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SpongeBob SquarePants has been going on for over 25+ years now. And in that 25+ year long gap, he has started in six different feature movies. While the original SpongeBob SquarePants movie was designed as being the epilogue of the entire television series back in 2004, his popularity for Nickelodeon has been off the charts for the past two decades, leading to the show’s continuation to this very day and five more feature movies that have been released since then. Since Search for SquarePants is now out on in theaters, it’s time to rank the six feature-length SpongeBob movies we have thus far from worst to best.
6.) Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie
Saving Bikini Bottom: A Sandy Cheeks Movie is one of the worst things to ever happened to SpongeBob SquarePants and is perhaps the worst of all of the SpongeBob movies. It takes nearly every problem of the very worst of SpongeBob medium and cranks it up to 11. The plot is non-existent, the characters are at their most one-note and nonsensical, there’s not a single joke that isn’t stolen from older SpongeBob material, the direction and special effects for the live-action sequences are jaw droppingly awful, and the main villain is one of the worst, obnoxious, and most cringeworthy villains ever put to film. Not even previous saving graces from other bad SpongeBob movies and episodes such as the animation and voice work are good here. It’s ironic how the main thing going with the villains is that they are a big corporation that is wanting to capture SpongeBob and the rest of Bikini Bottom for the sake of merchandises and branding. When watching the movie, it comes across as Nickelodeon patching itself on the back for letting SpongeBob be what he has become for the past two decades. And especially after the passing of Stephen Hillenburg, that is about the worst possible feeling imaginable.
5.) The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge On The Run
There are plenty of things to talk about with Sponge on the Run that has been talked about in length by hardcore fans. Like how the film acts like snails are incredibly rare now in the ocean despite the show having plenty of different snails in multiple episodes. Or that SpongeBob and Patrick can now go into a casino even though they are technically still kids. Or how SpongeBob literally now has a name for his stove at work. Or how SpongeBob literally says the word, “crappy” in the movie. It all just makes you wonder what Sponge On The Run would have been like if Stephen Hillenburg was still alive throughout the entire production. While there are definitely hints at what the man was trying to accomplish throughout Sponge On The Run, it can never escape that sense of cynicism and studio meddling that I imagine Tim Hill and crew really wanted to break out of from the clutches of the evil corporation of Nickelodeon themselves. Driven forward by a derivative/non-existent plot, contradictions to the SpongeBob lore, and the most forced advertisements for Kamp Koral imaginable, Sponge On The Run feels more like a broken shadow of SpongeBob’s older, peak self than one that feels like a worthy edition to him. At least it’s pretty to look at….I guess.
4.) The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
The newest SpongeBob movie is FAR from the worst thing that has ever happened to our beloved yellow sponge! This does offers a nice expansion upon the father/son-like relationship between Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob (even if that is likely because of the fact this was originally suppose to be a spin-off series with Mr. Krabs) and a hilariously over-the-top performance with Mark Hamill as the Flying Dutchman! However, Search for SquarePants still can’t shake the feeling off ofjust feeling like yet another SpongeBob movie! SpongeBob’s overall arc about wanting to become a “big guy” feels like a water down version of his “wanting to become a man” arc from the first movie, most of the jokes fall flat, and the overall payoffs to each individual subplots are ones that even the youngest of kid will be able to see coming from a mile away. Does it makes for a mildly passable SpongeBob adventure for kids? Sure! Does it makes for a worthy big screen outing that you should absolutely take the whole family to see in theaters instead of waiting for it to come on streaming or television? Nope!
Although, if you do go see this movie in theaters, you get a rock solid Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vs A.I. short! I guess that’s something!
3.) Plankton: The Movie
Never in a million years would I guess that a spin-off movie with Plankton would be among the better of the SpongeBob movies but here we are. On the surface, Plankton: The Movie comes across as yet another example of a pointless spin-off and something that just existed for the sake of having content on a streaming service. While that might be true on the business side of things, when it comes to the artistic side of things, this has more heart and charm than you would expected. You really get to see the relationship between Plankton and Karen get explored more here than ever before in the series, while still keeping the sense of humor and lightheartness that the series has always been known for. Not to mention, most of the female characters such as Sandy, Pearl, and Mrs. Puffs get their moments to shine here. There are certain gags that are quite repetitive and a retcon or two that will likely annoy the most diehard of fans but if you were someone that has been disappointed with the more recent SpongeBob movies, Plankton: The Movie makes for a nice palate cleanser and shows that perhaps SpongeBob spin-offs can indeed work.
2.) The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water
I can totally understand why The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is as divisive as it is among the fanbase. It contains some of the very best, very worst, and very “meh” parts of all of the SpongeBob movies thus far. That is basically what you get when you go with a whole “throw everything but the kitchen sink” approach to a movie. However, I can’t help but respect Sponge Out of Water for going as far and bonkers as it dares to go. It still has most of the characters that I love from the show, some of which got very little to do in the first movie and have more to do here, it’s got some crazy visuals that I thought I would never see in a SpongeBob movie, some of the movie spoofs it provides were quite fun, and there is a moral, while simplistic and predictable, that I think can resonate with kids the way the first film’s “kids rock” message resonated with me. When looking at it through those lenses, I would give Sponge Out of Water a thumbs up and a recommendation to anyone curious. I can’t say for certain it will work for you nor will you find the movie to be necessary but if you are just looking for an excuse to hang with SpongeBob and his friends for an hour and a half with enough visuals and gags to keep you entertained, I think this will fill that SpongeBob hole for you in ways that other SpongeBob sequels and spin-offs have not.
1.) The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie still remains an all-time classic in my eyes and the very best SpongeBob movie to date! Regardless of whether you view this as an adaption of the show, the epilogue of a beloved franchise, or even just as a simple kids/family film, it all works in every way it possibly can. Even if the clear target audience is for kids, I do think there is something for everyone to get out of no matter how old they are. Beautifully animated, perfectly written, immensely funny, and emotional beats that all feel earned (You are a robot sent from Skyler if you didn’t cry at SpongeBob and Patrick’s “death scene”!), I could not ask for a better SpongeBob movie than what Stephen and company was able to provide to the big screens back in 2004. Even as someone that’s turn 28 years old this year, I can’t help but have a strong attachment to this film as I get older. No matter what age I am, I will always feel proud to call myself a goofy goober! Even though this did not end up being the very last of the series like it was originally intended to, this still works perfectly as a definite end to the franchise. Despite the fact that multiple seasons and films involving SpongeBob have come along over the past two decades, it doesn’t change the fact that the timeless nature of it makes this feel like the main stopping point and everything that came after basically just what came before chronologically. It’s the way that Stephen Hillenburg always intended and quite frankly, it works all the better for it.
Zootopia 2 is now out in theaters and it is absolutely CRUSHING t at the box office, just passing over one billion dollars worldwide. With that, there are now a total of 60 movies to have made a billion dollars at the box office. Regardless if inflation or re-releases also helps with that (which they both do), a movie has made a total of over seven bills at least 60 times throughout cinema history. Because of that, I decided to go ahead and do a ranking of every single one of these since I’ve actually seen all of these movies at least one time.
This will make for a rather complicated list, even more so than other lists I make on here. This will be a fine mix between what I believe is the best movie from an objective standpoint, what I believe is the best from a subjective standpoint, and the impact each one has had on pop culture for better and worse. I’ve thought about this for quite awhile now so it’s time for me to rank them.
If you disagree with this list, then by all means disagree but please don’t be a jerk about it. We have enough of those on the internet. I really don’t take much pride in these lists and rankings other than to have some fun. Opinions change everyday and this ranking is just how I feel at the exact moment that I’m publishing this list.
Also, since it’s going to be 60 movies, I’m not gonna go into detail on any one of those and just show the number I have ranked for each movie. I’ll just say which movie is ranked where and show off a trailer for it because why not? I might even update the list once another movie comes around that makes a billion dollars and see how much of my opinion on this list has changed since then.
Let’s not waste anymore time and get right down to it.
There is not a company that has a bigger impact on the entertainment industry or possibly even on the entire human population than Disney. This is a company that has been providing family friendly content for generations now and in recent memory, mostly due to buying other studios and companies, are also now providing content for teenagers to young adults as well. However, one form of entertainment that it has been providing ever since that medium itself was invented, is animation. People tend to have very specific terms they referred to as what each era of Disney animation consists off.
There is the Golden Age where it all began from Disney, the Wartime Era which basically speaks for itself, the Silver Age which was the post-war phase but ended with the brutal passing of Walt Disney himself, the Bronze Age where Disney was as their absolute lowest point, the Renaissance Age which Disney was as their absolute highest point, the Post-Renaissance Era where it was mostly riding the wave of the previous one, and lastly, there’s the age which plenty of people debate whether or not we are currently living in it or it ended years ago, the era referred to by many as the “Revival” era.
The “revival” era mostly consists of the era which saw the tail end of classic 2D Disney animation pictures and it’s full transition into strictly 3D animation pictures. Most would argue that this took place at the start of the late 2000s and carried over to the early 2010s. While not quite the best era of Disney animation in my humble opinion, I think there is an argument to be make that this is the most reliably consistent era of Disney. This era has the kind of films that mostly consistence of solid B/B+ animated movies with an A/A+ animated classic movie thrown in there for good measure. Or at least it was…..until recent memory.
Due to the inconsistency of quality and multiple box office disasters, there has been serious consideration that we are no longer in the “revival” era and are not in a brand new and darker era entirely. While many people will debate when we first began to set foot in what I will call the so-called “post-revival era” or maybe just the “slop era”, I would say this started around 2018 but didn’t become so noticeable to majority of the general public until like 2023. Until someone out there creates a new name for this entirely divisive era of Disney and just global tension in general, that what I will refer to this era has.
Because of that, I want to rank some Disney movies here. Particularly I want to rank the films that has been part of the filmography of Disney since they translated to being known as the Walt Disney Animation Studios, starting with 2007 with the release of Meet The Robinsons and ending with their most recent feature, Zootopia 2.
Let’s not waste anymore time and get straight to ranking!
18.) Wish
There hasn’t been any Disney movie in the modern era that had as much pressure to prove itself as Wish did. Not only having to answer for all the past sins of the company’s mistakes in recent years but it also had to act as a perfect culmination of the past 100 years of all things related to Disney. Unfortunately, no matter what what you look at it, Wish is an absolute misfire that serves as one of the most dull and lifeless animated movies that Disney has ever made!
There has not been a Disney movie in this era that feels as mad libs as they come, constantly following similar plot beats and structure with nothing new added to it or a fresh and distinct vision of it’s own. It feels like if you ask ChatGPT to make a Disney princess movie to celebrate the release of the company’s 100th anniversary and this is exactly what you would get. The “wish” concept is not explored well in the slightest, side characters and tropes are only here just because that’s a stable with every other Disney movie, Asha is every 2010s “adorkable” Disney Princess rolled into one with nothing unique to her, Magnifico is probably the most underwhelming Disney villain ever, the songs range from forgettable to an absolute pain in the ear and it never 100% committees to it’s new animation style that is as inconsistent and half-baked as it comes.
The ingredients are there for Wish to be an instant Disney classic, acting as a perfect bridge between classic Disney 2D and modern Disney 3D motion pictures for a new generation. Unfortunately, the end results are disastrous. Wish doesn’t feel so much like a movie made to celebrate 100 years of Disney but more like a movie that was made just so there’s a Disney movie for it’s 100th anniversary. The fact I could barely remember a single thing about the movie just minutes after the credits roll really says a lot about how underwhelming and disappointing Wish was.
17.) Ralph Breaks The Internet
There were many folks that were claiming for a follow-up to the original Wreck-It Ralph as there were tons of potential for future sequels for it. Too bad no one involved with this sequel even bother to even fully utilized even a tiny bit of that potential. Ralph Breaks The Internet feels like a sequel which the creative team behind it either didn’t watch the first movie or didn’t understand the moral of it (which is baffling considering this was made by the SAME creative team as the first one).
Instead of expanding upon the video game world of Ralph and company, that gets tossed aside in favor of a generic, by-the-numbers story about surfing the web along with adding in all the most painfully cliche and outdated internet tropes imaginable. Ralph and Vanellope’s arcs are back to square one, 99% of the wonderful supporting cast of the original get sideline, nearly half the plot is non-existent and consists of filler, it’s themes, while not necessarily bad on their own, have no place in this universe, and the ending practically breaks the established lore and entire point of Wreck-It Ralph. There’s admittedly a handful of callbacks, references, and easter eggs I did get a chuckle at, particularly Sonic’s cameo and the Disney princess scene, and the animation is reliably great, but if that’s all your movie has to offer, then that will only get you so far.
Ralph Breaks The Internet doesn’t so much feel like a Wreck-It Ralph sequel but something similar to The Emoji Movie and Space Jam 2 (albeit it not nearly as bad as either one of those), a movie that seems to only exist for a company to pat themselves on the back to show off how much stuff they own to everybody and just to advertise it’s own products. That might work well for a PowerPoint presentation of a commercial but not so much for a feature-length movie. While there might still be potential for future adventures with Ralph and friends, you will definitely not get that with Ralph Breaks The Internet.
16.) Strange World
Here’s the 2022 Disney feature that flew under the radar for a lot of people and was one of the worst financial bombs in the company’s history. Even pushing all of that aside and some of the most obvious controversy surrounding it (A.K.A. the one not-straight main character in the movie), it’s easy to see why it didn’t seem to resonate with those that actually saw it.
Strange World is about the most aggressively mediocre modern Disney film ever made. It has characters tropes and plot beats you’ve seen done a million times before and done a million times better in other films, environmental messages that are quite preachy and will make you roll your eyes, and the ending is something that you could see coming from a mile away, which is a problem when the movie itself treats it like a big surprise. At least the world themselves are nice to look it and it is refreshing to see an openly gay character in a Disney movie that isn’t treated as a big deal or anything different to that of a straight character.
While I still stand by my piece I wrote in December 2022 about how it’s a shame that Disney basically left Strange World to die in theaters due to the overall lack of marketing of it, I just wish the overall movie was better and worth defending from all it’s dumb controversy. It’s every family friendly adventure you’ve seen before with not much new added to it and there’s nothing here that will make you want to watch it again anytime soon.
15.) Moana 2
The original Moana was an instant modern Disney classic when it came out back in 2016. After gaining such a cultural phenomenon as the years have gone by and receiving yearly stellar ratings on Disney Plus, an expansion of this beloved character seemed inevitable. What originally started out as a Disney Plus series, the follow-up to Moana and Maui would be reworked into a feature length film. And…….that is quite obvious when watching the end results for Moana 2.
This feels like a throw-back to those direct-to-VHS sequels that Disney would chun out following the success of their originals that play more like unmade Disney tv shows than actual theatrically released motion pictures. You have a “plot of the week” that occurs every 20 minutes, secondary characters that might’ve been interesting if they were given their season-length arcs like they were suppose to, and songs that play like water down versions of the original’s soundtrack (Losing Lin Manuel Miranda for Mafusa certainly didn’t help!). Thanks goodness the animation is still stunning, there’s some cute characters and gags (Moana’s sister is so adorable!), and Auliʻi Cravalho is as good as ever as Moana! And also, that mid-credit scene that was clearly meant to be a tease for the potential future!
There’s nothing inherently awful or offensive in Moana 2 but even that really goes to show just how much Disney has continued to lower the bar with their quality as each new release comes around. With a year that has seen so many great animated movies, we should all except much better for our adventures with our favorite Disney princesses. Is it watchable and even enjoyable at times? Sure! Does it come close to being as good as the original or a successful follow-up? Nope! I sure can’t wait for that Disney Plus documentary about how much of a mess this movie was from behind the scene!
14.) Frozen II
After the original Frozen took the world by storm, a sequel was inevitable. Even when Disney isn’t usually keen on making sequels that didn’t go straight-to-DVD, they just had to make a Part II to what is probably their most financially successful film to date. Just a shame that the people involved couldn’t come up with a more concrete, artistic reason to keep the Frozen brand going. There are certainly areas of improvement here such as the animation, character banter, song placement (Into The Unknown>>Let It Go), and even Olaf himself is quite funny here. However, in terms of script and structure, it’s quite inferior.
