| Title |
Year |
Rating |
Rank |
Review |
| Wolf of Wall Street, The | 2013 | 100 | 1 | - When Scorcese is THIS good, this pure and uncut, it's a high rivaled by any of the drugs his deliciously immoral characters partake in. |
| Interstellar | 2014 | 96 | 2 | - For those that didn't follow Nolan's work prior to the Dark Knight trilogy, this is what separates him from other filmmakers. Quite frankly, this is him at his best. |
| Chef | 2014 | 93 | 3 | - It's been a long time since Favreau has not only come out from behind the camera but taken center stage. What a treat! |
| Casino | 1995 | 92 | 4 | - Okay, so it's not as good as Goodfellas, but it's not far off. More to the point, though, it's not a facsimile, either. |
| 42 | 2013 | 91 | 5 | - Out of nowhere this old-timey baseball flick lays down a wallop of a punch as it slides Jackie Robinson-style into the conversation of the better baseball movies EVER. |
| Short Term 12 | 2013 | 91 | 5 | - Brie Larson is an emotional maelstrom in this little story that redefines what a family is and, more importantly, what it can be. |
| Captain America: The Winter Soldier | 2014 | 90 | 7 | - One of the best Marvel movies ever! |
| Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The | 2013 | 90 | 7 | - Despite Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence, who are great, the real stars of this one are the people of Panem. 'Catching Fire' has the critical role of illustrating how the third book's revolt comes about, and this film does it so, so well. It does ITS job better than the first one did. |
| Dallas Buyers Club | 2013 | 89 | 9 | - Matthew McConaughey's best performance since 'We Are Marshall'. And Jared Leto's best performance since, well, ever. |
| Lincoln | 2012 | 89 | 9 | - Daniel Day Lewis is nothing short of brilliant as Lincoln. Outside of that, though, the film is a little too long and meandering for its own good. |
| Mud | 2013 | 89 | 9 | - A masterful little tale. Almost like a modern-day 'Huck and Fin' folk tale. It's commentary on coming of age as well as the complexity of love and innocence and naivety of youth are spot on. |
| Kings of Summer, The | 2013 | 88 | 12 | - A movie with this much genuine, gut-busting comedy paired with equally-large amounts of heart is a true treat, indeed. |
| Great Escape, The | 1963 | 87 | 13 | - Just a terrific movie. The whole cast really is incredible. |
| Monuments Men, The | 2014 | 86 | 14 | - Maybe it doesn't hold its own against the greats like Saving Private Ryan, but that's beside the point. There's never been a story -- TRUE story, that is -- quite so fascinating, where absolute professionals -- the Tom Brady's and Peyton Manning's of the art world -- are pitted as underdogs as they venture into a world that is very much out of their comfort zone. |
| St. Vincent | 2014 | 86 | 14 | - Bill Murray is terrific in this oddball, feel-good little comedy. |
| World War Z | 2013 | 86 | 14 | - 'Z's' real triumph is creating a truly global, realistic view of a virtually apocalyptic event. The only irony is that the novel the film is based on did it even better. |
| LEGO Movie, The | 2014 | 85 | 17 | - This is not a movie for men or for children, but for man-children everywhere. Absolutely has something for everyone. |
| Gone Girl | 2014 | 84 | 18 | - David Fincher is successful in his effort to make a story that was so compelling in novel-form as compelling when transferred to the big screen. |
| Despicable Me 2 | 2013 | 83 | 19 | - Like the first one, 'Despicable Me 2' has charm and sophomoric humor coming out of its, um, fart guns. |
| Jack Reacher | 2012 | 83 | 19 | - Cliche, predictable, ....and fun. Like my favorite drive, I enjoyed the trip despite seeing every turn coming. So sue me. |
| Grand Budapest Hotel, The | 2014 | 82 | 21 | - One of Wes Anderson's best works yet. |
| Surviving Christmas | 2004 | 82 | 21 | - Look, if there was a season to lean on our good nature and let us just enjoy a silly, tacky family comedy, 'Surviving Christmas' has certainly hit it. |
| Double Indemnity | 1944 | 81 | 23 | - Take it from me, someone who doesn't buy the notion that films are necessarily better just because their old: this one is worth your time. |
| Four Christmases | 2008 | 81 | 23 | - Just because we've seen Vince Vaughn in this general kind of role a dozen times doesn't mean 'Four Christmases' isn't an enjoyable movie. |
| Guardians of the Galaxy | 2014 | 81 | 23 | - Marvel in its franchising has sort of fashioned themselves the ultimate conspiracy theorists in the sense that everything is connected. So, while elements of 'Guardians' feel rather old (an unlikely band of outlaws and misfits save the world? how original), there is enough material that is genuinely fresh that it feels like a new chapter of a story rather than an old book we've already read. |
| To Do List, The | 2013 | 81 | 23 | - It's not a coming-of-age tale but rather a coming-of-SEXUAL-age tale. It's 'The Way Way Back' (also of this year) meets 'The 40 Year-Old Virgin'. |
| Raging Bull | 1980 | 80 | 27 | - In some ways, it's one of the saddest stories ever put on the big screen. |
