2015 Movie Ranking: #10 to #1

#10

This is the movie that everyone was hoping for when the Phantom Menace released back in the late 90's. That movie was such a letdown. All the bad acting, stupid action scenes, awful jokes, and just overall cartoony feel of the movie completely wrecked it for nearly everyone who loved the old movies as much as I did. It was so bad.

This film takes Star Wars in a completely different direction and is more of a throwback to the original trilogy. Thank God!

It's dark, the action scenes feel a lot more authentic, the acting is strong and it's just... I don't know how to describe it. Authentic to the Star Wars universe.

This film focuses mainly on new characters, but expect to see more than your fair share of Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia. I thought that Luke was supposed to be a big character here, but he only appears for like 20 seconds at the end of the movie. The main focus of the film is on finding Luke, who has gone into hiding after an apprentice of his took up the Dark Side and destroyed everything that he was trying to rebuild.

I will go ahead and say that I am an avid reader of the books that take place after the original movie trilogy. So I kind of had an idea in my mind of what should have happened after those films. However, this movie tosses all of those books out the window and starts over again. At first I wasn't a huge fan of this and it nearly wrecked the movie for me. Luke is supposed to have a Jedi Academy. Han is supposed to be respectable, married to Leia with three kids. The New Republic is supposed to be in charge, and the Empire is supposed to be just a few remaining factions squabbling over scraps.

In this movie, the happily ever after isn't quite so happily. Han and Leia are separated. Their child has turned to the dark side and has taken up Darth Vader's work. One thing that majorly bugged me was how we don't really get a good grasp of the political situation of the galaxy. Is the New Republic running the show? Who is this First Order? Are they remnants of the Empire? Are they something different? It's never really explained to us what the Resistance is either and how it relates to the New Republic.

All these things bothered me. Plus I thought the plot was a little too reminiscent of A New Hope. Really, hiding something in a droid and setting it loose in the desert? Come on.

Despite all of this though, I really liked the movie. The characters are great, new and old. It was nice to see the returning characters and how they have aged over all the years. Rey is awesome and may be my new favorite Star Wars character.

The movie looks great. The action scenes are all fantastic. Not even close to that cartoony crap in the prequels. The tone of the movie is terrific and reminiscent to the original films. Intense action and a fast paced story line, but just enough humor to keep things light hearted. It is just very engaging as a whole. Even my wife who isn't the world's biggest Star Wars fan really enjoyed this movie.

I don't think I liked the movie as much as I should have, simply because it was SO different from what I expected. I have actually seen it again in 2016 (it was one of the first movies I watched this year) and liked it much, much better the second time around. So expect to see an even better ranking next year, possibly.

As much as I wanted this to be my number one movie of the year, I just couldn't justify that. It is certainly a good movie, but there were a few other films that impacted me on more of an emotional level than this did.

#9

I wasn't really sure what to make of this movie when I first heard of it. I am not really a big fan of either war movies or survival films, and this movie sounded like it was going to be a combination of the two. And it is. But I liked it.

This movie tells the story of an Olympic runner named Louie who enlists to fight in World War II. His plane goes down and he is forced to live on a raft with a couple of injured and dying compatriots. These events in and of themselves could have made up the whole movie. The events leading up to the war, the drama on the raft, that sense of hopelessness in the air. But this is only half of the film. The man is rescued from the raft after an insane 47 days adrift only to be taken captive by the Japanese.

As their captive he is tortured, beaten, and generally made miserable for several years. What a tough life! Eventually the war ends, and he is able to come back home. The reunion at the end is such a great moment. It brought a tear to my eye.

This movie is based on a true story too, and it was interesting to see pictures of the actual people involved in this story. I am usually not a special features guy, but I watched them all for this film. Seeing Louie as an old man talk about what he went through really made me admire his spirit. Any other person would have went through what he did, and it would have broken them. But he didn't let it ruin him. I guess that is where the name Unbroken comes in.

Great movie. Beautifully filmed, very inspirational. One of my favorites that I watched in 2015.

#8

When I first heard about this movie, I was intrigued by its concept. Shot over the span of 12 years, Boyhood follows the life of a young boy as he grows into a man. The film uses the same actors and actresses over these 12 years, and we actually see them age as the movie progresses.

If you are looking for a big exciting plot or mysterious twists, this is not the movie for you. Instead, this movie is just simply about the ups and downs of life. The boy comes from a splintered family where the parents are spearated. The mom moves on to a series of bad marriages while the hard partying dad eventually settles down and becomes very responsible.

All throughout this movie we see things through the boy's perspective. He goes through many phases in his young life, and he is forced to adapt and react to all of these things happening to him and around him.  As I said, this isn't necessarily the most exciting movie out there. It's more interesting than anything. And I particularly was interested in this movie because a lot of the same situations this young boy found himself in, I myself went through as a child as well.

Even though it is very long (nearly 3 hours, if I recall correctly) the movie never seems too long or too boring. In fact, it pretty much flew by for me. 

This movie may not be for everyone. I am sure there are some people out there that thought it was too long or too uneventful. But I am not one of those people.

#7

Of all the movies I watched last year that made the top ten, this is probably the one that nobody saw coming. I had never even heard of this movie until it popped up on my list of Netflix recommendations. The description talked about the world ending and a man on his quest for redemption before he died, or something of that nature. I thought it sounded interesting and added it to my list. Maybe I would watch it. Maybe not.

I am very, very glad I did. The premise of the movie is that the world is about to end. In fact, there is less than a day before a tremendous blast of heat put off by the sun or something (I forget the exact cause) scorches the entire planet and kills everyone. 

As expected, the world loses its mind. People start rioting, killing, looting, raping, doing whatever the hell they please. The world is going to end, why bother conforming to the rules of society anymore? A man decides to leave behind the woman he loves so he can go get fucked up and go out partying. On his way to the party to end all parties (literally) he sees a little girl being attacked and nearly raped. He saves the day and decides to take this girl under his wing.

Even though the world is going to end he doesn't want her to have to experience that. He mistakenly brings the girl to the party with him, and again has to rescue her when she is drugged by some psycho woman who thinks she is his daughter. 

The man realizes the error of his ways and brings the girl to her house, where it is discovered that her whole family has committed suicide. The girls wants to stay with her family until the end, so the man agrees and leaves her behind. Realizing what is truly important in life, he heads back to his love that he had abandoned and together the two meet their end as the wave of heat swoops in and kills them both.

This is definitely a very dark movie, but the atmosphere it creates is just incredible. Knowing the world is going to end and that the only way this film can end is the death of everyone puts an enormous burden on you as a viewer. The feel of the movie right from the get go is so heavy and depressing that you almost can't stand it. You feel what the characters are feeling. This enormous lump of dread forms in your stomach almost immediately.

