"The book is a film that takes place in the mind of the reader." ~ Paulo Coelho

Thursday, January 6, 2022

Movies I watched in 2021

Happy 2022, my friends!!

Sifting through all my past drama (i. e. daily journal) to find the movies I watched takes a lot longer than I estimated! In addition to that, in my free time I found a splendid book and show that I can't stop binging, so this took longer because of that. So far, my 2022 has been good! What about all of you?

This is probably the biggest post I publish every year as it is not too hard to read, but has so many photos, so prepare yourself! All the same, I have a lot of fun with it. What do you think of my format?

Because guessing games are my favorite thing, I challenge you guys to try to figure out which were my favorites before I put the answers at the bottom! It was really hard for me to decide on ten, so any guesses as to what my honorable mentions would have been?

I will NOT be listing movies that I rewatched, because that would take too long (and I don't even remember them), but I will be talking about any shows I watched more than once. I don't know why I feel the need to tell you every. single. movie. I watch in a year, but it's tradition!

Notes:
Ones with a ~ means I saw it in a theater. (Spoiler alert, there aren't any on here for obvious reasons)
Ones with an asterisk (*) means I saw it more than once.
If I have reviewed it I will put the link to my review (which only happened a few times)
To be on this list I must have seen more than half of it, the ending, and cannot have missed more than half an hour of it.

Please note that just because I watched these movies/shows DOES NOT mean that I liked them. Some of them I really didn't but I had reasons to keep going. If you have questions please feel free to ask and I'll be happy to explain the details!


New to me movies:

Soul (2020)
Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)
The Great Escape (1961)
Captain Blood (1935)
 (This was all I could ask for)
Work It (2020)
 (I was not what you would call a fan. I felt disappointed by the message given to the main character)
Enola Holmes (2020)*
 (actually watched it a total of three times)
Whispering Smith (1948)
 (Loved Alan Ladd, loathed everyone else)
To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)
 (My sister and I decided to binge these movies around Valentine's Day)
To All the Boys: P. S. I Still Love You (2020)*
 (watched part of it again because it is my favorite of these three)
To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021)
 (I kind of loved it, mostly hated it, and cried way too much)
Feel the Beat (2020)
 (Actually SUPER adorable)
Albuquerque (1948)
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
(I have MANY thoughts. Too many to even think about, but one day I'll get them typed up for you. I LOVE Sidney Poitier)
Lemonade Mouth (2011)
Stardust (2007)
Unicorn Store (2019)
Shaggy Dog (1959)
50 First Dates (2004)
(I'm not putting a picture because I was just so tired of it in a hundred ways but am happy to now know what this means)
Yes Day (2021)
Fatima (2020)
A Cinderella Story (2004)
A Week Away (2021)*
The Perfect Date (2019)
The Sleepover (2020)
Riptide (2016)
Radium Girls (2018)
(This sent me on to quite an obsession with the subject and time period in history)
War Horse (2011)
The Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
(This was so funny! I died of laughter so many times.)
Coin Heist (2017)
All Together Now (2020)
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Onward (2020)
The Slipper and the Rose (1976)
 (This was a HOOT! My dad didn't think so and was very annoyed with my sister and I laughing non stop, but we couldn't help it)
Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
Newsies (1992)
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Luca (2021)
Mulan (2020)
 (I was trying so hard to like this despite everything I'd heard, but I have to say that I didn't)
In the Heights (2021)
Cinderella (2021)*
(In fact, I watched this four times in the first month that it came out. Thoughts will be forthcoming on this film soon. I've heard a lot of opinions and I am surprised to find that I think the opposite than everyone. Maybe this shouldn't be surprising.)
Words on Bathroom Walls (2021)
Gladiator (2000)
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
 (BLELAKDHKGHAKGDKF. I've never had such big regrets in my life as watching this. I'm not going to talk about it a lot because I am actively trying to forget about it, just know that I only watched it because I went to a live showing and stopped paying attention halfway through to scribble how mad I was in a notebook)
The Mission (1986) (Theology class + movie = a favorite experience from the fall)
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Red Notice (2021)
(Had way too much fun with this)
Frenemies (2012)
Anonymously Yours (2021)
 (I was really happy to watch a movie in Spanish, but got tired of the plot halfway through)
Tall Girl (2019)


Total: 51



Series I watched in 2021: 
(Listed alphabetically for ease of organization. And yes, rewatches are listed here because it requires a bigger time commitment than a movie.)