It feels the need to answer questions from the original that no one was really demanding answers to (Does anyone actually care about how Elsa got her ice powers?!) and in so doing so creates plot holes of it’s own (How is it that Anna is able to remember about what happened to her parents, her sister’s powers, and the forest when her memory got wiped when she was a little girl?!). It also doesn’t seem to know what to do with Kristoff (despite his solo song behind a standout) other than having him propose to Anna over and over and over again. All of which accumulates to a rather inconsequential third act that doesn’t feel genuine (Even with a dying snowman!) because it’s never clear what the actual stakes are throughout the movie (I honestly had no idea Arendelle was in any real danger until it was pointed out in the last 20 minutes) or even the overall point to it.
Frozen II feels like a sequel that is trying to do too much with too little and at times, feels like it’s being made up as it went along (which the people behind it outright unironically admitted in the behind-the-scene features). There’s still some enjoyment to be had for those that just want to spend more time with the characters and enjoy some good toons, but this sequel walks a fine line between ambition and aimlessness. It’s not that the heart isn’t there, it’s just frozen this time out.
13.) Raya and The Last Dragon
Raya and the Last Dragon is a film that gets so close to being up there with one of Disney’s absolute best! An action-packed spectacle with plenty of world building, colorful characters, and a moral surrounding learning to trust others in a time of crisis. However, despite the best intentions, it never quite gets there and feels like it needed an extra script rewrite or two. Raya‘s biggest strength also happens to be it’s biggest weakness, it’s just too ambitious for it’s own good.
The movie has a ton of characters and worlds they introduce that don’t feel as fully form as they should be because it has to make room for every single one of them, which leaves the whole thing feeling quite unfocused. The overall moral of trust, while well-intended, doesn’t really work because the film never provides a reason as to why the main character herself is wrong for not trusting others. Also, you are lying to yourself if the climax didn’t make you think of Guardians of the Galaxy. Even so, this movie still does provide plenty of entertainment on a surface level with gorgeous animation, enjoyable set pieces, good humor, and introducing the most action-packed Disney princess since Mulan.
Raya and the Last Dragon has a foundation that has potential to be expanded upon with future content such as a sequel, a Disney Plus series, and perhaps even an appearance in a future Kingdom Hearts game. While Raya doesn’t ultimately live up to its ambition, I wouldn’t be against seeing this heroine and her friends returning in the future.
12.) Big Hero 6
I could honestly copy and paste almost the exact same points from Raya and the Last Dragon and apply it to here as well. Big Hero 6, the first fully animated film from Disney based off a Marvel comic, is a movie that on paper sounds really great but the execution of it is just okay. Although, unlike Raya, there has been future content such as a tv show, streaming series, and a Kingdom Hearts III appearance that help expand upon the ideas and worlds even further.
The central relationship between Hiro and Baymax is great stuff and give the film the overall beating heart it needed. The action is well done and once the Big Hero 6 finally come together, it’s awesome and makes for a really fun superhero team. That being said, the journey to getting there can be a bit rough. The other members of the Big Hero 6 are very thinly written and aren’t that interesting on their own merits, none of the voice actors as those members stand out, it takes too long for the team to come together, and the twist reveal with the villain is one you can guess the moment that character first appears on screen.
Even with it’s flaws, Big Hero 6 has plenty of redeemable qualities to make up for it and has a very unique world of it’s own that thankfully got expanded upon further in future Disney content. It also has easily the best Stan Lee cameo of all time hands down! A middle-of-the-road Disney flick but still a solid one overall.
11.) Bolt
Here’s a movie that the majority of the human population and even Disney themselves kinda seem to forgot it exists. And whenever it’s mentioned, people tend to either give it a big shrug or flat out slam it. Quite frankly, I really don’t see why. I’m not gonna act like Bolt is a masterpiece or anything but for what it is, it’s perfectly solid.
Seeing the main character of Bolt having to learn to adapt to the “real” world after finding out the world he thought he was living it was just a big network television show is engaging, the action set pieces are thrilling, the animation was solid for the time, and I find the relationship between Penny and Bolt to be quite engaging, with even some heartfelt moments. Sure, the story is nothing you haven’t seen before and I probably could’ve done with a better voice actor for Bolt (No offense to John Travolta but…….he’s just not a voice actor), but I still dug this one.
Maybe it’s because of my nostalgia goggles and the fact that the animation community seems to want to take a dump on this movie whenever they can but like, I just find Bolt to be a cute doggy movie and that’s that. If you hate this movie, then good for you! But for me, I just like it! Nothing more, nothing less!
10.) The Princess and the Frog
Here seems to be the one Disney princess movie that doesn’t get discussed as much as the others and when it does, most seem to agree it’s pretty good but not their absolute favorite overall. A solid B/B+ entry for a company that is normally expected to crank out A/A+ bangers! That is more or less, how I feel about The Princess and the Frog.
There’s plenty to like about this movie. It’s very charming with it’s own energetic tone to it, they actually manage to make the relationship between the princess and the frog believable, the songs are nice, Tiana herself makes for a welcome addition to the cast of Disney princesses, and it does feel bittersweet to have this be one the very last Disney movies to be strictly 2D and consists of more traditional hand-drawn animation. However, it couldn’t escape criticism for it’s depiction of Louisiana voodoo and historical negationism of the Southern United States during the Jim Crow laws. I could care less about that but if you are serious about any of those, then you might dislike this movie.
The Princess and the Frog is not a Disney movie I go back to a ton but whenever I do, I have a fairly good time with it. It aims to be a solid B/B+ Disney princess movie and it’s able to meet those merits exactly as you would expect. And yes, it is definitely refreshing for Disney to finally have a black woman as one of their princesses. If only they would treat her with more respect and give Tiana her own show or sequel already!
9.) Meet The Robinsons
It’s easy to see why this movie can be considered underrated. This film came out during a time where Disney was in a really big slump, lagging behind their main competition in the animation department, and going through certain transactions and going on a shopping sphere to acquire other studios in order to appeal to more demographics. All of that and more is why no one gave Meet The Robinsons a chance when it came out in 2007. However, now that 18+ years have passed, I think it’s safe to call this an underrated gem that deserves to be looked upon more fondly.
The plot itself is rather paper thin and the time travel logic in this film contains more holes than swish cheese (even for a typical time travel movie). However, the film’s overall beating heart between it’s two main characters in Lewis and Wilbur with their personal journies along with it’s overall message of letting go your mistakes of the past in order to learn from them for you future is masterfully done here. This is also easily one of the funniest Disney movies of the 2000s and contains one of their most underrated and HILARIOUS villains in Bowler Hat Guy (Seriously, he is a laugh RIOT in every single scene he is in!).
Meet The Robinson is definitely a film that is easy to overlook with talking about main canon Disney movies due to it coming out at the wrong place and the wrong time. Since we are now in a different time and place now and the fact that this was basically the first film to come under the name Walt Disney Animation Studios, I think it might be time for everyone else to give this film the fair shot it deserves.
8.) Winnie The Pooh
Perhaps the most overlooked Disney movie in the revival era and (to date) the final movie in the Disney canon to be fully 2D and hand-drawn animated. While this might have to do with the fact that the movie underperformed vastly at the box office at the time it came out in 2011, Winnie the Pooh should not be glossed as it’s actually a really enjoyable and charming movie.
The whole Winnie the Pooh cast is exactly how I remember them as a kid and shows just how timeless of characters they actually are. In an age where franchises are always trying so hard to “modernize” their properties, it’s nice how this movie (along with 2015’s The P.E.A.N.U.T.S. Movie) decides to keep the characters the way they’ve always been and not feel the need to change them to try to fit in the more “modern” times. Sometimes it’s okay to leave things well enough alone. The voices matched the characters perfectly, especially Jim Cummings as Pooh and Tiger along with Tom Kenny as Rabbit, it has an incredibly sweet vibe to it, and has that nostalgic feel that even those who didn’t grow up with Winnie the Pooh will be able to get out of it.
While it’s a very brief and short movie (it’s only 63 minutes long!), this is definitely worth a watch if you have Disney Plus, a great fondness of Winnie the Pooh, or if that live-action Christopher Robin movie left you feeling a bit cold.. If this is truly the last 2D Disney movie we ever seen, at least it went how on a quiet but sweet note. Although, Disney should SERIOUSLY consider doing more traditional 2D style animated movies in the future! I sure PLENTY of folks would appreciate that.
7.) Frozen
The one Disney movie that no one or their mother could escape the impact of. If you ever met someone that claimed they have never heard of this movie or listened to Let It Go at least one time in their lives, they would be lying to you. Even if you can take out the massive impact this movie has had on pop culture (Although, I wouldn’t blame you if you can’t.), there is still much to like and enjoy about the original Frozen.
The central conflict and relationship between Elsa and Anna is really well done and makes for a rather engaging sisterhood bond ship, the songs themselves are catchy and memorable, the voice work is stellar, the twist villain, while quite obvious, does teach a nice lesson to young girls to never blindly trust your prince because they can easily stab you in the back, and the way the film resolves it’s climax with true love between the two sisters is quite refreshing for a Disney movie. It still does suffer from some structure and pacing issues along with a rather half-baked, rushed backstory with Elsa and Anna (Did these two just not talk to each other for the last two decades or so?). It also seems to forget it’s supposed to be a musical towards the last third of the movie (the final song that plays before the credit rolls is the troll song).
Frozen is a movie that is admittedly hard to judge on it’s own and take away it’s insane impact it has had on the entertainment industry and pop culture as a whole. Just like James Cameron’s Avatar, it was a movie that was a tremendous success that everyone eventually got sick and tired of hearing about to the point that everyone just started calling it overrated. However, as we settle in 2024, and look back on the original Frozen 11 years later, it has aged quite nicely and doesn’t deserve to have it’s reputation frozen out due to it’s overexposure.
6.) Zootopia 2
When Disney recently announced their release slate of nonstop sequels, there was only one which I thought made perfect sense for a follow-up, that being Zootopia 2. Not only because how much money the first one made but the world of Zootopia just left PLENTY of room for expansion of future stories. Thankfully, Jared Bush was able to answer the call with a sequel nearly a decade in the waiting that is most certainly a worth follow-up to the original.
Nick and Judy still remaining a very likable duel and still remain INCREDIBLY shippable, the new character and expanded cast are able to blend greatly with the world of Zootopia, the animation and animal puns are still off the charts, and it’s overall message of unity and not judging others from what they look like or came from is one I think the whole world needs right now. Even if I would argue that the first film felt like it had more on it’s mind in terms of it’s social/political commentary, the characters and gags still work like gangbusters that it’s able to more than make up for it. Also, this is literally the first time in FOREVER where a Disney movie actually makes a twist villain work.
While I can’t say that Zootopia 2 is quite as good or fresh as the original, it is most certainly just as fun on the entertainment scale. As much as we complain about Disney’s overreliance on animated sequels, I feel like if the majority of them were as good as Zootopia 2 is, I don’t think we would be complaining about them as much. It just goes to show you that quality matters. If this film is a sneak preview for what’s to come with Disney Animation under the umbrella of Jared Bush, then I think this might be the start of a brand new golden era for Mickey Mouse and friends.
5.) Moana
On the surface,Moanadoes come across as a “Disney Greatest Hits” kind of a movie with the film hitting the majority of the same beats that most traditional Disney movies do. You got the traditional lead Disney princess, the traditional side character voiced by a well-known celebrity, the traditional animal comic relief, the traditional moral about growing up and finding your place, and of course, the traditional songs. However, there’s just something about Moana that helps it stand out greater than simply just that.
Maybe it has to do with the pitch perfect casting of Auli’i Cravalho as the title character, the engaging conflict Moana goes through, The Rock stealing the show every time he gets as Maui, the inspired songs, and having some of the most beautiful animation I’ve seen in any film. But what I think this movie excels as is having the perfect balance of everything. It has the right amount of characters, right amount of plot, right amount of action, right amount of drama, right amount of laughs, and the right amount of songs. It’s able to find the right balance of everything that one tends to expect in a Disney animated feature film but does it in a way that is almost as if we are seeing these things done for the first time however. Could have done with more of the pig and less the chicken though.
While Moana is far from the most groundbreaking Disney film, I still find it to be one of the more enjoyable and satisfying ones of the revival era. There’s a reason this film has had such recognition since it came out back in 2016. It’s just that good! And please, put Moana in a future Kingdom Hearts game.
4.) Encanto
This is probably the one that has grows on me the most the more I watch it and the more time has gone by. This was the 60th animated feature ever made by Disney and it resulted in the absolute triumph that was Encanto. While this is certainly not the most stake-heavy film on here, this is the one that is arguably the most personal, human, and relatable Disney film in this era.
It’s a movie about embracing your family regardless of their flaws and how deep down inside, everyone is different and special in their own unique way. You don’t have to be defined about what is set in stone for you but can be defined on who you chose to be. Throw in a very likable and charming main character in Mirabel, breathtaking animation, a wonderfully utilized setting, great supporting characters, and songs that only get better for me as time goes by (We Don’t Talk About Bruno FTW!) and you got an absolutely wonderful film.
Encanto is one of the most human and relatable Disney films to date which it’s cultural representation is able to perfectly match it’s quality. I can see this potentially being higher on the list in the future, but for now, it’s a solid #4. It’s sad how despite this not technically being the 100th anniversary film for Disney, it still feels much more worthy of it than Wish.
3.) Zootopia
If you want to see an example of a Disney movie being very mature and adult with it’s subject matter and contains social/political commentary that doesn’t come across as forced or preachy, Zootopia is basically what you get. In so doing so, it makes for a rather excellent film and one of the main top 3 of this current Disney canon.
The world building is brilliant, being able to smartly craft a unique world full of andromorphic animals with obvious changes to the real world that makes sense and fit well in it’s own established universe. The main characters of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are immensely likeable and the two play off of each other perfectly. It’s genuinely funny with plenty of fresh and unique humor that doesn’t consist of mindless slapstick comedy. The set pieces themselves are fun, inventive, and incredibly beautifully animated. The biggest accomplishment of all is the way the film’s commentates on modern and timely issues such as diversity, racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice but it never gets bogged down on it and actually does interesting things with it. It doesn’t just come across a simple rant on prejudice but more tries to highlight how that remains a problem and how exactly can be fixed. It actually gives answers and solutions to the things it’s talking about which helps the journey that the characters themselves go through. To be honest, if it wasn’t for the obvious twist villain and the underwhelming resolution to that specific arc, this might be even higher on the list.
Zootopia is one fun, smart, and beautifully made animated movie that shows that you can make a movie with timely and important themes without it bringing down the entire picture. Working as both an entertaining film for kids and a thought-provoking film for adults, this is genuinely terrific. Don’t screw up the sequel!
2.) Wreck-It Ralph
Video game movies tend to be very hit or miss. Whether it’s for straying too far from the source material or even sticking too closely to it, these are the kind of movies that never seems to live up to their full potential. While they have certainly gotten better over the years, I think most agree that the best video games movies are the ones that aren’t just adaption of video games but ones that are ABOUT video games. If you want to see a perfect example of that, look no further than Wreck-It Ralph.
This is a movie that is able to fully utilize it’s premise in every way possible. It has a fully realized world, charming leads, a tremendous supporting cast who all stand out, great humor, wonderful themes and morals, and has video game references that don’t feel obnoxious or pandering. This is also one of the very few times where the whole “the two main characters break up at the end of the second act but get back together during the climax in the third act” actually works because how genuine and heartbreaking it is since you really want the two to stay together. Let’s also not overlook the great vocal performances by John C. Reilly as Ralph, Jane Lynch as Sergeant Calhoun, and even Sarah Silverman (who I normally don’t like) as Vanellope. Sure, the main bad guy is nothing to write home about and I do wish I could have gotten a cameo of Mario but nothing could take away how awesome this movie is.
Wreck-It Ralph is just one of those movies that knows exactly what it wants to be and executes it in the best way it possible can. It shows that movies surrounding video games can work if you are able to come up with a strong central story and have engaging characters to help carry it the whole way through. If for some reason you still haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend you do. Just perhaps skip the sequel.
