10/10

I thought this might be the best film of the year. I was wrong; this was the best film of at least 2 years! It is a visual spectacle and adrenaline ride that would shame most chase scenes ever made, with intelligent story and interesting characters you care about. The characters were better explained during the action and small amount of dialogue than most dramatic characters are in films where dialogue is a focus. I got out of the theater in an awe of the visuality and hyped about the whole experience. I am very interested to find out about the characters, their backstories and how the story continues. I was not even the huge Mad Max fan before, but now I'm hooked and hats down to George Miller for making this masterpiece of a film that will certainly stay remembered as the highlight of the action genre.

10/10

Adorable, imaginative and clever, Inside Out deserves all praises it receives. It is made for all generations. It's funny, witty and interesting for younger audiences and layered and very emotional as well. I would say that Inside Out is THE most emotional film of this year. There are some really original twists and metaphors made so simple that I wonder how come this is the first time we see these subjects. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear live inside all of us, and they develop as we do. As characters, they are cute and likable, while as metaphors they are smart and innovative. And much like the girl in the film, we feel joy and sadness alike, intertwining naturally into a big emotional impact this beautiful film leaves us with. A huge recommendation for everyone, no matter your age group or anything else.

In a tight competition with Mad Max: Fury Road, Star Wars: The Force Awakens managed to be everything I wanted to be and deserving of the title of the best film. I really want to avoid spoilers because I want everyone to see this film. It has the great combination of action packed sequences, emotional character development and original wacky space inventions any Star Wars fan can appreciate. I was bought the moment I heard the original theme and saw the preview letters scroll. Harrison Ford still has it. He is Han Solo and he is a badass hero. Carrie Fisher also rules the scenery as General Leia. You can feel the history and legacy here. What also works are the new characters: Finn and Rey are amazing protagonists. They are very likable and easy to connect with. Main villain, Kylo Ren, is also worth all the praise. He really is a complex character, with some similarities to Darth Vader. Everything worked for me and I cannot wait to see it again. This film passes the torch to the next generation of fans for one of the best sagas ever made.

10/10

It is lovely to see a film that is so massive in production and epic in proportion and in the same time so focused on the realistic human element of the story. The Hunger Games follows a dystopian future in an imaginary world, but it is heavily influenced by the real world present and past. The gun-wrenching punchline of the serial is that war is horrible. Any war is horrible. Even the people with the most noble causes can get consumed by hate. I am pleasantly surprised with how much ease this fantasy film managed to pull-off many grey areas in the story. Rather than to focus on the 'heroic' rebellion and 'the evil' empire, it presents the story on both sides and shows how much evil can come from craving power and miscommunication between people. The acting is great and each actor gives the full potential to the character, no matter who that person is. I managed to feel for each person in a way and each death takes it's toll. The action is thrilling and spectacular. I really think that the serial went out with a bang and what a great bang it is! A film for everyone to enjoy; more demanding viewers will appreciate the layers of the story, while less demanding ones will enjoy the action and visual effects.

9/10

How to praise Ex Machina without giving away what makes it great? I could start saying that the premise is very intriguing, following a young programmer who is selected by an estranged billionaire to participate in his human-robot interaction test. There he starts to develop a relationship with the billionaire and the cyborg, realizing that not everything is how it seams. Three main stars of the film, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander are all very good in their respective roles and it is very hard to say who outmatched whom on the screen presence and acting skills levels. The direction is also amazing, giving all the right insinuations at the right time, knowing when to be slow-paced and when not. Visual effects are also a part of the visual brilliance, especially since Vikander actually looks like a cyborg in the final product. As I mentioned, as the film progresses, many thing unravel and the true punchline comes at the end. It is dark, mysterious and leaves a lot of theoretical questions to a viewer.

9/10

It is very rare for me to find a film which would affect me so much without being attached to the franchise I already know and love. I expected it to be a good film for all it's Oscar nominations, but it really left me in an awe! I cannot put to words how good and original it feels. It is a story of a drummer and his mentor and their friendship / antagonism while they both want to make him the best musician there is. While the film is about music, the story could work as a story of success or fail in any area, weather it's arts, business or anything else. It is a story of persistence and lets us ask ourselves how much does it really take to get to our dreams and how much are we willing to sacrifice to get there. Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons both give extraordinary performances and I only hope that Simmons will get the Oscar he is nominated for. Film is intense, even in the scenes without dialogue and the score only builds the tension. It just might be the best drama of 2015.

