From Disney to Tolkien: movies we can (and will!) watch again and again

There’s no real, valid reason for why I love this film, only that I really, really, really do. It’s about a very English man in his 30s (the very charming Paul Bettany), competing in a very English sport (tennis, in case that wasn’t obvious), and whose voiceover runs through much of film, expressing his very English worries about being too old to compete, the struggles of falling in love, and his bewildering troubles with his hilarious family.
Ginny Wong, Sub-editor

Based on the 1999 Pulitzer-Prize-winning play of the same title by Margaret Edson, Wit is about an English Literature professor (Emma Thompson) – known for her expertise in John Donne’s Holy Sonnets – reflecting back on her life as she endures the side effects of chemotherapy. As a lit nerd and tragic-story lover, I can repeatedly ponder on the concept of death and her analysis of Holy Sonnet 10, while feeling immensely upset and liberated every time I witness the late awakenings of the obsessed scholar.
Nicola Chan, reporter

There are so: How to Train Your Dragon, Mean Girls, Clueless, Taken, Lord of the Rings … but I think it has to be The Devil Wears Prada. A VAST improvement on the book it’s based on – 400-odd pages of a woman moaning about her job – the movie adaptation is coming-of-age story in which the protagonist is by turns likeable and irritating. It follows Andy (Anne Hathaway), who goes from arrogant, presumptuous newbie, to a self-absorbed fashionista, before she finally finds who she’s really meant to be again. But her journey is relatable, and her final act inspires sympathy and you want her to come back strong and better than before. Meryl Streep is obvs magnificent and terrifying as Miranda Priestly, Emily Blunt hilarious and snarky, and Stanley Tucci is pure joy. Also, the clothes are GORGEOUS.
Heidi Yeung, Web Editor

If this trilogy is watched in one go, it counts, right? Probably the defining fantasy work, the movies are an adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s novels in a form far more digestible to modern audiences. It’s so good not just because of the epic (in every sense of the word) scope of the story, but the nearly perfect execution as well. This movie doesn’t aim high and fall short; it aims high and hits the mark dead on. Even with many rewatchings, it never gets old.
Wong Tsui-kai, Web reporter

I’ve watched a lot of westerns in my time; this is one of the very few that put the native Americans in a good light and show the dangers they faced from the European invaders. I’ve watched it so many times I kind of know the script by heart. John Dunbar is a soldier who becomes a hero in battle and uses this to asks to be sent to the “frontier” – the place where the European settlers are pushing deeper and deeper into the territory of the Lakota tribe. He befriends the locals and realises how entirely different their cultures are. I love the exploration of cultural differences and personal growth. The music is as big and beautiful as the scenery, but Be warned, it’s a long movie, you’ll need two boxes of popcorn and at least one pack of tissues.
Susan Ramsay, Editor

This buddy-cop movie starring Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell cracks me up every time. Seeing Wahlberg’s comedy chops is a nice break from his usual action roles, and Ferrell’s by-the-book super-nerdy cop is super believable. The best scene has got to be the mix-up when Ferrell mistakes Wahlberg’s intended good cop, bad cop strategy as bad cop … bad cop. Just a goofy, fun film with excellent writing and great chemistry between bros.
Jamie Lam, Sub-editor

This really depends on my mood. For a light, relaxed day, I love the comedy of Rush Hour. Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan’s infinitely funny phrases are a joy to watch.

But my most rewatched movie has got to be Batman: The Dark Knight Rises. Christopher Nolan vividly portrays Bruce Wayne’s (Christian Bale) personal family struggles. His clever use of camera angles and intense fight sequences featuring the Joker (Heath Ledger) make it so very addictive.
Sebastien Raybaud, Reporter

I never ever get tired of watching Disney films, and we all know that the 90s - the Disney Renaissance - gave us some of the best. But if I had to just choose one, I’d probably go with Pocahontas simply because she is such a cool character, cut from a different cloth from the Disney heroines who came before her. The film is also visually beautiful, sticking to a colour palette of jewel-like turquoises, greens and pinks. And, like all Disney films, the songs are guaranteed to give you All. The. Feels.
Charlotte Ames-Ettridge, Sub-editor

No one alive has ever seen real dinosaurs, but this classic film gives us a good idea of what the world would be like if they came back to life. John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) and his team of scientists manage this thanks to genetic engineering, and keep the cloned dinos in a theme park. Guess what: it’s not a good idea to let ancient monsters roam free. Nail-bitingly brilliant.
Tiffany Choi, Junior reporters’ manager

I have two: the 1995 BBC production of Pride & Prejudice, which is so faithful to the original source material (which, incidentally, I read at least once every 18 months), and so comforting, in its portrayal of Regency life and Jane Austen’s wonderfully witty characters. 

And Bring It On, a film nominally about cheerleaders (but really so much more; it’s so clever, Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote lyrics for the Broadway musical adaptation) some of the most quotable lines ever. Those aren’t spirit fingers! THESE are spirit fingers!
Karly Cox, Deputy editor

Wes Anderson’s coming-of-age film is set in 1965 on a remote fictional island called New Penzance. It features Anderson’s usual comic-book style, with bright colours and aesthetic symmetry, and an uncomplicated, not overly dramatic story line which is still delightfully engaging.

I can watch this over and over again; it’s so relaxing to just sit back and enjoy the beautiful cinematography and amazing soundtrack. Whenever I’ve been browsing the internet for ages and still can’t settle on something to watch, I’ll default to this, because I know I’ll enjoy it. Every time.
Joshua Lee, Intern

Edited by Karly Cox