1.) Tangled
No offense to any other movie on this list but if I had to pick one movie that feels like it truly belongs in the Renaissance Era of Disney and up there with the likes of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin,Mulan, and any other top-tier Disney animation feature, that would be this one. Not only is Tangled the very best movie of the revival era but it’s one of the best Disney movies ever made period!
Rapunzel is probably the best Disney princess of all time! She has the perfect amount of likability, relatability, charm, and pure feminine energy out of any Disney princess to date. (It also helps I have a thing for blondes and even brunettes.) Flynn Rider makes for one of the best side characters in Disney history and being a perfect counterpart to Rapunzel herself. I love seeing the chemistry between the two blossom and the overall journey they go through together. You also got amazing animation, a really well thought out and heartfelt story, some refreshing spins on the traditional Disney fairytales, superb character development, great voice work from Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, hilarious animal sidekicks, and songs that are both memorable and extremely catchy. Even some of the minor things I can nitpick at (such as the somewhat obvious villain reveal) can’t bring it down because even then, there’s enough interesting things done with those so it’s hard to complain. Nearly everything about Tangled works and makes for a perfect Disney classic!
Even with how good some of the other movies in the revival era has been, none of them compare to Tangled. It works as a movie for kids, a movie for adults, a movie for the whole family, and even as a movie for anyone of any age. It functions greatly as a drama, a comedy, a musical, an animated movie, and just a a feature length film itself. No matter what way you put it, Tangled simply works in every way. It stands proudly as one of the absolute great works ever to come from Disney and is hands down the best movie of the revival era thus far.
Disney’s next feature film, Zootopia 2, is expected to hit theaters this upcoming week! And if early box office projections are anything to go by, this film is about to become the MASSIVE hit that both Disney and movie theaters desperately need for the Thanksgiving weekend and for the remainder of 2025! In China alone, the hype to the sequel of Disney Animation’s 2016 billion dollar grosser is UNMATCHED, the kind of hype that Hollywood hasn’t seen from them with one of their own movies since before the Covid-19 pandemic happened. It is currently tracking to make at least $200+ million in it’s opening weekend in China ALONE. Combined that with the $150+ million domestically and perhaps another $150+ million in other international areas, Zootopia 2 could make up over half a billion dollars in it’s opening weekend alone, which would make it the best opening weekend for an animated film of all time! If that is true, Disney will most certainly be able to end what has been quite an uneven year for them on the highest note possible with Zootopia 2 and Avatar: The Way of Water later next month, making up for their financial losses this year with films such as Snow White (2025), Thunderbolts*, Elio, and Tron: Ares. Right before we see Zootopia 2 come out in theaters, I want to turn our attention to the main behind the camera for Disney’s highly anticipated animated sequel, that man being Jared Bush.
For those who don’t know, Jared Bush has been a highly respected animator and artist who has worked for the Walt Disney Company since 2014. Since he’s been there, he has been responsible for some of the most beloved Disney films released for over the past decade. He wrote and co-directed the original Zootopia, he wrote the screenplay for the original Moana and it’s sequel, Moana 2, and wrote and directed Encanto. Even those that have been very critically of Disney for the past decade would admit that at least three of the four films I’ve mentioned are among Disney’s very best films in recent memory, some of which that stands proudly among Disney’s all-time best work in animation!
However, he now has a bit more power this time around with the company! Last year, it was confirmed that he was promoted to being the chief creative officer for Walt Disney Animation Studios after the previous CCO Jennifer Lee stepped down in order to put her focus on upcoming Frozen sequels, one of which is currently due for a release date in November 2027. This was a move clearly done to course corrected after the absolute mess that Disney has become since the brief era with former CEO Bob Chapek began.
Outside of the instant modern classic Encanto (which again was written and directed by Jared Bush himself) and the record-breaking smash hit that was Frozen II (which was co-written and co-directed by Jennifer Lee herself), the last five years have not been too kind to Mickey Mouse and friends whatsoever. That’s not to say the likes of Raya and the Last Dragon, Strange World, and even Wish don’t have their fans but those films were either completely forgotten about entirely from the general public by the time they came out or straight up IMPLODED at the box office in laughable fashion, resulting in over hundreds of million dollars lost for the higher ups at Disney! Because of that, they needed to make major chances with their main animation division and that starts with putting the man who has been largely responsible for the company’s most successful work in animated form that did not come for Pixar since 2014, that man again being Jared Bush!
And his tender has gotten off to a pretty good start, at least if box office numbers are anything to go by. While garnering mixed reviews at the time of release, Moana 2 ended up being a smash hit when it came out last November, grossing over a billion dollars in 2024, become the third highest grossing film that year and Disney Animation’s first billion dollar hit since Frozen II. Originally envisioned as a miniseries for Disney Plus, the follow-up to 2016’s Moana was reworked into being a feature length film, as a response to the multiple financial bombs and hundreds of million dollars lost that put a large dent in the company’s stock in 2023, the 100th year anniversary for Walt Disney, an anniversary that I’m sure everyone and their mother would love to forget about!
The next big film we have in Bush’s tenure is Zootopia 2, the film that I imagine he put the majority of the work in while he was the the current CCO for Disney Animation Studios and was given complete control over with little to no interference from the higher ups due to his solid track record. Because of that, I fully trust him to deliver an exceptional sequel that builds upon the original Zootopia in ways that are organic and respectful. Considering Zootopia 2 was always plan to be a feature film from the start, I imagine Jared had a much more creative vision for what he wanted a follow-up to Zootopia to be like, more so than he likely would have for a Moana follow-up before that got turned into a movie.
With both sequels to Moana and Zootopia being potential billion dollar grossers and then some, I don’t think Iger and company could not ask more from Jared Bush to start off his run as the main man in charge of Disney Animation Studios if they tried. He’ll be able to deliver the financial results that the company desperately wants and needs alone with continuing to expand some of the most beloved Disney brands throughout the past decade that will pave ways for future sequels and merchandise. Oh, and also keeping the movie theater going experience alive also helps too!
That really begs the question that I put on the title of this piece: Will Jared Bush save Disney? Is he the man that Disney has been looking for? Is he the creative consultant that the company needs to present themselves much more positively among the general public? Is he the one that can kickstart a brand new golden area for Disney, the era that matches the Renaissance era of the late 1980s to 1990s or even their box office juggernaut era of the previous decade? While I do think personally that Jared Bush is a very talented animator that can help guide the next generation of animators in ways that Disney legend Ron Clements is currently trying to do with the company, I still need to see more consistency and a greater look of his overall vision for me to make such a claim.
While Moana 2 was a big hit and I’m sure Zootopia 2 and future Frozen sequels will follow suit, I need to see more how he will help guide more original Disney projects for the future, being able to successfully launch brand new IPs instead of just banking on what has already worked and milking it until the cow is completely dry. While Bush has been successful in that regard in helping Zootopia and Moana becoming the successful IPs they have been since the 2010s along with making the lone 2020s Disney modern classic in Encanto, I need to see how other folks will fair in that regard under his supervision. While he was able to create new original Disney classics by himself, let’s see how he will fare in guiding others to do the same thing.
For me, the first big test with Mr. Bush will be with Hexed, Disney Animation’s next feature animated film that is expected to arrive for the holiday season in 2026. The premise we have gotten thus far for the film involves an awkward teenage boy and his Type-A mom discovering that what makes him unusual, might just be his magical powers that will turn their lives and a secret world of magic, upside down. This is set to be directed by Josie Trinidad (writer for Zootopia and Ralph Breaks The Internet) and Jason Hand (director of Moana 2). While the premise itself sounds like an interesting departure from recent Disney films, particularly with a strong emphasis on a relationship between a mother and son being the potential driving force, I will need to see more info on that to be fully convinced.
And as much as certain folks claim that original animated films don’t sell anymore and that’s why Disney has to constant rely on animated sequels and live-action remakes to keep themselves afloat, the success of K-Pop Demon Hunters this year proved otherwise. It showed that people will indeed watch original animated films if it’s done exceptionally well. Despite having only a handful of theatrical screenings, that Korean animated flick was able to set the whole on FIRE when it hit streaming during the summer this year, breaking viewings records for Netflix and selling out merchandise left and right in ways that no one saw coming. That animated musical left such an impact on pop culture throughout 2025, with it being beloved by both girls AND boys all around the world, selling out Halloween costumes with boys and girls all around the world dressing up as their favorite member of the Huntrix or the Saja Boys. I can’t recall seeing an original animated film musical that left such a massive impact on pop culture since Frozen in 2013. K-Pop Demon Hunters was the kind of original animated films that Disney used to be able to do in their SLEEP but haven’t been able to wide AWAKE in recent memory.
The reason that films like Strange World, Wish, and Elio were massive bombs had nothing to do with the fact that they were original animated films, it was because they weren’t particularly good original animated films or ones that Disney themselves had any faith in. Those three films put such a stain on the company’s reputation and left such a sour taste in many people’s mouths, making them look at Disney in a completely different way than they have prior. It also didn’t help that the behind the scenes drama for these films were so disastrous and the marketing was so lackluster that you have to wonder if Disney was purposely trying to sabotaged them in order to justify their recent creative and business decisions. Those original animated films failed because Disney had no faith in them, not because they were original animated films.
However, if Disney actually has full faith in Hexed and other future original animated films going forward and Jared Bush is giving full reign to deliver in high quality films and stellar box office results like he’s done so far, then I will be happy to claim that the man did in fact save Disney and should be deserving of the majority of the credit for the company’s resurrection. All they have to do is find the right people for the job and not allow studio executives to butt in and mess their whole film up and they might be successful in launching original animated films and kickstart brand new franchises with fully original IPs.
To answer the question for this piece, while I do think we need to see how Jared Bush does settling into his new role as CCO and seeing how his overall vision for the company plays out in the next few years, I do believe he is the right man to lead the charge to get Disney back on top for the foreseeable future. The man has been solely responsible for the company’s greatest work since he joined them in 2014 and I fully expect him to continue delivering great work as both director and CCO. He may have some stumbles along the way but I think if everything comes together in the next 3-5 years once he’s comfortable in the full driving seat, Jared Bush might just put his name out there as being not just an exceptionally animator but as the man that saved Disney.
Let’s hope he puts just as much focus on creating new stories as much as the company will be demanding him to put focus on upcoming sequels and remakes. Let’s hope that he allows Jennifer Lee to take her time on Frozen III and IV so it doesn’t become a rushed mess like Frozen II was (I already have a whole piece about the history of that film). Let’s hope he’s able to usher in the next generation of animators that he will be able to pass the baton to successfully once he retires. More importantly, let’s just hope he is able to lead Disney to become the animation company that we all remember them being from our childhoods. As much as I can’t guarantee that any of this will happen, given his recent track record, Jared Bush does at least give me some faith that he will be one day be referred to as the man that saved Disney.
Now, if only he could stop that live-action Moana remake from happening (which he is writing btw).
Yeah, Disney is screwed!
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(FYI, did you know that the original Moana won’t be even 10 years old by the time this remake comes out?!)
(No joke! The live-action remake is coming out in July 2026 next year whereas the original animated film came out in November 2016!)
(Not even 10 full years and they are ALREADY making a live-action remake of Moana! Even before they get around to doing a live-action Tangled with Sabrina Carpenter as Rapunzel or a live-action Frozen with Anya-Taylor Joy as Elsa!)
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(I guess this is our punishment for not showing up to the theaters for Black Adam!)
(Curse you Dwyane Johnson and your “hierarchy of power”!)
(Bro actually thought he was cooking there?!?!?!)
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(I surely can’t wait until he finally gives up on acting and wrestling and becomes our president in 10 years!)
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(That’s actually gonna happen, isn’t it?!)
(Just like Sonic predicted!)
(And that will be our punishment for not showing up to theaters for The Smashing Machine!)
Edgar Wright is perhaps one of the more “under the radar” type of directors working in Hollywood today. He’s not really so much well known by mainstream audiences with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino but more of someone that’s mostly beloved by hardcore film buffs. There’s a reason why Baby Driver, a film which made only $227 million at the time of it’s release (which is still good btw), is his most successful film at the box office and the only hit which you can call a genuine crowd pleaser.
Even so, he still has a very dedicated fanbase and cult following and I was say I qualify on both ends. Although some of his recent films haven’t “wowed” me the way his earlier films did, he is still a director that I always await his next big feature film because he’s one of the few directors left that knows how to leave his own personal stamp on a film. Because of that, it’s time for me to rank (most) of his films from worst to best!
And the reason why I say most is because there is two main film exceptions I am leaving off the list: A Fistful of Fingers and The Sparks Brothers. That is strictly because I haven’t seen any one of those films and I have yet to find anywhere which gives me full access to both films. So to anyone that is actually a die hard fan of either one of those movies and actually viewed them as being the absolute best of Edgar Wright, then I deeply apologize for that!
For everyone else, let’s get to rank Edgar Wright’s other seven films, the ones that the majority of the human population acknowledge, from worst to best!
7.) The Running Man (2025)
Wright’s weakest film to date is unfortunately the one that just got released in (mostly) empty theaters. There were plenty of ingredients for a 2025 incarnation of The Running Man to be a success. You got a director that’s skilled with blending action, drama, humor, and chaos in Edgar Wright, you got an up and coming A-list actor in Glen Powell, and updating the 1987 film in a way where we are now basically on the doorstep of living in the kind of future that Stephen King tried to warns us all about nearly 40 years ago seems like this should be an instant classic that’s relevant to our times. While there’s some fun set pieces scattered throughout, Glen Powell is as awesome as he always is, and the first 2/3rds work well enough as a mildly entertaining action flick, The Running Man (2025) gets bogged down by the end of it’s own messaging, not knowing how to properly convey it without shouting it directly to the audience and not knowing which of the three or four endings they wanted to stick with. It’s ironic how the film goes on about how bad monopoly corporations are when they have all the wealth and power in entertainment to manipulate it’s audience when this film is literally made by Paramount of all companies. This also can’t help but feel like the least felt Edgar Wright film to date, with his style and attention to aesthetics feeling distractingly absent here. Is there entertainment to be had in The Running Man (2025)? Sure! But, this 2025 Stephen King adaption is one of the rare cases where a film being too closed to it’s source material can actually be a bad thing!
6.) Last Night In Soho
This is easily Edgar Wright’s most polarizing film to date. Many felt that Wright was too in love with his own style and that let it get in the way of the substance of the story. Last Night in Soho made for a rather unique, mesmerizing, and at times very uneven experience. This psychological thriller sees a young woman out on her own for the first time ever and having to experience the toxic and stressful nature of being out of your own bird’s nest along with the pressure of becoming the person that you are just not. Edgar Wright always brings his A-game behind the camera but he goes all out this time around with his beautiful cinematography, stellar costume designs, chilling score, and haunting imagery and performances that will stick with you even after the credits roll. Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy are terrific here showing the two sides of the same coin of a woman’s poignant experience of being out on her own in a world full of troubled men. I just wish this film sticked with me on repeat viewings and didn’t have me asking more questions than it answers by the end, especially when all the big reveals come into play. Last Night in Soho is not an experience I guarantee you’ll love but if you are willing to take a chance, it’s worth watching to see if it works for you or not.
5.) The World’s End
While there are people out there that call this the weakest of the Cornetto trilogy, this is still a very satisfying end to these successful trio o films. Maybe it has to do with the fact that this one is looser and more ambitious while not relying as much on the humor as his previous work but I do think The World’s End stands strongly as it’s own unique thing. It’s still constantly funny the whole through, filled with an incredible amount of energy and manages to be as layered as the previous Cornetto films, if not more so here, the action sequences are still great fun to watch, and the cast arguably hit their new level of peak here (Simon Pegg is just a national treasure!) Also, the best cut to black credits of all time period! Maybe it’s because I admire the way that Edgar Wright continues to try and top himself with every single new film that he makes but I just believe The World’s End deserves a tiny bit more credit than it actually gets. It may not be quite the very best of the Cornetto trilogy or Edgar Wright as a whole but man is it ALWAYS bun to watch Edgar Wright try to top himself!
