2015 Mid-Year's Top Ten Films (Film List)

Let’s skip the formalities and get right to the meat.

The End of the Tour (Film Review)

The End of the Tour is a wonderful film directed by James Ponsoldt and written by Donald Margulies.  Ponsoldt’s last film The Spectacular Now is also a wonderful film, but hits several road bumps around its last third—there are no such bumps within The End of the Tour.  The film moves with exceptional pacing from start to finish, engaging the audience without a moment of tediousness.  The End of the Tour’s appeal is remarkable—here’s a drama which engages far better than any 2015 summer blockbuster (excluding Mad Max: Fury Road).  Props for such exquisite storytelling goes to the writer, director and two stars Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel. 

Shaun the Sheep (Quick Review)

In my recent Home review, I wrote how the film is undoubtedly aimed for kids—well the same applies for Shaun the Sheep Movie, a stop-motion film based on the British TV series Shaun the Sheep (which I have never seen).  However, where Home is a bad children’s film, Shaun the Sheep Movie is the opposite—a fun, kindhearted story about the bond between a farmer and his animals.  Shaun the Sheep…Movie (which I will from this point on refer to as Shaun the Sheep) is aimed primarily for children rather than families; the jokes are nothing original, and an adult is most likely to have seen them time and time before (though there is one “prison themed” running gag which continuously had me laughing).  Same applies to the predictable plot events, such as when Bitzer the dog disguises himself as a doctor (what adult didn’t predict the mistaken head surgeon gag) or when the sinister animal control worker Trumper (Omid Djalili) is seemingly defeated early in the finale (of course he was simply hiding in wait).  The film’s plot and humor will be better appreciated by younger audiences unfamiliar with such tropes, making Shaun the Sheep more ideal for their viewing.

Spy (Film Review)

 Spy is one of the funniest espionage films made, plus an incredibly refreshing one—throwing the staling spy satire for a loop with new ideas both hilarious and unique.  This is Melissa McCarthy’s best comedy performance to date (St. Vincent wins for her best dramatic role); McCarthy plays desk bound CIA agent Susan Cooper, whose job is to guide fellow field agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law) throughout his dangerous missions.  The concept is hysterically unique, combining Susan’s casual (and occasionally not so casual) office workplace with Fine’s intense mission.  When every field agent’s identity is compromised however, Susan is sent instead to observe and report on a dangerous mission—as one might expect from a spy comedy, thing’s go array, and Susan becomes fully involved in a mission to prevent nuclear destruction.

Paper Towns (Film Review)

I’m impressed.

Home (Quick Review)

DreamWorks’ Home is undoubtedly for kids, and one of their weakest animated films to date.

Pixels (Quick Review)

There are three prime reasons someone would want to see Pixels—either they’re a Happy Madison Productions fan, a retro video game enthusiast, or a fan of both.  I went for the second reason (though I can be a Sandler fan pending on the film), the same reason Wreck-It Ralph intrigued me—the trailer showcased video games and I bought the bait.  I didn’t expect much, yet to my unexpected delight Pixels proved itself an enjoyably entertaining film.  The comedy was amusing, the references entertaining, and the characters surprisingly likable.

Ant-Man (Film Review)

There’s only been one Marvel Cinematic Universe (or MCU) film I’ve disliked, Iron Man 2—Ant-Man will NOT be joining Iron Man 2 in the losers’ circle, though it does find itself alongside my least favorite MCU films (alongside Thor: Dark World and Guardians of the Galaxy).  Ant-Man makes some stupid mistakes, and is held back by severe letdowns and a bland, forgettable villain—yet it also possesses likable protagonists, entertaining heist elements, the MCU’s signature brand of lovable humor, and several refreshing features…and some not-so-refreshing features, but I’m getting ahead of the review.