2014 in Review: Part 1
Wow, 2014 has come to a close. I've really enjoyed this year, especially in film. Over the next several posts, I'll be compiling all the films I've seen from this past year that I didn't review in full. As always, to see how I rank these films relative to each other, take a look at my IMDB list for this year.
Transcendence - Watch it on cable.
I wanted to see this movie so much when I first heard about it. Christopher Nolan's cinematographer of choice Wally Pfister in my opinion made his films perfect visually. However, Transcendence never really knows what to say about technology, bouncing back and forth between a the-environment-would-be-better-without-it perspective and a people-would-be-more-social-without-it view. It has such a convoluted plot and characters that fail to have a lot of dimension that all of Pfister's visually amazing direction just gets lost. Grade: 40
Edge of Tomorrow - Buy it.
This is the most underrated film of the past summer. Doug Liman, of Bourne Identity fame, directs this film perfectly. Every little detail is spot-on, from the bleak war landscapes to the well-designed aliens. His action sequences are also some of the best you'll see from this year. Tom Cruise proves once again that he is best with original material, as his performance as William Cage is quite possibly the best of his prolific career. Emily Blunt also steps into the limelight as Rita Vrataski, making her character come alive. Edge of Tomorrow has a little bit of everything: comedy, romance, action, war. That's what makes it one of the best of this year. Grade: 90
Into the Storm - Skip it.
In my defense, I never wanted to see this mess. This is one of the least effective disaster films I have ever seen. Into the Storm has nothing mediocre or better besides its visual effects, but even they feel like a "look at what we can do 18 years after Twister" and lend very little to the film itself. The characters are flatter than the prairies that the tornadoes in the film destroy, as are the plot and acting. Nothing about this movie does anything to make it worth watching. Grade: 31
The Lego Movie - Buy it.
Wow, was this a breath of fresh air! No film this year has continued to surprise me as much as The Lego Movie. It seems to be even better each time I watch it. The animation is perhaps the most life-like I have ever seen, while the voice casting is spot-on. Its clever one-liners never get stale, while its recurring gags only get funnier over time. There are so many jokes in this movie that it will take you a couple of viewings to find them all. Most importantly, however, is the film's message on the power of imagination. No film could have embodied Legos well without this. Nostalgia aside, this is the best animated from this year by a long shot. Grade: 87
God's Not Dead - Skip it.
I really want to say that I liked this movie; however, God's Not Dead further cements Christian cinema as far inferior to almost any other genre. It's not that the movie has a poorly executed message. On the contrary, that is easily the most positive aspect of this film, as it is reassuring to Christians and thought-provoking to others. Its message is not supported well by anything else, however, as the acting is wooden, the dialogue is sub-par, and it manages to make fun of Christians by means of cliches almost as much as it does toward atheists. Watch this in your youth group or Sunday school class as a discussion piece, not as a movie. Grade: 38
How to Train Your Dragon 2 - Buy it.
This movie pleasantly surprised me. I never wanted to see either this or its predecessor; however, How to Train Your Dragon 2 has everything down. It has a good mix of comedy and drama, breathtaking and fun animation, and excellent voice casting that puts it over the top. Even though its premise seems quite childish, its emotionally satisfying plot really makes this a pleasant viewing for anyone. Similar to The Lego Movie in this respect, it will captivate kids with its likable characters and entertain adults with its unique story and clever comedy. Grade: 81
I wanted to see this movie so much when I first heard about it. Christopher Nolan's cinematographer of choice Wally Pfister in my opinion made his films perfect visually. However, Transcendence never really knows what to say about technology, bouncing back and forth between a the-environment-would-be-better-without-it perspective and a people-would-be-more-social-without-it view. It has such a convoluted plot and characters that fail to have a lot of dimension that all of Pfister's visually amazing direction just gets lost. Grade: 40
This is the most underrated film of the past summer. Doug Liman, of Bourne Identity fame, directs this film perfectly. Every little detail is spot-on, from the bleak war landscapes to the well-designed aliens. His action sequences are also some of the best you'll see from this year. Tom Cruise proves once again that he is best with original material, as his performance as William Cage is quite possibly the best of his prolific career. Emily Blunt also steps into the limelight as Rita Vrataski, making her character come alive. Edge of Tomorrow has a little bit of everything: comedy, romance, action, war. That's what makes it one of the best of this year. Grade: 90
In my defense, I never wanted to see this mess. This is one of the least effective disaster films I have ever seen. Into the Storm has nothing mediocre or better besides its visual effects, but even they feel like a "look at what we can do 18 years after Twister" and lend very little to the film itself. The characters are flatter than the prairies that the tornadoes in the film destroy, as are the plot and acting. Nothing about this movie does anything to make it worth watching. Grade: 31
Wow, was this a breath of fresh air! No film this year has continued to surprise me as much as The Lego Movie. It seems to be even better each time I watch it. The animation is perhaps the most life-like I have ever seen, while the voice casting is spot-on. Its clever one-liners never get stale, while its recurring gags only get funnier over time. There are so many jokes in this movie that it will take you a couple of viewings to find them all. Most importantly, however, is the film's message on the power of imagination. No film could have embodied Legos well without this. Nostalgia aside, this is the best animated from this year by a long shot. Grade: 87
I really want to say that I liked this movie; however, God's Not Dead further cements Christian cinema as far inferior to almost any other genre. It's not that the movie has a poorly executed message. On the contrary, that is easily the most positive aspect of this film, as it is reassuring to Christians and thought-provoking to others. Its message is not supported well by anything else, however, as the acting is wooden, the dialogue is sub-par, and it manages to make fun of Christians by means of cliches almost as much as it does toward atheists. Watch this in your youth group or Sunday school class as a discussion piece, not as a movie. Grade: 38
This movie pleasantly surprised me. I never wanted to see either this or its predecessor; however, How to Train Your Dragon 2 has everything down. It has a good mix of comedy and drama, breathtaking and fun animation, and excellent voice casting that puts it over the top. Even though its premise seems quite childish, its emotionally satisfying plot really makes this a pleasant viewing for anyone. Similar to The Lego Movie in this respect, it will captivate kids with its likable characters and entertain adults with its unique story and clever comedy. Grade: 81
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