2015 Films League Table!

[Shockprowl]

1. Avengers: Age of Ultron. Best Marvel film yet!!! Freakin' loved it. Although I would have tweaked a couple of things.




Hahaa! One film.

[Andy Turnbull]

1 - Avengers: Age of Ultron - thoroughly enjoyable film, not quite Cap 2, but definitely better than the first Avengers film which I enjoyed. Stan's cameo was top.
2 - Fast and Furious 7
3 - The Lego Movie (Bafta reissue)

[Stomski]

Not saying you're trying... just that you're putting in an admirable effort this year at the cinema!

[The Doctor]

1: Shaun the Sheep Movie.
2: The Old Vic’s ‘The Crucible’.
3: Whiplash.
4: Globe on Screen: Titus Andronicus.
5: The Theory of Everything.
6: Big Hero 6.
7: The Lego Movie (BAFTA re-release).
8: Globe on Screen: The Duchess of Malfi.
9: The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water.
10: The Sound of Music (re-release).
11: American Sniper.
12: A Most Violent Year.
13: The Gambler (2014).
14: Selma.
15: Kill The Messenger.
16: Fast and Furious 7 (IMAX).
17: The Water Diviner.
18: Wild Card.
19: Run All Night.
20: The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (subbed).
21: Cinderella (2015).
22: Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.
23: Kingsman: The Secret Service (IMAX).
24: Avengers: Age of Ultron - The very definition of 'ok'. Less than the sum of its parts but, well, 'ok'.
25: Child 44.
26: Good Kill.
27: Project Almanac.
28: It Follows.
29: The Salvation.
30: Unbroken.
31: Son of a Gun.
32: The Woman in Black: Angel of Death.
33: Taken 3 (IMAX).
34: Seventh Son.
35: Foxcatcher.
36: A Little Chaos.
37: Ex Machina.
38: The Divergent Series: Insurgent.
39: John Wick.
40: The Gunman.
41: Chappie.
42: Blackhat.
43: Into The Woods.
44: The Falling: Do you like leaves? Do you like trees? Do you like lots and lots of metaphorical shots of trees and leaves? Guest starring a pond. Also featuring: incest!
45: Jupiter Ascending.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

1: Shaun the Sheep Movie.
2: The Old Vic’s ‘The Crucible’.
3: Whiplash.
4: Globe on Screen: Titus Andronicus.
5: The Theory of Everything.
6: Big Hero 6.
7: The Lego Movie (BAFTA re-release).
8: Globe on Screen: The Duchess of Malfi.
9: The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water.
10: The Sound of Music (re-release).
11: Globe on Screen: Julius Caesar - Less than the sum of its parts but then the parts are pretty good so nowt to complain about.
12: American Sniper.
13: A Most Violent Year.
14: The Gambler (2014).
15: Selma.
16: Kill The Messenger.
17: Fast and Furious 7 (IMAX).
18: The Water Diviner.
19: Wild Card.
20: Run All Night.
21: The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (subbed).
22: Cinderella (2015).
23: Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.
24: Kingsman: The Secret Service (IMAX).
25: Avengers: Age of Ultron.
26: Child 44.
27: Good Kill.
28: Project Almanac.
29: It Follows.
30: The Salvation.
31: Unbroken.
32: Son of a Gun.
33: The Woman in Black: Angel of Death.
34: Taken 3 (IMAX).
35: Seventh Son.
36: Foxcatcher.
37: A Little Chaos.
38: Ex Machina.
39: The Divergent Series: Insurgent.
40: John Wick.
41: The Gunman.
42: Chappie.
43: Blackhat.
44: Into The Woods.
45: The Falling.
46: Jupiter Ascending.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

