Continuing the momentum from last year, and after a rough adjustment period, the ongoing pandemic hasn't stopped companies from putting out a steady stream of content that caught our interest. Although we've finally started going back into a theater, we have become far more selective about which movies are worth experiencing this way in order to avoid possible infection. While I liked a lot of the movies I saw this year, not too many of them stood out to me enough to make it onto this list, however playing a greater number of new games this year that I enjoyed led to some more difficult choices.
Each list is presented in no particular order, with links to reviews where applicable.
Top Movies
of 2022
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
The last movie
I was able to see in a theater before the world shut down was Sonic the Hedgehog, and though theaters had opened back up in the intervening years,
I hesitated to go back for the longest time, deciding to ease myself back in
with Sonic the Hedgehog 2. This turned out to be the perfect way to
bookend this experience, as I had a lot of fun watching it and seeing how much
more confident the writers seemed in bringing the film closer to its video game
origins. It’s not perfect, but it’s worth it for Sonic fans and the
post-credits scene has me hyped for a Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
The Bad Guys
The success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse opened up a lot of possibilities for CG animation,
and it seems as though DreamWorks Animation is one of few studios to recognize
this potential, as demonstrated with their adaptation of The Bad Guys.
Not only is the animation truly spectacular to watch, the story is a great
adaptation of the books that inspired it, taking liberties without sacrificing
its identity. Even for those who haven’t read the books, this movie is a fun
and emotional ride that will leave you wanting more.
Bullet Train
On seeing ads
for Bullet Train, I was a little skeptical, but after taking a chance
with cheaper tickets, it turned out to be far more enjoyable than I initially
expected. While there are multiple subplots, everything comes together in a
satisfying way, plus the character interactions throughout can be very engaging
on their own, with a lot of well-paced humor that doesn’t feel overbearing. If
you’re looking for something different in the action space than the
overwhelming amount of superhero content, Bullet Train is well worth
your time.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Though the
success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse led to an increase and
overabundance of media centering on the multiverse and crossovers, this movie
takes a very unique approach to the multiverse idea that helps it stand out
from the crowd. This is especially true when compared with fellow contemporary Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which had a far higher budget yet
didn’t show quite the same ambition in regards to displaying alternate
universes. The main plot and its themes also justify the usage of the multiverse in
an interesting way, making it well worth watching at least once.
Top Games of
2022
Moss: Book II
After eagerly
anticipating the follow-up to the VR game Moss for years, Moss: Book
II proved to be well worth the wait thanks to its more ambitious scope and
increased visual fidelity that somehow manages to run smoothly in PlayStation
VR. The story is also far more ambitious, resolving the plot threads set up in
the first episode in an emotional and satisfying manner. With the announcement
of a PS VR2 port on the horizon, I would definitely consider experiencing the
entire duology again on that platform if possible.
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series
As someone who
wanted to play the Klonoa series but was priced out of it, this collection is a much-needed reissue of the first two games, updated
for modern systems. The stories remain intact while the visuals and gameplay
have been greatly improved, including a new optional Easy difficulty for both
games, making them an ideal jumping-on point for newer players. As Klonoa
media has become very sparse, the main hope is that good-enough sales can
justify a reissue of other games or even a new entry.
Stray
One of the more
interesting-looking games from the PS5 announcement was Stray, in which
you play as a wild cat exploring a futuristic city populated by robots. While
this was enough to motivate me to play it, the actual game turned out to be a
lot more, with some interesting gameplay that takes full advantage of the
player character being a cat as well as a setting that becomes more intriguing
the further you progress. If you’ve always wanted to play as a cat, the game is
well worth the purchase, and it would be interesting to see what the developer
does next.
Top
Disappointments of 2022
The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
Having played
the original The Stanley Parable when it came out and liked it, the Ultra
Deluxe re-release proved to be a disappointment not because of the new
content, but rather the lack thereof. The commentary on reviews, while clever,
comes off as more bitter than witty and most of the new endings come down to
whether or not you happen to be holding a bucket at the time you do so. Getting
a discount at launch for owning the original lessens the sting, but not by
much, since I had missed the refund window on Steam by the time I realized what
I had bought. If you’ve never played the original game before, this is a pretty
solid package, otherwise I would tell you to really think about it or wait for
a deeper discount if you are already a fan.
Lightyear
While the Toy
Story franchise has generally had consistently good output, Lightyear
is not one of them, as it presents a gross mishandling of its own premise.
Despite presenting itself as the film that Andy would have seen as a child in
the ‘90s that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy, it certainly doesn’t feel
like it, having none of the fun or wit of the unrelated Buzz Lightyear of
Star Command TV series from the year 2000. If you can, I would say to watch
that show and/or its premiere TV film, The Adventure Begins, instead, as
this new take is a wholly skippable adventure in the Buzz Lightyear saga.
Thor: Love and Thunder
While Thor: Ragnarok felt like a breath of fresh air compared to the two Thor
films before it, Thor: Love and Thunder feels more like carbon dioxide.
Whatever serious plot there may have been is buried under layers upon layers of
overbearing jokes and an overabundance of Guns N’ Roses references, not to
mention some questionable effects and two screaming goats that overstay their welcome.
It’s hard to recommend this one to those who aren’t die-hard MCU fans that
stuck with it past Avengers: Endgame, otherwise the only reason to watch
it is if you’re one still keeping up with the Guardians of the Galaxy
series.
Pinocchio (2022 Disney)
There are many
ways to approach a remake and this is not one of them. All of the original
heart and charm from the 1940 film has been lost in the translaton to
live-action, introducing a number of questionable plot changes and dodgy
special effects along the way. Keegan-Michael Key’s take on Honest John is
pretty much the only real highlight of the film, and even that’s not enough to
save it from its numerous flaws. Watch Disney’s original animated classic, or
even Guillermo del Toro’s own animated Pinocchio film from this year,
instead of this.
