In terms of blockbuster filmmaking, 2015 served up an embarrassment of riches. Certainly, the industry has shifted ever more toward epic-scale popcorn flicks in recent years; a trend that has by and large left mid-budget filmmaking in the dust as studios build their release calendars with tentpoles and possible franchise-starters. Likewise, as superhero-shared universes and their ilk continue to become an ever-expanding piece of the entertainment landscape, the trend is only set to continue. Hell, it won’t be too long before we can make a Top 10 list comprised entirely of superhero flicks.
But 2015’s blockbusters were all about the spy craft, as you’ll note in the list below, and the resurgence of long-slumbering franchises — and most of those revivals were successful! (Sorry,Terminator: Genysis.) In an odd turn for a year that owes so much to the heritage of the 007 franchise, the proper Bond film,Spectre, proved to be a messy disappointment. Unfortunately, the few original big-budget properties likeJupiter AscendingandTomorrowlandalso failed to fulfill their full potential. But even with a few missed opportunities, the year rich with excellent popcorn entertainment. Check out my ten favorites in the list below.
10. Jurassic World
Jurassic Worldwasn’t quite the triumphant return to Isla Nublar we all hoped for, but it was still pretty fun. As a die hardJurassic Parkfan, my hopes couldn’t have been higher for the long-awaited sequel, and while the movie fell apart shortly after viewing thanks to disposable characters, unrealistic footwear, and militarized raptors (I mean, you’ve got to be kidding me with that shit), it was definitely a good ride in the theater.Colin Trevorrowknew how to push the nostalgia buttons in a way that was obviously fan service, but ultimately still effective. The realization of the functioning park itself, from the petting zoo to the lazy river to the gyrospheres, was a genuine delight. And if there’s a way to dislikeChris Pratt, I don’t think we, as a species, have discovered it yet. Even with his charisma as tamped down as it’s ever been, the fun of watching him live out an Andy Dwyer fantasy carried a lot of the film’s less successful moments.
Then there were the dinosaurs, which is why we all wanted to go to this party in the first place. The newest creature on the corner is the Indominus Rex – a genetic cocktail mixed from only the deadliest dinosaurs, pit vipers, tree frogs, and some other beasts guaranteed to make it the worst idea ever. She’s a predator fearsome enough to stand up next to the T-Rex. And stand up to the T-Rex she did…and the Raptors, and Mosasaurus…in an intoxicatingly insane climatic dinosaur smackdown that was worth the price of admission alone.
9. Furious 7
TheFast and Furiousfranchise has traveled a strange road. What started as a tight-knit drag racing thriller ultimately became a spectacular set-piece show (with a few idiosyncratic detours like2 Fast 2 Furiousalong the way). OnceJustin Linzeroed in on the optimal format withFast Five, the franchise took off full speed ahead as a showcase for insane, ever-escalating action bits punctuated by fistfights, one-liners, and family. Because that’s what it’s really about — family; well, that and crazy car shit. Underneath all the explosions and bald heads and big muscles, and balder heads and bigger muscles, there’s a sentimentality towards Dominic Turretto’s “family” of cohorts that makes the franchise such a delight to return to time after time.
And family was never more on the mind than inFurious 7, which lostPaul Walkermid-production after his untimely death. Naturally, losing your lead actor is going to throw a huge wrench in the story, andFurious 7suffers from the obvious redirects it had to make as a result. But the flaws in the story are more than made up for by flashy set-pieces and a big, warm-hearted send-off for the beloved character and actor alike. And let’s be real, who’s watchingFast and Furiousfor the story? No one, that’s who. We’re watching for cars with parachutes and logic-defying, building-skipping chase sequences, andJames Wan, with a hell of an action debut, delivered all that high-octane insanity in spades.
8. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Judging by the box office numbers, you might have missedGuy Ritchie’s breezy Cold War spy caper, and who could blame you? After some schedule shuffling,The Man From U.N.C.L.E.arrived in theaters merely two weeks afterMission Impossible: Rogue Nation. Without a bankable lead or a recognizable enough IP, the film couldn’t compete with the spy genre titan and ultimately floundered. Which is a shame, becauseU.N.C.L.E.is a stylish, jaunty action-comedy with panache to spare, and in Guy Ritchie tradition it’s also a testosterone driven machismo-fest. However, unlike his previous actioners, which only occasionally glance at their female characters,U.N.C.L.E.also stars 2015’s reigning queenAlicia Vikander, who gets to play rough with the boys and commands the screen with the power of pure charisma.
Vikander plays opposite possibly the most strapping duo in film history, withHenry CavillandArmie Hammer filling the lead roles as warring spies forced into a tentative partnership. Cavill’s buttoned-up, measured demeanor has never been put to better use than as Napoleon Solo; the cheeky master-thief-turned-CIA-agent ordered to team up with Hammer’s Illya Kuryakin, a colossal Russian spy with inhuman strength and a limited sense of humor. Locked in a (mostly) friendly game of spy-vs-spy, Solo and Kuryakin trade punches as freely as barbs in the espionage equivalent of a dick-measuring contest. The period setting and flashy aesthetics giveMan fromU.N.C.L.E.an old-fashioned whimsy that sets it apart from its genre peers, offering a sexy gallivant around the globe that never takes itself too seriously.
