The Oscars are tonight, pitting the best films of 2014 against each other in a three hour ceremony. Many films were recognized, though, many were left without nominations. There were far many deserving films in 2014; the gallery above showcases the top 20 films of the past year.
It was a great year for Science Fiction buffs. Films like X-Men: Days of Future Past, Edge of Tomorrow and Guardians of the Galaxy gave us a great experience in the movie theaters with as much eye candy as story. Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy are a great pair of actors, playing young Magneto and Professor Xavier. Edge of Tomorrow may be repetitive, with the same day happening over and over again, though, it executes it with as much diversity in every scene. Guardians, on the other hand, proved to be one of Marvel’s greatest work to date. Chris Pratt proves he’s as much a funny man as an action star. Funny, action-packed, and full delivery of exceptional visuals and CGI, these films are well-deserving of their places in the Top 20.
Four animated films in the Top 20 this year, with Big Hero 6 leading the pack. An adaption of the Marvel comics, Hero slaps us with an emotional and revenge story, while alleviating the story with the inflatable robot, Baymax. The Book of Life had a great story from start to finish. Though it suffered from some miscasting, you get over it mid-way. How To Train Your Dragon 2 improves on its predecessor, opening up and detailing the world of dragons. Introducing us to a vicious villain and hitting us with an emotional loss, Dragon 2 is one of the pinnacles of DreamWorks Animation. The Boxtrolls was a funny and charismatic film. The amounts of work put into it is almost invisible, as the characters move seamlessly through the screen.
Virunga gives us an insight on the struggle against protecting the Virunga National Park and its inhabitants, the last of the mountain gorillas. Wealthy powers and armed forces threaten the park, with the intention of depleting it from its natural resources.
Andy Serkis in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is phenomenal once again, an performance that is definitely underrated.
Note: Both #5’s are intentional.