1: Shaun the Sheep Movie.
2: The Old Vic’s ‘The Crucible’.
3: Whiplash.
4: Globe on Screen: Titus Andronicus.
5: The Theory of Everything.
6: Big Hero 6.
7: The Lego Movie (BAFTA re-release).
8: Globe on Screen: The Duchess of Malfi.
9: The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water.
10: The Sound of Music (re-release).
11: Globe on Screen: Julius Caesar.
12: The Age of Adaline: Woman has an accident at 29 and can never age thereafter, doomed to a life of loneliness. Slushy romance done well and does what it says on the tin with a bit of charm. It's not trying to be big or clever but I rather liked it, to my surprise. I can imagine this is very much a marmite film though! Harrison Ford (in an unusual supporting role) turns in the best bit of acting I have seen from him in many a year.
13: American Sniper.
14: A Most Violent Year.
15: The Gambler (2014).
16: Selma.
17: Kill The Messenger.
18: Fast and Furious 7 (IMAX).
19: The Water Diviner.
20: Wild Card.
21: Run All Night.
22: The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (subbed).
23: Cinderella (2015).
24: Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.
25: Kingsman: The Secret Service (IMAX).
26: Avengers: Age of Ultron.
27: Child 44.
28: Good Kill.
29: Project Almanac.
30: It Follows.
31: The Salvation.
32: Unbroken.
33: Spooks: The Greater Good - In the MI5 Glass Box of Doom, the Angry English Mister Potato Head must plot and counterplot against Evil Foreign Bad Man before a modest budget might blow up a door or two. Only Fast Running Nice Hair Agent Who Hates Him can help him and save the world! It's nicely directed and starts well, threatening to be a proper thriller before devolving into nonsense tosh. It's pretty watchable though, especially when Angry English Mister Potato Head is looking Sad And Angry on screen though ultimately it's just a long TV episode.
34: Son of a Gun.
35: The Woman in Black: Angel of Death.
36: Taken 3 (IMAX).
37: Seventh Son.
38: Foxcatcher.
39: A Little Chaos.
40: Ex Machina.
41: The Divergent Series: Insurgent.
42: John Wick.
43: The Gunman.
44: Chappie.
45: Blackhat.
46: Into The Woods.
47: Big Game: Big snooze!
48: The Falling.
49: Jupiter Ascending.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

1: Shaun the Sheep Movie.
2: The Old Vic’s ‘The Crucible’.
3: Whiplash.
4: Globe on Screen: Titus Andronicus.
5: The Theory of Everything.
6: Big Hero 6.
7: The Lego Movie (BAFTA re-release).
8: Globe on Screen: The Duchess of Malfi.
9: The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water.
10: The Sound of Music (re-release).
11: Globe on Screen: Julius Caesar.
12: The Age of Adaline.
13: American Sniper.
14: A Most Violent Year.
15: The Gambler (2014).
16: Selma.
17: Kill The Messenger.
18: Fast and Furious 7 (IMAX).
19: The Water Diviner.
20: Wild Card.
21: Run All Night.
22: The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (subbed).
23: Cinderella (2015).
24: Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.
25: Kingsman: The Secret Service (IMAX).
26: Avengers: Age of Ultron.
27: Child 44.
28: Good Kill.
29: Project Almanac.
30: It Follows.
31: The Salvation.
32: Unbroken.
33: Spooks: The Greater Good.
34: Unfriended: Told in real-time via a Skype window in which Facebook messages, IM's, youtube videos and the like pop up over it as someone from beyond the grave taunts some teenagers who wronged the person in life. Surprisingly, for much of the running time the unusual format actually works very well. It shouldn't work at all, but it does. I wasn't so keen on caring about the characters themeselves but as a technical exercise in doing something different I was pleasantly impressed.
35: Son of a Gun.
36: The Woman in Black: Angel of Death.
37: Taken 3 (IMAX).
38: Seventh Son.
39: Foxcatcher.
40: A Little Chaos.
41: Ex Machina.
42: The Divergent Series: Insurgent.
43: Far From The Madding Crowd (2015): Passionless and filmed in an uninspired 'point and shoot' manner which reeks of: "That will do."
44: John Wick.
45: The Gunman.
46: Chappie.
47: Blackhat.
48: Into The Woods.
49: Big Game.
50: The Falling.
51: Jupiter Ascending.