I think this film would make a lot of people uncomfortable, but that is why I like it so much. I have never experienced a movie like this before. The emotions it provokes from the viewer are unmatched and unprecedented. Right away I could tell this movie was different and unique. And it definitely proved to be that.

It definitely deserves this high ranking for being one of the most unique, intense, and heavy hearted films I have ever seen. I have never seen a movie quite like this one before, and I don't know if I ever will again.

#6

I am a huge fan of Jurassic Park. I saw the original movie in the theaters when I was a kid. I owned it on VHS, DVD, and now Blu-Ray. I don't know how many times I have seen it in my life. A countless number of times. It has to rank as one of my favorite movies of all time. The sequels I enjoyed for the most part, but neither of them came close to matching the excellence of the original.

Years and years passed since Jurassic Park 3 came out. I thought for sure the series was dead.

Until it wasn't. When I first heard about the release of Jurassic World, I was ecstatic. After two decent but mainly forgettable sequels, I was ready for a movie that would finally be able to recreate the magic of the first film and do it justice. I had high hopes. Clearly, everyone saw what was wrong with the two sequels and there was no way they would make the same mistake again. Right?

Right. I thought this movie was excellent, as evidenced by its high ranking. As a kid I always wondered what Jurassic Park would look like if the dinosaurs hadn't run amok and wrecked everything, and this movie brings that vision to life. The park itself is really amazing. If it was real, I would want to live there. In fact, even if there was no plot to this movie at all and it was just people walking around and exploring the park with no action or drama whatsoever, I would still love this movie.

The story isn't stellar or anything, but it fuels the movie and keeps it going. The action is high intensity. Once the Ndamukong Rex, as I call it, breaks loose the action never lets up. I was on the seat of my pants the whole second half of the film. Props to the movie makers for giving many subtle (and some not so subtle) shout outs to the original film. That little touch of nostalgia went a long way for me.

Everything looks amazing. All the effects, the dinosaurs, everything. The fight at the end between the Ndamukong and the tyrannosaur is legendary. I just wish there was more of the T-Rex in this movie. 

I actually saw this film twice (maybe even more) last year. The first time I saw it I was blown away and didn't notice any flaws in the movie. The second time around when I was less awestruck I did notice some things that bugged me, particularly the acting. It's not phenomenal. But on the flip side it is not so bad that it wrecks the movie. At least for me.

All in all, I thought this movie was a blast. It still isn't as good as the original film, but it is by far the sequel that comes the closest to matching its grandeur. Here's to the inevitable follow up film in the future. And may that one be even better than this. 

#5

I thought that this sounded like a really interesting documentary, and all the reviews I read about it had heaped copious amounts of praise onto the film. So I decided to check it out.

It's about a missing child who returns to his parents after going missing for about 10 years. He is welcomed back with lots of tears and open arms. There is only one problem - it isn't the actual son that went missing. It is a con man who has taken his place.

The movie centers around the con man and the steps he took to blend in with the family. It also focuses on the family and how they could have possibly been fooled into believing that this random guy (who wasn't even an American) was their beloved son. 

More than halfway into the film, it drops a bombshell on us and suggests that perhaps the family had killed the boy, and the reason they accepted this impostor was so as not to raise suspicions of to what they actually did.

This was just a really, really fascinating movie for me. I got sucked into this case and was on the edge of my seat for much of the film. Anyone even remotely interested should check it out. 

#4

I've seen this movie in the past once before, and I liked it. But I can't recall liking it as much as I did when I watched it in 2015. I thought it was really fantastic the second time around.

Strictly on a visual level, it is one of the best looking movies I have ever seen. Everything is just so lush and beautiful looking, especially in India in the beginning of the movie. I want to LIVE in that zoo. In fact, the whole first half hour of the movie was just astonishing to me. I recall being kinda bored by it the first time around, but this time - I thought it was tremendous. I really got into it on an emotional level.

The rest of the movie with the shipwreck, the tiger on the raft, the island and all that is just as strong as I remember. There were no dull moments in this film for me. It is heavy hitting emotionally, while also managing to uplift at the same time. I just thought it was really engaging and terrific from beginning to end.

Not a huge fan of the ending though, in either the book or the movie. 

#3

I had heard that this was a really good movie. As you know if you have been reading this list, I watched all the older Mad Max movies in order leading up to this film as preparation for Fury Road.

But I didn't really like any of the older Mad Max films. As a result, I thought for sure I wouldn't like this and I would discover that it was overrated. However, I am glad to say this was completely and unequivocally not the case. 

This movie is amazing. From beginning to end, it is one giant roller coaster of action. Usually when movies are mainly fighting or chasing or explosions (see any Michael Bay movie) this gets old after a while. Not so with Fury Road. This movie does almost everything right that you would expect out of an action movie. It's over the top without being stupid. It has great characters that you can relate to. And it keeps you interested by constantly changing things up and putting you as the viewer into newer, crazier situations. The movie constantly outdoes itself on a basis that I have never quite seen before from an action movie.

There is really only one word I can use to describe this movie, and it is awesome. Everything about it is just awesome. As soon as this movie ended, I wanted to go back and watch it over from the beginning again. That NEVER happens with me. Never.

I actually didn't want to watch it again, because I wanted it to be fresh the next time I see it. And I will watch it again, I can guarantee that. Don't be surprised to see this movie crack the top 10 yet again on 2016's movie ranking list.

#2

This was a movie that I watched twice in 2015. The first time I watched it, I was playing on my phone and not paying attention. When the film ended I was just like "eh it was okay" and then I went about my business. Time passed, and the more I thought about it the more irritated with myself I became.

I knew that I owed it to this film to watch it more closely and give it my undivided attention. So I watched it again a few months later and hid my phone in the other room.

Surprise surprise, I thought the movie was incredible the second time around. I had read the book, plus I had seen the movie once before, so I knew what to expect. But really paying attention and really getting involved in the story, the movie blew my mind.

It is just so well done, so hard hitting and emotional. The flashbacks to Cheryl's past, the scenes with her mom and her ex. They are all so real and add such depth to the character. It gives her hike so much more weight and purpose. 

Over the course of the film you really become attached to Cheryl and what she is going through on her journey. You can't help but admire her spirit. She takes you along on this amazing ride of self discovery amidst the harsh and unforgiving beauty of nature. 

It is truly an extraordinary movie that had me in tears more times than I can count. Terrific movie and it completely does the book justice. I can't believe I almost wrote it off after that first viewing where I was on my phone the whole movie. It makes me wonder how many other great movies there are out there that I have missed because I've been too busy doing other things to pay attention to them.

#1

When I first heard that this movie was in production I was thinking "really?" I like Stephen Hawking and everything but I thought a movie about him would be about as dull as dull could be.