Carmen Sandiego (which for some reason I can never spell correctly): Season 2, episodes 3-10. Season 3-4. REWATCH (some of them X2): Season 1 eps 3-9, seasons 2-4.
Eureka
: Season 1, episode 7.
Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) (Mini series): Episodes 1-3.
Gilmore Girls: Various episodes in season 2 and 3. Season 4-5. Season 6, episodes 1-17.
Girl Meets World: REWATCH: Season 1.
Glee: Season 1, episodes 1-3.
The Good Place: Seasons 1-4. (I thought I was going to hate this, but it was actually quite thought provoking and I would recommend it to many people, if not everyone! For a different viewpoint, you know.).
Heidi, Bienvenida a Casa: Season 1. (I get weirdly addicted to Spanish shows).
Jane the Virgin: Season 1, episodes 1-14.
Julie and the Phantoms: Season 1. REWATCH X5? I honestly lost count. I just know that I watched episode 7 way more times than that. (Recently the news came that Netflix discontinued this show, and I have no words as to how sad that makes me. BUT, there is a petition going to have the show keep going! If you are interested, you can learn more about it HERE)
LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu: Seasons 1-8. Season 9, episodes 1-7. (Before you judge me, know that I'm watching this in Spanish for practice. But yes, I also like it way more than I probably should).
Liv and Maddie: REWATCH: Season 1, episodes 1-11. (My sisters and I loved this show when it was coming out so it is very fun and nostalgic to be watching it again).
Loki: Season 1. 
Merlin: Season 3, eps 5-13. Season 4. Season 5, episodes 1-5.
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir: Season 1, episodes 1-8.
Newhart: various.
North & South (2004) (Mini series).
Poldark: REWATCH: various episodes (I was skimming and skipping around just to watch my favorite characters. It's an acceptable excuse, right?)
Poirot: Season 1, episode 1. Season 3, episode 4.
Robin Hood: REWATCH: Season 1. Season 2, episodes 1-10. (I can't go a year without watching part of this show in some way because it is my second favorite show of all time. It was my number one until something else claimed that spot this year. If you've hung around my blog long enough you probably know what that is. Any guesses? In fact, I watched my top five favorite shows this year...)
A Series of Unfortunate Events: Season 3, episodes 4-7. REWATCH: Season 1, episodes 1-5.
STAR WARS: Clone Wars: Season 1, episodes 1-7.
WandaVision (2021) (Mini series).: New +REWATCH.
What If...?: Season 1, episodes 1-2.
The Wild Wild West: various seasons, 13 episodes I think in total.
Zoeyʼs Extraordinary Playlist: Season 2, episodes 1-2. REWATCH: Season 1.



My 10 New-To-Me Favorite Movies: 
(This year I'm changing it up by putting some comments for each one even though this post is too long already. Let me know what you think of this format!):

1. Enola Holmes (2020): GUYS. I love this movie so much! I have no words besides Tewksbery and I are kind of identical because we are not completely idiots.

2. Unicorn Store (2019): This reminds me of a sparkly Napoleon Dynamite and could wish for nothing more. It's all about growing up and magic and making a life.

3. Lemonade Mouth (2011): There is a song in here for any and every mood. I love the members of this band and I'm so happy to find a movie that focuses on ALL them and their issues and doesn't play favorites.

4. War Horse (2011): Thank you to Anna for recommending this to me! It was brilliant in every way. In fact, I wrote in my journal "just smash my heart and get done with it already". Ah, shows you what a truly great film does.

5. The Great Escape (1961): I didn't watch nearly enough older movies this year, but I'm so happy I finally saw this classic. Almost a year later and I still have a million thoughts that I want to share with you all, mostly about crying. Anyone interested in that?

6. Onward (2020): Siblings + Pixar = Perfection. I am mostly like Barley (i. e. obnoxious), but I also am similar to Ian in many ways.

7. Wonder Woman 1984 (2020): I was not a fan of the first one at all but this THIS is my Wonder Woman that I have grown up with in the comics. There were a few elements I wasn't a fan of, but the pros far outweighed the cons.

8. All Together Now (2020): The main character gets all my love because I relate to her personality so much.

9. Raya and the Last Dragon (2021): The world building is my favorite thing ever, thank you very much. I literally cried, not because it was sad, but because it was so cute. Not just a few tears, but full out. I don't think that has ever happened before...

10. Stardust (2007): Way too adorable, okay? Whimsical and adventurous, so that quotient is filled for the year.



New year, new header! My sister made this one for me to express my love of my favorite TV show, Julie and the Phantoms, and it fits perfectly! What do you all think?

You can really tell this is my favorite show, even according to Spotify, as all 15 songs from the soundtrack were in my top 100.
See, songs 1, 2, 4, and 5 are all from Julie and the Phantoms!


How close were you in your guesses for my favorites? What did you guess? How many of these movies have you seen? What were YOUR favorites from 2021? Do we like any of the same? What do you think of all of my scattered comments?

Thank you so much for reading! Here's to a grand new year!

Chloe the MovieCritic

10 comments:

  1. I don't know if you realize this, but that is a LOT of movies. XD

    I didn't realize there was a Radium Girls movie! Watch me not watch it because I'm afraid of all the grossness.

    I kind of want to hear your thoughts on Mulan. I've not seen it, but I love a good movie bashing session, lol.

    Oh, I NEED to watch The Mission. NEED to. WE can probably make that work when I get back to school...

