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Ok everyone, it’s time once again for the top 10 releases, but this time done in 2015. There are certainly a lot of films on this list, but that doesn’t mean that there are no shortage of other related media. Alright then, let’s start this list off with
Number 10: The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (Disney, Howy Parkins)
Starting off our list is the film that had us return to the Great Circle of life, the Lion Guard, where it tells the story of Kion (Simba’s other born cub) who becomes the new leader of the Lion Guard, assembles his new team, and helps to fight off the threats of the Pridelands from a new group of Hyenas. Now while this film does have some major flaws to it, like odd voice choices (Rob Lowe as Simba) or canon inconsistencies (Kiara still being a cub in this franchise) It makes up for with new characters ranging from some animals never before represented in the movies lore like a honey badger, a cheetah, a crane, and many others. It is also wonderfully animated in traditional animation with character animations done so fluently and the environments so wonderfully detailed. The Lion Guard might not go down as being great or right up there with its kin, but it is still a fairly enjoyable movie that will no doubt span a wonderful television show.
Number 9: Peanuts Movie (Blue Sky Studios, Steve Martino)
Instead of producing another monotonous Ice Age movie (new one this year, fuck) Blue Sky is doing something rather different this year. The Peanuts movie is one of those movies that I had to do a double take on. “Wait, a movie based off a popular franchise that is not live-action/animated with ridiculous amounts of poop/fart jokes and pop culture references? Pinch me, I’m dreaming” This movie is one of those rare cases where the original material was take seriously and did in no way try to modernize it. The animation in this movie is stunning, no, mesmerizing, no, REVELUTIONARY. It’s done in a way that is 3D, but brings out that sort of flat 2-D look that really mimics the old style to a T, and gives it that kind of lacking in fluid movements that really showcase what a CGI Peanuts movie should and DOES look like. The voice talent is really good too, the kids they got for this movie have never been in anything big, but there deliveries on the lines make them seem like they have had training, with recognition going to Noah Schnapp (Charlie) Haldley Belle Miller (Lucy) Alex Garfin (Linus) and Mareil Sheets (sally) and hearing the old recording of Bill Melendez (Snoopy) are always a treat too. The Peanuts movie is going to go down in history as one of those animated films that will age well and become an instant classic
Number 8: The Good Dinosaur (Disney Pixar, Peter Sohn)
Now, to start off, The Good Dinosaur may not be the best Pixar film ever, nor is it their best film of 2015 (we’ll get to that later) but throughout all the rewrites, director switch, and voice changes, I still think we ended up with a pretty good film. The environment animations are some of the best I have ever seen with lighting and storm effects looking so realistic you swore you were out their experiencing them yourself. The character designs might not fit with their surroundings, but they could look a lot worst, (They don’t bother me) One of the films strengths I think is the relationship between Arlo and his companion Spot. One would think that it’s a simple case of Owner/dog relationship, but deep down, you see that Spot has deeper feelings and can understand what Arlo tells him and their companionship grows all the more stronger, especially in the climax of the film which made me cry so hard godamnit. While it may not be in the same class as films like WALLE, Toy Story 3, Finding Nemo, or Up, it is no doubt, a pretty solid movie and a far better film then Brave in my opinion.