-Ralph

[Fortmax2020]

Fool! You must have seen Adeline again instead of MC!

Back in a rut of bad films again lately. Not enjoyed Age of Adeline or Mad Max. I need Arnold to terminate this quick!

[The Doctor]

I am passing on Mad Mad 4. To say 1-3 are not my cup of tea barely scratches the surface of my dislike for them!

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

What spot will the Moomins film get on the fIlm League table.

Andy

[The Doctor]

None.

-Ralph

[Fortmax2020]

You must play film roulette fairly. This includes not avoiding periods you know it will be on.

[The Doctor]

I did play fairly. Moomins film is a new release out today. I work until 5. When I got to the cinema, showings for it had already finished for the day. Thus the bullet was dodged.

From time to time I do play 'cinema roulette'. The rules are very simple. I must see the next film starting that I have not previously seen upon arrival. Today that was Pitch Perfect 2, which I thought might be passable fun. Alas it was not. The next film starting after that was 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' but I had seen it. The next film after that was a new release today of a French film so I saw that. It wasn't great either. Oh well. Though there were only 5 people there to see it, including me!

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

1: Shaun the Sheep Movie.
2: The Old Vic’s ‘The Crucible’.
3: Whiplash.
4: Globe on Screen: Titus Andronicus.
5: The Theory of Everything.
6: Big Hero 6.
7: The Lego Movie (BAFTA re-release).
8: Globe on Screen: The Duchess of Malfi.
9: The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water.
10: The Sound of Music (re-release).
11: Globe on Screen: Julius Caesar.
12: The Age of Adaline.
13: American Sniper.
14: A Most Violent Year.
15: The Gambler (2014).
16: Selma.
17: Kill The Messenger.
18: Fast and Furious 7 (IMAX).
19: The Water Diviner.
20: Wild Card.
21: Run All Night.
22: The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (subbed).
23: Cinderella (2015).
24: Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.
25: Kingsman: The Secret Service (IMAX).
26: Avengers: Age of Ultron.
27: Child 44.
28: Good Kill.
29: Project Almanac.
30: It Follows.
31: The Salvation.
32: Unbroken.
33: Spooks: The Greater Good.
34: Unfriended.
35: Son of a Gun.
36: The Woman in Black: Angel of Death.
37: Taken 3 (IMAX).
38: The New Girlfriend: French film in which a lass watches her best friend suddenly die and goes to see her husband but it transpires he is a secret crossdresser. A strange relationship begins. It actually starts very well and it's very nicely acted and all that but it really doesn't have that much to say and struggles to fill out the running time, ultimately vanishing up its own arse by the end. Watchable though.
39: Seventh Son.
40: Foxcatcher.
41: A Little Chaos.
42: Ex Machina.
43: The Divergent Series: Insurgent.
44: Far From The Madding Crowd (2015).
45: John Wick.
46: The Gunman.
47: Chappie.
48: Blackhat.
49: Into The Woods.
50: Big Game.
51: The Falling.
52: Jupiter Ascending.
53: Pitch Perfect 2: Now I haven't seen the first film but I know a cynical, soulless, charmless and pointless cash-in when I see one. I know I'm not the target market but a lot of them had given up part-way through and had moved from rapt attention to running around the theatre playing with their phones by an hour in.
A complete failure in every department. It even forgets the basic and simple plot it has about a third in, veers off into something that can't even be called a 'story' then suddenly remembers the plot just in time for it to end. It's so lazily made that college banners state it is 'the class of 2018' yet the characters go to a competition where banners and ID badges state it is the year 2015. FOR FUCK SAKES!!!
The direction feels static and dull, the songs just don't work, there are some very strange performances that just don't hit the mark, there's some unfortunate stereotyping all over the place, the gags feel artificially stuck on like someone blindfolded playing 'pin the tail on the donkey' while drunk out of their mind and it ultimately sinks under it's own weight like a wet fart on a first date.

