My Cart - So the New Year is closing in upon us, we’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve wondered, ‘Why the hell did I pay a tenner to see that?’ and we’ve been blown away. Yep, but most standards this year has been an outstanding one for films, but for every awesome there’s an atrocious. It’s the perfect moment to look at the best and worst movies of 2014, right? There are some great titles you need to see, but there’s still a few turkeys that made it to the big screen. Here’s our pick…
The Best…
Interstellar
Take one Christopher Nolan, add in a scoop of Matthew McConaughey, a dash of Anne Hathaway and a good measure of Michael Caine, bake for two-and-a-half hours – the result? One of the best serious sci-fi movies in recent memory – as McConaughey’s Murphy, a father-cum-astronaut seeks to solve Earth’s failing crops by looking to the stars.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Director Wes Anderson has had as many hits – Rushmore, The Royal Tenebaums – as he has misses. But making up for the lacklustre, though still impressive The Darjeeling Limited is this movie about a wildly brilliant Ralph Fiennes as a concierge who, along with his young sidekick, must prove he isn’t a murderer.
Gone Girl
Fincher, Affleck, Pike, Patrick Harris – yep, it looks as good on paper as it did on the screen. This thriller sees Affleck’s wife Amy, played by the ever-awesome Rosamund Pike, disappear. When the media gets wind of the situation, Affleck becomes prime suspect.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Ok, hands up anyone who’d ever heard of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy before the film come out? Pretty much no-one in the mainstream knew the series even existed, having never reached the dizzying fame of Spidey and Prof. X. All that changed with this excellent popcorn flick. And we couldn’t be happier about that.
Boyhood
Remember that BBC series, 7-Up, which meets up with people every seven years to see how their lives have changed. Well Richard Linklater’s Boyhood is a bit like that. The film was shot over an eleven-year period, tracing the fictional world of six-year-old Mason Evans and his sister, and ending as he moves to college.
…And the Worst
Godzilla
What is Godzilla? There hasn’t been a good Godzilla movie since Toho signed away the rights – and their soul – to Roland Emmerich in 1998. This reboot sought to breathe new life into the monster movie, which totally worked. If by ‘totally worked’, you mean ‘Didn’t work at all.’ Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston took this one off his CV five minutes after the film wrapped, and Godzilla herself doesn’t even show until the movie’s almost over.
A New York Winter’s Tale
Who doesn’t love an enchanted fairytale? Well, Colin Farrell and Jennifer Connelly apparently. This flick was so mind-boggingly strange, that you can’t help but wonder how anyone thought it was anything but a turkey. The characters are threadbare, and the plot… well, if anyone ‘gets it’, keep it to yourself – it’s too embarrassing.
Mrs Brown’s Boys D’ Movie
Proving once again that TV success doesn’t always translate to movie stardom, even if that success is undeserved. Mrs Brown’s Boys clearly started with a punny title and devolved from there. And it’s not even an accurate title. This movie can only dream of being a D movie. Even an X or Y movie would be pushing it.
Men, Women and Children
Jason Reitman, who directed this, has had a few good numbers under his belt. Men, Women and Children isn’t one of them. The distinctly average Jennifer Garner plays a mum terrified her kids are embracing the digital age a bit too much. It’s a cautionary tale, sure – but not of the dangers of the internet, which the plot might have you believe – but of making boring movies about Luddites.
A Million Ways to Die in the West
Is there anything Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane can’t do? Carry a movie about a sheep-shearer in the Old West, apparently. When you can rein in the likes of Liam Neeson, Charlize Theron and Giovanni Ribisi, why put yourself front and centre? Ego, my friends. A rampaging ego to rival that of even Angelina Jolie. Bad casting, try-hard jokes, and not much else – this is two hours of your life you’re never getting back.
What are the films you’ve most enjoyed this year? And what are the ones you hated? Whatever you’ve been watching in 2014, make sure you’ve got an awesome cheap TV to watch them on. Here at Electronic World we offer a great range of cheap TVs so you can experience the best of the big-screen in your own home. For more information about our products, please contact us on 0121 327 3273 and our team will be more than happy to help.
