Mitchell Hendricks 2014 Movie Rankings

NOTE: This is a ranking of all movies I have seen this year. The list does not include movies
such as Birdman, Nightcrawler, Boyhood, Whiplash, Foxcatcher or Captain America, which
could have changed the outcome of my list drastically, but are not included because of this.
The list was determined based on quality of the movie and my overall enjoyment and
personal preference combined.

18. The Interview- Well at least I can say I displayed my patriotismI guess. Long
gone are the days of Pineapple Express. Rogen and Franco were once a great duo but
they are not a consistently great duo. Franco came off about as likeable as an 11year-old girl that just got a cell phone for her birthday. Annoying. Childish.
Unlikeable. And thats saying a lot since it is hard not to like James Franco. While not
as bad, this was very reminiscent of Sandler movies like Grown Ups 2. Its as if
Franco and Rogen got together and had a paid play date. It came across far lazier
than the drama that led up to its limited release. I personally thought that This Is the
End was a better movie, and that movie was an absolute abomination. That tells you
how bad this one really was. I wasnt surprised or angry. Ive come to expect this
from these two, and thats what is unfortunate. They may be great friends in real life
and may be hilarious on social media, but maybe they need to keep it off the big
screen in the future. Korea tried their best. Another victory for American expression.
It just feels like a defeat.
17. Non-Stop- Liam Neeson on a plane was never a movie I expected to be an Oscar
contender. It wasnt groundbreaking or impressive by any means. Simply put it was
a bad movie. The movie managed to take an actor who has had a reasonably
successful career overall and put him in a role that we have become painfully too
familiar with. While the confines of a plane were different and intriguing, the setting
wasnt enough to save this stale plot and to cancel out the abysmal at best acting,
some of which included the second worst performance of the year by Julianne
Moore and the worst writing of the year for Corey Stoll. Stoll who shines as Peter
Russo in Netflixs House of Cards is a non-factor in this movie.
16. The Amazing Spiderman 2- By far the biggest letdown of the year (besides the
frustrating limited release of Foxcatcher) was the second installment in the The
Amazing Spiderman franchise. I really struggled with whether or not this was the
worst film since my expectations were so high and truthfully the only reason it is
not ranked so is because it was slightly less terrible than Non-Stop and The
Interview. The word better was not a thought here. This was a franchise killer. AS2
managed to take an actor like Jamie Foxx who absolutely shined in Django and
saturated him so much with CGI that the actor underneath it was absolutely
irrelevant. The villain was a boring choice in the first place. Emma Stone was lucky
to be spared a third installment at the end of this movie. AS2 essentially was a
rushed bowel movement on what the first film set out to establish. I believed that
this franchise could erase the memory of the original Spiderman trilogy.

Unfortunately I think this film only confirmed one thing: Sony is not the entity that
needs to be handling Spiderman, Marvel is. Heres to hoping that happens. I want to
see Spiderman in Avengers/Civil War/Infiniti War. I have no interest in seeing him in
another Amazing Spiderman.
15. Million Dollar Arm- It would be blasphemy to see Jon Hamms work in Mad Men
and say the man does not have talent. However, Im beginning to worry that he may
not be able to play another role. This is only a Disney movie. Im not sure that it was
all Hamms fault that this wasnt a stand out role. I dont think anyone was that
unrealistic. But outside of AMCs hit drama, I havent seen Hamm flex his acting
muscles, at least not to the point of being convinced that he has legitimate talent
outside the walls of Sterling Cooper. The movie was inoffensive to the point that it
became a little pitiful and boring. Rich guy is all about himself. Rich guy helps others.
Rich guy is redeemed. Blah. It didnt make me want to get up and leave, but it didnt
make me want to get up and dance. Hamm needs to be very careful choosing roles as
his lifetime role comes to a close in 2015. Otherwise Hamm might not only be
remembered as Don Draper, he might be remembered as nothing else.
14. Divergent- I cant help but compare films like Divergent to The Hunger Games.
And in my mind, the first one to the party is the best one. It seems that Hollywood is
now regurgitating teen action novel movie adaptations regarding a future world
dealing with a failed/controlled society at such breakneck speeds that this genre is
becoming played out all too quickly. On the most basic of levels, it is inferior to The
Hunger Games franchise. It isnt a terrible movie and has its high points and
differences. Unfortunately one of those differences includes a less talented cast of
actors that includes Shailene Woodley who is simply awkward to watch at times, Jai
Courtney who is offensive as an actor (not to mention he does his best Macklemore
here), and Theo James whose deep voice I could not get past.
13. Chef- I personally really enjoyed Chef. Ive always liked Jon Faveraus screen
presence and I think he is a relatable guy for a moviegoer to see. The movie tries its
hardest but just isnt all that great. The problem for me was its rating and editing.
Had this movie been a PG family rated flick, I think it wouldve gotten a lot more
attention and recognition. The language and suggestive references in the movie are
what made it the R rating that it is and unfortunately I think narrowed the audience.
The story about the chef turned food truck owner is chic as food truck culture across
the nation is rampant. The execution just wasnt there. The plot runs out about
halfway through the movie and just isnt enough to make it really good. It gets an E
for effort in my book and its subject matter are what make it what it is ranked.
12. X-Men: Days of Future Past- Realistically this probably couldve been in my top
ten. I made the mistake of thinking that the original X trilogy wouldnt play into the
movies after X-Men: First Class. I was terribly mistaken and admittedly was lost and
confused for the duration of the film. I feel its a bad time to be releasing any
superhero/comic book film without a Marvel logo attached to it, however I cant

