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.