Typically, when a movie studio releases a new traditional sports film, they usually come off as safe and cliche, not even attempting to be unique or different. Does "McFarland, USA" hit all those familiar chords? It does, but you almost forgive it this time around. Disney presents us with a film that meets those qualifications, but makes up for it with compelling characters you can't help but root for. Kevin Costner is very good here, but the real stars are the young actors playing these kids running for their high school cross country team. They're full of heart and are really inspiring. It also helps that the film is well shot and blessed with a really cool soundtrack. If you're getting tired of the same repetitive sports movie formula, we urge you to make an exception for this flick. It's really good.
Here at Bangerang Movies, we have a tradition of compiling an annual best-of list to celebrate the most outstanding films released in the previous year. This year is no different. To be honest, 2014 left quite a lot to be desired. Living up to the juggernaut movie year that was 2013 was a task that was nearly impossible to accomplish. There were quite a few really good movies released in the past year, just not a lot of great ones. That being said, the 5 movies listed below are all highly recommended and should be immediately added to your Netflix queue or Redbox wish list.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy
A welcome departure from Marvel's usual superhero trappings, "Guardians of the Galaxy" proved to be a funny and imaginative space opera that just so happened to be based on a comic book. This was one of the biggest (and best) surprises of the year.
4. The Imitation Game
The most fascinating historical film of the year had to be Morten Tyldum's "The Imitation Game," the little-known story of Alan Turing and his team of mathematicians who broke the Nazi code during World War II. This is a fitting tribute to the heroic and ultimately tragic work of the father of the modern computer.
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
Director Bryan Singer returns to the "X-Men" franchise to right some of the wrongs of the previous installments and to tell a riveting story that connects the future of the series to its past. Drawing terrific performances from his cast and great story-telling from Simon Kinberg, Singer delivers quite possibly the best X-Men film yet.
2. Interstellar
Christopher Nolan is arguably the most consistently great director working in Hollywood today, and "Interstellar" is certainly a reflection of that. While not quite a complete home run, this space epic is a visually stunning, intellectually challenging and emotional roller coaster of a film and one of the very best of the year.
1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Our pick for the best film of the year is the surprisingly great sequel to the surprisingly great reboot of the classic "Planet of the Apes" franchise. Director Matt Reeves takes the helm this time and amplifies everything that made this film's predecessor great: ground-breaking special effects, relevant social commentary and a fascinating character study. This was the most truly great film of 2014.
BRYCE **
Coming on the heels of the wildly successful racial drama "The Help," director Tate Taylor tackles the life of James Brown, one of the most influential figures in American music history, with his latest film "Get on Up." Chadwick Boseman is electrifying in the lead role and brings the same excitement to the screen that Mr. Brown did to the stage. He has the look, the mannerisms and especially the dance moves of the Godfather of Soul down to a T. The film itself on the other hand is a different story. The filmmakers have attempted to tell the story out of order and switch back and forth between Boseman speaking to the audience and ignoring them altogether in an attempt to boost the artistic prowess of what is otherwise a very standard biopic script. Ironically, the film would have almost certainly been more effective if they had just played it straight with the narrative. There a few great performances in the film and some thrilling musical numbers, but the confusing and overly drawn-out storytelling spoils all the fun. CHASE ** BANGERANG SCORE: **
The first half of the final chapter of the popular "Hunger Games" series, "Mockingjay - Part 1" is a solid entry in the franchise. Following the events of "Catching Fire," the revolution has begun with the rebellion trying to overthrow the Capitol using Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) as its figurehead. This movie goes a little bit deeper into the political side of Suzanne Collins' universe as we see the rebellion using a propaganda campaign in an attempt to recruit as many people as possible. As expected, Jennifer Lawrence gives a solid performance as the lead character and director Francis Lawrence has done an exceptional job akin to his work on the last film. The story about the revolution is very interesting and Katniss is a great character to follow. The film does suffer from the final installment being split in two (which is all the rage in Hollywood these days). It was pretty obvious that they cut the film half-way through the original story and that the big climax will take place in the next movie. Needless to say, the ending is pretty abrupt. Overall, this is a very well-made film and those who liked the previous installments in the series will definitely enjoy this one as well.
CHASE *1/2
Most horror films that have come out in recent history have a terrible track record with critics and the public. "Ouija" is no different. The story is about a group of teenagers who find an Ouija board that may have been the source of their friend's suicide. They believe they are communicating with an actual spirit through the game who may or may not have caused it. One of the problems with the movie is the fact that for a horror movie, there's hardly anything scary in it. It is filled with so many fake jump scares that there's hardly any tension throughout the entire movie. The cast of characters is completely forgettable and consists of mostly stereotypical teenagers. Plus, it doesn't help that a certain plot twist near the end of the film doesn't make any sense. The only positive things I will add, though, is the actress who played the main character (Olivia Cooke) isn't half bad and it's a well shot film. Overall, this is a boring horror film and if you're looking for a movie to scare you, this is definitely not the one for you.
BRYCE **1/2
Bill Murray is one of the most gifted comedic actors of all-time and his presence alone can elevate almost any film he appears in. This is certainly the case with "St. Vincent." Murray plays the title character, a low-life Vietnam vet who unexpectedly finds himself tending a young boy each day after school. A predictable chain of events unfolds as Vincent and the boy form a bond that helps them overcome each other's life challenges. Amidst the formula, writer/director Theodore Melfi attempts to ground the proceedings in reality by not having Vincent change all that much during the process. The boy ends up loving this man despite his faults and his unwillingness to change. Unfortunately, what was meant to be a profound message about love and acceptance, comes across as cynical and enabling. Vincent has no significant arc which makes the story feel useless and uninspiring (a fair criticism I think as the filmmakers are clearly going for an inspirational story). Bill Murray is very good in the film as usual and he really does quite a bit to lift the material, but he can't overcome the faults of what is ultimately a flawed narrative.
In 2001, Ron Howard gave us "A Beautiful Mind," a part-biopic, part-love story concerning economic genius John Nash. In 2014, James Marsh presents us with the same type of film, this time with theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in the spotlight. While Ron Howard's classic manages to make both the biopic and love story elements work together to create a great film, the same can't necessarily be said about "The Theory of Everything." It tells both parts pretty well, but you never quite feel that it all connects. That's not to say this is a bad film however. Eddie Redmayne is phenomenal and gives one of the best performances in a long while. He not only plays the mastermind Stephan Hawking in great fashion, but is incredibly convincing as a man with motor neuron disease. His performance could be compared to Daniel Day-Lewis' Oscar-winning performance in "My Left Foot." Bring in some other great performances (Felicity Jones) and a beautiful score and you have what is, in it's own right, a fairly enjoyable film. It's not a home run, but it's worth seeing for Redmayne's terrific performance alone.
