Connor Eyzaguirre's Top 15 Best Films of 2014
By Connor Eyzaguirre
2014 was a crazy year for movies. This past year, we saw some of the best performances and most exciting blockbusters in recent years. Now that the year is over, I am happy to provide my top picks of 2014. These are the films that best represented the film industry in 2014 and were overall entertaining and enjoyable. These are 15 of the best films that I saw this year. Let's get started!
15.) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Kicking off my list is the final chapter in Peter Jackson's Middle-Earth saga. The Battle of the Five Armies was easily the best in the Hobbit franchise, upping the action and setting up the epic Lord of the Rings series. The third Hobbit film was packed with excellent performances from Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, and virtually every cast member who I feel hadn't given their all in the previous films. In this one, however, the cast finally proved that they were worthy to be a part of the Middle-Earth story. I highly enjoyed the defining chapter in a story that will definitely live on for years to come.
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14.) 22 Jump Street
22 Jump Street was a film that should have been terrible, but ended up being one of the most entertaining films of the year. It embraced it's own ridiculousness and turned the film into a satire of comedy sequels, constantly poking fun at how the characters in the movie are doing the same thing they did in the first one. Combined with Hill and Tatum's impeccable chemistry and a bigger comedic role for Ice Cube, 22 Jump Street is arguably the greatest comedy sequel in a long time.
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13.) Godzilla
Godzilla did the impossible. It erased any memory of Roland Emmerich's 1998 disaster and established a new Godzilla for a new generation. This film was the perfect kaiju flick that utilized just enough Godzilla to keep us sated while not having the monster dominate the entire movie. Gareth Edwards proved his worth by making an epic monster movie that gave substance and charisma to an enormous lizard, while simultaneously crafting a realistic human world that must accept and deal with the fact that these creatures exist. It wasn't an easy feat, but he pulled it off.
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12.) John Wick
I don't think anybody expected John Wick to be anything more than a glorified B-movie. What we got was an epic tale of revenge and mayhem starring Keanu Reeves in his best role since The Matrix. John Wick is such a simple story about an ex-assassin who gets pulled back into the world of underground crime after his dog is murdered. With such a great supporting cast and some of the best one-liners ever uttered, John Wick was the biggest surprise of 2014 and an undeniably badass flick.
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11.) Interstellar
Interstellar was the most thought-provoking film of the year and definitely one of the most original sci-fi films I've ever seen. Christopher Nolan proved once again that he is the master at humanizing extravagant stories with this film that used ordinary science to show us extraordinary things. Matthew McConaughey gave an incredible performance as a father with no other option but to travel through a wormhole in space to find a planet suitable to establish a human colony. As the film progresses, you see McConaughey's fall from grace as his family gets further and further away from him. Needless to say, I was greatly impressed with Interstellar.
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10.) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
I thought it would be difficult to top Rise of the Planet of the Apes but I was proven wrong after I saw this sequel. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes shows the beginning of the raging war between the surviving humans and the apes, led by Caesar. Andy Serkis delivered the performance of his career with his mo-capped Caesar, showing the character's humanity and dignity in a world where these traits no longer apply. I found this film very enjoyable and consider it to be one of the better sequels of the year.
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9.) Jersey Boys
I didn't understand why everybody hated Clint Eastwood's adaptation of Jersey Boys. I loved it. It was an excellent retelling of the formation of the Four Seasons, with each cast member giving it their all. Being a fan of Frankie Valli, I guess my enjoyment of the film is a little biased. Still, it's hard not to enjoy the songs or sympathize for Frankie's tough life growing up in Jersey. I urge naysayers to give this film another chance. You might just find something to like.
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8.) Gone Girl
Gone Girl was definitely the most disturbing film I saw this year. It was an incredible movie with a premise that will both shock and disturb you. Nobody but David Fincher could have adapted this story into the film it became. Rosamund Pike was brilliant as the victim Amy Dunne, who's ultimate fate I will not spoil for those who haven't seen it yet. Needless to say, it's quite insane.
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7.) Get On Up
I cannot believe this film didn't receive more attention. It was the best music biopic I saw all year and one of the most entertaining films of 2014. Chadwick Boseman captured the voice and mannerisms of James Brown to the letter, giving a solid and honest performance. I thought this was going to go all the way to the Oscars and I'm very disappointed it didn't get more accolades. It definitely deserved them.
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6.) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is Marvel's best sequel yet and one of their best films. It was less of a superhero movie and more of a spy thriller where anybody could be your enemy. Chris Evans continues to excel as Captain America, but it's Sebastian Stan who steals the show as the newly minted Winter Soldier. I totally believed Cap's reaction to losing his best friend's mind to HYDRA. The consequences of this film will create ripples throughout Marvel's Cinematic Universe and I cannot wait to see what happens.
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5.) Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy was easily the funnest movie of the year and was Marvel's best film since The Avengers. It was an incredible gamble that paid off enormously, with Chris Pratt being turned into an A-lister in the process. Packed with great performances and insanely cool Easter eggs for us Marvel fans, there is little to not like about Guardians of the Galaxy and I can't wait until they cross paths with the Avengers.
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4.) X-Men: Days of Future Past
I have never been more pumped for a movie than I was during the opening credits of X-Men: Days of Future Past. When the music from X2 started playing, I nearly had a heart attack from the excitement. DOFP was easily the best X-Men film yet and gave us everything we loved from both the originals and First Class. As far as summer blockbusters go, this one was my favorite of the year and I hope X-Men: Apocalypse is up to snuff.
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3.) Birdman
Birdman was the strangest film I saw this year, but also immensely entertaining. It's been a while since Michael Keaton had a good, career-defining role. Now, I think he finally got his due. This film was so bizarrely fun that I think it's due for greatness. The supporting cast is excellent and Keaton himself leads the movie without missing a beat. I love that the film's lead character has a career that mirrors Keaton's own, which is why the film works so perfectly. It's hard not to find something to love about it.
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2.) The Grand Budapest Hotel
If it wasn't for my number one pick, this film would have easily taken its place. The Grand Budapest Hotel is the most charming film of the year and is so endearingly heartwarming that I could watch it again and again. Ralph Fiennes is so witty and likable as Monsieur Gustave and he leads a superb cast in what I believe is Wes Anderson's masterpiece. I hope this film gets the award attention it deserves.
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1.) The Imitation Game
My number one pick is a film that truly moved and inspired me. The Imitation Game is an incredible film starring Benedict Cumberbatch in a role that will catapult him to greatness. His performance as Alan Turing will leave you in tears as it did me and if he doesn't win an Oscar for it, it will be criminal. I absolutely loved this film and believe it to be hands-down the best film of 2014.
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DISCLAIMER - Prior to making this list, I had not yet seen Whiplash, Boyhood, or The Theory of Everything. Had I seen them, they would have certainly made this list.