-Ralph

[Fortmax2020]

In an attempt to reinstate JA to its proper place of last I point out the class may not be 'graduating' (as Americans call leaving school) until 2018??

For the good of all, support proper movie panning.

[The Doctor]

But part of the plot is about them graduating that year!!!! It's a major story point.

-Ralph

[Fortmax2020]

I suspect they may fail the year in that case!!

[Bogatan]

I think the college banners were for the new students not those graduating that year.

[Bogatan]

I'm missing a few I think.

1. Fast and Furious 7 -

2. Avengers Age of Ultron - It suffers being the middle story, tying up bits from the first film and setting up Civil War (which at this point maybe should just be considered an Avengers movie. Not being quite a stand alone film like GOTG hurts its a little. But for the most part I loved it, especially that those without their own film franchises got a good amount of screen time.

3. Kingsman

4. Paddington

5. Big Hero 6

6. Tomorrowland - I sat through this with a degree of confusion I was utterly in love with the old school Disney scifi fantasy feel of it and yet ever so slightly frustrated by it. Then the credits rolled and it all made sense. Brad Bird as director and co writer made perfect sense of everything I loved and co writer Damen "I can write a mystery but dont know how to end them" Lindeloff explained that sense of underwhelming ending.

7. Night at the Museum 3

8. Birdman

9. Gone Girl

10. Pitch Perfect 2 - I dont hate it as much as Ralph, but it wasn't good. What I liked about it will have been risidual good will from the first one which turned out to be great despite having a trailer that convinced me it was a Scary Movie type spoof film. Sadly this was a classic case of just redoing hte same jokes and scenes. The sad thing is that there was room for an intereswting story if they hadn't repeated the competition part.

11. Big Game - I get what it was going for, it just doesnt work. It's still sort of fun in places though.

12. Focus

13. Chappie

14. Mortdecai

15. Into the Woods

16. American Sniper

17. Taken 3

[The Doctor]

1: Shaun the Sheep Movie.
2: The Old Vic’s ‘The Crucible’.
3: Whiplash.
4: Globe on Screen: Titus Andronicus.
5: The Theory of Everything.
6: Big Hero 6.
7: The Lego Movie (BAFTA re-release).
8: Globe on Screen: The Duchess of Malfi.
9: The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water.
10: The Sound of Music (re-release).
11: Globe on Screen: Julius Caesar.
12: The Age of Adaline.
13: American Sniper.
14: A Most Violent Year.
15: The Gambler (2014).
16: Selma.
17: Kill The Messenger.
18: Fast and Furious 7 (IMAX).
19: The Water Diviner.
20: Wild Card.
21: Run All Night.
22: The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (subbed).
23: Cinderella (2015).
24: Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.
25: Kingsman: The Secret Service (IMAX).
26: Avengers: Age of Ultron.
27: Child 44.
28: Good Kill.
29: Project Almanac.
30: Man Up: A very good cast and some nice observational writing but it's a romantic comedy that didn't make me laugh. It has a good nature though so is hard to dislike but I doubt I'll remember it in 6 months.
31: It Follows.
32: The Salvation.
33: Unbroken.
34: Spooks: The Greater Good.
35: Unfriended.
36: Spy: Intermittently amusing and hilarious anytime The Statham is on screen but it's the kind of comedy that thinks it will be really funny if all the characters continually say "fuck!" or "fucking!" every second word which becomes increasingly tiresome and juvenile as it goes on. It also forgets it's a Bond pastiche about halfway through. Statham is brilliant though.
37: Son of a Gun.
38: The Woman in Black: Angel of Death.
39: Taken 3 (IMAX).
40: The New Girlfriend.
41: Seventh Son.
42: Foxcatcher.
43: A Little Chaos.
44: Ex Machina.
45: Tomorrowland: A World Beyond (IMAX): Brad Bird will always get a free pass because of 'The Iron Giant' but this just wasn't very good. A confused mess.
46: The Divergent Series: Insurgent.
47: Far From The Madding Crowd (2015).
48: San Andreas: The key to a good disaster movie is to weave a drama in which a disaster happens to occur. This way the audience will feel involved. They will care what happens to folk. They will feel emotions. Unfortunately, however, this is like watching someone play a video game: very pretty but uninvolving. Also a waste of The Rock chap's talents: his character is set up as the Awesome Rescue Copter Team Leader...then doesn't do any rescuing. Sigh.
49: John Wick.
50: The Gunman.
51: Chappie.
52: Blackhat.
53: Into The Woods.
54: Big Game.
55: The Falling.
56: Jupiter Ascending.
57: Pitch Perfect 2.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

