Long-awaited sequels brought plenty of action to the big screen in 2022.
Several of Hollywood’s biggest franchises delivered follow-up films worthy of the hype, with Tom Cruise taking flight again in “Top Gun: Maverick” and James Cameron transporting audiences back to Pandora with “Avatar: The Way of Water.”
There were dazzling original stories, too, including critical darlings from Steven Spielberg and Baz Lurhmann and a multiverse adventure defying expectations in this dimension or any other.
Here are the best movies of 2022.
“Top Gun: Maverick”
The need for speed was more than satisfied with this epic offering more than three decades in the making.
Cruise and his co-stars took realism to new heights by shooting scenes inside actual fighter jets — a commitment requiring the cast to undergo months of rigorous training to authentically portray fearless Navy pilots.
“Tom really understands the effect a movie can have on an audience if it’s done correctly,” actor Glen Powell told the Daily News. “If there is a way in which he can affect an audience emotionally, if he can put them in the back of an F/A-18, he’s like, ‘We’re going to do this practically.’”
The story landed, too, with Cruise adding more depth to the hotshot Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell character he introduced in 1986′s original “Top Gun.”
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
The power of this superhero spectacle stemmed from its ability to honor late star Chadwick Boseman while offering thought-provoking commentary on the real world.
Ryan Coogler seamlessly transitioned from 2018′s original “Black Panther,” which he directed, to a new story exploring grief following the 2020 death of Boseman, who had privately battled colon cancer.
“We made the film that we could make, and that film we could make was this one,” Coogler told The News. “We did honest work, and we gave our best. We all met Chad through working on ... this movie, and that was his attitude, to give until his cup was empty, so that’s what we did. We honored him through the work.”
The film’s central conflict between the surface world and an underwater kingdom offered a compelling analysis of foreign affairs, and out of it Coogler weaved another Marvel masterpiece.
“Elvis”
Luhrmann’s wide-ranging biopic about Elvis Presley inspired a little more conversation about the music and struggles of a cultural icon whose story is often reduced to Las Vegas parodies.
Austin Butler’s portrayal of the King of Rock and Roll got audiences all shook up — including the star’s ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, who gave a rave review.
“She said, ‘I’ve had to put up with a lifetime of people impersonating, and my husband was not an impersonation. He was a person.’ I thought that was the most telling thing,” Luhrmann told The News.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once”
This out-of-this-world, universe-hopping sensation proved to be Hollywood’s biggest surprise of 2022, exploding as one of the year’s most-talked-about movies despite a much more modest budget than its fellow heavyweights.
The film cleverly jumps between genres as quickly as it introduces new worlds, and Michelle Yeoh’s delightful lead performance deserves to be at the forefront of any awards-season debate.
Critics and audiences alike loved “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which is among the most-nominated films at next month’s Golden Globes with six. It grossed more than $100 million, making it the biggest film ever for the A24 studio.
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
Cameron sure knows how to make a splash.
The writer-director’s “The Way of Water” explores more of the sprawling Pandora moon with the same stunning visuals and attention to detail that helped make 2009′s original “Avatar” the highest-grossing film in history.
The Na’vi-centric sequel is certainly avoiding any box-office blues, opening this month with more than $130 million in North America and easily winning its first two weekends in theaters.
“The Fabelmans”
The semi-autobiographical “The Fabelmans” is the most personal project of Spielberg’s prolific career, drawing inspiration from his family life and early days as a filmmaker.
The drama has Spielberg, a three-time Oscar winner, at the center of awards-season discussions for a second consecutive year after his “West Side Story” adaptation drew praise last December.
Michelle Williams, meanwhile, is in the mix for her first career Oscar for her portrayal of a character based on Spielberg’s mother.
“The Batman”
The future is bright for the Dark Knight.
Robert Pattinson’s brooding debut as Batman harks back to the comic-book superhero’s original source material, with writer-director Matt Reeves using a refreshingly dark tone to put a new spin on the genre.
“Matt really wanted to honor the evolution of ‘Batman’ the comic,” actor Jeffrey Wright, who plays Lt. James Gordon, told The News.
“He wanted to celebrate the more narrative-focused elements of ‘Batman,’ and those being mystery-based. He wanted to celebrate Batman, the world’s greatest detective, because I think, as well, it makes for interesting filmmaking.”
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