FEATURE: Ror's Best & Worst Of 2014 - Part 1
The time of the year is upon us when we list the comic book/CBM related movies that made us cheer, made us jeer, and made us...shrug our shoulders in indifference. After the jump you can find out which 5 films stood out for me as the best of what 2014 had to offer.
5: DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Matt Reeves followed up Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes with a much darker, more powerful outing for genetically enhanced ape Caesar, played once again by the superb Andy Serkis. The human characters could have done with a bit more meat on their bones, but overall we're left with a bleak, brilliant sequel to Rise, that'll keep you riveted while also giving you some food for thought -- and may even make you shed a tear or two. "Human....work."
4: INTERSTELLAR
I'm cheating a bit with this one since it doesn't actually have any roots in comics, but being a sci-fi flick directed by The Dark Knight's Christopher Nolan, we covered it and that makes it eligible. Interstellar divided audiences somewhat with its ending and I do completely understand why, but a bit of ropey dialogue aside (Anne Hathaway actually says the words "love is the one thing that transcends time and space") it still remains an impeccably shot, emotionally charged epic with a pulse-pounding score by Hans Zimmer.
3: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
I struggled a bit with the order of the top 3 since, in different ways, I enjoyed them all about equally. But on reading over my reviews I did notice that I pointed out most faults with Marvel's GOTG, so that settled it. Don't get me wrong, if it came down to sheer entertainment value this would top the list easily, but murky villain motivations and yet another convoluted air battle finale lost it some points. Still, it's an hilarious, heartfelt, and just brilliantly odd movie; and I wanted to go back in and see it again as soon as I left the theater.
2: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
Sure, this one ended with a big air battle too, but man it was just so damn good. Not being a huge fan of The First Avenger I had my doubts going in, but a modern setting and the decision to basically make it an old-school conspiracy thriller at its core really paid off. A few plot niggles here and there, but up there with, and perhaps even surpassing, the first Iron Man as Marvel's best solo outing. A rare beast that successfully juggles many elements and tones, and then comes out of an over 2 hour run-time with the audience still thirsty for more.
1: X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
As a fan of the X-Men movies (for the most part), this one emerged as my favourite in that series, and my number #1 CBM of the year. At its heart this is a character based sci-fi drama, brought to life by a cast at the absolute top of their game. That being said you won't be disappointed by the action set pieces, with that awesome Quicksilver scene emerging as the highlight. If you're not a fan of Fox's (and maybe more importantly, Singer's) approach to these characters and this world then I don't think Days Of Future Past will do much to change your opinion, but if you're already invested then this is unmissable. Powerful, funny, exciting, and signifying a new beginning for the younger cast while (possibly) serving as a fitting swansong for the originals.
Well that takes care of the best, but if you want to know what I deemed the top 5 worst of 2014 be sure to check back over the next few days. Do you agree with my picks? I'm sure I won't need to prompt you to let me know your thoughts below! Happy Christmas from all of us at ComicBookMovie.com.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.