Why are a bunch of 60 plus year old men still running the Academy in Hollywood, responsible for selecting the candidates for the Oscars? Their selection criteria for Best Picture is so clear, let me set it out for you:
Anything based on the life of a real person? POTENTIAL CANDIDATE ALERT!!
Anything set during World War I or II? So it must be good!!!
Both? Then everything is awesome!!!
Seriously, tell me that's not how this is going. Why the heck is American Sniper nominated over the likes of Foxcatcher and Nightcrawler, when they are supposedly far superior? And even then, you could have had all of those films as you do have the power to nominate up to 10 films remember! But, by far the biggest snub this year is The Lego Movie for Best Animated Picture. OK, great joke guys, but come on now, where is it? Wait, you're serious....What is wrong with you? So instead we're dealing with Disney flick Big Hero 6 (which will win because Disney), a creepy as anything one (The Boxtrolls in case you couldn't work it out), A Dreamworks film, and two nobody has heard of. Sure, having the last 15 minutes in live action probably didn't help it's chances, but the majority was in animation so it should count, shouldn't it? The collective gasp from the audience when the nominations were announced with no Lego Movie says it all: that having a bunch of folks running the primary awards show is not doing anything for their popularity as they continue to grow so far apart from what is relevant now and stay in the past (why do you think Clint Eastwood always gets nominated). Get it together guys, or literally no one is going to watch your awards or care about them anymore.
Well, it's been 2015 for a while now and I've not been posting a lot, but to kick off the Flix Reviewer New Year, here are the top 15 most anticipated movies of 2015 (your opinions may differ from those of myself)!!! (APOLOGIES TO MOBILE USERS IF YOU CANNOT VIEW THE TRAILERS)
15. Furious 7
Now, before you pull out your pitchforks, let me explain why this film is here. Yes, I am well aware that this franchise has gone down hill for some (read all) in recent years and that it is probably going to outstay its welcome. But, it feels somewhat right to see this movie after the tragic death of Paul Walker, who plays Brian O'Connor in the movies, last year. This is his last full film and that is the main reason I want to actually see this. Mind you, it still boasts a great cast which now includes Dwayne Johnson from Fast 5 on and introduces Jason Statham. The action also looks fast-paced (pardon the pun) as always. I know you might not want to see this, but I probably still will.
Release Date: March 26th
14. Pan
I've already ripped quite heavily into Pan's first trailer (my reaction to it is also up if you're interested) so it might seem a surprise that it's up here. However, I'm still hoping that I'm wrong. I hope that the dark tone of the first part of the trailer is how the tone of this film is throughout and that this isn't going to be as stupidly over-the-top as it may seem.
Release Date: July 24th
13. Kingsman: The Secret Service
This film just looks plain fun. The pure idea of Colin Firth as a super spy is funny to start with, given that he doesn't exactly have the Daniel Craig Bond edge about him, but early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with the film holding a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing (16th January for reference). The humour seems just right and I'm excited to see just where this movie will go.
Release Date: February 13th
12. Inside Out
It's no secret that Pixar haven't exactly had the best few years what with "Brave", "Monsters University", and in particular "Cars 2" receiving very mixed reviews. So it's great to see them abandon sequels temporarily (I say "temporarily" because "Finding Dory" and "The Incredibles 2" are among the others are coming up) and go back to what made them great: original ideas. The concept of the mind working like an office looks so interesting buy funny that this could be Pixar's best film in years and a return to the golden age.
Release Date: June 17
11. Pixels
Adam Sandler, what happened? You used to make the best films: Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, 50 First Dates! And then you started going down the drain, what with recent movies "Blended," "Jack and Jill," and "Grown Ups 2" receiving awful reviews. There is a chance, however, that this one could be different. Why, you ask? Well, for 3 reasons.
The Director: Chris Columbus. This guy has directed a lot of stuff over the years, most famously Mrs. Doubtfire, Home Alone (1 and 2, not the rubbish that came next), and the first 2 Harry Potter flicks. If these films are any indication, he could make this a good one.
The rest of the cast, including Peter Dinklage, Kevin James, and Brian Cox. All good actors and probably have enough skill to work through any script given to them, no matter how insane, which brings me to...
The premise: The concept of 1980s video-game characters, like Pac-Man and Space Invaders, invading the modern day just sound plain cool. It's a great idea and, if it looks anything like the fan-made film on YouTube, it will be great.
Release Date: July 24th
10. Tomorrowland
So little information has been released about director Brad Bird's ("Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol", "The Incredibles") latest film that it was easy to let it slip under the radar. For people who have been following it, on the other hand, there has been a lot of speculation surrounding it, especially regarding the plot and the mysterious teaser trailer. It has attracted my attention so far, and I am eager for answer, but one, even one, misstep on Bird's part, and it could all come crashing down.
