2014 – My Theatrical Movie Experiences Ranked

Despite the growing success of online-streaming, I still savor my experiences in the theater, and those are the movie events I want to look back on. So, here’s my personal ranking of all the 2021 movies I saw in the theater this year, which means some other really good (and bad) films from 2021 won’t make the countdown. Again, this is my own personal opinion, these films aren’t ranked by the quality of the picture, but simply by how each left their impression on me. I saw 7 movies in total, and here's my personal ranking of each one from least to favorite.

 

#7 “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” 

It’s the beginning of the end for the Hunger Games franchise, and like so many films with “Part 1” in the title, it’s hard to feel any kind of satisfaction knowing that you’ll have to wait for “Part 2”. “Mockingjay” was already my least favorite of the three books, and having it stretched out to two movies didn’t do me any favors. Yet, with that said, I still found myself enjoying this instalment fine … truthfully even more then I expected going in, and I still find this franchise one of the superior book-to-screen adaptions in the YA cannon. The acting is still strong, I felt the emotion when I needed to, and even with its lack of action when compared to its predecessors, I was still consistently engaged. I don’t know if I’ll be returning to this film any time soon, but I certainly look forward to “Part 2” when it comes around. 

#6 “Godzilla” 

Following the disappointment of 1998’s American “Godzilla” remake, 2014 marked the second effort to reboot the monster for Western audiences … with mostly better results. Despite playing a frustrating long game in revealing the big-G, as well as getting around to fighting the new villains, this film mostly gets everything right. It’s also my second favorite launching-pad for Godzilla behind the original 1950’s classic. The battles are big spectacles, it’s refreshing to see new monsters, the tone is darker, and the movie is very smart by giving us just enough monster action, without getting too over-blown. There’s also just enough human drama to help balance out the sheer spectacle of seeing monsters wreaking havoc. Finally, it was a nice treat to see Godzilla as a hero again, after so many films of him being the primary threat. It’s a slow-burning experience, but the pay-off is strong, it leaves me satisfied, and it’s overall respectful for an American Godzilla film.

 

#5 “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” 

Time for an unpopular opinion, as this sequel is being regarded as one of the worst, if not the worst film in the series … but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a good time with this film … warts and all. Andrew Garfield still delivered one of Spider-Man’s best portrayals on film to date, and the whole cast in general made this film worthwhile. Likewise, the battles are genuinely thrilling, the effects are top notch, and the films tragic finale gave me chills all over. Honestly, for all the films admitted faults, I think there’s far more good qualities to it then bad. Thanks to a stellar ending, and other merits throughout, I actually find this a favorable Spider-Man film. It may hurt the series moving forward, but on its own … it’s colorful, features menacing villains, exciting set-pieces, and a delightful romance in the center.    

 

#4 “Guardians of the Galaxy” 

I didn't know a thing about the comic this film was based on, so I was a little lost on some details, but never the less, the films charming collection of memorable characters, colorful space design, light-hearted tone, thrilling space battles, and overall fun factor made this movie a sheer delight … one that brought out the inner child in me. Despite being another Marvel branded Comic-Book adaption, I don’t really see this as just another Superhero movie … it’s something special for the Sci-Fi genera, which has virtually runout of original content. In many respects, I see “Guardians of the Galaxy” as this generations “Men in Black” or “Ghostbusters”, which is very welcome.   

 

#3 “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” 

Even though I genuinely loved the first Captain America picture … this is a special case in which I feel the sequel is largely superior to the original. With an exceptionally smart story, full of political themes, and less formulaic comic book gimmicks, this Captain America squeal knows how to respect its audience, while still entertaining them with plenty of explosive spectacles. It proved that Marvel doesn’t need to rely on big Avenger’s crossovers to make successful or memorable superhero movies. Actually, this felt like a throw-back to the classic white knuckled action films of the 80’s and early 90’s … but upped to 10.

 

#2 “How to Train Your Dragon 2” 

The previous “How to Train Your Dragon” has a secure spot as, not only one of my favorite animated movies of the past decade … but I’d honestly place it among my top three personal favorites … which leaves much for this sequel to live up to. Thankfully, this movie skyrocketed my expectations … it’s just as good … and possibly even better in some respects. It expands upon the foundation of the first in every way a good sequel should, with stronger characters, more human drama, a lot more dragons, plenty of comedy, better flight scenes, and some top-notch animation. "How to Train your Dragon 2" is every bit as stunning, beautiful, and uplifting as its predecessor and has a secure spot along with the ranks of “Toy Story 2” as one of the greatest animated sequels I’ve ever seen.  

