The rise of the science-fiction/adventure movie has stepped off the ground a few years ago, with following the success of Avatar and Iron Man, and now it seems to have taken to the skies. Movie theaters were dominated by science-fiction movies this year (mostly sequels) and not only did they shatter box-office records, they surpassed the previous entries' box-office gross. Let's take a look!
FIVE
Title: Guardians of the Galaxy
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper
What's it About: A merry band of misfits who cruise the galaxy in order to do what's right, because gosh-darn it, it's the right thing to do! Plus talking animals and poor plot twists.
Buzzworthy: I think i'm pretty much the only human on earth who found this movie to be quite ordinary. I feel like Zoe Saldana has worn herself thin in the science-fiction department, with breakout roles in Avatar, Star Trek, and it's sequel Star Trek: Into Darkness. That makes THREE science-fiction series under her belt. And to be quite honest, that is the only thing I could think of while watching this movie. It did very well at the box office, and a sequel is already planned but for heaven's sake, someone give Saldana a new genre to work in.
FOUR
Title: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Director: Matt Reeves
Starring: Andy Serkis, Keri Russell, Gary Oldman
What's it About: Years after the tragic events of the first film, Apes and Men must learn to co-exist in a new world order. But human qualities soon causes trouble between the two camps and the Apes, lead by Caesar, begin to take action.
Buzzworthy: Not only did it outgross his predecessor, it is the highest-grossing film in the Planet of the Apes franchise. I credit that to the brilliant use of computer-animated imagery and the acting chops of Andy Serkis who manages to convey so much emotions through the sparkling eyes of Caesar.
THREE
Title: Interstellar
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
What's it About: Humans have all but destroyed Earth. A crew is sent on a mission to save mankind before it is too late, after receiving a message from a "ghost."
Buzzworthy: This is my kind of science fiction movie. It was a perfect balance between 2001: A Space Odyssey and Lost in Space. You know it's a good science fiction film when it makes you question life AND makes you cry a bit. Just a bit.
TWO:
Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
What's it About: This is your typical science-fiction fantasy fare: A futuristic soldier has the chance to repeat the day's battle everytime he is killed, giving him the chance to learn more about the enemy in order to stop the impending invasion. Yes, I just included a Tom Cruise film in my blog.
Buzzworthy: The fact alone that Tom Cruise is still capable of drawing crowds is buzzworthy. Let alone making a box-office dent AND wowing the critics. Who would have thought?!
ONE:
Title: X-Men: Days of Future Past
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender
What's it About: The X-Men work together with Magneto in order to send Wolverine back in time to stop Mystique from committing a crime that will endanger mutants for generations to come.
Buzzworthy: Jennifer Lawrence should receive the same advice as Zoe Saldana: stop with the science-fiction series already! It can get confusing and hard to believe when you an actress in every single blockbuster of the year. The film has been praised as well for mixing the cast of both trilogies and still manage to keep the plot clean and precise. This is probably what helped make this the most successful film in the X-Men franchise.
It truly was a year for science-fiction and 2015 seems to be gearing up to be even better with the upcoming releases of Jupiter Ascending, The Lazarus Effect, and Mad Max: Fury Road, to name a few.
Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink
