Ranking the Summer of 2014 Movies

With the summer of 2014 coming to a close, let’s look back on what was one of the best summers in terms of movies we’ve had in a while.

Here’s my top 10 movies for the summer of 2014!

 

 

10. 22 Jump Street 

The hilarious duo of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum gave it a second try after the surprisingly funny 21 Jump Street, and were very successful. This time around, the the laughs hit just as hard, although maybe not quite as often as the first. Tatum and Hill were great once again, and definitely have the best comedic chemistry of any duo in Hollywood right now. While I still like the first one a little more, 22 Jump Street was still a very funny comedy, and a good time at the movies. Also,  this movie includes some of the funniest end credits you’ll ever see.

9. Godzilla

This was one of my most anticipated movies going into the summer, and I’m sad that It isn’t higher on my list. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed Godzilla a lot, and it made up for the 1998 disaster starring Matthew Broderick. Bryan Cranston is fantastic in the movie, showing off his talents as an actor, and even going a little Heisenberg in a few scenes. Aaron Taylor Johnson was fine in the leading role, although there wasn’t much emotional weight with his character. The CGI looks beautiful, Godzilla himself in particular. The action scenes were total eye candy, and the last 15 minutes made the movie for me. Bring on the sequel!

8. Neighbors

With a hilarious cast, and directed by Nick Stoller (Get Him to the Greek, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Neighbors was the funniest movie I saw all summer. Seth Rogan is his usual self, and has great chemistry with Rose Byrnes, who might be the funniest character in the whole movie. Zach Efron was surprisingly funny, and the portrayal of fraternity life was accurate and hilariously over the top at the same time. With plenty of dick and fart jokes, Neighbors was the raunchiest movie I saw all summer.

7.  The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Coming off the success of The Amazing Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 marked Marc Webb’s second chapter in his version of the Spidey saga. While this movie got a lot of mixed reviews, I generally enjoyed it. Andrew Garfield is the perfect Peter Parker/Spider-man and I believe, in time, could become what Robert Downey Jr. is to Iron Man. What made the movie for me though is the chemistry between him and Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy). Webb’s work on 500 Days of Summer definitely shines in the moments between the two characters. The actions scenes are intense and well done, and it includes one of the most heart breaking scenes of any movie this summer. The villains, especially Jamie Foxx’s Electro, are kind of weak, but luckily Garfield is able to carry the load.

 

6. The Fault in Our Stars

I’m probably one of the few 20-year-old males that has read John Green’s novel, or at least admit to reading it. Anyway, I really enjoyed the book, and I thought the movie version did a great job in translating the source material to the big screen. Shailene Woodley gives a great performance as Hazel Grace, and really showed her range as an actor. Ansel Elgort is also good as Gus, and the two have great chemistry throughout the movie. The movie is a good mix of drama, comedy, and just straight up depressing. There are definitely a lot of sad scenes towards the end, but it ends on a happy note. I only shed one tear, so I consider that a win.

5. X-Men: Days of Future’s Past

In the days leading up to the release of Days of Future’s Past, I caught up on everything X-Men since I had never seen a single X-Men movie before. The last minute studying paid off, as Days of Future’s Past was one of the best comic book movies I have ever seen. Featuring members of the old cast and new cast, Future’s Past was definitely unique in its own way. The story was interesting, the action was well done, and the acting was top notch. Hugh Jackman continues to kill it as Wolverine, and James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender give excellent performances as Magneto and Xavier. While he wasn’t in the movie much, Evan Peter’s Quicksilver was one of the best characters in the movie, and has one of the best scenes in any comic book movie ever.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy is one of those movies that gets better the more you think about it. Chris Pratt completely owns the Role as Star-Lord, but it’s Bradley Cooper’s CGI character Rocket Raccoon who steals the show. What made the movie for me was the characters. The main cast does a fantastic job, and their development as a team is so entertaining to watch, and even more gratifying to see pay off in the end. With plenty of badass action scenes, humor, and heartfelt moments, Guardians was one of Marvel’s best movies to date, and I can’t wait to see what Marvel has in store for these characters in the sequel.

3. Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow surprised and impressed me so much, and I was so happy it wasn’t the piece of trash I thought it would be when I watched the trailers for it. Love him or hate him, Tom Cruise does a great job in this movie, and proved that he can still put the weight of a big summer blockbuster on his shoulders. Emily Blunt also does a great job in her role, and is one of the most badass woman characters I’ve seen in a movie. The story, which is a lot like Groundhog Day in the sense that it’s about a man who relives the same day over and over again, never feels repetitive, and feels fresh every time, which is a huge accomplishment. With a clever story, compelling characters, and great action scenes, Edge of Tomorrow was one of the best movies of the summer.

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

While technically The Winter Soldier came out before the summer movie season began, I decided to include it anyway. This movie was flat-out entertaining from start to finish, and made up for the mediocre first Captain America movie. With one of the best opening action scenes in any marvel movie, The Winter Soldier hit the ground running and never stopped. Chris Evans continues to be the perfect Captain America, while Samuel L. Jackson is still awesome as Nick Fury, and Scarlett Johansen still kicks ass as Black Widow. What made this movie so good, though, was The Winter Soldier himself, as he is one of the best villains Marvel has ever had. Even though he doesn’t have much dialogue, his presence added so much excitement to each scene he was in. With a story that includes brains, The Winter Soldier was one of the summer’s best movies, even if it missed the cut by about a month.

1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

With a summer filled with sequels, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was the best. Improving on the already good Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn was The Dark Knight in terms of great sequels. Caesar steals the show hands down in this one, as Andy Serkis’ brilliant work in motion capture shines in every scene Caesar is in. Seriously, Oscar worthy in my opinion. Caesar’s character was one of the best characters in any movie this summer, and you really feel for him despite the fact that he is a CGI ape ( thanks to Serkis magic). The CGI is beautiful, and the apes look real in some scenes, especially in close up shots. The human characters do a really good job in the movie as well, especially Jason Clarke’s character. However, it’s the apes that steal the show, and that is the way it should be. With a good story, beautiful CGI, heart, great action, and a compelling character in Caesar, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was my favorite movie from the summer of 2014.

 

This list was ridiculously hard to make……

Thanks for reading!