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 2017. Here’s our last review of the year.
The first part, on Fantasy & Horror books is HERE and the second part on Science Fiction is HERE.
And so, in the finest traditions of trying to reduce our lists to five in each category, here’s the last part of our attempt to show what we liked (or didn’t) this year. Taking part are Rob Bedford (Rob), Mark Chitty (MarkC) and Mark Yon (MarkY).
Part A: Film
As ever, let’s begin with a list of the top grossing movies of 2017:
with the usual proviso that the table’s not taking into account the figures for the last few days of 2017.
Looking through the list, the dominance of genre movies, as it has been for the last few years, is supreme. Fifteen of the top twenty are genre-related. However within that there are a lot of franchise movies – by my reckoning thirteen, with the other two being remakes. Nevertheless, for good or ill, it must be said that we are in a Golden Age of genre movies.
To our individual thoughts:
Mark Y: I saw many of these over 2017, but I must admit, for me, that superhero fatigue is starting to set in. there were some I chose not to. I didn’t see Thor:Ragnarok or Justice League myself, although friends seemed to like Ragnarok, with its Guardians of the Galaxy type tone.
Of the ones I did see, and talking of Guardians of the Galaxy, I really liked Vol.2, even when the plot didn’t quite hold together at the end. Similarly, The Last Jedi was fairly enjoyable. Though there were some very odd moments I didn’t like (without spoilers: phone call, milk, Mary Poppins), generally it looked great and I enjoyed it more than I disliked it. Being surrounded in the cinema by young viewers who loved it, I think it achieved what it wanted to do. In the same way, Spiderman: Homecoming was successful. Unlike most of the people who have seen it, I disliked it, though I thought Michael Keaton was great.
I was really looking forward to the LEGO Batman movie and whilst it was enjoyable, in the end it was a one-trick-pony that struggled to a satisfying ending. In contrast, Kong: Skull Island was a surprise, being more Apocalypse Now than King Kong. Ghost in the Shell looked amazing, though it was a remake not really needed. Similarly, The Mummy remake had some good parts but generally was woefully miscast in its lead, as well as having this year’s most annoying side-kick. Kingsman: The Golden Circle was great fun, though it tried too hard to out-Bond James Bond. Blade Runner 2049 was a real slow-burner, and divided viewers, but one that, despite the slightness of plot, I felt was worth seeing on a big screen, even if, to me, Ryan Gosling still looks like he’s attended the Keanu Reeves/Roger Moore School of One-Pose-Acting. Still, one of my most enjoyable experiences, even if it seriously under-performed at the box office. Luc Besson’s Valerian was as bonkers and as frustrating as I feared it might be. It deserved to do much better at the US box office, although it was better received here in Europe.
Wonder Woman was great, and deserved the positive credit it received, though not quite the Second Coming some heralded it to be. I much preferred Hidden Figures, though the rewriting of the history to fit an entertaining story tempered my view somewhat. However my favourite movie of the year, hands down, had to be Logan. Despite the seemingly-inevitable ‘child in peril’ plotline, the performances of Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stuart were simply superb. Not the usual X-Men movie, it was a gamble that paid off handsomely.
Rob B:
Looking at that list above, most of what I saw in theatres did quite well. The year started out strongly for genre film with Get Out, one of the smartest, boldest movies I’ve seen in years. I was a fan of Key & Peele and thought some of their most clever skits involved poking and prodding genre tropes so it isn’t too much of a surprise to me that Jordan Peele’s directorial effort was strong, but to have created such a powerful film that is so widely acclaimed is an impressive feat. Of all the superhero movies, I think Wonder Woman was my favorite. Sure it hit similar beats as the first Captain America film, but Gal Gadot inhabited the role so perfectly and seeing the Amazons on the screen was just an utter delight.
Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 was a lot of fun but then Thor: Ragnarok elevated that cosmic fun to an entirely new level. Great balance of action, flash and comedy put Ragnarok in the upper echelon of Marvel movies. Also in the upper echelon of Marvel movies is Logan, the darkest and probably the best-acted super hero movie we’ve yet to see. Hugh Jackman gave his strongest performance in the character he’s played in 7 movies over the course of 17 years, which lent an even more powerful weight to the character.
