Seeing as my listings of the best films of the year thus far back in June was deemed a success, and the Best of 2015 awards being quite a hassle to sort out on BlogSpot, we may as well kick off the year by returning to standard habits and listing off my personal top ten movies out of the batch I saw (but not necessarily reviewed). 10. Brooklyn
A film that has been receiving plenty of recognition since its Sundance premiere all the way back in January, it narrowly pips fellow awards contender Steve Jobs from this top ten purely for its charm and emotional story; elevated greatly from a superb performance from actress Saoirse Ronan. As far as a love story goes, Brooklyn was 2015's best offer. 9. The Martian
Similarly, The Martian has been a surprise hit for Ridley Scott, who underwent a series of unfortunate entries to his resumé but has now managed to reclaim his throne as one of the kings of directing sci-fi. With a stellar lead performance by Matt Damon and an all-star cast filled with no disappointments, The Martian promises not only to be the most scientifically-accurate sci-fi film to come out in a while but also being the most enjoyable, occasionally funny one too. May the potential Oscar buzz grace this film. 8. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The last time I spoke about 2015's Best Picture winner, I mentioned that the superhero outrage sparked by its release and response left me feeling a little sour about the film, and I stand by that statement. However, having recently rewatched the film before the year's end I was happy that none of the charm nor technical majesty that made me thoroughly enjoy the film all the way back in the early days of January had disappeared. Yes it's been surpassed by seven other, more enjoyable or interesting films, but it remains a strong entry considering it was technically a 2014 release (damn staggered release dates). 7. Beasts of No Nation
A film which sparked some level of controversy due its shared access at theaters and internet streaming Netflix (who purchased the rights to the film), it's rather surprisingly to find a film that would have been otherwise insignificant on this list, especially when considering that catching this film was purely coincidental. But thankfully the two+ hours spent being forced to watch this picture weren't in vain, as Beasts of No Nation ended up being an overly gripping and difficult movie in which the events that transpire to its lead character making for something so engagingly horrific that it stays with you long after the site gives you recommendations as to what to watch next. 6. The Theory of Everything
Another early viewing from 2015, this UK success remains a highlight of last year thanks largely to the dual efforts of Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones as the two Hawkings, complete with an engaging and heart-wrenching story based on the true events of their lives and a strong supporting role from Charlie Cox. While not quite as rewatchable as some of the higher entries on this list, it remains a strong picture and one I'm sure to revisit in years to come (just with extended gaps between each viewing). 5. Kingsman: The Secret Service
What do you see when you look at this film? Some see it as a fun popcorn film filled with gross-out humour and kick-ass action sequences; others see a misogynistic pile of tripe with dire written all over it. Obviously, I'm in the former group, as this mildly controversial picture (a staple on Best and Worst of 2015 lists from fellow critics) was hugely entertaining and remains watchable with each viewing. Flawed yes and still in need of a little tidying up here and there, but this new franchise is one I intend on keeping a close eye on for many years to come. 4. Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron
While the film is hindered a little by its reliance on further world-building and its numerous quips (which do all get a laugh but can detract focus on the matters at hand), Age of Ultron remains a worthy successor to the original and remains a highlight of 2015 despite how quickly it's been forgotten. Judging by some of the comments on it, it may even be considered underrated. 3. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
A film that has been butting heads with fellow Sundance breakout Dope (which never played in my area, so I sadly missed out), Me and Earl was a film which showed just how good a film based on a young adult novel around a character with cancer can be, thanks largely to its occasionally witty dialogue, strong lead performances and direction to aspire to. It's sweet, it's heart-breaking and it's a film that I insist should get a look-in when the DVD comes out in the UK in a couple of weeks (I've already pre-ordered my copy!) 2. Whiplash
Yes, something took over Whiplash's top spot (and you can probably guess what). No, it hasn't diminished in quality since its January release. What Whiplash is is a shockingly strong Oscar winner which has the most gripping finale all year despite being a film based around the art of music. This film is superb stuff, and it deserves all the love it's had since its first appearance on the festival circuit in 2014. 1. Inside Out
There are certain people and brands who you always expect to pump out a hit. Leonardo DiCaprio is expected to always be great but just a shy away from an Oscar; Marvel Studios are forever faced with the "when will they fail?" with every tent-pole release; and Pixar are stuck with the barriers of being either the level of the hit Toy Storyfranchise or to be at the middling Brave-Cars 2barrier. The Good Dinosaurmay have succumbed to being in the latter (but still a fun and beautiful adventure), but Inside Out only made things worse for it by being near-perfect. When Pixar makes a great film, it can be considered an amazing one by Hollywood standards. Here? You have one of the best films I've ever seen. I've harped on over and over about Inside Out but trust me - if this doesn't get Best Picture nominations in the awards season, then something has gone wrong. Inside Out is by far the best film of the year. Honourable Mention - Mad Max: Fury Road
Yes, I did give it a 6/10 rating upon release. But maybe it's thanks to the huge critical applause it's been recieving (including a Golden Globe nomination, no less), revisiting the hit film recently proved to add appeal to it. Yes, I still have issues with the evident lack of story focus, but with huge and bombastic visuals from George Miller and some full-blown to be had, I felt like it deserved a higher ranking than it initially received. While it still doesn't earn a place in my top ten, it deserved recognition, so here it is. Sorry Steve Jobs, but Mad Max took your spot.