4.) Baby Driver
Yes, I know the casting for this movie has aged worse than sour milk that has lasted for as long as the development of GTA 6 but man, I still can’t help but have an absolute blast with Baby Driver every time that I watch it. Making a heist movie that is based around the concept of a young man motivated by his love for music and being able to one day ride into the sunset with his girlfriend is a concept that fits perfectly in Edgar Wright’s wheelhouse. The action scenes are thrilling, the pacing is breakneck, the cast (their offscreen behavior aside) is a lot of fun, and I don’t think there’s been any recent big movie that’s NOT Guardians of the Galaxy where a director was able to perfectly showcase just how good of taste they have in music. It definitely plays out more conventional than most of Edgar Wrights films and I most CERTAINLY could’ve used some more Jon Bernthal here (Although, his final line is pretty funny!) but even with some minor grips, Baby Driver is an absolute thrill ride that might just be the most “fun” and crowd pleasing film that Edgar Wright has made to date.
3.) Scott Pilgrim vs The World
While it was certainly unfortunate that Edgar Wright was not able to make the Ant-Man movie that he wanted with Marvel Studios, we should all be grateful he was able to make magnum opus of his own within the comic book movie genre with Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. This was quite simply a comic book movie that Edgar Wright was born to make! His directing style and visuals fit masterfully in the world of Scott Pilgrim himself, the whole cast is perfect and fit their roles like a glove, the soundtrack is incredible, the aesthetics are off the charts, it’s perfectly respectful towards the source material it’s based on, and don’t get me started on those kick-ass and creative as hell fight sequences, the kind that you usual don’t get with these kind of movies! Even if we are living in a time of superhero fatigue and the best that the subgenre as had to offer for the past 25 years is easy to forget about now Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is one of the comic book movie standouts that is not Marvel or DC related that is absolutely worth your time!
2.) Hot Fuzz
Edgar Wright was looking to make lightning strike twice following the major success of Shaun of the Dead and he was able to do exactly just that. Wright is somehow able to perfectly translate from the zombie horror genre to the buddy cop genre in a very smooth way here with Hot Fuzz, with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost just having as much good chemistry as a duo that on paper seems unlikely but in reality is a stroke of genius. The plot delivers plenty of twists and turns that will have you thinking even with repeat viewings, this is easily the FUNNIEST film of the trilogy and that Edgar Wright has made, and the ensemble cast all around is able to flawlessly fit in the intriguing world that Edgar Wright has created. The only thing that prevents this from being at #1 is a slightly drawn out climax and there being a couple of moments that feels more forced and only there because it’s what everyone loved about Shaun of the Dead! Aside from those mild nitpicks, Hot Fuzz is still excellent and more than worthy middle chapter to the Cornetto trilogy!
1.) Shaun of the Dead
But yeah, I still don’t think that any Edgar Wright film has been as good as the film that put his name in Hollywood than with Shaun of the Dead! Regardless of what way you look at it, Shaun of the Dead works in every way that it possibly can! It works as a straight-up horror movie, it works as a screw-ball comedy, it works as an incredibly meta and social commentary of the genres it is delighted to be a part off, it works as a family drama, it works as a coming-of-age tale, and it even works as a straight up zombie slasher flick. There is very few films I can think that is able to masterfully combine action, drama, horror, and comedy all at the exact same time but Edgar Wright is able to perfectly control himself behind the camera the whole way through, being able to masterfully execute every single element of the genres that he is paying great respect too. Perfectly paced, perfectly written, perfectly acted, perfectly directed, and having the perfect amount of rewatch value, Shaun of the Dead is simply a masterwork and the best thing to come out of Edgar Wright to this day! Maybe it’s time to bring back Simon Pegg and Nick Frost for the next film!
So, after I did my ranking of the Alien movies when Romulus came out last year, I’ve seen a lot of people rank those movies combined with the Predator franchise. After all, with two distinct franchises that crossed over for two films, I guess it’s only natural for people to compare and contrast the two sides with distinct rankings. Because of that, why not join in and rank the Alien movies alongside the Predator movies.
I’m still gonna keep the same points I had with all the Alien movies in that rankings but I will take out Alien: Isolation because I just wanting to be ranking the movies themselves side-by-side for this list. Now that Predator: Badlands is out in theaters, let’s continue on with this ranking! Here we go!
16.) Alien vs Predator: Requiem
The second Alien vs Predator showdown is not only the worst thing that ever been related to the now Disney-owned IPs, it’s one of the worst franchise entries in the 21st century thus far. What should be a fun and simple premise of taking two well known monsters and just have them punch one another for an hour and a half is bogged by some of the worst lighting and editing choices ever put in a theatrical released film. It also doesn’t help that it has writing, acting, and directing that wouldn’t even be passable for a Patron funded fan film. Alien vs Predator: Requiem is not only just as bad as franchise movies can get, it’s just as lazy as they come. It literally brings a new definition of unwatchable because well…….you literally can’t watch it because you can’t even see what’s happening on screen. It’s not strictly a film that is infamous for certain story choices it makes or contradicting previously established lore in any way but because of how objectively poor the filmmaking is on display. That in of itself makes this more than worthy of being the worst film that has anything to do with Aliens or Predators! (Planet 51, eat your heart out!)
15.) The Predator
I can’t recall a big franchise film that left me more disappointed in recent memory than 2018’s The Predator. Bringing in Shane Black, the godfather of action comedies and buddy cop flicks (while starting in the original Predator himself), to helm a Predator film seems like a perfect recipe to return the franchise back to it’s traditional roots. Unfortunately, about all of that potential is squandering throughout the entire runtime of The Predator. The plot is a disjointed mess, so many characters and subplots are introduced that go absolutely nowhere, the pacing is too breakneck and non-existent that it can’t make up it’s mind how fast or slow it wants to go, the editing is some of the worst put to any major studio released film in the past decade, and the dialogue and banter, which Mr. Black has constantly nailed in the past, fall flat in every sense of the word here. I don’t know if it’s Shane Black having to deal with studio meddling or him just not being a right fit for the franchise but The Predator is a perfect example of how everything can go wrong for a major blockbuster that’s part of a major franchise. And don’t get me started on the unconvincing gore and the god AWFUL action scenes where you can’t see jacks*it! What an absolute dumpster fire!
14.) Alien: Covenant
After the divisive response that 2012’s Prometheus had on critics and audiences, Ridley Scott decided to take things back to basic for the Alien franchise with Alien: Covenant. Unfortunately, in so doing so, he manages to undermine the ambiguity and intrigue of the beloved Xenomorph while doubling down on all of the main problems that plagued it’s predecessor. The alien action and set pieces are uninspired, most of the characters aren’t interesting and are about as dumb as movie characters can get, the effects for all the monsters look shockingly poor, and finding out that David was the one responsible for the creation of the Xenomorph is about the most out of no where and unneeded explanation for a franchise’s lore since Mini-chlorins. Not even Michael Fassbender’s captivating screen presence and a couple of fun moments sprinkling in can save this mess. Alien: Covenant may not quite be the worst film in the franchise but it was definitely the sign that the franchise had lost his staying power and how the guy who made the marvelous original Alien had lost his touch. When looking at is as a proper Alien movie and a sequel to Prometheus, Covenant just doesn’t work on any level.
13.) Alien vs Predator
On paper, an Alien vs Predator movie should amount for the perfect amount of shlock blockbuster popcorn entertainment anyone would expect. And the moments that it does just that, it makes for a pretty good time that gives you exactly what you want and expect out of this fun premise. Just a shame that way too much time is spent focusing on human characters that become a footnote the moment the two titled monsters jump on the screen and it tries to set up lore and world building that it has little to no interest in actually exploring. Still, the effects and production design is top notch and when the alien and predator actually show up and start fighting, it’s entertaining enough. Back in the day, you would have to slug through Alien vs Predator to get to the good stuff, similar to how folks had to slug through The Phantom Menace to get to anything involving a lightsaber, but because we have the internet now, you can just look up the fight scenes for this movie on YouTube and be satisfied all the same.
12.) Predator 2
Predator 2 has seen it’s fair share of reappraisal over the years and it’s easy to see why. Danny Glover makes for a fine action star that helps carry the picture along with the rest of the cast, it’s got a campy and weirdness vibe to it that’s easy to get into, and it’s able to end on a strong note that makes the bumpy ride worth trip. However, problems lie in the tone being completely all over the map, the new setting not carrying that same weight as the jungle, and the backdrop of the LA heat wave/drug wars being completely unexplained. This is a sequel that seems to want to have it’s cake and eat it too with hitting the same beats as the original while also trying to do it’s own thing at the same time. I can commend the effort but the end results could certainly be much stronger.
11.) Prometheus
Easily the most polarizing entry in the entire franchise, Prometheus sees Ridley Scott returning to the franchise decades later with a distinct prequel, back before any of the aliens were actually a thing. This easily contains some of the strongest visuals and ideas in the entire series, questioning how human being can co-exist against technology and artificial intelligence. You also have a cast, such as Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, and Idris Elba, that absolutely give it their all and is able to add the right amount of weight to the material they are giving. Just too bad it gets bogged down by having characters making completely illogical decisions the whole way through, those interesting ideas being barley explored upon, and so many questions that gets handwaved in the hopes that a potential sequel would be able to follow through with it (SPOILER ALERT: IT DOESN’T!). It’s hard to know how Prometheus would be judged in hindsight if Ridley Scott got to continue along with this distinct direction but without it, this is easily among the most frustrating and downright disappointing installments out of any of these films. It’s certainly not lacking in ambition but it does certainly lack in reaching it’s true potential.
10.) Alien: Resurrection
Alien: Resurrection acts as perhaps the oddball of the series. It’s not so much a continuation of it’s controversial predecessor but more acts like a “Elseworlds” addition to the Alien franchise. This is basically when the series began abandoning its thought-provoking themes and immersive storytelling in favor of acting as traditional schlocky B movies. Sigourney Weaver is back once again but she’s not actually the Ellen Ripley from the first three movies and is actually a clone of Ellen Ripley this time around. That in of itself makes the emotional investment non-existent and hard to care about. Still, the shlock-ness that is presented in of itself is just so hard for me to not dig, even if it’s as goofy and over-the-top as it comes. The action is fun, Sigourney Weaver is clearly having fun in playing a clone version of her iconic character, and the effects and ideas of the Xenomorphs is so bizarre that it’s actually amusing to see before your very eyes. When viewing it on the merits of being a silly, wacky sci-fi click, Resurrection works well enough. When viewing it on the merits of the previous Alien films that felt more ambitious and impactful, Resurrection falls quite flat. Even so, it’s still bittersweet watching this now knowing it was Sigourney’s final time playing Ripley on the big screen.
9.) Predators
Predators is a sequel that is clearly trying to recapture the same spark as the original. You have a jungle setting, the mystery of the predators, and the characters who have no motivation other than desperate need for survival. What makes things stand out different here is that the main characters themselves are treated just as antagonistic as the predators they are fighting and have become prey for these hunters. It may not deliver on the bizarre premise of playing the hunting game but on an alien planet but it does have a right sense of tension and dread throughout with it’s own stand out action sequences and intense atmosphere. For as thin as the script and characters can get, the actors are clearly having a good time here and make them standout through their performances, even if the writing can’t match up to the level of their acting. Still no where near up to par with the original but 2010’s Predators does have enough entertainment value to warrant a watch if you are a fan of the franchise.
8.) Alien 3
The most despised standalone Alien movie in the series isn’t nearly as bad as it’s detractors would be. This is the directorial debut for the well-known David Fincher, at least not the parts which Fox didn’t meddled with the third installment. Alien 3 is most infamous in it’s bold narrative choices, such as killing off the supporting cast of the last movie onscreen, along with not being on par with the previous two masterpieces. However, when looking at it’s own term, there’s plenty of interesting ideas and set pieces throughout Alien 3 that work well here, along with having such a bleak and distinct feel to it that you very rarely get in movies nowadays. Not to mention, in a franchise which sees so many people get kill and slaughter by alien monsters left and right, it’s not really a series which I see the main characters have happy and uplifting endings. It’s definitely not as good as Alien or Aliens and it might have reached it’s truest potential if David Fincher was given full control but Alien 3 is definitely better than it’s overall reputation would suggest. If you watch the assembly cut, which adds an extra half an hour where it fleshes out all the new characters, you just get a good notion as to what Fincher was going for and a hint to where his style would go many years down the road. This may have not been the ending that Ripley deserved but it’s perhaps the one she and all of us needed.
7.) Predator: Killer of Killers
After successfully reviving the Predator IP in 2022 with Prey, director Dan Trachtenberg is able to make lighting strike twice in the form of animation with Predator: Killer of Killers! We see three new characters with their unique stories of their own, forced to come together and take on the monstrous predator as swiftly as they can! Each of the three stories carries wonder of their own, the animation is creative and stunning, the action is fast paced and fun, and who knew after so many installments, we are still able to find new and exciting ways to see human characters kill a bunch of predators! Perhaps if the resolution had not been a tad rushed with obvious sequel set up bait and the narrative didn’t at times come off as three episodes of a mini series, this might’ve been even higher! Killer of Killers proves that not only Predator still works in live-action but it can even work in animation too!
6.) Alien: Romulus
After going down a very inconsistent road, Romulus sees Fede Álvarez returning this franchise back to basic. This is able to hit all the beats that you would expect from an Alien film while also providing it’s own unique voice and plenty of memorable scares and thrills of it’s own. It’s able to use fan service in a very organic way (save for one or two corny ass callback lines), feeling like it belongs properly in the world of Alien. The new cast of characters are likable and compelling in their own right, the action, gore, and set pieces are among the very best in the franchise, this is easily the scariest film in the series since the original Alien, and the third act is so bonkers and so out of left field that I can’t help but love it. It’s even able to take plot elements from polarizing installments like Prometheus and have it work rather well here. It does suffer from some imperfections such as a rather slow start, a callback or two that doesn’t really work (You’ll especially know one when you see it), and a reemergence of a certain character that didn’t feel necessary. Even so, this is easily the most consistently good Alien film since Aliens and perhaps the most pure fun installment in the Alien franchise thus far. While it’s far from the most thought provoking and groundbreaking film in the franchise, Alien: Romulus is able to deliver where it counts the most with this franchise in providing it’s own scares, thrills, and tension throughout.
5.) Predator: Badlands
I don’t know how the man keeps doing it but Dan Trachtenberg is now 3 or 3 when it comes to making Predator movies! On paper, Predator: Badlands sounds like the dumbest thing ever and exactly what you would expect with a Predator movie giving the Mickey Mouse treatment! An installment which puts the focus on the Predator as the main character but goes on an adventure where he teams up with a quirky cyborg sidekick and cutesy animals, has to resolve daddy issues, and learn the power of friendship along the way! And yet somehow, someway…..none of that is a negative for the film! In fact, it’s an absolute positive! With a perfectly balanced tone, well crafted action, clever expansion of the Predator lore, and a shockingly well done emotional core throughout, Dan Trachtenberg is able to take the ideas that have bogged down previous Predator installments but manages to makes it work here! I could’ve done with less quips and a few more surprises to the story but there’s nothing big that breaks this movie down! Please go see this one in theaters if you are a fan of the series so we can see a continuation of this story!
4.) Prey
After a handful of inconsistent installments, the Predator franchise was at long last able to find a return true to form with Prey, the first Predator film released under the Disney/Fox umbrella. This is a sequel that understands the appeal of Predator and what made the original stand out for as long as it has. It’s not the contrived lore to the predators themselves nor the need to makes us all feel sympathetic for these monsters (even if Dan Trachtenberg was able to make that all *surprisingly* work three years later). It’s the action, it’s the tension, it’s the suspense, it’s the subversive genre, it’s the haunting atmosphere, and it’s just the plain badassery from the main characters that are likable, fun to watch, and easy to care about. Amber Midthunder is a revelation as Naru and the whole “back-to-basics” approach is exactly what the franchise needed after a handful of sequels that couldn’t quite reach the mark as well as this did. Prey is exactly what you wan out of a Predator movie and was able breath new life into the franchise. My only regret is that this could not get a wide release in theaters.