Kong: Skull Island surprised me the most. I love giant monster movies and was quite let down by the Peter Jackson King Kong from about a decade ago. Thankfully, that movie has no connection to this one which is part of the over-reaching MonsterVerse with the new Godzilla movie. I would even say Kong: Skull Island is a stronger move than Godzilla. Great performances, amazing look and a post credits stinger that establishes something really fun for the future of big monster movies.
Although initially released in 2016, one of the most enjoyable movies I saw in 2017 was a Netflix film: Beyond the Gates, which playfully and smartly pokes 1980s tropes. Two brothers find a VCR-Board Game in their father’s old video store. Dad has been missing for a number of years and the game just might be possessed. Few films; however, played with 1980s nostalgia as well as IT, the new adaptation of Stephen King’s epic horror novel. I didn’t find it to be nearly as scary as marketing, promotion, and other folks would have me believe and there were a couple of things that irked me, but it was a triumphant film and one of the best of all King adaptations.
Justice League was fun, if flawed and much better than most people expected. Shifting Wonder Woman to more of a central role worked, but the movie felt somewhat jumbled and only part of something larger, more so than any other super hero movie.
The year ended, of course, with Star Wars: The Last Jedi, arguably the most divisive Star Wars movie ever. For me, 90% of the movie worked perfectly, but I loved what happened in the film and more importantly, where Star Wars is heading. I thought Luke’s character arc was powerful and Mark Hamill was just fantastic, Daisy Ridley really came into her own to BE Rey and Adam Driver’s performance as Kylo Ren has set the bar for all Star Wars villains.
MarkC: I’ve not watched as many movies in 2017 as in previous years, but I managed to catch almost all of those I wanted to see, plus some I wished I hadn’t wasted my time on.
Starting with the best, I have to put Thor Ragnarok up there – a great addition to the MCU and it managed to be both funny and serious at the right times and in the right ways. Continuing with comic book movies, I thought Spider-Man Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, and Logan were all really good for various reasons, while I wasn’t as impressed with Wonder Woman and The LEGO Batman Movie. I missed Justice League, and I’m not even bothered that I did, which shows just how connected I am to DC’s offerings.
John Wick Chapter 2, Get Out, Baby Driver, 1922, and It were all equally gripping for their respective e reasons, with It and 1922 being particular favourites as a fan of King’s (and that they were both done so well).
I quite enjoyed Kong: Skull Island, Ghost in the Shell, Life, The Mummy, and Death Note, though each had their own hits and misses within.
Beauty and the Beast was fantastic, A Dog’s Purpose a disappointment compared to the book, The Boss Baby mindless fun, and Despicable Me 3 not as good is its predecessors.
Power Rangers was a mess, Transformers The Last Knight should be erased from existence, Geostorm was pants, and It Comes at Night was underwhelming.
Three films I was very much looking forward to were Alien Covenant, The Dark Tower, and Star Wars The Last Jedi. Alien Covenant was so disappointing in so many ways and I hope we don’t see any more films by Scott in this setting – I think t might be time for others to step in…. like that rumoured Alien movie of Neill Blomkamp that surfaced a few years back. The Dark Tower… I don’t know where to start, but effectively condensing an eight book epic, plus prequel comics, into a 90 minute film was possible the worst decision they could have made. And, of course, Star Wars The Last Jedi. Well, colour me indifferent.
Part B: TV
MarkC:
I’ve not watched as many movies in 2017 as in previous years, but I managed to catch almost all of those I wanted to see, plus some I wished I hadn’t wasted my time on.
Starting with the best, I have to put Thor Ragnarok up there – a great addition to the MCU and it managed to be both funny and serious at the right times and in the right ways. Continuing with comic book movies, I thought Spider-Man Homecoming, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, and Logan were all really good for various reasons, while I wasn’t as impressed with Wonder Woman and The LEGO Batman Movie. I missed Justice League, and I’m not even bothered that I did, which shows just how connected I am to DC’s offerings.
John Wick Chapter 2, Get Out, Baby Driver, 1922, and It were all equally gripping for their respective e reasons, with It and 1922 being particular favourites as a fan of King’s (and that they were both done so well).
I quite enjoyed Kong: Skull Island, Ghost in the Shell, Life, The Mummy, and Death Note, though each had their own hits and misses within.
