I think this might have been the year I watched the fewest new movies. Well, I mean most of the 238 I watched were new to me, but only fourteen were actually released this year. That's kind of awful. I know in the next month that I'll watch a crapload of 2014 films because the Oscar nominations will come out but that doesn't really help me now.
With the exception of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, which I haven't seen yet, I pretty much saw everything I wanted. There were some decent animated films, some obvious Lucy-bait blockbusters, and a couple of surprises. I'm not one to intentionally watch a lot of heavy dramas so I didn't see Fury or Rosewater. I don't like stupid frat boy comedies like 22 Jump Street or Let's Be Cops so I'm not going to put myself through that. I did, however, break one of my cardinal rules and watch a horror movie in the theater. I usually wait to watch at home because I hate dealing with annoying people who can't stand the scares so they talk or yell at the screen like they're auditioning for Rifftrax. Oculus did not make the top ten, because I thought the ending was lame but it's not a bad horror film. I did see Into the Woods on Christmas Day and it also did not make the cut, just because there were other films that I liked more. A review is forthcoming for that one.
So, here we are, in descending order:
#10) The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies - This is at the bottom of the top ten because it really shouldn't have been made but I enjoyed it anyway. There was really no reason a book that small had to be broken up into three films, but I love most of the people in it so I'm giving it a pass.
#9) John Wick - This should not have been as good as it was. I haven't liked a Keanu Reeves movie since 1999 and that was despite him, not because of. I seriously fucking enjoyed this film and even now, months later, I think back to certain scenes and want to watch it again. That's almost as mind-blowing as suddenly learning kung fu.
#8) Maleficent - Sure, this movie had some problems and it didn't really resonate with people, but I thought it was a decent re-imagining and Angelina Jolie killed it as my favorite Disney villain.
#7) Big Hero 6 - I thought this concept was really cool and it made me want my very own Baymax. I also like how Disney was not afraid to really ramp up the complexity of the themes presented.
#6) Lucy - Another surprise. I went in expecting a very middling effort but got a much cooler experience.
#5) The X-Men: Days of Future Past - This is lower on the list than I was initially expecting, but in retrospect there were several places where the pacing got a little bogged down for me. Can't beat that "Time in a Bottle" piece, though.
#4) The Boxtrolls - This was my second favorite animated film of the year. I just loved everything about it.
#3) Captain America: The Winter Soldier - These top three were so close, they might as well be tied. Not only was this a fantastic movie, I feel like it was an important one. Like people are going to be talking about it for years. Also, fictionally, it changed the face of the entire Marvel universe. This film caused ripples that will be felt throughout Phase II and Phase III. This movie was so good, it may have single-handedly saved Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
#2) The Lego Movie - Awesome. This movie lured me in with a cute premise, an adorable cast, and some insanity and then sucker punched me in the feels with a third-act twist that elevated it past popcorn flick into Instant Classic. Also, that song is catchy as hell.
#1) Guardians of the Galaxy - I agonized over the placement of this and The Lego Movie. Honestly, what cinched it was that I had the whole Guardians soundtrack and only the Lego single. This was fun, exciting, and it expanded the Marvel universe into the farthest reaches of the galaxy. James Gunn took a minor set of characters and turned them into people we cared about. He made a character who only spoke three words of dialogue and turned him into the emotional center of the film. That is amazing.
There is some great shit coming out in 2015, you guys, and I am really looking forward to another year filled with movies. I hope you are too. Happy New Year!
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