What I Did This Summer – Top Five Movies of 2014 (So Far)

With the summer winding down and autumn upon us, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on what some call a lackluster summer movie season.  In the last few summers and the foreseeable future, the blockbuster movie season has been full of super sequels, larger than life characters, some horrific moments, and a dash of heartfelt stories. This summer when I wasn’t in the pool swimming, I was at the theater, swimming in my imagination.  Permit me to share the best times I had indoors with my top five movies of the year, up to this point.

5. Godzilla

The king of the monsters roared into theaters with mixed reviews.  The  review I share is great.  I was a Godzilla kid growing up, enjoying all of his movies, so this new imagining was a complete pay off for me. The human story that played build up to the monster kept me invested. Then, there he was, and once the action hit,  there was no looking back for this man turned child. If you were a Godzilla fan and understand the chemistry of the old films, you'll love this movie, if you haven’t already enjoyed it.

4. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Spider-Man is my favorite hero, so in my eyes he doesn't make a bad movie. I’ll admit this wasn't the best Spidey movie, as it seemed a little cluttered with characters, and a story much like Spider-Man 3 (Sam Raimi films).   Being an old school fan, I didn't care for Rhino's look, and hope that is fixed in the next film. However, this movie excelled with the Peter Parker side of the story and his relationships with different characters throughout the movie. His struggles between man and hero are the most endearing part of this story.  Always has been. That, accompanied with the big action fights, is what got the movie to this spot on my list.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

If you’ve seen this movie, you can't deny this was just a great film from top to bottom. It was well written, giving you a movie that delivers equal parts story and action. One thing I really enjoyed about this movie is it gives a few mano-a-mano fight scenes like they were written for a 1990's Van Damme film, which is what's missing from most hero films today.  Cap was never really one of my favorite heroes growing up, but Chris Evans in this role makes you care for him. This movie is just a classic telling of good overcoming that insurmountable evil.  It is one of the most complete super hero movies that has been made.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

This movie is this high for two reasons; first, it was a complete surprise. I went into this expecting this film to be a butchering of my childhood, much like the live action Transformers movies have been, but it was a pleasant surprise, with its updated storytelling, remaining close to the origins of the Turtles. The second reason for this was the company I had watching the movie with me. When you are with someone who is such a huge fan of the characters and enjoys the movie so much, it affects you. That alone makes this a great movie! This movie stayed true to the characters I loved, and the story had me on the brink of tears when one of the turtles confesses his revelations.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy

Again, this movie was a surprise. I had to give it time to settle, because I’m that sort of guy who comes out of a great movie all geared up.  I will go on record as saying this was the best movie I’ve seen this year, and it places in my top ten movies of all time.  Action? Yes, more action than the average man can handle.  Comedy? Yes, and some of the best lines come from Dave Bautista, of all people, for whom I have a new found respect. I say that, having been a long time fan of his in WWE.  Well written and delivered story?  YES, a surprising heartfelt story behind these mismatched heroes. I didn't know too much of anything about these characters before this movie, but was quickly invested during this movie, and look forward to the next time these guys are on the big screen. With danger of overselling, I can't say enough good things about this movie.. GO SEE IT ... or SEE IT AGAIN!