Best movies of 2015

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone! Oh, 2015. You're definitely something special. at times you made us sad, then made us glad, and then shocked us again, and again, and again. Though you have your flaws, you did, however, share with us many wonderful stories in the form of movies. Now that we've gotten the radioactive waste of 2015 out of the way, let us take a look at the times this year when the sun shined the brightest. Here are my picks for the top 10 movies of 2015. Before I begin, let me get some things off my chest. No, I've not seen Ant Man, no, I've not seen Mad Max: Fury Road, and no, I have not seen Furious 7. So don't expect those movies on my list.

10. The Peanuts Movie

This movie is by no means a masterpiece. The movie is incredibly boring, but what makes it work is how genuine it is. They could've easily just pulled a Garfield or Smurfs on this one (Celebrity voices, Pop cultural references and humor that'll be dated in five years) but instead, the creators of the movie try their best to make this film as sincere as possible, so that twenty years from now, this movie will still be contemporary (sort of). The parts with Snoopy are always the funniest (his Red Baron fantasy sequences kill me every time they play) And they have actual kids playing the Peanuts, instead of casting celebrities like Kevin Hart or George Lopez. As timeless as it is, however, you can tell some of the humor is very dated. Kids today aren't gonna understand the humor intended for the older Peanuts fans, but it's still pretty solid as a movie.

8. Tomorrowland

This movie is the underrated gem of 2015. I don't know what it is about this movie, but I just can't help liking this movie. The story is about Casey, a young dreamer who wants to change the world. Later, she discovers a pin that shows her a Utopian-like civilization. being the dreamer she is, she stops at nothing to find this mysterious place. I feel like if this if this movie was placed in January, it would've made more money that it did, and therefore, would qualify for a sequel. Too bad that never happened. 

7. Unfriended

Less is more, and that couldn't be any more true for this movie, and boy, did it pay off. At first glance, this movie seems like the typical Ouija and The gallows crap, it's actually a very creative film. The whole movie takes place inside a girl's laptop, but the way they incorporate social media to forward the story is pretty damn creative.

6. The Revenant



If Leo doesn't win an Oscar with this, then we know he never will. In The Revenant (Based on true events), Leo brings his A-game as he plays Hugh Glass, an explorer hellbent on revenge against a former ally who killed his son and left him for dead in the wilderness. You know how Matt McConaughey won the Oscar last year for Dallas Buyers Club because he just fully committed to the role by transforming into the character mentally and physically? Leo does the same thing here, but in his own way.

5. Crimson Peak



This movie is beautiful beyond beautiful. Being a Guillermo Del Toro movie, of course it would be visually astonishing. This is your typical old fashioned ghost story. Young bride moves in with her husband only to discover that something is very, very off about the house. She does some snooping around to discover that the house is indeed haunted. It's typical, but the artistic choices they made for the movie are just mesmerizing. It's like Bram Stroker meets Fairy Tales, and speaking of Fairy Tale...

4. Cinderella



Disney's live action fairy tale remakes finally got it right with their newest film Cinderella, the reimagining of their beloved classic. The previous Disney remakes have all ranged from bad to mediocre. Cinderella, however, does something none of these remakes do. Stick to the original, and boy, does it pay off. There had to be some updates, of course, to make sure this film fits into our post-feminist world. Cinderella had to be more active and independent than her original version, They justify why the stepmother is the way she is, and they even explain why she is called Cinderella in a very clever way. Everything else is good too. The visuals, the costumes (Sandy Powell made them, obviously) the sets. It's not all CGI like the other live action Disney movies, they use real sets and locations. Now that Disney has proven their Live Action fairy tales can succeed critically, nothing won't stop them now.

3. Avengers: Age of Ultron



Boy howdy, did they up the ante with this film. The first Avengers movie was already a critically and commercially acclaimed film, so the bar was set pretty high for the sequel, but not only did it surpass the original, it also managed to set an even higher bar for Infinity Wars. All the avengers return, of course, and they also introduce new characters, such as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who I'm pretty sure were supposed to be in the X-Men. (And B.T.W, Elizabeth Olson is definitely the talented Olsen) But the real breakout star of the film is Ultron himself. He's Who knew robots were so charismatic. A Mystery Avenger shows up near the end of the film, but I don't really understand why. But all in all, this movie was fantastic.

