Hey there CBM, did you miss me? Oh. Well, it’s that time of the year again, and on the back of Staypuffed’s excellent end-of-year awards, I thought I’d give you a run down of some of my favorite movies of the year! Before we begin, a note on the title. This list will take into account action, fantasy, sci-fi, and comic book movies only. The basic criteria for adding a movie was if it’s been featured and reported on this site, it counts. So, without further ado...
(Note: Minor SPOILER warning for all the movies included. It's nothing big, but be careful reading my comments on any movie you haven't seen)
(Dis)Honourable Mentions
The main absentee here is the much-loved Ant-Man, which didn’t leave quite as big an impact on me as it clearly did with many of you. While critics praised it for exceeding expectations and offering a fresh and alternative take on the superhero genre, I thought it was decent at best, and pretty derivative of the standard MCU superhero affair. I loved Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang though, and can’t wait to see him suit up alongside Captain America & co. in Civil War.
While Ant-Man was solid, there were some other 'less successful' blockbusters this year. Jupiter Ascending wasted its grandiose spectacle with a dull story. Terminator Genisys was the worst entry in a very tired franchise. Fant4stic was a total disaster of a production that proved CBMs aren't untouchable, but nothing topped the absolute garbage that was Pixels. Nice job, Adam Sandler.
10) Avengers: Age Of Ultron
"The city is flying and we’re fighting an army of robots. And I have a bow and arrow. Nothing makes sense!"
I didn’t love Age Of Ultron (in fact, I found it slightly disappointing), but its shortcomings were understandable. It had a huge task on its hands, needing to satisfy fans of the first movie, set-up key storylines leading into Phase 3, and hold up as a great movie on its own. No wonder it broke Joss Whedon! It may not have lived up to its predecessor, but the sequel still delivered on several fronts. Cap, Hawkeye and the newly introduced Vision all stole the show, while the movie’s opening and closing scenes were fantastic. Let’s just keep talk about ‘Brutasha’ to a minimum…
9) Jurassic World
"You just went and made a new dinosaur? Probably not a good idea..."
Okay, so this has evolved into a bit of a guilty pleasure inclusion. Ever since its more than modest success at the box office, Jurassic World’s (numerous) flaws have been paraded across social media for the entire world to witness… However, that doesn’t change how gleefully entertained I was watching it in theatres, back in June. Forget Bryce Dallas Howard’s heeled athletics and Chris Pratt’s best ‘tough guy’ impression, that wonderfully chaotic battle between the T-Rex, I-Rex, Raptor squad & Mosasaurus delivered enough Dino-carnage to last me a lifetime.
8) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
"Tonight, turn your weapons to the Capitol! Turn your weapons to Snow!"
I’ve always felt The Hunger Games has unjustly received a bad rap around these parts. Last month, Mockingjay – Part 2 brought the popular YA series to a satisfying (if emotionally turbulent) conclusion. Was it greedy for Lionsgate to split this finale into two parts? Perhaps, but director Francis Lawrence made the most of the situation, imbuing this finale with a sense of style, and utilizing an incredible ensemble cast to ensure the franchise went out with a bang. Trust me, if gender is the only thing holding you back from watching this series, you’re watching movies wrong.
7) Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
"Join the IMF, see the world, on a monitor, in a closet…"
Rogue Nation was a dark, tense and stylish action thriller that, above all else, demonstrated how much some action franchises can mature with age. I may have preferred Brad Bird’s Ghost Protocol, but there’s no denying the Christopher McQuarrie & Tom Cruise dream-team delivered a worthy sequel – full of pulsating action sequences and plenty of death-defying stunts. Throw in Rebecca Ferguson’s scene-stealing femme fatale and Sean Harris’ menacing antagonist and it's no wonder it has been so successful at the worldwide box office. Bring on M:I6!
6) Kingsman: The Secret Service
"Manners maketh man."
