Hello all and welcome to the halfway point of the year thus far! 2015 has been a huge year for movies (and the box office) and there are have been some real gems. Seeing as how it's the halfway mark for the year, I've listed my 5 BEST and WORST films that I've seen so far before we break into the usual upcoming films. Click the title for my reviews!
5 WORST Films of 2015
5) Aloha -- Rath's Review Score 5.5/10
4) Tak3n -- RRS 5.5/10
3) Hot Pursuit -- RRS 5/10
2) Mortdecai -- RRS 5/10
1) Hot Tub Time Machine 2 -- RRS 1/10
5 BEST Films of 2015
Now let's recap last month's films!
Entourage: You'll notice a trend this month: I skipped A LOT of films. May was a busy month (I reviewed 8 films, a personal record) so I took some time off this month. I skipped Entourage and I didn't miss much. Fans enjoyed what was basically an extended, crammed episode for a film that was about 4 years too late.
Insidious: Chapter 3: This prequel was praised for being another decent entry in the ongoing horror franchise, but it didn't get warm enough reviews for me to really consider seeing it. Still clichéd, but for fans of the series it was worthwhile.
Spy: I got to see an advanced screening of this, and it was VERY enjoyable. It's very funny throughout and despite a few small issues, it's one of the year's better comedies. RRS: 8/10
Jurassic World: I enjoyed my time with it as it was a fun, but entirely too predictable, blockbuster. Given that I didn't love it, I'm VERY surprised with its box office success. One of those "It's good, but it's not THAT good" situations. RRS: 7.5/10
Inside Out: It's a delight to think about the notion that Pixar is back at the top of their game, and with Inside Out, all signs point to "YES!". It's one of their most imaginative films ever, and one of their best in years. Best Animated film thus far for 2015. RRS: 9/10
Dope: I really wish I could have found time for this one but it basically just boiled down to me being lazy. The story of a 90s loving teenager growing up in the hood during modern times sounded unique and most reviews for the film are very positive with only a few tonal issues weighing it down.
Ted 2: It has some of the year's funniest scenes, but as a whole Ted 2 is a disappointment. Many jokes crash hard and it loses a lot of the heart that made the original so special. RRS: 6.5/10
Most Disappointing: Ted 2
Most Surprising: Spy
Worst Film: Ted 2 by default, but I would guess it was Entourage
Best Film: Inside Out (yay Pixar!)
Let's take a look what's coming during a very busy July! Remember to click the titles/dates for the trailer.
Why It's Worth Seeing: James Cameron has given his approval and the world of Terminator is actually pretty rich. If it can tell an engrossing story that moves the franchise forward, it could be a winner. Also, having Arnold back is nice too.
What Could Go Wrong: Early reviews are pretty bad, and the films previous two trailers have been first, yawn-inducing, and second, spoiler-filled. Paramount Pictures is really trying to scrape together to make this one work.
Why It's Worth Seeing: First off, you're welcome ladies. Second, aside from having the corniest name this side of "Piranha 3DD", the first film was actually quite entertaining. If this film can continue the antics of Mike and his stripper gang, it could be a hoot. And yes males, you might actually find yourself enjoying it too.
What Could Go Wrong: I'm a tad concerned that this one isn't directed by Soderbergh, though he is producing it. Ultimately the question to be asked is, other than being titillating for a bunch of women, is there a reason for this film to exist? The first one answered with a "Yes", and hopefully this one does too.
Why It's Worth Seeing: The adorable, and arguably best, part from Despicable Me 1 and 2 are getting their own movie. Early trailers have been pretty funny and I'm hoping that this can work better than most other animated movie spin offs.
What Could Go Wrong: My biggest concern is the fact that these guys don't talk. Sure they're cute and their gibberish is funny, but 90 minutes of it might get old.
Why It's Worth Seeing: The premise is immediately intriguing and I think, at least from the previews, that Reynolds and Kingsley were solid picks for their roles.
