2015 in Movies

I am an unashamed movie nut.  Every year for the last post of the year I pontificate on the best and worst from only the movies I went to see. I’ve also included what I considered to be the worst movies of the year, because that’s almost more fun. It was a very good year for Hollywood, especially in the blockbuster category, with several films that exceeded even lofty expectations. It’s interesting that 5 out of my top 10 were films that are part of a series and each are arguably the best in that entire series. I’ve also chosen a quote from each of the top ten movies. As you can see I lean heavily towards action (and science fiction) but I think these films are a lot more mainstream than the out of touch film critics whose top tens are usually incomprehensible and barely entertaining. If nothing else the films below (except for the bottom three) were hugely enjoyable. Again this is only one man’s opinion and reflects only the movies I saw this year. I await the inevitable criticism from my progeny.

Best Movies of the Year

#1 - The Martian – tough to place anything in front of Star Wars but ultimately decided Matt Damon’s tour de force of one man’s struggle against seemingly impossible odds won out. The triumph of refusing to lose hope in the face of catastrophe was told with heart and humor while demonstrating why Damon is such a likable actor. I left this movie with a belief in the future of mankind. I don’t know if it was made to inspire, but it did.

Mark Watney: “In the face of overwhelming odds, I'm left with only one option, I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this.”

#2 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens – rekindles the old magic that was so damaged by the last three entries. Welcomed in a new cast of lead characters while still paying homage to the ones who set the high standard in the originals. I was transported back to 1977 and all the new hope the first Star Wars movie engendered.

Rey: “There are stories about what happened.” Han Solo: “It's true. All of it. The Dark Side, the Jedi. They're real.” 

#3 - Mad Max: Fury Road – unbelievably and totally immersive as Charlize Theron dominates from the very beginning, should have been called Imperator Furiosa instead of Mad Max. Incredible visuals and unrelenting action – by far best of Max films. Who knew a movie long chase scene could be so much damned fun to watch? I thought this would be the best film of the year for the longest time.

Imperator Furiosa: “Out here, everything hurts. You wanna get through this? Do as I say. Now pick up what you can and run.” 

#4 - Kingsman, The Secret Service – simply clever beyond belief, proper British secret agents training a new generation with spookily high level of abilities. Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass & Stardust) continues his winning streak of action movies while Colin Firth is perfect as the suave, but deadly senior agent. If you haven’t seen this, with Vaughn’s deft comedic touch for action than you are chating yourself.

Harry Hart: [to bigoted church lady] “I'm a Catholic whore, currently enjoying congress out of wedlock with my black Jewish boyfriend who works at a military abortion clinic. So, hail Satan, and have a lovely afternoon, madam.” 

#5 - Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation – the very best in this exciting series which I had honestly thought had run its course. Just when you think they’ve taken stunts to the highest level, a film like this comes out. Breathless from the get go with humor and a kick ass female counterpoint to Ethan Hunt which was the best thing about the film, well that and handing off the side of a plane while it took off. Great use of actual stunt work and minimal CGI, this movei never lets up.

Ethan Hunt: [Ethan is hanging to the side door of the plane] “Benji, open the door!”

Benji Dunn: “Ethan? How did you get in the plane?”

Ethan Hunt: “I'm not in the plane, I'm ON the plane! Open the door!” 

#6 - Creed – heart returns to this sadly abused series which goes back to the first film’s enduring message of lovable losers triumphing against impossible odds. Stallone obviously put his entire heart into the aged Rocky and Michael Jordan is perfect as the lead, pulling off cocky but likable – not easily done. Rocky is always easier to love when he’s the simple punch drunk boxer from the original instead of solving the Cold War.

Rocky Balboa: [Creed takes cell phone photo of boxing drills and walks off] “Hey don't you want this?”

Adonis Johnson: [Holds out cell phone] “It's on this.”

Rocky Balboa: “What if you lose it?”

Adonis Johnson: “It's already in the cloud.”