9/10

Two major film serials recently made a fifth installment that was way inferior to it's predecessors: Scary Movie and Die Hard. Fortunately, Mission Impossible serial did NOT follow that road. Actually, I think we have a rare phenomenon of a serial in which each new installment is better than the previous. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) each time manages to surpass himself in both action and drama. They focus wonderfully on this being both a spy thriller and an action film. Action scenes are breathtaking and the story is complicated and made me think about what would happen. While the whole known team was fantastic, two new standouts were Rebecca Ferguson and Sean Harris. I see big careers ahead. Now, I just can't wait for Mission Impossible 6. I just hope they know how far to take this and to still remain awesome.

9/10

Film that completely justifies all the waiting and all the promotion. For once, Marvel has not only *a* villain, but *the* villain. I'm telling you, Ultron was AWESOME! You can really connect with his POV, although he clearly is a villain and needs to be stopped. And who to stop him but Avengers. What I was a bit afraid of was character development and screentime of the heroes. But, this is Joss Whedon we are talking about, so he managed to pull off everyone not only being there enough, but also being necessary to the story and having their individual personality shine through. The action is also superb, and so are the effects. The stakes are higher than ever, and I'm sure this will leave the fans (and everyone else) speechless.

9/10

These days it might be more rare to come across the romantic film which is as classy and well acted as this one. Despite the topic, it doesn't get cheesy or sappy. Blake Lively simply shines in the titular role of a woman who doesn't age and lingers on changing identities every decade. Her performance is classy and you can tell she is an old-fashioned, experienced woman in really subtle ways. She has that Old Hollywood diva vibe. The rest of the cast is also really good and their emotions come off as genuine. The part I'm not sure about the scientific explanations of the narrator, but it didn't hurt either. Weather they stuck with supernatural or not, it would still make the point they wanted to make.

9/10

Fantastic family picture for Christmas! If you can handle being scared out of your comfort zone during the entire movie. It is as eerie and frightening as it is funny and genuinely nice. Direction is excellent and it balances great being afraid of what you see and what you don't see. Besides that, one-liners and setting can bring it a lot of humor and break the nail-biting atmosphere just when needed. Don't get me wrong, this film can give small kids nightmares, but it is something that leaves the right kind of strong impression throughout generations. It is a film that showcases true family values and tolerance with strong character development in a creepy environment.

9/10

A beautiful film that balances it's emotional scenes and the humor perfectly. It is well directed, actors are all exactly fit for their roles and the visual aspect is also enchanting. After many different Disney film versions, it is very nice to see the one closely resembling the original animated film. It took some liberties, of course, but all of them were meant to explain the character development or to address some potential illogical things. I never saw Lily James before, but she is simply adorable as Cinderella, while Cate Blanchett managed to portray someone you can despise as Lady Tremaine. This film brings back all the Disney magic and belief that good people can get their happy endings.

9/10

Russell Crowe turns out to be a great director, besides being a great actor too. This story based on true events, happening in 1919, is very emotional and also thrilling. Like any good war films, it tries to humanize all (or most) of the characters from each side. All the cast has done a great job and their characters became actual people and not only expected cliches. It combines elements of a war film, family drama, adventure, romance and action in way that fits together. Everyone is in it for a perfect amount of time and nobody seams under or overused. While it has elements of a Hollywood adventure movie in terms of action coincidences, it still gives real emotion and honest performances. It is certainly a very strong film, weather you prefer drama or adventure.

8/10

I was not sure weather a newcomer cinematic hero Ant-Man can hold his own alongside Captain America or Iron-Man, but I think he has proven he indeed can. It is certainly a superhero genre, but it's also a heist movie and partially a comedy too. It's humor is equal to the one of The Guardians of the Galaxy. Three main characters, ex-con Scott, retired superhero Hank and his daughter Hope are acted very well and written very convincing as well. Their tension is believable and each of their actions is understandable. The main villain, Yellowjacket, although only fourth in screentime, is still among the most successful villains Marvel has had so far. It is also clever how they tied it in the existing cinematic universe. The film has amazing story, visual effects and characters and could appeal to anyone from children to adults.