 

#1 “X-Men: Days of Future Past” 

This is hands down my favorite of the X-Men series thus far … by far … as it’s a mega crossover bringing together the Original Trilogy, the First-Class series, and even the Wolverine films together into one perfect package. It’s also a respectable adaption of its iconic source material, and raises the bar for X-Men at the movies. It took the series to new heights, with bigger spectacles, Oscar worthy visual effects, and sensational action, but it also has a consistently strong story, a script that never forgets it’s characters, and it even boasts respectable moral themes at the center. Just a personal opinion, but in my view, "X-Men: Days of Future Past" highlights the best of the series, and gives you more … including powerful performances, an intriguing time-travel plot, alternate realities, plenty of high-stake action, and it never loses that substance at the center, which makes X-Men so special to me. Without question, this is currently my favorite of the X-Men film series, and it has a secure spot as one of my new personal all-time favorite movies.

So, concludes 2014 … and may the thrill of the theater stick-around next year. 

My Top 10 Cutest Animated Girls (Updated)

          I never under stood how an animated girl could come off as hot or attractive to some people, but they certainly can be cute. With the right personality, the right voice and the right charisma, animated girls can be nothing short of adorable. I’m not looking at who’s drawn the most attractively, or who’s the most well developed character, this list is all about the animated girls that I find to be just plain cute.  

#10 Kiki from Kiki's Delivery Service

     In this Hayao Miyazaki classic, a young teenage witch leaves home to make a life for herself, and fate leads her to a small town where she becomes a delivery girl for a bakery. From there on, it’s just the life and times of this young which, the people she meets and all the little adventures she has along the way. This could have been a very boring premise, but thanks to its lead heroin, it’s one of the most simplistic and charming experiences I’ve had with an animated movie. Kiki is just so genuine and delightful that I just love following her in this light as air story. In Disney’s English dub version, Kiki is voiced by Kirsten Dunst and she just hit’s it out of the park by bringing Kiki to life with a personality that’s both young and sweet, but also grown up and mature, it’s just the perfect balance. She doesn’t even feel like a traditional “character”, she actually comes off more like a friend that I’d just want to spend some time with, and that’s the real magic of the movie. She’s simply one of the most delightful characters I’ve ever seen from one of the most delightful animated movies of all time. 

#9 Wendy from Disney’s Peter Pan

     Here’s one that usually wouldn't be mentioned on a list like this, but it’s another personal favorite of mine. Despite being younger then all of Disney’s marketed princesses, Wendy's actually one of the most grown up and mature of all the Disney females. Huge props to voice actress Kathryn Beaumont, who can take a by the numbers innocent child and make her sound like a mature, intelligent and honestly quiet entertaining character. It’s actually interesting how she contrasts with the other classic Disney Princesses like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty because they always felt like little children in adult bodies, while Wendy felt like an adult in a child's body. Now, this description may not make Wendy sound cute the same way I’ve described the others on my list, but she has a lot more charm on display then not. While Wendy is very mature, she is still a kid, and the film does a great job balancing her two personas. She does get curious, excited and when she act’s cute, she’s really cute.

#8 Sakura from Cardcaptors ( or Cardcaptor Sakura as it's called in Japan)

      Sakura Avalon was just a normal, everyday elementary school girl with big hopes and even bigger dreams. One magical day, fate chooses her to take on the responsibility of protecting the people she loves from magical oddities that have a tendency to accrue at unexpected times in her home town. While she makes for a strong hero character that never backs down from a fight, she also never loses her charming every day girl persona that makes her so lovable. This is a kid that’s just full of life, she brightens everyone’s day and gets overjoyed by the simple little things in life that so many people take for granted. While the original Japanese Anime is far superior to it's Americanized counter part, I do still prefer the English dubbed voice actress Carly McKillip who infuses Sakura with a voice and personality that’s both sweet and innocent while also making her sound smarter and older then her age would suggest. Of course her design is fantastic, only Japanese animators can make a face that cute, and I especially like how her costume changes in each episode. Named after the word “Cherry Blossom”, Sakura is every bit as sweet and as wholesome as her colorful title would suggest.

  

#7 Mabel from Gravity Falls

      In the strange little town of Gravity Falls, twin siblings named Dipper and Mable spend their summer going on wild and hilarious supernatural adventures. Dipper plays things like a strait man, which allows his crazy hyperactive sister to set him off perfectly. Just how cute is this character ... well, right from the opening title sequence at the beginning of every episode is Mable snuggling with her pet pig, which is nothing short of precious. This is a character who seems to live in her own bizarre little world, which makes her overflow with a zany personality. While her silly antics could be annoying, she makes up for it with a clear conscience, and a noticeably big heart under neither all the crazy. Goofy characters like this are all the more lovable when you know they’ll have their quiet moments to bond with someone or be there for emotional support. Her relationship with her twin brother dipper is probably one of the sweetest sibling friendships I’ve ever seen in an animated program. Full of relentless energy and powered by sugar filled fantasies, Mable is that one pain in the neck child you just can’t help but love.            

