Year in Review: 2014

2014 was one amazing year for geeks! From Guardians of the Galaxy to Sherlock's long awaited return, 2014 has had something for geeks of almost every fandom! Yet, at the same time, it has been a year that has seen several of our favorite franchises end... Today's post is going to take a look back at the highlights of 2014, and yes, I realize that this post is really late.

Marvel Domination

Without a doubt, Marvel dominated the year in movies! Starting in April, Marvel really hit a homerun with Captain America: The Winter Soldier being possibly the most thematically profound comic book film to date. Next came The Amazing Spider-Man 2, while flawed, was a fun movie that captured the spirit of the comic book, although now we know these movies do not matter anymore. In May, X-Men: Days of Future Past provided us with an exceptional time-travel story that brought the X-Men franchise to its former glory. Guardians of the Galaxy crushed the domestic box office, and even Big Hero 6 received high critical praise and a moderate box office haul.

End of Middle-Earth

Unless The Silmarillion is ever adapted into film, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the last journey into Middle Earth that we will experience on film, at least until some idiots reboot the franchise. Sure, not that many people loved the final chapter, but it certainly delivered on the emotion.

A New Doctor

2015 ushered in the first season with a new Doctor Peter Capaldi. Season 8 had its ups and downs with "Kill the Moon" being one of the worst episodes of Doctor Who since the 2005 reboot, yet we were also treated to the amazingly atmospheric "Flatline." As a whole, it was a solid season of Doctor Who that makes me excited for the next one later this year!

Hooked on a Feeling

Even though Guardians was mentioned in the Marvel Domination, it deserves special mention by getting the entire country "Hooked on a Feeling!" With Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel has proven that they can adapt even the most obscure source material and have outstanding results in both quality and box office success.

Arrow and The Flash

Despite DC's failure to make quality live-action films, they do success in area, their TV series on the CW, Arrow and The Flash. Thanks to Netflix, I was able to catch up on Arrow's first two seasons, and then start watching the recent third season along with The Flash. Both series, while not perfect, are incredibly fun and showcase that not all DC properties have to feature dull, lifeless, and emo protagonists with comical amounts of over-seriousness.

Parks and Recreation

After watching Guardians of the Galaxy, I felt the need for more Chris Pratt and to satisfy this craving, I discovered Parks and Recreation, a hilarious comedy from the creators of the Office about the Parks and Rec department in the small town named Pawnee. From the lovable characters to the wide variety of humor, Parks and Rec quickly became my favorite comedy series. Unfortunately, earlier this year, the final season finished airing, and while it had a fantastic conclusion, it is still sad to see it go.

The Godfather

Finally, after years of hearing that the Godfather is quote: "The Best Movie of All-Time," I got to see it for myself. As you may know from my review, which you can read here, the first Godfather was a great film, definitely not the best movie ever by any means, but it was good enough to place on my Top 100 Movies List.

Avatar/Korra Franchise Ends

During the fall of last year, I watched the entire Avatar series and caught up to what was currently airing of the Legend of Korra. Of course, as soon as I started watching, Korra aired its final season. While the final season was not all that consistent, the finale was mostly excellent. With that said, as a whole, the Avatar/Korra franchise is one of my favorites from American television. If you want to know more, you can read my reviews of each season, as well as reviews for every episode of Korra's last season.

Three 10 out of 10s

2014 might just be the best year ever in movies, or at least if you are a geek, because we had three films, all of which based on comic books, that completely blew my mind enough to warrant 10 out of 10. Unlike some, 10/10 is not a score that I give out often. In fact, until 2014, there were only eight films deserving of such a score. Of course, the three films that far exceeded expectations were: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Guardians of the Galaxy. However, you are going to make to wait until my J and J Movie Awards before you see which of the three ranks the highest.

What are some of your highlights from 2014? Please comment below and let me know.

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