# Best movie of the last 3 years? 2014-2016 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 15, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016 "2016-11-15T00:08:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/101 "2016-11-26T06:45:42Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’m not a New Zealander. What’s the joke? Nor am I, maybe someone else can help but I think it was based on an old TV commercial ‘series’. Or some other culturally-relevant thing. Personally it looked, to me, like a homage to Thelma & Louise but I might have the wrong end of the stick. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/102 "2016-12-21T23:07:08Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Paprika is one of the finest animated movies of all time. Please report your thoughts here. Note: You may find yourself depressed that the director died of pancreatic cancer very suddenly. He only produced a few works. That’s a shame. But yeah, just watched it today: very good stuff. Some of the dream animation (the “parade”) reminded me of _Spirited Away_ (I wonder if that’s just sort of Japanese cultural collective consciousness or what), although I wouldn’t consider the film to be on the transcendent level of Miyazaki’s _chef-d’œuvre_. I give it a very solid 8/10, right in the ballpark of other mind-benders like the original _Matrix, 12 Monkeys_, and _Mulholland Drive_. It ranks eighth of the 58 animated films I have ranked (see where all 58 stack up [here](http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Animation&user=SlackerInc&perpage=100)). Thanks for the recommendation! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/103 "2016-12-22T00:59:22Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I’m not a New Zealander. What’s the joke? > [@JustinC](#): > > Nor am I, maybe someone else can help but I think it was based on an old TV commercial ‘series’. Or some other culturally-relevant thing. Sorry I’m very late to this explanation. The original story the movie is based on was written by a man named Barry Crump. He was a rough rural character, much like Sam Neill was playing in the movie. Crumpy, as he was known, did a series of ads for Toyota Hilux trucks, or utes\*, alongside actor Lloyd Scott, where he drove Scotty around in a wild fashion, crashing through the bush, down rivers, and through the mud. Not an exaggeration, either, it’s a fun way to drive around the countryside, as I’m sure anyone from a rural part of any country will tell you. Those ads, including an opposite one where Scotty drove Crumpy through the city streets in a similarly wild fashion, were huge hits and part of NZ pop culture for several years, and beyond. So the references are: [ul] [li]Barry Crump is the author of _Wild Pork and Watercress_, the book _Hunt For The Wilderpeople_ is based on.[/li][li]Crumpy and Lloyd Scott made a series of ads for Toyota Hilux.[/li][li]The Toyota ute in the movie is named “Crumpy”.[/li][li]The chase sequence uses almost exact angles and lines of dialogue from those ads.[/li][li]The hapless tourist in the middle of the road that just misses being hit by the ute is played by Lloyd Scott.[/li][/ul] [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqwnr2sza_o) are [some](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yj1gff-ndc) of the [ads](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vwTR9gphC8). \*_Short for Utility_ ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/104 "2016-12-22T01:48:34Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > That’s a shame. > > But yeah, just watched it today: very good stuff. Some of the dream animation (the “parade”) reminded me of _Spirited Away_ (I wonder if that’s just sort of Japanese cultural collective consciousness or what), although I wouldn’t consider the film to be on the transcendent level of Miyazaki’s _chef-d’œuvre_. I give it a very solid 8/10, right in the ballpark of other mind-benders like the original _Matrix, 12 Monkeys_, and _Mulholland Drive_. It ranks eighth of the 58 animated films I have ranked (see where all 58 stack up [here](http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?genre=Animation&user=SlackerInc&perpage=100)). > > Thanks for the recommendation! Glad you enjoyed it. It’s a great movie and I know he had more left in him before he died. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/105 "2016-12-22T04:32:01Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > This mention intrigued me, so I looked it up and added it to my Netflix disc queue. Looks totally like something up my alley, as among my all-time favorites are trippy animated films like _Waking Life_ and _Spirited Away_. Thanks! All this talk of unique animated films, have you seen _"Anomalisa_? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/106 "2016-12-22T04:37:36Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I saw **Fury Road**. Good action flick, but overall it didn’t do a whole lot for me. I don’t have a burning desire to see it again. But perhaps I’m missing something and should give it another viewing… No, I agree with you as well. I saw it in the theater (IMAX screen) and thought it was well done and looked great, but I’d seen it all before. I’m guessing that everyone who heaps high praise on it has never seen the original trilogy. I find it very difficult to call a film the “Best of…” if it’s either a reboot or a remake. I prefer the film to be something that I’ve never seen before and that sticks with me long after I’ve left the theater. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/107 "2016-12-22T04:53:26Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > No, I agree with you as well. I saw it in the theater (IMAX screen) and thought it was well done and looked great, but I’d seen it all before. **I’m guessing that everyone who heaps high praise on it has never seen the original trilogy**. (bolding mine) What a ridiculous, dismissive and patronizing thing to say. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/108 "2016-12-22T05:01:09Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > (bolding mine) > > What a ridiculous, dismissive and patronizing thing to say. Why? I spoke to an art class last year, (my friend who I saw the film with teaches it), and about 15 of the 20 students (20-24 years old) saw “Fury Road” and only one of the 15 had seen any of the original films (he saw “The Road Warrior”). So I make a comment based on an **actual** verification and I’m being ridiculous, dismissive and patronizing? Oh well… ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/109 "2016-12-22T05:10:23Z")
Hmmm, I’m going to have to agree with **Richard John Marcej** if he, in fact, spoke to 20 art students. I mean, one art class must surely be a representative sample of everyone who saw and enjoyed the film. Well done with the strenuous sampling there, **Richard John Marcej**! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/110 "2016-12-22T06:53:04Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Hmmm, I’m going to have to agree with **Richard John Marcej** if he, in fact, spoke to 20 art students. I mean, one art class must surely be a representative sample of everyone who saw and enjoyed the film. > > Well done with the strenuous sampling there, **Richard John Marcej**! Jesus, have I committed some sort of **sin** for daring to say something negative about Mad Max Fury Road? Hell, I liked the damn film, but pointed out the fact that it was a remake/reboot. It had been done before. And it just so happened that a group of people that I spoke to, had **never** seen or were aware that there were THREE films similarly done a few decades ago. Did I say that EVERY SINGLE PERSON who feel that it’s the best film of all time didn’t know that it was a reboot/remake. No Of course not. But many people that I’ve actually **spoke** with, not jut typed with on a message board, weren’t aware. My god, give it a rest. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/111 "2016-12-22T07:50:11Z")
I’ve seen all the Road Warrior movies as far as I know (there weren’t any between “Thunderdome” and the recent one, were there?). And I consider this latest outing to be pretty wildly overrated, although certainly not a bad movie. But I do think **Richard John Marcej** went too far out on a limb in saying “I’m guessing that everyone who heaps high praise on it has never seen the original trilogy.” If he had said “many people” instead of “everyone”, OTOH, I might defend his position to some extent. However, a nearly unanimous chorus of movie critics went nuts over the film, and I think it’s likely that most of them have seen the original films. > [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > All this talk of unique animated films, have you seen _"Anomalisa_? I did. And as with both of us and _Mad Max_, I was somewhat underwhelmed. I mean, I actually \*liked \*the movie if you remove its pedigree and my expectations, no question. But the three earlier films written by Charlie Kaufman (and directed by others) got [rankings from me](http://www.flickchart.com/Charts.aspx?user=SlackerInc&perpage=250&page=3) of 30, 73, and 77, while the one that he wrote \*and \*directed (before also doing so with _Anomalisa_) is my #4 all time film. So although my #544 ranking for \*Anomalisa \*is still soild (right in the neighborhood of quality films like _My Own Private Idaho_ and _Ugetsu_), it was nevertheless a disappointment given what I had come to expect. (_Paprika_, for comparison, is my #344.) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/112 "2016-12-22T08:05:42Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > Did I say that EVERY SINGLE PERSON who feel that it’s the best film of all time didn’t know that it was a reboot/remake. Yes, you did. Or do you have some alternate definition of “everyone” that does not mean “everyone”? ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/113 "2016-12-22T11:04:12Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > All this talk of unique animated films, have you seen _"Anomalisa_? I read a review, thought it sounded interesting, and then looked up the trailer. _shudder_ Waaaaaaay to far into the Uncanny Valley for my taste. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/114 "2016-12-22T12:36:21Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I’ve seen all the Road Warrior movies as far as I know (there weren’t any between “Thunderdome” and the recent one, were there?). Mad Max was the first movie in the trilogy. Road Warrior was a sequel. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/115 "2016-12-22T13:14:19Z")
And Mad Max was the weakest of the series. They found the right aesthetic with Road Warrior. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/116 "2016-12-22T13:32:45Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > No, I agree with you as well. I saw it in the theater (IMAX screen) and thought it was well done and looked great, but I’d seen it all before. I’m guessing that everyone who heaps high praise on it has never seen the original trilogy. > > I find it very difficult to call a film the “Best of…” if it’s either a reboot or a remake. > I prefer the film to be something that I’ve never seen before and that sticks with me long after I’ve left the theater. This statement is… Mediocre. I’ve seen the original 3, 2 & 3 in the theater, and I’m back on page 1 of this thread saying MMFR is the best movie of the past 3 years. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/117 "2016-12-22T13:36:47Z")
Fury Road hit every note perfectly. It intended to be the most over-the-top absurd car chase film ever made and it succeeded. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/118 "2016-12-22T14:02:15Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Mad Max was the first movie in the trilogy. Road Warrior was a sequel. Right, I saw MM, Road Warrior, and Thunderdome back in the day. (So weird that there is one entry in the series before nuclear Armageddon.) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/119 "2016-12-22T14:25:09Z")
> [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](#): > > Why? I spoke to an art class last year, (my friend who I saw the film with teaches it), and about 15 of the 20 students (20-24 years old) saw “Fury Road” and only one of the 15 had seen any of the original films (he saw “The Road Warrior”). I’m trying to picture this in my mind. You talked to a room full of undergrads, right? Most of whom, maybe all of whom, were born years after the last Mad Max movie was released? One of them had seen this old movie anyway? And from that sample of teenagers and early 20-somethingers, you concluded that “everyone who heaps high praise on it has never seen the original trilogy”? Just making sure I understand :). For myself, in my forties, I’ve only seen one of the original trilogy (and the ending of another in the original), so yeah, my praise for the new one doesn’t come with super-expert background knowledge. The new one had a very different aesthetic from the bits I saw of the old one, substituting acrobats for machismo in a lot of scenes, plus also complete ridiculousness. If the originals had been half this funny, I would’ve seen the whole trilogy. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016/120 "2016-12-22T14:55:01Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > This statement is… Mediocre. > > I’ve seen the original 3, 2 & 3 in the theater, and I’m back on page 1 of this thread saying MMFR is the best movie of the past 3 years. My teenage daughter, who incidentally is at a university for art, has seen the original MM movies and says Fury Road is her favorite movie, ever. So not only not everyone, but not even every art student. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-the-last-3-years-2014-2016/772016.md?page=7)