Rocky Balboa: [Looks in sky confused] “What cloud?” 

#7 - Spy – McCarthy may be funniest person alive. A great, very profane, send up of the spy genre with Jason Statham doing a superb lampoon of himself. As with all of McCarthy’s movies that are some subtle adlibbed one-liners that are easily missed but are what elevates this comedy. This type of movie only works when it’s funny in its own right and doesn’t depend on the parodying. This one was hilarious!

Rick Ford (Statham): “You really think you're ready for the field? I once used defibrillators on myself. I put shards of glass in my f---in' eye. I've jumped from a high-rise building using only a raincoat as a parachute and broke both legs upon landing; I still had to pretend I was in a f---ing Cirque du Soleil show! I've swallowed enough microchips and s--t them back out again to make a computer. This arm has been ripped off completely and re-attached with *this* f---kin' arm.”

Susan Cooper: “I don't know that that's possible... I mean medically...” 

#8 - Avengers: Age of Ultron – hard to deliver when the expectations are so high but Marvel continues to do it. The high speed cast meshes so well that no one tries to take over and the resulting chemistry is undeniable. James Spader voicing the droll but dangerous Ultron adds just the right amount of dangerous comedy to the unrelenting action.

Clint Barton: “The city is flying and we're fighting an army of robots. And I have a bow and arrow. Nothing makes sense.” 

#9 - Ex Machina – Fascinating look into what constitutes “personhood” as a young man is called upon to assess the artificially intelligent robot who has a plan of her own. Amazing, seamless special effects make the fantastical AI characters real, but not too real; just enough to worry me about where our technology is headed. Really, really smart science fiction.

Nathan: “One day the AIs are going to look back on us the same way we look at fossil skeletons on the plains of Africa. An upright ape living in dust with crude language and tools, all set for extinction.” 

#10 - Jupiter Ascending – I know this guilty pleasure probably doesn’t belong on the list but I love science fiction and this film was so daring in trying to tell sci fi on an immense level and Sean Bean actually survives which is noteworthy in and of itself. If you can suspend disbelief and allow yourself to be immersed in this imagined environment you will find a real gem in this flick. That is, if you can ignore Eddie Redmayne’s catastrophically bad over acting – I can’t believe this didn’t cost him the Oscar last year.

Jupiter Jones: “Because a dream is the only way any of this make sense.”

Caine Wise: “Compared to what? The idea that you're the only intelligent species, on the only inhabitable planet, in a universe so full of planets that you don't even have a number to describe how many there are.”

Honorable Mention:

Run All Night – Liam Neeson and Ed Harris as aging Irish gangsters chasing each other around NYC. Great action and you had me at “Liam”.

Furious Seven – overshadowed throughout by death of Paul Walker but packed with the usual stunning action scenes. Poignant and very well done farewell scene between Walker and Diesel. (see below – best scene of year)

Ant Man – arguably the best Marvel film of the year with Paul Ruud launching this new franchise as a pint sized crime fighter.

Bridge of Spies – no list would be complete without the inclusion of the best actor currently working – Tom Hanks. Perfectly captures the tension of the Cold War and the inherent weaknesses of both sides.

Worst Movies:

Mordecai – how far has Johnny Depp fallen with his over the top characters – easily the worst film of the year

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 – Cusack obviously saw how bad this was going to be after the surprise success of the first movie and bowed out. The rest of the cast should have followed him.

Pan – actually quite an accomplishment to make this bad a movie with Hugh Jackman as the lead villain, fails on so many levels – just not entertaining.

 

2015 Superlatives:

Best Comedy:  Spy

Best Horror Movie:  It Follows

Best Drama:  The Martian

Best Romance:  Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (obviously I didn’t see a lot in this category)

Best Action:  Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Special Effects:   Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Scene of the Year:  Final Scene in Furious Seven

I couldn’t leave without at least one photo of California perfection – the biggest breakout star of 2015 – THE FIRST BLOG READER:

Out For a Snack with her Mom