Honorable Mention - The Hateful Eight
It was tough to leave this off the top ten, but I really enjoyed a couple of over the top blockbusters more and Tarantino spent way too much time ranting in the stage coach before getting to the cabin where the movie really kicked into high gear.
10 - Furious 7
Was this a well done movie? No. Was it even the best of the Fast & Furious movies? No. But was it a movie that had the audience cheering out loud and clapping. YES!!! I love movies like this. It's what makes the franchise so awesome. Totally over the top in every way but one hell of a ride and so much fun. Add in the amazing send off and paying respects to Paul Walker - and this movie made the cut for me.
9 - Avengers: Age Of Ultron
Another mega-franchise that had the audiences cheering and oohing and aahing. Was it as good as the first one? Not at all. But they introduced some newbies, honored the repeating ones, had a great story and was another amazing entry in the Marvel cinematic universe.
8 - It Follows
This was one of the better and more original creepy/scary movies to come along in a long time. You couldn't help but get completely hooked and keep your eyes on the screen. The usual horror movie stuff was absent and it was still creepy as hell.
7 - Inside Out
Pixar has struck gold again. This was a perfectly voice casted movie that provides some of the greatest teachable moments for parents with their kids regarding emotions and maybe even more importantly adults coming to terms with some of their own surpressed feelings.
6 - Room
This movie was awesome simply because it was a completely different take on your textbook kidnapping movies. It wasn't about the actual kidnapping or the rescue. Those parts really didn't even matter in this movie. This was all about dealing with being in captivity for both an adult and a child and then the two of them dealing with the real world after the fact. Original and very well done.
5 - Mad Max: Fury Road
Wow! This movie was like straight testosterone on screen and ALOT of it. This movie hit the ground running and didn't let up on the gas at all. Yet they still managed to develop characters and tell a story at the same time. One of the better reboots to come along in a very long time.
4 - The Gift
This movie barely got a wide release. and that is a shame. This was a great psychological thriller. You get totally sucked into the movie right from the start and leave wondering if their were any people in your past that you may have wronged and if you have anything to worry about. Take into account that this movie was directed by one of its starts - Joel Edgerton and that just makes it all much more impressive.
3 - Tomorrowland
I know that this movie was pretty much poorly received and that is a shame. This was a great fantasy/imagination movie and struck a major chord with me. Movies like this are why I got so into movies to begin with. You pay your money, get your popcorn, settle in and go for a crazy ride to a totally different world for a couple of hours and enjoy it. This movie was exactly that for me.
2 - The Revenant
This was one of the grizzliest movies I've even seen. Besides the blatant and realistic violence, the filming style pretty much takes you right there and you feel like you are going through the same trials that Leonardo DiCaprio is. And the bear attack scene? Pretty much the craziest scene I've even seen on film. No clue how they filmed this without him actually getting attacked by a bear. Add in Tom Hardy's acting and this movie would have easily been the number one of the year if it wasn't for . . . . . . .
1 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens
This is the movie that I have waited 32 years ago. Forget the prequels. Pretend they never happened. This movie felt like a Star Wars movie. This movie felt exactly like seeing those others in theaters. The new characters were introduced flawlessly and you immediately love them. The returning ones each got their moment for applause . . . . . you can't help but geek out when a whole sold out audience reacts in unison like that! And I'm already dying to see more of the new generation moving forward. I have watched this movie 6 times (4 in theaters) in the last two weeks and I am totally ready for viewing 7.