accurately tell you where this would rank based off of any other reason than my lack
of understanding. It was still better than AS2 though, if that tells you anything.
11. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1- It has become somewhat of an annual
tradition now to see The Hunger Games installment. This year was no different for
me. I felt that many people gave this movie too much of a hard time. This is the
weakest of the 3 films thus far, but I went into the movie expecting to be irritated
afterward based on what people were saying. Instead, I left relatively pleased. It set
up the final installment, which I knew it would do. It did it in a relatively interesting
manner. Yes the movie was all Wheres Peeta?, but The Hunger Games has earned
the right to set up the grand finale in my book. The first two movies were good
enough to keep my interest through Mockingjay. Why would I give up on it at this
point?
10. Godzilla- Luckily the big lizard (dinosaur, whatever) didnt let us down this
time. The 2014 installment far surpassed the horrid memory that was 1998s movie.
While Godzilla was ranked highly on my list earlier in 2014 (as high as # 2 at one
point) it unfortunately slipped as better movies came out. Godzilla is a solid and
satisfying action movie that really displays and shows off what we all wanted to see:
Godzilla himself. I couldve used more Cranston personally. I felt from the trailer
that the idea was to draw people into theaters based on Cranstons gigantic success
since Breaking Bad, but in the film he was a lot scarcer than I had predicted. Aaaron
Taylor-Johnson also grew a little old on me by its close. His portrayal was very
uninspired at times but I am willing to overlook that because they got right what
needed to be right: the monster itself. There is no denying that.
9. Snowpiercer- The weirdest movie of the year award goes to Snowpiercer. (Yes it
says 2013 on IMDb, but this movie wasnt released in the U.S. until this year) The
idea of the movie is what is whats so fascinating as Chris Evans character Curtis
moves from the back to the front of a train with the only surviving humans on the
planet left after a drastic climate failure in what is an encapsulating symbol of
classism. Its nice to see Evans in a role so drastically different form Captain
America. Check it out on Netflix for sure.
8. The Maze Runner- Perhaps the biggest surprise of the year was the top 10 entry
of Maze Runner. While I expected this to fall in line with Divergent and be nothing
more than a Hunger Games imitation, I was taken aback by just how much this stood
out and stuck with me. The big difference here was the fact that Divergent was very
forgettable and Mockingjay was rather indifferent in comparison. It took me a while
to get past seeing Will Poulter as anything more than the kid who covers Dont go
Chasing Waterfalls, but once I did I was able to enjoy this modern Lord of the Flies
like story. It had its flaws: the awkward hey we put a girl in this movie role of
Teresa played by Kaya Scodelario who brings little to the table, half the plot of the
movie being explained in the last scene by the character Ava Paige which seemed
lazy to me, and the Grievers couldve looked a little more believable. But it was
unique. It was suspenseful. And at the end of the day I just enjoyed watching it. If

that doesnt count for something, then why make movies at all? The sequel is one to
watch for in 2015.
7. Big Hero 6- Disney is no stranger to loveable characters. After all, they have to
sell merchandise right? Im certainly not upset about their newest character
Baymax. The inflatable robot was perhaps the most memorable character to grace
the big screen this year outside of Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy. The movie
was easily one of the best two family friendly flicks that I saw this year and had it
not been for another great animated picture that was released in 2014, this
wouldve been even higher on my list. It isnt a Disney movie that will be as
memorable as some of its all time vault classics, but Big Hero 6 is a movie that is on
par with titles like Wreck It Ralph. A solid animated movie in its own respect.
6. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes- Ive never been a fan of the Apes franchise and
Rise didnt exactly turn my feelings about it around. Dawn, however, did. The
tantalizing sequel is jam packed with some of the best CGI work that Ive seen since
Life of Pi. There have been calls for Andy Serkis who played CGI Caesar to receive
nominations for an Oscar. I personally dont see how you can leave him out. The
addition of Jason Clarke and Gary Oldman gave the sequel a stronger cast than the
first. The story was so much more compelling as opposed to Rise of the Planet of the
Apes, which at times felt like Stuart Little. The second film clearly had a much more
definite direction and the story felt like a movie of this caliber should. Gritty.
Exciting. Epic. The next installment couldnt come soon enough.
5. Fury- Brad Pitt is someone that I have learned never to bet against, and
performances like his in Fury have led me to that conclusion. Pitt is at his absolute
finest as Don in the best war film since Saving Private Ryan. The simplicity of the
story line along with the detailed gore and violence made this one of my absolute
favorite movies of 2014. The surprise performance of the year for me was Shia La
Beoufs portrayal of Boyd in the movie. He absolutely knocked it out of the park and
in my mind redeemed himself after his recent psychotic and schizophrenic antics.
Looks like he is actually famous again. The casting was some of the finest of 2014
with Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal and Logan Lerman playing Norman Ellison. This
was a movie that I couldve easily put in the top 3 based on my enjoyment but at the
end of the day I simply felt that there were other movies that were a little better.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy- Its good to be Marvel. Its good to be Chris Pratt. The
studio is knocking every movie out of the park that it is spitting out and with the
recent slate that was released planning out their movies through 2020, that streak
seems to only be beginning. Pratt on the other hand has already landed another
major role in what could very well be another huge franchise in Jurassic World. He
has come a long way from the goofy dweeb on Parks and Recreation. The incredible
thing about this movie was that Marvel was taking a risk by releasing it. No one
outside of hardcore Marvel fans even knew these guys. I certainly didnt. $772.5
million later and I am Groot is a universal quote thanks to Groot, the most beloved
character of 2014 voiced by Vin Diesel. I enjoyed this movie every bit as much as

