2023 - The Highlights (EHeroFlareNeos)

Although the world has pretty much opened back up, even with COVID-19 still floating around, the pandemic’s effect on film releases has remained irreversibly altered. In turn, we’ve since adopted a practice where we only go to a theater if it’s a film that we’d actually pay money to see and otherwise waiting until something hits its respective streaming platform (or, in the case of something like Five Nights at Freddy’s, watching it theatrically or waiting for home video if it would go to a service that we don’t have access to). As usual, only films we’ve seen or games we’ve played have a chance to end up on this list.

Top Movies of 2023

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Video game films have seen an upswing in quality over the years and The Super Mario Bros. Movie represents a great next step forward. Despite the hit and miss pedigree of animation studio Illumination, Nintendo’s heavy involvement ensured that Mario’s second crack at the big screen featured very faithful writing and animation, as well as a surprisingly fitting and talented voice cast and a trove of Easter eggs. While not completely perfect, as it could have used with another five minutes or so to better let certain scenes breathe, the future looks a lot more hopeful.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Although the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a long string of duds as of late, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 proved itself the lone exception from this year thanks to its strong, emotional writing and a very well-acted villain. Even if you didn’t care about any of the MCU films after Avengers: Endgame, this is still one worth watching, especially if you already liked the titular Guardians of the Galaxy.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

This isn’t the first tabletop game adaptation, nor is it the first Dungeons & Dragons adaptation, but Honor Among Thieves is sure to steal your heart. Though based more directly on the game’s world and rules, it's written in a very accessible way with engaging and likeable characters, coupled with a plot that even complete newcomers can easily follow. If you didn’t have any knowledge of D&D going in, you may also find yourself curious on the way out.

Oppenheimer

Although I’m not normally attracted to this kind of film, and one that’s three hours long no less, I still found myself completely engaged with the Oppenheimer half of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. The strong acting really carries the story and J. Robert Oppenheimer comes off as a very complex individual, a truly brilliant man with a strong scientific drive, but also very complex with his morality. Even though most of the film features people talking in a room, the incredible recreation of the New Mexico atomic bomb test alone makes it worth watching in the highest possible quality.

Gran Turismo

As with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Gran Turismo represents a good step forward for video game adaptations, this time in the realm of live-action. Rather than create a story whole cloth for a series that historically doesn’t have one, this film instead adapts the story of real-life racer Jann Mardenborough, who went from playing the games to actually competing as a professional racer. While the timeline of his career isn’t 100% accurate, the emotionally gripping story works very well regardless and the strong performances help keep it engaging throughout. As an added bonus, you can enjoy it even if you’re like us and have never played a single Gran Turismo game in your life.

Rohan at the Louvre

Rohan at the Louvre may have its roots in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, but you won’t need any knowledge of its parent series or the spinoff Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe one-shots. Indeed, this film completely divorces itself from the source material and lets the strength of its story speak for itself, with only a brief introduction of who Rohan Kishibe is and what makes him unique as a manga artist. Its strong cast, carried over from the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan TV drama, does a remarkable job here, especially Issey Takahashi and Marie Iitoyo in the lead roles, and the cinematic camera angles help bring out the beauty of the Louvre in all its glory. A can’t-miss, including for foreign film lovers looking for something new.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Based on the famous 1970 Judy Blume novel of the same name, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is a fantastic film that does the source material justice. Its frank depictions of the realities of female puberty, including the physical and emotional changes that come with it, remain universal for its target demographic, but even male viewers can still relate to Margaret Simon’s struggles with finding herself, trying to fit in and adapting to changing circumstances beyond her control.

Top Games of 2023

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach – Ruin

Due to varying circumstances, I didn’t play very many video games from this year. However, I did want to highlight the Ruin DLC for Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach as an example of what happens when a developer really plays to their strengths and somehow delivers an experience better and more focused than the base game. It’s not necessarily the same level as something like Minerva’s Den from BioShock 2 (another instance of DLC offering a better experience than the base game), but it does show a level of polish that offers a glimmer of hope for Steel Wool’s further ventures into FNAF, even if not completely bug-free.

Resident Evil 4 (2023)

Capcom’s trend of remaking the Resident Evil series inevitably led to a remake of the highly regarded Resident Evil 4 (2005) and while Resident Evil 4 (2023) has a much more grounded and serious tone, you can really feel the passion put into the project. Just about any and all blemishes I had noticed while playing the original were handled masterfully here, including deeper characterizations, more natural story beats and, rather importantly, the ability to move and shoot at the same time. Although some fans would understandably prefer the tone and style of the original game, which Capcom has graciously made available on all the same platforms as the new version (including at least one HD remaster), the remake is still a fantastic game in its own right and I would highly recommend it.

Resident Evil 4 – Separate Ways

Four months after Resident Evil 4 (2023), Capcom released the Separate Ways DLC, which remakes the campaign of the same name from the original 2005 version, but in a way that feels developed alongside the new game rather than after it. Although rather linear, its story provides a perfect capstone to the main campaign, with a proper sense of closure that also hints at a remake of Resident Evil 5. Though I didn’t really like that Capcom put this DLC behind a $10 paywall when the original version came with its base game for free (at least from the PS2 version onwards), it’s still a must-play for those who have already beaten the new RE4.

Top Disappointments of 2023

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

Where the original Shazam! was easily one of the best DCEU films thanks to its fun atmosphere, Fury of the Gods is unfortunately a letdown. An unfocused story, forced jokes (including a plot-critical Skittles product placement) and an overreliance on CGI hold this sequel back from greatness. Though its unknown if a third film will surface, we can only hope that if one does, they learn form the mistakes of this one.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

There’s no getting around the fact that Quantumania is easily the worst of the Ant-Man trilogy. Terrible pacing, a muddied storyline, including the near lack of personal stakes on Scott Lang’s end, and subpar CG plague every aspect of this film. Add to that the cherry on top of expecting the audience to have seen Loki, a TV series locked behind the paywall of Disney+. The only neat thing that came from this film’s time theft is that Scott’s in-universe memoir, Look Out For The Little Guy!, was made into a real book.

Bluey: The Videogame

As a big fan of Bluey, I really wanted to like this game for real life, but I unfortunately found myself let down. Although it perfectly captures the spirit of the show audibly and visually and does a good job at making itself accessible to younger players, the experience is riddled with glitches even a month after launch, the animations are janky (with a very noticeable contrast between the 2D models and 3D objects) and the voice acting isn't quite the same level as the show itself. Worst of all, there are only four short and awkwardly-paced levels, meaning you can beat the entire game in only an hour, maybe three if you go for all of the collectables (I got the Platinum Trophy in under two). The only saving grace was that I didn't pay the steep $40 asking price and got it at a discount very shortly after launch (and so should you).

Resident Evil 4 (2023) (PS5)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Resident Evil 4 (2005) and Resident Evil 4 (2023)

Since 2019, Capcom has released remakes of the Resident Evil games, going beyond the remake of the original Resident Evil from 2002 (RE1), which had until then been the only game in the series with a substantial update. While this has produced some mixed results so far, with critical praise towards Resident Evil 2 (2019) (RE2) and mixed response towards Resident Evil 3 (2020) (RE3), it was inevitable that they would apply the same treatment to 2005’s Resident Evil 4 (RE4), which gradually gained (and earned) a reputation as one of the series’ best games. Although fans naturally had their reservations with the announcement of Resident Evil 4 (2023) (RE4R), it released to critical acclaim and became one of the fastest-selling games in the series.

Due to the timing of RE4R’s release, I had the unique opportunity to play both the original and the remake back-to-back, which I did for the sake of an easier comparison between the two in terms of both gameplay and story. Although that inevitably leads to the question of “Which one is better?”, I would instead say that although not perfect, RE4R manages to improve on many aspects of the original to the point that it’s overall a fantastic game in its own right.

Resident Evil 4 (2005) (PS4)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Resident Evil 4 (2005)

Since its original release in 2005, Resident Evil 4 (RE4) has seen continuous praise and success, including over a dozen different hardware ports, enough that it is widely considered one of the greatest video games ever made. Of all the Resident Evil games, however, this one had one of the most troubled developments. The short version is that starting in 1998, four different versions were proposed and subsequently discarded before the final release. The first of these, and the most well-known, started as an attempt at a more “stylish” action game directed by Hideki Kamiya that was spun off and retooled into the original Devil May Cry, which released in 2001. The second, known internally as the “Castle” version, would include story elements that made their way into the 2005 survival horror game Haunting Ground. The third and fourth versions, “Hallucination” and the lesser-known “Zombie”, were scrapped for technical reasons, though elements from both would still make their way into the final game. Interestingly, “Hallucination” would have taken some influence from the Silent Hill series and “Zombie” was criticized by Shinji Mikami for being too similar to previous Resident Evil games, as he didn’t want to bore fans by relying on tired tropes.

This consistent desire for a different kind of Resident Evil game resulted in a more action-oriented game, a direction that had a ripple effect on the rest of the franchise until Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (RE7). In the intervening time, I had tried getting into Resident Evil through the PS2 version of RE4 and the PS3 version of Resident Evil 5, but only got to around Chapter 2-1 in the former and barley got anywhere in the latter before I moved on to other games. However, with the release of Resident Evil 4 (2023), as well as a personal deep dive of the series following a playthrough of Resident Evil Village, I finally had an excuse to go back and finish what I had started in RE4, this time through the 2016 PS4 release. With this zombie from the past finally slain, I can safely say that while it’s a little rough now, RE4 has aged much better than many of its predecessors and has definitely earned its longstanding reputation.