7. Ant-Man
Marvel Studios has spent so much time and effort into crossovers, references, and building their shared universe that the joy of introducing new heroes started to feel a bit lost. Thankfully, withAnt-Man, the studio delivered another zippy origin story that feels right at home in the MCU, but also has a distinct quantum flair. DirectorPeyton Reed, who stepped in forEdgar Wrightlast minute, more than measured up to the task at hand – a particularly impressive feat when you consider how late he came on board.
Ant-Manis one of Marvel’s funniest films, thanks in no small part to comedy’s reliable ace-in-the-holePaul Rudd(and a big hand from scene-stealerMichael Pena), but that doesn’t stop it from delivering the action along with the laughs, often in one sequence. A Marvel movie via heist flick, Rudd stars as an ex-con recruited by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) to don the Ant-Man suit and prevent Pym’s maniacal ex-protegee Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) from using the shrinking tech for sinister means. Along the way, we get a brief cameo fromAnthony Mackie’s Falcon in one of the film’s finest set-pieces (and first sequence to show off the size-changing combat technique in action). But it’s the film’s climactic set piece, set in a child’s bedroom, that turns on the fun full-blast as Ant-Man and Yellowjacket have a very small fight with very big stakes.Ant-Mancould have been a disaster. Instead, it’s a delight that introduced a new hero (two, onceEvangeline Lillygets to suit up inAnt-Man and The Wasp) that’s a perfect fit for the MCU.
Melissa McCarthyandPaul Feigwork so well together that their first collaboration landed McCarthy a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination forBridesmaids. I repeat, an Oscar nomination forBridesmaids, the type of raunchy R-rated comedy the Academy is notorious for ignoring. It’s a testament to Feig’s expert skill at highlighting McCarthy’s strongest abilities as a comedic performer. Who else but Feig would see her as an action star? And yet the best moments for McCarthy’s under-appreciated CIA desk jockey, Susan Cooper, come when she’s in the field, under cover, and kicking ass.
Feig also has the good sense to surround his leading lady with a first-rate supporting line-up; each actor perfectly cast to their part. As Rick Ford, the battle-hardened special agent prone to cock-and-bull fables of his espionage antics,Jason Stathamsteals the whole damn movie and establishes himself as an all-time great of deadpan delivery. The unlikely McCarthy/Statham duo is a bit of comedic brilliance, and Ford’s endless need for antagonistic one-upmanship with Cooper makes for some ofSpy’s funniest moments.Jude Lawwas born to play the quintessential gentleman spy, and it’s extra rewarding that he finally got to do so in such a subversive send-up of the role. As the haughty villainess of the piece,Rose Byrnecontinues to prove her status as the most undervalued comedic asset on the market. EvenMiranda HartandAllison Janneyshine in their minimal roles.
Spyexcels because it’s defies every expectation. Melissa McCarthy shouldn’t be the action hero. Jude Law shouldn’t be the damsel. Jason Statham shouldn’t be the comedic relief. In an industry that thrives on typecasting,Spysubverts all your preconceptions, delivering an action-packed blockbuster spectacle in the process.
5. Kingsman: The Secret Service
Matthew Vaughn’s adaptation ofMark Millar’s comic is a vulgar, goofy, and viciously violent reinvention of the gentleman spy genre.Colin Firthsteals the show as Harry Hart, your classic dressed-to-the-nines secret agent with charm to spare. Harry takes the young miscreant Eggsy, (played byTaron Egertonin a breakout role) into his charge, enrolling the street-smart kid in a fiercely competitive superagent training program. Meanwhile, the ecologically-minded Valentine (Samuel Jackson, gleefully playing against type) is plotting a global threat with the help of his razor-legged goon, Gazelle (Sofia Boutella).
What follows is an ultra-violent escapade that openly pokes fun at the genre from which it spawned, alternately fulfilling and subverting the tropes that the genre demands. The result is one of the craziest movies of the year, culminating in the all-out insanity of the “church scene”, which sees Firth’s elite agent completely unleashed on a room full of civilians. It has got to be one of the most savagely violent melees to see a wide theatrical release. There’s not a lot beneath the surface ofKingsman, but when the surface content is so wildly entertaining and outlandish, it would be greedy to ask for more.
