Year-End List 2013: 20 Best Movies

For my obligatory year end count. 70 movies in 12 months. Yes, it's not as many as 2011, but it's a lot better than my record last year. Now, while there were a couple of good films this year, I found it hard to have a clear standout and incredibly memorable movies. But I digress.

Oh, and since I'm not particularly fond of independent films - just my personal preference. Sue me! - so better not bash me for not including most of them in this list. Also, it’s not physically and financially possible for me to go and watch ALL films that were released this year, so you may not find some of them here. Haha. This is just for fun.

So, without further ado, DAM NATION presents the 20 Best Movies of 2013..

20. Four Sisters and A Wedding
"The abrupt shift from comedy to drama especially towards the end was a bit jarring, but that last act was too powerful that my emotions went beyond crying as I just sat there in disbelief and was affected in a way that NEVER existed before."

19. Monsters University
"While Monsters University didn't reach the same caliber as its predecessor, which is probably one of my favorite Pixar films to date, this was still an animated film with bucket loads of charm, personality and neat little jabs of humor."

18. Oz The Great and The Powerful
"I really liked Sam Raimi's style where the world seemed so vibrant, lush and happy. He managed to create an exquisite place, often colorful, but in parts ravaged and desolate."

17. Despicable Me
"Despicable Me 2 was a pretty solid sequel with a chock-full of fun visuals with a ton of great one liners and a writing that pulled even the slightest chuckle from me."

16. We're The Millers
"It was consistently hilarious, even if some of the jokes were a little recycled, and it was raunchy and crude, but not tasteless. In fact, I wanted to be more offended. Haha."

15. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug could've been a lot better with a tighter editing, but other than that, this was great romp and a good set up for an interesting conclusion on both excitement and scale."

14. Pacific Rim
"As a visual experience, Pacific Rim was quite a marvel, but the film's success actually went beyond the plethora of action."

13. Frozen
"The visuals were strikingly gorgeous, the lead characters were extremely well written, the voice actors delivered solid performances, and the story was fun, inventive and very much a wild spin on a classic fairytale."

12. This Is The End
"I seriously had mixed expectations with This Is The End, as I've seen most of the Seth Rogen films and found some of it fairly disappointing, but this one was downright ridiculous, silly and extremely funny."

11. Iron Man 3
"I loved that the story's focus was squarely back on Tony Stark and not just a mere set up for the big event that was The Avengers, it was expertly paced, the humor rarely missed its mark, and the writing and direction was smart, organic, and fresh."

10. The Croods
"I thought the pacing was relatively good as it avoided any significant lulls and I found the jokes to be in good taste and genuinely funny - having both slapstick humor and more subtle satirical jokes."

09. Fast & Furious 6
"While Fast Five took the film beyond the fast cars and beautiful ladies, Fast & Furious 6 turned the franchise to a legitimate action adventure saga. With enough ability to suspend disbelief for preposterous stunts, people should find themselves thrilled with this film."

08. Star Trek Into Darkness
"Simply put, Star Trek Into Darkness was an exhilarating fast paced action extravaganza and a one fine piece of entertainment."

07. Thor: Dark World
"Thor: The Dark World pulled out all the stops and delivered one heavy punch after another, staying wildly entertaining for more than two hours and restoring my faith in the quality of superhero movies - particularly for a sequel."

06. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire turned out to be a more riveting narrative with a much better execution (no pun intended) than its predecessor."

05. On The Job
"On The Job was a stylishly gritty noir that was brutally violent, painfully realistic and absolutely brilliant. From the moment the opening credits came up, the movie just grabbed me by the neck and didn't let go until the final scene."

04. About Time
"About Time wasn't a riotous comedy, it's not a thriller, nor an adventure film, but its a lovely and sweet comedy drama that one can enjoy with a love one and come out feeling warm inside."

03. Captain Phillips
"Gripping. Intense. Brilliant. Captain Phillips was a film with plenty of tense moments, a decent amount of action and running dialogues that successfully sustained my interest for the whole duration of it."

02. Gravity
"Glorious and marvelous! No other movie this year has perplexed me, made me reflect and think, and swept me away with its lush, visual imagery, chock full of metaphor, and raw emotion."

01. Before Midnight
"Somehow, the movie even articulated all the anxieties I have about life, love and the world general in a more profound way that I could not have achieved in my lifetime. I laughed. I cried. I got frustrated. Before Midnight was a quiet masterpiece."

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CROSSOVERS 

US Release: 2012; PH Release: 2013

05. The Impossible
"A spectacle of chaos! The Impossible had a narrative that was pretty straightforward, but the overwhelming flurry of unsettling sound and images backed with some powerful performances scared the wits out of me."

04. Les Miserables
"Under the wrong direction, Les Misérables could have been a disaster, but Tom Hooper did fine and the average film crowd will not even notice the flaws of his work."

03. Silver Linings Playbook
"True, Silver Linings Playbook was foul-mouthed and quite odd, but it's equally charming, moving and deftly thoughtful."

02. Life Of Pi
"It was exceptionally shot, flawlessly rendered and carefully photographed. It was visually gorgeous and I have high praise just for how fantastic the movie looked."

01. Zero Dark Thirty
"Zero Dark Thirty was a meticulously crafted film that's incredibly absorbing and compelling thanks to an impressive mix of superb direction, outstanding performances and an impeccably tight screenplay."