The Babadook

Ever since this film's release at Sundance 2014 I have been on the lookout for it. It was a limited release so I was waiting for a local theater to show it. It took awhile, but it finally showed up almost a year later. I've got to say that the wait was well worth it. I was not exactly sure what I was going into because I tried to stay away from reviews. The only thing I looked up was the Rotten Tomatoes score, which was 98% at the time.

This is by far the best horror film that I've seen in a long time. This film is very creepy but does not rely on the conventional “jump" scare that so many movies use. This movie is extremely story driven, which allows the audience to really understand the dynamic between the two main characters. The characters draw you in with their relationship, which makes you feel strongly when something happens to one of them. This is a rare feat that most horror movies cannot pull off.

Mister Babadook is going to go down as one of the most memorable horror icons of all time. Every time he was on the screen, all the hairs on my body stood up. I’m going to follow this director closely and look forward to seeing what her next film is going to be.

9.5/10

Big Hero 6 Review

Disney Animation does it again! They have been red hot with their last few productions (Frozen and Wreck it Ralph), and Big Hero 6 is no exception. I saw the trailer before my screening and can say that the movie is much better than the trailer suggests. The trailer played for laughs, but I think that is misleading - yes, there were funny parts, but the best parts of the movie are found elsewhere. I was extremely surprised with the action in this movie - think of a mix between Iron Man, The Incredibles, and How To Train Your Dragon.

From the first scene the audience is introduced to this fictional world of Fransokyo. The movie did a great job of featuring "out of the box" technology, which sets it apart from your typical action flick. Instead of this technology being a sidepiece, it is an integral part of moving the story forward. This keeps you invested in the characters as the movie goes long.

Even with all this priase there was still a couple of things that I felt the movie could have done a better job with. There were a few scenes where it felt like the characters were explaining something to us rather than showing it. I also think that the final scene could have been a littler shorter, which would have given it more of an emotional impact.

Besides those few nitpicks this movie is definitely a must see for Disney or animation movie-lovers. Make sure to stay until after the credits!

9/10

Most Anticipated Films of 2015

Adam

1) Avengers: Age of Ultron (May)/Star Wars: The Force Awakens (December)
Two of the year’s most anticipated movies and Disney is releasing them both. It was difficult for me to pick one over the other, so I had to go with a tie.

3) Crimson Peak (October)
Not only does this movie have my favorite director (Guillermo del Toro), but its also has Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, and Charlie Hunnam. I think this could be one of the best surprises for 2015.

4) Spectre (November)
A continuation of the James Bond line with a newly announced cast that sounds great. There are reports that the budget has ballooned to over $300 million. Even so, this should be one of the biggest movies of the year.

5) Antman (July)
Despite the negative press surrounding this movie I have to give it a shot considering the fact that it’s backed by Marvel – I just can’t bet against them.

6) Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part II (November)
I don’t think they needed to split this movie up into two parts, but everyone else is doing it so why not? This one should be packed with much more action than the previous one and will wrap up the franchise with a bang.

7) Inside Out (June)
Closing the two year gap of a Pixar movie release, I have high hopes for this movie as it is original material. If the trailer is any indication of the movie then this one could be something special.

8) Mission Impossible 5 (December) 
Ghost Protocol was an action packed movie with a great cast, and they are back for another one.

9) Jurassic World (June)
A lot of people were giving this movie shit because of the trailer, but I don’t like to give too much weight to the first release of a trailer. I’ll keep this one at the #9 spot.

10) Kingsman: The Secret Service (Februray)
This movie looks like similar to Wanted, but with some comedy thrown in. I think it could be a really fun and interesting movie.

Jordan
1) Avengers: Age of Ultron (May)
Everytime I see or hear the trailer for this movie I get chills down my back. I'll take that as a good sign and put this movie at my #1 spot.

2) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (December)
I've got faith that JJ Abrams can "awaken" this saga with a combination of throwbacks to the old film + a dash of his own personality.

3) Mad Max: Fury Road (May)
I haven't seen much in terms of trailers for this movie, but I've got faith that Tom Hardy fits the bill for this wasteland reboot.

4) Jurassic World (June)
I reveal my age when I say that Jurassic Park was the first movie I ever saw in theatres. Most people haven't had much good to say about the movie, but the inner-child in me has hope for this movie. Also - it has Chris Pratt, so shush up.

5) The Imitation Game (January)
This movie was technically released in December 2014, but it won't be in my local theatres until January 2015. Cumberbatch is one of my favorite up and coming actors, so I think this movie will be great.

6) Spectre (December)
I grew up watching the James Bond films, so I'm a sucker for them when they come out. I think Craig is one of the best bonds yet, so I'm excited for the next movie in this series.

7) Terminator Genisys (July)
The trailer was essentially nothing but references to Terminator 1 and Terminator 2, so I've got to hope that this movie will be awesome now that Schwarzenegger is out of the politics game.

8) Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part II (June)
Wasn't a huge fan of Part I because I don't think they needed to split these movies up, but I guess that just means that Part II will be loaded with action.

9) In the Heart of the Sea (February)
I think this could be a new type of role for Chris Hemsworth, so I'm excited to see what he can do in this movie adaption.

10) Maze Runner: Scorch Trials (November)
The Scorch Trials was my favorite book of the Maze Runner series, and despite a let down from the first movie I can only hope that the next one will be better.