Well, it’s that time again where people fumble through the
list of movies that have come out in the previous year and cobble together a
top ten list of their favorite movies from said year. Like so many others, I am
no different and have slapped together my own top ten list. As per usual, this
is not a definitive list as I may see another movie from the la!st year that I
may enjoy more than what I already have on here. For example, I haven’t seen
The Martian as of yet, and I hear that could be a contender for a top ten list.
With that point made, on to the list.
10) The Avengers: Age
of Ultron
I almost
feel like I’m doing this movie a bit of a disservice by putting it at only
number 10. The Avengers: Age of Ultron was pretty much everything that a super
hero movie should be. Good action, good story, good heroes, an interesting
villain. As far as the Marvel Cinematic
Universe is concerned, we have new characters, deeper character development
from and between the characters we already know and love, and further
advancement towards the next phase.
9) Terminator: Genisys
The
Terminator franchise is one that has pretty much been written off ever since T2
in the eyes of many fans, and this movie pretty much does the same, pulling the
same trick as the Star Trek reboot did years ago by kinda sorta rebooting the
whole damn thing while still keeping it all there in continuity if you want it
to be. It is a risky move but since the series deals with so much time travel anyways
they were able to get away with it and in my opinion, though I seem to be one
of the few who sees it this way, they pulled it off. Sure Jai Courtney leaves a
lot to be desired, he makes Kyle Reese seem like a bit of a moron who has no
idea about anything and his acting is often times best described as ‘blah’, I
did enjoy this movie quite a bit (which is why it’s on this list) and I really
hope they don’t pull a Salvation here and do yet another franchise reboot after
this one because it didn’t get the response they desired. Instead, I hope they
stay the course and keep going on as planned.
8) Spectre
Aside from
Quantum of Solace, the Bond franchise has been knocking it out of the park
since Daniel Craig took on the role of the famous British super spy and Spectre
is no different. Spectre continues exploring Bond’s origins, this time bringing
in his most formidable foe, Blofield played by Christoph Waltz. While it may
not have hit the heights of Skyfall, for me it was still a great entry into
this everlasting series that leaves me wanting more.
7) Star Wars: The
Force Awakens
Yes, sure
The Force Awakens was very similar to a New Hope in terms of plot and pacing
and all that stuff but you know what? That movie is one of, if not THE most
popular of all time so why not copy your own success when trying to bring this
franchise back for a new trilogy? Its not like everything was the same by any
means… the new characters were pretty much all great and fit in wonderfully
with the heroes from the originals. Also, you know what? It was Star Wars and
it was good, what more can you ask for after those prequels?
6) Chappie
The first
movie I saw this year that I really enjoyed stayed the test of the year and
remained one of my favorite movies of 2015. Ne il Blomkamp proved that he
wasn’t a one hit wonder with this movie. District 9 was amazing but Elysium
left me wanting so much more - which is what Chappie delivered for me. It was a
great sci-fi/action movie and one that should not be forgotten when people
think of the best movies of 2015.
5) Creed
Fun fact,
my favorite movie franchise of all time is Rocky. That being said, I was happy
with the series and its ending with Rocky Balboa. I was happy to never return
to the world of Rocky Balboa and willing to leave it where it ended in that
movie. When I heard that there would be a spinoff series I was at first
skeptical, but that lasted for all of five minutes as the thought of seeing the
further adventures of Rocky, even if he wasn’t going to be the main focal point
anymore, was enough to give me wet dreams. More Rocky is always a good thing.
Who wouldn’t want another incredible motivational Rocky speech or Rocky montage?
I thought this movie did an excellent job handing off the baton from Sylvester
Stallone to Michael B. Jordan, Rocky Balboa to Adonis Johnson (or “Creed” if
you will). The performances were great, with Stallone delivering his A game and
Jordan showing that (despite the misstep that was the new Fantastic Four) that
he is an incredible actor who deserves some real recognition.
4) The Revenant
I wasn’t
really expecting much out of this movie before seeing it, I pretty much watched
it just because Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy starred in it and boy did they
make me thankful of that decision. The first thing that I have to mention in
this movie is the cinematography, now usually cinematography is just something
that I don’t really notice in movies but this one MADE you take notice of it,
it is beautiful. In fact, it might have been the most beautiful movie of the
year if not for the number one movie on this list (that’s a hint in case you
haven’t already figured it out.) The acting is great too with DiCaprio kicking
all the ass (unless you’re a bear) in a role that often times left him not
talking at all. I don’t want to say it’s
a safe bet because you never know, but I’m betting this is the year that
DiCaprio finally meets that ever elusive Oscar that he has been after.
3) Inside Out
Pixar is a
great studio that must have one of the best track records of any studio out
there. The last couple of outings have been great, but I find there has been
something missing since movies like WALL-E, Up, and Toy Story 3. Inside Out,
however, brings that back in full force. What is it that I’m talking about?
Well, I’m talking emotion, which is quite fitting given the movie. This movie
brought on all of the emotions - mostly the two that are most featured in the movie
– Joy, and Sadness. Watching this movie, I felt the joy and laughed happily. but
I also felt the sadness and cried. A Pixar movie hasn’t made me cry since Toy
Story 3. Well done, Pixar!
2) The Hateful Eight
For some
reason I have been hearing a lot of dislike for this movie, but for the life of
me I can’t figure out why. It has a solid cast, an intriguing story, great
character development, beautiful visuals despite taking place almost entirely
in one tight confined place and of course an incredible script (but that should
go without saying, given that it is a Quinton Tarantino movie, after all). The
Hateful Eight surpassed all of my expectations and shot up on my list of
favorite Tarantino movies near the top, which is quite the achievement with his
filmography. So people dislike this movie? I don’t get it. But then again,
those who dislike it will in turn also not get why I enjoyed it so much.
1) Mad Max: Fury Road
We all know
that Mad Max: Fury Road is completely amazing and it seems to be a
pre-requisite that any top ten movies list for 2015 needs to have Mad Max: Fury
Road not only on it. but near the top, if not at the top. Well, as you can see,
you can add me to the list of people who will put a pillow on the floor so that
I don’t get rug burn on my knees since I love this movie so much. What else can
I say that hasn’t been said about this movie by everyone else a hundred times
over? Well, nothing, so I won’t. Simply put, I love Mad Max: Fury Road, it was
my most anticipated movie coming into 2015 and it exceeded every expectation I
had for it. What more can I ask for? I love this movie, if you are one of the
few people who have yet to see it, then you should go do so immediately.
