Top Five Favorite Movies Assignment

Movies are a wonderful thing. They give you, for a brief time, a visual into another world, an escape from reality. Sometimes this escape is enjoyable, however, more often then not, it can be quite boring and wasteful. The movies that I find to be the most effective are the ones about alternate universes and worlds, science fiction and fantasy, or stories of internal conflict. When looking at finding a good movie in each of these categories, we must look at many different things. The most important aspects are: the mechanics, the set, acting, lighting, costuming but mainly, the authenticity. Let’s now take a look at what I consider to be the best movies ever made.
5. Indiana Jones Series
In this series there are four movies, (as of now, who knows with the way they make sequels in this age), The Temple of Doom, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Last Crusade and Raiders of the Lost Ark. These movies all fall under the heading Adventure.
They follow the story of Indiana Jones, as he looks for items of lore, using mythology and history to create interest.
I like this series for a number of reasons. The special effects are mainly done by the actors, leaving the impossible to computer animation. This makes it seem more fluid and authentic, and for the time when they came out, it looked very outstanding. Although sometimes the plot is very unrealistic, the directors, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, use history and realistic sets, and feasible actors to make the story come to life. I find that I enjoy these films for the complete thrill ride of it; the ups and downs are truly massive. This series has created the standard for all adventure movies.
The target audience of this series is something that could be widely debated. In my mind anyone can watch a movie and get enjoyment out of it and that target audiences are based on stereotypes. However, when classing this movie style, we must use stereotypes. Since there is a large amount of action, and mythology, females from the ages 20 and up were not focused on when selling this movie. The target audience would be teenagers, and men of any ages, particularly ones who had seen the earlier movies. Since the movies are a series, they already have a set fan base.

4. National Treasure Series
In this series, there are two movies, National Treasure and National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. It focuses on Benjamin Gates played by Nicolas Cage. He follows clues, using facts to locate treasures of great value, physically and historically. The first find is the lost treasure of the Templers, the second one being Cibola, the American city of gold.
These movies fall under the category adventure.
This series is particularly exciting for me because it does two things that appeal to me. It uses historical facts and events, which I enjoy learning and the plot keeps you wondering to the end, as clues keep coming. When I watch this movie, I try to figure out the clues before the movie does. The acting by Cage is very well done, as his nerdy-like stutter speech makes the character seem realistic. The filming is done in a way that is easy to follow, and builds up the most suspense as possible. Costumes are not really a factor as the film is set in modern day.
The target audience of this movie is family oriented. There is little vulgarity or controversial topics in it, and can be watched by any member of the family. Disney knew this when they advertised it. They promoted it towards mid-aged children, so that the whole family would see it at once.

3. Star Wars Series
In this series there are six movies; the Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The premise of the story, is the ongoing battle between the forces of good, the Jedi, and evil, the Sith. Although it has been called an epic space opera, the movies fall under the genre of science fiction.
These movies, which started coming out in the 1970’s use some of the best computer generated animation, mixed in with real acting, making it seem almost realistic. The acting at times may seem cliché and overdone, but when we realize that these films were the first ones to do this type of story, we should appreciate the originality and legendary status of these films. Another thing that I like about this film is the fact that the costumes are so authentic and original. Although the creatures in the film are non-existent, we can’t say it is authentic, however, the quality of the costumes are so high, that it makes it seem like the creatures could exist.
The target audiences of these movies are something that can be widely interchangeable. Although some females could watch this and enjoy it, the promotion goes toward men, teenagers, and previous fans of the series, as most franchises tend to focus on the earlier fan base.

2. Lord of the Rings Series
This series contained my favorite movies of all time, until the movie after this was filmed. There are three movies, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and Return of the King.
It is the battle of all the different races, Human, Elf and Dwarves, against the evil Sauron and his army of Orcs. This movie is under the genre fantasy.
These movies are all critically acclaimed, and have made billions of dollars in revenue. I like these movies for a number of reasons, and all of them have little or no negative aspects that I can find. Firstly, the sets of this movie are completely breathtaking, being realistic beyond belief. When you watch this movie, you feel as though you are there. The detail in every scene is amazing, and the director chose a great place to film, New Zealand. The medieval feel of this movie, is done very well. The acting is rugged, and well done for this type of movie and each one is believable. Gandalf is especially well done, as Ian Mckellans personality makes him authentic when he is angry and compassionate. Also, what is done well is the score for the film, the folk music mixed with an adventurous feel, makes the movie enjoyable to listen to the whole time. The computer generations of the city Minis Tirith, and the huge goblin armies, are done so realistically, that it is awe-inspiring. Also, the battle scenes are realistic but not to the point of vulgarity, something that helped sell this movie.
The target audience of this movie like any movie could go any way. When this movie was released it was targeted mainly towards men, of any ages. Since the movies were written around books of the same name, it already had a following, who were also aimed at in the target audience.

1. The Dark Knight
Although it has now almost been overused in saying the Dark Knight is a good movie, I can’t help but enjoy it. Although it is part of a series, (see a pattern here?), I like this movie the best, and want to expand solely upon it. The movie is under the genre Crime-Action.
The movie is well done for many different reasons. Unlike earlier Batman movies, the set is very realistic and done in a way so that Batman himself seems vulnerable to any of the villains. No longer is Batman invincible, the plot now has many turns and the outcome is not expected. The acting itself is done very well, and in this movie the Joker is done extremely well by Heath Ledger. The new, dirtier, more sadistic look of the Joker is done in a way that makes him seem very realistic. The lighting and special effects are also done very effectively. The costumes, such as the Joker, and Batman’s suit are done so that they are believable. Also, the Batmobile, which in earlier movies has flames come out of it, is done now like an army tank, vulnerable but still powerful. It again adds to the realism. I could talk about this movie forever, as it is very well done, but to truly understand what makes it so good, you must see it for yourself.
The target audience of this movie is for anyone over the age of eight. The death of Heath Ledger brought a sense of mystery to the film, that even females of any age would come and watch one of the last movies the famous star did. The film company barely had to advertise this movie because of the death of Ledger and the character that ‘drove him off the edge’.
Although it does have some very disturbing concepts and graphic violence, the movie should be seen by everyone, as it will one day be called one of the classics of the modern age.