2. Inside Out





Pixar finally got it's groove back with this movie. After Toy Story 3, they turned out some pretty mediocre films, Except for Cars 2, of course, which sucked. But as Disney Animation was turning out products better than their's, (Tangled, Wreck It Ralph, Frozen) they knew they had to up their game, and Inside Out was born, which is honestly one of the most original film to come out of Pixar in a long time. The story is simple. What does the inside of your head look like? Well, in Inside Out, we see the different emotions of an eleven year old girl named Riley struggling to work together as she moves to San Francisco. The emotions Joy and Sadness accidentally get sucked out of the control panel, and it's up to the other emotions (Fear, Disgust and Anger) to make sure Riley doesn't end up in danger. It's imaginative, heart felt and knows when it's appropriate for a sad scene, unlike that other Pixar film that came out this year.

1. Star Wars: The Force Awakens




2015 was a good year for Disney. They had just jumped off the heels of recent hits, such as Inside out, Avengers and Cinderella, (All of which are numbers 2,3, and 4 on this list) But this was the big one. Disney was given a huge responsibility when they announced that they were creating a seventh Star Wars movie. Fanboys everywhere gave a concerned glance when they found out the company responsible for Disney Princesses was adding to the Star Wars Saga. Disney had already proven itself worthy of creating action flicks, with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and an entire storage of Marvel films, but this was something bigger. Star Wars practically created the Space Opera genre. The original trilogy was so good, that George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars franchise himself, couldn't even give his own creation a decent follow up. The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith were all universally panned by critics and fans alike. Jar Jar Binks, anybody? Disney had a lot to prove.

I didn't really plan on seeing this movie, since I wasn't really a hardcore Star Wars fan, and the line for opening night was supposed to be long. However, I ended up seeing it, and ironically, on opening night, and my thoughts on it are this...Is it too late to join the Star Wars club? This is how you revive a popular franchise without botching it up, you hear me, Jurassic World? There are many things to like about this film, but the key element that really shine in this film is the presentation of the film itself. It somehow both a reboot and a sequel to the franchise. It's story elements heavily mirror A New Hope enough to be considered a reboot, but it still acknowledges the original, by setting the film thirty years after Return of the Jedi. I also liked the idea of there's another threat (The First Order) who wants to disturb peace in the galaxy once again, showing that nothing really ever ends happily ever after. Life goes on no matter what. The characters are also really fun. Kylo Ren is a great villain. Unlike Darth Maul, who was over hyped but rarely used in The Phantom Menace, Kylo Ren actually helps move the story forward. Rey was probably my favorite character in the whole film, and Finn was okay too. And just like the Cinderella movie, this film uses a lot of real filming locations rather than filming it on a green screen sound stage. They also use a lot of practical effects, rather than Jar-Jaring it up. I can't praise this movie enough.

Well, now that we've wrapped up 2015, let us all look forward to 2016 and the possibilities it may bring. Happy New Year, everybody!  

Worst Movies of 2015

Oh, 2015. What a year you were. You made us Laugh, you made us cry, you made us want to kill ourselves, and you made us do a lot of other stuff. But movie wise, 2015 was a whole lot better than 2014 was. But that's not to say that there weren't any rotten fruits who were ignorantly dumped in the wicker basket that is cinema. So before we dwell into the positive side, let us first get the black gunk of toxic waste out of the way. Here are the worst movies of 2015. 

10. The Good Dinosaur

I'm not saying this movie is essentially bad. But compared to the other Pixar movies, this one is one of the weakest. It purely relies on Pixar Tropes (Phoning in a message, relying mostly on crying scenes) It's unoriginal and very predictable. But it's safe to say it's the least worst movie of 2015.

9. Pan

There were two Fairy tale adaptation films that came out in 2015. One of them was actually good...this isn't it. Pan is the lamest, blandest and most uninspired Fairy tale re-imagining I'v ever seen, and I've seen both Jack the Giant Slayer and Red Riding Hood. And also, casting Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily was probably one of the major reasons this movie failed the way it did. 

8. Fifty Shades Of Grey

Is this movie the worst thing that ever happened in 2015? No. Is it the most boring? Yes. For a movie that promised a ton of sexy scenes, this movie is mostly compiled of unconvincing romance building, domestic violence and boring contract talk. But it's not the worst thing ever. 

7. The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water

As a Spongebob fan, I can't believe I hated this movie. I've seen the first Spongebob movie, and most of us Spongebob fans loved it. The sequel, however, I can't say the same about. If the original Spongebob movie reflected how good Spongebob Squarepants was then, this movie reflects how bad Spongebob got today. This movie didn't really have a stable story. It's full of pointless celebrity cameos, and the part where Spongebob and pals become CGI when they enter the surface world was very pointless and came out of nowhere, and only exists to remind you that movies like Smurfs and Fat Albert exist.

6. Minions

This movie does not deserve to be #2 highest grossing animated film. It doesn't deserve to be behind Frozen, and does not deserve to be on top of Toy Story 3. Minions are fine as comic relief for the better Despicable Me movies, but give them their own movie, and you get nothing but crap, crap and crap.  