What Could Go Wrong: Reynolds doesn't exactly have the best track record lately and it looks like this one might get a little confused for its own good by the time it's all said and done.
Why It's Worth Seeing: For some reason I'm shocked to see this film on this list because I thought it was coming out in August, but I digress. If there is any group that can make this film work, especially after its development hell, it's Marvel.
What Could Go Wrong: I'm sorry to say that I just don't have that much faith in this film. The trailers have been somewhat derivative and with Age of Ultron, as enjoyable as it was, the cracks in the Marvel formula are starting to show. Couple that with the troubled production and I think this might end up being Marvel's weakest film to date. I really hope that I'm wrong.
Why It's Worth Seeing: I've really been digging Amy Schumer's comedy lately and this looks like a sweet, but hilarious comedy of the R-rated variety. It's early reviews are also stellar.
What Could Go Wrong: I wonder if it might be too raunchy to the point of being uncomfortable, especially if you aren't a female. Truthfully that would just be the tables turning on the guys as there are several male comedies like that, but Schumer does have some pretty dirty jokes.
Why It's Worth Seeing: It's a far departure from Sandler's previous, less than stellar work and it will definitely have a certain charm to it.
What Could Go Wrong: Every trailer has been incredibly repetitive and I think that we've probably already seen the best/funniest parts of the film. It would be nice for Sandler to have a win with this one, but my gut tells me it wont be.
Why It's Worth Seeing: Jake Gyllenhaal has become one of my favorite actors (you should really check out Nightcrawler from last year) and it seems like he went through some intense training for the boxing film.
What Could Go Wrong: Early reviews are so so, and I think this film is caught between trying to be Oscar bait and trying to be a summer sports blockbuster.
Why It's Worth Seeing: It's the "sequel" to National Lampoon's Vacation films from back in the day. The cast is certainly solid, and the early trailers have some funny moments.
What Could Go Wrong: Hopping on the nostalgia train that seems to be taking over film this year, Vacation seems like it was a shoehorned decision to try and get butts in seats. The humor from the trailers seems way off with the humor of the old films and I question if this is an actual attempt to revive a franchise.
Why It's Worth Seeing: I have to wait until the very last day of the month to see my most anticipated film, but I figure it will be worth it. I'd argue that there has never been a "bad" Mission Impossible film, and the most recent, Ghost Protocol, was the best in the series. This one looks to continue Ethan Hunt's crazy antics.
What Could Go Wrong: Every franchise has it's peaks and valleys. There is always the chance that Rogue Nation could be one of those, but I really don't see any indication yet that this will be anything less than awesome.
Must See (in order): Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Trainwreck, Ant-Man
On My Radar: Terminator Genisys, Magic Mike XXL, Minions, Self/less, Southpaw
Predicted Duds: Pixels, Vacation
There's your recap of a PACKED July! Check back next month for the end of the summer movie season! As
always, I'd be really appreciative if you came and followed me through
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Hello everyone, James here. If you missed it, please vote on the yesterday's Reader's Choice post where you chose which movies and lists I will write and review. Also, be sure to check back later this week for a review of either Interstellar or Inside Out.
Ant-Man is an automatic number for me. I hope that MI4 will be good, although I am a little skeptical, and the same Terminator Genisys, but I like both franchises so I hope to see both. Vacation might be funny, but I have a feeling that it is going to a lot raunchier than the original films, so that's not my style. I watched Nightcrawler yesterday and Jake really killed it, so that makes me interested in Southpaw as well. Great rundown Jordan!
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Thanks James! You should do a Nightcrawler review!
DeleteDefinitely gonna be seeing Ant-Man and Mission: Impossible. I seriously want Ant-Man to be good so bad... Not at all worried about MI5 though. That would be a hard thing to mess up. :D Totally agree with your assessment of Self/Less, but man, if it was as good as it could be, it could be pretty awesome. Probably not with Reynolds though. :P So many movies, so little time! Nice rundown.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sarah! I'm hearing good things about Ant-Man so fingers crossed! ;-)
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