Here are our 5 favorite geek films from 2017

Logan

Who could’ve imagined, as the first scenes of X-Men opened in 2000 that things would end this way? Seventeen years later after Wolverine and Professor X’s first adventure, we watched both characters take their last breaths.

The story eschewed so many of the tropes of superhero films and just took the characters as people. There’s no true villain here, no victory to be had. Just grasping at some small signs of happiness in dimming light.

Hugh Jackman and Sir Patrick Stewart both hit home-runs with their final performances for characters they inhabited over and over again for nearly two decades. More western than comic book, Logan isn’t like any other X-Men or mainline superhero movie out there, and we’re lucky to have it.

 

Thor: Ragnarok

Marvel movies have always been funny, but they’re also been unfailingly self-serious (with the exception of Ant-Man). Once the world-ending ball starts rolling, all we get are quips to punctuate the action. The patiently-timed comedy moments fall by the wayside.

With Thor: Ragnarok, director Taika Waititi has made Marvel’s first straight-up comedy. It has its action moments, sure, but it’s a comedy at its core. We get some memorable moments in the form of Thor leaping into battle while Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” plays or Odin’s conversation with Thor and Loki, but the big moments of the movie are all funny ones.

When I remember Ragnarok, I think about Thor trying to exert some modicum of authority over the Grandmaster, who clearly couldn’t be less interested. Or his reaction the first time Hulk steps out into the arena. Thor trying helplessly to convince Hulk and Valkyrie to join him. Even the opening moments with that cameo from Dr. Strange are focused on humor over seriousness. And then there’s every moment Korg is on-screen.

Somehow, Waititi managed to keep the stakes of the story high while still managing to treat these characters like lovable goofballs, and he walked away having made one of the best Marvel movies yet.

Wonder Woman

While the MCU has flourished the DCEU has stumbled so many times that it’s starting to look like a joke. Earlier this year, though, it looked like it was getting its footing when the excellent Wonder Woman hit theaters.

While Man of Steel and Batman v Superman both seemed to completely misunderstand their characters, Wonder Woman got what was so special about its protagonist. Wonder Woman is a sign of strength and hope, but also an outsider from another time. The movie moved her origin back into World War I and gave us a look at the naive heroine getting her first look at humanity, battling with cynicism even as she fought against German soldiers.

Where Man of Steel was mired in anger and Batman v Superman was a mess of a story, Wonder Woman was a tight film (via director Patty Jenkins) about a hopeful character. Maybe Aquaman can repeat Wonder Woman‘s success in 2018.

Article source: https://www.technobuffalo.com/2018/01/01/top-5-geek-movies-2017/