| Moon | 2009 | 78 | 28 | - It's basically 'The Island' -- the film Michael Bay did four years prior -- but exponentially better. |
| Edge of Tomorrow | 2014 | 77 | 29 | - It's 'Starship Troopers' meets 'Groundhog Day'. Don't worry, though, it's not quite as absurd as it sounds. |
| Place Beyond the Pines, The | 2013 | 77 | 29 | - This crime drama/thriller could've easily been called 'The Sins of The Father' and been no less obvious with its message. |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) | 2014 | 76 | 31 | - Your standard-issue superhero flick. |
| Birdman | 2014 | 75 | 32 | - 'Birdman' is like a three-ring circus. While it's both wonderous and amazing, there's also a little too much going on. |
| Drinking Buddies | 2013 | 75 | 32 | - It's honest, it's real, it's refreshing....but it also reminds us that we like a little fantasy in our films. |
| This Is Where I Leave You | 2014 | 74 | 34 | - The whole dysfunctional family dramedy has been so overdone at this point, that you really need to bring something special to make an impression. For 'This Is Where I Leave You', that something special is Tina Fey. |
| Don Jon | 2013 | 73 | 35 | - 'Don Jon' is an enigma. A movie with so many smart, interesting, and new concepts that time and time again resorts to painfully overused stereotypes. |
| Sunshine | 2007 | 72 | 36 | - For a film that likes to believe it's more than your conventional space thriller, it sure does love reality television-like drama amongst its characters. |
| Internship, The | 2013 | 70 | 37 | - A formulaic comedy that doesn't allow Vaughn and/or Wilson to really shine. |
| Unforgiven | 1992 | 69 | 38 | - Neither terrible nor amazing. But the second half is worth the price of admission. |
| X-Men: Days of Future Past | 2014 | 69 | 38 | - A star-studded cast, yes...and the weirdest addition to this franchise to date. |
| Rise of the Planet of the Apes | 2011 | 67 | 40 | - When you use CGI so heavily as a crutch, it usually means everything else is lacking. That's exactly what happened here. |
| Night of the Living Dead | 1968 | 61 | 41 | - The original zombie flick. It's pretty obvious how this film unearthed (pun intended) our love for the undead. |
| Godzilla | 2014 | 60 | 42 | - All the realistic special effects in the world doesn't change the fact that the script belongs in a Saturday morning cartoon show. |
| Kick-Ass 2 | 2013 | 60 | 42 | - Like the first, 'Kick-Ass 2' is a walking paradox. It wants to be both juvenile and grown-up, both silly and serious. And it doesn't really work. |
| Now You See Me | 2013 | 60 | 42 | - For a movie that preaches being the smartest man in the room, 'Now You See Me' is not. |
| The Drop | 2014 | 58 | 45 | - Sadly, 'The Drop' will be remembered as Gandolfini's last film to hit theaters. Which is actually good for the film itself, I suppose, because on it's own merits it was simply going to be forgotten. |
| Greenberg | 2010 | 56 | 46 | - It's hard to like a movie whose protagonist is so unlikable. |
| Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The (2013) | 2013 | 53 | 47 | - Just another sad reminder of just how much better the originally trilogy is. |
| Locke | 2014 | 53 | 47 | - The world's longest BMW commercial. |
| Incredible Burt Wonderstone, The | 2013 | 51 | 49 | - Ultimately, the cause of death for 'Burt Wonderstone' is its inability to create even one character we can identify with or even like. And, aside from a few moments of genuinely inspired lunacy, it also fails to make you laugh. |
| Before Sunset | 2004 | 50 | 50 | - Maybe other people are buying into this "endless conversation" film style, but I'm not buying it. This second installment, nine years later, is only different in that it finally brings some emotional heft beyond that jibber jabber. |
| Star Trek: First Contact | 1996 | 50 | 50 | - It really is nothing more than an extended episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. |
| Bad Words | 2014 | 49 | 52 | - So we're supposed to get behind a guy who ruins the fun of countless children so he can deal with his daddy issues in his own immature way? The real question here -- and it's an easy one to spell -- is 'Why'? |
| Pain And Gain | 2013 | 49 | 52 | - Just because it's not as ludicrous as it appears, doesn't mean it's not ludicrous. |
| Killing Them Softly | 2012 | 47 | 54 | - If Goodfellas is sphaghetti with marinara sauce, this is egg noodles and ketchup. |
| Noah | 2014 | 47 | 54 | - It's so utterly bizarre, it creates a new genre altogether: Sci-Fi Bible Fantasy |
| Pacific Rim | 2013 | 47 | 54 | - Your standard-issue summer blockbuster eye porn. |
| Thor: The Dark World | 2013 | 45 | 57 | - It'd almost be better if it were a parody rather than an honest attempt at a sequel. |
| Sunset Blvd | 1950 | 42 | 58 | - An admittedly enticing premise dive-bombs into one incredibly slow movie. |
| 21 Jump Street | 2012 | 37 | 59 | - Silly but not in a good way. The people enjoying this movie the most are the ones starring in it (and that's because they don't have to watch it). |
| G.I. Joe: Retaliation | 2013 | 30 | 60 | - Just good enough to not be truly awful. |
