My Top 100 Movies -- 20-16

20. Toy Story 3. The Toy Story saga defied the odds by having each movie actually be better than the one preceding it. The third movie is funny and deeply touching, and has the most adult story of the series -- it deals with what happens to your toys when you're too old for them. I raved about the movie when I first saw it, and my regard for it hasn't lessened in the slightest.

19. Dark City. I have written before about Dark City, how I feel it "out-Matrixes" The Matrix on all the most important levels. It must be brilliant, because I generally despise film noir, and despite the sci-fi trappings, this movie is honestly as deeply film noir as it gets. The visual style of the film is amazing, but not simply for its own sake; everything fits into the incredibly tight plot.

18. Up. Yes, two Pixar films ended up in my top 20. (Which shows you just how far they fell in my estimation with Cars 2; it soured me so much that I have yet to even see their latest, Brave.) The opening sequence of Up is as emotionally wrenching as anything ever produced in a live action film. The characters are wonderful, the scenery breathtaking in its detail, and the vocal performances evocative and entertaining. This is my pick for the best animated film ever made.

17. The Empire Strikes Back. Star Wars deserves praise for being revolutionary, but I think The Empire Strikes Back deserves even more for taking the formula and improving on it. George Lucas never relinquished more creative control in his franchise than he did here to director Irvin Kershner and screenplay writers Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan. Brackett and Kasdan breathed new life into the character relationships, particularly between Han and Leia, and Kershner got franchise-best acting performances from the cast. Add to it all a kick-ass battle sequence in the first act, a jaw-dropping plot revelation, and a brazenly downbeat ending where the good guys don't win. Plus John Williams upping his game even farther from the original film, creating Vader's iconic march and the sweeping love theme for Han and Leia. It would have been impossible for it not to all go downhill from here, but did it have to go downhill so sharply?

16. The Prestige. Christopher Nolan blew my mind with this wonderful adaptation he and his brother Jonathan did of a twisty and dense novel by Jonathan Priest. It's dark tale of revenge and misdirection with unexpected sci-fi accents -- perhaps something of a precursor to Inception, in a way. The exceptional cast includes Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, and an effective turn by David Bowie. Loved it in 2006, still love it today.