And that's your lot! Next week - the proper awards.
When word got round that Alex Kingston's River Song was set for her first appearance since 2013's fitting conclusion The Name of the Doctor, there came two responses from the general public: yay and nay. Yay because some fans seem to adore the character or enjoy the rapport she previously had with Matt Smith's incarnation, or nay because she's an unlikeable character or her time is complete. But with an ongoing series set for release with the Big Finish audio range and the Doctor only recently forgetting who the hell Clara is, showrunner and character creator Steven Moffat (apparently in a move which would have suggested that this was his final script for the show) has returned to the character for a episode with a purpose which most Christmas episodes during his era have failed to be – be of good quality.
When he's interrupted from his brief tranquillity by Matt Lucas' servant boy Nardole in a moment of mistaken identity, The Doctor (Peter Capaldi)has little knowing that he'll end up in the presence of one River Song (Kingston) - his part-time wife and occasional companion. However in this case she doesn't even recognise him, and wishes that 'the surgeon' would operate on her husband King Hydroflax (Greg Davies); a genocidal maniac who resides in a self-operated cybernetic suit taken straight off the posters for Big Hero 6. Of course, River being River, all isn't quite as it seems as she has ulterior motives, which the King quickly discovers and then invokes in a mad dash across time and space for River's prize, which sits within the skull of Hydroflax'sremovable head. So the Doctor must do his best to help her out while she remains oblivious to his true identity.
As far as plots are concerned, this one is a little messy, even by Moffatstandards. Despite a quick opening which immediately gets the characters introduced and the light-hearted tone present, it immediately slows down in an uneven slog that can't decide between wanting to be an action-set romp or an endearing character piece between River and the Doctor (once it gets the dull "Don't you recognise me?" storyline out the way which takes far too long). It would help if the "comedy" that pads the story past its better-suited 45 minute runtime – instead lasting a never-ending 60 minutes – but unfortunately it's same-old same-old for this recent era, meaning that it's very rarely that something good comes out of that area. But it's just the fact that the episode feels so disjointed and incoherent at a story perspective which leaves you wondering why Moffatfelt like this was a story that deserved to be told; least of all one which could have rounded off his era. Of course the most noteworthy thing of the episode which many consider makes it a success is that the end finally portrays the last moments River and the Doctor spend together on Darillium...which was technically spent off-screen in a mention in one of the Series 6 special minisodes, but there's a slight comment which explains that so at least it did something right. And yes, it has succeeded in making certain people (i.e. River Song fans) happy with the way her story finished...but it all feels a little unnecessary. We got the perfect ending two years ago in the form of Name of the Doctor, so this feels less like a required story to tell and more of Moffatthinking "I've got to make them cry somehow...I know! I'll force in a planet from a comment made seven years ago and make it heartfelt! Awards for me!".
