What are the Moore Review Awards? I’d like to think of them as something between the Oscars and the MTV Movie Awards. The MRA’s were conceived to show appreciation for all of the genres that make up a great year at the movies and not just the art films. Here, we recognize that the performances and stories told in comedies and superhero films can be just as gripping as the dramas and thrillers. The only stipulation is that the movie must have been released in the calendar year of 2017 to be considered. So without, further ado… here are the winners of the 2nd Annual Moore Review Awards! Feel free to share, like and comment your thoughts! SIDENOTE: SPOILERS ABOUND!
BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
Bronze: Lil’ Rel Howley (Get Out) – Howley brought some well timed humor as the best friend we all dream of in this 2017 hit.
Silver: Kevin Hart (Jumaji: Welcome to the Jungle) – Hart’s shtick might be getting a little old, but for whatever reason it worked wonderfully here as the jock turned vertically challenged video game sidekick.
Winner: Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip) – This one really wasn’t that close, to be honest. Haddish brought exuberance and sass in her breakout role and turned what was already a fun film into an absolute blast.
Other nominees: Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), Sharlto Copley (Free Fire), Finn Wolfhard (It)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Bronze: Ghost in the Shell – The story didn’t exactly resonate, but the futuristic design was a perfect recreation of the anime source material.
Silver: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets – A lackluster narrative kept this film from being a classic, but the visuals and design of the futuristic worlds were absolutely stunning.
Winner: Star Wars: The Last Jedi – The climactic scene on the salt planet Crait alone is worthy of this film getting this award. Fans may be torn on the stories of these new films, but the visuals have been breathtaking.
Other nominees: Beauty and the Beast, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Thor: Ragnarok
BEST SOUNDTRACK
Bronze: Star Wars: The Last Jedi – John Williams’ incredible score is once again timeless. The newer music created for the series has managed to feel like a welcomed addition alongside the music from the original trilogy.
Silver: Baby Driver – Edgar Wright’s brilliant screenplay was made all the more unique by a soundtrack that mixed several genres of music seamlessly with its fast paced narrative.
Winner: The Greatest Showman – The composers behind La La Land outdid themselves with this musical. With a mixture of gospel, pop, and R&B, they managed to create something unique and yet not out of place in the film’s early 1900’s setting.
Other nominees: Blade Runner 2049, Ghost in the Shell, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
BEST ACTION SEQUENCE
Bronze: The Stairwell Fight Scene (Atomic Blonde) – The plot to this movie was all over the place, but the battle between Charlize Theron’s spy character and a horde of German henchmen was exhilaratingly brutal.
Silver: Kylo Ren and Ray team up (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) – This unorthodox lightsaber battle might be one of the best action scenes in franchise history. From the start, it feels like something we all wanted to happen from the conclusion of Episode VII.
Winner: The Opening Getaway (Baby Driver) – With style and some jaw dropping car stunts, the start of this movie sets the tone for one of the best films of the year.
Other nominees: The Amazons vs. Steppenwolf (Justice League), Logan and X23’s limo escape (Logan), Keanu Reaves vs. Common (John Wick 2)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Bronze: Hong Chau (Downsizing) – Her charismatic performance turned an otherwise boring film into something fairly heartwarming.
Silver: Silvia Hoeks (Blade Runner 2049) – She might not have been the primary villain of this noir thriller, but her stoic yet devious performance was one of the film’s most memorable.
Winner: Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip) – If you’ve seen this movie, this should be no surprise. Haddish was a scene stealer, managing to be the life of the party despite sharing the screen with three A-listers.
Other nominees: Elizabeth Olsen (Ingrid Goes West), Zendaya (The Greatest Showman), Octavia Spencer (The Shape of Water)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Bronze: R.J. Cyler (Power Rangers) – Whatever this adaptation of the 90’s television hit lacked in action, it made up for in character development. And no character shined like Billy. They took a risk giving the character high functioning autism, but it paid off as Cyler’s performance was the glue that made the team feel genuine.
