My Top 10 Movies of 2014 & My Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2015

Hey y'all, Happy New Year!! I hope you all have had excellent holidays and have already started working on your New Years Resolutions.  One thing I love about the new year is being able to look back at what happened the past year.  Last year was a big one for me as I graduated from college, got married to the most wonderful woman, moved from Utah to Texas, and started law school.  So many things happened, that have completely changed my life for the better.  Along with everything that happened with me, like always, there were some excellent films that were released the past year.  Here is my list of the Top 10 Movies of 2014.

10. Edge of Tomorrow
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and brief suggestive material.
The first film on my Top 10 list of 2014 is Warner Bros. Edge of Tomorrow starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.  It details the invasion of Earth by an alien race so powerful that no military unit in the world can stop it.  Enter Major William Cage, who has never seen a day of combat in his life, but somehow gets placed in a unit that is embarking on a suicide mission.  After being quickly killed in the mission, he now finds himself in a time-loop that makes him have to relive the same suicide mission day after day.  Live. Die. Repeat.
I was really excited when this film came out and this film completely exceeded my expectations.  This was a fantastic show that had a lot of action, but also a lot of humor as well.  It didn't do as well during its theatrical run that Warner Bros. might have hoped, so if you were one of those that did not think that it looked entertaining, then you have definitely missed out.


9. Whiplash
MPAA Rating: R for strong language including some sexual references.
Next on my list is Blumhouse Productions' Whiplash starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons.  The film tells the story of Andrew, a young and talented drummer attending a prestigious music academy, who puts every last of his tears, sweat, and blood to impress his respected professor Fletcher.  While he sees it as a great honor to play for his professor, he realizes that his professor doesn't have the most humane way of teaching.  Fletcher does not hold back on abuse of his students in and out of the classroom.  As Andrew tries to become the greatest drummer of his time, his only obstacle may be Fletcher, the person who is assumed to be helping him.
This movie has so much going for it.  With it being the winner at the Sundance Film Festival this past year, I wish it would have received more attention that what it got.  This film, though being a drama, had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.  Also. J.K. Simmons gives one of the greatest performances all year long and if he doesn't get an Oscar for this performance than the Academy is severely messed up.  This is one of the greatest films I have seen in years and is definitely one that you should see.

8. 22 Jump Street
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity and some violence.
Next on my list is Columbia Pictures' 22 Jump Street starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill.  The film continues the story of Schmidt and Jenko following their highly successful high school drug bust.  This time around the team is taking their abilities to college in order to stop a new drug that has been found killing people.  Schmidt and Jenko are told to do the exact same thing because it is the exact same mission.  What ensues is comedic genius at its best.
So in a time where almost every movie is getting sequel after sequel it is very unique that a sequel actually lives up to its predecessor.  Fortunately for 22 Jump Street it completely surprises the greatness of the first film.  With its self-awareness of its sequel status and its two lead actors, this film is perfectly hilarious.  This is by far the best comedic sequel I have seen and the end credits scene is possibly the best scene on the big screen all year long.

7. The Lego Movie
MPAA Rating: PG for mild action and rude humor.
The next film on my list is Warner Bros. The Lego Movie starring Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks. This animated film follows the story of Emmet, an ordinary Lego mini-figure who is deemed the most "extraordinary person" and the key to saving the entire Lego universe from the evil Lord Business.  With the help of his friends along the way, Emmet realizes that there is no "most extraordinary person," but that everyone can be extraordinary in their own unique way.
I absolutely loved this film.  It was entertaining and the animation was stunning.  For anyone who has ever played with Legos, you will be excited to see everything that you have built on the big screen together.  Also this film has a very catchy tune with the popular "Everything is Awesome" and an ending that will blow your mind.  This is definitely a film that children and adults will enjoy.

6. Into the Woods
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements, fantasy action and peril, and some suggestive material.
Next is Walt Disney Pictures' Into the Woods based on the Broadway musical by the great Stephen Sondheim (West Side Story).  The film is led by an amazing cast with Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine, and Johnny Depp.  The film follows the story of the Baker and his wife who due to a curse cast upon their household by a witch, are left childless.  When one day the witch gives the baker and his wife a deal that if they can gather the 4 items that she needs for her spell, in return she would remove the curse of baroness from their home.  Along the way they run into Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Jack (Jack and the Beanstalk).
With a great soundtrack and an excellent cast this film has all the makings of a great movie.  Director Rob Marshall does an amazing job at putting all the pieces of the musical together to create such a fantastic movie.  This was a great treat to watch over the holiday season and if you have time before school and work starts up again, this is one that you should see.

