Top 10: Favorite Films of 2014 (Part 1)

10. Life Itself

Ironically enough, we kick off this list with the critically acclaimed documentary about the critically crucial critic, Roger Ebert. Roger is probably best known to the masses for his discussion-based television show, At the Movies, in which he and fellow film critic Gene Siskel (later it was Richard Roeper) passionately debated (and that's putting it tenderly) their thoughts on the new releases that week. Among his many other accomplishments for the medium, Roger Ebert helped make film criticism sexy and helped stir the dialogue between filmmakers and film-goers.

With this profound documentary, Director Steve James focuses on the man behind the myth. We see Roger at his most vulnerable, all the while still perusing his passion as a writer and film enthusiast. It's an emotional and inspiring piece about one of cinema's most overlooked champions.

9. The Muppets Most Wanted

Movin' right along, this Disney sequel picks up, quite literally, right where the delightful 2011 hit left off. Now that Walter's officially been dubbed an honorary Muppet, Kermit and the gang decide to take their show on the road and embark on a world tour. What follows is a more than satisfying entry for the long-running, long-beloved felt franchise.

Although this follow-up seems to lack the child-like wonder that Jason Segel seemed to bring to the original reboot, almost everything else that made it so special remains intact: from the abundance of cheery cameos to yet another seductively catchy soundtrack from the Academy Award-winning Bret McKenzie ('I'll Get You What You Want' was snubbed!). Muppets Most Wanted also benefits from the addition of the cold-blooded, charismatic Constantine.

8. Begin Again

From one charming soundtrack to another, Director John Carney strikes all the right chords with this infectious musical drama. Mark Ruffalo's empathetic performance as a down-on-his-luck music producer plays perfectly off Keira Knightley's heart-aching portrayal of a heart-broken, small town girl looking to form some sort of identity for herself in the otherwise unforgiving landscape of the music industry.

These two leads have undeniably compelling chemistry and they're reason enough to see this film. But what takes Begin Again above and beyond other cookie cutter copycats, other than the brilliant playlist of course, are the solid performances from the colorful supporting cast, largely made up of real-life professionals from the industry, as well as its refusal to give into banality and its insistence on making an identity for its own self.

7. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Another sequel to a 2011 entry of a long-running franchise swings onto my list with this follow-up to Rise of the Planet of the Apes. A decade after the simian flu supposedly obliterated the human race, the world has gone ape as Cesar and his brethren are living in peace as the new heirs to the Earth. However, that peace is threatened after the discovery that humans still linger on in refugee colonies just across the San Francisco Bay.

The 'Apes' franchise finds new life with this surprisingly human tale of loyalty, co-operation, and the devastating effects of war on all parties. Andy Serkis, who is famous for his terrific motion-capture work in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, gives arguably his best performance to date as the seemingly incorruptible ape leader who refuses to believe that humans are all bad. All supporting performances are great as well, but what makes this sequel stand out is the polarizing development of Cesar as he continues to evaluate what's important to him and his flourishing planet of apes.

6. Beyond the Lights

Director Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees) examines the musical drama genre through the lens of an endearing romance, featuring the powerful acting chops of Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who also gave another outstanding performance this year in Belle. Noni is a young talent who has, for years, been scrupulously sculpted into an up-and-coming pop star by her demanding mother. One night, this suffocating lifestyle leads Noni to a lonely hotel balcony in a last-ditch cry for help. As fate would have it, she is, at the last minute, snatched from the cold, concrete jaws of death by her studly soul-mate and pulled to safety.

The slow-burning romance between Noni and Kaz (she had a hard time believing that was his real name, too), is such a delight to watch unfold. From the awkward first meetings; to the more intimate exchanges; to the guy defending the woman's honor by physically assaulting her rapper ex-boyfriend on stage; to a tender moment that had me in tears, involving Noni removing her weave; all the mushy, familiar touchstones of a budding life-long partnership are expounded and thanks to the kinetic chemistry and heartwarming performances from its two leads, Beyond the Lights is a wonderful examination of the effect of celebrity on personal identity.

Review: The Boy Next Door

It's difficult to believe, but we've reached the point where Jennifer Lopez is now a mom in her mid-forties. As such, it makes sense that Ms. Lopez's would seek out for roles that reflect this aspect of her life and she's found one in her new thriller The Boy Next Door.

