Happy New Year! If you’re as exhausted as I am, pull up a couch and check out one of these movies.
I thought I did better at getting a life this year since my movie list was much shorter than last year. Then I realized I forgot to write down about a dozen or so…
So here they are. A brief review and a “Scale of 1 to 10” rating of every movie I watched (at least every movie I remember watching) in 2014. All of these movies didn’t come out this year, but this is the year I finally got around to watching them.
2014 Year in Movie Review
And So It Goes – Meh. I had a free ticket so I went. Contains one of the worst on screen kisses of all time. And so went those 2 hours of my life. 3/10
Big Hero 6 – Kind of like cartoon, nerd, Avengers. Cute and worth the watch. The masked bad-guy must be super scary for little kids. I found him extremely creepy. 7/10
The Big Wedding – Several funny parts. Enjoyable. 6/10
Blended – Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore do it again! Such great on-screen chemistry. I saw this film alone in the theater and I still laughed out loud the entire time – a rarity for me. 9/10
The Bling Ring – Terrible. I watched it because it had Leslie Mann in it, but I can’t remember much about it. I would say it was unrealistic and unbelievable, but it was based on actual events. Guess it was just a bad movie. 1/10
Blue Valentine – The parallel storytelling in this film was not as seamless as it was in Saving Mr. Banks. Not a fan of this movie in general – dark and a bit odd. I spent most of the movie just wanting the 2 main characters to have an honest conversation. I think I lot of pain and misunderstanding can be avoided if people learn to have a conversation. 3/10
Chasing Mavericks – If you’re a little bit afraid of the ocean, don’t watch this film. You’ll never go swimming again. This movie made me simultaneously want to try surfing again and stay away from the ocean for the rest of my life. This movie was way sadder than I had expected. But it’s a true story so I guess I could have done my research. Really great story and lesson in perseverance. 7/10
Chocolat – Can I go back to France now? Seriously. This film made me want to meet people, eat, and explore. 8/10
Delivery Man – Vince Vaughn. Such a good heart in this film. 8/10
Dolphin Tale 2 – I thought the first one was cute. This one was too. An enjoyable family film. 6/10
Drinking Buddies – Not as funny as I had expected with such a stellar lineup. Fun Fact: This movie had no script. It was all improvised. Only a general idea of the story was given to the cast and they had to come up with the rest. That earns them a much higher ranking. 7/10
Enough Said – I didn’t hate it. Didn’t love it. A bit predictable at times. Enough said. 5/10
Friends With Kids – Also not as funny as you would expect with this cast. 2 friends, the only 2 in their circle of 6 not married with kids, decide to have a kid together, but just stay friends and date other people. The inevitable inevitably happens. 5/10
Frozen – I didn’t see Frozen until December 25, 2014 (Cue gasps across America). I really enjoyed it. I didn’t go out and buy an Elsa outfit or anything, but I enjoyed it. I actually liked Princess Anna the best. Hooray for playful little sisters getting some screen time. 9/10
Girl Most Likely – Awkward. But in a completely relatable way. As a fellow Girl Most Likely, the pressure is real. Great to see on film how it feels like we’ve all fallen short of the goal. 8/10
The Great Gatsby – Is Gatsby the one who started the cruise industry? So much excess! Great editing on this film. 7/10
Ides of March – Broken promises, dirty deals, a coverup. Shows you how corrupt politics really are. Bonus points for being based on the play “Farragut North,” which happens to be the area where I work. 6/10
Imagine Me & You – Kind of made me want to work in a flower store. And go to England. 6/10
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone – The opposite of Now You See Me. Some funny and redeeming moments though. 3/10
The Internship – LOVE Vince Vaugn and Owen Wilson together. I wish I had the quick wit and charm of every Vince Vaugn character. I also wish my office had nap pods. 9/10
Interstellar – A great daddy and daughter story. I’m not a big sci-fi person so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I thought this film was great. It’s complex enough to make your brain work, but still approachable. 8/10