    Ahhh Onward is SO lovable! <3 I'm definitely more of an Ian myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. *we, by which I mean people that I know at school and I.

      Delete
    2. See, this shows how you read more books and I watch more movies. For you, 300 books in a year is standard, and for me this is a pretty slim number of movies because I usually have 70 ish. XD

      That's what got me started on all of it! I actually didn't even notice the grossness except thinking "That's horrible!" while my older sister was kind of traumatized by it...

      I'll put your vote down! :) Movie bashing is a great stress reliever. XD I had an idea of something to compare it to (to show a well done version of what it was going for), but now I can't remember what that was! Maybe Captain Marvel?

      You should totally get a group together to watch The Mission! You can find it on YouTube (which is where I watched it...but hey, it was what my prof. said to do!)

      Talking to me a few times you can probably see how I am Barley. XD Ian could win an award for most relatable character to the widest range of people, don't you think?

      Delete
  2. I love your new header! It's amazing.
    Ooh, I'm glad you liked Ebola Holmes so much! It's a fun movie.
    I watched the To All the Boys I've Loved Before movies in 2021, too (well, two out of three of them).
    I've been wanting to see Unicorn Store for a while now, so I might try to watch it in 2021.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, McKayla! My sister and I were hoping that all the fellow Julie and the Phantoms fans would love it!
      Enola is fantastic. I think about it all the time! I want to do a post on it sometime, I think.
      Nice! Sometimes I like to watch movies in a series AS they are coming out, and sometimes I like to watch them after they are all out. Sounds like you did the same thing!
      My sister did not like Unicorn Store but I LOVED it, so you might be more like one of us or fall in the middle somewhere. Tell me about it after you do!

      Delete
  3. I love your new banner! It made me smile so hard to see it <3
    We have a lot of similar favorites. I too love Lemonade Mouth and Onward (although I relate hard to Ian). And I would never judge you for liking Ninjago. I still watch it even though I'm in my twenties.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That means so much, Rachel! <3 When my sister showed it to me I couldn't stop yelling for a minute.
      Lemonade Mouth! That movie never fails to make me smile. Probably one of my favorites focused on teenagers! I want to talk about it more but haven't found the time. Ian is a great character to relate to. Ninjago! I'm so glad that we can love it together! I'm almost done with the season "Hunted" and I love these characters so much.

      Delete
  4. So many great movies on your list!!! I had fond memories of the Great Escape! One of those movies that my dad introduced me too. Plus found out later that Chicken Run, a childhood classic, is a retelling of it. ;)

    Awe, so glad you liked War Horse!! Will always me a favorite.

    Love Onward! I am very similar to Ian! Has everything a good fantasy movie needs. Family, quirky characters, and pinch of magic.

    While You Were Sleeping!! So good!

    I can say I wasn't a huge fan of the new Mulan. I think they tried to modernize the story and it just went down hill. Plus, they cut all the humor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my goodness, I have been watching Chicken Run for almost as long as I can remember and I never realized that it was retelling of The Great Escape! I can see it now that you mention it! Now I want to watch both and compare what they did in both...

      Thank you again and again for introducing me to it! My older sister watched it, too, and she loves it almost as much as I do. We fangirl about it a lot!

      You are absolutely right. Pixar creates worlds that are so unique but brings so much of what is relatable that you forget it is made up. Brilliant and magical storytelling!

      My favorite part of watching While You Were Sleeping was my sister's reaction to it because she was hilarious, lol!

      I agree. They tried to make it more modern and more traditional at the same time, which is a good idea, but the blend did not work in that case. No memorable humor at all!

      Delete
  5. I had a chance to watch Enola Holmes and didn't take it, and now I'm sad! I highly trust your movie recs; like I'm not sure I've ever watched a movie because of you and not loved it??!

    And oh YES I'd love a post on The Great Escape! I finally watched the whole thing a few years ago, and I STILL HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS. And no one to scream about them with. Please write this, MC, PLEASE. XD

    Also, Lemonade Mouth!!!! Haven't thought about that movie in so long. My sisters watched it and loved it, made my mom watch it and love it with them, and then all of them made me watch it and love it with them (this is how it usually goes with movies in my family). It's such a darling movie, and it gives all the characters the spotlight, and it just has HEART. And the music is fun. My sister still randomly bursts into some of the raps from it, haha. I'm so glad you liked it.

    What did you guys think of To All the Boys I've Loved Before? I remember catching most of that a few years back because my roommate had it on, and I thought it was surprisingly cute and fun and not-hateable?

    You watch SO MANY movies. How. I am in awe.

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To comment, or not to comment? That is the question. Whatever you decide, I would love to hear from you!! I am always open to suggestions, advice, and any other comments! Even if you don't agree with me, I would love to hear from you as long as you keep the comment respectful and on subject. And, please, no swearing. I love comments on old posts!!
My computer won't let me leave comments, so it might take a few days, but I will reply!

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, where you stop your story." -Orson Welles