Avengers and at times even more. The soundtrack? Perfect. The tone? Comical and
light. The action? Unmatched. It is perhaps Star Wars for a new generation. The sky
is the limit for this franchise and for Marvel, or better yet the galaxy is.
3. Gone Girl- David Fincher is one of the greatest minds in modern entertainment.
As if he wasnt already killing it with his Netflix original series House of Cards, he
decided to give us all a Hitchcock-esque film that is as instant a classic as Fight Club,
7even, Zodiac or The Social Network. Fincher achieves an almost film noir like tone in
this dark and twisted mystery/thriller portraying the darkness of modern marriage
and media coverage. Ben Affleck gives a stellar performance parallel with his role in
Argo. Rosamund Pike plays the perfectly twisted and disturbed
Amy Dunne. Neil Patrick Harris shines as the eerie Desi Collings. Believe it or not, I
was even impressed with Tyler Perry who was a head scratcher to me when casted.
Any movie that can make me respect Tyler Perry is a great movie. Absolutely can
not wait to see this again.
2. The Lego Movie- My number one movie of the year up until November was one of
the best animated movies I have ever seen, The Lego Movie. Anyone who has ever
had even a fragment of an imagination or a resemblance of a childhood probably
feels the same way. The movie is absolutely the most fun Ive had in a movie theater
in ages. The beauty and intricacy of the animation is what makes this movie such a
visual treat for the viewer. Everything the eye can see is made of the beloved legos
we all grew up with and loved as children. The voice actors in this movie are
absolutely unparalleled: Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, Allison Brie,
Charlie Day, Will Ferrell, Will Forte, Dave Franco, Morgan Freeman, Jonah Hill,
Keegan-Michael Key, Liam Neeson, Shaquille ONeal, Cobie Smulders and Channing
Tatum make up this star studded cast. Earlier in the year I wrote that I wasnt sure if
a sequel was the right idea. I am now 100% on board with that idea and am also
hoping that the Lego Batman spin off rumors are true. This movie may not be in a lot
of peoples top 10s and there admittedly might be movies that are more deserving.
However, if you see this movie and dont thoroughly enjoy every second of it, you
might need to reevaluate how you watch a movie. In the end it was simply almost
the best movie and cinematic experience I had this year. It deserves to be here.
1. Interstellar-I dont remember a movie in recent memory that was so hotly
debated over its rightful place as an elite movie. Christopher Nolans ambitious
space picture took the depth of Inception and multiplied the scope by about 1000
light years. Nolan has yet to disappoint and Interstellar was Nolan taking a huge risk.
Its hard to fully exercise and execute creativity accurately in a movie of this caliber
and scope especially regarding the subject of black holes and time warps. Its hard to
wrap your brain around much less create on a screen. This is partially the reason
why people were so nitpicky with it. Nolan is a perfectionist and when you have a
streak of such spectacular movies then it is only natural that people will pick yours
apart. Ok, the final sound mix wasnt as good as it couldve been. Yes there were
parts where the dialogue was hard to understand. Yes the ending was a little
aggravating since he had been trying to see his daughter for so long only to leave her

on her deathbed to chase after a woman. And believe me, nobody thought Matt
Damon was more out of place in this film than I did. But I dont think we are seeing
the forest for the trees here. The movie was ambitious, it was huge, and it was
beautiful. McConaughey was incredible as usual and added another notch to his
legacy belt. Hathaway was spectacular. The entire movie was a cosmic spectacle that
literally floored you for the 180 minutes that you were in the cinema. Sure it wasnt
completely technically perfect. But how many movies really are? I guarantee you if
you saw that movie this year then there wasnt another movie you talked about
more or told your friends/acquaintance to see with as much conviction as you did
this. It demanded to be seen on the big screen and you absolutely missed out if you
didnt see it. We should give Nolan the benefit of the doubt on the imperfections.
After his track record on making movies hasnt he earned that from us by now?
Perfect movie? No. Plausible? No. A great movie? Absolutely.