The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

2002/PG-13/223 Min.

OVERALL 9.1

STORY/SCREENPLAY 9.1 

ACTING 9.0
CINEMATOGRAPHY 9.5
EDITING 9.5
VISUAL/SPECIAL FX 9.0
ART/COSTUMES/MAKEUP 9.5
SOUND 9.5 
MUSIC 9.5

VIOLENCE 7.0
LANGUAGE 0.0 
SEXUAL CONTENT/NUDITY 0.5

MORALS 8.0 
POWER 9.0 

CREATIVITY 8.5

MELCHIZEDEK’S RANKING  #3

ABEL AWARDS

Mini-review:

More action, but never less drama, carries the second in the trilogy to a new epic height that fills in the gap and sets up for the epic ending to the trilogy.

Director: 
Peter Jackson

Starring: 
Elijah Wood
Ian McKellen
Sean Astin
Viggo Mortensen
Liv Tyler
Cate Blanchett
Orlando Bloom
John Rhys-Davies
Andy Serkis
Billy Boyd
Dominic Monaghan

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

2001/PG-13/208 Min.

OVERALL 9.1

STORY/SCREENPLAY 9.1 

ACTING 9.0
CINEMATOGRAPHY 9.5
EDITING 9.5
VISUAL/SPECIAL FX 9.0
ART/COSTUMES/MAKEUP 9.5
SOUND 9.5 
MUSIC 9.5

VIOLENCE 7.0
LANGUAGE 0.0 
SEXUAL CONTENT/NUDITY 0.5

MORALS 8.0 
POWER 8.5 

CREATIVITY 8.5

MELCHIZEDEK’S RANKING  #2

ABEL AWARDS

Mini-review:

The first in perhaps the greatest film trilogy of all time, this film carries depth and emotion throughout its epic and long but never boring plot, and it sticks quite close to its source material.

Director: 
Peter Jackson

Starring: 
Elijah Wood
Ian McKellen
Sean Astin
Viggo Mortensen
Liv Tyler
Cate Blanchett
Orlando Bloom
John Rhys-Davies
Andy Serkis
Billy Boyd
Dominic Monaghan
Ian Holm

Batman Begins (2005)

2005/PG-13/140 Min.

OVERALL 8.9

STORY/SCREENPLAY 8.9 

ACTING 9.5
CINEMATOGRAPHY 9.5 
EDITING 9.5
VISUAL/SPECIAL FX 9.0
ART/COSTUMES/MAKEUP 9.0
SOUND 9.5 
MUSIC 9.5

VIOLENCE 6.5
LANGUAGE 1.0
SEXUAL CONTENT/NUDITY 0.5

MORALS 7.5
POWER 8.0
CREATIVITY 8.5

MELCHIZEDEK’S RANKING  #7

ABEL AWARDS 

Mini-review:

A great film with fantastic performances and a Batman that is more relate-able, and depth that was really lacking in the 4 films that came throughout the 90s. Batman Begins is an excellent film that captures the fear and emotional depth of Batman.

Director: 
Christopher Nolan

Starring: 
Christian Bale 
Liam Neeson
Michael Caine
Katie Holmes
Gary Oldman
Morgan Freeman 
Cillian Murphy
Tom Wilkinson
Ken Wantanabe

Lincoln (2012)

2012/PG-13/150 Min.

OVERALL 8.4

STORY/SCREENPLAY 8.4 

ACTING 9.0
CINEMATOGRAPHY 9.5 
EDITING 9.0
VISUAL/SPECIAL FX 8.5
ART/COSTUMES/MAKEUP 9.2
SOUND 9.0 
MUSIC 9.0

VIOLENCE 5.0
LANGUAGE 2.0
SEXUAL CONTENT/NUDITY 0.5

MORALS 7.5
POWER 8.5
CREATIVITY 8.0

MELCHIZEDEK’S RANKING  #20

ABEL AWARDS 4 wins / 9 Nominations

Mini-review:

An excellent portrayal of Lincoln, with incredible performances and beautiful cinematography and all around execution. Another great film by Steven Spielberg, showing us the man who is Abraham Lincoln, and not just his good side, but his many shortfalls and also his wisdom. This is a film that gives you a lot to think about.

