15. Fantastic 4- I didn’t hate it quite as much as bigger comic book movie fans but it certainly isn’t good. The characters are forgettable to muddled- especially the villain Dr Doom who’s powers and abilities made no sense. The story didn’t work and the acting wasn’t good. But by far the worst part was the special effects, which were some of the worst I’ve seen in a comic book movie since Superman 4.
14. In the Heart of the Sea- A film I was looking forward too that was a big disappointment. It was gross, dull with surprisingly poor visual effects. I wanted an action adventure at sea and what I got was a grim survival story and not a good one at that. The acting is fine but other than that really didn’t like it.
13. Minions- The cute sidekicks of Despicable Me movies can’t carry their own film. It’s supposed to be an origin story and yet we don’t really find out anything surprising or new about them. Most of the jokes are about the 1960s and I’m not sure why that is funny? They didn’t get one laugh from me; nor did any other part of the movie. I didn’t like it after first watching it and disliked it even more on the rewatch.
12. Terminator Genisys- At best a forgettable entry into the terminator films but this made the huge mistake of going back into the timeline and altering some of the events of the good terminator movies! The acting is underwhelming, the plot is full of holes and it gives nothing new or different. Arnold is good and that’s about all I can say for it.
11. Suffragette- Probably my biggest disappointment of the year. The acting is good but I hated how it was made so much. The extreme close-ups and shaky cam made me nuts. I wanted to leave the theater it bothered me so much. Also focusing on a fictional character made it all feel maudlin and predictable. It’s a real shame when you have real life characters you could have focused on. Meryl Streep is completely wasted in the film.
10. Little Boy- I’m typically a defender of faith-based films but this one about a little boy with great faith in WW2 was a complete snoozefest. The little boy isn’t a good actor and it definitely goes into the ‘Jesus is magic’ territory Christian films sometimes dip into. I don’t care for that approach to faith.
9. Strange Magic- The script really sinks this animated film ‘from the mind of George Lucas’. It’s supposed to be a ‘girl power’ movie but all the girls are dopey and stupid. The songs are so on the nose that they became annoying.
8. Pixels- The premise for Pixels could have been fun and there are a few good moments but I just can’t get over that in 2015 a woman is given to someone as a trophy for valor in a fight. The plot is full of holes and all the women are mopey, whiny, sad sacks that need Adam Sandler and crew to save them. Some of the visuals are cool but that’s about it.
7. Home- What a stinker from Dreamworks. The plot makes no sense and the characters are inconsistent. The voice talent doesn’t work. The music seems out of place. The ending made me roll my eyes. I explain more about my dislike for Home in yesterdays post
6. Walt Before Mickey- A movie I actually had a good time at because it is so so awful it made me laugh. There are so many scenes I couldn’t believe what I was seeing like when Walt befriends a mouse and carries it around in his pocket talking to it. Then he loses the mouse and goes into a panic attack looking for it. Things like that are just too silly! So rent it if you want a good laugh.
5. Aloha- What happened Cameron Crowe? This movie is such a mess. It’s baffling how with so many skilled actors and a place as beautiful as Hawaii he could make a movie as bad as Aloha. It all comes down to the editing. Most of the conversations seemed like they were spliced together from other conversations. So many of the plotpoints felt wedged in and then you have Emma Stone playing a Japanese woman because that makes sense…
4. Chappie- There are some interesting ideas Neill Blomkamp in Chappie but unfortunately it focuses on the wrong characters. There is a band called Die Antwoord who are some of the most shrill, awful, annoying characters I’ve seen in a film. I hated every time they were on screen and that was a lot of the movie. Plus, it is way more violent than it needs to be and the band takes you away from the interesting discussions and characters in Hugh Jackman and Dev Patel.
3. Paul Blart Mall Cop 2- I actually liked the first Paul Blart but this sequel is basically a giant ad for the Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas. We even get a tour at one point. Not a gag works and when they don’t work they last forever. It’s honestly like a bad Saved by the Bell episode without the warmth or charm of that series.
2. Hot Pursuit- A terrible buddy/road trip movie with Reese Witherspoon and Sofía Vergara playing shrill, unlikable, awful women. All of Sophia’s bad behavior and traits are excused because she’s Columbian or a hot latino which I found to be a little racist and uncomfortable. There’s over the top gags that don’t work and the lesbian jokes never stopped. I honestly don’t understand how anyone making this movie thought this stuff was funny.
1. Ridiculous 6- How could there be something worse than Hot Pursuit? Well, leave it to Adam Sandler and company in this atrocious Western parody. It is gross, racist, bigoted, awful and way too long. The actors should all be embarrassed. Netflix should be embarrassed. No wonder Native American extras and representatives walked off the set. Even with how awful Adam Sandler movies have been of late, I couldn’t believe how bad the Ridiculous 6 was.