5. Entourage

Everyone hates douchy, self entitled white guys, so a movie about douchy, self entitled white guys probably get the same feel. I did not like the show, and I do not like the movie. And that's all I have to say!

4. Pixels

It's bad enough Adam Sandler killed comedy, but now he had to ruin many people's childhoods (Not mine. I didn't grow up with those video games) Pixels is just as bland and stupid as most Adam Sandler movies, except this time, it's trying to pander out to video game nerds. Not even Ashley Benson could save this movie.

3. Jupiter Ascending

This movie is just...Bad. There's no way I could explain it, so I'll let someone else do it.

2. Fantastic 4

The biggest let down of 2015. Fantastic 4 was hyping itself to be something special, but the end product was only a fraction of what it promised to deliver. Not even casting a black actor as a typically white character could save this movie from the big ball of fail that is would become.

1. Jurassic World



Imagine this. The year is 2006. You are currently nine years old, heading onto ten. You've seen all three Jurassic Park movies and loved every one of them, including the ones considered to be bad (Sequels) You're obsessed with them, and day and night, you wait for news of Jurassic Park 4. Of course, it never comes, but as the years go by, you get more info, bit by bit. Fast forward to June 13, 2015. Jurassic World premieres in theaters. You've been waiting ten years for this, and to make things better, it's your 18th birthday. Nothing could possibly go wrong...Until you've actually watched the movie, and then you think to yourself. "I waited ten years for that?" Jurassic World not only offends me because it's a clunky, generic sci-fi action flick with forgettable characters, fake looking CGI Dinosaurs and an overrated Chris Pratt, it also offends me because most of my childhood, I waited for this movie. I supported the cause since 2006, and this is the thanks I get? a boring, over hyped movie with only a handful of decent stuff, and one or three cool dinosaur moments. You're probably thinking "You liked the sequels but hated this?", to those people, I say yes, I liked the sequels, because A, they had realistic looking dinosaurs, and B, I grew up with the sequels, so I love them even if they're considered bad. This movie deserves to be on top of this list.

Top 12 Christmas Movies/Specials

If I haven't made it clear, I love Christmas. Best Holiday ever. The one day where you can spread joy and goodwill, while also buying nice gifts for your loved ones, and maybe even yourself. One thing that I must do every year on Christmas is watch bunch of Christmas specials on ABC Family (Soon to be Freeform, unfortunately) So here are my top 12 Christmas movies/specials. Be reminded that this is only opinion based, so don't get all pissy if you see something you don't like, or if you don't see anything that you do. 

12. Elf

I loved watching this movie as a kid. Will Ferell's funny portrayal of Buddy the Elf just makes my day every time I see him. Zooey Deschanel as Jovie is a very fun, cynical character, and it's just so refreshing to see Zooey Deschanel playing "not" the quirky adorkable girl. Aside from them, there's not very much else to this movie. The plot is very generic and the humor that doesn't come from Buddy is a bit too adult for a Christmas movie. But as a whole, It's definitely worth the watch.

11. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Yup, you know this one. The classic zero to hero story of young Rudolph, a reindeer born with a glowing red nose. Because of his ability, the other Reindeer shun him for being Different, In the end, he uses his glowing nose to lead Santa's sleigh through a very foggy night, and he becomes everyone's hero. This might have placed higher on my list, but when you take the Nostalgia goggles off and watch it for what it really is, you get a cheaply made TV special with bland acting, not that creative set designs and very odd animation. But no matter how cheap or poorly animated it is, it's hard to love Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer.

10. The Polar Express



This movie is good only because of the visuals. The story is pretty basic. A young boy begins to doubt Santa Claus, but in the middle of the night, a train pulls over by the curb and invites the little boy to the North Pole to meet Santa, proving he is real. There's one big plot hole in the story, such as the train is only supposed to take non believers, yet the main boy character is the only character that seems doubtful. But the visuals are nice, I guess.

9. Dr Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas



This movie is by no means good. It's the typical remake of a classic Dr. Seuss story injected with innuendos, pop cultural references, and other things that seems to rape the good Seuss name. But there are some redeeming  qualities. Number one, it's not as bad as The Cat in the Hat. Number two, Jim Carrey is the Grinch. He looks exactly like The Grinch does in the books. Props to the people who did the make up for this. And three, It sticks to the message it creates. Unlike that sellout move The Lorax, which tells you to save the environment and say no to commercialism, yet made commercials for IHOP an Mazda, and turns the Onceler into an Anime fangirl's hipster wet dream, The Grinch sticks to the message it enforces. Christmas is more than just presents and candy, it's something more.