8/10

Spectre gave me everything I wanted for a Bond film after the perfection of Skyfall. It is clearly following the same tone and serious threats of the previous Craig's films, and yet it seams more reminiscent of some older Bond films. There is still heaviness of the story set before, but it adds more humor and sets the new canon of some of the familiar faces from before. Craig as Bond is as great as ever, and so are M, Q and Moneypenny, who are needed and kick some but in this film. I cannot say enough praise for Lea Seydoux, whose Madeleine Swann proudly takes the mantle set high by Eva Green's Vesper and Olga Kurylenko's Camille and makes her own unique Bond girl who is on the same level as them. The main villain is also awesome and a real supervillain with a grand scheme, who can only be stopped by Bond. As a big fan of the franchise, I am thrilled and joyful to have seen it and I will definitely watch it many times again.

8/10

Weather you are a Disney animated films fan or Marvel superheros fan, or, like myself, a fan of both, you will enjoy Big Hero 6 very much. It has so much to offer; comedy, heartwarming moments, great animation and action. It even has some twists and turns along the way. While it does have several superhero cliches, it delivers them with honesty and charm and each of the emotional moments, however expected, are made memorable and spot on. What really works here are the characters and their interaction. Human characters are very cool and Baymax robot is adorable. It is something that the whole family might enjoy equally. The storyline is focused and adjusted for children, while still remaining deep at times and refuses to stereotype it's antagonist, as well as main hero's decisions. And nanobots are fantastic, a real treat!

8/10

Instead of just being another decent Bond parody, this film manages to be much, much more than that. I would describe it as a mix of James Bond, Harry Potter and KickAss, with the obvious connection to the latter (same author and the same director). It is extremely entertaining and energetic, with some clever lines of dialogue. It knows it's a spy comedy thriller and plays to it's strengths, with all the comic-book overreacting and bloodshed. Beneath all the fun, it also sends some really bold social messages, which are not to be overlooked. Also, it is really interesting to see Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Michael Caine and Samuel L. Jackson in a really different kind of roles. If you wish to see a KickAss-alike story with British charm, this one is definitely the one to see.

8/10

An eerie horror atmosphere and a fairly original concept are why this film is so great. It is not a typical slasher nor a typical haunting film. 'It' can look like anyone and it's motives and origins are a mystery. A girl must escape being killed by 'It' by sleeping with someone else to pass the curse. But if someone is killed, it reverses and kills backwards. It is very well directed, with both close and far shots being used frequently to add the impression. It's also acted very well and believable. What actually brings the biggest 'it' factor to the film is undetermined sense of danger and playing with one's perception and reality. 'It' is indestructible and yet vulnerable, so any way of getting rid of it might or might not work. And that sense of not knowing follows viewers around, like 'It' follows the protagonist.

8/10

Let's put it right out there: McKellen is fantastic as old Sherlock. And I mean, Oscar level fantastic. He gives a strong interpretation of an old, ill man, who used to be the great detective and now is fighting dementia. He goes from humorous to heartbreaking in a moment. To be fair, this is more of a drama than thriller. So, if you want to watch Sherlock fighting shadowy bad guys, go watch Downey jr. films. This is a film about old Sherlock who tries to remember details of his last case he failed to set the record straight next to the fiction cases written by Watson. He lives with his housekeeper (played very well by Laura Linney) and her son Roger (promising newcomer Milo Parker), who starts developing a relationship with an old man. The film follows three timelines and delivers the strong message at the end.

8/10

Summer entertainment is what summer entertainment does. It's bigger, louder and stronger than all the other Jurassic films so far. But it still cannot match the first one in the originality, character development nor scariness. Human characters are mostly cliche and the writers play safe on who will do what or how will one end-up. Some of the dialogue is on the same level as 90s cheesiest rom-coms and worth of poking on. However, when John Williams theme starts and you return to the enchanting world of Jurassic Park, it's creatures and effects, all minuses will fade and a 10-year-old me got exactly what I needed!