Release Date: May 20th
9. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2
One of many movies on this list with a wide fan base already, myself included, "The Hunger Games" has kept us entertained since 2012, with Jennifer Lawrence's electric performance drawing me and millions of others in to this dark and dystopian future. Now it's all coming to a close, though, and my reason for this being one of my most anticipated films is that I, after 4 years, want to see how it all ends.
Release Date: November 20th
8. Mission: Impossible 5
"Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol" was unexpectedly brilliant. Brad Bird, who, along with this film, has already been mentioned, did a great job in bringing back Ethan Hunt with a new team of IMF agents. Well, they're back this year, with a Christmas Day release to boot. One problem. While the actors are all back, Brad Bird isn't, leaving it up to director Colin McQuarrie to take the helm. I have high hopes for this next installment in the franchise, but I'm not sure if it will live up to its predecessor. Although it might. Take a look at this and tell me this sequence isn't going to be breathtaking to watch.
While this film is coming out this year, it has been it development hell for a long time, with a troubling production involving the script and cast. Tom Hardy replaces series regular Mel Gibson as headliner Max, as he tries to survive in a post-apocalyptic Australia. Despite concerns and practically no expectations for it, the footage blew the crowds away at San Diego Comic-Con 2014 and has been rapidly becoming more and more anticipated. However, the same problems still stand. Why was the script rewritten so many times? Does that mean the story could potentially be awful or make no sense? It may look like an engaging action chase movie but there is no denying the concerns people have.
Release Date: May 13th
6. Terminator: Genisys
What happened to the Terminator franchise? After the two iconic first installments, it all just fell apart. "Rise of the Machines" wasn't good and I'm not going to even try and watch "Salvation" after everything I've heard. This, on the other hand, doesn't look half bad. Sporting very similar effect designs and sets to the original, as well as bringing back Arnie, the series looks to be trying to reclaim some of it's former glory through a time reset, just like X-Men last year. I don't know if it has actually had effort put into it or if it's just a blatant cash grab but it has attracted my attention, either way. Release Date: June 25th
5. Ant-Man
I think that it's fair to say that this movie has been one of the most divisive among comic-book fans and moviegoers alike. It's really easy to make fun of this project (come on, it's a guy shrinking and it's called "Ant-Man") and be concerned, mostly due to the departure of Edgar Wright from the film, which was the first big red-light for most. But, and I mean this, I think that this looks great. Not as good as the next four films but still really good. The cast is superb, with Paul Rudd maybe not seeming the most obvious choice for a superhero but still interesting, Evangeline Lilly, fresh off the Hobbit trilogy, Michael Douglas as mentor Hank Pym, and the intimidating Corey Stall playing the villain, Yellowjacket. The effects also look great (but that's to be expected from Marvel at this point) and I think that Ant-Man will prove all the haters out there wrong.
Release Date: July 17th
4. Jurassic World
Another trailer I've already dug into so I won't spend too long on this one. Unlike the two awful sequels, this looks like the first "Jurassic Park" film in a while that could actually be GOOD. Don't even pretend "The Lost World" and the third one were. You're not fooling anyone. Headed up by Chris Pratt, popular from the wildly successful "Guardians of the Galaxy" (and rightfully so), the cast all look great and the film looks excellent (besides the strange and controversial decision to use CGI to create the Jurassic World gate). This film could well be an utter mess, but I'm still interested to see how it goes.
Release Date: May 11th
3. Spectre
Another Bond film! Sign me up! With the title referencing the sinister organisation from the Sean Connery era of Bond, it seems like it's going to be a return to the mystery of the old films with the action and adrenaline of Craig's new ones, and with an amazing cast, including Dave Bautsisa, Christoph Waltz, and, of course, Daniel Craig, what could go wrong? Well, according to leaks from the Sony hacks, a lot. The production is already WAY over budget and the convoluted and frankly poor script, including some downright lazy plot twists, has already sent fans into a frenzy. I have faith that it will be good and I'm really excited for it, but let's just say I'm a bit more cautious now than when it was announced.
Release Date: November 6th
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
What's left to say about this particular movie that hasn't already been said, besides simply reinforcing the fact that hype is higher than ever thanks to the teasing of director J.J. Abrams and the cast, as well as a brief but effective teaser trailer. Everyone is itching for more information that hopefully will be on the way soon, but for now, the trailer along with the cast alone, never mind any of the teased info, is enough to put it this high on the most anticipated films of 2015 list.
Release Date: December 18th
1. Avengers: Age of Ultron
As a massive superhero movie fan, what else could take the number one spot for me? Sure, all of these other flicks look and sound great, but none have so far amazed me on the same level that the trailers and stills for Avengers 2 have! A stellar cast, incredible effects, and a so-far intriguing story, I have no doubts that Avengers: Age of Ultron will easily be one of the best films of the year.
Release Date: May 1st
Well, that's the end of the list but that's not all the films that are coming out in 2015. There are so many more that I did not talk about so I think it's time for some honourable mentions. These are movies that I considered but ultimately did not make the cut, either because they are already out, I am not really that excited for them (although a lot of other people are), or I have not seen the first installments.
