We are well into 2016 now, and I've had time to look back on the whacky year that was 2015. The year was a solid mix of sublime and horrendous. Today I'm giving you my favorites of the year. Leave a comment and let me know if you agree or disagree. Now, here's the countdown:7. Jurassic World
Barely making this year's countdown is the soft reboot of the classic dinosaur series. I don't think it's quite fair to call Jurassic World a "soft reboot", because it's a pure sequel. It picks up in the year 2015, in real time, as if the first Jurassic Park happened in the early 90's. I loved that aspect of it. I also loved Chris Pratt's semi-breakout performance (post Guardians of the Galaxy) as a leading action star. Dallas Bryce Howard is also one of my favorite actresses.
Jurassic World is a tad cheesy. However, it's full of imagination, grand scale, and wonderfully ambitious special effects. I love the gyro-spheres and the monorail. Also, who could forget the utterly epic underwater dinosaur creature launching out of the water and splashing the crowd? Also, Jimmy Buffet with his margarita. Jurassic World is pure summer blockbuster popcorn fun with just enough substance to keep it afloat.
6. Inside Out
Pixar creates a gorgeous colorful world inside the mind of a young girl. This movie came out during a rough time in my life in 2015, and it makes the association with Inside Out more emotional. In some parts of Inside Out, the story wanders into some truly deep territory as childhood fears, fantasies, hopes, and falling dreams are addressed. And, in fun fashion. Who didn't cry in Bing Bong's last scene? I was a mess.
5. The Martian
Ridley Scott has crafted a surprisingly likable semi-masterpiece. I was pleasantly surprised at the vibrant characters, moments of suspense, and perfect special effects. The Martian is a lot of why I go to the movies. Hopefully Matt Damon won't need any more desperate rescues after this!
4. Cinderella
Disney's bold reimagining of the classic Cinderella tale is largely underrated and quite stunning. A pitch perfect cast and visual style create the perfect tone. This is the movie where I fell in love with Lily James (Cinderella). Cate Blanchett is beautifully evil. Helena Bonham Carter was wondrous as the Fairy Godmother. Beautiful, sweeping, and full of life. It's another movie that brought me to tears. Twice.
3. Ant-Man
On the surface, Ant-Man is just another Marvel super hero sequel / spin-off. Yet, all the elements have come together to create a magical mix of fervor, energy, and just plain fun. The action scenes are fantastic. We have a hero in Scott Lang that makes us want to root for him. Not since Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark has there been such a fun, flawed, and likable hero. Michael Douglas is also a joy to watch as Dr. Hank Pym. Ant-Man feeds off of the movie legacy of The Avengers, but supplies plenty of originality and surprise to justify its place.
Essentially, Ant-Man is a heist movie with a comedic spin. And that's a recipe for a wonderful movie.
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
My wife and I reluctantly decided to watch Mad Max after it had been in theaters for a month or so. There was nothing else on at the time, and we fell into it be default. Once it started, from the opening scene, I was absolutely blown away. This Mad Max is not the watered down 80's version I remember from childhood.
The only way I can describe Mad Max is that it's an overpowering revelation. The world it creates is breathtaking and overpowering. The characters are smartly motivated and driven to survival in a cruel and bizarre world. Each character carries a strange sense of emotional, and sometimes physical, baggage. They are all battered and weathered from surviving in this post-apoaolytpic Earth. The action is brutal, the characters are rugged, and everything just feels so disturbingly detailed and authentic. If you haven't seen it, give it a chance.
1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars is probably my favorite movie of this decade so far. It is sweeping, nostalgic, exciting, innovative, classic, and adventurous. All the legendary characters that appeared swelled my heart with thrills and the audience burst into cheering and applause. I've seen it twice, and both times were thrilling. I hear the criticisms that it mimics the original A New Hope too closely. However, if that's the worst thing about it, count me in.
Hey Evan! I have been wanting to catch up on your content for a while, but things have been pretty crazy for us lately. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on your favorites this year and found your blurb about Mad Max of particular interest. I kind of hated the original and reluctantly watched Fury Road only because it's a nominee. After the first 15 minutes or so, during which I struggled to stay engaged (mainly because I couldn't figure out what the dump was going on), I did become somewhat interested in the plight of the characters and the post-apocalyptic premise. It is a bizarre movie (what is with that guy on top of the rig playing guitar throughout all of the chase sequences? 😂) with a lot of repetitive action and not much exposition, and I found the writing and character development to be lacking for a best picture nominee, but the post-apocalyptic premise is intriguing (their weird religion, the way control of the water means power, etc.), and I did find it kind of beautiful in some ways and entertaining. Anyway, my favorites for the year include several of yours - Star Wars, The Martian, Inside Out - but also The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2, American Ultra, Crimson Peak, and Brooklyn.
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