I've never been more happy to be so wrong. Obviously you can tell by the #1 ranking that I really liked this movie. I loved this movie actually. It took all my expectations, crumpled them up into a little ball, threw the ball on the floor and jumped up and down on it repeatedly.

Stephen had such an interesting life. You think of him now and you just picture the guy slouched over in his wheelchair, drooling and talking with a robotic voice. But there is so much more to Stephen Hawking than that. He was an actual person once, with hopes and dreams and goals. He was in school, he was in love.

This movie has a lot of poignant moments, but none more so than Stephen recieving his diagnosis of ALS. This whole scene was so amazingly filmed, and you could really feel his dread. It was like he was being told that his life was over. And he had so much to live for.

And his story ended up being very inspirational. He fought through all the hard times, breaking down scientific boundaries while his body failed him. It was heartbreaking to see him deteriorate as the movie progressed. But uplifting to see that he didn't let his condition defeat him. 

This is by far one of the saddest movies you will ever see. No human being should ever have to go through what he did physically. Seeing him and his brilliant mind lose the ability to communicate, seeing him almost die on multiple occasions. It really is tragic. But like I said, he pushes through it and the way he continued to be a scientific force after losing almost complete control of his whole body is quite the story.

This movie ran the full spectrum of emotions for me. Sorrow, humor, heartbreak, triumph, discovery.... this movie had it all. Not only was I mesmerized by the story unfolding in front of me, but I was also completely emotionally invested as well. 

It was a tough call for the best movie I watched in 2015. Any one of these top five could have won it for me. But the nod goes to the Theory of Everything. Great movie, terrifically acted, and well deserving of my #1 spot.

2015 Movie Ranking: #20 to #11

All right, we have hit the top 20 and we are nearing the end of this epic ranking. Here are some movies that I really, really liked... yet were not quite enough to crack the top 10.

#20

I have never been a huge fan of Neill Blomkamp and his movies. So I came into Chappie with low expectations. I am a fan of the genre however. Machines created with artificial intelligence who become sentient and start to grow as individuals. Data was my favorite Star Trek character, after all.

This movie is about a damaged law enforcement robot scheduled for disposal. A doctor who is working on an experimental AI program claims the robot off the scrap heap and implants him with the AI. The robot becomes alive and sentient, acting like a child and not really sure what to make of what is going on around him. He is named Chappie.

Unfortunately, Chappie falls into the hands of violent criminals who raise him for their evil purposes. He is torn between his creator and the life of crime he has been brought into. Chappie is not a bad robot, and you can't help but feel sympathy for him and his situation.

And that is what makes the movie go for me. Chappie is just so darned adorable and relatable a character. I had fears that this movie would be kind of like Robocop or something cold hearted like that. But no, the movie definitely has a lot of heart and tugs at your emotions, while also being pretty exciting and action packed at the same time.

I was a big fan. Finally, I was able to enjoy a Blomkamp movie the way everyone else seems to. Weird, because this is one of his least popular movies, but it is probably my favorite of his.

#19

I've seen this movie a bunch of times before, but never as part of a sequence. I had finished watching the Original Series. I watched all the old movies. And then I watched this as a transition into the Next Generation.

Although people like to knock this movie, I can't quite figure out why. It does so many things right. It brings closure to the Original Series characters. The acting is great, the action is perfect. I even like the whole story line with Sauron and the Nexus. There are also emotional moments too, like Picard's family dying. Data discovering his cat is alive after the ship goes down. Yes, that legitimately brought a tear to my eye.

Speaking of Data, his emotion chip added a new dimension to TNG that was long overdue. We have basically explored every facet of Data's personality on the show, so it was time for something different. He provided a lot of comic relief as he struggled with his emotions, and that kept the movie light in tone with all the fighting and dying going on in the background.

To me, this is definitely top 4 or 5 as far as Star Trek movies, and by far the best one I watched in 2015.

#18

Well, I watched all of the Hunger Games movies in 2015, except for the original one, and this film stands as my favorite of the bunch. I didn't like Catching Fire much when I first saw it. I think it was because I had read the book and had a certain expectation in my mind for how the film was supposed to be. But upon subsequent rewatching, I find that I really like the movie.

It sets up the end game of the story in a very clear and succint way. It tells of the corruption of the Capitol. The unfairness of the games. The unease in the Districts. The first movie dealt mainly with the Games themselves. This film deals with the game behind the Games.

It takes a while to actually get all the tributes into the arena, but when they do the action is fast paced and there is never a dull moment. I do like how they set up the "clock" based arena and all the obstacles each section of the clock entails. This was probably a very hard movie to bring to life, but the film makers did a fantastic job in my opinion.

I didn't watch the first Hunger Games in 2015, so I can't really offer a definitive opinion on which is better, the original or the sequel. But they are both much better than either Mockingjay part and stand fairly equal in quality and enjoyability for me.

#17

I have seen my fair share of slasher movies in my lifetime, but nothing quite compares to the original Friday the 13th. Some teens, a campground, some stabbings. If this movie was made today, I would probably say something about having seen this kind of movie a thousand times before. But I have to take into account that this movie is a pioneer in the genre.

And despite the fact that it is old, it is actually very well made. It doesn't show its age and definitely withstands the test of time. I like Jason's backstory, and how we don't really know who is killing people until the end of the movie when we find out that it is really his mom. She has flipped her wig because the camp counselors allowed her son to drown, and now she wants to make sure the place goes out of commission forever.

And the mystery deepens at the VERY end when it is shown that Jason is really alive after all. I am kind of excited to watch more movies in the series just to see where they go with all this. I'm sure it devolves into stupidity at some point, but there is no denying this first one is quite awesome.

#16

I really had no idea what to expect coming into this. I new the main character was an original Lego character who was a construction worked. I thought the movie would be quirky and funny, but boring and too little kid oriented.

Boy was I wrong. This movie is pretty amazing. Visually, it is stellar. There is action, there is lots of comedy. I personally don't care for "Everything is Awesome" but at least there was only that one music montage scene in the beginning of the movie.

What makes the movie work for me is the diversity of its characters. It was a joy seeing Batman, Gandalf, Han Solo, all kinds of different characters from different franchises working together in this movie. The story of the movie was actually pretty fun too. I figured it out early in the movie that it was a kid playing with Legos and this was all in his head, but the way the dad figures into the story and how protective he is of his Lego collection was actually quite genious. 

Really fun movie. And I actually watched it twice last year and it was better the second time around. Two thumbs up from me!

#15

I had seen this movie once in the past, and if I recall correctly I liked it then as well. This is one of those kind of movies that just really appeals to me, for several reasons. First of all, I like dragons. I like what this movie does with the mythology of dragons and all the different types of them. Also, the movie is just flat out beautiful. Great effects, great scenery. Of course the dragons look amazing.