Silver: Mark Hamill (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) – In his return to the role that made him famous, Hamill brought surprising emotional depth without managing to lose the wit and boyish charm that made Luke Skywalker a classic character forty years ago.
Winner: Patrick Stewart (Logan) – We’d never seen Professor X like this before. Stewart was absolutely brilliant as the withered old former mentor of the X-Men, giving the character some edge in this ‘R’ rated film without compromising the fatherly nature of the character.
Other nominees: Dave Franco (The Disaster Artist), Armie Hammer (Free Fire), Tom Hanks (The Post)
BEST ADAPTATION
Bronze: Power Rangers – Say what you want about the lack of action. If it bothers you that much, just go watch Pacific Rim. What made this sequel a blast for any child of the 90’s was how wonderfully they adapted and updated the team of heroes. Here’s hoping they’re able to get a sequel off the ground.
Silver: Wonder Woman – Comic book nerds complain all the time about minor changes to film adaptations, but here there should be nothing to nitpick about. From the plot, to the supporting cast to the leading lady, this was the film the most popular female superhero in history deserved.
Winner: It – With an exuberant cast of charismatic youngsters and a wickedly creepy performance by Bill Skargard, this movie ended up being a perfect recreation of both the Stephen King novel and the 80’s television min-series.
Other nominees: Beauty and the Beast, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Wonder
BEST ONSCREEN ROMANCE
Bronze: Ansel Egort and Lily James (Baby Driver) – With great music to bridge their relationship, these two ended up being an adorable couple with some ‘high school sweetheart’ style charm.
Silver: Aubrey Plaza and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Ingrid Goes West) – If you haven’t seen this movie, you should definitely check it out. The chemistry between these two unlikely lovers ended up being this movie’s most endearing quality.
Winner: Ryan Gosling and Ana De Armas (Blade Runner 2049) – Who knew a relationship between an artificial human and an artificial intelligence could be this likable. The chemistry and homely charm between these two made the movie’s tragic tone even more captivating.
Other nominees: Zac Efron and Zendaya (The Greatest Showman), Sally Hawkins and Doug Jones (The Shape of Water), Gal Gadot and Chris Pine (Wonder Woman)
BEST ONSCREEN TEAM
Bronze: Dacre Montgomery, R.J. Cyler, Naomi Scott, Becky G, Ludi Lin (Power Rangers) – They did the original 90’s group of teenagers with attitude justice. Not only did they have great chemistry that was well constructed throughout the narrative, but they each had interesting backgrounds and character motivations that made them feel relatable to a modern audience.
Silver: Dwyane Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillian (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) – Hilarious doesn’t begin to describe this group. Their different styles of comedic timing played well off of each other and helped this movie become a surprise sensation.
Winner: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen (Logan) – The fun and emotionally dysfunctional family dynamic of these three is what turned Logan from an exciting action film into one of the best comic book movies of all time.
Other nominees: Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Henry Cavill, Ray Fisher, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa (Justice League), Regina Hall, Tiffany Haddish, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith (Girls Trip), The Losers (It)
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Bronze: Split – M. Night Shyamalan had been in my doghouse for years, but making a horror thriller where a group of teens are held captive by a man with multiple personality disorder is pretty intriguing stuff. The fact that it also ended up being a quasi-sequel to Unbreakable was also pretty brilliant.
Silver: Baby Driver – Car chases, unique characters, an endearing lead, and a rhythmic soundtrack. Edgar Wright has some great films but this is arguably his best.
Winner: Get Out – Every scene is pertinent. This intense, racially charged script is an absolute marvel that turns the genre on its head.
Other nominees: The Shape of Water, Coco, Free Fire
BEST VILLAIN
Bronze: Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water) – Shannon’s calculatingly methodical performance made this unhinged character steal the show in Guillermo Del Toro’s bizarre romantic drama.
Silver: Bill Skarsgard (It) – From the mannerisms to the voice, Skarsgard’s turn as Pennywise the dancing clown was the gripping centerpiece of 2017’s best horror film.
