Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2017)

 Every day I'm counting down My 101 Favorite Movies of All Time, two movies at a time. Today I reveal #99 and #98.

Click HERE for the Master List
  
99) Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2017)

It's a good thing that Tim Burton's disastrous 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes didn't turn out to be the franchise-killer that it initially appeared to be, because otherwise we would have never experienced the total badassery of Rise of the Planet of the Apes (as well as it's excellent sequel). I really enjoy the original Apes movies - Escape and Conquest in particular - but nothing gets my blood pumping quite like Rise. The special effects remain spectacular despite being improved upon by its sequel, and the action is truly exciting and thrilling.

But the reason the whole thing works so well is that despite the fact that its ideas and overall endgame are epic in scope, the story remains deeply intimate and relatively small. On one level, yes, it's about how mankind annihilates itself, but the film is focused squarely on the ape Caesar, who becomes one of the most compelling and nuanced characters in modern action movie history. Andy Serkis' phenomenal performance mixed with WETA's digital wizardry remains an astonishing achievement; not only do you care more about the survival of a single ape than you do the whole of humanity, but the ape isn't even real.
 
Favorite Scene/Quote: Caesar has finally taken all the abuse he's willing to take, as he rises up, if you will. It's a moment 

that still gives me chills.

 

98) The King of Kong: a Fistful of Quarters (2007)

Everyone loves an underdog story. The situational specifics are basically interchangeable, but as long as there's some down-on-his-luck person/s going up against a seemingly invincible obstacle, these stories remain naturally compelling. It's the perfect framework for The King of Kong, which gives the plainly ridiculous quest for the Donkey Kong high score a certain level of gravity and meaning, despite the absurdity of it all.

In one corner you've got Billy Mitchell, long-reigning Donkey Kong champ, "Video Game Player of the Century", and all around smug douche. In the other corner you've got Steve Wiebe, humble school teacher and loving husband and father, nipping at Billy Mitchell's long-held Donkey Kong high score. The way that Mitchell and his disciples first outright dismiss, and then pathetically attempt to thwart Wiebe, makes it so much more satisfying when Wiebe inevitably proves he's a force not to be reckoned with.

The King of Kong is a documentary, but there's no denying that the footage has been edited in such a way to overstate the reality of this Donkey Kong rivalry, and to present Mitchell and Wiebe in the worst and best possible lights, respectively. But we're talking about a video game high score here, so I'm willing to forgive a little manipulation in the name of telling a hilarious story. And it is hilarious, as the juxtaposition of how serious everyone takes something so silly is constantly amusing in addition to being oddly fascinating.

Favorite Scene: Hey, if anybody wants to see, there's a Donkey Kong kill screen coming up.

  

Favorite Quote: "I wanted to be a hero. I wanted to be the center of attention. I wanted the glory, I wanted the fame. I wanted the pretty girls to come up and say...

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