Another reason would be because although this appears like it would be a kids movie on the surface, it appeals to adults as well. It's not brimming with stupid, childish jokes. Yeah, there is humor, but nothing so silly it makes you roll your eyes. The characters don't spontaneously burst out into song. Anyone can watch this and have a good time. 

The characters are all pretty well fleshed out, they have their own unique quirks and personalities. Even the dragons have personalities. And I find that Hiccup is a very relatable character.

This is just a great example of everything coming together in an animated film in just the right way. I'm sure a lot of adults came in just expecting to tolerate this movie, but instead came out of it really liking it. And I am one of those people.

#14

I was a pretty big fan of the book Gone Girl, so I was a little nervous to see how the movie would turn out. I am not a huge Ben Affleck fan, but I didn't mind him here. He fit the part of Nick Dunne perfectly.

Who really steals the show is his wife Amy. I have heard all kinds of thing about her performance, and I must say that in no way was her performance over-hyped. She is a star and really makes this movie go. 

As far as book to movie adaptations go, this is one of my all time favorites. Nothing too major is left out. Although the movie is long, it never feels long at any time. I had a great time watching it and totally want to see it again. I think it would rank higher if I had watched it later in the year. Instead, it was one of the first movies I watched in early January and by the time I got around to writing this at the end of the year I had forgotten exactly how good it really was.

#13

Here is a perfect example of a movie that above and beyond exceeded all my wildest expectations. A family get together in a mansion. Some killers show up and try to kill everyone one by one. Sound familiar?

But this is totally not the Strangers or anything of that nature. This movie is FUN, and it has some really big twists and surprising moments. The cast is pretty entertaining and not your typical group of people in a movie of this nature. I found that I liked almost everyone in their own unique way. They all bring something different to the table.

The killings are a lot of fun, the movie keeps you on edge. But it is the twist when you find out *spoilers* that one of the family members has set this up so he gets the family money that really made me be like oh snap. 

This was a super clever movie, and it didn't fall into the trap that a lot of these type of movies do where they take themselves too seriously or become too predictable. This was a ton of fun and just a blast to watch.

#12

This used to be my movie when I was a kid. I loved the Ninja Turtles, I loved their movies, and this was definitely the best one in my mind. I was a little worried when I first started watching this that maybe it is a movie I have seen too many times to enjoy anymore.

But this was totally not the case. It had been so long since I had seen this movie, I instantly felt right at home watching this. All the jokes, all the fights, just the feel of the movie made me feel comfortable and brought me to that warm fuzzy place inside.

I loved the movie when I was a kid. I still love it now. This movie is awesome.

Go ninja, go ninja, go!

#11

I actually got this movie from the library as a joke. My wife told me that a friend of hers once picked this up at the store and was like "oh this looks good," And then when she read the description she was like "no, that sounds awful!!" So I got it as a joke so I could show it to her and tell her that it looked good. I didn't actually intend to watch it.

But I did, and it turns out I really liked it. It is set during the Holocaust and is shown from the perspective of a little boy and his Nazi family who live on the edge of a concentration camp. He doesn't really know what is going on. He sees the Jews in the camp and thinks they are just lower class citizens who all wear the same kind of striped pajamas. He befriends a boy on the other side of the fence and the two go through some ups and downs together.

What I really liked was the big ending. *spoilers*

The boy digs under the fence to join his friend as the Russian invasion is coming in. In a panic, the Nazis bring all the prisoners to a gas chamber and kill them. Not knowing the boy is not a Jew, he is killed as well. His family discovers what has happened to him, and there is a big emotional moment before the movie ends. As soon as that kid crawled under the fence I knew what was going to happen and I was like noooooo! Don't do it!

But I liked the movie a lot. It sparked an interest in the Holocaust for me. I gave the Pianist a shot and didn't like it much. I had planned to watch a few other Holocaust movies but never got around to them. Whenever a movie sparks an interest in a particular subject like that for me, you know it has to be good. Usually I just move on.

But not here.

The top ten in random order:

Unbroken

Mad Max: Fury Road

These Final Hours

The Theory of Everything

Wild

The Imposter

Life of Pi

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Boyhood

Jurassic World

2015 Movie Ranking: #34 to #21

Well, shucks. Due to a counting error in one of my previous entries (which has now been edited and rectified) I am actually at top 34 with the list as opposed to top 35.

34 is an odd number to start a ranking with, but we all will have to make do. Let's do it.

#34

I have known about this movie for a long time, ever since I was a kid in fact. But I have never actually sat down and watched it before. I love John Candy, I love Steve Martin, so it was long overdue that I watched this.

The movie's main character is Steve Martin, who is his usually cranky self. He is trying to get back home from across the country, but his plans keep falling apart. Flights cancelled, bad weather shutting everything down, etc. So he has to take the long way home - by taking buses and trains and the like. He is accompanied by John Candy, a bumbling, stumbling oaf he just happens to meet on the road by chance.

Candy is the comic relief who keeps messing things up because he is so clumsy and dimwitted. The two go through a ton of misadventures on the road. Steve Martin can't seem to shake him, and Candy can't seem to take a hint. The two fight and bicker. Its a pretty funny movie.

Finally at the end of the movie, right when Steve Martin is about to explode, we found out that John Candy's wife had died shortly before the two met. That's why Candy was being so clingy because it was lonely and it was the holiday season and he had no one. It's a big moment, and one of the things that separates this from being your typical dysfunctional buddy movie.

The movie is funny, it has heart, and there is never a dull moment. I was a fan.

#33

Well, I really didn't have any idea what I was getting into when I watched this. I was expecting a 40-Year Old Virgin type of movie and instead what I got was a raunchy stoner film with more inappropriate moments than I could count.

But that is a good thing! I like low-class style humor, and this movie definitely delivers it in boat loads. I like stoner movies too, so it was like the best of both worlds when it comes to comedies for me.

I love the characters and the setting of the film. Just the fact that these guys work designing video games makes them that much more appealing and relatable to me. It appealed to my nerd sense. I know this isn't a great movie, and ask me again in 10 years and I probably won't be able to remember anything about it. But I had a very fun time watching it and that is all that matters. Definitely one of the more fun comedies I have watched this year.

#32

I kind of had some harsh words for Mockingjay Part 2, which I didn't feel really did the series justice in its closing chapter. Although the critics seemed to like Part 2 better than Part 1, I had the complete opposite reaction.

Perhaps it was because I knew the series wasn't ending just yet that I was able to enjoy this movie. I love the Hunger Games. I wanted more Hunger Games. I knew that the first part of Mockingjay the book was kinda so-so. As a result, I had lower expectations for the first Mockingjay film.