3.) Predator
For as awesome and badass as Amber Midthunder was in Prey, nothing can top the pure awesome and badassery as Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original Predator itself. This is yet another classic that was able to get it right on it’s first try and able to use it’s simplistic yet effective premise to it’s fullest effect. This is a film about survival, performing break-neck maneuvers at the most crucial time, and the difference between those who thrive on the battleground and those who die. Most important of all, it’s about one of the most famous monsters in cinema history and our main characters during everything in there power to stop it. There might be elements that don’t hold up to modern day standards, but no doubt, for it’s time and even now, no other Predator was able to capture that special lightning in a bottle the way the original with Arnold did. It may not be the best film on this list but it’s no doubt the best Predator film ever made and likely will be for the immediate future.
2.) Alien
The one that started it all remains one of the greatest achievements in both the sci-fi genre and cinematic history in general. Ridley Scott got it perfectly right on his very first try back in 1978. Operating flawlessly as a slow-burn, smaller scaled sci-fi horror flick, Alien is the proper film to be taught in film school on how to build tension and suspense properly. The Xenomorph, chest burster, and face huggers remains some of the most unique and terrifying monsters every put to film, the atmosphere could not be any more somber and claustrophobic if it tried, the production and sound design is some of the very best every put to film, every single important plot element is remembered and gets a satisfying payoff, and nearly every single cast member gets their own moment to shine. Also, best movie cat ever! While I’m sure the film might be way too slow for the likes of Gen Z and Alpha to watch nowadays, Alien is a film that more than awards your patience by finding the proper payoff to every single thing that it builds off of. Even if it’s not quite #1 for me, I don’t think there has been a more important sci-fi film, give or take Star Wars, in cinematic history than Alien. It’s impact is still felt to this very day and it is more than easy to see why.
1.) Aliens
While the original Alien acts as one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made, Aliens is one of the best sequels ever made. Much like Terminator 2: Judgement Day, it not only takes every time that worked about it’s near perfect original and made them better but it’s able to stand on it’s own two feet by changing the pace into a relatively smart action flick. From the superb lighting to the stellar production design to the convincing make-up effects to the properly raised stakes to the fantastic action to the perfection that is Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, Aliens is about as perfect as a film of any kind can get. There’s not a single line of dialogue that isn’t memorable, not a single character that feels wasted, and not a single action or dramatic beat that doesn’t work here. This is one of the rare times that a film series was able to properly translate from a smaller scaled indie flick to an action blockbuster that does not diminish or water down the franchise in any way. Also, this film confirms that Ellen Ripley is hands down the most badass action heroine in the history of cinema. That is not opinion, that is FACT. There’s no person the planet that could deliver the line, “GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU BITCH!” better than Sigourney Weaver could. Aliens remains the pitch perfect example on how to do a sequel, sci-fi flick, and a big blockbuster film of any kind. This remains one of the very best films that has ever been made.
Well, here we go! There’s a new Predator movie out and it’s time to refresh this list! Let’s get right into it!
9.) Alien vs Predator: Requiem
The second Alien vs Predator showdown is not only the worst of anything related to the Predator franchise, it’s one of the worst franchise entries in the 21st century thus far. What should be a simple premise of just taking these two well known and iconic monsters and have them punch each other for an hour and a half is bogged down by some of the worst lighting and editing choices ever put in a theatrical released film. It also doesn’t help that it has writing, acting, and directing that wouldn’t even be passable for a Patron funded fan film. Alien vs Predator: Requiem is not only just as bad as franchise movies can get, it’s just as lazy as they come. It literally brings a new definition of unwatchable because well…….you literally can’t watch it because you can’t see jacks*it that’s happening on screen. It’s not strictly a film that is infamous for certain story choices it makes or contradicting previously established lore in any way but because of how objectively poor the filmmaking is on display. That in of itself makes this more than worthy of being the worst Predator related film ever made!
8.) The Predator
I can’t recall a big franchise film that has disappointed me more in recent memory than 2018’s The Predator. Bringing in Shane Black, the godfather of action comedies and buddy cop flicks (while even staring in the original Predator film himself), to helm a Predator director seems like a perfect recipe to return the Predator franchise back to it’s traditional roots. Unfortunately, about all of that potential is squandering from both a directing and writing standpoint here. The plot is a disjointed mess, so many characters and subplots are introduced that go nowhere, the pacing is too breakneck and non-existent, the editing is some of the worst put to any major studio released film in the past decade, and the dialogue and banter, which Mr. Black has constantly nailed in the past, fall flat in every sense of the word here. I don’t know if it’s Shane Black having to deal with studio meddling or him just not being a right fit for the franchise but The Predator is a perfect example of how everything can go wrong for a major blockbuster in a long-running franchise. And don’t get me started on the unconvincing gore and the god AWFUL action scenes that gives you a headache! What an absolute dumpster fire!
7.) Alien vs Predator
On paper, an Alien vs Predator movie should amount for the perfect amount of shlock blockbuster popcorn entertainment anyone would expect. And the moments that it does just that, AVP makes for a pretty good time that gives you exactly what you want and expect out of this fun premise. Just a shame that the film puts way too much focus on the human characters, only for to become a complete footnote the moment the two titled monsters jump on the screen. It also doesn’t help that it tries to set up lore and world building that it has little interest in actually exploring. Still, the effects and production design is top notch and when the alien and predator actually show up and start fighting, it’s entertaining enough. Back in the day, you would have to slug through Alien vs Predator to get to the good stuff, similar to how folks had to slug through The Phantom Menace to get to anything involving a lightsaber, but because we have the internet now, you can just look up the fight scenes for this movie on YouTube and be satisfied all the same.
6.) Predator 2
Predator 2 has seen it’s fair share of reappraisal over the years and it’s easy to see why. Danny Glover makes for a fine action star that helps carry the picture along with the rest of the cast, it’s got a campy and weirdness vibe to it that’s easy to get into, and it’s able to end on a strong note that makes the bumpy ride worth trip. However, problems lie in the tone being completely all over the map, the new setting not carrying that same weight as the jungle from the original, and the backdrop of the LA heat wave/drug wars being completely unexplained and utterly baffling. This is a sequel that seems to want to have it’s cake and eat it too with hitting the same beats as the original while also trying to do it’s own thing at the same time. I can commend the effort but the end results could have certainly been much stronger here.
5.) Predators
Predators is a sequel that is clearly trying to recapture the same spark as the original. You have a jungle setting, the mystery of the predators, and the characters who have no motivation other than desperate need for survival. What makes things stand out different here is that the main characters themselves are treated just as antagonistic as the predators they are fighting and have become prey for these hunters. It may not deliver on the bizarre premise of playing the hunting game but on an alien planet but it does have a right sense of tension and dread throughout with it’s own stand out action sequences and intense atmosphere. For as thin as the script and characters can get, the actors are clearly having a good time here and make them standout through their performances, even if the writing can’t match up to the level of their acting. Still no where near up to par with the original but 2010’s Predators does have enough entertainment value to warrant a watch if you are a fan of the franchise.
4.) Predator: Killer of Killers
After successfully reviving the Predator IP in 2022 with Prey, director Dan Trachtenberg is able to make lighting strike twice in the form of animation with Predator: Killer of Killers! We see three new characters with their unique stories of their own, forced to come together and take on the monstrous predator as swiftly as they can! Each of the three stories carries wonder of their own, the animation is creative and stunning, the action is fast paced and fun, and who knew after so many installments, we are still able to find new and exciting ways to see human characters kill a bunch of predators! Perhaps if the resolution had not been a tad rushed with obvious sequel set up bait and the narrative didn’t at times come off as three episodes of a mini series, this might’ve been even higher! Killer of Killers proves that not only Predator still works in live-action but it can even work in animation too!
3.) Predator: Badlands
I don’t know how the man keeps doing it but Dan Trachtenberg is now 3 or 3 when it comes to making Predator movies! On paper, Predator: Badlands sounds like the dumbest thing ever and exactly what you would expect with a Predator movie giving the Mickey Mouse treatment! An installment which puts the focus on the Predator as the main character but goes on an adventure where he teams up with a quirky cyborg sidekick and cutesy animals, has to resolve daddy issues, and learn the power of friendship along the way! And yet somehow, someway…..none of that is a negative for the film! In fact, it’s an absolute positive! With a perfectly balanced tone, well crafted action, clever expansion of the Predator lore, and a shockingly well done emotional core throughout, Dan Trachtenberg is able to take the ideas that have bogged down previous Predator installments but manages to makes it work here! I could’ve done with less quips and a few more surprises to the story but there’s nothing big that breaks this movie down! Please go see this one in theaters if you are a fan of the series so we can see a continuation of this story!
2.) Prey
After a handful of inconsistent installments, the Predator franchise was at long last able to find a return true to form with Prey, the first Predator film released under the Disney/Fox umbrella. This is a sequel that understands the appeal of Predator and what made the original stand out for as long as it has. It’s not the contrived lore to the predators themselves nor the need to makes us all feel sympathetic for these monsters (even if Dan Trachtenberg was able to make that all *surprisingly* work three years later). It’s the action, it’s the tension, it’s the suspense, it’s the subversive genre, it’s the haunting atmosphere, and it’s just the plain badassery from the main characters that are likable, fun to watch, and easy to care about. Amber Midthunder is a revelation as Naru and the whole “back-to-basics” approach is exactly what the franchise needed after a handful of sequels that couldn’t quite reach the mark as well as this did. Prey is exactly what you wan out of a Predator movie and was able breath new life into the franchise. My only regret is that this could not get a wide release in theaters.
1.) Predator
For as awesome and badass as Amber Midthunder was in Prey, nothing can top the pure awesome and badassery as Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original Predator itself, able to make yet another iconic action role stand apart from playing an evil A.I. cyborg. This is yet another classic that was able to get it right on it’s first try and able to use it’s simplistic yet effective premise to it’s fullest effect. This is a film about survival, performing break-neck maneuvers at the most crucial time, and the difference between those who thrive on the battleground and those who die trying. Most important of all, it’s about one of the most famous monsters in cinema history and our main characters during everything in there power to stop it. There might be some effects that don’t hold up to modern day standards, but no doubt, for it’s time and even now, no other Predator was able to capture that special lightning in a bottle the way the original with Arnold did. Even for how good the last several installments have been, the original is still the best Predator film ever made and likely always will be.
The 2025 World Series is now officially over! If anything, that might’ve just been the most exciting World Series in a hot minute! Two different teams from two different countries facing off against each other made for great entertainment not just for America but also globally, with both Canada and Japan contributing greatly to the overall stellar World Series ratings this year, the kind of rating that Major League Baseball hasn’t seen since the Cubs broke their century long curse! Because of that, let’s see how this World Series rank among all the other ones that have took place throughout the entire 21st century!
For this ranking, I am ranking all of these World Series not just strictly how talented the teams were in the regular season or even from the amount of games that were played in it but strictly based on how much each World Series offered in terms of action, drama, tension, memorability, and how well it contributes to the history of baseball as well as all of sports! I’m also going by how each World Series matches up in not just the minds of baseball fans but even for those that aren’t even a fan of baseball. For example, don’t expect say…..the 2012 World Series to be ranked THAT high!
I’ve been wanting to do a new sports related piece for awhile now and I figured what better way to get back into it than a proper ranking of the last 26 World Series match-ups! You will probably strongly disagree on some of my choices but I don’t care it’s my list!
Also, fyi, I’m promise to do this ranking in the LEAST biased away imaginable. So, just because my team (the Cardinals) have been in FOUR of these last 26 World Series match-ups does NOT mean that they will take the top 4 spots. I will ranked these based on how much I believe it contributes to the great game of baseball regardless of if it includes teams that I hate or not.
Without further a do, let’s get to the rankings!
26.) 2007 World Series- Boston Red Sox vs Colorado Rockies
Champion: Boston Red Sox, 4-0 Series Win
MVP: Mike Lowell
Best Game: Game 4- Red Sox Win 4-3
Three and a half innings! That is how long the Rockies held a lead in the series! And even then, that didn’t feel very convincing! Just like they did to the St. Louis Cardinals just three years earlier, the Boston Red Sox was able to steamrolled the first time NL champions Colorado Rockies, who came into the series with the hottest stretch of baseball in team history, by winning 21 of their last 22 games, in just four games without much hassle. And unlike the series in St. Louis, Boston and the rest of baseball can’t even remember it as a triumphing moment where the Red Sox finally got over the decades long hump since they already did it three years earlier. There might’ve been two one-run games in the series but there was hardly a moment where you felt like the Rockies had any sort of control whatsoever. From the moment that Dustin Pedroia hit that leadoff homer in Game 1 which opened the floodgate for the Red Sox offense, you just kinda knew it was over. Unless you are a Red Sox or Rockies fan, this is a World Series you most certainly have forgotten about!
25.) 2012 World Series- San Francisco Giants vs Detroit Tigers
Champion: San Francisco Giants, 4-0 Series Win
MVP: Pablo Sandoval
Best Game: Game 4- Giants Win 4-3 in 10 Innings
If you were to describe a World Series that felt the most like a complete snooze fest, look no further than this one. The San Francisco Giants was coming in red hot after coming back from a 3-1 series deficit against the St. Louis Cardinals Cardinals in the NLCS while the Detroit Tigers was coming in ice cold after being forced to wait nearly a whole week after completing their ALC sweep against the New York Yankees. Even though early odds favored Detroit due to their star studded rotation that included the likes of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer and slugging bats such as Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, San Francisco was able to take care of business rather easily, having complete and utter dominance through the majority of the series. They powered their way through Game 1 thanks to three homers from the Kung Fu Panda himself, Pablo Sandoval, they shut down the Tigers bats in Games 2 and 3, and by Game 4, they were able to win in extra innings, with triple crown winner Miguel Cabrera infamously looking at strike three to the Giants closer Sergio Romo, earning the Giants their second World Series title in the last three years. While Game 4 was a decent game in of itself as it’s the only one in which the Tigers took a lead and made it somewhat competitive, this is easily among the most forgettable World Series in baseball history. There’s a reason why this was the lowest rated World Series for several years.
24.) 2006 World Series- St. Louis Cardinals vs Detroit Tigers
Champion: St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: David Eckstein
Best Game: Game 4- Cardinals Win 5-4
Infamously known as the best worst World Series champions, the 83-win St. Louis Cardinals (the team with the lowest wins to ever play in a World Series) were able to win against the heavily favorite 95-win Detroit Tigers in ways I don’t think anyone imagined. Just like the other World Series that Detroit was a part of this century, the bats completely disappeared when it matter most, getting shut down here by Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter and unlikely/unknown journeymen in the likes of Anthony Reyes (You probably don’t even remember who he is) and Jeff Weaver (Not his brother Jered!). You also got embarrassing errors from Detroit’s defense (with starting pitches contributing SIX of them all series) and getting owned by little underdog David Eckstein, A.K.A. Mr. Ahsoka Tano (Only Star Wars fans will get that reference!). You can blame the Tigers being forced to wait a week all you want but Detroit (just like with 2012) simply did NOT showed up when it mattered most. As much as many vote for this as the worst World Series this century, I give it a slight edge over the previous two due to a solid back-and-forth Game 4 and also feeling like a bittersweet end to the 2000s core of the St. Louis Cardinals (I promise that is how biased as I will get here!). The rest of the series though, pretty bleh.
Oh, and the less said about Tigers Pitcher Kenny Rogers and his “substance”, the better!
23.) 2023 World Series- Texas Rangers vs Arizona Diamondbacks
Champion: Texas Rangers, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Corey Seagar
Best Game: Game 1- Rangers Win 6-5 In 11 Innings
Talk about a World Series that started so promising and then just…..stop become interesting all together. Game 1 started the series off with a bang, with the Texas Rangers coming back late to force extra innings and steal the first game, thanks to clutch home runs from WS MVP Corey Seager in the bottom of the 9th and ALCS MVP Adolis Garcia in the bottom of the 11th for the game-winner. But, then the rest of the series happened and the whole thing just went straight to auto pilot. With three of the next four games consisting of near blowouts, no team coming back to take the lead or even tie after the other team scored first, and lacking any sort of thrill or excitement, I can’t help but feel like this World Series was a missed opportunity between two underdog franchises, and that’s not just considering the fact that these were two teams that had to deal with dreadful 100-loss seasons two years prior and fought and clawed their way to make it to the World Series that year. Congrats to the Texas Rangers for finally getting over the hump and breaking the 12-year long curse of David Freese (which will be discussed much later) but man, so much wasted potential here after such a thrilling Game 1.