Director: 
Steven Spielberg (Winner - Best Director)

Starring: 
Daniel Day-Lewis (Winner  - Best Lead Actor)
Tommy Lee Jones (Nominee - Best Supporting Actor)
Jared Harris
Sally Field (Nominee - Best Supporting Actress)
James Spader 
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
David Strathairn
Adam Driver
Lee Pace

Les Miserables (2012)

2012/PG-13/157 Min.

OVERALL 8.6

STORY/SCREENPLAY 8.7 

ACTING 9.0
CINEMATOGRAPHY 9.5 
EDITING 8.5
VISUAL/SPECIAL FX 9.0
ART/COSTUMES/MAKEUP 9.5
SOUND 9.0 
MUSIC 9.5

VIOLENCE 4.5
LANGUAGE 1.0
SEXUAL CONTENT/NUDITY 2.5

MORALS 8.0
POWER 8.5
CREATIVITY 8.0

MELCHIZEDEK’S RANKING  #10

ABEL AWARDS 4 wins / 7 Nominations

Mini-review:

A beautiful and emotional journey that is unparalleled in cinema these days, Les Miserables is not just a movie, or simply a musical, it is a portrayal of life and love and the consequences of the decisions we make. It shines with the fact that we are not defined by our circumstances, but defined by our choices to have faith and hope, and to love. We are the wretched miserable ones, and this film does an incredible job of drawing you in and portraying the deep emotions of life.

Director: 
Tom Hooper (Honorable Mention - Best Director)

Starring: 
Hugh Jackman (Nominee - Best Lead Actor)
Russell Crowe (Honorable Mention - Best Supporting Actor)
Amanda Seyfried
Eddie Redmayne (Winner - Best Supporting Actor)
Anne Hathaway (Winner - Best Supporting Actress)
Sacha Baron Cohen
Helena Bonham Carter (Honorable Mention - Best Supporting Actress)
Samantha Barks (Honorable Mention - Best Supporting Actress)
Daniel Huttlestone

12 Years a Slave (2013)

2013/R/134 Min.

OVERALL 8.2

STORY/SCREENPLAY 8.5

ACTING 9.0
CINEMATOGRAPHY 9.5
EDITING 9.0
VISUAL/SPECIAL FX 8.5 
ART/COSTUMES/MAKEUP 9.0 
SOUND 9.0 

MUSIC 9.0

VIOLENCE 8.5 
LANGUAGE 1.5 

SEXUAL CONTENT/NUDITY 6.0 

MORALS 7.5 
POWER 8.5 

CREATIVITY 7.5

MELCHIZEDEK’S RANKING  #32

ABEL AWARDS 5 wins / 7 nominations

Mini-review:

12 Years a Slave is a hard and honest depiction at the life of a free man who is sold into slavery, and it comes as an emotional and hopeful journey. A masterful work of filmmaking and a great story.

Director: 
Steve McQueen (Nominee - Best Director)

Starring:

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Nominee - Best Lead Actor)
Michael Fassbender (Winner - Best Supporting Actor)
Lupita Nyong'o (Winner - Best Supporting Actress)
Benedict Cumberbatch
Brad Pitt
Paul Giamatti

Gravity (2013)

2013/PG-13/114 Min.

OVERALL 8.2

STORY/SCREENPLAY 8.0

ACTING 8.5
CINEMATOGRAPHY 9.5
EDITING 9.5
VISUAL/SPECIAL FX 9.5 
ART/COSTUMES/MAKEUP 9.3 
SOUND 9.5 

MUSIC 8.5

VIOLENCE 6.0 
LANGUAGE 2.0 

SEXUAL CONTENT/NUDITY 0.0 

MORALS 7.0 
POWER 8.0 

CREATIVITY 9.0

MELCHIZEDEK’S RANKING  #38

ABEL AWARDS 6 wins / 7 nominations

Mini-review:

Beautiful, breathtaking, and surprisingly heartfelt, Gravity is a masterful piece of filmmaking with sleek direction and awe-inspiring visual effects and cinematography.

Director: 
Alfonso Cuaron (Winner - Best Director)

Starring:

Sandra Bullock (Winner - Best Lead Actress)
George Clooney