5. Guardians of the Galaxy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language.
The next film on my list is Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, and Dave Bautista.  This all-star cast form a group of intergalactic criminals who are forced to work together when they begin to be hunted down by Ronan the Accuser because of the powerful orb in their possession.  It is up to this group of criminals to stand with those that oppose them in order to defeat the greater threat and save the galaxy that they love.
This film was a huge gamble for Marvel Studios taking a lesser known, hard-to-sell property with a science-fiction, space odyssey twist and incorporating it to their ever popular cinematic universe. However this gamble paid off for the studio since it is officially the highest grossing domestic earner this year.  This film has an excellent balance of both action and humor.  This is definitely a must-see movie the whole family can enjoy.

4. Chef
MPAA Rating: R for language, including some suggestive references.
The next movie on my list is Open Road Films' Chef starring Jon Favreau, Scarlett Johansson and John Leguizamo.  The movie follows Carl Casper, an acclaimed chef whose family life is decaying right before is eyes as he focuses solely on his career.  Eventually after a bad review, he finds himself out of work and at rock-bottom.  While on vacation in Miami he decides to buy a food truck and drive it across country.  While on the road he is able to remember why he decided to cook in the first place.  He is able to find passion again.   Finally he as his career begins to flourish, he is able to strengthen his relationship with his family as well.
This film is absolutely amazing.  With an all-star cast, this film does not hold back on entertainment.  I went and saw this film on a whim one day and fell in love with it.  There is so much comedic gold in this film and so much heart in the center of it that it is impossible not to love it.  This is such a breathtaking film that relates to so many people which makes it all the better.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, gunplay and action throughout.
Next on my list is Marvel Studios' Captain America: The Winter Soldier starring Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson.  The film follows Steve Rogers a.k.a Captain America as he faces his greatest foe yet, his best friend Bucky Barnes a.k.a The Winter Soldier.  With trying to save his friend from becoming truly evil, he faces major setbacks as he deals with the destruction of S.H.I.E.L.D by a traitor.  Now wanted as a fugitive, it is up to Captain America, Black Widow, and The Falcon to destroy Hydra before it is too late.
This movie was greatly entertaining.  When it first came out, I saw it twice in the same weekend and once the following week.  This film brought back great nostalgia of a 70's crime thriller.  This movie completely changed everyone's opinion on what a superhero movie should look like and that in and of itself is reason enough to deserve a spot on this list and any top 10 list.  This was a great film and I think that more movies should take notes of everything that this film did right.

2. Big Hero 6
MPAA Rating: PG for action and peril, some rude humor, and thematic elements.
The next film on my list is Walt Disney Studios' Big Hero 6 starring the voice talents of Scott Adsit, Maya Rudolph, and Damon Wayans Jr. The film tells to the story of Hiro Hamada, a science prodigy, and Baymax, a plus-sized inflatable robot.  When tragedy befalls both of them and a new evil rises in their town of San Fransokyo they must work together along with their friends to save the city.  In doing so Hiro transforms this group of science-nerds into a band of high-tech heroes called Big Hero 6.
With a team like Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios working together it is hard not to have a winning product.  Fortunately for this film it is a winning product.  There is so many great things to say about this film, it is difficult to begin.  With the amazing story line and the great writing this film will go down as one of the great Disney classics.  This is by far the best animated feature of the year and one of the greatest films all year.

1. The Babadook
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, but my guess would be PG-13.
So in my opinion the best film all year is none other than IFC Films' The Babadook starring Essie Davis.  The film follows the story of the Amelia who is struggling being a single mother after the loss of her husband in a car accident on the way to the hospital.  Samuel, her child, makes things worse due to his constant fear of monsters, which causes her friends to leave her alone.  One night Amelia reads Samuel a strange book called The Babadook about a how the Babadook monster hides in the dark and feeds on fear and doubt.  Now Amelia and Samuel are being terrorized by the Babadook and they must trust in each other and themselves in order to survive.
Now I saw this film back in January at the Sundance Film Festival and I fell in love with it instantly.  Now I know that many people will look at this and see it being a horror film and immediately disregard it, but honestly this is by far the best storytelling, acting, and premise I have seen in any film all year long.  This film does everything right and so little wrong that it seems almost too good to be true.  The film hasn't been released to all audiences yet, but when it does or if you can get your hands on a copy this is definitely a film that is a must-see.