By her own standards, Lopez gives a solid performance as Claire Peterson (a solid name, I might add). She's a high school English teacher who specializes in the Classics as well as a devoted mother who just can't seem to seal the deal with a good guy. Her son, Kevin, played by Ian Nelson, is your typical high school door mat who gets pushed around by cookie cutter bullies and is too shy to even be in the same hardware store as his crush. Claire and Kevin have been abandoned by Kevin's deadbeat, cheat of a father, portrayed by John Corbett, who spends the entirety of the film trying to make it up to his family. Enter Noah Sandborn.

Noah is a hunky, young heart-throb with a mysterious past who quickly cozies up to the Petersons. He befriends Kevin and before anyone can ask "Who is this guy?", Noah is repairing their garage, their car, and even Kevin's self-esteem, giving him the confidence to ask out the girl of his dreams and stand up to those high school jerks. Behind the scenes, Noah is putting the moves on Kevin's mom and Director Rob Cohen, of Alex Cross fame, wastes no time digging into the meat of Claire and Noah's new-found sexual tension.

On a recent episode of The Daily Show, host Jon Stewart mentioned how the audience at an early screening of the film clapped after Claire and Noah's steamy love scene. Lopez affirmed that that meant the audience was at that point emotionally invested in the characters and that they believed this was the point of no return for everyone involved. After seeing the film for myself, I am convinced that the audience in question must have been clapping purely because that scene was so steamy and not because they legitimately cared about these people.

As is the general complaint with these types of films, it's difficult to become emotionally invested in hollow shells of people who seem to lack basic common sense. As an example, the aforementioned love scene ensues as a result of Noah asking Claire to walk over to his house, in the rain, to show him how to correctly cook a chicken in the oven, which Claire must do in order to propel the plot forward. Ridiculous situations that are promoted through the sheer dim wits of dull characters, like these folks, are laughable but in fact could have worked had the filmmakers involved focused more on the camp of it all, which its trailer and even sections of the film suggests.

Instead, the focus of the film seems to be muddled between said camp and making a serious stalker thriller, which makes the few scares the film does have seem like a bad joke. In other words: this film is too campy to be taken seriously but does not commit enough to camp to be forgiven for its wavering.

What makes things worse is an ending that solidifies for the audience that not even the filmmakers care what happens to these characters.

GRADE: D

Oscars Gripes... *Sigh*

Just a few quick thoughts on the 2015 Academy Award nominations...

First off, how was LEGO Movie not even nominated for Best Animated Feature?

Second, I am not entirely shocked but completely disappointed that Gugu Mbatha-Raw was overlooked. She gave terrific performances in multiple films. She's quickly turning into one of my favorite young actors.

Third, the lack of cultural and ethnic diversity among the nominees this year is disgusting.

Fourth, how can you nominate Foxcatcher for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Original Screenplay, but NOT Best Picture?

Lastly, Jake Gyllenhaal gets a Best Actor nod in my book.

More on the Oscars to come.

Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

When it was first announced that a live-action TMNT movie was in the works and that Michael Bay was involved, a lot of concerned fans made their voices heard. Worry quickly escalated to fear once it was revealed that the shell-sporting heroes would no longer be mutants, but in fact extra-terrestrials. Now that the film has arrived, I think it's safe to say that, while it isn't quite the popular disaster many were anticipating, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lacks the soul and joy to make up for its poor casting and overly brooding tone.

While this dark 'Turtles' reboot isn't exactly directed by Michael Bay, his presence is heavily felt. The martial arts master is obviously inspired by the long-lasting Asian stereotype, as is his nemesis. A lot of the action sequences, and even a few non-action, feature camera work that's so dizzying that, on more than one occasion, I had to look away from the screen. Dutch angles abound and there are more pointless, large-scale explosions than I could count on my hands. But perhaps the worse Bay offense comes from the casting (and eventual objectification) of Megan Fox.

For the first thirty minutes or so, Fox's April O'Neil takes center stage. She's a B-news reporter with a passion for the truth who is fully dedicated to her job. She runs around in her yellow jacket, digging for news scraps wherever and whenever she can. Her sidekick and cameraman, Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett), exists as the obligatory comic relief who is more creepy than funny. Now the problem with Fox is, well, she's not a very good actress. She only seems capable of one expression and incapable of selling the roll of the inspired reporter who literally runs towards danger, even as everyone else is running away, all for the sake of a good story. Fox's soulless performance sucks any possible joy that could have and would have made this film more enjoyable had anyone else played the role instead.