Beauty and the Beast was fantastic, A Dog’s Purpose a disappointment compared to the book, The Boss Baby mindless fun, and Despicable Me 3 not as good is its predecessors.
Power Rangers was a mess, Transformers The Last Knight should be erased from existence, Geostorm was pants, and It Comes at Night was underwhelming.
Three films I was very much looking forward to were Alien Covenant, The Dark Tower, and Star Wars The Last Jedi. Alien Covenant was so disappointing in so many ways and I hope we don’t see any more films by Scott in this setting – I think it might be time for others to step in…. like that rumoured Alien movie of Neill Blomkamp that surfaced a few years back. The Dark Tower… I don’t know where to start, but effectively condensing an eight book epic, plus prequel comics, into a 90 minute film was possible the worst decision they could have made. And, of course, Star Wars The Last Jedi. Well, colour me indifferent.
Part B: TV
Mark Y: I can’t think of a time when genre TV has been so noticeable or influential. Sure, there have been many misses this year, but there’s been a lot to enjoy.
Of the returning series, Game of Thrones saw a welcome and much-needed return to form, even when its connections to the books are minimal and some of the plot contrivances, even for a Fantasy series, are strained. Doctor Who also improved, with a new Doctor at the end of the year highlighting a ripping up of the rule book. Stranger Things 2 was as good as I hoped it would be, despite some repetition. I also continued to watch Supergirl and The Man in the High Castle but not Mr. Robot, Lucifer or Preacher.
Westworld was good, though a little too full of its own importance. I felt similarly about The Handmaid’s Tale, though I suspect it will do well in the year’s rewards. By contrast, Channel 4’s Humans (as mentioned last year) was noticeably cheaper and shorter than Westworld, but more entertaining. Legion started well, even if its open ending let it down badly to me. Dan Stephens was brilliant as the main character, David Haller, and there were some impressively bizarre set pieces that made this one just a little different.
The Dark, as an alternate, Germanic Stranger Things, was as good, to my surprise.
We’ve struggled in the UK to get The Expanse, which is seen by many as the best TV out there, and certainly the best SF. Season 1 had a limited showing on cable and Season 2 arrived much later than its appearance in the US, on Netflix. I am hoping to catch up with it soon.
Star Trek returned, in a very different form as Discovery. I’m not sure I entirely liked it, and it is certainly a long way away from Gene Roddenbury’s original, but it kept me watching. I actually enjoyed Seth MacFarlane’s The Orville as much, which didn’t take itself as seriously as Discovery, and yet was as full of ex-Star Trek production team as it could be. It made me think how much better the series would have been received had it appeared earlier in the Wilderness Years (without a Star Trek series) and not as a direct competitor to the new Star Trek.
Most of all, though, 2017 was perhaps the year of Stephen King. Not that there hasn’t been Stephen King before that I’ve liked, but this year there has been a deluge of work, and most of it pretty good. In the movies IT finally managed to show that Stephen King could be rewritten into a decent horror movie, even if it was different to the original novel. And in the world of streaming services we had Gerald’s Game (like the book, OK), 1922 (wonderful tour-de-force performance by Thomas Jane in the lead) and Mr. Mercedes, the TV serial that I enjoyed a great deal. Though much of the credit should be given to Brendan Gleeson as retired detective Bill Hodges, the best role was the chillingly creepy Brady Hartsfield, played (at short notice, I understand) by Harry Treadaway.
Rob B:
I finally got onto Netflix in 2017 so the TV year for me was largely defined by the wonder that is Stranger Things. This show, which has been praised here and there and everywhere feels like it was written specifically for me about me growing up in the 1980s and my horror, comic book, and Dungeons and Dragons obsessions.
Sadly, 2017 saw the final season of Orphan Black, one of the most compelling, intelligent TV shows of the past couple of decades. I hope to see the show and at least Tatiana Maslany on Emmy and all award ballots for the season. The final season brought five year’s worth of story to a wonderful conclusion.