I think this movie definitely more than did the source material justice. I didn't like the opening part of the book that much, but this movie was able to present the story to the audience in a fresh way that made it exciting and seem like things were actually happening. This whole movie is setting up its second half, but it does it in a way where it doesn't seem like the whole film is mindless filler.

I still prefer the first two Hunger Games movie to this one, but I had a really good time here. It just shows you how expectations play a part in how you like a movie. I had low expectations for this, and when it turned out it was good it gets a high ranking from me. I had very high expectations for the sequel, and when it turned out to be just okay, it took a huge hit on my ranking.

So even though the movies probably aren't THAT different quality wise, this one stuck with me whereas the second one did not.

#31

Just reading the description of this movie, it didn't really seem like something I would be interested in. I don't really like this kind of music, nor do I understand its appeal. And who wants to see a mean teacher bully some kid for 2 hours?

It turns out there is more to the movie than that. This movie is about the quest for perfection, and how some people will do anything to make it happen. The acting really pushes the movie for me. Great performances all around, especially from the teacher. You can cut the tension in the air in this movie with a butter knife, it is so high strung. I really liked the on edge, intense feel of the whole movie.

This was definitely a nice surprise for me. Any movie that can take a subject I don't really care for and get me interested in it is obviously doing something right. I wasn't AS ecstatic about it as the critics were, but I still enjoyed it.

#30

I have seen this movie a handful of times now, but my wife had never seen it prior to our 2015 viewing. It was Halloween time and we were taking turns picking out movies. She had never seen this before, and was actually willing to watch it (she hates John Cusack so I never thought she'd give it a shot). 

It's always more fun watching a movie with someone who hasn't seen it before. If I had sat down to watch this alone, I might have lost interest since I had seen it a few times before. But it was fun watching it with her.

Love the way the movie sets up the hotel and the haunted room. Once we get into 1408, however, I found that things weren't quite as scary as I remembered. In fact, a lot of the things that happen in the room are kind of funny and had us laughing on several occasions. I think Cusack's extreme reactions to things, and how he often gets mad and starts destroying things was our main cause of amusement.

But even though we laughed in inappropriate parts, we still had a great time. This movie is a lot of fun and I really enjoyed watching it last year. This is one of the many "silly but fun" updates you will undoubtedly be seeing on this particular entry.

#29

We all know that these types of films aren't my favorite out there, but I must say I really do enjoy Frozen. The movie is stunning to look at, all the effects are just incredible. We weren't going to watch it this year but we got a new big high definition TV and wanted to watch it on Blu Ray. 

I love the story, I love the characters, it is funny, and for once I actually liked the music in a Disney movie.

Let it Go is one of my guilty pleasures, I must say. I don't mind the other songs either. Do you wanna build a snow maaaaaaan?

It is a cute movie, and it has it all. It ranks right up there with Wall-E and the Lion King as one of my favorite animated flicks of all time.

#28

Well here it is, the highest ranking Harry Potter on my list. As you can remember, Deathly Hallows Part One had a relatively low ranking here. A lot depends on my mood watching these movies. If I am not in the mood to watch something - or for some reason can't get into it, that lowers my opinion of a film no matter how good it is.

My attitude watching these 2 movies was night and day. Whereas I couldn't really get into part one, I thought part 2 was a ton of fun. I got into it in a way that the first one couldn't match.

There is a lot of action in this film, and it is all so very pretty to look at. The Gringott's caper, the dragon ride, all the battles at Hogwarts.... this movie is a ton of fun. 

Definitely a great send off to the Harry Potter movies. It was the first one without a single dull moment whatsoever. I had a blast watching this one.

#27

Like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles this is a movie I have known about basically my whole life, yet for one reason or another I never actually sat down and watched.

It was the Christmas season, my wife had bought this movie because she figured it would be "my kind" of humor, and we watched it. Despite my low expectations, I came to find that I actually liked the movie.

Big, dysfunctional family gets together for the holidays. Annoying, yuppy neighbors. A bumbling dad who means well but can't seem to do anything right. Lots of slapstick humor and comic mishaps. There is even a kidnapping at the end! 

This movie had it all. There is never a dull moment. Even though I tend to not like comedies much, the movie never lost me at any point. I liked the characters, plus the movie has a ton of iconic moments (see, kitten in the Christmas tree). Although a lot of things that happen here seem outlandish and unrealistic, the movie never seems too dated or too eye-rollingly stupid at any point. 

The family is relatable even through its dysfunction. The movie has a big heart. I thought it would just be slapstick idiocy, but it turned out to be much more than that. There is a reason this movie is considered a classic by so many people.

#26

Here is a case of a movie that I didn't have high expectations for completely shocking the crap out of me.

I had seen the trailers. A raccoon, a big tree, some weird looking alien people. I did not have high hopes for this. I like Marvel movies, but I had never heard of any of these characters. I thought this was going to be really hokey and not my kind of movie.

But hey! Almost immediately the film proved me wrong. First of all, this is one of the most gorgeous movies I have ever seen. I know looks aren't everything, but when you do a movie with lots of CGI and lots of outlandish alien creatures, you run the risk of having things look really cheesy or awful. But everything is really believable here. And the landscapes and set pieces are stunning.

The action is a lot of fun, I was interested in the story line. But the characters drive the film for me. There is so much to love about Rocket, Star Lord, and the others. Especially Groot. I love Groot so much ,you guys don't even know. Not only is the movie fast paced with a lot of action, but it is funny and it has heart too. The funniest line from the movie for me is when Groot is asked a question toward the end and before he can answer Star Lord says "I'm pretty sure the answer is I am Groot."

Great musical score here too, which really adds to the movie's personality. No humor, no fun 70's/80's music, and the movie loses a lot of what made it so unique and special. My only knock is that the story line, while it serves its purpose in driving the characters and the action, is mostly forgettable when all is said and done.

Still, this is probably one of my favorite superhero movies ever, to be honest with you. Which I never would have expected when I started watching this.

#25

For anyone who has a long memory, this movie actually won my ranking list the year it came out. This is back when I used to rank on message boards as opposed to this blog, so I don't think there is any evidence of it remaining. 

I had been caught up in Avatar fever, I am sorry to admit, and really was wowed by the effects and the 3D in the movie theaters. I liked the story too, and really got sucked in by the movie and thought it was incredible. Which it was really, I had never anything like it at the time. The world this film creates, the colors, the effects, the mythology. Fantastic.

My Avatar fever has died down a bit since then, but I still enjoy the movie. My wife and I decided to watch it this year on Blu-Ray on our brand new big TV. It wasn't the same as seeing it in the theater, but it was still really cool to look at. 