Kingsman: The Secret Service was one of the most outrageous and wildly entertaining adventures of the year. Stylish, violent and unapologetically over the top, director Matthew Vaughn embraced the silliness of classic spy movies, adding in a little extra profanity and chaos for good measure. Newcomers Taron Egerton & Sofia Boutella both impressed alongside Samuel L. Jackson's maniacal antagonist, but this was always Colin Firth's movie. Suave, deadly and formidable in a fight, he stole the show - and took centre stage in my favorite action sequence of 2015.
5) Inside Out
"Crying helps me slow down and obsess over the weight of life’s problems."
A beautifully heartfelt movie, Inside Out succeeded in recalling the kinds of emotions not evoked by a Pixar movie in years. Directing duo Pete Docter & Ronaldo Del Carmen combined their talents with Josh Cooley and future Captain Marvel writer Meg LeFauve to create a remarkably fun, humorous and gripping adventure into the mind of an 11-year-old girl. Lewis Black's volatile 'Anger' and Phyllis Smith's adorable 'Sadness' were huge highlights, while the ever-endearing Amy Poehler anchored the film admirably as the spirited and exuberant 'Joy'. Oh, and I adored 'Bing Bong'! *sob*
4) Ex Machina
"Isn’t it strange, to create something that hates you?"
A bit of a departure from the other movies on this list (in that it wasn't a 'blockbuster'), Ex Machina was a thoughtful, gripping and masterfully intense study of artificial intelligence. Alex Garland‘s directorial debut was a rare film that boasted just as much substance as it did style, with a script that had the feel of a Kubrickian sci-fi/ thriller. Deviously clever and visually stunning, it was buoyed by a trio of fantastic leading performances: from Oscar Isaac‘s sinister ‘Nathan’, to Domhnall Gleeson‘s quietly intuitive ‘Caleb’ – to Alicia Vikander‘s bold and beguiling ‘Ava’.
3) The Martian
"I don’t want to come off as arrogant here, but I am the greatest botanist on this planet."
Not content with being the best Ridley Scott movie in years, The Martian was also one of the most enjoyable movies of 2015. Matt Damon was a tour de force as the marooned Mark Watney, seamlessly bouncing from wisecracking joker to despairing survivor at any given moment. Though they lacked screentime, the supporting cast all lived up to their impressive billing, with Jessica Chastain & Donald Glover shining as the pick of the bunch. Writer Drew Goddard did an excellent job on script duty, ensuring Ridley's film remained as tense and witty as Andy Weir's novel.
2) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
"It’s true. All of it. The dark side, the Jedi… They’re real."
After years of hype, rumors and speculation, it all boiled down to this - and boy, did JJ Abrams deliver! While not a perfect movie by any means, The Force Awakens succeeded as a fun-filled, tense and exhilarating adventure, casting away the shadow of the prequels and kickstarting a bright new era for the Star Wars franchise. All of the new heroes - from Rey to Poe to BB8 to Finn - slid effortlessly into this wonderful universe, while there were some standout turns from Adam Driver's villainous Kylo Ren and Harrison Ford's legendary Han Solo. Bravo, and bring on Episode VIII!
1) Mad Max: Fury Road
"Oh, what a day… what a lovely day!"
There are good movies, there are great movies, and then, there are masterpieces. I consider Fury Road to be a part of the latter category. This movie did what Michael Bay never could: it made art out of explosions. Everything about it is exceptional, from the raw, thunderous performances from Tom Hardy, Nicholas Hoult and (particularly) Charlize Theron, to Junkie XL's pulsating score to John Seale's visually stunning cinematography. George Miller knocked it out of the park with this film, which now sits among some of my all-time favorites. Oh, what a lovely day indeed.
That's it from me folks! I have to admit, while there were a few gems from this year, I have a feeling 2016 is going to blow 2015 out of the water - particuarly in the CBM department. Do you agree with my ranking? Are there any movies that you think I've unfairly overlooked (don't you dare say Hot Tub Time Machine 2)? As always, be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below!