Review of 2014

So here we are, just a few days away from the end of the year so I thought I would take a look back at the films that were on offer in 2014.

Here is a list of the movies I was lucky/unfortunate (delete at applicable) enough to catch at the cinema:
(In no particular order)
Frozen, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, The Book Thief, The Lego Movie, Muppets Most Wanted, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Raid 2, Godzilla, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Edge of Tomorrow, Chef, Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Guardians of the Galaxy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Expendables 3, Lucy, The Equalizer, Fury, A Walk Among The Tombstones, Horns, Testament of Youth, Pride... (25)

Best Film of the Year - Guardians of the Galaxy
I took my pen and notebook to the cinema as usual but when I exited the screen I had written nothing. Why? Because I was mesmerised by everything on the screen and couldn't bare to take my eyes away in fear of missing a thing. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it looked amazing. I have since watched it again on Blu-Ray and my opinion was still the same.

Worst Film of the Year - Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie
I didn't want to watch this film but it was the first review I had for the Thurrock Enquirer and there was no way I was going to give up the opportunity to get a piece in print. There were some funny bits but not enough to save it from being tired, messy and border-line racist (Mr Wang, really??).

Biggest Disappointment of the Year - Transformers: Age of Extinction
This film was saved by some impressive visuals and the long awaited inclusion of the Dinobots. The human cast were mostly unbelievable or totally crap. I believe this was the death knell for the franchise and it's time to leave Transformers alone, at least until they get some better actors (Mark Wahlberg was OK but did you really believe he was a loser inventor?).

Biggest Surprise of the Year - Chef
There were a couple of contenders for this category but I chose this film because of the way it made me feel when I left the cinema. This is a feel good movie; a comedy without being gross-out or overly sexual. A great cast including the much under-rated John Leguizamo and utterly gorgeous Sofia Vergara. There is also a fabulous cameo from Robert Downey Jr. I'm a bit disappointed that nobody bought it for me as a Christmas present... off to check the sales!

Spring was the best season for films (and for the blog)... the releases around this time seem to have replaced the 'Summer Blockbuster'.

And so to 2015. The most obvious big events will be Avengers; Age of Ultron and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but lets not forget other big titles such as Jurassic World, Spectre, Ant-Man, Mission Impossible 5, The Hateful Eight, etc, etc, etc...

What are you looking forward to next year? And what have been your films for 2014? Let me know by visiting my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/silverscreensnob1980) and share your thoughts.