Spaghetti's Lustral Cinematic Celebration (100 Best Films From 2010-2014) - Top 10 Time!

[Avatree]

Didn't like Catching Fire, it felt like a rehash of the first film. I do really like Interstellar, though, and I plan to watch Into the Woods and Big Hero 6 as soon as they release here. Liking the list so far.

[Ezen Baklattan]

94. MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS
"I'm bringing the party to you."
If there's a movie you love just for pure fun and enjoyment, look no further. The Avengers has it all when it comes to blockbuster entertainment, but the real joy in the movie comes from watching these characters play off one another. Each of the avengers displays a unique personality and overflows with likability, but the contrast that builds between them, namely Steve's classic All-American optimism versus Tony's contemporary swagger, (And yet I still ship the two) keeps things interesting leading up to the final battle. It takes a while to build up steam as all of the heroes come together, but when it does, boom go the fireworks. It's a movie built on crowning moments of awesome and joyful character interactions, where it becomes one of the most enjoyable and satisfying blockbusters to date, a near perfect mix of silly and serious that even a lot of superhero films can't get quite right. If Age of Ultron is this good, we're in for a treat.
 

93. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2
"Good dragons under the control of bad people do bad things."
It's a rarity for an animated film, much less one from Dreamworks Animation, magnificently captured such an epic scope and soared with it, but that's just what this sequel does. The world beyond Berk expands to more excitement and mystery, as Hiccup discovers his long lost mother, a Dragon protecting vigilante, and the men seeking to gain total control over dragons for their own benefit. The action and scale of the movie is simply breathtaking and gorgeous, but the movie never forgets what made the first film so good: its heart. The relationship between Hiccup and Toothless (who is literally the best thing ever), as well as that of Stoick and Valka, anchor the movie down to an emotional level that makes us care deeply about them. It's not as strong as the original (which will show up later in the list, by the way) due to a few story problems, primarily the villian's lack of death and a somewhat problematic backstory for Valka, but when this movie flies, boy, does it soar. Most animated films lack this ambition, but How To Train Your Dragon 2 pulls it off in spades.

[Ezen Baklattan]

92. TUCKER & DALE VS. EVIL
"We got ur friend!"
Subversive, wacky, and gleefully funny, this is one of the funniest movies of the last decade. A modern parable against prejudice with an interesting role reversal, the film follows two good natured rednecks as they try to save a college girl's life but accidentally giving the illusion of kidnapping to her relatively bigoted friends. It's a wildly hilarious black comedy that subverts tropes left and right, but like a lot of other movies in this list (so far, mind you), it's got an unexpected heart. The titular protagonists have hearts of gold, and the relationship between them and the girl they rescue is surprisingly heartfelt and makes us root for these two silly rednecks, and it manifests into a series of hilarious hijinks and insane setpieces that heighten the film's own outrageous nature. It's gleefully morbid nature never overstays its welcome, and the result is one of the most inventive horror comedies to date.

 

91. HUGO
"If you've ever wondered where your dreams come from, you look around... this is where they're made."
I remember when we first got the trailer for this, we were baffled that Martin Scorsese would choose to direct it and wrote it off as a sure-fire bomb. Come its release, we were in for quite a surprise. Martin Scorsese, quite possibly the biggest film lover on the planet, had lovingly created a celebration of cinema. The initial story of an orphan living inside a Paris train station is straight forward enough, but his journey elevates the film to be something much more special as he discovers, and rescues, a heartbroken Georges Melies. Boasting a stylish visual tone, a mix of period flare with a dash of steampunk aesthetics and some of the best 3D effects this decade, Scorsese creates an extroardinary world for his characters to roam, as the story's childlike innocent and eye of wonder speaks for itself. It's a film of conceit, no mistake, but it comes from such an earnest place in Scorsese's heart that it manifests in one of the most beautiful family films of the decade.

[Empire]

Finally a movie I don't care for. Wasn't a fan of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.

[The Stingray]

Tucker & Dale is awesome. Great choice!

[DAJK]

I really enjoyed Hugo, liking the choices so far!

[baumer]

Love Tucker and Dale.

 

Avengers and TITE are way too low for my liking.

[Ethan Hunt]

Liking the list, not big on The Avengers of Hugo though.

[Kalo]

wow so far this is almost my list in reverse.

[Ezen Baklattan]

I think I might lose some of you later on. Just a hunch. 
 

90. WINTER'S BONE
"What I really can't stand is the way I feel ashamed...for Dad."
Jennifer Lawrence owes much of her recent success on this relatively small indie film that rightfully got plenty of buzz as time went on. As I alluded to in my blurb for Catching Fire, Jennifer Lawrence works better in dramatic roles despite her perky off-screen personality. She offers enough restraint and force as Ree, a young breadwinner trying to make do for her broken family in the heart of the Ozarks. It's ultimately a piece driven by a dark mood and atmosphere, but Lawrence provides enough humanity to carry it through on her emotional, coming-of-age journey. It's a relatively subtle and slow-burn story, but it works for the general feel of the film overall. It's a quietly engrossing picture and a brilliant breakthrough for the internet's favorite actress today. If this is the film we're judging her on, she deserves it.

