2015 at the Movies: The Best, the Worst, and Everything Else – Part 1
2015 is over and that means it’s time to look back on what the year had to offer for movie buffs. As any fan will tell you, there were good times and bad times aplenty; among the better options: a beautiful ride through the post-apocalyptic wasteland (Mad Max: Fury Road), a creepily prescient sci-fi (Ex Machina), an instant dramatic classic (Spotlight) and of course, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which needs no introduction.
There were some disappointments, too: Jupiter Ascending, Chappie, Terminator: Genisys and Jurassic World (more on that later). Some of them were flat-out awful, and some were just “okay”, but they were also some of the most anticipated releases this past year.
After the fun we had in 2014 charting our year of moviegoing experiences, Jason Chen and I are teaming up again to reflect on another stable of films. It’s a multi-genre, full-year retrospective, so settle in – and don’t be afraid to seek out your favourite titles in the discussion below, and let us know what you thought in the comments!
ROBERT
I’m kind of proud of myself: I saw 45 movies in theatres in 2015 (thanks for helping me track everything, Letterboxd!), and even though we’re into 2016 now, there’s still a handful of last year’s buzzy releases I’m catching up on. With numbers like that, you can probably imagine that more than a handful of most-liked and most-hated titles would appear.
JASON
Haha, I love the Letterboxd plug... think maybe we can get some perks out of this?
According to the site I've seen 29 this year, though not all were new releases and I'm sure I've forgotten to log a few of them.
ROBERT
Hey, if Letterboxd wants to offer me free Pro or Patron membership, I'm down! Honestly, though, it's been a great way to keep track of what I've seen and when.
Some of my favourites are Ex Machina, Mad Max: Fury Road, Sicario, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Martian, and Mr. Right. As for the movies that inspired some rage, Jupiter Ascending and Chappie are easy candidates. Woody Allen's latest film Irrational Man and the Tom Hardy gangster film Legend are pretty bad, but not awful. And looking back on Avengers: Age of Ultron, I see I originally gave it 3 stars out of 4, but time has not been kind on my memories of it. For me, Ant-Man is a far better Marvel release, and in some ways, Ultron is a real stumbling block for the mighty franchise.
How did 2015 stack up for you?
JASON
I think 2015 was a stronger year than 2014, although the big hits came a little few and far between. Fury Road, Ex Machina, Inside Out and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. are some of the films that popped in my mind immediately as ones that I particularly enjoyed. The first three are easy to explain, but I thought The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a pretty fun movie. It's not without its flaws, of course, but it's very entertaining. Sicario deserves a mention, too, but I HATE the fact that the title gives away the whole thing and I strongly preferred the original ending where Benicio Del Toro asserts full control over Emily Blunt and completes his arc as this terrifying and unstoppable force.
My (slight) disdain for the Marvel superhero movies, I think, is pretty well-documented, and I agree that Age of Ultron didn't hit the spots it should have. It was a big budget film, but ultimately a disjointed and uninspiring effort, which is the running joke with these Marvel films. Ant-Man is far and away the better film (thanks, Paul Rudd), but like Ultron it featured a villain that was neither scary nor intelligent. Where are the good villains, dammit?! These Marvel superheroes are falling into the same trap Superman falls into - they're virtually indestructible and no task is too big, so there's no sense of danger when something tragic happens. I think that's why I'm looking forward to Civil War, where Iron Man and Captain America will face one another. Finally, some intrigue!
Colour me unimpressed with the biggest money makers of 2015. Of the top 10 grossing films so far, I think only Inside Out and The Martian stood out. Jurassic World had its moments, but pales in comparison to the original; Furious 7 was good but overrated because of its well-executed send-off for Paul Walker; Spectre was subject to harsh criticism but clearly behind Casino Royale and Skyfall; and Rogue Nation was only saved by Rebecca Ferguson.
ROBERT
If we dig down into the first part of the year, there's unsurprisingly a higher concentration of weak movies. Historically, the first three months of a year were a dumping ground for movies that the studios knew wouldn't perform well, but this notion is getting less accurate as companies like Marvel inch their big releases into March (or even February, like Fox's upcoming Deadpool film). As a result, we got quite the mixed bag in the beginning of 2015. One of the cool surprises was Kingsman: The Secret Service. 20th Century Fox was apparently wary about how it would perform and slotted into the early block of the schedule. Nevertheless, it ended up being thoroughly fun send-up of the Bond franchise (and action films in general) and seems ready to kick off a series of its own.
