By Matthew Crichton
All in all, 2014 was a great year for movies, and we’re happy to report that many of this year’s big releases were great big geeky helpings of superhero, sci-fi or fantasy goodness. As the award season draws closer, here’s our list of geeky films that made it big. Not all of them are going to scoop up an armful of Oscars but we hope one or two of them just might…
Guardians of The Galaxy (2014)
The riskiest, craziest Marvel movie to date, Guardians is an imaginative, witty sci-fi with a killer soundtrack and a diverse cast of hilariously dysfunctional characters. This is the super-team that features a walking tree and a gun-totting raccoon amongst its ranks . Co-written by Marvel newcomer Nicole Perlman, a lady who grew up in a community of rocket scientists and NASA employees, Guardians took $770 million at the worldwide box office, making it the second highest grossing film of 2014.
The Lego Movie (2014)
So much smarter than its subject matter would suggest, The Lego Movie is slick, funny and above all, charming. Proof that with enough effort and talent, you really can make a good movie about anything, this one is likely to run away with the Oscar for best animated film. Frankly we think it deserves the academy award just for bringing us the wonder that is Lego Batman.
Interstellar (2014)
Whether or not you’re on board with the strange ending of Chris Nolan’s latest sci-fi epic, the film’s visuals are jaw dropping and it’s compelling to watch Matthew McConaughey continue his career renaissance as Interstellar’s lead man, knocking yet another performance out of the park. It’s a back to basics, sensationalist piece of science fiction that focuses on the wonders of space exploration and discovery rather than alien invasions and laser beams. Interstellar was lauded for its scientific accuracy. The film’s scientific consultant, renowned theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, even published two papers based on what he learned whilst working on the film. Expect this movie to be a serious contender for both the cinematography and visual effects Oscars.
Dawn of The Planet of The Apes (2014)
As recent post-apocalyptic yarns go, this was one of the very best. Featuring the talents of Andy ‘Why hasn’t this man won an Oscar yet?’ Serkis as Caesar, the leader of the apes, Dawn’s motion capture technology is truly impressive. Also, as far as we know, this is the only movie where you can watch Gary Oldman go head to head with an ape who dual wields machine guns while riding a horse.
Maleficent (2014)
Clichéd but well-realised fantasy, Maleficent is a darker re-imagining of the classic sleeping beauty fairy tale that throws in a healthy dose of medieval political intrigue and adds a compelling revenge arc for the titular character. Angelina is deliciously evil and disturbingly attractive as Maleficent and her performance and star wattage are doubtless what spurred the film to gross $750 million world-wide.
Godzilla (2014)
The King of Monsters made his destructive return to the big screen this year in his biggest incarnation yet. Now standing more than 150 metres tall, this was the largest Godzilla ever realised on celluloid. Unfortunately, his movie was cluttered with impossibly boring human characters and failed to deliver the Bryan Cranston vs Godzilla showdown suggested by trailers. However, when the big radioactive Kaiju finally gets to mash cities and other monsters in the final act there’re only two words to describe the carnage – simply awesome.
Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Captain America 2 blended the superhero and spy thriller genres perfectly to deliver a fistful of well-choreographed fight scenes and a focused, action driven plot. The story moves fluidly between fist fights and gun battles as Cap, Black Widow and Nick Fury use espionage and violence in equal measures to uncover a deadly conspiracy. Arguably the best action film of 2014, this one just increased our appetites for a third instalment of the star spangled avenger and proved to the world that Captain America is still cool.