It may not be the most original movie, and I know that a lot of people like to mock it (unfairly - I may add), but I had a fun time watching it.

#24

I seem to have a different reaction to this movie every time I watch it. If I can recall correctly, last year it had a relatively low ranking on my list. I mean, you can see why I wouldn't like it right? It is completely different in tone than the first movie, which I consider a classic. It is like comparing A Phantom Menace to a New Hope. Bad acting, lots of CGI, over the top action scenes with no slow build whatsoever.

Despite the movie's flaws, I really enjoyed watching it this year. Why watch movies if not to have fun? And this movie (if you come in knowing what to expect) can be a lot of fun. Sure it is corny in spots, and can seem like it was designed by a 5th grader with ADD. But if you come in with an open mind, knowing it is not the greatest movie of all time, you can actually just sit back and enjoy yourself. And that is what I did in 2015. 

By no means is this movie better than the original Jurassic Park (which had a very low ranking on this year's list) . So why does it place so much higher? It is not a movie I have seen too many times, so it was more of a fresh viewing experience for me. I didn't zone out watching it, I didn't fall asleep or play games on my phone. I just had fun and enjoyed the film for what it is.

Now next year, if I watch it, I will probably go back to hating it again. I can never seem to make up my mind on this movie.

#23

This is another one, like Avatar, Jurassic Park 3, 1408, et cetera you can classify as silly but fun. Big effects, big action. No cinematic masterpiece, but a classic in their own rights to people who like those kind of movies. Which I do.

Whenever I can I try to watch this movie on July 4th. I was up north this year in Channing Michigan on July 4th, but I had brought this movie along hoping I would get the opportunity to watch it. Luckily, after viewing some Independence Day fireworks I was able to set aside some time at the cabin to watch this movie. I was with my wife's family, and most of everyone else was off doing other things or out at the fire.

I sat there and watched this from beginning to end, with people coming in and flitting around and watching some of it and then getting up and leaving. It was fun. I had a great time watching this. This is a movie I have seen a million times before, but just the whole energy in the air and atmosphere as I watched this made it even better. 

It doesn't hurt that I was a little buzzed too. That tends to make a lot of things a little better.

#22

When I first started watching this, I think I had it confused with Ex Machina. I expected to see an actual artificial woman rather than just hear her voice, and that didn't happen. Still, though, once the movie got going I was not disappointed at all.

This film seems to take the concept of people talking to their phones (Siri!) to a new level. Joaquin Phoenix's character creates a personalized computer assistant that develops into what seems like a living, breathing, reacting, feeling, intelligence inside the system that he falls in love with.

I found the whole thing to be quite fascinating. Even I, the detached observer, really had an interest in their relationship. What seems like on the surface to be a really odd thing doesn't seem that odd after all. 

There is humor, romance, and heart break all set against a sci fi background. I really enjoyed this movie and was pleasantly surprised. I thought I would be bored or not like it much but it turned out to be one of the better movies I watched in 2015.

Bonus points for this:

#21

This is another documentary that had been on my Netflix queue for ages. I thought it would be boring, more focused on the technical side of making games. To my delight, I was way wrong.

This movie dives into the history of games, focusing on a lot of influential games that have shaped the industry into what it is today. It also focuses on today's technology and where games have left to go from here. I found it really interesting.

I couldn't help but nerd out over the "montages" in this documentary. Every so often the movie cuts away to a music montage of clips from classic games. I felt like a kid at a candy store... "I've played that one! And that one! Hey, I love that game!" I knew almost everything they showed.

This documentary was a real treat for a life long gamer like me. 

--

All right, we have made it to the Top 20. Next update coming.... in the next few days.

Remaining movies, in random order:

Gone Girl

You're Next

Chappie

Star Trek Generations

The Lego Movie

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Catching Fire

Unbroken

Mad Max: Fury Road

These Final Hours

TMNT 2: The Secret of the Ooze

How to Train Your Dragon

The Theory of Everything

Friday the 13th

Wild

The Imposter

Life of Pi

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Boyhood

Jurassic World

Video Game Review: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

PlayStation 3

Every once in a great while a game will swoop in, seemingly out of nowhere, and take me completely by surprise. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is such a game. I had never heard of this game. In fact, I probably still would never have heard of the game if it wasn't available as a free download on the PlayStation Network.

I figured why not give it a shot? I never turn down the opportunity to play a free game. I looked up a couple reviews of it online, saw that it was supposed to be good, and then decided to give it a go.

Right off the bat, I was taken aback by the game's gorgeous visual style. It looks stunning, like a well realized, fully fleshed out fantasy novel or fairy tale come to life. The story focuses around two young boys who are brothers (obviously). They set out on a quest to find a potion which will save their father, who is fallen ill and seemingly on his death bed.

None of the characters in the game speak English. There are no subtitles either. So basically, it is up to you to figure out what is going on through body language and context clues. I thought this dynamic would be a bother at first, but it actually lends to the game's charm and mystique. You don't need to know exactly what everyone is saying. The game makes it very clear what is going on.

As the game progresses, you find out more about the boys' past. What happened to their mother, their life with their father up until this point. Turns out that this small family has really been through a lot, which lends a sense of urgency and desperation to their quest to save the father.

The game's controls take some time to get used to. You don't control one brother and have the other one follow you around - you must control each brother at the same time. Each analogue stick controls a brother. The left side controls the big brother, the right stick the younger one. Also, the shoulder triggers act as action buttons to each corresponding character.

This can be very disconcerting and hard to get a hang of. The human brain doesn't seem to be fully capable of moving two characters at the same time, especially when using the same controller. You sort of get used to it after a while, but I found that even towards the end of the game I was managing to screw things up every once in a while.

Each brother has his own unique attributes. The older brother is stronger and can move things that the smaller brother is incapable of. Also, the older brother is a strong swimmer. The younger brother is afraid of the water (for reasons which the game will dive in to) and must rely on the older brother to get him across rivers whenever swimming is required to advance in the game.

Conversely, the younger brother is smaller and can get into areas the younger brother can not. For example, he can squeeze through bars and other small places when your characters are in a jam.

The game doesn't have any really traditional enemies as we are accustomed to in video games. There are a few fights which resemble boss battles, but they are solved more through puzzle solving than actual combat. For example, not too far into the game, there is an ogre you must get past. The younger brother must run into an open cage, have the ogre follow him in, squeeze through the bars at the far side of the cage to escape, and have the older brother turn a crank to close the door on the ogre and seal him in the cage.

Gameplay consists mainly of traversing this big, epic fantasy world. You climb things, swim, swing from ropes, solve puzzles and make your way to your ultimate goal of finding that potion that saves your dad. There are even a few vehicle segments where you fly a hang glider and ride in a boat across icy waters.

