As 2015 comes to a close, it is the time to reflect on everything that has happened this year. As you reflect on how you have changed and look forward to what is in store for 2016, it is also time to look at the films that came out this year and had the most impact. We have had a lot of good films, a lot of bad films, and "Fantastic Four." But now it is time to look at what I believe are the top five films of 2015. Now these are solely my personal opinion and you are entitled to agree or disagree all you want.
5. "Jurassic World"
Without seeing any of the original "Jurassic Park" movies, I did not know what to expect from this film. I knew of the "Jurassic Park" films and had seen clips from them but going into this movie I did not have the same expectations as long time fans of the franchise. I actually ended up seeing this movie twice. My first experience with this film was not as enjoyable only because I saw the film in 3D and ended up sitting in the front row of the theater and we all know how much fun that is... despite that, I still thoroughly enjoyed this movie.
The chaos created in the park was fun to watch and the performance of Chris Pratt proved another good performance by this rising star. The pacing of this movie was also very good with the slow build up of the new hybrid dinosaur having a good pay off when the beast is finally revealed. I also appreciated some of the nods to the previous films, giving the long time fans of the franchise a little nostalgia to go along with their experience. This film was not only a success critically but financially as well. It is currently the highest grossing film of 2015, grossing $500 million worldwide. It just recently came out on DVD so if you didn't get a chance to see it in the theaters, go to the nearest video store (do those still exist?) and check it out for yourself.
4. "Creed"
Like "Jurassic World," I had not seen any of the Rocky films before I saw "Creed" so I did not have the same expectations as those of long time fans of the franchise. And just like "Jurassic World," I was very impressed by this film and found it very enjoyable. The story of the main hero, Adonis Creed is a good story about stepping out of his father's shadow and making his own legacy. The performances of Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone were very good, especially Stallone. Now while I have not seen any of the Rocky movies, I have heard mixed reviews about Stallone's acting ability. But I can honestly say that he did a really good job in this film. His role as the aged mentor is a change from the hero most fans are used to and to his credit he pulls it off very well.
Now, I'm not going to give anything away but I will say that when Rocky has his battle to fight, it's great to see how his experiences from the earlier movies have shaped him. Jordan's performance as the young Creed is a great performance from this upcoming actor and definitely a good enough performance to make everyone forget about "Fantastic Four." Whether you are a fan of the Rocky movies or not, I can say that this is a great film to check out and you will get more out of it than you think.
3. "Mad Max: Fury Road"
Just like the previous two films, I had not seen any of the "Mad Max" films (starting to see a pattern?). But just like the other two movies, I was very impressed by this film. The visual affects are outstanding and the pacing of this movie keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. And for someone who believes that dialogue plays a huge role in the quality of a film, the use of very little dialogue worked very well in this film. It was more focused on the big chase going on rather than the conflict of the characters.
Even our hero Max has very little dialogue in this movie. What really made this film standout was the fact that it is so simple with just a big chase scene but yet so unique at the same time. The action and setting is great to watch and while the characters do not say a whole lot, they say just enough to keep the audience interested. I recently watched this film again and I still had the same feeling as I did when I saw it in theaters. I highly recommend this to anyone who hasn't seen it yet.
2. "The Avengers: Age of Ultron"
Now, this film I did have high expectations for. Having seen the previous Avengers film as well as the other Marvel films, I was very excited for this movie and my expectations were set pretty high. Thankfully this film not only met those but exceeded them. I remember the first five minutes of the film being jammed packed with more action than all of "Iron Man 2." A great continuation of the Avengers saga, we see all of our favorite heroes interacting with each other and working together to keep the world safe. The performances of Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth delivered just as they always do. Being a big fan of super hero movies, this film reminded me why I love these movies to begin with. The action is great, the characters are great, the conflict is great, the movie is just great. At this point I am beating a dead horse so just go buy the DVD and give it a watch if you haven't seen it already.
1. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
I know I'm cheating with this one as this film literally just came out, but being a fan of the "Star Wars" films, especially the Original Trilogy, this movie made a lot of noise for most of the year. All the speculation about the roles our favorite heroes would play and even speculation for who the villain was had the whole world talking. This movie was the talk of most of 2015. The one fear that I had for this movie was that it would be another "Phantom Menace," all hype and no substance. Having just seen this film last night, I can happily say that this film delivered and exceeded my expectations. It was a great mix of nostalgia seeing our favorite characters return along with seeing a brand new chapter in the Star Wars saga being created.
The performances of Harrison Ford, Daisey Ridley, and John Boyega stood out as it was great to see Han Solo return to the big screen while also seeing the rise of our two new heroes. I know that "Star Wars" fans will be please with this movie and even movie fans in general will be impressed as well. I cannot recommend this movie enough; see it if you have not yet!!
Like I said before, these are just my personal opinions. Some of you may agree with me, some of you may not and that is OK. Check these films out for yourself and form your own opinions. You may be surprised what you find.