7. Barbie in the Nutcracker



It was either this, or that Nutcracker in 3D movie from 2010, and honey, this is definitely the better Nutcracker. In Barbie in the Nutcracker, Barbie plays Clara, the protagonist of the film, who receives an antique Nutcracker from her Aunt Drosselmeyer for Christmas. But things turn for the weirdest when her nutcracker comes to life, and she's shrunken down to his size by the evil Rat King. So she ventures off into a fantasy land full of fairies, gingerbread houses and air that smells like Peppermint. For a straight to DVD animated movie from 2001, the animation isn't half bad. The CGI rendering of Barbie and her Nutcracker isn't all weird to look at, it's definitely better than some animation that came out recently (Food Fight) The music from the ballet is put in very well, and the dance sequences are very nice. This one definitely gets my approval.

6. Barbie in a Christmas Carol



What can I say? Barbie makes really good Christmas specials. In this remake of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Barbie plays Eden Starling (E.D. Get it? Eden Starling Ebeneezer Scrooge) The female version of Ebeneezer Scrooge. But instead of being a grouchy old Miser, Eden is a self absorbed songstress who forces the Employees of her Theater to work over Christmas. Just like the original, She's visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, who show her what her life was before, what it it currently, and what it will become if she continues her selfish ways. Despite the typical Barbie tropes (Main character is a young, skinny white girl, and that it has to be marketable in doll form) It definitely succeeds in delivering the message of the original story, which is don't be a jerk on Christmas.

5. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town



This is one of the better Rankin Bass specials. Santa Claus is Comin' to Town tells the origin story of Santa Claus, originally called Kris Kringle by the Elves who raised him. I like this special because it's so creative with the telling of Santa's origin, like why Santa delivers presents, or how he first met Mrs. Claus. Rudolph even makes a cameo, and speaking of Rudolph...

4. Rudolph's Shiny New Year/Rudolph & Frosty's Christmas In July



People usually consider the original Rudolph to be the best Rudolph themed special, but if you ask me, I think the sequels are much better. Yeah, I'm kind of cheating on this one, but these two specials are so good with each other, they're even played back to back on ABC Family's (Soon to be Freeform for some reason) 25 days of Christmas. These specials are better than the original, in my opinion, because of the world building in it. In the original, you only ever got to see Santa's Castle and the Island of Misfit Toys, and they were kind of cheaply made. In the sequels, you get so much more. The sets are made much better, and it's also far more imaginative. There's a desert of time, a circus by the beach, and different islands of different time periods. Another thing to note is that the animation is done much better. It's more pleasing to look at, compared to the original, which was at best "tolerable".

3. Rise Of The Guardians



This movie, in my opinion, is the most underrated animated movie ever. It didn't do well at the Box Office and it only got moderate reviews, and that's so unfair. It's such a good movie, it doesn't deserve all this "Meh" It should be up there with Shrek or How to Train Your Dragon. But I guess you can't win them all, I guess. This will however, become a cult classic in the future, like Return To Oz. I really like the film's take on the different holiday characters, like The Tooth Fairy, who this time, is a half human half bird half fairy creature. The Easter Bunny, instead of being the cuddly white rabbit carrying a basket full of Easter eggs and wearing a pink bow on his neck, is this time a a badass warrior armed with boomerangs and has an Australian accent. Jack Frost, instead of being the sneaky trickster wearing pointy shoes, is now a peter pan/boy band heartthrob hybrid with powerful ice powers. And they even turned Santa Claus into a big, Russian swordsman. That's how much creativity went into this movie. Definitely give it a watch.

2. Frozen



Okay, I know what you're thinking "Frozen's not a holiday movie, you jerk!" Well, are you sure? It did come out on the holiday season. It has snow and Ice, and one of it's main characters is a lovable snowman, so yeah. It's a holiday movie. If Winter Wonderland and Baby It's Cold Outside can be played on the radio on Christmas time despite not having anything to do with Christmas, then Frozen counts as a Christmas film too. What can there be said about it that hasn't already been said? It's a brand new Disney classic, it dethroned Toy Story 3 as the highest grossing animated film of all time, and it introduced us to Elsa, an ice princess who is the only Disney Princess to ever become Queen. and it also introduced us to Let It Go, a song so powerful, it permanently burned itself onto the minds of everyone forever.

1. Muppet's A Christmas Carol



We all know the classic story of The Christmas Carol, but you know one thing that will spice it up? Muppets, of course! Any other version of The Christmas Carol is fine (Except the Jim Carrey one, which was creepy and unpleasant to look at), but my favorite version of the story is always The Muppets Christmas Carol. Like all Muppets productions, it's always fun to see the different Muppets play different characters. For that, this takes top place on my list.