One of the many things that I love about the end of the year is reading the “best of” and “favorites” lists of professional, semi-professional and amateur writers. Frankly of anyone willing to give their opinion of what grabbed hold of their attention and lingered on in their memories long after the final credits rolled.

This is my list of the favorite things of which I partook on screen over the past year. It will encompass films released in theaters in 2016, films I watched in my own home theater in 2016, and television shows I enjoyed over the past year, regardless of their release date.

I do hope that fellow bloggers will take the time to post links to their favorites lists, and that those of you who don’t blog your lists will feel welcome to add yours to the comments.

If a title is highlighted, clicking on it will take you to my review.

With no further ado, on with the show(s).

On the Big Screen:

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

2016 had some strong science fiction entries, the most anticipated being the first of the stand alone Star Wars films, Rogue One. The film being set in the period leading up to the events of A New Hope, Rogue One gave older fans a huge boost of nostalgia for the universe we saw in 1977 when Star Wars forever changed the film industry. For fans new and old it introduced a strong female lead, an engaging ensemble of Rebels, an interesting new villain, and it hit all the right notes.

Rogue One was fun.

Arrival

Arrival is far and away the critical hit of the 2016 science fiction film season. Based on an award-winning novella by author Ted Chiang, Arrival deftly blends thought-provoking ideas with riveting story telling, enhanced by stellar performances (pun intended) from a brilliantly-chosen cast. The acclaim this film has received is well deserved.

The Legend of Tarzan

I fell hard for Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter novels many years before the film adaptation, and was highly pleased once the film was released, so my hopes for this film were equally high. I read my first Tarzan novel in preparation for the film, enjoyed it, and was so entertained by the movie that I saw it three times in the theater with different people each time.

The Legend of Tarzan could arguably be my favorite film released in 2016. The casting was superb, the special effects were amazing, the writers were able to cleverly weave Tarzan’s origin story into a film inspired by later novels, and I thought the writers did a great job establishing Jane as a character with purpose and resolve. I loved everything about this movie.

Star Trek Beyond

I was vocally against the rebooting of the original series in film when it was first announced, and then ate humble pie when the 2009 release of Star Trek blew me away and reinvigorated my love for the series. I even liked the much-maligned, and not altogether undeserving, Into Darkness. But I was ready to see the writers step away from the canonical universe and embrace this alternate timeline more fully. I believe this was achieved admirably with Star Trek Beyond.

The pairing of Spock and Bones that allowed fans to experience more of their comical repartee, the introduction of new alien cultures, the growth of both Kirk and Spock, and the top-notch special effects all combined to make this the best yet in the new Star Trek timeline.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

My Big Fat Greek Wedding was the little film that could back in 2002. Based on word of mouth and growing critical acclaim, the film had amazing staying power and proved that films do not necessarily need a huge budget or A-list celebrities to succeed. It was a risk to try to have lightning strike twice, but I am glad that Nia Vardalos and the rest of the gang got back together for a sequel.

It would have been easy to simply repeat all the shtick that worked the first time and leave it at that. Instead My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 honored those elements of humor while building upon them to create a decent story about the sometimes-exasperating, sometimes-wonderful connections we have with our family members.

This was such a sweet, funny film. I saw it twice in the theater and have watched it at least once on streaming since its release.

Passengers

This was a great film for me upon which to end my year. It had the science fictional elements that excite me, and the romance that my ol’ sentimental self craves. Time will tell whether or not the film will be one that rewards repeated viewing, but hot on the heels of having seen the film on the big screen, I’m looking forward to seeing it again.
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On the Small(er) Screen:

Brooklyn

I am disappointed that I did not take the time to see Brooklyn in the theater. Every frame is beautiful and deserves to be seen on as big a screen as possible. Brooklyn is a charming movie with a skilled cast, but it is Saoirse Ronan who carries the film and makes it a thing of beauty. Brooklyn is a quiet story, focusing on the love of both people and place, and what it means to find a home. This film is the rare combination of art and good story that satisfies on every level.

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

2016 began with a January 1st showing of the then latest feature-length episode of Sherlock, taking these beloved modern versions of the characters back into the time period in which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had set his iconic characters. I was particularly pleased to be able to see these actors play the roles in the traditional manner and was pleasantly surprised by the way in which they were able to tie the story into the continuity of the current series.

For those of you who don’t know, the newest season of Sherlock kicks off this Sunday night, January 1st.

Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street

My favorite television series of the year, and one that now ranks among my lifetime list of favorites, is the Amazon Original series Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street. It was a short-lived series following the friendship of three young adults living on a street called “Normal” where things that are anything but normal occur. There is a fantasy/magic-realism element to the series that is apparent from the very first episode that runs throughout. One of the many things I liked about this series was that the characters took these strange happenings in stride without any doubts about the logic of them happening. They just rolled with each incident and addressed it with the unique outlook that young people possess.

If you are familiar with and liked the show Pushing Daisies, there are a lot of similarities in production values, voice-over narration, and in creating quirky, fun, likeable characters. And despite all the little touches that made this show so spectacular, it is the characters that carry each episode. And not just the main cast, but also smaller character roles, some recurring. The casting was wonderful.

I also enjoyed that while the show did touch briefly on the idea of teen romance, it was not the typical angst-filled “drama” seen in many stories featuring adolescents. This was a sweet, fun show, that had some serious and admittedly tear-inducing moments. While only a few seasons, it exists as a complete product, wrapping up the story lines and giving viewers a glimpse into the future of the characters.

I cannot recommend this show highly enough. It is well worth the Amazon Prime membership to see this series, with the bonus of getting a year’s worth of additional interesting programming.

Doctor Who Series 9

We were much delayed in getting through the most recent series of Doctor Who as we were watching it with our friends. Since the season was comprised of multiple sets of two-part episodes, it was not always easy to coordinate a couple of hours at a time to enjoy Doctor Who. The great thing about that was that instead of binge-watching the episodes, the enjoyment was spread throughout the year.

This is the series where I felt Peter Capaldi really came into his own as the Doctor, and the series did right by Jenna Coleman in her final season as Clara Oswald. The introduction of Maisie Williams as Ashildr in a recurring role was one of the highlights of the season and I was so impressed with the way they used her character, particularly in:

Doctor Who Christmas Special: The Husbands of River Song

The Christmas special, which wrapped up the events of series nine, saw the return of the much-adored character of River Song. Because of this, as well as good writing and the way in which the series wrapped, The Husbands of River Song may be the Christmas special that I love the most. It should NOT be watched without seeing all of series nine. You’ve been warned.

Dark Matter

A random scrolling through Netflix one night when Mary was gone lead me to checking out the first season of this Canadian science fiction series. I thought the first episode was fair, by the second episode I was hooked. When Mary got home, I fired up those episodes and watched them again with her. Dark Matter has a nice ensemble cast with interesting characters and the writers manage to throw enough unexpected twists and turns to keep me watching. Looking forward to checking out season two.
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We’ve enjoyed some other series this year: Lethal Weapon (hits such great emotional notes..a real surprise), Timeless, Parks and Rec (yes, we are way behind on this), season 8 of The Middle, but as these are shows that are mid-season, or in the case of Parks and Rec where we have a season and a half to go, I am reserving judgement until the end. But don’t be surprised if some of these show up on our list next year.
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So what about you? What were your favorites that either came out in 2016 or you watched for the first time in 2016? And what were your thoughts on any of the ones I listed that you’ve seen?

Is there anything you are looking forward to in 2016?