I still enjoyed many of the CW Superhero shows, with Supergirl leading the pack, Flash taking a noticeably (and unwelcome) dark turn, Arrow riding steady, and Legends of Tomorrow remaining the light comic relief of the four shows. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D had an interesting alternate history/Matrix-like story dominate much of the season which was largely successful. I continued watching Preacher, which when good, was excellent, but the second season was brought down largely because what seems to be the network dictating the number of episodes. If it stuck to about 10 episodes rather than the 13 it had, the show would have been much stronger and consistent. Over on amazon Prime, Ben Edlund’s legendary independent comic book hero, The Tick, was slightly reimagined to wonderful effect. The most impressive comic book TV show; however, was FX’s Legion with brilliant performances by all, especially Dan Stephens in the lead and Aubrey Plaza.
Over on HBO Game of Thrones was more over-the-top than ever and hinted at things that may happen in the books and also diverged a bit, too. Mr. Robot continued its compelling story, hinting at science fictional elements and injection of Bobby Canavale (of Boardwalk Empire) into a key, supporting role.
Like Mark, or rather, because Mark recommended it I watched 1922 on Netflix and agree on most of his points, that Thomas Jane is a seriously underrated actor. Which leads to The Expanse, also featuring Thomas Jane. The second season aired in early 2017 and was in improvement over the first, much like the books on which they are based.
A show that my wife and I enjoyed thoroughly was Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency from BBC America. I didn’t read the original material from Douglas Adams, but there was a zaniness to this show that was a delight. Elijah Wood was great. Unfortunately, shortly before this post went up, the show was cancelled.
The one major disappointment for me in TV; however, was American Gods the much heralded adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s magnum opus. Perhaps because I re-read the book just before the show began airing I was too aware of some changes that were made. Maybe because I had just concluded my initial watch of Deadwood which stars Ian McShane who gave a defining performance in that and seemed somewhat sedated and underutilized here in American Gods. While some of the changes were fine, on the whole, the show was far too self-indulgent, overlong, inconsistent, and generally all over the place for me. McShane was good, but felt too restrained.
MarkC:
I’ve watched some TV in 2017, though perhaps not quite as much as I would have liked, but that tends to be the way it goes.
I finally managed to get to the Marvel Netflix TV shows and watched them all except for The Punisher. I loved both seasons of Daredevil, and it is probably my favourite of the lot, though Jessica Jones and Luke Cage both come in a close joint second. The Defenders was a good team-up show, but the whole Hand storyline has now run its course. Iron Fist was just strange and disappointing.
I caught another couple of superhero shows: Inhumans and The Tick. Inhumans seemed to start off well and I found very interesting, but as the season progressed I just couldn’t help but think what a wasted opportunity the show was – it could have been so much more. The Tick was just great in all the ways you’d expect it to be, and I very much looking forward to the new episodes in 2018.
I missed Stranger Things in 2016, but have rectified that and also caught up with season 2. Both seasons were great, though the first was better due to the expanded focus in season 2. Can’t wait for season 3!
Star Trek Discovery was a show I went into not really knowing what to expect. Ultimately I did enjoy it, but only because I let go of over-analysing it due to its universe setting (Prime rather than Kelvin). The Orville, on the other hand, hit the nail on the head almost perfectly. It was a refreshing take on the genre and much more positive spin on it all. I was worried it was going to be a toilet humour parody, but it delivered some very good, intelligent, and emotional episodes.
Mr Mercedes may be my favourite show of the year. Not only a remarkably close adaption to King’s novel, but (as MarkY mentions above) with some excellent casting and acting by Brendan Gleeson and Harry Treadaway. I’m not immediately aware of plans to adapt the rest of the trilogy, but I think it would be an excellent decision to do so based on this season.
I also caught the new adaption of A Series of Unfortunate Events with Neil Patrick Harris in the role of Count Olaf. I’ve not read the books but found the series quite amusing, though perhaps I’m not really the target audience.
Other than those new shows, I caught up on a fair few others in 2017: Under the Dome (thankfully finished after 3 drawn-out seasons), Billions (an interesting first season and a show I want to catch up on now), Halt and Catch Fire (first two seasons were great, and season three is up next this year), Castle (finally finished, though that ending was a bit on the nose), Elementary (I love this take on Sherlock, though I’m a season or two behind now), Breaking Bad (I was somewhat underwhelmed by this show given the hype it had), Dark Matter (the second season was much fun, and I need to see the third season, also the final one due to cancellation), and The Stand (another King adaption, though showing its age now).
And that’s it for this year. As ever, we hope that you’ve found these summaries useful, and we look forward to an even better 2018.
