1. Skyfall
I have been a James Bond fan for as long as I can remember and they were an important part of my childhood. With the 23rd installment of the series they really out-did themselves.
Sam Mendes directs in a very no nonsense manner with a mix of steady wide shots and close-ups to create a very epic narrative but also one which Bond is clearly at the center of. It also has, in my opinion, the best Bond villain there has ever been, Silva, played to perfection by Javier Bardem. He is excellently crazy and he performance is just enthralling from the moment he come on screen in that epic long monologue shot.
The action is also well choreographed and shot but doesn't quite carry the weight that previous Craig Bond films have and it has a heavier reliance on gun combat as opposed to hand to hand fights. The downside however is that Eve (Naomie Harris) is not a very compelling character and Harris's portrayal of her is annoying in some scenes. There are also some lines that don't quite work but they are a rarity in an otherwise excellent script which has a potent end to it.
The action is also well choreographed and shot but doesn't quite carry the weight that previous Craig Bond films have and it has a heavier reliance on gun combat as opposed to hand to hand fights. The downside however is that Eve (Naomie Harris) is not a very compelling character and Harris's portrayal of her is annoying in some scenes. There are also some lines that don't quite work but they are a rarity in an otherwise excellent script which has a potent end to it.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
By far the best of the current Marvel cinematic universe movies, it focuses on a rag tag group of thieves and assassins from around the galaxy who have to protect a mysterious orb from the villain Ronan the Accuser. This plot structure is very similar to an Indiana Jones movie where the actions of characters are driven solely by their want or knowledge of the object. Although this little amount of plot depth really lets the colorful characters shine.
Chris Pratt plays the part of Star Lord beautifully, almost becoming a parody of Han Solo at times, and his charm is limitless. The stand out character however is Groot, a sentient tree creature who can only say the words "I am Groot" in that order. It is Vin Diesel's portrayal of Groot that makes him shine though with Diesel really giving his all for every scene and giving such emotion to him, especially in the last act of the movie.
The soundtrack of this movie is also phenomenal, made up of 70's and 80's rock and pop songs which play at perfect times throughout the movie, it almost becomes a character in itself.
The first few minutes of the film however are surprisingly dark and don't convey the tone of the movie as a whole which makes it feel somewhat out of place.
3. Mad Max:Fury Road
A very recent addition to this list and I am going to do a more in depth review of this when I do my 'Best of Summer' piece so I will keep this brief.
Stunning visuals, the best action since maybe ever, great characters, stunning score and a guy who has a guitar that shoots frickin' flames!
Need I say more?
4. Whiplash
A very different movie to the others on the list, This follows the drumming student Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) as he gets a spot in the best jazz band in his school. This class is taught by the menacing Terrance Fletcher (J K Simmons), this guy is like the worst teacher you ever had in school times by a million. Simmons plays it oh so excellently though and everything he says is laced with venom. Although Simmons got the award for this movie I really think the stand out performance was Teller, his decent into almost insanity whilst trying to achieve perfection is engrossing and played very believably.
Simmons and Teller's back and forth are really where this movie shines, you really believe the hate developing between them but also that deep rooted respect that is at the core of the movie.
The drumming is also mind-blowing. As Teller has been a drummer from an early age, most of the shots you see of him doing these insane drum solos are actually him which lend a much greater credibility to his performance. The final quarter of an hour of this movie is just filled with one epic drum solo which has excellent back and forth between Teller and Simmons laced throughout, it truly is one of the best movie endings of all time.
The only problem with this movie is that before Simmons' character is introduced there is not much momentum in the movie, but this does change very soon into it. Whiplash also does suffer slight on repeat viewings as its not pulled along by any sort of action, which is inevitably more re watchable, but by slow physiological warfare which doesn't have the same effect on the viewer the second time round. It will still keep you perched on the edge of your seat though with some really suspenseful scenes directed extremely well by Damien Chazelle in his first blockbuster directing gig. What a way to start!
Sorry this is only a top 4 list, I honestly can't think of what would go in the number 5 slot,
contenders were:
The first few minutes of the film however are surprisingly dark and don't convey the tone of the movie as a whole which makes it feel somewhat out of place.
3. Mad Max:Fury Road
A very recent addition to this list and I am going to do a more in depth review of this when I do my 'Best of Summer' piece so I will keep this brief.
Stunning visuals, the best action since maybe ever, great characters, stunning score and a guy who has a guitar that shoots frickin' flames!
Need I say more?
4. Whiplash
A very different movie to the others on the list, This follows the drumming student Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) as he gets a spot in the best jazz band in his school. This class is taught by the menacing Terrance Fletcher (J K Simmons), this guy is like the worst teacher you ever had in school times by a million. Simmons plays it oh so excellently though and everything he says is laced with venom. Although Simmons got the award for this movie I really think the stand out performance was Teller, his decent into almost insanity whilst trying to achieve perfection is engrossing and played very believably.
Simmons and Teller's back and forth are really where this movie shines, you really believe the hate developing between them but also that deep rooted respect that is at the core of the movie.
The drumming is also mind-blowing. As Teller has been a drummer from an early age, most of the shots you see of him doing these insane drum solos are actually him which lend a much greater credibility to his performance. The final quarter of an hour of this movie is just filled with one epic drum solo which has excellent back and forth between Teller and Simmons laced throughout, it truly is one of the best movie endings of all time.
The only problem with this movie is that before Simmons' character is introduced there is not much momentum in the movie, but this does change very soon into it. Whiplash also does suffer slight on repeat viewings as its not pulled along by any sort of action, which is inevitably more re watchable, but by slow physiological warfare which doesn't have the same effect on the viewer the second time round. It will still keep you perched on the edge of your seat though with some really suspenseful scenes directed extremely well by Damien Chazelle in his first blockbuster directing gig. What a way to start!
Sorry this is only a top 4 list, I honestly can't think of what would go in the number 5 slot,
contenders were:
- Casino Royale
- Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Back to the Future
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- Hurt Locker
- District 9
Also sorry for the weird post timing, I will try and make it more consistent in the future, probably changing it to like 3 or 4 a week.
Hope you enjoyed this list, I would love to hear your top 4 (or 5) in the comments below, I have set it so even people without a Blogger account can comment as well, I hope that is better.
-Joe
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