Best Films of 2017-2023 (2018)

Best of 2018

1. Crazy Rich Asians (17) - Not an amazing movie, but my favorite of 2018 nonetheless.  It had heart, it had rom, it had com, and it had SINGAPORE!!!.  And it actually holds up pretty well on repeat viewings.  The game theory piece overlaid onto the story is a clever touch, and the face-off with the mother-in-law is a treat.  
2. Creed II (28) - Super loved "Creed", and, of course, the Rocky films.  Creed II picked up pretty well where Creed I left off.  
3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (29) - Saw this in the theaters only because my friend Blake invited me.  Didn't expect to enjoy it but I was instantly transported to what I loved about old comic books and graphic novels.  This movie dragged slightly towards the end, but it was solid.  
4. A Quiet Place (15) - Definitely a unique and suspenseful film.  
5. Black Panther (1) - This was a fun moment in cinema where there was kind of a new type of Marvel movie coming out, with homage to African and black culture.  And it had some good Oakland-type vibes at the beginning thanks to director Ryan Coogler's touches.  
6. Aquaman (13) - I expected this movie to suck but I actually found myself wrapped up in the character arc, and really rooting for him to slay his proverbial dragon.  Great training montage and fight scenes.
7. Isle of Dogs (89) - Fun and quirky.
8. They Shall Not Grow Old (151) - Good for the WWI history buffs.  
9. Incredibles 2 (3) - Fine.  Not as good as the first.  
10. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (8) - Good, I think.  Can't really remember which one this was.  
11. Solo: A Star Wars Story (10) - Passable.
12. Ready Player One (23) - Cool story, but the acting was a little bit geared towards adolescents, but then again there were some really scary scenes for kids, so I'm not quite sure if this film hit the right audience markers.  Also, the story felt to me like it was basically the same as "Avatar".