JASON
But, see, that Deadpool film doesn't quite have the same demographic as the other Marvel films. For one thing, it's given a more mature rating and Ryan Reynolds has already promised a genuine Deadpool, one with heavy violence and dick jokes. So I understand why that release date isn't in the summer. I don't agree that the first few months have improved, although I do agree that the number of films in production has probably increased overall, which means films will have to find release dates that don't run up against major studio productions. In other words, it's not about the quality of those first-quarter releases, but rather the quantity, and the more films there are the more potential diamonds there are.
I'm sure that the studio, like myself, isn't sure how well Deadpool will be received. A February release date is a built-in excuse should the film perform poorly at the box office, and if it does well during its theatrical run, then a sequel for a summer release will likely get the green light. If it doesn't perform well at the box office but grosses a lot of home video sales, which is what I think will happen, then it further drives home the idea that there is a clear divide between the mainstream superheroes (Batman, Superman, X-Men, Avengers, etc.) and the niche superheroes (Deadpool, Black Panther, Netflix's Marvel entries). The advertising campaign for Deadpool is in full force, though, and it looks promising. Finally, a Russian Colossus!
I will qualify those thoughts, however, by admitting that there were a few early release films this year that I wish I had caught: Slow West and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
ROBERT
Slow West was a very odd movie, and I definitely recommend it. I've never encountered something with its peculiar blend of comedy and drama before, especially in a Western. Even the local pro critic who ran an audience discussion at my screening admitted he wasn't sure how to classify it. Maybe it had something to do with using New Zealand in place of the American West; even though the movie was an homage to Westerns, just enough of it was "incorrect" to make you go, "Huh!"
As for Me and Earl, I already sang its praises in a review I wrote after it opened in Toronto, but I'd be really curious to hear what you think, in light of our conversations about Wes Anderson. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, the director of Me and Earl, is arguably one of the first filmmakers to take direct inspiration from Anderson, whereas until now Anderson's been the one being influenced. Which isn't to say that this film is an Anderson clone - it does have its own voice, and I think that was why its critical reception at Sundance was so positive.
JASON
Hearing about the Gomez-Rejon and Anderson connection really makes me want to watch it now. I don't really have anything against Anderson, but when I see an Anderson film I know it's an Anderson film right away. It's not a criticism, but just an observation. Same thing goes for Sam Mendes, Terrence Malick/Andrew Dominik, Michael Bay, Zack Snyder and a few other directors who have a very distinct visual style. It'll be interesting to see Gomez-Rejon's own vision and which parts were influenced by Anderson.
ROBERT
On the other side of the quality equation are movies like Jupiter Ascending and Chappie. I think most film buffs all started to have doubts when Ascending was delayed (if the bonkers trailer didn't already worry them), and despite the geek cred the Wachowski siblings are clinging to from the first Matrix film, it couldn't make Ascending any more enjoyable. It's overlong, repetitive, and unintentionally creepy. Oh, and Eddie Redmayne very nearly cost himself an Oscar for his portrayal of the villain. If anything from the movie is remembered at all in the years to come, it will be the scenes of a shirtless Redmayne, draped in a flowing space cape, whispering for a while AND THEN YELLING FOR NO REASON.
Meanwhile, like the Wachowski film, wasted potential was also one of the key problems in Chappie. Director Neill Blomkamp's tried to make a movie about artificial intelligence, but fell prey to his usual pitfalls: story sacrificed for action and character development set aside in favour of gritty production design. As well-received as District 9 was in 2009, it seems like Blomkamp still has to learn that making a messy action film and giving it a political edge works fine for a debut, but doesn't keep people interested in the long run.
JASON
Jupiter Ascending looked like a disaster, and other than The Matrix trilogy the Wachowskis haven't really done anything really noteworthy. V for Vendetta hasn't held up very well (it's preachy and cheesy) while Speed Racer was just a mess. I think they struck gold with The Matrix, but even today I still don't quite get why it's held in such high regard. I get all the Biblical references and that aspect is truly interesting (The Matrix Revolutions is totally underrated), but I also have quite a few problems with it. Some films you can tell are just going to be bad by watching the trailer, and Ascending looked like one of those. After years of watching her on That '70s Show and Family Guy, it's just hard to see Mila Kunis in a serious action film role. Not that she can't pull it off, it was just kind of bizarre to see.