 

89. THE GREAT GATSBY
"My life, old sport, my life... my life has got to be like this. It's got to keep going up."
As divisive as it was, I feel like if anyone could direct this movie well enough, it was Baz Lurhman. The complicated and emotionally draining tale lamenting the shallowness and vapidity of excess and the unexamined life of the 1920s creates a startling juxtaposition through Baz Lurhman's brilliantly flashy direction, giving the illusion of happiness and glamour but not shying away from the book's deeper themes and tragedies. The performances don't stand out exceptionally, but Leonardo DiCaprio does solid work as the titular character, mysteriously secluded yet ultimately longing. Elizabeth Debicki, on the other hand, shines bright and oozes charisma in her role as Jordan, and will hopefully get a lot of great projects in the future. It's always difficult to adapt a novel like this, and it's not without some adaptational awkwarness, but Baz does a great job with the material. Having said that, hearing Jay-Z in the 1920s is still a bit odd.

[Empire]

Winter's Bone is Lawrence's best performance I think. Really good movie!

[Noctis]

Although Great Gatsby and CF are too low, I am loving your list so far. And thank you for having The Great Gatsby! It's such an awesome film.

[Ezen Baklattan]

Winter's Bone is Lawrence's best performance I think. Really good movie!

Agreed....I think this is how I'd rank my major JLaw performances (X-Men excluded, she never really stands out there in my eyes)

 

1. Winter's Bone

2. Mockingjay - Part 1

3. Catching Fire

4. Silver Linings Playbook

5. The Hunger Games

5. American Hustle

[Noctis]

I actually just saw Amour. What an astonishing film and it defies belief that Lawrence won over her.

I love Jennifer, but her strongest performances are easily from THG films.

[Empire]

I actually just saw Amour. What an astonishing film and it defies belief that Lawrence won over her.

I love Jennifer, but her strongest performances are easily from THG films.

She is really good in THG movies, Winter's Bone is her best performance. Her work in THG movies is better than her work in O. Russell films though.

[Noctis]

Her performances in CF and MJ1 are ahead of anything she's done.

[Blankments]

I'm honestly making a list of movies on your list I haven't seen since I think we have similar taste haha

[The Panda]

I really like about all of your picks so far with the exception of Hugo (only enjoyed it for the ending) and The Great Gatsby (I hated it, but I am a big fan of the novel.)

Edited January 3, 2015 by The Panda

[MrPink]

For some reason I read Winter's Bone as Winter's Tale and I thought "This is insane and hilarious"

[Ezen Baklattan]

I have never seen Winter's Tale, but some comments on here make me wish to amend that. Anyways.
 

88. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

"I am Groot."
Guardians of the Galaxy knows that the superhero formula can't work on its own, so it takes on another facade: It's a superhero movie by nature, but it's really a comedic space opera. Anchored by a huge retro vibe (brilliantly played on with its 80s-touched soundtrack) and a motley crew of lovable heroes, from the overly literal Drax to the gentle, loving Groot to the Chris Pratt's comic everyman/thief Star Lord (The force that ties the team together), it becomes one of the most enjoyable action movies of the decade, and one of the most entertaining superhero films to date. You fall in love with all of these characters as they grow to realize that they're each others' best hope for finding a satisfying life and accomplishing something great, and you come to believe that they really care about one another despite wanting to kill each other initially. (The pod scene between Rocket and Starlord best exemplifies this, interestingly enough). It's rare to see such a heart-on-sleeve blockbuster since The Dark Knight glorified the serious nature of superhero films, but Marvel has just enough of a punch, delivered on full power here, of lightness that helps to diverge it from the genre. Mavel's new found cosmic perspective kicks off to a strong start with this exciting jaunt, so I look forward to seeing what Starlord and company are up to in the future.

 

 
87. THE MUPPETS
"This is going to be a very short movie."

Constant fourth wall breaks. Joyful, colorful, and lively direction. Crazy celebrity cameos. Chris Cooper RAPPING. If that's not the sign of a pure Muppet movie, I don't know what is. The television heroes of the 60s and 70s return to the big screen just as they always had been, without studios trying too hard to keep things 'cool' and 'hip'. It certainly helps that uber Muppet fan Jason Segel was at the helm for the movie, crafting a hilarious, heartfelt, and all around fun return to these characters along with director James Bobin and co-writer/collaborator Nicholas Stoller. You can't forget the medley of hilarious and equally self-aware music from Flight of the Conchords songwriter Bret Mckenzie. It's a film that doesn't try to conform to what audiences want, but ends up giving them something even better than they could have imagined. It's a movie of pure joy and humor that straight up punches cynicism in the face. A perfect new introduction to these beloved characters, and one of the most uniquely hilarious movies of the decade. There's just too much happiness in here not to love it (unless you're Lisa, of course.)

Edited January 4, 2015 by Spaghetti