Top 10 Standout Films When Labour Was Last in Government
Being able to vote in the general election makes us feel old but let’s take a trip back to 2010, to relive some childhood classics.
2010.
An extraordinary year.
It was the year the first iPad came out, Jennifer Lawrence had her breakthrough and One Direction was created. Many of us in Gen Z weren’t even double digits yet.
This marked the last time Labour were in government in the United Kingdom, until now. 14 years and over 5000 days later.
We’ve all grown up, some of us even moving out. We’ve left the magic of our childhood chasing the sad realities of adulthood.
But how about we re-ignite some of that magic and take a trip down memory lane?
A look back on the top 10 best films of 2010. (I promise there are some absolute classics in here).
10th — Tangled
A classic Disney princess movie.
We follow the story of Rapunzel and her escape from the tower she’s been locked in her whole life since she was captured by an old hag as a baby. She teams up with Flynn Rider, (many people’s first Disney crush) who is a young thief that steals a royal tiara. He agrees to take Rapunzel to see the floating lights before the old hag returns.
9th — Megamind
Many of us would have dreamed of having Rapunzel’s hair but maybe not for Megamind’s forehead…(although that hasn’t stopped some of you).
It’s your conventional supervillain redemption story. Megamind is an ugly blue character who is an outcast in society. His brother is beautiful, popular and has superpowers. They quickly become enemies with his brother known as a superhero called ‘Metro Man’ who fights off Megamind the villain. After many attempts, Megamind kills Metro Man. This makes him bored so he creates a superpowered titan to have someone to defeat again. However, this titan becomes evil and only Megamind can save the world…
8th — Iron Man 2
After the first grabbed our attention so well, the second was a must-watch. Iron Man was rapidly becoming a centrepiece of the Marvel franchise. Seeing the suits in action was always amazing. While not as popular as the first, the continuation of his story is great, with Tony Stark trying to stop the world from accessing his technology, as new enemies with similar histories are lurking.
7th — How to Train Your Dragon
If Dragons weren’t your favourite mythical creatures growing up, then what were you doing? This story plays on our love for them through a beautiful tale of a young Viking called Hiccup and his friendship with a Dragon called Toothless. If the concept wasn’t enough, the music by John Powell was just fantastic!
6th — The Social Network
A bit different to How to Train Your Dragon but certainly just as good.
A 3x Oscar-winning film portraying the story of how Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook. From triumph to betrayal, this film has everything. In just 2 hours, we watch the building of a tiny site ranking the attractiveness of undergraduates at Harvard to the creation of the world’s biggest social media platform. Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield both produce brilliant performances.
5th — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
The seventh instalment of the Harry Potter franchise and definitely one of the very best.
Harry Potter, Ron Weasely and Hermione Granger face an increasingly powerful Voldermort who has gained control of the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts. They faced a quest to destroy the Horcruxes to defeat the Dark Lord.
4th — Shutter Island
Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Teddy. Credit: Warner Bros Youtube
Martin Scorcese directing a film with Leonardo Di Caprio and Mark Ruffalo as the leads, it was destined for success from the minute it was pitched. This movie is a masterpiece in film-making from the sensational plot to the fantastic acting. The twist at the end is mindblowing. If you love a film which makes you think and leaves you speechless, then Shutter Island is the film for you.
3rd — Despicable Me
Gru with Margo, Edith and Agnes. Credit Illumination/Universal Pictures
With two minions sitting next to my bed right now, Despicable Me had to be in the top three. These fun little yellow things changed our childhoods forever. Walking into the cinema and watching the minions for the first time was truly special. Despicable Me was amazing. The gradual progression of the relationship between Gru and the three children was great to watch. Vector was a humorous but good villain and the ending was incredibly satisfying. The world would fall in love with the minions forevermore.
2nd — Inception
Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Cobb. Credit: Warner Bros
The question is, is any of this real, or are we dreaming?
Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending masterpiece explores this very question. Leonard DiCaprio shines in a star-studded cast with Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page and Michael Cane all featuring. The complexity of this film is without question combined with unbelievable visual effects. While Nolan can be criticised for his emotional writing, the portrayal of the tragic love story between Cob and his wife Mal is very well done.
It’s not a film to watch lightly as the complexity of the plot requires full attention. But the payoff at the end when it all comes together and the penny drops is just extraordinary. For all the thick layers of the plot, Nolan ends the 4x Oscar-winning film in the most simple but effective way. To say it was chilling would be some understatement. But this film simply wouldn’t be as good without the music. Hans Zimmer scored the film, creating arguably his greatest piece called ‘Time’ to perfectly fit the story’s conclusion. You might not like enigmatic plots but if there’s one thing for sure, you’ll be able to appreciate the music. But make sure to keep a totem on hand so you know you’re not dreaming…
1st — Toy Story 3
The original ending to one of the greatest animated trilogies ever (until they made a fourth).
Becoming the highest-grossing animated film ever, Toy Story 3 was a HUGE success. It was also the highest-grossing film of the whole of 2010.
Many films struggle to keep the consistent quality across a trilogy, but Toy Story doesn’t, with the third being just as good if not better.
An all-time great film, part of the best animated franchise of all time.