The game is always finding new ways to keep things fresh. Although this seems at first glance to be a simple "get from point A to point B" journey, it is anything but. And the way the game keeps you interested is in its varied gameplay, as mentioned in the paragraph above, and just as importantly - its incredible landscapes.

Anyone who appreciates a good fantasy epic will love the locales of this game. Everything is super detailed, super gorgeous. You start out in a beautifully rendered village. You make your way through an underground troll mine, a dark and haunted forest, an airy mountain range, a bloody battlefield full of fallen giants, an eerie abandoned town in the snow which is haunted by a terrifying beast, and much more.

Not only does the game look good, the sounds accompany each environment perfectly. Play this in the dark, put on some headphones, and let the game completely immerse you. It truly is an extraordinary experience.

I must say though, that the game is very short. It can easily be beaten in one sitting. While normally this would be a knock on a game - I got this for free so I am not going to complain. And a lot of classic older titles like Mario Bros. and Contra can be beaten in one play through - and you don't see me knocking them. The game is short, yeah, but it is still fucking epic.

All I can say is that if you have never played this game, you NEED to. There is no excuse not to. No, I don't think it is free anymore, but you can probably get it for really cheap. It is well worth the experience to own this amazing game forever. People shell out 20 bucks for a movie they'll only watch once or twice in their life. Why not pay 5 for a really great game that you will want to play over and over again?

It will be the best decision you have ever made.

Overall:

A

2015 Movie Ranking: #50 to #36

Into the top 50 we roll....

#50

I definitely did not enjoy this movie as much as I did the first one, but there is no denying its obvious charm.

This is simply a very well made series. Visually, it is top notch. The story is great - much deeper than you would expect from your average animated flick. It is funny, has a great cast, good characters. I like it a lot.

I feel that the world of the movie isn't as interesting now that humans and dragons are living together. The fear of the unknown and the conflict between the two really drove the first movie for me. Sure this movie did a lot of great things with the battle against the bad guys - and Hiccup's mom being alive. But it just didn't quite have the magic of the original for me.

Kudos for this movie having the cajones to kill off a major character though. Definitely a big, memorable moment that made an already really good movie even better.

#49

I'd had this on my Netflix queue for a really long time, but had never gotten around to watching it until last year. I knew it sounded like something I would like, but at the same time it sounded like it could be depressing too.

It turned out to be really informative. It definitely made me change the way I look at aquatic parks like Sea World. It also made me change my perspective on killer whales, who I hadn't really given much thought to before. I guess I always considered them as big dumb animals like cows or something - but that is definitely not the case.

In fact, I became so interested by them thanks to this documentary that I immediately turned around and watched The Whale when I finished with this. Blackfish is definitely an eye opener and something everyone needs to see.

#48

I watched this movie religiously when I was a kid, although I have never seen it once as an adult. I didn't watch this so many times because of Anna Nicole Smith's boobs. No, no. no. Not at all. I watched it for the entertaining story, the Jurassic Park references, and the unique style of humor that the Naked Gun series brings to the table. Well yeah, and Anna Nicole Smith's boobs. But I most definitely did NOT rewind the VHS over and over again to look at them. Definitely not.

I always used to consider this my favorite Naked Gun movie. Now, I would be hard pressed to choose among them. They are all pretty darn good. This one does have its own unique charm, especially because of the scene at the end with the bomb threat at the Oscars. Sure the whole movie is funny, but that part with all the celeb cameos and Frank's outrageous behavior steals the show.

They don't make funny movies like this anymore.

#47

I was a little worried when I started watching this that I wasn't going to like it. That it was going to be one of those movies I've seen too many times to enjoy anymore. But I still powered through it, wanting to see the series one last time before diving in to Ash vs the Evil Dead. Not only did I like it, but I liked it as the best movie in the series. Even more than Army of Darkness, which I always considered to be the series' crowning achievement.

This movie walks a fine line between being funny and being legitimately scary at the same time. There is a lot of slapstick humor here - obviously. But the cabin is creepy, the Deadites are creepy, and that fucking bitch in the cellar is very, very creepy.

This is a great movie with a ton of iconic moments. My favorite scene has to be the one in the kitchen where Ash is battling his own hand. I had a great time watching this, although I probably won't watch it again for a long time. I don't want this movie to lose its magic - and if that means not watching it for another 5 years or so that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

#46

I always wondered how George Takei became so big on Facebook. I only knew him as Mr Sulu from Star Trek. So I figured I'd watch this documentary and see if it offered any insight into his rise in popularity.

It was definitely very interesting. He seems like a good fellow who has been through a lot in his time, yet has managed to come out of everything with his positivity and enthusiasm for life intact. I didn't know he was as interesting as he was, being in internment camps when he was younger. His acting career, his time on Star Trek. His activism. This documentary had humor and heart, and I came out of it with a new appreciation for Mr Takei, his life, and all the positive work he has been doing in the community.

And of course, he always finds the funniest memes and articles to post on Facebook.

#45

Back to back movies with George Takei. What are the chances of that?

I had just started re-watching Star Trek: The Next Generation when I realized that I didn't really remember much of what had happened in Star Trek 6. How the Klingons and Federation became allies instead of mortal enemies.

So I came back and watched this movie again. I know I watched it in 2014, but I can recall not being too thrilled about the movie. That just goes to show how much opinions can change in such a short time - and why I do the ranking each year. I definitely liked it much better the second time around. I thought the story was really interesting, the tension was palpable and you could feel it in the air. And for a Kirk-era Star Trek movie the effects are pretty good here. And of course, I got to see all about how the Klingons and the Federation finally buried the hatchet and became allies.

Definitely in my top 5 Star Trek movies of all time, which is a big step up from where it would have ranked previously. 

#44

This movie came very close to not even making the ranking at all. I originally attempted to watch it in a drive in theater back in July when it first came out, but I ended up falling asleep barely a half hour into it and missing almost the entire movie. I definitely didn't see enough to include it on this list.

When it came out on DVD, I put it on hold at the library and waited for it to come in for me. Unfortunately, there was a huge wait for it. The movie didn't come in until December 28 or 29 - and it ended up being one of the last movies I watched all year. It was THAT close to missing the cut off.

I liked what I saw in the drive in, and I liked it even more at home. Ant Man isn't a superhero you hear much about, but he is definitely one of the more interesting ones, at least in my opinion. I was pretty engrossed from beginning to end. The plot of the movie isn't too overly complex or amazing or anything, but the characters are what makes it go. That, and the really cool special effects. Going back to Honey, I Shrunk the Kids I have always enjoyed films where people shrink down to tiny size and see things from this new small perspective. And this movie definitely delivers that.

This movie is just pure fun, and I can't wait to see what they decide to do with this character going forward.

