GeneralKong

Eh. The ensemble is game, but the script doesn't really do them justice unfortunately. It's pleasant enough, if a bit lacking in the laughs department for a Rogen film, but there was a lot of wasted potential here.

As a fan of classic detective mysteries (The Maltese Falcon was a favorite of mine growing up) and PTA, I absolutely loved it. The deliberately convoluted nature of the film will definitely throw a lot of people off, including PTA followers. However, viewers who are patient will end up ultimately feeling rewarded. A

Fassbender is absolutely terrific, and he pretty much holds together a film that I was otherwise a bit underwhelmed by. It has a darkly comic bite and explores some interesting themes in regards to the origins of genius, but it's rather emotionally distant and the overt quirkiness makes it awkward in a rather unpleasant way at times. 7/10

It's too bad that South Park had their season finale last week. What a bunch of bullshit.

Here is everything I have seen this year. I didn't really hate anything, since I didn't see anything that I had super low expectations for, and there is still some stuff that I need to check out. Ranking system: Top 11 = Very good to excellent range 12-15 = Alright 16-17: Eh 1. Birdman 2. Boyhood 3. Nightcrawler 4. Top Five 5. Snowpiercer 6. The Grand Budapest Hotel 7. Under the Skin 8. A Most Wanted Man 9. Gone Girl 10. Guardians of the Galaxy 11. X-Men: Days of Future Past 12. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes 13. 22 Jump Street 14. Chef 15. Veronica Mars 16. Mockingjay Part I 17. Neighbors

Loved it.The film is sharp as a satire, but also does a terrific job of ratcheting up tension, and Gyllenhaal gives probably his best performance to date. 9/10

I absolutely loved every second of this one. Showbiz satire and dramatic study of the effects of mental illness is a difficult genre balancing act, but Inarritu pulls it off, and Keaton is superb (superb may not even be a strong enough word to describe Keaton's performance.) I initially had Boyhood as my number one for the year so far, but I'm thinking that I might replace it with this one. 9.5/10

One of my favorite action flicks. I'm a huge Cage fan, and his performance here is just another example of his wonderfully comic lunacy, while Travolta also does a pretty great job hamming it up.

This really caught me by surprise. Highly entertaining and brainy at the same time, with great performances and some nice bits of dark satire incorporated throughout. There are a couple moments that ring somewhat false as the film attempts to build on its class warfare theme, with the 'baby' speech being the worst example, but that's the only gripe I had with it. Even with those rare moments, it is still far more cohesive than big budget, highly allegorical world-building films like Elysium, and Chris Evans is a very convincing action hero here, so I can't mark it down too much for a couple missteps. 8.5/10

I enjoyed Corbijn's first two films and this is another great addition to his filmography. The attention it pays to the characters allows the audience to become invested in the outcome, regardless of what lies ahead, and I really liked the slowly escalating tension over the course of the second half. A downbeat and refreshingly subtle depiction of the perils of foreign intelligence in the post 9/11 age, with a powerhouse performance from Hoffman. 9/10

A Most Wanted Man (2014)

Updated list: 1. Boyhood (10) 2. A Most Wanted Man (8.5) 3. Snowpiercer (8.5) 4. Guardians of the Galaxy (8.5) 5. X-Men: Days of Future Past (8) 6. Chef (8) 7. 22 Jump Street (8) 8. Veronica Mars (7.5) 9. Neighbors (6.5) On my list: Filth, Lucy, The Grand Budapest Hotel, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Begin Again, Edge of Tomorrow, Noah, Enemy, The Wind Rises, Nymphomaniac, The Rover, Land Ho!

I only have rudimentary knowledge of the comics, but I enjoyed it a lot nonetheless. The ensemble has great chemistry, with each lead getting their chance to show their comic chops, and the '70's/80's greatest hits soundtrack really compliments it. The overall story arc is nothing new (particularly the action-heavy final act), but the absence of the overt self-seriousness which pervades Marvel fare (not necessarily bad in all cases), and a surprising amount of heart, ultimately gives it a unique element which distinguishes it from a lot of recent comic-book adaptations. I have always enjoyed James Gunn's work, and he still manages to put his signature spin on it, even while most likely dealing with studio pressure as he manages a much larger production budget than he is used to. 8.5/10

1. Boyhood 2. X-Men: Days of Future Past 3. Chef 4. 22 Jump Street 5. Dawn of the Planet Apes 6. Veronica Mars 7. Neighbors Now that I have more free time, I plan on catching up with Netflix and I'm going to try to get to the theaters more. I haven't disliked anything this year, but that is because I am highly selective with mainstream releases and I prefer smaller releases. On my list: Snowpiercer, Filth, Lucy, The Grand Budapest Hotel, A Most Wanted Man, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Begin Again, Edge of Tomorrow, Noah, Enemy, The Wind Rises, Nymphomaniac, The Rover, Land Ho!

My favorite film of the year so far, and I don't see it moving down the list too much. A

Ledger is frigging excellent here, but the third act issues became increasingly distracting for me upon repeat viewings, lowering my rating a bit. I gave it a 9.5 when I first saw it, but I'd probably give it an 8 now, which is still pretty solid.

Probably my favorite film from last year. Just the right combination of nihilism and morbid humor, with terrific acting and wonderfully performed music (yes, a lot of it is covers but Isaac's interpretation is so perfect that you can't tell.)

An absolutely delightful laugh riot, so bad that you can't look away. A modern film which I can truly say is MST3K bad, no hyperbole required.

Endlessly quotable, with absolutely legendary performances. Definitely among my all time favorites.

B+ It's a bit too long and some of the human characters came off as rather stock-like, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. The four main leads (Kebbell, Serkis, Clarke, Russell) are all solid, and I liked that the central conflict was presented in a complex manner, rather than being another black and white/good vs. evil spectacle.

I thought the film wasn't sure whether it was a satirical spectacle or a straight up morality tale at times, but the acting was absolutely tremendous and Scorsese hasn't lost his touch as a director. Regardless of my issues with the execution, the film is certainly an experience, to say the least. 8.5/10

Horrifying but necessary, and easily one of my favorite films of the year so far. Another great collaboration between Fassbender and McQueen, they're the new version of Scorsese and DeNiro in terms of their brilliance together.