Saturday, December 5, 2015

Top 5 Movies of 2015

Welcome to the final “Top 5” list of 2015, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

We started off with this year’s top 5 albums, and the day before yesterday we looked at the top 5 games. So let’s conclude this with a top 5 list that’ll definitely cause a debate. I’ll not waste anymore time, and show you all what I consider to be the top 5 movies of 2015. Enjoy!

5) Mr. Holmes (Trailer)
Let me start off with a movie that took me completely by surprise. I’ll rewind the clock a little: it’s Father’s Day, and my Dad wanted to go to the movies to celebrate. He picked out this film, and Mom & I were flabbergasted! Neither of us didn’t even know about this movie until the day we actually went to see it. I’m actually kind of glad I didn’t know much about this film, cause I loved it! It might not be a movie I would watch again, but the quality was fantastic. Sir Ian McKellen made for a convincing Sherlock Holmes, as he comes across as a individual with a biting wit & sharp sense of humor. The film is filled with heart, atmosphere, great acting, and a story that can get you right in the feels. I might not watch this again, but I’m still glad I got to watch Mr. Holmes. It’s elementary!

4) Jurassic World (Trailer)
It’s hilarious that there were people throwing crap towards this film. Considering how idiotic the 2nd & 3rd movies were, Jurassic World is a breath of fresh air. Invoking the spirit of the original Jurassic Park, it’s great to see dinosaurs on the big screen once again! Chris Pratt made for a great male lead, and why he may not be as charismatic as Sam Neill was in the first movie, he made up for it by chewing up every scene he was in, and adding a bit of youthful vigor to the film as a whole. The rest of the cast ranged from good to meh, but it was the dinosaurs that really took center stage, with the T-Rex from the original film coming back for one final appearance of badassery, not to mention Chris’s personal pack of Raptors. All I can say to Jurassic World is thank you for bringing back the nostalgia of the 90s. It was definitely appreciated!

3) The Kingsman (Trailer)
As absurd as Jurassic World was, The Kingsman (Along with number 2 & 1) was even more absurd. A group of gentlemen spies & soldiers, taking on bad guys with wit & sophistication, is flat out ridiculous. Bring in Samuel L. Jackson, and give him a lisp & and a phobia for blood, and you have one of the goofiest bad guys in cinema history! The spectacle of The Kingsman is fantastic as well, with a mix of old-school James Bond spy action & modern action movie sensibilities. It even manages to fit in some serious & dramatic moments, with Colin Firth providing a majority of those moments. If you want a modern-day James Bond, but with a bigger emphasis on fun, then The Kingsman is just what you’re looking for!

2) Ant-Man (Trailer)
As I was thinking about this list, I deeply considered putting Age Of Ultron here as well. Marvel’s been putting out some great movies in recent year, but I had to consider one thing, and that’s “Which movie did I enjoy more?”. As great as Age Of Ultron was, I found it’s more serious mood & attitude to be kind of a downer for me. Ant-Man, on the other hand, was a blast to watch! Considerably more lighthearted than Age Of Ultron, and perhaps some of Marvel’s movies in the past 2 years, Ant-Man had a simpler story to follow, a great cast, and again the movie was more easy going than Ultron was. Seeing Paul Rudd lead an army of ants against the bad guys, and you’ll never been the same. If you didn’t like the more grim world that was Age Of Ultron, Ant-Man is the Marvel movie for you!

Before we get to the number 1 movie of 2015, I wanted to take a look at some honorable mentions. Movies that are good, maybe even great, but there’s something that is holding them back from getting onto the main list. Maybe it’s the movie’s reputation, maybe I didn’t see it & only read about it, or some other reason that can be used. Here’s a quick look at 2015's honorable mentions.

Honorable Mentions
HM1) The Visit (Trailer)
M. Night Shyamalan. I think it’s safe to say that back in the early 2000s, he kind of got in touch with his ego, and really hasn’t stopped touching. With 2015, it seems like he’s loosened his grip a little with The Visit. A found footage horror movie, The Visit has actually managed to get some people back into the Shyamalan fold. There’s no over-the-top BS, no pretentious message, no idiotic twists (Although there is a legitimate twist towards the end, but it’s earned from what I’ve heard), and there really isn’t any of the typical Shyamalan elements. I didn’t get to see this when it first came out, but after hearing all of the hype & praise, I actually give The Visit a healthy dose of respect. When it comes out on DVD, I have every intention of grabbing a copy to watch. It’s gonna be a creepy time, that’s for sure!

HM2) AnimeFest 2015 - Ouran Hosts the Black Magic Club (Trailer/Panel)
Okay, I admit I’m pulling this one out of my butt. An anime panel, on a top 5 movies post? Yeah, I can certainly see the complaints, and truth be told, I can’t completely disagree. That’s why I put this in the honorable mentions section. With that said, I loved this panel! After discovering them back in late 2013, I found that the Ootori Cosplay Group were incredibly faithful to the cast of Ouran High School Host Club, and the audience participation just made the experience that much more silly. If you’ve got some time to kill, then this panel is great for that purpose.

1) Kung Fury (Trailer)
For only a little over a half-hour (31 minutes & 3 seconds), Kung Fury is the most important movie of 2015. Simply put, you haven’t watched 2015's plethora of movies until you watch Kung Fury! A crowd-funded monstrosity of a film, Kung Fury brings back all of the ridiculous 80s movie tropes. The cheesy story, the hokey acting, the cheap special effects, etc. I’ve watched this a bunch of times since it came out back in May, and it’s only one of a handful of movies that I can watch over-and-over, and not be bored. It is that much fun, and you’re still committing a horrible sin by not watch the might that is Kung Fury! 

So these were the top 5 movies of 2015. Perhaps a little more on the lighthearted end than some of you would expect, but I think that this year it was appropriate. So with this top 5 lists out of the way, it’s time for some fun holiday posts, and then Christmas! So come back next week, when we’ll take a look at some albums that are just right for this month. See you then!


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If you’re got a half-hour to kill, check out the Kung Fury movie below. You won’t be disappointed!

Kung Fury (Movie)

Also, if you’re curious as to what movies I thought were top 5 last year, click the link below.

Top 5 Movies of 2014

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