It's unfortunate for Shailene Woodley, but the same could be said for the Divergent series, The Hunger Games wannabe. Surely, the final entry should be named Divergent: Detergent to rid our minds of that forgettable series.
ROBERT
I'll be an apologist for the Wachowskis' Cloud Atlas ‘til the day I die, but I'm in the minority. Other than that, I agree - Speed Racer burned my eyes with its over-saturated visuals, and it didn't really speak to anyone who wasn't a die-hard fan of the original cartoon. The siblings also don't seem to be having much success with their Netflix show Sense8, so I'm not sure what they'll try next. I do hope they move on from their time-worn Chosen One narrative and "stopping the villains from using humans as fuel" idea. I'd like to see them try something wildly different; they showed in the 19th century chapter of Cloud Atlas that they can handle period pieces, so maybe that could be an opening for them.
I know you definitely kept pace with the summer releases this year - we've already touched on Ultron and Ant-Man, but there's also Mad Max, Jurassic World, Tomorrowland, Terminator: Genisys, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation. How did the summer shape up for you?
JASON
The summer was pretty decent but far from being one of the best in terms of overall quality. We got a lot of bloated projects that didn't amount to very much outside of their box office draw.
I agree with you that Mad Max was the best film of the summer and it recently won the Grand Prix award as the best film determined by international critics. I'm not sure how much clout or prestige that award has, but I'm glad that it's getting serious consideration. Even though I absolutely despise the term "strong female character" - because half the people who spew that phrase can't even define it - it was certainly the summer of great roles for women, and at the top was Charlize Theron's turn as Furiosa. The physicality of her role was a great match with Tom Hardy's, whose best acting comes from physical movements and posture rather than line delivery. It was a joy to watch.
ROBERT
Yes! I definitely agree with you on the physicality of the lead roles in Fury Road. It's interesting how expressive Hardy is with the way he holds himself, and yet he always trying out new accents in many of his movies. Perhaps he really stands out in Fury Road because he has so few lines; there's less to distract you from everything he does without dialogue.
I'm not the first person to say it, but it's worth re-stating how effective the gender equality message in the film is, without ever shoehorning it into the script. Furiosa is an inherently strong character, and George Miller doesn't need to have her audibly remind us of it. The proof is in her actions, and in her few moments of vulnerability.
JASON
Rebecca Ferguson was the other lady who absolutely killed it this summer and I think I may have enjoyed her performance a little more than Theron's, but Theron had the better material to work with. I'd heard of The White Queen, which was Ferguson's breakout role, but after seeing her in Rogue Nation I had to go back and watch it, and it turns out she's just as good and shows versatility and range to pull off her role opposite Tom Cruise. I enjoyed Rogue Nation a decent amount but felt the big set pieces didn't have any tension (they wasted the plane stunt in the early going of the film) and the plot was so unoriginal and uninspiring it ranks well behind Ghost Protocol.
ROBERT
Rebecca Ferguson grabbed the majority of the discussion online when Rogue Nation came out, and now it's translating into a whole lineup of American/British films for her. I'll have to track down The White Queen to prepare for them, I think - sort of how I made a point of catching up on Alicia Vikander's filmography following Ex Machina (I've watched 5 of her films so far this year). As for Rogue Nation itself, I had plenty of fun with it, but it's already kind of meshed together with its predecessors in my head. There were at least three big spy films in the past six months, and a couple of them made a more distinct impression than Mission: Impossible.
JASON
As for Jurassic World, it solidified Chris Pratt's status as a leading man, but there was far too much CGI, two too many annoying kids and too many references to the original. Granted, I take it that this is a sequel, but haven't we established the fact that the pterosaurs escaped the island in the horrendous Jurassic Park III?
ROBERT
Looks like all these sequels have already got your head spinning! The pterosaurs that escaped in JP III were actually on Isla Sorna, the testing-ground island from The Lost World! Of course, remembering those tiny details didn't add much to my overall take on the new film.
