James Garcia
1) The Lego Movie
Like so many children around the world, I grew up loving LEGO, and have carried that love with me into adulthood. I do LEGO photography for a hobby, and still have all of the LEGO bricks and minifigures I played with as a kid. So, to say that I was excited for The Lego Movie is a monumental understatement.
The Lego Movie is one of those films that’s way better than it has any right to be. Phil Lord and Chris Miller took what could have been a glorified toy commercial, and they turned it into a fun, inventive, unique adventure that’s unlike any animated film I’ve seen before. I’ve seen it several times now, and find myself loving it more and more with each viewing. The fact that the entire film, and the universe it takes place in, was constructed out of those beloved little bricks is absolutely incredible, and the story really highlights the things that made me love LEGO in the first place: the freedom and celebration of imagination.
2) The Grand Budapest Hotel
I always liked Wes Anderson, but didn’t love his work until Fantastic Mr. Fox. After seeing it, I went and revisited his filmography and began to see just how great of a filmmaker he really is. The Grand Budapest Hotel takes the things I love most about Anderson, and amplifies them in a way that’s truly impressive. His visual style is cleaner and more defined, his dark comedic touches are funnier and a bit more shocking, and the cinematography is just dazzling, weird, and, well, so Wes Anderson.
3) Edge of Tomorrow
I’m going to be honest here… I never expected Edge of Tomorrow to end up on a list like this. I wasn’t excited for this film at all and thought it looked like your average, generic, forgettable summer blockbuster. Luckily, it’s none of those things and is in fact one of the best blockbusters I’ve seen in years. In fact, it’s one of the best science fiction films I’ve seen in years. It has so much replay value that I know I’ll be continually impressed and enamored by it for years to come.
This movie is just a ton of fun, and it really breaks my heart that it’s not getting the box office earnings it deserves. Hopefully it will find its audience on home video, because this is one film that does not deserve to disappear anytime soon.
4) X-Men: Days of Future Past
I also wasn’t too excited for Days of Future Past, not because I don’t like the X-Men, but because I had been let down by the franchise too many times to really get my hopes up. I liked First Class but wasn’t blown away by it, and I was a bit nervous about how well Bryan Singer would be able to balance out the immense cast, time-travel storyline and larger themes coherently – but man did he pull it off.
Days of Future Past is not only my favorite X-Men film, but one of my favorite superhero films of all time. The more I think about it, the more I like it. The cast is just incredible, and Singer’s direction is top-notch. I would honestly say it’s his best film since The Usual Suspects, as well as a triumphant return to the superhero genre, which he himself helped kick off 14 years ago.
5) Godzilla
This #5 slot is tough, because there have actually been a lot of films I enjoyed this year. Captain America: The Winter Soldier could have easily taken this spot, but Godzilla takes the cake simply because it’s the most fun I’ve had in a theater since seeing Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’s Grindhouse on opening night.
I’m a huge fan of monster movies, and was so hopeful for the King of Monsters to make a comeback. The film may have been a bit slow in parts, and yes, it didn’t show Godzilla for a while… but I loved its slow, deliberate pace, and I was impressed by Gareth Edwards’ direction and sense of tone. I had a smile on my face from start to finish, nearly cheered out loud a few times and walked away wanting to see it all over again. In the end, that’s what we want from these big summer movies, isn’t it? Godzilla definitely delivered.
What are your favorite films of 2014 so far? Let us know in the comments!