1: Shaun the Sheep Movie.
2: The Old Vic’s ‘The Crucible’.
3: Whiplash.
4: Globe on Screen: Titus Andronicus.
5: The Theory of Everything.
6: Big Hero 6.
7: The Lego Movie (BAFTA re-release).
8: Globe on Screen: The Duchess of Malfi.
9: The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water.
10: The Sound of Music (re-release).
11: Globe on Screen: Julius Caesar.
12: The Age of Adaline.
13: American Sniper.
14: A Most Violent Year.
15: Mad Max: Fury Road - I wasn't going to bother with this as I cannot stand the original Mad Max films but I had some time to kill. My problems with the world of this series remains: it is beyond stupid and I can't believe in it for one second. However, as a cinematic spectacle this works as it is really just one long stunt piece and is essentially a remake of Duel ramped up to 99. It's an extraordinary thing to watch and listen to as a thumping score battles to be heard over heaving booms and cranks as vehicles of death battle non-stop. It's essentially a slice of pure cinema in that it is designed to be seen and heard in a darkened theatre. I can't see this working at all in a home video setting and it's something I would only watch once but as a two-hour slice of that over-used critical term of a 'thrill ride' it works. I just couldn't believe what I was watching at times.
16: The Gambler (2014).
17: Selma.
18: Kill The Messenger.
19: Fast and Furious 7 (IMAX).
20: The Water Diviner.
21: Wild Card.
22: Run All Night.
23: The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (subbed).
24: Cinderella (2015).
25: Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.
26: Kingsman: The Secret Service (IMAX).
27: Avengers: Age of Ultron.
28: Child 44.
29: Good Kill.
30: Project Almanac.
31: Man Up.
32: It Follows.
33: The Salvation.
34: Unbroken.
35: Spooks: The Greater Good.
36: Unfriended.
37: Spy.
38: The Connection: French Magistrate becomes increasingly obsessed with taking down a local drug lord in the 70's and 80's. It never quite gets going and is a bit perfunctory at times and nothing new but it's efficiently put together and has a very well pitched sense of time and place. Not too bad.
39: Son of a Gun.
40: The Woman in Black: Angel of Death.
41: Taken 3 (IMAX).
42: The New Girlfriend.
43: Seventh Son.
44: Foxcatcher.
45: A Little Chaos.
46: Ex Machina.
47: Tomorrowland: A World Beyond (IMAX).
48: The Divergent Series: Insurgent.
49: Far From The Madding Crowd (2015).
50: San Andreas.
51: John Wick.
52: The Gunman.
53: Chappie.
54: Blackhat.
55: Into The Woods.
56: Big Game.
57: The Falling.
58: Survivor: crap.
59: Jupiter Ascending.
60: Pitch Perfect 2.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

Not the worst film I have seen this year but I think Jurassic World wins the prize for most boring by a country mile.