Number 7: DLC for SSB (Super Smash bros 4 by Nintendo)
What’s more fun than getting a new game? Getting a new game with dlc to test the waters with. While it is fun to get things like costumes for Mii’s, levels new and old, it’s the characters we were all looking forward to. First off, we got Mewtwo, sweet, he has returned, next is Lucas, yes, nice, then we have Roy from Fire Emblem, ok, sure, then we have Ryu, ok, this is getting redic-wait, did you say Ryu? Yes, Ryu from the Street Fighter series, and made so that his moveset from the games can work with Smash bros in a very creative way with only two buttons. Next up is Cloud, WHAT, FUCKING CLOUD STRIFE FROM FINALE FANTASY 7!!? Yes, the FF character who hasn’t appeared in a FF game on the Nintendo system makes his Nintendo debut in Smash Bros (makes me have high hopes for the remake coming to a Nintendo device in the future) and the last two are Corrin from the newest Fire Emblem game and Bayonetta. Now of course, everyone responds “Uuuugh, anuthir Fiyre Emmblym Kahricktr in smaysh brahs” but as for me, Im pretty excited to try him out, and Bayonetta, I did not see that coming, I squealed “What!?” twice when I watched the video. Now I know Corrin and Bayonetta weren’t released until after 2015, but they were revealed in December, so, I’m gonna count it, why the fuck not. Now those may be the last of the characters for this Smash, but there is rumors going around for a Smash Bros game being released on the launch date of the Nintendo NX. All we have to do is wait and see what is up before we can pray for new characters. But here’s hopin
Number 6: Shaun the Sheep Movie (Aardman Studios, Mark Burton, Richard Starzak)
Now, I did not know what to expect from this movie seeing as how the television show and the 3DS short films have the characters mumbling and grumbling as their speech, which should be no surprise coming from the same country as Mr. Bean, but what we got in the end is not short of mesmerizing. First off, it’s a pretty simple story of Shaun and his friends go into the city to try and rescue the farmer who ended up with Amnesia, pretty simple yes? Yes, but it is how it’s presented that make it all the more incredible. As stated before, none of the characters talk, they just make mumbles or random noises that tell how they feel. The movie does it so with the use of the characters body language, facial expressions, and tone that really help get the point across as to what is going on in their heads and their feelings. There is none of that pointless added in voice tracks like in Walking with Dinosaurs back in 2013, This film is smarter then that. Plus it is all complimented by Aardmans wonderful animation that really helps to bring these characters to life through their movements, face, and actions, I wish their were more films like it. While this may not be a film for everyone, you cannot argue that it is a true love letter to the fans of the franchise and should be a film that animation enthusiasts and film creators should study for years to come.
Number 5: Splatoon (Nintendo)
What? Whats that you say? Nintendo is making a shooter? One that is fun and has color? SIGN ME UP! In a surprising twist from a company like Nintendo, they release upon the world a new shooter called Splatoon which help reinvent the shooting genre to which the FPS fans would gladly welcome with open arms. The game has you as a Squid/Kid hybrid that are able to use weapons like water guns, paint brushes and the likes, filled with ink as ammo to cover the ground with. And turning into a squid, you can swim in your teams ink and up walls to higher ledges. The goal is to cover the most territory with your teams ink to claim victory. There are other modes to play around in too. Plus Splatfest’s that have people choosing from two different things to be a team on and compete for some prizes, a platforming campaign mode and use of some made for the game amiibo’s. The soundtrack to the game pumps up the action with some pretty hip and catchy rock music and mixes it with some very interesting auto tuned voices that don't spout words, but garbled speech, just like the characters in the game too, really gives it that kind of cartoonish feel along with the design of the game, which has a nice crisp look to it, but leaves way to be all creative with the games lore and character designs. Leave it up to Nintendo to help reinvent the shooting genre, Im really hoping this will lead to better things in the future with this NEW franchise.
Number 4: Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens (Disney/Lucasfilm, J.J. Abrams)
“Star Wars, bought by Disney, we are all doomed” is what a lot of people were probably thinking when it was announced back in 2012 (god I am old) but of course I, being more optimistic than most people, waited patiently to see what would happen to this franchise. Hearing that J.J. Abrams (CloverField and the Star Trek reboot movies) would be the director of the new movie, I knew we were in good hands. Come time when the movie was released, it was an immediate success breaking box office records and getting great critical praise, but what were my thoughts on the movie. Well, being 4th on this list must mean I liked it right? Yes, in fact, I loved it quite a bit. The use of practical effects made it so enjoyable and a fresh breath of air from the annoying amounts of CGI that liter these kind of movies in this day in age, the environments were very nice and luscious, the acting was incredibly good with recognition going to Adan Driver, Andy Serkis, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, and of course, Harrison Ford. And the music was once again brought to us by the ever incredible John Williams who not only re-recorded his old works, but gave us new tracks like March of the Resistance www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueqKty… and many other memorable tracks. Now while the story may seem like a rehash of Episode 4 to most fans, and your right for the most part, but I like to think that it’s the way they handled the characters and the cast for this story is what makes it different and all the more enjoyable. Star Wars 7 is probably my favorite of all the movies so far and I eagerly await to see how Episode 8 and 9 will turn out.
