed on either movie from some quarters of the Twitternet. The biggest issue for me (and many others!) was what I shall refer to as “the Martha moment”, which near-ruined what had been a good movie to that point, but (for me, anyway) was not a total deal-breaker.

The Legend of Tarzan was a brave attempt to remake Tarzan. In my opinion, it was well done, but rather too dark for a wide audience.

There were parts of Independence Day: Resurgence that I liked – but not much.

Unlike Ghostbusters (the remake.) Many have told me that it is better than some would suggest. Me, I just can’t face it – still. See also Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. I suspect I may not have been the designated target audience for these movies…

Movies not on the Top 20 list, but worth a mention: Arrival was this year’s The Martian. Whilst never expected to reach the big bucks, it’s thoughtful and more sf-nal plot, based on the brilliant story by Ted Chiang, did respectfully well. Personally I’m pleased movies like this appear, as well as the big popcorn blockbusters. I hope to see more of these in the future.

I’m not a huge fan of zombies, but I loved The Girl With All the Gifts. With a script written by M. R. (Mike) Carey, and based on his own book, this was a movie with a low budget but had a terrific cast. I expected actors like Glenn Close, Paddy Considine and Gemma Arterton to be good, but newcomer Sennia Nanua was jaw-dropping in her portrayal of young Melanie. Startlingly good, if a little different to the novel.

Midnight Special had a vibe that wasn’t far away from the X-Files or Stranger Things (more on that later.) It was small-budget, but enjoyable, even if it didn’t quite hold it together at the end.

Surprise of the year: Shin Godzilla (aka Godzilla Resurgence) takes itself very seriously (on the whole) but I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. It’s a Godzilla origin story, and looks great on the whole, though there are some very wobbly monster models at the start.  With subtitles, so not for everyone.

Best movies of the year for me:

1. Rogue One
2. The Girl With All the Gifts
3. Deadpool
4. Shin Godzilla
5. Captain America: Civil War

Rob’s Thoughts

Most of what I saw in theaters this year was genre related as it turns out. I didn’t see all of the Superhero films, but what I saw in cinemas I enjoyed quite a bit. The standouts are Avengers 2.5: Captain America: Civil War and Deadpool. Doctor Strange was fun and Suicide Squad turned out much better than I expected it would, largely on the magnetic performance of Margot Robbie as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, A.K.A. Harley Quinn. I was happy to wait for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice to come to cable television. It was a hot mess, but the standout was Gal Godot as Wonder Woman, which gives me a great deal of hope for the 2017 feature film.

I was also very happy with 10 Cloverfield Lane a “spiritual sequel?” or “side-quel” to J.J. Abrams’ Cloverfield.  They are set in the same universe, I think?  However you cut it, the film was entertaining and featured solid performances from John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Basically, Goodman’s character keeps Winstead’s character captive “for her own good” in an underground doomsday bunker. Much of the film’s tension comes from their relationship and interaction and the question of whether Goodman’s character is crazed or spot on with his end of the world preparations.

A pleasant surprise was the Warcraft film. I’ve no fannish allegiances to the game, but it looked like it might be a fun fantasy film.  It was that and more, I think.  Enjoyable scenery, capable acting with tongues firmly planted in cheek. The wife and I left the theatre laughing at what we saw for how it was fun and predictable, but we both NEED to see more of this world.

Everything; however, was preamble to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story which was fantastic. Easily the darkest of the Star Wars films, but also one of the most tightly plotted. I would have liked to have seen a little more character development, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all. And Darth Vader….Darth Vader is in it only minimally, but his appearances were perfectly executed.

MarkC’s Thoughts

I’ve watched a fair few movies this year, both cinema releases and plenty of home entertainment. Of the new releases I’ve watched I was certainly looking forward to some of them, and while some met expectations, it’s easy to say not all did.

The Fifth Wave was one I knew nothing about, but it didn’t work well enough for me. Deadpool, on the other hand, was everything I wanted from it, and more. The Other Side of the Door was a bit rubbish (not that I was expecting much), and The Witch also fell woefully short of expectations after hearing such good things.

10 Cloverfield Lane was a great film, and one I was pleased I went into without hearing too much about the plot beforehand. Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice was a mess, but Wonder Woman was great – looking forward to see her movie next year.

I caught Hardcore Henry at the cinema, and glad I did – it may not be for everyone, but I loved the first-person perspective it gave throughout. The Jungle Book was okay, better than expected on my part. Captain America: Civil War was another hit for Marvel and it did an exceptional job considering how many heroes were present.

X-Men: Apocalypse, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and Warcraft were all okay in their own way, if not particularly good overall, though Warcraft did have some promise. Gods of Egypt was just terrible.

The Conjuring 2 was excellent with a great cast once again. Independence Day: Resurgence was dire, and their aim to start a bigger universe failed. The Secret Life of Pets, however, was much fun, and so was Central Intelligence.

Ghostbusters…. The less said, the better. Star Trek Beyond also disappointed – it wasn’t bad, but it had the feel of an episode rather than movie. The BFG was okay for what it was, as was Jason Bourne. Suicide Squad had some great parts, but also fell flat on others, which was a shame.

The adaption of King’s Cell was one I really was looking forward to, but it just didn’t work as I’d hoped. Equals wasn’t too bad, and Sausage Party was just ridiculous.

The tail end of the year brought with it Doctor Strange, which was good in the way it introduced magic to the MCU. Arrival was amazing, not only one of the best films of the year, but one of the best in recent memory. Rogue One also hit the nail on the head and delivered a Star Wars story in the right way (though I still prefer The Force Awakens).