Winner: Jamie Foxx (Baby Driver) – With style, loads of charisma, and some witty one liners, Foxx’s performance as Bats was one of the many memorable pieces to this exhilarating thriller.
Other nominees: Charlize Theron (Fate of the Furious), Michael Keaton (Spider-Man: Homecoming), James McAvoy (Split)
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Bronze: Despicable Me 3 – The plot might not have been up to par with its predecessors, but Illumination Studios managed to create a heartfelt family movie that was a massive upgrade from 2015’s Minions.
Silver: The Lego Batman Movie – This goofy but endearing movie is proof that the Dark Knight can still be cool and fun even with loads of campiness.
Winner: Coco – Pixar strikes again with a movie that is undeniably brilliant from its breathtaking animation to its tear inducing story. It also deserves tons of credit for its beautiful portrayal of Mexican culture. Representation matters.
Other nominee – Cars 3
BEST DIRECTOR
Bronze: Denis Villenueve (Blade Runner 2049) – Villenueve lands in this spot for the 2nd straight year. This sequel to the 80’s cult sci-fi noir classic improves on the stunning visuals and soundtrack with a script that is intensely captivating.
Silver: Edgar Wright (Baby Driver) – Stylish and intense from beginning to end. The charismatic characters and use of music to enhance the narrative are why this film is an instant classic.
Winner: Jordan Peele (Get Out) – Move over Alfred Hitchcock. Peele’s directorial debut was a masterpiece of filmmaking. Every shot and every single scene from the camera work to the meticulous dialogue holds purpose and meaning.
Other Nominees: James Franco (The Disaster Artist), Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water), Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman)
BEST ACTRESS
Bronze: Aubrey Plaza (Ingrid Goes West) – Plaza’s pertinent performance as the social media stalker in this indi-film was both humorously awkward and beautifully tragic.
Silver: Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) – Building on her fantastic cameo in the otherwise dull Batman v Superman, Gadot brought toughness, charm, and grace to the role as the iconic Amazonian warrior.
Winner: Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) – She managed to be endearing, witty, and headstrong in a role that required her to use only sign language. If that isn’t great acting then I don’t know what is.
Other nominees: Brie Larson (Free Fire), Meryl Streep (The Post), Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Last Jedi)
BEST ACTOR
Bronze: James Franco (The Disaster Artist) – Franco absolutely embodied the personality of the Tommy Wisseau, from the awkward mannerisms and accent to the childish charm.
Silver: Hugh Jackman (Logan) – At this point, it’s hard to imagine anyone else ever playing the grizzled comic hero. In what was likely his last portrayal of the character, Jackman brought more intensity and emotion than ever before.
Winner: James McAvoy (Split) – This felt like a no-brainer to me. McAvoy’s performance as a man with multiple personalities was one of the most captivating I’ve ever seen. Portraying a woman, a pervert, a child, and a gay artist in one movie and making it feel like they’re all genuine personas is nothing short of incredible.
Other nominees: Ryan Gosling (Blade Runner 2049), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Jacob Tremblay (Wonder)
BEST MOVIE
Bronze: Coco – A beautiful story about family and supporting dreams, trademark perfect animation from Pixar, fun characters, and a radiant homage to a rich culture. There’s nothing to dislike about this animated classic.
Silver: Logan – Gritty and exciting from start to finish, Logan was more than just a comic book film. It took established characters and brought them even more nuance with an endearing story that felt ever more tangible with the western noir style of filmmaking.
Winner: Baby Driver – With originality and undeniable flare, this movie never stopped flowing. It had every element of what makes a movie memorable and exciting.
Other nominees: Blade Runner 2049, Free Fire, The Disaster Artist, Get Out, Wonder
Did I forget anything? If I did, it’s probably because I didn’t see the movie (Sorry, Lady Bird). Thanks for another year of likes, shares, and comments! Here’s to another fun year of great performances and stories at the movies!
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