-Ralph

[Grand Moff Muffin]

1. Avengers / Captain America Triple Bill
2. Fast and Furious 7
3. Kingsman: The Secret Service
4. Taken 3
5. Jurassic World (same formula as previous three films)
6. Exodus: Gods and Kings

The trouble with the Jurassic Park series is that every film has the same mix of characters and you know the hero, heroine and kid(s) cannot die and the bad guys and red-shirts will die, so there is no suspense. Never varying the admittedly excellent musical score from the first film just hammers home how formulaic and repetitive the series is. I'm sure more interesting and varied stories about resurrecting dinosaurs could be written if they really tried.

Martin

[The Doctor]

1: Shaun the Sheep Movie.
2: The Old Vic’s ‘The Crucible’.
3: Whiplash.
4: Globe on Screen: Titus Andronicus.
5: The Theory of Everything.
6: Big Hero 6.
7: The Lego Movie (BAFTA re-release).
8: Globe on Screen: The Duchess of Malfi.
9: The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water.
10: The Sound of Music (re-release).
11: Globe on Screen: Julius Caesar.
12: The Age of Adaline.
13: Globe on Screen: Anthony and Cleopatra: Even one of Will's more uneven pieces is still better written than most people's best work. I liked how big battles were represented by a couple of blokes flying about on wires and waving flags at each other. Shouldn't work, but it does. Splendid bit of audience interaction resulting in Cleapatra actress almost completely losing it at one point.
14: American Sniper.
15: A Most Violent Year.
16: Mad Max: Fury Road.
17: The Gambler (2014).
18: Selma.
19: Kill The Messenger.
20: Fast and Furious 7 (IMAX).
21: The Water Diviner.
22: Wild Card.
23: Run All Night.
24: The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (subbed).
25: Cinderella (2015).
26: Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.
27: Kingsman: The Secret Service (IMAX).
28: Avengers: Age of Ultron.
29: Child 44.
30: Good Kill.
31: Project Almanac.
32: Man Up.
33: It Follows.
34: The Salvation.
35: Unbroken.
36: Spooks: The Greater Good.
37: Unfriended.
38: Spy.
39: Mr Holmes: A lovely central performance but it's a very, very slight piece and not at all cinematic. I think it would be much more ideally suited as a stage play or even a novel (though the credits do state it is based on one which I must track down). It would pass the time very nicely on a Sunday afternoon at home but unless you have a world of cine unlimited card wait until you can watch it at home where I think it's natural charm and small subtle details will work much better than putting down a tenner at a booming multiplex.
40: The Connection.
41: Son of a Gun.
42: The Woman in Black: Angel of Death.
43: Taken 3 (IMAX).
44: The New Girlfriend.
45: Seventh Son.
46: Foxcatcher.
47: A Little Chaos.
48: Ex Machina.
49: Tomorrowland: A World Beyond (IMAX).
50: The Divergent Series: Insurgent.
51: Far From The Madding Crowd (2015).
52: San Andreas.
53: John Wick.
54: The Gunman.
55: Chappie.
56: Blackhat.
57: Into The Woods.
58: Big Game.
59: The Falling.
60: Jurassic World: Dull surprise.
61: Survivor.
62: Jupiter Ascending.
63: Pitch Perfect 2.

-Ralph

[Jim]

1. Shaun the Sheep - first full cinema outing with Charlotte; really enjoyed it, though still think the TV series is better for its focus.
2. Avengers: Age of Ultron - mixed feelings. It was over-stuffed, though well made. Character-wise I think this is the most dislikable I've found Stark, though Spader's Ultron was a revelation - I didn't miss Loki as much I expected. My main problem was it felt like it was a sort of MCU glue-movie, setting things up and tying things together and didn't do it's own thing enough (which I know isn't Whedon's fault) but this meant it especially suffered on the heels of what in my opinion are the two best MCU movies so far.

I am apprehensive about Civil War, it looks like it might suffer the same problems as Age of Ultron, which is especially a shame after Winter Soldier was so good.