My top 5 films of the year can easily be listed as follows:

1. Arrival
2. Deadpool
3. Captain America: Civil War
4. The Conjuring 2
5. Rogue One

3b. Television

Mark Yon’s comments:  This year’s genre TV has been one of the strongest I can remember. More than ever before, much of this has been through streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime which, as I said they would last year, have risen to global importance this year.

Some have worked better than others for me. I struggled to face Mr. Robot for a second season, though it has its fans. I was also unimpressed by Netflix’s Luke Cage, which was far too drawn out for me. I am currently on season two of the recently-released The Man in the High Castle on Amazon, which I am enjoying, although it is different.

Season 6 of Game of Thrones really took flight after treading water in Season 5 last year. It is still one of the world’s most watched television series, and you could see where most of the budget was spent in this season’s episodes. It bodes well for the remaining episodes, though how close it is to the novels by the end is anyone’s guess.

The year’s new success for me, by a long, long way, has to be Netflix’s Stranger Things. I watched the whole series in a weekend, the first time I have done that. Whilst its transmission was not the second coming, as some have suggested, it was a great mash-up of Stephen King’s novels and films and 1980’s references.

Almost as successful for me (and certainly critically acclaimed) is HBO’s Westworld, which showed us that television can produce thoughtful, intelligent and entertaining television.  The second series of the UK series Humans followed a similar vein, albeit on a cheaper budget, and was just as entertaining.

Whilst I’m thinking of series that were surprisingly good, The Exorcist was much, much better than I thought it was going to be. Timeless was clichéd, but fun, in the same way Warehouse 13 was. I enjoyed Supergirl in its second series, though there were cast changes made from Season One.

Here in the UK, Season Eleven of Red Dwarf was better than I thought it was going to be whilst Doctor Who took a rest. Here’s hoping (though I’m thinking unlikely) that the series’ rest means that it comes back in the next couple of weeks better than the dismal series of last year.

There are signs of more series to come in 2017. Like last year, whether they are any good or not, time will tell. (Of the ones I mentioned to watch last year, The Magicians seems to have been well received and The Expanse, despite a limited showing in the UK, is due for its second series very soon.) But the signs at the moment are healthy, provided that genre fatigue doesn’t set in.

Best Series:

1. Game of Thrones
2. Westworld
3. Stranger Things
4. The Exorcist
5. Supergirl

Rob’s Thoughts

I’ll echo Mark’s sentiments in that there was a lot of good stuff on television the past year and too much to really be able to watch all of it. Mr. Robot’s second season was excellent – a little uneven, but when it was strong, it was one of the strongest shows on television.

Game of Thrones kept rolling on as the show surpassed the novels.  Some amazing television hours this past season, with probably a few of the best episodes of the entire series.

Supergirl’s second season is going strong and if I told you when the show started that I missed Calista Flockhart’s Cat Grant, I wouldn’t believe you. But, because the show switched networks, and thus shooting locations, Flockhart didn’t make the move. I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but her absence is definitely felt. The producers felt the need to bring Superman into the show for the first 2 episodes of the second season and it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. I was concerned Kal-El would overshadow Kara, but he was definitely a secondary character for his episodes.

Orphan Black had another strong season, its penultimate, leaving a little bit of a mess for our Clone Club to resolve before the series finishes.

The Expanse, based on the best-selling novels of the same name by James S.A. Corey (A.K.A. Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) debuted on the SyFy network. A bit of a slow start (much like the books), but by season’s end it turned into arguably the best SF show on television.

The big surprise for me; however, was Westworld. I foolishly dismissed it but word of mouth with friends and online pushed me to binge all 9 episodes over the two weeks before the season finale.  Overall, an extremely gripping show, beautifully shot, and amazingly acted, but a tad uneven over the course of the 10 episodes.  I can’t wait until this comes back in (hopefully) late 2017.

MarkC’s Thoughts

For a change I’ve watched more TV this year than I normally do, and what I’ve seen has been quite enjoyable. I’ve not watched Stranger Things yet (I really, really want to see it) or Westworld, I’m not up-to-date with Game of Thrones, and I gave up on The Walking Dead many seasons ago. But still, there’s more than enough out there to satisfy me.

11.22.63 was a great adaption of King’s novel, despite the small changes, and managed to tell the story in such a way that made me eager for the next episode. I’m so very glad that they didn’t do an ‘Under The Dome’ and extended it, it only needed the one season.

I watched the first season of Ash vs Evil Dead, and much fun it was. What I’ve seen of season 2 continues the fun, which was something I was very worried it might fail at. Another show that is very similar is Stan Against Evil, though the main problem with the show is the existence of Ash vs Evil Dead.

The return of Red Dwarf was great, and despite the gap between seasons it managed to re-capture some of what made it such a success in the 90’s.

I managed to also catch a few new SF shows: Dark Matter, The Man in the High Castle, The Expanse.

Dark Matter is going on to its third season next year, but I’m still making my way through season 2. It’s one of those shows that manages to get better the more you watch, and I suspect many may find much to enjoy if they persevered through the first few episodes.

I’m not an alternate history fan, and I’ve not read the book, but The Man in the High Castle was excellent. The acting, characters, and plotting just sucked me in from the first episode. I’m very much looking forward to getting to season 2 now.

The Expanse was also good SF, though it was slower than I remember that first novel being. However, it picked up pace with each episode and finished the season in such a way that season 2 should be even better.

And that’s it for this year. Here’s to more good stuff in 2017: we hope that you’ve found some of that useful!

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