Things get more interesting once April's introduced to Splinter and the turtles. This is where Tony Schalhoub's rat master of ninjutsu spews forth yet more exposition about his rat-pack's (pun intended) journey; just in case you missed the first five minutes of the film, which outlines the same events. However, Schalhoub's Splinter is the highlight of the film and I didn't mind indulging the redundancy of it all. As for the turtles, the tone becomes less oppressive once they become the main focus of the film and Fox's April disappears almost completely. However, their comradery, while entertaining at times, felt unbalanced. For most of the movie Raphael was a jerk who seemed to hold a disdain for his reptilian brethren. By the end, their not-so-brotherly bond couldn't fully combatant the overly serious tone and look of the film.

On a lighter note, the visuals are impressive and the 3D was often put to good use, even if most of the film is dark. The revamped Shredder suit becomes less a dorky spectacle and more a sweet piece of high-tech badassery as the film progresses through its many martial arts-based actions sequences. Sadly, the poor casting and unejoyable tone leave us with is a shell (again, pun intended) of what could have been a fairly entertaining, cheesy action romp.

Grade: C-

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel's latest, Guardians of the Galaxy, is the most fun you'll have at the movies all summer, bar none. Director James Gunn's "crash-bang!" entry into the ever-expanding Marvel superhero universe is a fresh, often hilarious, action-packed thrill ride full of colorful, eye-popping visuals and purely delightful performances.

In a cinematic universe full of super-powered baddies looking to conqueror and destroy, Marvel's superhero films all tell the same tale: saving the day. In this way  'Guardians' follows suit. However, no Marvel film has been able to tell this tale in such a fresh, exciting way since Joss Whedon's The Avengers, so far proving that more is in fact better.

What makes Gunn's film stand apart from other Marvel superhero movies is its consistent brand of self-referential, outright hilarious tongue-in-cheek humor; not to mention its brilliant use of some of the cheesiest classic songs of the 1970s. Even from its amusing title sequence featuring Chris Pratt's endearing Star-lord letting loose to Redbone's "Come And Get Your Love," it's clear that Director James Gunn is interested in showing his audiences a good time.

The casting of this band of misfits tells you everything you need to know about the offbeat tone of this movie. From Chris Pratt's charming take on Star-lord to Zoe Saldana's straight-faced Gamora; to Vin Diesel's Groot, who is capable of communicating so much with such a limited vocabulary; through even Dave Bautista's tormented Drax, who also gets a lot of laughs. However, it is Bradley Cooper's wisecracking Rocket Racoon who steals the show. Each character in this motley crew is given a plethora of opportunities to make us laugh out loud as well as garner our sympathies in a handful of truly touching, heartfelt moments.

The good times keep on rolling with some of the best choreographed action sequences this year. From beginning to end, there is an abundance of "crash-bang!" action. Combine that with these first-rate visuals and you've got yourself one aesthetically pleasing picture.

Even if you find yourself scratching your head at some of the more complex details of the story, such as the Kree (did I say that right?) peace treaty or the origin of the universe and its infinity relics, Guardians of the Galaxy is a pleasurable outing for anyone looking to have a good time at the movies.

Grade: A

Review: Hercules

Hercules, or more correctly "Heracles," is one of mythology's most powerful and most iconic tragic heroes. He has slain the Nemean Lion, severed the many heads of the beastly hydra, and, perhaps most sickeningly, washed clean the Augean stables in a single day. Despite his numerous triumphs, however, there still remains one labor that the mighty son of Zeus just cannot seem to conqueror: Hollywood.

Despite past trials, the demigod has not wrought much success out of box offices. Least I remind you of the god-awful (pun intended) flop that was this year's The Legend of Hercules? Let us not forget either the Disney animated feature that was beloved by the children of its generation and laughed at by everyone else. Praise the gods we have Dwayne Johnson and Brett Ratner!


Caught somewhere between Disney's light-hearted, happy meal affair and Renny Harlin's overly dark blunder, Ratner's Hercules is a hammy production that walks the line between a fresh retelling of the myth and a comedic spoof.

Dwayne (as I call him, because we're on a first-name basis) rocks a sendoff of the mythic hero as if he was born to play him. On the outside Hercules struts his well-sculpted, well-oiled physique to waves of adoring villagers like a rock star taking it all in, but on the inside he's tormented by his past and Dwayne express all of it poetically, lending credence to the longevity of his wrestler-to-actor career.

Now having accomplished his twelve labors, Hercules now lives life off his reputation as a contracted killer. He's hired by the King of Thrace, brilliantly portrayed by John Hurt, to lead a band of would-be soldiers against a warlord who threatens his lands. Hercules goes about his business, cutting through armies like butter, tipping over horses, and snapping the jaws of rare breeds of blood-thirsty wolves as if there were nothing, all the while we're lead to believe that he's not really the son of Zeus, he's really a mortal, and that his warrior friends helped him accomplish all those labors. Yeah, right.