8/10

Funny and charming film which was definitely partially inspired by the Scooby Doo cartoons. It succeeded in bringing that atmosphere more than the actual Scooby Doo films, that's for sure. It evolves around five teenagers who travel in their van and end-up in a haunted house owned by creepy teen siblings. Of course, the film is terribly cheesy and laughably ignores the laws of physics and human behavior. But it does it in such a funny way that you cannot stop laughing. The jokes are silly, but still spot-on. The best part is that these kind of films are hard to find: horror films that are actually scary and suspenseful to a degree and yet so kid-friendly. Yeah, no nudity, cuss-words or blood in the film. And the funny thing is, I didn't mind. It has been made really well and even for an older viewer, you can enjoy it as a popcorn-fun. Show this to your kids for Halloween and they will probably enjoy it a lot.

8/10

I always loved Guillermo del Toro's films. He always knew how to make something frightening and beautiful at the same time. He always had perfect touch when it comes to blending realism and fantasy. And Crimson Peak is the perfect example of this notion. ''It isn't a story about ghosts, it is a story with ghosts in it'', says the main heroine Edith twice and it is a great explanation of the film itself. Ghosts are a metaphor for a haunting past that can never let go of Edith, her new suitor Thomas Sharpe and his sister Lucille. Living are those one should be afraid of, though, and Edith is about to find out why. With visual effects being top notch and the film being up to date to the t, it still seams like an old fashion film, made in another era for a viewers of another era. It is very modern with it's explicitness and rawness, but still more alike to Dracula or Frankenstein movie than any modern horror. I guess it's not for everyone, but to me, this was one of the best movies of the year and I am glad I've seen it in the theater.

8/10

Melissa McCarthy is back and she is hilarious. The same director made her shine in Bridesmaids and The Heat and the duo did it again. This film about a desk CIA agent who goes on her first mission is very inspired and funny. McCarthy does a spot-on performance and so does everyone else involved. Statham is so much (not) his usual self it is so fun to watch. Byrne plays a mob boss Paris Hilton and she is awesome too. Characters can be serious and silly at the same time. Jokes can be rude, but they are always funny and hit the mark. One death scene is probably the funniest one in a long time. I'm glad there are few good spy films this year, since it is the genre I really like.

8/10

Cruel, but realistic depiction on family life, marital violence and living with hard decisions. When a woman gets beaten-up by her husband, she, her mother and brother, as well as the husband, have different reactions to what happened. And at least one of those decisions will turn out to be much worse than anyone could have imagined. It is one of those films in which there are no explicit heroes and villains, or at least, every character has a human side as well. It is well written, well acted and the dialogue doesn't seam forced. Some scenes are really unnerving. For a film with such violence in the core, I'm glad they've decided to concentrate on the impact one's decisions have rather than some already seen twists.

8/10

Very amusing and charming movie which manages to bring out the most of it's colorful characters. CIA agent and KGB agent need to collaborate in the cold war era to stop Neo-Nazis and their weapons. Both leads, played by Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer, get their highlights and the film skillfully balances them being comedic and heroic, giving the both times to shine. Comedy timing is really good and dialogue is really witty too. Elizabeth Debicki was great as the main villain and her style in the movie is great too. The whole 60's tone was really good as well. The plot is actually not something never seen, but it seams really fresh and well-done here. One of those films I could see many times and not get bored.

8/10

This is probably the most shocking film of 2015, at least for now. It comes from peaceful Austria and it gives us a very disturbing story of twins and their estranged mother living a big house isolated and scared. I won't give away it's twists, but they sure are messed-up. I guessed one of the main twists very early on, but the thing is, even of you know it, it still builds-up the tension. Unlike most horrors and thrillers, I don't think they give you that one moment that reveals the secret. I happens slowly and for each step forward, there is no back. The acting is great, especially considering both child actors are newcomers. The direction is fantastic and gives that eerie feeling of utter unpleasantness. It is a tense, somewhat depressing and very shocking film that is not made for everyone, but I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good horror drama.