#6 Mavis from Hotel Transylvania

     Who would ever guise that Dracula's daughter, a vampire with gothic attire could possibly be the least bit cute. Well, Dracula’s daughter isn’t just cute, she’s also endearing, upbeat and an all around fun character. Suffering from the Disney princess curse of being trapped in her tour, this young vampire just wants to get on with her life dang it. It’s a conflict we’ve seen before, but I’ve never seen a vampire go through something like this, and that was very refreshing. Of course liberation comes in the form of a young boy who wins her heart, which leads to fun times, sad times and all the situations that further highlight this character. Mixing tragic conflicts with a cheerful personality make’s her one of sweetest vampires you’ll ever see.

#5 Astrid from the How to Train Your Dragon series   

      In a series featuring cute and lovable dragons, you can expect one particular dragon rider to be just as adorable. Astrid has gone through some significant changes throughout the “DreamWorks Dragon’s” Series. Starting as a savage and reckless Viking, and then over time she became this sweeter, cheerier, more heroic warrior. Watching her character go from point A to point B just made her all the more intriguing, and her relationship with both her dragon, and best friend only made her cuter. From an impulsive Viking student, to a courageous hero, Astrid is a girl of many faces, and every one of them cute.    


#4 Katara from Avatar: The Last Air Bender

     From a magical land of four kingdoms, an evil army called the Fire Nation plots to rule it all, only a group of young hero’s stand in their way, each with their own strengths and charismatic charms, and the one champion who just fits my list perfectly is Katara, a young 14 year old who was born with the mystical powers of controlling the element of water. This character has it all, a sad back story, yet she still has a very positive outlook on life. She has a gentle heart but she also has the focus and strength to kick some series butt. She’s wise and passionate but she also has all the side effects of being young, like naive jealousy and an occasional ill temper, in other words, she’s as human as characters get, and not just a one note stereotype. Katara can also be really funny too, she just has a splendid sense of hummer. Beyond all of that, it’s her selfless determination and optimism of a better future during hard times that make her so enduring, and so likable. With her motherly wisdom, impressive fighting skills and talented voice actress Mae Whitman bringing her to life, how could I possibly keep her off my list.

#3 Anna from Disney’s Frozen

      You may have noticed a lack of Disney princess on my list, mostly because I see them as just good characters, I can only think of maybe three that are actually cute, and the one that definitely earns a spot on my list is Anna from "Frozen”. Once her sister accidently unleashes a freezing spell on her Kingdome, this princess doesn’t hesitate to do all in power to set things right. Anna is just brimming with personality, I honestly can’t think of a moment in the film in which she didn’t put a big smile on my face. Her antics are funny, I love how determined she gets, and you’ve probably seen the movie already, so what more do I really need to say?   

#2 Starfire from Teen Titans

     Here’s yet another female superhero for my list, but unlike Shadowcat, Starfire isn’t just the heart of the team, this is an explorer, someone new to our world, the people in it and it adds another level of innocence and charm to her that phew other animated characters have. She’s an alien who found her way to earth, joined a team of crime fighters, and she’s arguably one of the sweetest super hero’s I’ve ever seen. While she has all the cool traits you usually associate with superheros like enhanced strength, the ability to fly, and the power to shoot energy beams, she’s also really funny. It kills me whenever she gets confused about earth behavior, or gets phrases mixed up. Starfire is cheerful, compassionate and always acting like a cute, innocent child. She could have easily been my number one favorite, if it weren’t for my next character.

Before I revival my #1 pick, here are some Honorable Mentions...

Princess Eilonwy from Disney's The Black Cauldron 

Teru from Tales from Earthsea 

Shadowcat from X-Men Evolution 

Roxanne from Disney’s A Goofy Movie

Tanya from An American Tail: Fievel Goes West

#1 Gadget from Chip N’ Dale Rescue Rangers

     Being completely honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more charming or all around likable animated girl then Gadget. She’s a brilliant inventor, but also a clumsy goof, which are the perfect ingredients for hummer and charisma. In many ways she’s the smartest member of her team, crafting high-tech vehicles ranging from plains, to boats, and even a submarine just using small, common everyday things that she finds lying around, but at the same time, her brilliant, hyperactive mind leads to a lot of funny scenes or situations. What can I say, I love how energetic she is, I love how excited she can get creating inventions, I love her chemistry with the other characters, and I love how funny she can get when doing something completely unintentional. Any one of the animated girls from my list can put a smile on my face easily, but Gadget has this special charm that’s all her own. She had a wonderful personality, she was inventive, heroic, funny, emotional, tough, caring and always a real joy to watch. 


           The End