2014 was a great year for movies. There were many great movies, and it was difficult to narrow it down to just ten. But here it is: my top 10 favorite movies of the year.
I should also let you know, I have not seen every movie from this year. I have only seen a few major Oscar contenders this year so far. So if you're wondering why Birdman was not on the list, it's because I haven't seen it yet. Now that that's out of the way, let's start the list.
10. The Raid 2
This is a film that most people in my home country of America have probably never heard of. But it is an action film from Indonesia, that I rented after hearing great praise for it. I have never seen the first The Raid movie, but I enjoyed this sequel. It has great action sequences, an interesting plot, and I would recommend it to anybody who can get past the subtitles, or dubbing (if you change the language in the Audio Setting section of the DVD, as I did)
9 The Lego Movie
This film could have easily been a shameless promotion of Lego. However, with a charming style, a talented cast, and plenty of great humor, it rises above that level.
8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
This is one of the few sequels which I thought was better than the original. It takes a more serious tone than other Marvel movies, and becomes as much of a spy thriller as a superhero movie. And it was a good spy thriller.
7. X-men: Days of Future Past
An exciting and intriguing sequel/prequel to the X-men franchise. Bryan Singer, the director of the first two movies, returns to direct this one, and he is great at this franchise. This is one of my favorite X-men movies.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy
It seems as if films that take place in the Marvel universe can do no wrong. They took a bizarre comic series that very few people have heard of, made it into a movie, and it became a sensation. The movie itself is the definition of fun at the movies. It's funny and action-packed, and the characters are charming and have great chemistry.
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel
This was the first Wes Anderson movie I have seen, and I liked it. It was an interesting and unique movie.
4. Edge of Tomorrow (or Live Die Repeat, as it is apparently called now)
I previously did not expect this movie to be that good, but after hearing great reviews, I decided to rent it. And I'm glad that I did. This has everything I want out of a sci-fi action movie: an intriguing storyline, good action, and moments of good humor. This is a very underrated movie.
3. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
This was one of my most anticipated movies of the summer, and it did not disappoint. Like its predecessor Rise of the Planet of the Apes, it is smarter than the average summer blockbuster and has more heart.
2. Gone Girl
This was a shocking movie. Even though some of the major plots seem ridiculous, (but not enough to be considered plot holes) the plot was an unpredictable wild ride. Whenever I thought I knew where the movie was going, it went in a completely different direction. It is also helped by great direction by David Fincher, and great acting performances. I think it would be best to watch it while knowing as little about it as possible.
1. Whiplash
I hope that this gets nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, because this film needs more attention. When I wrote my review for this movie, I gave it a perfect five star rating. It features great acting, great writing, and an unpredictable story. Until now, I never thought that a student getting yelled at by a teacher could be so intense.
And those are my top ten movies of the year 2014. Surely there are many of you who disagree with my picks, so let me know what your favorites were in the comment section.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
The Interview Review
These past two days have been the most pervasive for my reviews. In this short time, I have seen three movies that are in theaters (the reviews for these movies are below). I was sure that The Hobbit was going to be the last movie I was going to see this week, but tonight my family decided to stream the highly controversial film, The Interview.
This movie has gone through a lot. First, it angered North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Then there was the hacking scandal, then the threats, then it was pulled from release, then it was only for streaming, then some theaters released it, etc, etc, etc. I have written about my anger at this movie's release being cancelled, and am glad it was finally released. But is the actual movie any good?
The story revolves around a celebrity news show host played by James Franco, and his assistant played by Seth Rogen. After finding out that Kim Jong-un is a fan of their show, they schedule an interview with him to boost their ratings. However, they are recruited by the CIA in an attempt to assassinate him.
First of all, the fact that this movie is getting so much controversy is ridiculous. Sure it takes a pretty anti-Kim Jong-un attitude, but at its core it's just a silly Seth Rogen comedy.
However, it's satire was pretty well done, and it had some good humor. This movie had plenty of potential. Unfortunately, this gets weighted down by other moments, where it resorts to juvenile humor which substitutes raunchiness for actual humor.
Which is a shame, because this film's less crude humor is actually pretty funny. It parodies the dictator, and at times, western culture. But it has enough humor that works for me to give it a passing grade, despite all the jokes that fall flat. However, this is my least favorite movie that I reviewed this week. This movie will be remembered for the controversy for a long time, the rest of it, not so much.
3 out of 5 stars
This movie has gone through a lot. First, it angered North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Then there was the hacking scandal, then the threats, then it was pulled from release, then it was only for streaming, then some theaters released it, etc, etc, etc. I have written about my anger at this movie's release being cancelled, and am glad it was finally released. But is the actual movie any good?
The story revolves around a celebrity news show host played by James Franco, and his assistant played by Seth Rogen. After finding out that Kim Jong-un is a fan of their show, they schedule an interview with him to boost their ratings. However, they are recruited by the CIA in an attempt to assassinate him.
First of all, the fact that this movie is getting so much controversy is ridiculous. Sure it takes a pretty anti-Kim Jong-un attitude, but at its core it's just a silly Seth Rogen comedy.
However, it's satire was pretty well done, and it had some good humor. This movie had plenty of potential. Unfortunately, this gets weighted down by other moments, where it resorts to juvenile humor which substitutes raunchiness for actual humor.
Which is a shame, because this film's less crude humor is actually pretty funny. It parodies the dictator, and at times, western culture. But it has enough humor that works for me to give it a passing grade, despite all the jokes that fall flat. However, this is my least favorite movie that I reviewed this week. This movie will be remembered for the controversy for a long time, the rest of it, not so much.
3 out of 5 stars
Saturday, December 27, 2014
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Review
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the third and final film in The Hobbit trilogy. The Hobbit, like The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, is based on a book that is being unnecessarily split into multiple movies. However, out of all the books that are being made like this, The Hobbit is probably the most difficult to make well. It takes a lot to make a 300 page children's book into three movies, each around three hours long. Not to mention the fact that it will be compared to it's predecessor: one of the most influential fantasy movies of all time.
I've thought the previous two movies (An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug) were OK, but they could have been better. However, I have just recently read the book, and this is the first Hobbit movie I have seen afterwards, I can see how much they have added.
This movie takes place almost immediately after the events of the second movie, and mainly describes the climax of the book. The problem with this is that there is not enough material in this section to make into a movie this long. If the section was made into the movie word-for-word, it probably wouldn't be long enough to make any movie at all.
However, I guess it's still OK. Most of the things that were added don't seem too forced, and it moves at a quicker speed than the other movies. However, there are some things that were added that I didn't like. Although, that is probably expected from a movie that has needed to make this much extra footage.
Overall, this movie is no better or worse than the other two movies. I would personally place it between the two movies in terms of quality. In my opinion, The Desolation of Smaug is the best movie in the series, but this is second place, in front of An Unexpected Journey. All of these movies were passable, but it's a shame they couldn't all just be one movie, because then it would be so much better.
3 out of 5 stars
I've thought the previous two movies (An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug) were OK, but they could have been better. However, I have just recently read the book, and this is the first Hobbit movie I have seen afterwards, I can see how much they have added.
This movie takes place almost immediately after the events of the second movie, and mainly describes the climax of the book. The problem with this is that there is not enough material in this section to make into a movie this long. If the section was made into the movie word-for-word, it probably wouldn't be long enough to make any movie at all.
However, I guess it's still OK. Most of the things that were added don't seem too forced, and it moves at a quicker speed than the other movies. However, there are some things that were added that I didn't like. Although, that is probably expected from a movie that has needed to make this much extra footage.
Overall, this movie is no better or worse than the other two movies. I would personally place it between the two movies in terms of quality. In my opinion, The Desolation of Smaug is the best movie in the series, but this is second place, in front of An Unexpected Journey. All of these movies were passable, but it's a shame they couldn't all just be one movie, because then it would be so much better.
3 out of 5 stars
Friday, December 26, 2014
Whiplash Review
Whiplash was snubbed for the Golden Globes.
I'm just going to start out the review with that statement. Though the movie was universally praised, and managed to get a nomination for JK Simmons for Best Supporting Actor, this movie deserves so much more. It has Oscar Material written all over it.
It tells the story of a young jazz student (Miles Teller), with dreams of becoming the next great drummer. He gets into the best music school in the country, but finds out that his instructor (Simmons) is incredibly strict the biggest d**k in the world. He's a perfectionist, verbally abusive, and yells often. So the drummer sacrifices a lot to please him, and the film highlights the highs and lows of their relationship.
This movie was pretty intense. You start to feel for the drummer, as he struggles to become the best, practicing until his hands bleed, and being constantly rejected. You start to care whether he fails or succeeds. The story is very moving and even disturbing at times. The movies plot is unpredictable, and it even got the audience to gasp at one point near the climax.
The movie's also worth seeing for it's acting. JK Simmons' nominated performance as the instructor was very good. Having previously played J Jonah Jameson in the original Spider-man trilogy, he does a good job of playing an unpleasant person, spraying vulgar insults and criticisms at his students. However, he seems human at some times when we see his motives. There's also some great acting from Miles Teller as the drummer. He is a very sympathetic and believable character.
In summary, Whiplash is an amazing movie. Even though it hasn't gotten the attention from audience that it deserves, it is worth your time. If you like intense drama, emotionally charged performances, or jazz music, I would recommend this movie. I don't want to over-hype this movie, but I think it is actually worth 5 stars.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Also, I am going to see The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies tomorrow, and will write a review on that as soon as I can. So you can come back and check on that tomorrow if you want.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Jay on Sony's Cancellation of The Interview
As most of you reading this probably already know, Sony Pictures has cancelled the release of their upcoming Seth Rogen/ James Franco driven comedy The Interview. This was decided after Sony's computers were hacked by what is believed to be a North Korean group called the Guardians of Peace. They leaked some embarrassing documents and claimed that they would attack theaters showing the movie, which focused on an attempted assassination of Kim Jong-un. As a result, many theater owners refused to show the movie, and Sony cancelled the release of the film altogether.
While I can definitely understand why Sony would do this, I can not support it. I am glad that they care about the lives of theater staff and moviegoers, I do not think that this is the smart thing to do.
These terrorists should not have this much control over corporations like Sony. If a group of people can control an American company by threatening violence, what message does that send to our enemies. It could lead to more people using threats to control corporations that do things that they don't like. And not only movie companies, but any business. And these people should not control our freedom of speech.
Fortunately, after receiving criticism from many people, including actors such as George Clooney, and even President Barack Obama, Sony is now looking for other ways to release the movie. It may receive a straight-to-DVD release, or an online release. Hopefully, they follow through with this, as this will help to send the message that businesses do not negotiate with terrorists.
Source for checking background information:
http://www.cnet.com/news/fbi-blames-north-korea-for-sony-hack/
While I can definitely understand why Sony would do this, I can not support it. I am glad that they care about the lives of theater staff and moviegoers, I do not think that this is the smart thing to do.
These terrorists should not have this much control over corporations like Sony. If a group of people can control an American company by threatening violence, what message does that send to our enemies. It could lead to more people using threats to control corporations that do things that they don't like. And not only movie companies, but any business. And these people should not control our freedom of speech.
Fortunately, after receiving criticism from many people, including actors such as George Clooney, and even President Barack Obama, Sony is now looking for other ways to release the movie. It may receive a straight-to-DVD release, or an online release. Hopefully, they follow through with this, as this will help to send the message that businesses do not negotiate with terrorists.
Source for checking background information:
http://www.cnet.com/news/fbi-blames-north-korea-for-sony-hack/
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