Interstellar – A great daddy and daughter story. I’m not a big sci-fi person so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I thought this film was great. It’s complex enough to make your brain work, but still approachable. 8/10
Lego Movie – I love the hidden complexity of this movie. A cute film for kids, but so much more happening that the adults will enjoy. I love how the “Master Builders” see the piece number as they look around! And how all of the different characters from different genres are woven into the story – Shaq, Gandalf, Hugh Jackman/Wolverine. So funny! 9/10
Million Dollar Arm – I’ll watch any baseball movie…and any movie with Jon Hamm. A nice multi-cultural take on “America’s Game.” 8/10
Monsters University – I don’t remember much about the first one, but I know I really liked it. Held true for this prequel. Don’t let people tell you who you are, chase your dreams. 8/10
Mud – Lost some points for the snakes. But gained some for the house boats. And the boat in the tree. 8/10
Muppets Most Wanted – Muppets AND Tina Fey?! Amazing. So much goodness in this film. 10/10
Night at the Museum 3 – I really like this franchise. This movie was good, but the best parts were given away in the previews. Still an enjoyable film. Robin Williams in one of his last roles. He played a great Teddy Roosevelt with a closing speech that takes on even more meaning now that he’s gone. 7/10
November Man – Should be called “2 hours of different ways to kill people.” That would be more accurate. Super violent, and not actually that great of a story. 2/10
Now You See Me – I had not read any good reviews of this movie. The press was so bad that I almost didn’t watch it. But I really enjoyed the trailer so I decided to try it anyway. I’m so glad I did. I loved it! People said it was predictable, then I must be slow. I love live shows and liked seeing the staging and energy of the shows. Check it out if you want an easy yet exciting watch. 9/10
Red 2 – I know the original “Red” didn’t get great reviews, but I loved it. Same goes for this sequel. I’m not an action movie fan, but I love the comedy in these films. Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, and John Malkovich are perfect. 8/10
Saving Mr Banks – Loved it. The parallel storytelling was superb. I really want to read biographies of PL Travers and Walt Disney now – both led incredibly interesting lives and were great storytellers. 9/10
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty – Not actually as amazing as I was expecting it to be. Lots was given away in the previews, but it was still good. A great reminder to get out and live. I too frequently watch movies instead of living. Such as the night I watched this… 9/10
Serious Moonlight – Oh Meg Ryan, I’ll watch you in anything. But please be in something good sometime soon. Please? Interesting movie as one of the main characters is duct taped to a toilet for most of the film and yet the story trudges on. 2/10
Thanks for Sharing – Every issue is a name. Every name is a story. Every story matters. This film offers many portraits of addiction. Not the issue, the people. 6/10
Stories We Tell – I love stories. Why we tell them. How we tell them. Interesting story in this movie. 4/10
This is Where I Leave You – Second Tina Fey film of the year. With Tina Fey and Jason Bateman in the cast I was expecting a hilarious movie. There are funny parts. But plenty of sad parts and even a few annoying parts. Overall pretty good though. 8/10
The Way, Way Back – How charming was Sam Rockwell’s character Owen?! Even though he was a total man-child, it really worked for him. A great underdog story of a summer that we’ve all had. 8/10
We’re the Millers – Hilarious! Definitely an R rated comedy – lots of language, but several gut-bustingly hilarious moments. The bloopers at the end are amazing too! 9/10
Wish I Was Here – Incredible film. Lots of language (you’ve been warned). It made me laugh out loud, cringe in awkwardness, and cry my eyes out. Great to see Kate Hudson in something again. I was glad the film gives enough time for your tears to dry before the credits roll. 9/10
And the Winner Is….
I never saw this coming, but the Muppets win my movie of the year! Other top recommendations go to: Blended, Saving Mr. Banks, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Wish I Were Here.
How about you? Leave your top picks of 2014 in the comments below.
What are you looking forward to watching in 2015? For me it’s Unbroken, Into the Woods, Wild, Tracks, and The Good Lie. All of which I think are out now. Time to watch a movie!
Need more movie suggestions? Check out the 2013 list HERE.