Surprisingly, Peter Capaldiisn't on his A-game here, as the tone seems rather ill-suited for his iteration of the Doctor. Yes it works in those final scenes, but elsewhere this seems like his weakest work for the show to date – maybe it's just a second Christmas special curse; both David Tennant and Matt Smith suffered similar blows with The Runaway Bride and The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe respectively – and feels less like the Doctor hinted to have changed for the better at the end of Hell Bent. Also lacking is Alex Kingston, who's decided to go full-panto right from the get-go with the poorly-delivered "You most certainly do not" that's been in every trailer which practically sums up how she is. Again, only serving well at the very end, Kingston may love the character and does fare better than her titular co-star but is just unbearable until those final moments. And not helping these fatal blows are the lack of good co-stars – Lucas is barely given anything new or interesting to do; Davies' best acting is when he's been replaced with a prosthetic head being thrown all over the place; other husband Phillip Rhys has no purpose whatsoever other than giving Kingston someone to snog; and the various assortment of aliens presented in the second half are so unmemorable and one-note there's nothing really to them. Even the villainous red robot is bland and forgettable, with nothing of any regard to give outside of the Baymax similarities.
There are little bits of goodness within the episode. The somewhat creative design and thought process behind the alien who River bargains with is an inventive idea that feels like the first iota of newness we've had in the series for a while on the monster front; again, that finale does hold some level of endurance when you try and ignore some of the contrivances and how unneeded it feels (its set-up with the constant time-travel is a nice touch), and the episode as a whole isn't particularly bad. What it is though is very dull with forced emotional appeal and iffy performances from everyone. As something which could of rounded off an era of Doctor Who, it would have been he perfect showing of the five year decline we've had from great introductions (The Eleventh Hour) to shoddy writing (The Husbands of River Song). A very skippable episode with only a slight bit of watchability and free from anything anger-provoking. 4/10.
Unfortunately, I can't be backed up by the pre-established mythology behind the original picture, but I can tell that this looks a bit iffy. High levels of video game-esque battles; a pretty bad backing track; English dialogue for a film featuring all-Asian actors (and Netflix can do subtitles!)...for a film some were looking forward to, it doesn't look like Netflix is selling it very well.
Roald Dahl has a mixed track record with Hollywood, with the big three mainstays being two different interpretations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and small-time darling Fantastic Mr. Fox (or Matilda, depending on your viewpoint), so this Spielberg-directed version of the BFG will be interesting to see. But this teaser seems to work a treat, and it's good to see Mark Rylance return to the director so soon after his critically-adored performance in this year's Bridge of Spies.
Here's the deal: the idea of a Tarzan who has adjusted to the real world only to have to return to the jungle is a good one to take for the character. The choice of director in the form of David Yates of Harry Potterfare is a good one which shows in the visuals we see, as does the castings of Alexander Skarsgard and Christoph Waltz (evidently doing his Spectre-level villain performance instead of Inglorious B******s). What I'm liking though is the story they appear to be telling, with a blend of origin and original; along with the focus on the native-esque groups of humans and (I'm sad to report) Margot Robbie's English accent. She can't disguise that Australasian accent well enough to play Jane. Maybe it'll be alright...I'm not sure yet.
The first instalment to this franchise was bad. Quite bad, with very few comments of praise being available to offer. So imagine my surprise that this trailer seems to won me over a little, thanks to little changes here and there. Sure, they still objectify Megan Fox and the Turtles still look a tad garish (although it's been altered a little), but unlike the first one which stole The Amazing Spider-Man's story, character beats, and tone, this one instead looks to be borrowing the elements from 2012's other superhero films (and to a lesser extent, Pixels) to make a film that appears to be alright. I'm not putting in the spotlight yet, just...accepting the changes it's willing to make to fix its original mess.
I liked X-Men: Days of Future Past. It isn't as perfect as many declared it to be back when it was released, but as someone who wasn't a bigX-Menfan (heck, my favourite film starring the X-Men in any form is Me and Earl and the Dying Girl thanks to Hugh Jackman's cameo). But there's something off about this film. I'm glad they've fixed the purple overtones, but the slightly creepy James McAvoy at Sophie Turner's bedside, lack of blue Jennifer Lawrence (I get why she wouldn't want to go through with the tricky process again, but it is a part of her character that's been set up over the last two films), and even an off-looking Evan Peters as Quicksilver - a character we all loved in Future Past but now looks poorly-used. Plus that final reveal? Hilarious. I look forward to it, just not as much as before.
