by 
Updated on March 19, 2023
2018 was the year I planned on making more of an effort to catch up on movies and TV shows. The list of shows and films was a long one, so there’s some things I didn’t watch. “She-Ra” is still waiting on my Netflix queue, and going to movies is expensive. Still, I did make some progress.
Here’s some of the more noteworthy TV shows and movies I saw in 2018. Some of them were made in 2018, while others date back a few years.
Movies
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The MCU films were high on the list of films to watch; the films seen include:
- Black Panther
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Dr. Strange
- Guardians of the Galaxy, vol. 2
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Ant-Man
I’d say “Black Panther” was the best film of the group. T’Challa’s cinematic entry also proved to be one of the biggest movies of 2018.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
This one barely clocked in for 2018, as I saw it at the movies on the weekend before New Year’s. I enjoyed watching this film a lot. While it made a few changes from Miles Morales’ comic, I’m glad to see a film starring Miles appear in theaters.
I also appreciated that it featured an adult Peter Parker, versus yet another film starring a teenage Peter. I still haven’t gotten around to watching “Homecoming,” and considering I barely bothered to watch “Amazing Spider-Man 2” (mainly just for Electro), it might be awhile.
Moana
I enjoyed “Moana.” The only downside to the film was the somewhat annoying, dim-witted chicken.
Paddington, Paddington 2
I saw “Paddington” back in January, and its sequel on Christmas. Both are very enjoyable films, and reminded me of why I enjoyed reading the Paddington books as a kid. Said books were also some of my first exposures to British culture, versus the British portrayals I saw in American-made cartoons.
Despicable Me 3
“Despicable Me 3” was, well, like the other “Despicable Me” films (plus “Minions”). I suppose there’s a reason we’re getting “Minions 2” as a sequel.
TV shows
Star vs. the Forces of Evil
I subscribed to Hulu just to catch up on this show. (That, and Spotify offered Hulu as a package deal for just $3 extra.) Star and Marco’s adventures went from fairly light-hearted in earlier episodes to developing a plot line and more dramatic stakes by its most recent season.
Adam Ruins Everything
Tru TV’s “Adam Ruins Everything” focuses on its host (Adam Conover) as an excitable know-it-all who enjoys explaining the facts and truth about lots of topics. Said topics range from the truth behind American history (in a series of animated segments) to the flaws behind schools’ summer vacations.
Great British Baking Show
This popular cooking show (available on Netflix and PBS) serves for me as background noise, but it’s also enjoyable. While I’m not a cook, it’s interesting to see some of the things prepared. It also helps undermine old negative stereotypes about British cuisine.
Let’s Go Luna
“Let’s Go Luna” is a new PBS Kids series that teaches kids about cultures around the world. Produced by Joe Murray of “Rocko’s Modern Life” fame, it features three kids (Carmen the butterfly, Leo the wombat, and Andy the frog) having adventures in different locales with Luna, the anthropomorphic incarnation of the moon. The world (like in “Rocko”) is populated by anthropomorphic animals.
A fun show, with a few amusing sight gags.
Sports
Of course, there was the usual sports watching. This year’s Stanley Cup was particularly exciting, given it featured the unexpected presence of the expansion team the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
I did watch what I could of both the Winter Olympics and the World Cup. However, between being on the west coast of the US, cutting back on cable, and the time zones involved, watching both wasn’t as easy as in previous years.