22.) 2010 World Series- San Francisco Giants vs Texas Rangers
Champion: San Francisco Giants, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Edgar Renteria
Best Game: Game 5- Giants Win 3-1
What ended up being the first of three championships won by the MLB dynasty of the early 2010s, the San Francisco Giants were able to end their 56-year long World Series drought while the Texas Rangers fell short in their first ever World Series appearance. Similar to the 2012 World Series against the Tigers, the Giants were able to win it all in rather easy and convincing ways. With dominating pitching from the likes of the leader of the staff, Matt Cain, that year’s CY Young Winner, Tim Lincecum, and the birth of the postseason legend himself, Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco was able to silence the bats of Texas, allowing one run or less in three of the five games, and was aided by a clutch hitting performance all series from 33-year old WS MVP veteran Edgar Renteria, the Giants were able to make winning the World Series seem like a cakewalk. Not a very competitive series overall and not one worth remembering unless you are a Giants fan.
21.) 2021 World Series- Atlanta Braves vs Houston Astros
Champion: Atlanta Braves, 4-2 Series Win
MVP: Jorge Soler
Best Game: Game 4- Braves Win, 3-2
Now, this was just……..a strange World Series! It consisted of non-stop bullpen games from both sides, sloppy as hell defense, hours of deadtime in between pitches, Houston’s starters repeatedly getting shattered, and even had Atlanta starter Charlie Morton throwing a full inning with a broken leg (Somewhere, Bob Gibson is smiling!). And outside of Game 4, there was hardly any back-and-forth momentum, with the team that scored first being the one that ended up winning the game without much hassle. It might’ve went up to six games (likely because Mr. Morton wasn’t available for Game 5 after that broken leg) but there isn’t much to chew on here other than seeing Freddie Freeman’s final series in a Braves uniform and the rest of the league being in delight of seeing the Astros lose in the World Series again for the first since the 2017 sign-stealing scandal broke out. And for once, the Atlanta Braves were able to get it done in the postseason after consisting nothing but Ls in October for the past 25 years, winning their first title since 1995! I guess that’s something!
20.) 2008 World Series- Philadelphia Phillies vs Tampa Bay Rays
Champion: Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Cole Hamels
Best Game: Game 5- Phillies Win 4-3
There were plenty of juicy storylines heading into this World Series. You had the Tampa Bay Rays entering their first ever World Series after coming off a disastrous 96-loss season along with their first ever winning season and the Philadelphia Phillies looking for their first title in nearly 30 years! Sadly, the headlines and narratives heading into the World Series were more eye catching than the actual World Series itself. There were a lot of close games, with four of the five games being decided by two runs or less, which included a walk-off infield single in Game 3 by Phillies Catcher Carlos Ruiz but it was a pretty uneventful World Series all around, with plenty of silent bats and not much momentum between each inning. The most memorable moment from this series came from the rain delay that happened in Philly in Game 5, forcing the game to be delayed and even postponed, the first and only time that has ever happened in World Series history! The game was suspended in the 6th inning and would resume two days later. And hey, at least closer Brad Lidge was able to make the comeback of a lifetime, getting all 48 saves in all 48 save opportunities! I guess Albert Pujols didn’t complete destroy him after the 2005 NLCS! I’m sure Phillies fans can look fondly of that core that consists of the likes of Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Cole Hamels was able to win a title but for the World Series itself,……..meh.
19.) 2005 World Series- Chicago White Sox vs Houston Astros
Champion: Chicago White Sox, 4-0 Series Win
MVP: Jermaine Dye
Best Game: Game 3- White Sox Win 7-5 In 14 Innings
It might seem odd to put a World Series sweep this high on the list but I would be damned if this wasn’t the most exciting and competitive World Series sweep that I’ve ever seen. All four games were up for grabs and could’ve favored anyone of the two teams, it just so happened to favor the Chicago White Sox in all four games! With a solid back-and-forth Game 1, a Game 2 thriller that was decided on a walk-off homer by Scott Podsednik of all people (who didn’t hit a single home run in the regular season), a Game 3 that lasted for 14 innings with Game 2 starter Mark Buehrle getting the final out and save, and a Game 4 that consisted of pitching dominance with a mere 1-0 score! You had some exciting narratives hear as well, with the Houston Astros entering their first World Series in franchise history after having a disastrous start in the regular season and the Chicago White Sox looking to end their championship drought of 88 years, the second longest in MLB history! Ultimately, it was the White Sox that was able to have their one moment of glory in a franchise that has had very little, especially in recent memory! But no worries to the Astros, you would get your chance of your own glory soon enough!
Also, let’s not forget the best kept secret in baseball history when it was revealed over a decade later that Mark Buehrle actually pitched in Game 3 and got the save while drunk on like five pitchers! That’s just…….awesome!
18.) 2004 World Series- Boston Red Sox vs St. Louis Cardinals
Champion: Boston Red Sox, 4-0 Series Win
MVP: Manny Ramirez
Best Game: Game 1- Red Sox Win 11-9
Yes, this was also a World Series sweep! Yes, it was really only Game 1 that was even remotely competitive! Yes, Boston absolutely dominated St. Louis in every way, shape, or form in this series! And yes, it breaks my heart to even type these words and rank the World Series this high! However, I don’t think there was a bigger moment in the history of the Boston Red Sox and among MLB this century than seeing them hold the commissioner trophy for the first time in 86 years! It must’ve been such a special moment to see fans of Boston and even the rest of baseball (other than Yankees and Cardinals fans) witness baseball history like no other! Take that special moment out of the picture and it was a pretty pathetic and lame World Series overall! The juggernaut offense led by Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, and late season acquisition Larry Walker, that carried the 105-Win Cardinals all year long were completely overwhelmed by the elite Red Sox pitching that consisted of Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, and Derek Lowe! And the Red Sox bats with the likes of WS MVP Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz came through at every possible moment! Boston had their foot on the gas since Game 4 of the ALCS against the Yankees and absolutely REFUSED to take their foot off of it until the very final out of Game 4 in the World Series! If it wasn’t for that one special moment in history, this would be FAR down the list!
17.) 2018 World Series- Boston Red Sox vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Champion: Boston Red Sox, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Steve Pearce
Best Game: Game 4- Red Sox Win 9-6
This might be a hot take but I found this World Series to be incredibly overrated! I get that expectations were high entering this series in seeing the baseball juggernauts that were the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox duking it out for the first time ever! However, outside of the tense 18th inning long Game 3 (wouldn’t be the only time that happened in the World Series for LA) and a stellar Game 4, with the Red Sox coming back late to win 9-6, there wasn’t much to write home about here. Games 1, 2, and 6 were easy victories for Boston and LA just felt overwhelmed at every turn in those games, being unable to keep up with the momentum of the Red Sox. The Boston bats that carried them throughout their 2018 campaign with the likes of Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, and WS MVP Steve Pearce came through when they needed to, so much so that not even the INCREDIBLY stretchy closer Craig Kimbrel couldn’t prevent them from winning it all. The 2018 Red Sox felt like a complete and perfect team in every way and they were able to show that throughout this entire series, winning their 4th World Series title of the 21st century. I still put it this high because of those two games mentioned but that is really the only thing keeping it this high on the list!
16.) 2024 World Series- Los Angeles Dodgers vs New York Yankees
Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Freddie Freeman
Best Game: Game 5- Dodgers Win 7-6
Speaking of overhyped World Series with two iconic MLB franchises from the east coast, last year’s World Series match-up between the Dodgers and Yanks was more about narratives and headlines than it was about the quality of the games itself. There were two standout moments that will be remembered in baseball history, a bad footed Freddie Freeman having his Kirk Gibson moment in Game 1 by hitting a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, securing him of the WS MVP Award, and the Yankees HILARIOUSLY imploding in Game 4 with their godawful defense that has plagued them all season long, choking away a 5-0 lead and eventually losing the game 7-6! The rest of the games might’ve been filled with action and high scoring but there was hardly enough back-and-forth to warrant this being ranked up there as among the best World Series this century. The Dodgers were able to prove that they were not just Mickey Mouse ring champions by winning it all in a FULL season this time and the Yankees were exposed for the absolute frauds they were all season and still can’t get over their recent World Series hump that has now lasted for 15+ years! Plenty of fun and funny narratives here and a few memorable moments aside, this World Series could’ve been better.
15.) 2020 World Series- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Tampa Bay Rays
Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2 Series Win
MVP: Corey Seager
Best Game: Game 4- Rays Win 8-7
This was such a weird World Series to rank! This came during the height of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, that forced a shortened 60-game long season and all the teams having to follow a certain set of rules and safety guidelines to make this World Series and overall season even possible. But still, for what we’ve got, this was a pretty good World Series! It contained the two teams that had the best records in baseball from both leagues for the first time since 2013, you got clutch performances from the likes of superstar Mookie Betts, MVP Corey Seager and ALCS MVP Randy Arozarena, a bonkers ending to what was an incredibly wild Game 4 (I’m sure Brett Phillips is still running around like the wind with no oxygen), and the controversial decision of Game 6 with Rays Manager Kevin Cash removing starter Blake Snell out of a game which he was dominating the Dodger lineup, a move which ended up backfiring PAINFULLY for Tampa Bay, with the Dodgers coming back to winning that game 3-1 and win their World Series since 1988! It’s hard to know how this World Series would’ve played out in a non-covid world but for what we got, this was probably the best possible World Series we could’ve had during such bizarre circumstances!
14.) 2022 World Series- Houston Astros vs Philadelphia Phillies
Champion: Houston Astros, 4-2 Series Win
MVP: Jeremy Pena
Best Game: Game 1- Phillies Win 6-5 In 10 Innings
This was a World Series of changing narratives! You had the underdog Philadelphia Phillies that overcame a 5-0 deficit to win Game 1 in extra innings, stumbled a bit in Game 2, but came back in grand fashion to win Game 3 rather easily with their elite bats of Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and J.T. Realmuto to take a convincing 2-1 series lead! You figured this would be yet another World Series lost for the Astros against another unlikely NL East team. However, the Astros proceeded to flip the script entirely for the rest of the series, by throwing a combined no-hitter right in Philly’s ballpark in Game 4, winning a tight and tense Game 5 that gave future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander his first career win in a World Series game, and came back to win Game 6 on a three-run backbreaker from super slugger Yordan Alvarez! Even if the rest of baseball was still triggered about Houston winning another championship after what happened in 2017, this was a pretty entertaining series all around. Also, good old Dusty Baker was able to earn his first ring as a manager! Maybe it’s just me but this was the World Series that made me finally get over the cheating scandal, as the Astros proved they didn’t need trash cans to win a championship! Although, Phillies showed good enough fight throughout the series, reality eventually came back to bite them as the Astros were just too good in 2022 to take down!
13.) 2015 World Series- Kansas City Royals vs New York Mets
Champion: Kansas City Royals, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Salvador Perez
Best Game: Game 1- Royals Win 5-4 In 14 Innings
This might’ve been just a five-game World Series but this was about as good of a five-game World Series as they come! With this being a series about underdog franchises with decades long World Series droughts, it was ultimately the Kansas City Royals who was able to make the final blow when it mattered the most. You had Game 1 that started off with a bang with a inside-the-park homer from Alcides Escobar, Kansas City coming back in the bottom of the 9th on a solo shot by franchise legend Alex Gordon to force extra innings, and the Royals winning the game on a sac fly in the 14th inning to start the series off with a bang. Game 2 and 3 saw convincing wins from both sides with Royals dominating the Mets in Game 2 and New York returning the favor in Game 3. Game 4 saw KC coming back late yet again, rallying for three runs in the 8th inning, taking a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 saw an outstanding pitching performance from Mets ace Matt Harvey (A.K.A. The Dark Knight) be completely undone thanks to KC coming back late yet again in the 9th inning to tie it and yet again win in extra innings, winning their first World Series title in 30 years! As much as the narrative around this series has pended on the Mets shooting themselves in the foot repeatedly with endless blown saves from closer Jeurys Familia and constant terrible blunders from the defense, credit should be given to the Royals for playing their own brand of baseball to win the World Series! At a time where there was a cultural shift in baseball in focusing more on analytics, velocity, and launch angle, Kansas City was able to play by their own set of rules to win it all, by sticking to old school traditions with a major focus on speed, contact, and defense! They might’ve not gotten it done in the previous year but they most certainly were able to get it done here!
12.) 2000 World Series- New York Yankees vs New York Mets
Champion: New York Yankees, 4-1 Series Win
MVP: Derek Jeter
Best Game: Game 5- Yankees Win 4-2
Speaking of competitive as hell five-game long World Series (it’s starting to become a pattern here), the first World Series to be qualified for this ranking between the long time Subway rivals was about as tight and nail biting as it gets. Each and every one of these games were decided by two runs or fever, with the biggest standouts being Yankees coming back to tie Game 1 in the 9th inning on a sac fly and winning that game in 12 innings thanks to a walk-off hit from unlikely hero Jose Vizcaino, the infamous Clemens-Piazza fiasco of Game 2 which the Yanks won despite the Mets making it interesting in the 9th inning, and the Yanks winning the clincher with two runs in the 9th inning off a tired AL Leiter, who was clocking it at 140 pitches in that game. Also, it ended on a temporary scare where Mets star Mike Piazza JUST got under a pitch in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs that managed to stay in the ballpark and give the Bronx another World Series victory. This was when the Yankees were able to continue their narrative as the evil empire of baseball, winning their third straight World Series title and their fourth championship in the last five years, and the Mets started to present their legacy as being the butt of everyone’s jokes in New York City sports lore along with the rest of baseball. There’s not much to say about this series beyond that. What you see is what you get! And what we got overall was a pretty damn competitive World Series, despite lasting only five games!
11.) 2003 World Series- Florida Marlins vs New York Yankees
Champion: Florida Marlins, 4-2 Series Lead
MVP: Josh Beckett
Best Game: Game 4- Marlins Win 4-3 In 12 Innings
It was thought not to be humanly possible after their massive fire sale and teardown following their World Series victory in 1997 but six years later somehow and some way, lightning was able to strike the Florida Marlins for a SECOND time! Coming into the World Series high off their 3-1 series comeback against the Chicago Cubs (partially thanks to their good old friend Steve Bartman but not really), the Marlins were able to stop the New York Yankees from clinching their fifth World Series title since 1996, thanks to contributions from their young stars fresh from their farm system in Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis, and Josh Beckett, the latter of who threw a complete game shutout in Game 6 on just three days rest to win the World Series for Florida! You also can’t forget how the momentum for the Yanks plummeted after taking a 2-1 series lead in Game 4, with the Marlins winning in a 12 inning thriller by a score of 4 to 3 after Yankees manager Joe Torre failed to put in his star closer, Mariano Rivera, to possibly keep the game going for New York. All these years later, it’s still hilarious to think about how the Marlins was able to win it all TWICE as mere wild cards but have failed to achieve anything else noteworthy since then. If you were to look up the definition of “a broken clock being right twice a day”, I’m more than certain you would find a pic of the Marlins to go along with it.
