Return of the Jedi is an incredibly satisfying finale in that every character gets a chance to shine. Every character, minor to major, has a general purpose in the plot, and the most significant characters get satisfactory character arcs.

In an era of IP-Blockbusters that feel safe and made by committee, Speed Racer ages far better with each viewing due to how unabashedly unique it feels. No film released before or after it looks or feels like Speed Racer.

Hundreds of Beavers is the closest anyone has ever gotten to making a genuine live-action cartoon, especially at this relatively small scale. The sheer variety of silent visual gags the filmmakers manage to capture with this relatively small budget is awe-inspiring.

What Spider-Man: Homecoming accomplishes, more than anything, is portraying that sense of teenage superhero escapism inherent to the character. Much of my enjoyment of the film stems from watching Peter or Ned fanboying over the heroic, extravagant things that happen to Peter. The general high-school vibes of the film add to the film's charm, from the enjoyably awkward conversations to the hilariously dry, monotone demeanor of the teachers.

What makes The Empire Strikes Back such a phenomenal movie is that, compared to most other Star Wars movies, its story feels the most character-focused. The arcs of Luke, Han, and Leia directly drive the plot. Luke has to learn the values of being a Jedi, such as patience and control, and Han and Leia learn to value and trust each other.

The Last Waltz shows the pure collaborative power of music. It's a concert film that celebrates the pure power of music and performing through its large band and dozens upon dozens of guest performances.

When Re-watching the original Star Wars, I attempted to look at it beyond its now iconic status. And in doing that, I was surprised by how charming so much of the film is.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a film that looks good, sounds good, and has some decent scenes involving Spider-Man. But it also has a horrible script that juggles too many storylines at once that aren't very interesting.

Amy crafts a profoundly intimate, moving portrait of Amy Winehouse. The film avoids any of the artificial traits of your standard music documentary. There are no talking head interviews or an overly stylized presentation. Instead, the film presents an authentic glimpse into the life of Amy Winehouse through archival footage and audio interviews.

Revenge of the Sith seems most successfully attuned to the operatic, Shakespearean aspirations George Lucas wanted out of the prequel trilogy.

Episode II has its merits, but for me, it's mostly George Lucas's failed attempt at turning Star Wars into a Shakespearean drama.

The Amazing Spider-Man has always been a film that I've always found featured a lot of good wrapped around a lot of dullness.

Steel Magnolias wasn’t doing much for me early on, but it soon grew on me.

Revisiting The Phantom Menace in the theater, the film clicked with me slightly more than on previous viewings. I've grown to appreciate the almost Saturday Morning Cartoon energy of so much of the film. Through its over-the-top comedic supporting characters and melodrama, so much of the film, tonally speaking, reminded me of the cartoons I grew up on.

Aliens is often regarded as a complete genre shift from the original, leaning more towards action than horror. While it features more action-packed scenes with gunfights and explosions, what's so brilliant about James Cameron's sequel is how it shifts towards action while keeping to the original's horror roots.

On my previous viewing many years ago, my tired state didn't allow me to fully appreciate Alien's effectiveness in providing a terrifying sense of atmospheric dread. Right from the opening moments, with those slow, methodical tracking shots through the ship's interiors, the film brilliantly builds up this internalized tension that permeates the entire movie.

I've warmed up to Spider-Man 3 slightly. While the film is incredibly flawed and messy, I've grown to look past those flaws and see the good parts that occasionally shine throughout the film.

Revisiting Raising Arizona, I was even more taken aback by its rapid-fire pacing and pure live-action cartoon slapstick madness.

School of Rock feels unique as a comedy of its era. Usually, with a comedy of this era and a premise like it has, it's easy to fill it with over-the-top performances and flat or overly flashy filmmaking. But, through Richard Linklater's trademark naturalistic filmmaking style and the top-notch performances, the film never feels too flat or over-the-top, which allows the film to amplify what's already a sharp script with an incredibly earnest and heartfelt story.

Some of the best superhero films cut to the core of their characters, choosing to focus on the human side of their superpowered characters. Spider-Man 2 is one of those films.