Three days remain until December 25th, and with that in mind, we're scaling up our 'Best of 2013 Awards' season of feature articles to incorporate some of the major victors of the year. That process of gradual tension-ramping begins right now...
Today's first instalment in our two-part Top 20 Best Films of 2013 feature series will cover entries #20-#11 in the final shortlist. Surprises will emerge, controversy will spark and reality may yet crack, as On-Screen's picks for 2013's twenty defining motion pictures are unveiled:
20. KICK ASS 2- Topping the superhero comedy-drama classic that was Kick-Ass was always going to be virtually impossible, but to their credit, Jeff Wadlow's production team give it their all with Kick-Ass 2 and the results are pretty impressive. Sick-stick gags aside, here is a follow-up which knows exactly what kind of motion picture it aims to be, and turns out all the better for it.
19. SAVING MR BANKS- Emma Thompson's P.L. Travers is a beautifully empathetic protagonist for Disney's latest non-animated drama, Saving Mr Banks. Any seasoned viewer will be hard pressed to deny that this occasionally predictable but nevertheless compelling film allows for a startling new perspective on the studio's beloved rendition of Mary Poppins...
18. STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS- A test run of sorts for his upcoming Star Wars Episode VII, J.J. Abrams' sequel to his 2010 reboot of Star Trek steps into brave (if familiar) territory. Without Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), the follow-up would be an underwhelming effort, yet Cumberbatch's haunting performance in tandem with Abrams' excelled direction keeps the ante at an admirable level throughout.
17. WARM BODIES- It's a great pleasure from time to time to witness a near-unknown flick become a surprise hit despite its remaining under the radar. Warm Bodies is one such example, an accomplished combination of horror and romantic-comedy which can't help but charm the audience in its understated and innovative narrative approach and Nicholas Hoult's ironically warm central turn.
16. THE WOLVERINE- The superhero genre is a crowded area for the film industry's competitors at this point in time, so it takes a bold new entry to make a profound mark in each successive year. Only two new instalments feature in this list, and The Wolverine earns its place in its final quarter by way of its engaging analysis of a hero's immortality, although it could have benefited from cutting its tiresome final confrontation!
15. CAPTAIN PHILIPS- Tom Hanks fans have had plenty of new content from the Forest Gump and Toy Story star to sate their appetites in 2013, Saving Mr Banks included, but Captain Philips is one of Hanks' most powerful portrayals so far. If the piece's supporting cast had presented the audience with such well-rounded performances as their lead, though, this could have been one of the all-time greats...
14. ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND CONTINUES- In spite of Anchorman: The Legend Continues boasting a rather similar narrative structure to its renowned predecessor, the comedy sequel was one of the genre's greatest entries in years. Movie 43, The Internship and especially Grown Ups 2 could learn some valuable, masterful lessons in modern comedic storytelling here.
13. NOW YOU SEE ME- Emerging from nowhere via a commendable marketing campaign, this science-fiction thriller is still a spectacularly subversive cinematic effort six months on from its release. Now You See Me's cast ensemble is not only studded with stars, Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman among them, but each member (famed or otherwise) contributes hugely to its visual and narrative grandeur.
12. THIS IS THE END- Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's The World's End may have failed (albeit with style) to handle the end of the world with any great success, and yet over in the States, a similar apocalyptic tale did so to substantial avail. This Is The End isn't flawless, although Jay Baruchel, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill and James Franco's screen chemistry is so damn intoxicating that it's truly difficult to mind!
11. LINCOLN- This reviewer had his unashamed doubts on Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of America's iconic President when the Golden Globes and Academy Awards nominations were announced. Nevertheless, Lincoln is a stunning contribution to 2013's film roster from director Steven Spielberg, and Day-Lewis certainly provides an unforgettable, unmissable rendition of the USA's finest leader.
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