Now as we have looked forward to the future, there are so many exciting films to look forward to in the coming year.  Here are my most anticipated films for the coming year.

10. Ant-Man (July 17, 2015)
With what Marvel Studios was able to do with Guardians of the Galaxy, I can't wait to find out what they can do with their next lesser-known property.  Also with an all-star cast, this seems like a movie that can't be beat.

9. Peanuts (November 6, 2015)
As a child I grew up with watching the Peanuts cartoons and reading the comic strips.  Now next November Blue Sky Studios will be bringing back the nostalgia with a brand new Peanuts adventure with Charlie Brown and the gang.  Also, to be honest if the film is anything like the first trailer, then this film will not disappoint.

8. Pitch Perfect 2 (May 15, 2015)
The breakout hit of 2012 is getting a sequel with all the original cast returning.  Everyone fell in love with the Barden Bellas the first time around and Universal Pictures are hoping that you will fall in love with them all over again.  With the great singing, the hilarious cast, and the catchy soundtrack the film will definitely be a fan-favorite.

7. Jurassic World (June 12, 2015)
After 22 years since the original came to theaters and 14 years since the last sequel came out, the Jurassic Park franchise is coming back to theaters with another installment that based on the new trailer looks fantastic.  It has a great cast and stars the newest Hollywood sensation Chris Pratt.  The film looks amazing and with the new technology that there is, this film has all the makings of being a technical masterpiece.

6. Jupiter Ascending (February 6, 2015)
This is the newest film from the Wachowski Brothers, the same team that brought the science-fiction epic The Matrix.  While their past few outings haven't been crowd-favorites, this film has a lot of good stuff going for it.  With the young cast of Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, and Eddie Redmayne and the interesting science-fiction story line this film has all the makings of bringing the Wachowski Brothers back on top.

5. Insidious Chapter 3 (June 5, 2015)
With the sequel surpassing the original in all aspects, the next chapter in this horror franchise has a lot to live up to.  Unfortunately this sequel isn't being directed by the original director.  However, the film has an interesting premise in showing how the medium Elise Rainier came to use her powers to communicate with the dead.  Elise has always been the shining star in the series so far and seeing her origin story will only help audiences fall in love with her even more.

4. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II (November 20, 2015)
With the excellent installment that came to us this year, everyone is in suspense to see what will happen to Katniss Everdeen.  Jennifer Lawrence has become such a huge star in the past few years and for most people this franchise is where they first saw her in action.  It will be very difficult to see this franchise leave us this year, but it should be a farewell suitable for all fans.

3. The Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1, 2015)
When Marvel Studios' The Avengers came to theaters, it raked in over $1.5 billion dollars and since then each Marvel movie has garnered at least \$200-300 million more than their previous installment.  So my prediction is that if Joss Whedon and company can make the same magic that they did with the first one then expect to see some major cash flowing in.  This looks like a hit for Marvel Studios and Disney because the whole crew that brought the first one is here for the sequel.  With the explosive trailer that became a hit seconds after being released and the eerie rendition of "No Strings on Me" this film is looking to be one of the greatest of 2015.

2. Inside Out (June 19, 2015)
With 2014 being the first year in more than 10 years not to be graced with the presence of a Pixar movie, we will be graced with 2 new original Pixar movies.  The first one is Inside Out which shows how emotions of a young girl work together to create the human existence.   Based upon the two clips that have been shown for this film, it looks great.  It looks like Pixar has finally gotten their magic back and that it will be a great film for the entire family to enjoy.

1. Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens (December 18, 2015)
I would be surprised if this film isn't on most people's must-see list for 2015.  It has been almost 10 years since the last Star Wars film hit the screen, so many people are pretty excited about this one. Since the last film was in theaters there have been a lot of changes like Disney purchasing the franchise and producing this newest trilogy.  Disney is doing its best to try to bring back the nostalgia of the first Star Wars Trilogy such as filming it in the same locations and bringing back the original actors.  This will definitely be a must-see next holiday season.

Well thanks for reading!! I hope you have a great New Year!!! I can't wait for these movies and many more that are in store for us.  If you have any questions, comments, or ideas, just let me know!!!