-Jim

[legios]

Good grief, I think I have a bit of work to do here to bring this up-to-date. Mega-hyper catch-up combo, GO!!!

1. Paddington
2. The Tale of Princess Kaguya
3. Big Hero 6
4. Shaun the Sheep
5. The Terminator (re-release): Fantastic film. Objectively should be my favourite James Cameron film. Only my love of the Alien Franchise, and some of the performances in Aliens mean there is any question. Brilliantly paced, with a marvellously mysterious first act which then rolls into steadily, relentlessly rising tension. Some fantastic set-pieces, but also some decent characterisation for an action movie. All supported by a really good score.
6. Mad Max:Fury Road : A fantastic piece of pure cinema. Meticulously and relentlessly paced, with some absolutely astounding stunt-work and glorious production design (although I can't help but wonder what it would have looked like as the animated film it was originally conceived as). Charlize Theron absolutely owns the film, putting in a fantastic performance as, arguably, the stories lead character if not the films. But all else aside, a masterclass in how to do action for the cinema screen and make it look astounding whilst also telling clear story.
7. Fast and Furious 7: Nonsense, sheer arrant nonsense as the franchise just goes full-bore crazy. The plot is somewhere between thin and impenetrable. Why do you need a special magic thing to track Jason Statham if he literally spawns round the corner wherever you are? The effects work and daft stunts are fun, and matching up Paul Walker's character and Tony Jaa for the punching and the kicking has the mercy of looking more like a level playing-field than the previous film managed.
8. Kingsman
9. Avengers: Age of Ultron: I enjoyed it more than the preceeding Avengers film. I thought Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch were pretty good additions to things, and that in general a lot of the action stuff was pretty good. That said I lost interest in the "look at all the CG things being punched, zapped, shot and blasted" final action sequence relatively quickly. Rather than an endless parade of Mooks, I would have preferred fewer Ultrons which were harder to defeat I think. It was entertaining, but unlike Winter Soldier or Thor I don't think this is a film I'm likely to come back to again.
10. John Wick: In truth a fairly slight film. A relatively generic revenge plot, mixed with a bit of decent fight choreagraphy and an entertaining turn by Adriene Palicki as a hitwoman who enjoys her work a little too much. I actually thought Keanu Reeves did a decent job with what there was, and I think he has found a certain niche - on the strength of this and "Man of T'ai Chi" - in playing emotionally deadend characters which will see him good for the next few years.
11. The Gunman
12. The Hobbit

Karl

[legios]

Jun 20, 2015 23:36:12 GMT Jim said:

I am apprehensive about Civil War, it looks like it might suffer the same problems as Age of Ultron, which is especially a shame after Winter Soldier was so good.

-Jim

I wouldn't say I was apprehensive, but my level of interest in it is declining quite swiftly. It seems to be the case that it is the unacknowledged third avengers film, left out of the numbering for...whatever reason. With every new element and character they announce it feels like there is less and less room for Captain America in what is supposed to be his film.

Karl

[The Doctor]

It depends on how it is scripted. If events and other Marvel superheroes pivot around Cap as the character for which the story couldn't happen without him driving it then it could still be fine. The Civil War comic story pretty much worked that way. The whole structure of it (even the dodgy ending) wouldn't have worked without him.

-Ralph

[legios]

Oh indeed. I'm not making any snap decisions at the moment - we're not even at the stage that we are anticipating a teaser trailer any time soon. And it isn't as if all the news has this effect on me, hints of an actor from Winter Soldier returning do seem promising in their turn. I'm just finding myself less pleasantly anticipating than I was perhaps expecting to be, and with my expectations slightly lower. But then, perhaps it is always best to have expectations that are not too high. More room to be pleasantly surprised.

Karl

[The Doctor]

I find with Marvel films that while they are generally enjoyable for the most part they are a bit popcorn-ish. One bite and they're done. The exceptions for me being the first Thor and Cap 2.

-Ralph