- Avengers: Age of Ultron
It’s about time we admit it. Marvel has done a phenomenal job with its films in the last few years. If the first Avengers film was the keystone of phase one, then the second is the foundation of things yet to come. Marvel has proven that by putting the right talent in the right place and playing the extremely difficult game of balancing action and comedy with more serious themes, a truly entertaining film based on subject matter that used to be considered niche can bring that subject into the mainstream can be produced. While comic book purists may be upset by Marvel’s willingness to deviate from plots established by the source material, none of it is done in a sort of “screw the old fans” way. The Marvel cinematic universe is now distinct from the comic book one and fans are left to compare and contrast the two and find out which one better suits their tastes. It is for these reasons that Marvel has done well, and despite being several films in since the release of Iron Man , will continue to do well.
- Mad Max: Fury Road
I can admit I wasn’t a fan of Mad Max before this. After watching Fury Road I binged every Mad Max film within two nights. This non-stop car chase refuses to slow down from anything, including its own backstory and supplies you with a direct injection of adrenaline from start to finish. The masterful use of practical effects coupled with a compelling plot and amazing characters draws viewers in, even those who might not like Fury Road’s post-apocalyptic, metal inspired theme. So, even if the aesthetics of Mad Max don’t appeal to you immediately, this is still a film worth watching at least once.
- Ant-Man
Yes, yes, another Marvel film. I, like many of my peers, were highly skeptical of Ant-Man early on. The casting of Paul Rudd as the lead, the face that Hank Pym was no longer the titular character (He didn’t even get to make Ultron!), and the fact that Marvel was making another stand-alone film that focused on a character most people outside of the comic world had never heard of left me going into this film with low expectations. Needless to say, given it’s inclusion on this list, Ant-Man was a pleasant surprise. Despite the fact that Ant-Man himself turns out to be a completely different character in the MCU, Marvel doesn’t insult long time fans by changing who Ant-Man is at his core. With a nice tie-in to the Avengers films and the establishment of a new character in the cinematic universe, Ant-Man has secured its place amongst Marvel’s film legacy.
- Jurassic World
Jurassic Park was such a good film. What a shame they never made any sequels (ba-dum-tsh). That was until Jurassic World came along and rebooted everyone’s favorite film franchise about a theme park for cloned dinosaurs and the people who can’t stop finding ways to let them cause chaos. This time, we’re dealing with a genetically modified T-rex, raptor, cuttlefish thing that’s smart enough to trick a trained dinosaur wrangler (Chris Pratt) by pretending to climb from its cage, and hunt for sport. We’re treated to bits of nostalgia like two kids finding the location to the old park, trained velociraptors that can communicate, and an epic fight between a T-rex and the main villain dinosaur. Jurassic World brings back everything you love about Jurassic Park and adds enough new bits to keep from going stale, making up a great movie that fans and newcomers definitely don’t want to miss.
- Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Last but not least, the most anticipated film of the year. We all know the story. George Lucas sells Star Wars to Disney, the extended universe with very few exceptions struck from canon, and Disney immediately begins work on a new film including other projects. Where Episodes I through III gave us a nice foundation for the original trilogy, The Force Awakens takes Star Wars into the unknown future. WIth fears that no one could direct a Star Wars movie better than Lucas and that Disney will have far too much oversight and input into Episode VII’s creation, many long time fans are waiting eagerly to either praise it, or crush it under the weight of unyielding criticism should it fail. We’ve been subjected to teaser after teaser, giving us a lot to speculate on. When this film releases on the 18th, all of our questions will be answered and hopefully, our worries were nothing more than worries.