Number 3: Inside Out (Disney/Pixar, Pete Doctor)
What is their to say about this animated film that hasn’t been said already? It is a true work of storytelling that really dives deep into a person’s psyche in a creative and entertaining way that can be enjoyed by people of any age. Both plot points could even be their own movies when you dig deep into it. One key factor that really stuck out to me was my own theory that during the scene where Joy is trying to retain all the Core memories that fell on the ground, she and Sadness get sucked out of the HQ was sort of a metaphor for Riley pushing out those feelings from her mind as if not wanting to have those kinds of feelings ever again. Speaking of Riley, she was one of the key factors that made this movie that much more engaging. A lot of people can relate to what she was going through that the thought of doing such actions as she almost took could indeed scar a person or even make a person think twice about it. The voice acting in this film was top notch too, Kaitlyn Dias really gives out a great perspective on who and what Riley is and how she behaves. She gives, in my opinion, one of the most powerful portrayals from a child actor that I have ever heard in my life. And of course you got the likes of Amy Poehler, Phyliss Smith, Lewis Black Mindy Kaling, and the legendary Bill Hadar as the cast of the emotions who all deliver something that fits not only the character they are playing, but themselves in general. The music in this movie is wonderfully done too, with the compostions being done by the ever incredible Michael Giacchino who worked on other Pixar films like Up and Ratatouille. Inside Out will go down as one of the most memorable and powerful animated movies of all time
Number 2: Lullaby For a Princess (
based on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic)
After we got the success story that was Children of the Night back in 2012, everyone in the brony community thought no other fan animation could top it, until Lullaby for a Princess came out in the spring of 2015. This incredible animation was done by the Deviantart user who not only brought us one of the more emotional efforts brought out by fan animations in the brony community, but also one of the most painstakingly gorgeous works of art ever to grace the likes of the community. Lullaby for a Princess is the combination of ”s animation set to Youtube user PonyPhonic’s masterpiece of a song Lullaby for a princess that is sung by Princess celestia as a sort of peace song to her banished sister Luna. The animation details the struggle that both sisters had where is Celestai trying to hep her sister or Luna becoming Nightmare Moon and all culminates in a battle that is wonderfully animated in the finale sequence. Speaking of, the animation in this film is incredibly fluent and incredible. Every movement painstakingly done in traditional animation, everything from the movement of hair, to the action in the fighting sequence all captured with great use of movement and fluidity, very rarely seen in such a production from this community but a nice welcome change. The environments are gorgeous with great lighting and use of colors that really help set the stage for every set piece. Props go to two background artists who worked with warpOut named Simbaro and Cmaggot who give us some of the most beautiful backgrounds this side of the brony community. And lastly, the use of Ponyphonics Lullaby for a princess is so wonderfully used in this animation that I can’t think of anywhere else it would fit, it is just that fitting, and lets just say that every time I watch it, it makes me cry (so damn emotional) In closing, Lullaby for a Princess is a labor of love that took a guy 2.5 years to fully do by himself, but it is that dedication and stick-to-it-tive-ness that really help bring out what is considered by many, the greatest fan animation to any fandom.
