Just for fun on the blog today, I thought I’d post about my
five favorite theatrical movies of 2015, and then ask you: what are the best
movies you’ve seen this year? What do you agree or disagree with about my list?
I’m always up for some friendly pop culture debate :)
NUMBER FIVE: SPY
I went into this movie thinking it would be a silly comedy.
And then I snorted and laughed until I couldn’t breathe. I love Melissa
McCarthy as a secret agent. It blows away all the stereotypes of what a secret
agent should be. And her sidekick?
Miranda Hart as Nancy stole the show. It’s just a GREAT comedy, full of fun,
and that’s why it’s on my list. We all need a good laugh.
NUMBER FOUR: Ant-Man
I’m going to rate Ant-Man higher than Avengers: Age of
Ultron. Why? Because I expected Avengers
to be good, and I was sure Ant-Man,
just based on that title, would be ridiculous. But actually: it was fun and
exciting. The comedy in the Avengers
movies feels a little too forced, doesn’t it? I enjoy the blend of action and
comedy, and Ant-Man incorporated its
humor with thrills in a way that I found to be more natural and more enjoyable.
NUMBER THREE: Furious
7
It wasn’t as good as Furious
6 IMO, and it probably wouldn’t be on my list if not for the Paul Walker
tribute at the end. But that ending is so damn beautiful that I just don’t
think you’re fully human if you walked out of the theatre with dry eyes.
NUMBER TWO: Inside Out
This movie is perfect. Absolutely perfect. It has plenty of
laughs and lots of feels all throughout, but what really makes it exceptional:
the little characters inside Riley’s head are the voices we all have in our
heads. Along with the humor, it’s a perfect visual
representation of the complexity of human emotion, thought, and behavior.
NUMBER ONE: Creed
Did we really need a seventh film in the Rocky franchise? Turns out we did! I can’t
love this movie any more than I do. It pays tribute to the original with its
own creative adaptations (Creed’s run at the end of the classic training
montage, catching the chicken, so much more). It also gives us a character to
love/hate, and it breaths fresh life into the franchise for a new generation.
Most importantly, this is a character story, as the best Rocky movies are, and the reason it’s number one on my list: it
made me FEEL more than any of the other films. I cheered, I yelled, I felt the
prick of tears on my eyelids, and I’ll proudly add Creed next to my full collection of all the other Rocky movies. It’s a must see, and not
just for fans of the franchise, but for anyone believes in the power of the
human spirit to overcome any obstacle.
Did I miss a few? You’re probably thinking: Where’s Mockingjay Part II, Jurassic World, Age of Ultron?
I enjoyed all of those films. Quite a lot. The thing is: I’ve seen them all
before. I still think Catching Fire is
the best in The Hunger Games series. Jurassic
World is wonderful, but it doesn’t embrace the magic of surprise like Jurassic Park. As much as I love the Avengers movies, they’re starting to
blur together for me at this point.
So what do you think? What are your favorites?
And will Star Wars:
The Force Awakens become my new number one in a few weeks. I’d say it’s
more than possible.
Also check out my first published novel-- a horror story that, in part, pays tribute to our best (and worst) horror films, Rabbit in Red.