#43

Mortal Kombat has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. It had been a while since I had watched this movie, so I decided to give it another go around in 2015.

On the surface it would seem like this movie would be terrible. It is based on a video game - which is never a good thing for movies. There are a bunch of no name actors. The music, action, dialogue, the characters.... everything is borderline over the top and corny. But it is corny in a charming way.

I like the atmosphere of the movie. Even with all the action being as outlandish as it is, the film still manages to retain an aura of authenticity about it. I know it is not a great movie, but I still have fun every time I watch it. The sequel, however, is everything I expected this movie to be. It is just flat out awful.

#42

I watched this in 2015 in preparation for seeing the final Hobbit movie in the theater. I had seen this in 2014 as well, and just like Star Trek 6 - I didn't like it much. I definitely find that it has improved greatly upon rewatch.

I think my problem with watching it the first time was how far it strayed from the source material. I kept expecting one thing to happen, and it didn't. I kept wondering who some of these new characters were and why they were adding silly subplots to the movie.

Watching it again, I didn't mind any of these things. I was able to just appreciate it for what it was. I sat back and enjoyed the ride. And it is a very entertaining ride. I like how this movie jumps right into the action - there is no lengthy introduction at the beginning, no set up of the story. We just get right down to it. The movie is one big thrill ride that I was really able to get in to. 

Smaug himself is awesome, and I love how the movie sets up the third installment. It could have been shorter, but I am not going to complain too much.

#41

Close call, but I have this a slight edge over the Desolation of Smaug.

I have read the Hobbit before, and I had absolutely NO idea how they were going to stretch it out to three movies. I had no clue what was going to happen in this film since I basically remember all that they did was go home after defeating Smaug in the book. Turns out there was more to it than that.

I thought the first two Hobbit movies were pretty good, but I never really liked them much until I watched them a second time. This movie I actually enjoyed right away. I saw it in the theater with my wife, who begrudgingly came (she's not a huge fan of this series or LOTR). Turns out she actually liked it too. 

There is a lot of action and fighting in this film. Not a lot of backstory. And the film feels a lot shorter than the other Hobbit movies. Perhaps that's the reason I had such a good time. It is just a really FUN movie. Great effects, fast paced action, and a lot of humor thrown in the mix as well. I know people liked to knock this movie, and maybe if I watch it again I will be able to see its flaws. But I really enjoyed it. It opened up with a bang (the big Smaug fight at the beginning is AWESOME) and never really let up. 

#40

I wasn't really sure if I would like this or not, but I was bored one day and noticed how short the movie was. So I figured why not give it a try. I enjoyed it actually. I thought that Joseph Gordon-Levitt's player character would be a sleaze bag but I kind of liked him and related to some of his problems about porn being more fun than actual sex.

Scarlett Johansen is great in this movie, and although at first the accent irritated me, I quickly forgot about it and found myself majorly swooning for her. The dry hump scene in the hall was quite hot. Then of course her bitch colors came out and I hated her.

The story for the movie is nothing special. There are no big twists or turns. Nothing really too exciting happens. It is just more of a "let's look in on this person's life for a few months" kind of movie. And you know what? It didn't bore me at all. Even though nothing super exciting happens, I still had a good time. And that says a lot about this film. I love it when movies can do that, and this one does it quite well.

#39

I watched this documentary immediately after watching the movie The Theory of Everything. I thought that movie was really good (as evidenced by its not appearing yet on the list) and I had Stephen Hawking on the brain, so I immediately set out to learn more about him. Lucky for me, this documentary was readily available on Netflix.

This movie focuses a lot about Stephen's accomplishments in the scientific field, as well as his battle with ALS. It is a very heartfelt documentary. You learn a lot about him and his life, you pick up things that weren't addressed in the Theory of Everything. Stephen's story is a sad one, but the documentary doesn't linger on the negative. You come out of it feeling happy for him and proud of all of his accomplishments.

I'm not going to lie, it brought a tear to my eye, especially when they brought him up in that zero G environment toward the end of the film. If you are at all interested in Stephen Hawking's life, you need to check this out. If you don't care about him, you will probably be bored.

#38

My wife and I started watching all the Harry Potter movies two years ago, but stalled out after the Order of the Phoenix. I am OCD about finishing things that I start, so it was beginning to nag at me that we never finished the last few movies. I suggested we watch this at the conclusion of a date night, and she was all for it.

This really is one of the better Harry Potter movies. Most of the movie is pretty relaxed, and mainly deals with school stuff. There is some talk about Voldemort and what everyone is going to do about him. It isn't until the end when Harry and Dumbledore go to the cave to get the Horcrux that the movie really gets good. This whole scene is fucking awesome to me.

And then after that when Dumbledore dies - I just found it to be a really well done part of the movie. It totally does the books justice. The sense of betrayal, defeat, and anger is so heavy in the air you can feel it.

It sets up the last two movies perfectly. There are quite a few HP movies I didn't care for, plus I have always said that the movies don't really compare favorably to the books. But this is one of the few exceptions. I really like this movie.

#37

I really underestimated how much I would like this movie. I thought I'd come in, tolerate the movie. Maybe chuckle a couple of times. And then forget it when all was said and done. As you should know by now through reading this blog, comedies are not my favorite genre out there.

But to my surprise, I ended up really enjoying this movie. City Slickers is a film with a lot of heart. It has great characters, and even though these characters are all adult men - it is in a way a coming of age story. The story line here is something that I feel a lot of people who just need to get away can relate to. And it is funny as well.

I was a big fan of this movie. It is a shame its sequel didn't come anywhere close to living up to this movie's legacy, however.

#36

I thought this movie was going to be really terrible. Rocky is past his prime. The last movie he was in (Rocky V) wasn't very good in my opinion. This movie could have been a trainwreck.

Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. This film puts a modern spin on the Rocky legend, while also being a really great throwback to the original film at the same time. This is a movie with heart and soul, at a time when I thought the Rocky series well had pretty much run dry. I liked it a lot.

And now I am excited to see Creed, which I have heard nothing but good things about. If I liked this movie so much - despite not having heard much about it - then I am sure I will love Creed.

Here is the top 35 in random order. Anyone have predictions?

Star Trek Generations

The Lego Movie

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Catching Fire

Unbroken

Mad Max: Fury Road

These Final Hours

Avatar

Jurassic Park 3

Independence Day

1408

Frozen

How to Train Your Dragon

Mockingjay Part One

Guardians of the Galaxy

The Theory of Everything

Friday the 13th

Whiplash

Wild

The Imposter

Life of Pi

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Boyhood

Jurassic World

Video Games: The Movie

Grandma's Boy

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Her

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

You're Next

TMNT 2: The Secret of the Ooze

Gone Girl

Chappie