Top 10 Best Movies Of 2014 (So Far) – Mike’s List

1 – Snowpiercer
To say that Bong Joon-Ho‘s Snowpiercer, the director’s first English language film, is ambitious would be an understatement. But through some of the controversy of Joon-Ho fighting Harvey Weinstein over the final cut, the film is one of the standouts of the year that is plagued by prequels, sequels, reboots, and remakes. Chris Evans once again stars in this action sci-fi thriller, that has some powerful political undertones. But what the film lacks in CGI and big budget sequences, it makes up for through aforementioned ambition, adventure, originality, and the balls to be different from any other film being released this year. You can literally see all the characters develop as the story progress with each and every passing car. As amazing as the story is, the visuals are just as impressive if not spectacular. Joon-Ho, along with Kyung-pyo Hong created a world that is every bit as massive as it is limited, with each new car presenting us all new wonders and dangers, making it that much harder for the film’s political metaphors to go unnoticed. And while Snowepiercer is an adaptation of a French comic, the film succeeds on every level, not only by delivering a message about social classes, but also giving us stupendous action sequences that will leave you hungry for more.

Honorable mentions.

For films that I haven’t seen this year, but heard a great deal of amazing things, X-Men: Days Of Future Past is something that cannot be missed. While the franchise stands one some shaky chronological foundation, Days of Future Past reboots itself, making us forget or at least wipes under the rug some of the mistakes the franchise has made in the past. Generations of X-Men cast old and new come together for this film, which adapts one of the most iconic X-Men story arcs yet. While the film has faltered at the box office, it still manages to be one of the best and most entertaining X-Men films, next to The Wolverine, of the entire franchise.

Another film that I managed to miss this year is Nicolas Stoller‘s Neighbors is another film that deserves your attention, but not because of Zac Efron and Seth Rogen‘s great comedic chemistry, but because Rose Bryne once again, shows she is adept at being in a comedy, that is unapologetically raunchy and volatile. She nearly steals the show, despite the film being some what predictable and a retread.

22 Jump Street proves itself to be a sequel that improves on the original, but also a message sent to studios that more films like these need to be made, not because of studio politics pushing for sequels, but because they are actually deserving of getting a sequel.