Caleb Leger's Top 10 Best Movies of 2014
By Caleb Leger
2014 proved to be quite the exciting year for many. With some of the best blockbusters, awesome action movies, hilarious comedies, and excellent family films; there was a little something for everyone. While 2015 looks like it will capitalize on the momentum gained this past year for a record breaking box office year, let's first take a look at some of the films I thought were the best of 2014. They were exciting, fun, and a blast to watch. This is my pick of the 10 best films I saw this year. Enjoy!
10.) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
To start this list is the final chapter in Peter Jackson's Middle-Earth saga. While I agree that The Hobbit didn't need to be three long films and there was too much of a reliance on CGI, this was still a fun and fitting conclusion to the tale of Bilbo Baggins. The actors were all excellent in the their roles, with Richard Armitage really bringing it with the character of Thorin. Martin Freeman continued to be the glue holding this trilogy together. He plays Bilbo perfectly, showing his courage and well timed comedy. This was a very enjoyable film that was a fitting farewell to the Middle-Earth saga once and for all.
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9.) The Raid 2
This was one of the greatest action movies ever! The Raid 2 takes all the insane action from the first film and turns it up a huge notch. The stakes are higher, the intrigue better, and the action more over the top than before. The fight choreography continues to impress in these films, with every action scene being one of the most exhilarating things ever witnessed. The kitchen fight scene and prison brawl are just two of the standouts from the film. Fans of both action and the original film should check this one out as soon as possible. You won't regret a second.
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8.) John Wick
If you had told me a year ago that Keanu Reeves was going to come out with a good movie, I would have laughed. Until this film came out. In what is easily his best film since The Matrix, John Wick is a take no prisoners action film. The story is incredibly simple, with the main character getting revenge on the people who killed his dog and stole his car. Keanu Reeves is badass in the title role, proving he still has what it takes. This was one of the biggest surprises of 2014. I, for one, am hoping for a sequel to this incredibly fun movie.
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7.) The Lego Movie
Of all the animated films released in 2014, The Lego Movie proved to be the best. While this movie could have just been a marketing ploy to sell more toys, it proved to be much more than that. The story is exciting, hilarious, and has a theme that anyone can relate to. The whole voice cast were excellent in their roles. Chris Pratt, Morgan Freeman, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, and Charlie Day all brought their characters to vivd life. Will Arnett was the best as the voice of Batman. He was hysterical and easily stole the show from everybody. The Lego Movie was an excellent family film that everyone should check out.
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6.) 22 Jump Street
Sequels have a stigma of being significantly worse than their predecessor, this being especially true for horror and comedies. Luckily, 22 Jump Street was actually better than its already hilarious first installment. Channing Tatum and Jonah still have an incredible amount of chemistry and play extremely well off each other. The film also smartly uses its meta humor to poke fun at the fact that it's a sequel with the characters doing the exact same thing. A hilarious sequel that really surprised me and has me waiting anxiously for the third installment.
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5.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Marvel had a big year, with two of their major releases becoming huge hits. The first to become a hit is Captain America: The Winter. The film mainly works simply because it abandons almost all notions of how a superhero film should play out, instead opting for a more spy thriller tone. Chris Evans really solidifies his role as Captain America here, showing us he's the man for the job. Marvel also gave us their second best villain, behind Loki, in The Winter Soldier. He was terrifying, brutal, and tragic. He was a bast to watch any time he was onscreen. It also had the most profound effect on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. An effect that I can't wait to see play out in future movies.
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4.) X-Men: Days of Future Past
The best X-Men film since X2: X-Men United. Bryan Singer made a welcome return to the franchise and gave it a major boost. The film smartly used its time traveling plot to connect the original trilogy to the already excellent First Class. Both returning and new cast members were great. The standout being Evan Peters as Quicksilver, bringing a lot of charisma to the role. I hope to see him return for future installments. An excellent film and fun summer blockbuster, I officially couldn't be more excited for the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse.
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3.) Guardians of the Galaxy
The film that not only proved to be one of Marvel's biggest hits, but also the second highest grossing film of 2014. Guardians of the Galaxy was a hilarious, fun, and wild space adventure that explored one of Marvel's more obscure properties. This film officially opened up the Cosmic Universe within Marvel's Cinematic Universe. It also gave us our first real look at the biggest threat yet, Thanos. He looked awesome and I can't wait for him to make his move. The cast were also a huge reason this movie rocked. Chris Pratt solidified his place as a leading man. Dave Bautista proved he can act. Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper brought to life now two fan favorite characters, Groot and Rocket Raccoon. Marvel took a gamble with this one. A gamble that, fortunately, worked.
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2.) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was not only the sequel that far surpassed its predecessor, but also one of the smartest summer blockbusters to be released this year. The film takes place ten years later, with apes becoming the dominate species and living a peaceful life. This all changes when they make contact with humans. An exhilarating movie that ask the question of the difference between ape and man. Andy Serkis continues to impress with his amazing portrayal of ape leader, Caesar. He brings a ton of emotion to the character. The fact that he hasn't received an Oscar yet is criminal. Also, this movie gave us the pleasure of seeing monkeys on horseback with guns. That was pretty awesome. Bring on the third installment.
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1.) Godzilla
My most anticipated film of the year was also, luckily, a huge hit and excellent movie. Godzilla roared back into cinematic life thanks to director Gareth Edwards. While the human storyline was generic and bland, the film backed it up with some of the most incredible kaiju fights I've seen onscreen. The decision to film the fights from a human perspective was genius, as it made Godzilla and the other monsters feel truly gigantic. Godzilla hasn't felt this epic in a long time. Seeing him roar full face into the camera after showing him off completely was one of the greatest moments in my life at a movie theater. The film was a major hit when it released and a sequel has been confirmed for 2018. It's safe to say that the King of the Monsters is back.
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