IT goes without saying that 2015 has been one of the most disappointing year in film.
Yes, the numerous Hollywood studios made good money; an estimated US$9 billion came out of box offices and we still have three weeks to go.
Many stars were made and a couple of good movies came out, but it is in entertainment value that I believe 2015 was lacking.
Led by the machine that is Marvel Studios, basic movie tenets continued to be ignored for the superficial CGI and cheap imagery.
It’s no wonder that television has made strides in the past months and I believe in a decade or so the two entities (film and television) may be considered as equals.
That said, I have decided to throw my script out the window, and instead of giving you the usually singular movie review, I will simply dish out my picks of what to watch this holiday season.
The prevailing economic challenges do not allow everyone to visit the “kicking hot spots” this festive season. Instead some may decide to read a good book, visit the rural areas or simply lounge on the couch for some binge watching of the best and latest movies and series.
I know taste differs; hence I will start with the latest releases that may ease the hot or wet weather in the coming weeks.
“Hunger Games — Mockingjay Part 2”, “Creed”, “Hateful Eight”, “Star Wars – The Force Awakens”, “Point Break” and “Legend” are but a few of the new films to watch out for. These films could be the face-savers for what can be best coined a miserable year in film.
“Mockingjay Part 2” is the fourth and final film in the “Hunger Games” series starring the incomparable Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks.
While the script has diverted from its origins, when the first film was released back in 2012, the “Hunger Games” series is a classic example of films that have prospered due to solid performances.
Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) has seen her career grow in leaps and bounds due to her consistency and strong showings throughout the series. With the games now a backstory, my hope for this film is that it will find the delicate balance between CGI-led war scenes and a well-rounded script.
This film is more or less guaranteed to do well on the box office and a small part of that may go down to sentiment as most are still reeling from the death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
Seymour died last year from an alleged drug overdose, and the first of the two part finale, “Mockingjay Part 1”, was the most affected.
Probably the biggest bright light of 2015 has been Tom Hardy.
After wallowing for years as an underrated B+ actor, Hardy has hit big this year starring in the very successful “Mad Max – Fury Road”.
The hope that he finishes the calendar year on a high and “Legend” may be the movie to do that.
Critics are already singing his praises for his performance in “Legend”, which was released late last month. Playing the roles of the Kray Twin brothers, Ronnie and Reggie, in this crime movie based on a true story about the infamous British gangsters, Hardy has his critics bamboozled with his versatility and range.
I’ve seen the trailer. And while the visual effects are not too pleasing, I have seen enough to be genuinely excited about this movie.
Going forward, “Creed”, “Hateful Eight”, “The Force Awakens” and “Point Break” are four movies that don’t really need any hyping from me.
“Creed” is a spin-off from the ever-popular “Rocky” movie franchise, which sees Sylvester Stallone reprise his role as an aged Rocky Balboa. Now fully retired, he is approached by the son of Apollo Creed to train and help him launch his boxing career.
Small refresher: Apollo Creed, played back then by Carl Weathers, was the once foe and eventual close friend of Stallone’s Balboa.
Weathers starred in the first and third “Rocky” movies.
I don’t think I also need to remind anyone to watch the latest “Stars Wars” movie, though I specifically implore only staunch movie-goers to watch “Hateful Eight” and “Point Break”.
“Point Break” is the remake of the 1991 classic that introduced us to the talents of Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. “Hateful Eight” is a Quentin Taratino flick starring Samuel L Jackson and Kurt Russell. Need I say more?
For the kids, “Alvin and The Chipmunks – The Road Chip”, “The Good Dinosaur” and “The Peanuts Movie” should keep them happy and satisfied.
For season-themed movies, “Christmas Eve”, “Ridiculous Six” and “The Night Before” are on my recommendation list.
With the exception of “The Ridiculous Six”, the other two are your typical family friendly holiday watches.
“Ridiculous Six” is for Adam Sandler die-hards. As for myself, I am a sucker for all things Sandler!