Despite the committed performances from both Dwayne and Hurt, the true Scene-stealer Award goes to Ian McShane. He plays Amphiaraus, a well-known oracle of sorts who catches fragments of what's to come from the gods. In  addition to providing a large bulk of the comedic relief, Amphiaraus also provides a large majority of the heartfelt exchanges with Hercules. From consoling Hercules on his demons to motivating him in dire times of need,  McShane's Amphiaraus is an all-around pleasure.

And perhaps that's the best thing about this film: not only does it deliver as a solid bit of popcorn entertainment, but it's also full of heart and nobody in the bizz does tormented teddy bear better than Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Add to that Ratner, who can also string together cohesive action sequences as good as anybody, and you've got yourself a well-balanced romp.

Grade: B

Why 'Breaking Bad' is still a better show than 'The Walking Dead'

With the last half of the last season of Breaking Bad hitting the fan this coming summer and The Walking Dead having just started its third season, it's probably safe to say that television has hit one of its highest points within the past decade or so. But with all this talk of either of these shows being the "Best show on television," the question becomes: "Which of these shows is TRULY the best show on television?" Surely there is only room for one best!

Some will agree and some will argue (to no avail, says I) but the true and clear so-called "Best show on television" is none other than Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad. Let me make it clear, however, that there is indeed more than one show that is argued for the title of "Best show on television" (I'd hoped that was obvious). What I am doing in this article is simply arguing for why Breaking Bad is a better selection than The Walking Dead for "Best show on television"  as opposed to trying to argue Breaking Bad against every other show on television (for that would entail a much larger task than I care for; however, I feel safe in assuming that we can universally rule out Jersey Shore).

Now that that's all cleared up...

If you ask somebody what makes a good television show, chances are they will answer, if they answer at all, by saying "Characters." So if we are going by that criteria, Breaking Bad definitely has shines brighter than The Walking Dead.

"Wait! The Walking Dead has Rick, Lori, Daryl, T-Dog, and Glenn- especially Glenn!" says the loyal Dead Head. To which I must ask: "Come on. Is Lori really all that interesting?"

Yes, The Walking Dead has A LOT of characters, but quantity is not the same as quality. Sure there are a few characters on this show who do intriguing/exciting things under the circumstances (like having sex in an abandoned pharmacy after just killing a zombie), but in its third season, how much do we ACTUALLY know about Glenn, one of the most popular characters on the show? The same could be asked of any of these characters:

1.) Other than riding in the same cop car, what experiences did Rick and Shane share that bonded them so closely, as we are told, so many times, that they are?

2.) Daryl talks a lot about finding his brother, Merle, because they're supposedly close; however, when Daryl has a hallucination about Merle in Season 2, Merle seems to be treating him pretty poorly. Why does Daryl admire Merle as much as he says he does?

3.) In Season 3 it becomes evident that the relationship between Lori and Rick has almost completely diminished and the writers, for all their talents, almost never explore what is going on the minds of this married couple and when they do, it results in an exchange of empty glares between the two. They say actions are more powerful than words, but the two of them do almost nothing! 

The list could go on.

Yes The Walking Dead is only in its third season and more about what makes these characters tick is slowly coming to light, but, watching this show, I can't help but feel like these people are still strangers to me.

So I've explored why The Walking Dead falls short of the title "Best show on television"; according to the intangible rules of argument, I must put forth my reasoning for why Breaking Bad is indeed a better choice for that same title.

Using the same standard of "characters" set forth earlier in my argument...

This show is a lush, fertile landscape for character development. And what makes this soil so lush and ripe for character development? A simplistic story.

Where The Walking Dead is epic in scale and open to a world (literally) of possibilities, Breaking Bad is the simplistic, yet enticing, story of one man's transition from good guy to bad guy. That's it. Yes his transition affects the people closest to him, but it's still about HIS transition.

Just a handful of characters is all that is needed to tell the story of this transition and this allows for a much deeper, more focused area of writing: Start with one man, his transition, and spread out from there to how everyone around him is affected by the choices that he makes. It's a more effective way of developing characters than opposed to starting outward with a global tragedy and working inward to see how that one massive event has affected, not just a particular group of characters, but everyone they come across. This expands the story you're trying to tell and diminishes the focus on individual character development.

So if you're going based off of characters and how interesting they are, Breaking Bad obviously takes the cake. However, if character development isn't important to you then you're probably a fan of Girl on the Loose, in which case you've just wasted your time.

This is just the opinion of one humble viewer. What do you think?