JASON
There's not much to comment on with big popcorn flicks like these, though unsurprisingly I quite enjoyed Bryce Dallas Howard. She gets a lot of hate for not being able to act, which is something I agree with sometimes, but I think she played a pretty good foil to Pratt. And, yes, the whole “running in heels” thing was hilarious. I mean, if you want to really loosely define "strong female character," running around in heels takes a certain amount of physical strength, I'm sure.
ROBERT
I know you tend to dislike franchise films that become too self-referential (i.e. series in-jokes in Skyfall), whereas I usually get a bit of a kick out of it. But in Jurassic World, the references were too heavy-handed. Especially that sequence where the two boys explore the old visitors centre, and the camera gazes longingly at all the images we recognize from Jurassic Park.
When it comes to Howard and the running in heels "controversy", I was satisfied when I heard that she had defended the choice to director Colin Trevorrow, but that didn't get me very far when talking about the movie with women who saw it. The sequence was a real deal-breaker for anyone who's actually worn heels, so I'm guessing if Howard and Pratt return in the next sequel, she'll be proudly wearing some steel-toes or something.
JASON
I only recently saw Tomorrowland and I agree the pacing is off, but visually it's quite active and imaginative, a trademark of Brad Bird's films. (If you haven't noticed, I'm a big Bird fan). I wish Britt Robertson would do a little less screaming, but I enjoyed the movie. I'm not sure what sort of criticism was levied on the film specifically, other than the fact that it's still a kids movie that you might buy for your kids and watch it once a year or just leave it to collect dust on your shelf like Spy Kids.
ROBERT
Tomorrowland was a bigger disappointment to me, because I was legitimately excited for it while they embraced a J.J. Abrams-style marketing campaign and held back on story details for so long. It's one of those films that I wonder if it could have been better as a Netflix or Amazon series, where they could build the mythology slowly and spread out all those great visuals. The movie definitely has Damon Lindelof's handiwork all over it - he often overloads on world-building details, while the structure of the story and the paths of the characters suffer. However, based on what I've heard about his critically praised work on HBO's The Leftovers, he seems better suited to TV.
In other news, I almost want to retroactively downgrade my review and my Letterboxd score for Terminator: Genisys just thinking about it. The movie is bad, bad, bad. The only good thing it can accomplish will be to either: 1. Stop Paramount from making another, or 2. Get them to hold off for five years and re-boot it properly without Arnold - and maybe even bring back Emilia Clarke! She could make a fine Sarah Connor if the film she appears in doesn't try to untwist the ridiculous paradoxes the writers have introduced into the series over the years. God knows how they'd fill the massive boots of the Terminator himself, but I have two bits of advice: no CGI duplicates, and avoid Jai Courtney at. All. Costs.
JASON
I never got around to seeing Genisys; I pegged it to be a big summer flop and indeed it was. (Pats self on back). The franchise wrote itself into a hole and I have doubts about Emilia Clarke as a leading lady, and anytime you have to CGI-animate Ahhhnald and make him a big selling point on the film, it's bound to be a disaster. Awful film name, awful premise - this one was a no-brainer. I think I'd gladly refuse to see this film for the rest of my life. It's become a big comedy and I think Neil DeGrasse Tyson once said that because only living substances can time travel, by logic Ahhhnald should've arrived without a single hair on his body. That was hilarious.
I'll end with The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which I thoroughly enjoyed. There were some deficiencies, namely underusing Elizabeth Debicki, a plot that moved a little too fast and the odd split-screen sequence when the two hero spies infiltrated the enemy lair. This might be Alicia Vikander's most "meh" performance this year, with an accent that is all over the place. But she holds her own against try-hard Armie Hammer and Henry Cavill, who is surprisingly charismatic after a hard-edged turn as Superman.
ROBERT
I'm with you on most of your U.N.C.L.E. commentary, except to say that I'm willing to forgive a messy first film if it results in the sequel that we so desperately need after the ending of this one. It's like the movie reaches out a hand in the closing scene and says, "Please let us make a movie where Cavill, Vikander and Hammer get to team up and bicker and have more adventures!" The box office receipts likely mean it'll never happen, though I can always dream.
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That does it for part 1 of this epic year-in-review. Part 2 is coming next week, where we're diving into the meatier, more acclaimed films of the festival and pre-awards season, like Sicario, The Martian, Room and more! Let us know what you thought about everything we’ve covered so far in the comments, and if you liked this post, share it with your friends and followers!