Number 1: Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros, George Miller)
This film, oh my god this film. I can’t tell you how much this film has changed my thought on movies in general. First off, this is my first time seeing a Mad Max movie (the first of many first of 2015) and I had no idea what to expect then this will be another one of those cool action flicks. It was so much more to me then that. It felt like a true work of art that I myself consider it an art house film. First off, George Miller, worked painstakingly since the 1990’s to get this film off the ground. Things like 9/11 and the Iraq war happening put the film on hold until around 2011 when production picked up again. After a few years it was finally released to critical acclaim but fell second in the first week because of Bitch-er-Pitch Perfect 2. The film is such an incredible feat of filmmaking that I should share why I think that. The environments are so gritty and well lit that they serve that sort of worn out earth and that post-apocalyptic feel in a new light. The sets are very nicely shown to give off that sort of old age feel like this is a new coming of man and the starting of earths life all over again. The costumes and vehicle designs are so ingenious and give off a more sort of “use whatever you can find” kind of feel, like every bit of junk is precious in this world, use it wisely. It makes for a much more interesting world instead of the typical junk ridden wastelands of post-apocalyptic films of old. The actors are well chosen for this movie, everything from the silent, but ever smart Max played by Tom Hardy, the independent, but ever empowering Imperator Furiosa played by Charlize Theron, the power hungry and scary Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Bryne) and the persistant yet psychotic Nux (Nicholas Hoult) none of them feel out of place in the film and only help drive the story along with their themes of home, redemption, survival, and control. Of course what film wouldn't be complete without a perfect soundtrack to accompany it. The score done by the ever talented Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL, 300: Rise of an Empire, Black Mass, and DeadPool) He was able to bring out the best in his arsenal of musical accompaniment. Never have I heard a soundtrack so epic, so emotional, and so empowering in all my life for any kind of film. The chase music felt very intense and had me on the edge of my seat when watching in the theaters, and the sweet, somber, yet haunting themes that played during the quiet parts really helped bring out the atmosphere, and even the musical parts during happy triumphant moments made the film feel larger then life in the world that the characters lived in. It's such a shame that the soundtrack didn't get an Oscar nomination though, I feel it deserves one. Sound design was very nicely implemented too. every bit of sound was unique and didn't feel like a cheap computer programed sound. Interesting thing about the War Rig in the movie was the use of it being almost animal-like. sound designer Mark Mangini described the Rig as a sort of Moby Dick to which Immortan Joe was the Captain Ahab with the use of whale sounds like spraying water or when it finally got destroyed in the end, the use of slowed down bear growls to simulate the death of the vehicle really all help bring the world and it's things to life. In full summary, these and many others are the reason why I think Mad Max: Fury Road is, without a doubt, the Best Release of 2015. Here's hoping that it wins best Picture at the Oscars this year.
Now for two honorable mentions
HM1: The Life of Satoru Iwata: Gaming Historian (Gaming Historian www.youtube.com/user/mcfrostic…) (www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4cJh2…)
Quite rarely do I ever consider something as a lookback on an important person to be life changing, but that's just it when it comes to The Story of Satoru Iwata by Youtube user Gaming Historian (www.youtube.com/user/mcfrostic…) Here we have what I consider to be his Magnum Opus when it comes to his videos that really help detail the life surrounding one of the most influentian men of the video gaming industry, Satoru Iwata, our late CEO of Nintendo, who passed away back in July 11, 2015. What the Historian has done here is painstakingly gone through everything he could dig up about Iwata and ecplain in great detail the story of Satoru, from his start as a Dish-Washer, to the CEO that we all knew him as till his departure. While I did know a lot of the stuff he detailed, I never once felt like it was a bother to learn about all these things again as well as some additional things. Gaming Historian is just that good as writing his scripts and reading that I never stop to think to myself "yea, knew that" He really help capture the feeling of going on this journey with Iwata through video footage of the CEO, as well as some memorable quotes from him, all the way up until the video came to his death. It was at that point that I have felt like I lost a good friend with the tears I shed at the ending of the film. I felt like he died alongside me as if I knew him personally, and that really touched me in a good way that I never thought a historic feature would ever make me feel. While you may not have made the cut on my top 10, I felt I should credit you for really helping me get to know Satoru Iwata a lot better then I would have known before. Thanks very much Gaming Historian, keep making those great videos.
