Top 5 Movies 2014

And Why I loved Them

Last year, one of the things on my bucket list was to see at least 12 movies in theatre. I figured that it would be easy, seeing as there are twelve months in a year, which would therefore round out to be one movie per month. The first month or so, I saw plenty of movies. Then things started to dwindle. There weren't that many movies being shown that I wanted to see. And the ones I did, I missed, because of being busy or simply unable to make it work. So there I was on December 25th, with three movies left to see. So, that weekend, my mum and I went to three. I have to admit, it was a lot of fun, and I am glad they were all movies we had been wanting to see. Here is the complete list of the ones I saw:

1. Frozen
2. Saving Mr. Banks
3. Gravity
4. The Lego Movie
5. Divergent
6. The F Word
7. If I Stay
8. Dolphin Tale 2
9. Big Hero 6
10. Into The Woods
11. Annie
12. Night at the Museum 3

It's difficult to choose my favourite, seeing as I don't usually go to a movie unless I've heard good things and it's something that interests me. That being said, I of course enjoyed some more than others. And my Top 5 have me slightly surprised. So here you have it. My Top 5:

5. Big Hero 6

Big Hero Six stood out to me, and has just barely squeaked in. It was between it, and "Into the Woods".

And although I much prefer the music of the latter, "Big Hero 6" delivers a better message, in my opinion. The fact that none of the main characters were just born with supernatural powers makes one realize that you don't necessarily have to be born a hero. You can choose to be. The characters are smart, funny, kind, and don't in any way try to bring others down in their own personal goals. On the contrary, they work as a team, developing and creating ideas through the thoughts and opinions of one another. I loved that. And I mean, come on, who doesn't love a soft squishy robot who's sole job is to make sure you are okay, and will go to the ends of the to achieve that? Probably good at snuggling, too.

4. Frozen

Yeah, I know, it seems like everyone and their mother loves this movie. Guess what? I'm one of them. I'm a sucker for Disney Princess movies, and this was no exception However, the reason I loved this one especially was because there were two princesses. And they were sisters. And a love story was not the key aspect to the plot. I must admit, having a sister definitely played a part in my obsession (the whole movie, I kept asking myself which princess was more like me, or my sister. Sill don't know.)  Not sure how I feel about how crazy the "Frozen" franchise has gotten, but I'm probably not helping. I just bought myself a "Frozen" mug, and got stickers for my birthday.










3. The "F" Word 
(Alternatively called "What If" in other countries, except Canada)

Before you skip this one, just know that the "F" word is not referring to curse work. It is referring to "Friends". Knowing that, you can sort of understand a bit more of what this movie is about. It isn't a romance. At least, it isn't in the way that most romantic comedies are. Not only does this movie feature quirky characters, random and unique perspective on things most people take for granted, but it also happens to take place in a place near and dear to me-- Toronto, Ontario. I saw this with a few friends, my mum, and her friend. Having lived near Toronto in the past, my mum got a kick out of seeing familiar sights, and it was fun having her tap me whenever she saw one (usually something I'd find annoying in a movie companion.) If you're looking for a very different story about love, choosing which path to follow, or even just want a laugh, this movie is great.







2. Annie (2014)


This was one movie that I was a little apprehensive about, which is why I'm so surprised by how much I loved it. Being a fan of the 1982 version, and growing up singing songs like "You're never fully dressed without a smile" and "It's a hard knock life" and the top of my voice, I was skeptical that this new modern version could be anything other than a cheap knock-off of my beloved little orphan Annie. I am happy to say that I was wrong. From the moment it began, all the way to the credits rolling, I was transfixed into this parallel world. A world where a sassy yet lovable new Annie brought me along in her adventure. Not kidding, I looked around me about 3/4 of the way through, and was surprised I was in a theatre. A movie that completely sucked me out of reality is definitely going into my top five. The story line was similar, yet so different, you couldn't really compare the two. After all, this is modern day New York. The singing, choreography, acting, all was amazing, and I was very impressed by the whole cast. Except maybe Sandy. He didn't do much.



1. If I Stay

Are you surprised? I am. Normally, I hate teen romance stories. I just don't get into them. In fact, when my friend first asked me to see this, I said no. It was only later that I finally did decide to see it. Man, am I glad I did.
As you can probably tell, I'm not into romance of any kind. While this one definitely offers a love story, it is not only a story of the love between a boy and a girl. It shows the love between parent and child, brother and sister, friends, and passion. Probably what struck me most was how the main character was so different from those around her, in that she came across as more conservative. That in itself is something I can relate to. Finding a way to fit in, well, isn't that what we're all after. The movie also was incredible and mixing both the present with memories, yet not being confusing. To sum up, the music, the characters, the actors, the effects, all are incredible. And you really don't know until the very last possible second if she stayed.




Hope you enjoyed this little list of mine. Hopefully you check out all the movies, and let me know your opinions in the comments below! What are your top 5 films from 2014? Do you agree with any of mine? I'd love to hear from you. Until next time,