10 Must-Own Movies

1. Back to the Future

I’m going to stand firm and say that I think the Delorean from Back to the Future is the coolest and best time machine there is. Forget the Tardis and the Time Turner. Especially forget the time machine from Time Machine. Back to the Future also showcases one of the classic dilemmas of time travel and is how I imagine time travel to be like. Maybe I imagine time travel this way because of the movie, but I’ll avoid that rabbit hole this time. Everyone should own Back to the Future because it’s a classic sci-fi that invokes the imagination.

2. Treasure Planet

I believe the best Disney movies came from, what I’ve termed, the 2nd generation. These are the movies that came out in the late 90s to early 2000s. Tarzan, Atlantis, and Emperor’s New Groove to name a few. At the top of that list is Treasure Planet. Disney’s retelling of Treasure Island is practically identical. Except for the being in space part. There’s no silly romance. No sunshine and butterflies. Just good old fashion adventure in the pursuit of treasure.

3. Jurassic Park

There is a reason dinosaurs are cool and Jurassic Park is probably that reason. This thriller starts off big with a rampaging T-Rex. Then it slowly gets more terrifying as the raptors come into play. However you feel about dinosaurs, everyone should own Jurassic Park because it is a monster movie without all the graphic gore.

4. The Princess Bride

It took me until high school to watch Princess Bride. I always mixed up Princess Bride and Princess Diaries. Anyway, when I finally did see The Princess Bride I fell in love with it. The adventure, the fencing, the hilarious characters. Mostly the fencing. As useless as I find Buttercup, every other part of The Princess Bride is amazing.

5. Raiders of the Lost Ark OR Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Everyone should have at least one of the Indiana Jones movies. Depending on how feel it should be the first or the third. The fourth isn’t worth anyone’s time unless they are an UFO but. Temple of Doom, while heart-wrenching, doesn’t compare to Raiders or Last Crusade. I would choose Raiders, but that’s just me.

I’ve always found Raiders of the Lost Ark to have a more exciting adventure. Crusaders comes in a close second, though. I also like the opening scene of Raiders more. There’s a reason the ride at Disneyland has more Raiders references.

6. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Combine the Knights of the Round Table with the comedy of Monty Python and you have one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Every scene is quotable and is worth watching multiple times for the quotes and the hidden gems. Any movie that has a Killer Bunny and a wizard named Tim should be everyone’s collection.

7. The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is on this list because of the Joker. I do feel that Heath Ledger’s Joker is one of the greatest villains in cinema. All other villains should take a feather from Joker’s hat. While I typically avoid dark movies, I appreciate the darkness and grittiness in this film. Everyone should own The Dark Knight because

8. Legend of the Guardian: The Owls of Ga’Hoole

My wife harassed me for having this on the list, but I stand by my claim. Legend of the Guardians is the most visually stunning movie I’ve ever seen. It’s just beautiful. This movie is underrated and often forgotten. Mostly like because I can never remember if it’s called Legends of Ga’hoole, Guardians of Ga’Hoole, or Legend of the Owls. Usually I just call it the Owl movie, but that’s purely for ease. Everyone should own this movie because it’s art on the screen.

9. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

This show is near and dear to me. The dry wit along with the wacky circumstances speaks to my soul. This is one instance where I have the same genuine feeling watching the movie as I do reading the book. The book is still better than the movie, but sometimes I just have craving for Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy but am not in the right mood to read.

10. The Prestige

The Prestige blows my mind. They tell you exactly what is going to happen and that you need to pay attention, but do you? No. It’s not until you finish the movie that you realize you’ve missed something. Then you watch it again and can’t believe how much you missed, while still not catching everything. I love that the show really is a magic trick. It’s super impressive.