While I've only seen two-thirds of their projects thus far, I am a fan of Laika's style and in turn movies. They may be walking the fine line between being for families and for older children, but both Coraline and Paranorman were big triumphs for the stop-motion area of the animation industry and have remained strong on repeat viewings. And in this short tease, it looks like they're offering us something new once again, which in future trailers I hope we see explored further - but I do like what I see in this minute-long glimpse.
This looks to be a standard sequel to a big action film - upping the stakes big time, bringing back a memorable character in the form of Jeff Goldblum...nothing more, nothing less. The only reason why it has such a large attraction is because it's something of an American classic, thanks largely to that shot that makes it so memorable. The jury is out here, especially with Will Smith supposedly being killed off off-screen.
As someone who wasn't a fan of Star Trek into Darkness, this certainly is a breath of fresh air. But as a fan of the first Star Trek reboot, this looks like a big jump away from the usual fare. Granted, it's nice that we have something new and a new director at the helm, but isn't it a little too much in the same vein as Guardians of the Galaxy? Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Only a small tease into the first Harry Potter-based film since the 2011 conclusion, but it already promises much. Plus, Eddie Redmayne has instantly invoked charm into his character with the little dialogue he has. The jury is still out in terms of Rowling's screenwriting skills, but colour me excited. Ice Age: Collision Course
Is this even a trailer? Because it's just an abridged version of that short that played in front of Peanuts.
Gods of Egypt
Hey look, they used the music from one of the Ant-Mantrailers! And nothing else of note.
While it may look a little standard in terms of sports films and biopics, the unusual decision to portray the life of infamous loser Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards is an intriguing one, and with both Taron Edgerton and Hugh Jackman in the lead roles, there is a little bit of additional appeal to it. Who knows with it...
Storks
From the studio behind The LEGO Moviecomes an idea which, in terms of the teaser, does sound like an interesting one. Certainly, the human characters look more like copies of the work done at Sony Pictures Animation (and the hair on some of the babies looks weird), but the vocal tones of Kelsey Grammer really sells it for me. No doubt later trailers will be less interesting, though.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Weren't some people really interested in this? Or was it just because of Martin Freeman and Tina Fey? Because outside of that, it doesn't really offer much other than a clever title. Everybody Wants Some
A spiritual successor to Dazed and Confused? From the same director as the original and Boyhood? Oh boy! Plus it actually looks interesting and has some funny lines. OH BOY!
Ahh, Deadpool! One of the biggest trailers to come out during the festive period, and thanks to its 'sly' wit and great gory visuals promises to remain faithful to the character's comic book iteration. Add a Ryan Reynolds who's putting everything into the role and some seemingly great side characters, Deadpool promises to be good for the fans...but hopefully for the general public too.
As far as plots are concerned, this one is a little messy, even by Moffat standards. Despite a quick opening which immediately gets the characters introduced and the light-hearted tone present, it immediately slows down in an uneven slog that can't decide between wanting to be an action-set romp or an endearing character piece between River and the Doctor (once it gets the dull "Don't you recognise me?" storyline out the way which takes far too long). It would help if the "comedy" that pads the story past its better-suited 45 minute runtime – instead lasting a never-ending 60 minutes – but unfortunately it's same-old same-old for this recent era, meaning that it's very rarely that something good comes out of that area. But it's just the fact that the episode feels so disjointed and incoherent at a story perspective which leaves you wondering why Moffat felt like this was a story that deserved to be told; least of all one which could have rounded off his era. Of course the most noteworthy thing of the episode which many consider makes it a success is that the end finally portrays the last moments River and the Doctor spend together on Darillium...which was technically spent off-screen in a mention in one of the Series 6 special minisodes, but there's a slight comment which explains that so at least it did something right. And yes, it has succeeded in making certain people (i.e. River Song fans) happy with the way her story finished...but it all feels a little unnecessary. We got the perfect ending two years ago in the form of Name of the Doctor, so this feels less like a required story to tell and more of Moffat thinking "I've got to make them cry somehow...I know! I'll force in a planet from a comment made seven years ago and make it heartfelt! Awards for me!". 