HM2: The Revenant (20th Century Fox, Alejandro G. Inarritu)
The Revenant is one of those films that you don't just watch, you experience it. The Revenant tells the true tale about Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) who, through unlucky circumstances, get mauled by a bear and is forced to be left buried alive by his fellow comrade John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy, also in Mad Max: Fury Road) who, in the process of doing so, gets Glass' son killed. Now it is through Glass' stubbornness and willpower that he pry's himself from the dirt of his rushed burial to seek out Fitzgerald and avenge his son, while on the way he meets others who either get in his way or help him while healing his bear wounds as well. The acting in this film is very powerful and you really feel the pain that Glass went through just to be able to walk again. DiCaprio's performance is truly mesmerizing to the point that it is breathtakingly scary that he was able to sustain those wounds and yet bring himself to survive this whole time. Tom Hardy should be commended as well, for brining such a backstabber to life through not only his performance of Fitzgerald, but being able to change his vocals to sound all western-ish as if he jumped out of a Quinton Terintino film. One of the most memorable things about this film is the use of long shots that don't use very many quick cuts that mostly have the camera following the characters throughout the action. It's no surprise that Alejandro used this technique after his last film Birdman (Academy Award Best Picture 2014) , which had the same Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. He was able to capture the true beauty of the landscape through his big shots that really emphasized how beautiful, and dangerous the Great North can be. and all of this accompanied by a breathtakingly haunting soundtrack provided by Ryuchi Sakamoto (The last Emperor) and Alva Noto who's musical contributions to the film are nothing short of heart wrenching and passionate, plus it too, is a shame that it didn't get nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Score. And let me just finish up by saying, the ending was kind of sad for me, it got me teary eyed. Now while this film is certainly leaps and bounds above something like The Lion Guard, I felt that TLG was more up to my pace and my love for Lion King is kind of stronger in regards to a film like revenant. But does that make it a bad film, of course not. It is in my honorable mentions section because I did enjoy this film quite a bit, even more so then Alejandro's last film Birdman. It has a great deal of cinematography with the action sequences and the scenery, and the music has such power to it that really brings great strides in Glass' trail to redemption and the acting is top-notch that I truly hope this will be the year that Leonardo DiCaprio wins this year for Best Actor in a leading role, a true testament to his many nominations in the past. All in all, The Revenant is a strong film that deserves great recognition.
Now here are the Nominees that I was considering
Codename S.T.E.A.M. (Nintendo/ Intelligent Systems) an interesting game made by the creators of Fire Emblem with a cool character design reminiscent of Steampunk 1800s America. but has some wonky gameplay mechanics that might take some getting used to.
Shovel Knight Physical releases (Yacht Club Games, 3DS) first time playing this indie game that really captures the feel of games from the NES days.
Yooka Laylee and Shenmue 3 Trailers (Playtonic Games, and Sega/YuSuzuki) Yooka Laylee is the spiritual successor to Banjo Kazooie being made by a new indie party Playtonic Games with game makers from Rareware, and Shenmue 3 finally becoming a thing with the help of Kickstarter
New Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo) a new and improved 3DS with better loading times, and better web browser as well as future possibilities for New Nintendo 3DS games with the port of XenoBlade Cronicles. It also makes playing Smash for 3DS more fun and not so time consuming when loading the main menu
Kingsman: The secret service (20th Century Fox, Mathew Vaughn) a stylish and over the top movie adaptation of The Secret Service comics. with some great actors like Samuel L Jackson and Colin Firth with a lot of graphic action and comedic moments
Jurassic World (Universal Studios, Colin Trevorrow) a triumphant return to a 90's classic with a new, yet familiar, story, great CGI effects, a hybrid Dinosaur, hightop action sequences and actor choices like Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Vicent D'Onofrio.
Daniel and Margaret episodes: (Fred Rogers Company, PBS Kids) Episodes that have Margaret in them are very cute, but the one I want to mention is Margaret's First Chime-Time, where Daniel and family bring Margaret along to show her what Daniel's dad's clock tower toes during the hour, and brings forth the message of "Time with your Family is special"
Avengers: Age of Ultro (Disney/Marvel, Josh Whedon)
a terrific sequel to one of the most amazing Superhero movies of all time with some new editions to the cast and a surprisingly deep villain played by James Spader with a lot of cool action sequences
Ant-Man (Disney/Marvel, Peyton Reed)
a surprisingly under-rated Super-Hero movie with a sympathetic criminal that ends up becoming the new Ant-Man played by Paul Rudd
and that's it for my list of releases in 2015, here's hoping we have another fantastic year of releases. and I wont lie to you, yes, Norm of the North WONT be on this list, awww, so sad, goodbye now.