Top five movies of 2016 - the good, the bad and the ugly

The year 2016 started out promising with the highly anticipated "Deadpool" which was as delightfully absurd as it was hilarious. Sadly, the subsequent Movies were not half as entertaining or original. I held my breath in hopes that by the end of the year, there would be a movie that would come along and sweep me off my feet. Now that we are at the eve of the new year my hopes are officially dashed. However, despite the multitude of remakes, comic book adaptations and art house flicks, there are some gems that are worth highlighting. In no particular order, here are the Top 5 movies of 2016 from the good, the bad, the sequels and the comic book adaptations.

Top 5 good movies

'Deadpool'

Tim Miller's "Deadpool" is a violent snarky anti-superhero Marvel & DC movie not meant for children or anyone who can't stomach sick morbidhumorr. Ryan Reynolds flawlessly encapsulates the inappropriate slippery fast-talking rogue mutant Deadpool who spews out graphic insults as fast he shoots his Desert Eagle. The dialogue is cut-throat hilarious and the camera shots and special effects are entertaining. One memorable line is when Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) tells his girlfriend, "You're right. Cancer is only in my liver, lungs, prostate, and brain. All the things I can live without."

'Manchester by the Sea'

Kenneth Lonergan's film starring Casey Affleck is a moving tale that touches the heart strings.

The film delves into the burden of family responsibilities and the consequences of mistakes made in the past. Affleck's performance is his best yet.

'Hacksaw Ridge'

Mel Gibson's latest film focuses on a reluctant soldier faced with moral dilemmas in a war-time drama where courage, faith and valour drive the story.

'Light Between Oceans'

Beautiful cinematography and great acting carries this heart-breaking drama.

'Lion'

A moving story of a man in search of his mother. The story is told in black and white strokes devoid of subtlety and nuance. Despite this, the movie has its merits.

Top 5 bad movies of 2016

Unfortunately, there were a lot of stinkers this year but these are the ones that made the top 5.

• "Ghost Busters II" - This did not even come close to the original movie's magic.
• "Office Christmas Party" - This tries too hard to be funny in a sad way.
• "Inferno" - Disappointing with a capital D. Ron Howard rushed the story along and Tom Hanks's performance was lack lustre.
• "Suicide Squad" - The story was dull and the characters were nasty and horrible.
• "Allegiant" - Dull, dull, dull. This was definitely not "The Hunger Games".

Marvel & DC Superhero movies of 2016

For the sake of proving my point, why are there so many comic book movie adaptations being churned out every year?

Here is a list of what came out this year.

• "Deadpool"
• "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice"
• "Captain America: Civil War"
• "X-Men: Apocalypse"
• "Suicide Squad"
• "Doctor Strange"

Sequels of 2016

And finally, here are this year's list of sequels proving that the Hollywood machine still counts on movie goers' desire to watch unoriginal flicks.

• "Bridget Jones' Baby"
• "Ride Along 2"
• "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2"
• "BarberShop: The Next Cut"
• "Ice Age: Collision Course"
• "Kung Fu Panda 3"
• "The Huntsman: Winter's War"