10.) 2013 World Series- Boston Red Sox vs St. Louis Cardinals
Champion: Boston Red Sox, 4-2 Series Win
MVP: David Ortiz
Best Game: Game 4- Red Sox Win 4-2
We got a rematch of the 2004 World Series nine years later in 2013. Unlike in 2004, the St. Louis Cardinals actually competed this time around against the Boston Red Sox. After a wild ending to Game 3 with the infamous obstruction call at home plate, the Cards took a 2-1 series lead with just two victories away from claiming their 12th World Series title in franchise history. Unfortunately for St. Louis, Boston fought back from that devasting loss quite hard for the rest of the series, with clutch hits from the likes of Game 4 hero Johnny Gomes, Game 5 hero David Ross, and Game 6 decider Shave Victorino along with running into the buzzsaws that was ace Jon Lester and WS MVP David Ortiz, who had a RIDICLOULOUS .688 BA with a WHOPPING .790 OBP, 1.188 SLG, and 1.948 OPS that series. The Red Sox bounced back from their Game 3 lost by taking the next three games, winning their third World Series in ten years. For the second time in the 21st century, Boston broke the hearts in St. Louis and took a World Series title away from them. As much can be said about David Ortiz winning the World Series practically by himself, the other storyline in this was Boston’s way of rebounding after the terrible marathon bombing that took place in April 2013! Even if the first game and last game kinda sucked, the rest of the series was quite competitive and the storyline involving the Boston marathon bombing is so powerful that it warrants putting this in the top 10!
9.) 2009 World Series- New York Yankees vs Philadelphia Phillies
Champion: New York Yankees, 4-2 Series Win
MVP: Hideki Matsui
Best Game: Game 4- Yankees Win 7-4
Hard to believe it’s been over 15 years since a World Series title last came to the Bronx but they were able to do so in 2009 against that year’s defending World Series champion, the Philadelphia Phillies! Admittedly, this series wasn’t anywhere near as tight or drama fueled as some of the best World Series on this list, but I couldn’t help but be entertained by seeing the crazy amount of star power on full display in this fall classic! From the likes of Yanks legends of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and WS MVP Hideki Matsui along with their newly offseason additions of CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira to the Phils stars in Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins along with their in-season additions of Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez, this was the World Series equivalent of the World Baseball Classic in the best of ways, just the best of the best stars coming together to play some darn good baseball for our entertainment! The most crucial contest was in Game 4, when the Yankees scored three runs in the 9th inning thanks to a two-out rally started by A-Rod himself, which led New York to win that game by a score of 7-4! The suspense may not have been there for the majority of this series but in this case, I just got pure enjoyment in seeing some of the best MLB players of the 2000s facing off and providing plenty of action to keep the series fun for me throughout. Mostly, this World Series was the best kind of stress-free World Series for me!
8.) 2019 World Series- Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros
Champion: Washington Nationals, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: Stephen Strasburg
Best Game: Game 7- Nationals Win 6-2
Infamously know as the World Series with home field DISADVANTAGE, this series saw the underdog Washington Nationals (who started the season just 19-31) in their first ever World Series against the mighty juggernaut that was the Houston Astros, who won a franchise-record 107 games that year! This was a series that was able to go all seven games- with the road team being victorious in ALL seven of those games (the first time that had ever happened in the history of the four major sports at the time)! While all three games the Astros won in D.C. were pretty forgettable, with Houston taking leads in all three of those games and never looking back, all four games that the Nats won in Houston were standouts. The biggest game was the final one, where the Nats were able to come back down 2-0 late, thanks to clutch homers from Anthony Rendon and the NLCS MVP Howie Kendrick. In a year that had plenty of amazing narratives written with underdog sports teams winning championships (A.K.A. the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Raptors), the 2019 Nationals were able to write a standout story of their own, overcoming prior choking narratives and providing our state capital with their first ever World Series championship! This was also the last we saw of prime Stephen Strasburg, who you can tell pitched with every inch of his body to get the Nats their title that year. If the games in D.C. were more memorable, this would’ve likely have ranked even higher on the list!
Also, Juan Soto was able to win a World Series just DAYS after turning 21 years old, the age where you are legally allowed to buy a beer!
What am I doing with my life, man?!?!
7.) 2014 World Series- San Francisco Giants vs Kansas City Royals
Champion: San Francisco Giants, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: Madison Bumgarner
Best Game: Game 7- Giants Win 3-2
Here is the third and final chapter of the San Francisco Giants’ early 2010s run of dominance! Unlike the first two World Series that San Francisco was a part off, this one was actually quite memorable and made for a very enjoyable series all around against the unexpected AL champion Kansas City Royals! There’s a lot that can be said by the massive amounts of scoring that took place in every game outside of Games 3 and 7 but the main storyline of this World Series and the entire 2014 postseason was no other than Madison Bumgarner, who had just won the NLCS MVP the series prior. Famously known as Madbum, Bumgarner was able to have the World Series performance for the ages, accomplishing a Game One victory by going seven innings and allowing just one run, throwing a complete game shutout in Game 5 and closing the door with a massive FIVE inning save for Game 7! There just hasn’t been anyone like Madbum that has ever been THIS dominant on the World Series stage in baseball history! And of course, who could forget the way the World Series concluded, with Kansas City having the tying run on third base and an incredibly sore Salvador Perez coming up to the plate and inducing a pop flyout, securing San Francisco’s third World Series title in the last five years! Even if the Giants haven’t been the same since this World Series, they were at least able to end their early 2010s even year run of dominance on the highest note possible! Oh and the Royals were able to win the World Series the very next year so you don’t have to feel sorry about them!
6.) 2002 World Series- Anaheim Angels vs San Francisco Giants
Champion: Anaheim Angels, 4-3 Series Lead
MVP: Troy Glaus
Best Game: Game 6- Angels Win 6-5
Remember the time the Angels won a World Series? You don’t?! Well, they actually did in 2002 when they were strictly the Anaheim Angels and the series itself was pretty great! What would also be the first and only World Series that Barry Bonds would be a part off, the 2002 World Series was a seven-game match up for the ages between the Angels and the Giants! There was plenty of action, twists, and excitement to be had in the first five games, with three of them being decided by one run and Barry Bonds finally living up to his name in October, after having multiple failures in prior playoff runs! The most memorable contest game in Game 6, with the Giants leading the series 3 to 2 and commanding a 5-0 lead late, only for the Angels to rally back with six unanswered runs thanks to the likes of Scott Spiezio, Darin Erstad, and WS MVP Troy Glaus. This rally came right after Giants manager Dusty Baker infamously pulled starter Russ Ortiz early in the 7th inning which opened that exact door for the Angels! Then, Anaheim was able to win Game 7 rather easily by a score of 4-1, stealing the title away from San Francisco, securing their first and only championship in franchise history. This was an absolutely fantastic World Series all around that I believe should be talked about more than it usually does! The fact that this is only #6 on the list just goes to show you how EXCELLENT these next five World Series match-ups are!
5.) 2017 World Series- Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Results: Houston Astros, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: George Springer
Best Game: Game 5- Astros Win 13-12 In 10 Innings
I understand this World Series has been tainted for many baseball fans out there! After the allegations came out that the 2017 Astros were using hidden technology in their home stadium to steal signs and bang on trash cans to alert hitters of upcoming pitches, I can see why many don’t look at this series the same way anymore! However, for me, whenever I rewatch the highlights of this series and remembering watching this series back in 2017, I still can’t help but be excited and thrill every time I watched them. Back in 2017, this series was simply thrilling to watch because of how each game told a different story. We got a stellar pitching performance from infamous known playoff cursed Clayton Kershaw in Game 1 that gave the Dodgers an early series lead. We got a back-and-forth extra inning extravaganza for Game 2 that consisted of EIGHT home runs hit in that game! We got Games 3 and 4 that had tight competitive match-ups with Houston taking Game 3 and LA bouncing back in the series to take Game 4. Games 6 saw the Dodgers bounce back to tie the series while Game 7 saw Houston put pressure on LA early to win Game 7! However, the real story of this entire series was with Game 5 that just had everything! From the insane amount of scoring to the unlimited amount of twists and turns to the constant back-and-forth momentum to the multiple flips of the script to the intense drama and knuckles gripping to the mere unpredictability of it all, it is simple one of the best games of baseball that has ever been played, cheating be damned! That game along with Game 2 warrants this World Series of being in the top 5 of this century! If this series is still tainted for you because of what the Astros did this series and throughout the whole 2017 season, that is more than fair! But for me, this series represents everything I love about baseball!
Also, fyi, the Astros was only able to do sign stealing in at home and NOT on the road! So, those two road wins they had, which includes the thrilling Game 2 and series-clinching Game 7, are indeed LEGIT!
Also, I’m not gonna lie, these next four were VERY hard to rank! I kept going back and forth with each one to the point to where I almost want to put it as a four-way tie for the best of the 21st century. But, I’m not gonna chicken out of that so here I go with my top 4!
4.) 2011 World Series- St. Louis Cardinals vs Texas Rangers
Champion: St. Louis Cardinals, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: David Freese
Best Game: Game 6- Cardinals Win 10-9 In 11 Innings
What’s this?! My favorite World Series of all time is only #4 on this list! Am I going insane?! Absolutely I am! We have the St. Louis Cardinals coming into the World Series red hot, overcoming a 10+ game deficit against the Atlanta Braves to make the playoffs and took out the WS favorites Phi Delphia Phillies in the NLDS and division rival Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS to make it here! We also had the Texas Rangers, returning to their second straight WS and looking to get the job done when they couldn’t the prior year. As much has been said about Game 6 of this year (and I have PLENTY to said about that), there were many other standout games here. You got a tight Game 1 which the Cards won 3-2, you got a Game 2 which saw Texas come back late in the 9th inning to win 2-1, you got an offense explosion in Game 3 where the Cardinals scored 16 (!) runs which was aided by Albert Pujols hitting three home runs that game, you got a Game 4 that was dominated by elite pitching from Rangers ace Derek Holland that held St. Louis to just two hits all game, you got Game 5 which Texas coming back late after a bullpen mishap from St. Louis to take a 3-2 series lead, and of course you can’t forget Game 6! What started off as one of the most messiest and sloppiest games ever (I still lose count on the amount of errors and play mishaps the Cards and Rangers made early on), the last three innings of the game might just be the most intense final three innings of any baseball game ever! The Rangers were one strike away from winning the World Series not once but TWICE and yet the Cardinals were able to rally back BOTH times! This came from the clutch two-run game tying triple from NLCS and WS MVP David Freese in the bottom of the 9th inning and a clutch RBI game tying single from Lance Berkman in the 10th inning,. Then came David Freese yet again in the 11th inning that was able to close the curtain with a solo walk-off home run, forcing a Game 7! This was a series that had everything you want in a world series: close match-ups, twists and turns, and plenty of action, drama, and goose bumping moments to get your team pump up or heartbroken. Outside of this World Series not being as narratively satisfying or memorable to those outside of baseball fans as the first three, the ONLY thing that keeps this World Series not being higher on this list is Game 7 being somewhat anticlimactic and not that memorable! But, still an exceptional World Series all around and will always be one of my absolute favorites!
3.) 2025 World Series- Toronto Blue Jays vs Los Angeles Dodgers
Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Best Game: Game 7- Dodgers Win 5-4 In 11 Innings
There might be a time where we look back at this World Series as the one that “destroyed” baseball, with the Dodgers buying up more players and additions every year like they are Disney. However, just days after riding the highs of all the thrills that this World Series has to offer, I can’t help but NOT put this in a well deserved #3 spot! Here, we see the Los Angeles Dodgers looking for their second straight World Series title against the Toronto Blue Jays who are searching for their first World Series title in over 30 years! While many experts picked the Dodgers to win this matchup, I don’t think anyone was prepared for how much this World Series would deliver. Game 1 saw the Blue Jays making a statement in that they would NOT be push overs in this series like they were predicted, Game 2 saw a complete game gem from WS MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Game 3 gave us an INCREDIBLE 18 inning thriller, which concluded with Freddie Freeman hitting a walk-off homer, Games 4 and 5 had Toronto responding back with their bats very convincingly to take a 3-2 series lead, Game 6 saw another masterpiece of a performance from Yamamoto, and there is a TON that can be said about Game 7! The Blue Jays were just TWO outs away from winning it all until Miguel Rojas of all people tied it up with a solo shot! Then came the 9th inning where the Blue Jays were literally INCHES away from winning it on TWO separate occasions, one which IKF was a inch or two off from scoring at home plate and a series saving catch from centerfielder Andy Pages! Then came the coolest Will Smith in Hollywood with a solo homer in the 11th inning, smacking all of Canada harder than he did Chris Rock at the Oscars! And then, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who just threw a seven inning gem the night prior, was able to slam the door shut for the final 2 2/3 innings, ending with a ground ball double play with Toronto having the tying run on base! This World Series has ZERO business to go THIS hard but it did! I don’t care about what outcomes could come from this WS as a result of the monopoly Dodgers winning another title with legends like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto getting paid the millions on their contract for the next 20+ years after they retire, but man, this is a World Series that I believe will go down in absolute HISTORY for not just baseball fans but for anyone around the world!
2.) 2001 World Series- Arizona Diamondbacks vs New York Yankees
Champion: Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: Randy Johnson & Curt Schilling
Best Game: Game 7- Diamondbacks Win 3-2
There are two main reasons this World Series is remembered as fondly as it is: 1.) it was the first major sporting event that came out the devasting heights of 9/11 (which actually caused Major League Baseball to be delayed for a week) and 2.) it represented the beginning of the end of the dynasty of the New York Yankees as we know it. Here, we saw the Arizona Diamondbacks in just their FOURTH year of existence taking on the evil empire that is the New York Yankees, winners of the last three World Series and four of the last five years! The first six games saw three blowout victories for the D-Backs and three nail biting wins for the Yanks! The three victories from Arizona saw their bats explode from the likes of Luiz Gonzalez and Craig Counsell and dominate pitching from their co-aces Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling. The three victories from New York benefitted from clutch hits from their stars Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Alfonso Soriano and lights out late inning pitching from their dominate closer Mariano Rivera. The series would wrap up in a satisfying bow in Game Seven where things got so intense and nail biting, culminating in Arizona coming back to tie things up in the bottom of the ninth with their backs were against the wall and Luis Gonzalez was able to get a clutch soft hit off of the G.O.A.T. closer Mariano Rivera, preventing the Yankees from their fourth straight championship and securing Diamondbacks’ very first one! Each game had a different story to tell, there were clutch performances from both the hitting and pitching side on both ends, and it felt like just the breather that America needed to help heal their minds just a month after a horrifying terrorist act that has let a scar on this country for the past 24 years ! It’s also the one time in this century where we actually got not just one MVP but two, those being the one-two starting pitching punch of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, the former of which actually threw the last 1 1/3 inning of the series just less than 24 hours after his dominant Game 6 performance. As extraordinary as this World Series was, there is still one more that I believe is more fondly remembered by anyone with even a slight of baseball knowledge or history!
1.) 2016 World Series- Chicago Cubs vs Cleveland Indians
Champion: Chicago Cubs, 4-3 Series Win
MVP: Ben Zobrist
Best Game: Game 7- Cubs Win 8-7 In 10 Innings
There might be some that argue that this World Series is more remembered for it’s hype and narratives than of the actual games itself, the two sport franchises with the largest championship droughts in sports history duking it out to see which one can break their decades long curse and make history like no other. There might be some that argue that only Game 7 is the one worth remembering, which led to the best ratings that the game of baseball had seen since this 2016 baseball classic (until recently that is). However, one can’t deny how massive this World Series was not just for baseball history but in recent global history! Game 1 saw the Indians shut down the Cubs bats in a shutout victory thanks to elite starting pitching from Cleveland’s own Corey Kluber. Game 2 saw the Cubs climbing back to tie the series with their bats waking up for a 5-1 victory. Games 3 and 4 saw Cleveland putting Chicago bats in check once again by allowing just two in two games to take a 3-1 World Series lead, just one victory away from their first championship since 1948. But then, Game 5 saw the Cubs bounce back thanks to Jon Lester holding the Indians offense at bay and a 4th inning rally kicked off by that year’s MVP Kris Bryant, that force the series back to Cleveland. Game 6 saw the Cubs bats exploding once again with homers from Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, and Anthony Rizzo to tie the series. Finally, there was Game 7 that made for one of the greatest baseball games in the history of Major League Baseball! From the leadoff homer from Dexter Fowler that got things started to the quick hook by Cubs manager Joe Maddon to go from Kyle Hendricks to Jon Lester that gave Cleveland some momentum to David Ross homering in his very final game he would ever play to Rajai Davis of all people hitting a game tying home run in the 8th inning to the sudden 20-minute long rain delay after the game was forced into extras to the Jason Heyward clubhouse speech that bumped his club up to the Cubs coming back in extra innings and being able to hold on to win their very first World Series in 108 years! As a Cardinal fan, it hurts my heart and soul to put this as number one! But as a fan of baseball and viewing which World Series this century is more fondly remembered for not just baseball fans but casual audiences in general, I can’t think of one that is as memorable and impactful as this one!
Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s finally happened! Most of us probably thought this day would never come but it finally has! This week, Microsoft has announced that Halo is coming to the PlayStation 5!
I repeat because this bears repeating: HALO IS COMING TO THE PLAYSTATION 5!
Imagine telling yourself that over 25 years ago, around the time where SEGA was failing in the console business and would eventually be forced to put Sonic on Nintendo consoles! Xbox and Microsoft fans all around the world got to experience just that this week when Microsoft announced Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of the campaign for Halo: Combat Evolved, for the PlayStation 5, set to come out in 2026, alongside the PC and Xbox Series S/X!
To say this announcement is big news would be a MASSIVE understatement! This was not only an announcement of a new remake of a beloved classic but this was the announcement that Microsoft has finally thrown in the white flag in the console war!
They have acknowledged that they are no longer serious about convincing others that their console is the best of them all! They have acknowledged they are no longer at the top of the game at what they do in regards to console making! They have acknowledged that their once beloved exclusive IPs such as Halo are better off being shared with their neighbors rather than staying strictly at home where they previously belonged! Above all, they have acknowledged that the console war is now officially over, and both Sony and Nintendo have won!
For those that have been following the gaming world for the past few years, you probably saw this coming from a mile away! It was just last year where Microsoft was considering the idea of moving their well-known IPs and prior exclusive franchises to other consoles in response to the lackluster sales of the Xbox Series S/X! (Something which I did write about and will leave a link for at the end). And for the most part, we are starting to see that in action!
First came Sea of Thieves, which made it’s way onto the PS5 on April 30th, 2024! Next, came Indiana Jones & The Great Circle, which was previously an Xbox exclusive that eventually made it’s way to the PS5 around Spring time of this year! Then, came Gear of Wars: Reloaded, a remaster of 2015’s Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, came to the PS5 in August of this year! And finally, for the final nail on the coffin, Halo, perhaps Xbox’s biggest and most beloved gaming franchise, is set to come out on the PS5 next year!
Not gonna lie, a big part of me is sad about this! The console wars was among the most fun things about pop culture and entertainment throughout the 21st century! It made for a nice distraction for all the political chaos that was going on from around the world, going back and forth on who is delivering the best among video games! Sure, there might’ve been a bit too much name calling and obnoxious fanboy behavior but to most people, it was mostly all tongue-and-cheek and felt it was always encouraging the likes of Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo to deliver the best possible product imaginable for players and gamers all around the world!
However, things have changed! Now, Microsoft more than likely has slammed the door shut on being serious on participating in any future consoles wars! They no longer se themselves as being enough to compete with Sony or even Nintendo! Those two companies have their consoles, exclusives, and overall brand pretty much logged in for the foreseeable future with no momentum slowing them down! Sure, they might’ve made their mistakes in the past with the likes of the disastrous handlings of the PlayStation 3 (at least at launch) and the Wii U but they were at least able to bounce back from those missteps and come back stronger than ever with the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch! It doesn’t seem like Microsoft will be able to have that kind of redemption arc in the near future!
And you know what, they literally have NO ONE to blame but THEMSELVES! Everyone has been calling our their bulls**t ever since the Xbox One reveal back in May of 2013! And not only did they not improve from their mistakes of that but they basically doubled down on it! From confusing console titles to severe lack of exclusives to absurd prices to the killing of physical media to the focus on anything but the actual gaming experience, Microsoft brought down the downfall of the Xbox on themselves! Despite having over the past 12+ years of getting a chance at redeeming themselves, they have only dig themselves further and further down! And it’s now gotten to the point where they have no choice but to share their exclusives onto other consoles for the foreseeable future!
While Microsoft has gotten on record in saying that they are in preparation for their next gaming console, I don’t think anybody will ever take them seriously as being a legit threat to Sony and Nintendo ever again! Unless they are able to complete the biggest comeback arc in the history of gaming with their next console (assuming that even gets made), the days of Microsoft being an absolute dominate force in gaming and entertainment are long gone! So much so that they shouldn’t even bother with a new console because that will likely do even worse numbers than the DreamCast, especially if the rumors of it being over a thousand dollars is true!
Once again, Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remaster of the campaign of the original Xbox exclusive, Halo: Combat Evolved, will be coming to the PlayStation 5 in 2026, alongside the PC and Xbox Series S/X!
The console war is officially over!
RIP Xbox (2001-2025)
Also, Microsoft, if you are seriously considering shipping your prior exclusives onto other consoles, would you be willing to get together with another certain gaming studio that once partnered with you but are now with Sony for a remaster of a certain gem of game from over a decade ago?!
Sonic the Hedgehog is now 34 years old! 34 years and counting of some of the very best and very worst that gaming has head to offer! In case you haven’t figured that out with the multiple Sonic pieces that I’ve written on this blog, I’ve always been a big fan of Sonic the Hedgehog since I was a kid. Sonic as a character is someone that always has appeal to me with his cockiness, incredible sense of speed, but also having a big heart for himself and those he cares about. He’s always been so appealing to me that I’ve been following this roller coaster of a franchise for over two full decades now.
To celebrate the release of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, I’ve decided to do a ranking of my top 10 personal favorite Sonic games to date! Not necessarily what I think its the best from an objective standpoint but the Sonic games that I’ve had the most fond memories of and still do to this very day.
First, here’s a couple of games that BARELY made it off this list:
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
Never in a million years would I think that a visual novel game where you just point and click at things made by the social media group from SEGA would end up being quite good but here you go! This is a game that came out on April 1st, 2023 on the PC, strictly as a April Fools Day prank. To put it simply, it’s Sonic and his friends in a murder mystery party. I would tell you more but that would spoil all the fun to be had with this game. Just know that this is a very well done visual novel and point-and-click adventure made with a lot of love from the SEGA Social team, who clearly loves Sonic as much as the fans do. If that sounds like your jam, then please go download this game right now on your PC if you haven’t already. It’s 100% free!
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
This is an example of a kart racing sequel that is better than the original in just about every way. With even smoother controls, more creative racetracks, a more expanded roster of characters, and offering a better sense of challenge than before, Sonic &All-Stars Racing Transformed is one of the few out there that would give Mario Kart a run for it’s money. It’s only off of the list because of some difficulty spikes with specific challenges, a couple of aggravating glitches I tend to run into, and there is one Sonic kart racer that was able to do what this game did just a little bit better. If you love Sonic and racing games, then this is definitely a must-play!
And also in case you are wondering, SONIC IS DRIVING A CAR TO MAKE IT FAIR TO THE OTHER RACERS!
THAT IS ALL!
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
A sequel that takes everything that works about the original and expands upon it in every single way. As a result, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 manages to be not just as good as the original but even better. Better controls, level designs, graphics, backgrounds, environments, and especially music! With an even greater sense of speed, more memorable level designs, and the introduction of the cutesy fox known as Tails, this is no doubt a great sequel. The only thing that keeps this one from being on this list is the very final boss. To this day, I still find it incredibly cheap, hard as ball and makes the ending of the game incredibly frustrating every time I replay it. Still a classic without a doubt but the fact the game always ends on a rather sour note prevents it from finding a spot on the list!
Now, here we go to the main top 10! Once again, these are ranked based on being my personal favorites, NOT of objective quality!
10.) Sonic Frontiers
That’s right! I actually found a spot for this one! This might be guilty of many of the same flaws that have plagued prior 3D Sonic games but unlike with most recent entries in the series, there is actually plenty of charm hidden within that makes the experience super enjoyable! The overall core formula and open zones work well here and does help set a promising template for future Sonic games. It’s also nice to see more care put into the story and characterization than it has been for quite some time. And Super Sonic has been more badass than he is here! This is a game that has grown on me since it came out and I’ve come to find more things to love and appreciate about it as time goes by. Yes, the pinball level sucks, some of the grinding sucks, and the “true” final boss sucks (The ONE thing that The Final Horizon DLC improved on!), but none of those were enough to ruin the many hours I’ve spend on this game! Sonic Frontiers is about as imperfect as you can expect a Sonic game to be but for the first time in a long while, it did leave me with an actual feeling of optimism for Sonic moving forward. If you ask me, that is more than enough to justify this being at #10!
9.) Sonic Advance/Sonic Advance 3
These two are basically neck-and-neck for my favorite of the Advance games. While the console games have been inconsistent in terms of quality, the handheld entries have had quite a few gems that don’t get the recognition they deserve when they came out in the 2000s. These two games are good examples of the perfect formula for Sonic in 2D form. Expanding upon the classic games in respectful ways, adding characters/elements to the gameplay along with a sense of speed and platforming that help make the experience more enjoyable rather than hinder it, and just working as their own unique Sonic games, the Sonic Advance series (minus the middling as hell second one) works wonder as one of the better Sonic experiences. They both have issues (Advance 1 has ridiculous bosses and Advance 3 has ridiculous Chao padding) but as a whole, Sonic Advance & Sonic Advance 3 are two 2D Sonic games that still stand out quite well for the Blue Blur.
8.) Sonic Colors
Sonic Team followed up Sonic Unleashed by making a game that added more to the well-received aspects of it (the daytime stages) along with removing the not so well-received aspects of it (the nighttime stages). Sonic Colors understands the core appeal of Sonic by featuring top-notch speed, solid platforming, incredibly fun and unique level designs, and some of the best power-ups in the series with the Wisps. And this was also the game that introduced Roger Craig Smith as the blue blur we all know and love, who is still going strong in the role to this very day! There may be a bit too much 2D levels for some and the story/humor is admittedly hit (any scene with Eggman and his robots) or miss (Baldy McNosehair) but this is easily among the best 3D Sonic games to date. And even though the comparisons to Super Mario Galaxy are undeniable, Sonic Colors is still able to provide a fresh and exhilarating experience that certainly feels like Sonic the Hedgehog.
7.) Sonic Rush
Being the game that introduces the boost mechanics that would eventually become a stable for Modern Sonic, Sonic Rush makes for one of the most thoroughly enjoyable and unique Sonic games throughout his history. The main highlight here is seeing the introduction to fan-favorite Blaze the Cat, arguably the best female character in the entire franchise, and getting the perfect sense of speed with Sonic that you never really got with the series up to this point. There’s some repetition of playing the same levels twice and newly introduced villain, Eggman Nega sucks on literally every single level, but this is one I can recommend to those who are not even fans of Sonic. With top notch speed, fast platforming, and a SUPER awesome soundtrack, Sonic Rush is an absolute gem that should not be missed! Just a damn shame this had to come out the same day as Shadow the Hedgehog!
6.) Sonic Adventure
While this has certainly shown it’s age in many areas, there is still more than enough about Sonic Adventure, A.K.A. the first official 3D Sonic game, that works very well to this day. The gameplay that still works (namely Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Gamma) remain some of the very best in all of 3D Sonic, the hub world of Station Square is fun to explore and gives you that perfect sense of adventure that makes the title accurate, and it’s neat to have every main character in the story get their own arcs and development throughout, something which didn’t happen in the Sonic series until this game. Even the dated elements like the cheesy animation, dialogue, and voice acting are at least good for a laugh, both intentionally and unintentionally, that you can have a blast with them.. This might’ve been even higher on the list if it wasn’t for those Big the Cat fishing missions but I still rate the original Sonic Adventure very highly to this day. If it wasn’t for this game, who knows where Sonic the Hedgehog would be in the year 2025!
5.) Sonic Unleashed
One of the most divisive installments in the franchise is among my favorites. While opinions certainly vary on the SD port of this game, the HD version of Sonic Unleashed has the thrills and action that I could ever want from a Sonic game. The daytime stages delivers an incredibly sense of speed and fast platforming that I always love replaying through, the story is simplistic but still has that nice mix of light and dark nature that most Sonic stories lack, the graphics still look stunning even over 17 years later, the soundtrack is outstanding and among the very best in the franchise, the variety this game contains in terms of gameplay and unlockables is off the charts, exploring the hub worlds of all the different countries acts greatly to that “world adventure” spirit, and even I’m not shame to admit I even kinda like that silly Werehog (If you don’t at least get some goosebumps during the night boss fights, you are a total loser! Just saying!)! I totally understand the reasons to hate this game but I remain a fan to this very day just like how I was back in 2008. This game has been gaining a cult following over the years and I’m glad to admit that I was a part of that crowd from the very beginning.
4.) Sonic 3 & Knuckles
To many people, Sonic 3 & Knuckles is the absolute definite Sonic game and it’s easy to see why! Taking the best aspects of all the previous games that has come before it while introducing one of the best characters in the franchise known as Knuckles. The levels are more expanded upon than ever before giving you multiple paths and ways to the goal, every character controls perfectly with not a single one being a chore to play, the story itself takes a few unexpected turns, and even the bosses and special stages (which I weren’t a fan of in the past) are actually quite great here. I just wish I didn’t need to collect all the emeralds TWICE in order to get the full final Super Sonic boss fight! However, masterfully combining speed, platforming, and exploration, this remains a top-tier Sonic experience. While there are many people that considers Sonic 3&K to be the very best Sonic game ever made (and I would definitely not argue that opinion one bit), it’s not quite the full Sonic package for me the way these next three Sonic games are.
3.) Sonic Racing CrossWorlds
The newest addition to the Sonic kart racing canon is not only the best Sonic racing game to date but might perhaps be the best kart racing game to date that is NOT Mario Kart! This has more of an expanded roster of characters, more creative and unique race tracks, more vehicles you can choose to race with, whether it’s with cars or hover boards, and more amounts of fan service than any of the Sonic racing games! You also got great online modes, fun character interactions during Rival mode, multiples pathways with each crossworld you enter, tons of unlockables to collect, and plenty of DLC on the horizon to keep you entertained with the game for quite some time (Unfortunately, not free though!). This is just the perfect example of a kart racing game that is the absolute complete package from top to bottom! If Mario Kart 8 didn’t exist, this might legit be my new favorite kart racing game and the one that I see myself playing the most for the foreseeable future! Sonic Racing CrossWorlds checks all the boxes and then some and continues Sonic’s great track record of the 2020s! Eat it, Mario Kart World!
2.) Sonic Mania
By being a beautiful and well done remix of the original classic games, along with introducing a handful of wonderful original levels of its own, Christian Whitehead’s Sonic Mania helps craft an entry that feels more of a worthy follow-up to Sonic 3 & Knuckles than both episodes of Sonic 4 combined. There’s more extras, unlockable and playable characters than ever before, the gameplay from the Classic games that everyone knows and love is giving the right upgrade and in some ways, surpasses the original games, and I don’t think Super Sonic has looked, sound, and been more fun to control than he’s done here. And even though many of the levels themselves have been taking from other Sonic games, they’ve been changed and expanded upon well enough to where they feel like completely new levels in their own right, giving that sense you are playing through these levels for the very first time. Even to those that aren’t the biggest fans of Classic Sonic, I would highly recommend this one as I consider Sonic Mania to be the definite Classic Sonic experience.
1.) Sonic X Shadow Generations
My favorite Sonic game to date is the one that features the most Sonic out of all the games thus far……along with a bit of Shadow. When it comes to Sonic Generations, it acts a wonderful celebration of the first two decades of Sonic the Hedgehog, perfecting both the classic 2D style gameplay along with the modern 3D style gameplay by recreating the best levels from previous Sonic games and making them feel new and unique on their own. When it comes to Shadow Generations, this might just be the very best version of 3D Sonic as a whole. With incredibly unique level designs, crazy and out-of-this-world set pieces, a gameplay style that manages to combine the best elements of both Sonic Generations and SonicFrontiers respectively while leaving off any fat, and even quite a touching story about Shadow and the two people he cares about the most in Maria and Gerald Robotnik. Call it cheating if you may but there is not other Sonic (or Shadow) experience that always satisfies more than Sonic X Shadow Generations. . Because of all that and more, Sonic X Shadow Generations is my favorite Sonic game to date!
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