4. American Ultra
American Ultramight be the year’s biggest surprise. A lovely romance in a blockbuster’s clothing, the film starsJesse Eisenbergas Mike, a perpetually stoned convenience store clerk who’s more or less content with his lot in life thanks to his kind-hearted and unwaveringly patient girlfriend, Phoebe (Kristen Stewart). Mike wants to propose, wants to take her on vacation, and essentially wants to provide for her the better life he thinks she deserves, but can’t get past his crippling bouts of anxiety. That’s because it’s not anxiety, but government conditioning. See, Mike’s a Jason Bourne-esque secret agent with no memory of his superlative skills, but when a corrupt government official and all-around twat (Topher Grace) calls for the “elimination” of Mike’s program (and Mike along with it), the stoner couple is thrown into all-out, bullets-a-blazin' chaos.
Nima Nourizadehdirects the action with merciless brutality, an appropriate and refreshing choice given that the film is about expertly trained killers, but never loses sight of the big humanistic heart at the center of the story. In between the clever set-pieces and fight scenes, the best of which is a grocery store-set showdown that sees every possible object – including a pack of frozen hamburgers – brought to bear as a weapon,American Ultrapacks in moments of tenderness and compassion that are all too uncommon in blockbuster fare. Love is the root element of the film, and how often can you say that of a shoot-em-up spy romp?American Ultradivided audiences pretty resolutely in the love or hate camp, but if you can dig it, you’re going to dig it a lot.
3. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Mission: Impossibleis like the Benjamin Button of franchises. While most are a series of diminishing returns, losing a little more zeal and relevance with each new sequel,Mission: Impossibleonly improves the longer it runs. Undoubtedly, much of that credit is owed to the series headlinerTom Cruise,who has shepherded the franchise from a paranoidBrian de Palmathriller to the massive Kremlin-demolishing action behemoth it became in the 20 years since. Indeed, it was Cruise who brought on his frequent collaboratorChristopher McQuarrieto write and directRogue Nation, and set a new course for the franchise in the process.
Mission: Impossibletraditionally brings on a new director to helm each installment, every one of them bringing their unique sensibilities to the proceedings, but McQuarrie pulled off something much more interesting. WithRogue Nation, he culled the best qualities of the previous films and combined them to create the ultimateMission: Impossiblemovie. And he did it without hack callbacks that reek of fanservice. Instead, the few callbacks felt earned and at home because they’re in the very DNA of the franchise.
Ethan Hunt continues to be one of the great American action heroes, but now he’s surrounded by an ensemble of allies collected over the last two decades.Ving Rhames' Luther,Simon Pegg’sBenji,Jeremy Renner’s Agent Brandt, and now,Rebecca Ferguson’s wonderfully classy ass-kicker Isla Faust all highlight Ethan’s different attributes, allowing the character to be infinitely more interesting than when he was a one-man-show with a rotating troupe of teammates. That ensemble only allows Ethan to be more fun and more invested as he has friends to joke with, or sometimes rescue as the story dictates. The set-pieces are executed with technical precision and have never played better because now Ethan has a reason to fight beyond just being the “good guy”.Mission: Impossibleonly continues to improve, and with a sixth film cued up to film next year, we won’t have to wait very long to see if that trend continues.
2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Since this one is so fresh on the scene, I’m going keep this vague. As the first new entry in what is perhaps the pinnacle achievement of blockbuster franchises,Star Wars: The Force Awakenshad all the pressure in the world resting on its shoulders. To the relief of the worldwide fanbase, which as far as I can tell is everybody everywhere,J.J. Abramsdelivered a triumphant return to a galaxy far, far away.
While the film has its flaws (Rathtars), it has many more merits. In particular, the new generation of characters, who are ultimately more complex than those that preceded them.Daisy Ridley’s Rey is the female protagonist the sci-fi world has been waiting for;John Boyega’s Finn is a delightful injection of humor and humanity;Oscar Isaac’s Poe Dameron is a down-the-line hero worth rooting for; andAdam Driver’s Kylo Ren, arguably the centerpiece of the film, is a tremendous and compelling villain. These are characters you invest in, that you want to see the further adventures of, and who will carry the new trilogy to completion with ease. Also, let’s not forget BB-8, the most charming and adorable droid ever conceived. And of course, it’s a blast to see the original characters back in action, particularly Han Solo, who’s an endearing curmudgeon as ever (thoughHarrison Fordis having the most fun he has in decades).
The Force Awakenshews a little too closely to the beats ofA New Hope, but it undoubtedly delivers the intergalactic adventure fans have waited decades for. It’s the ultimate blockbuster cinema experience that has you walking in hoping it will succeed and walking out hoping July 31, 2025 gets here in a hurry.
What is there to say aboutMad Max: Fury Roadthat hasn’t already been said?George Miller’s return to the wasteland is a cinematic masterpiece of propulsive storytelling through action. It’s a visceral rock-n-roll onslaught of mechanical wonder and technical mastery backed by a pitch-perfect ensemble of players and a message worth paying attention to. From the very first frame, Miller straps you in and takes you for the ride of a lifetime as he followsTom Hardy’s Max Rockatansky andCharlize Theron’s instantly iconic Imperator Furiosa on their crusade to free Immortan Joe’s “wives” from a life of sexual slavery. Special attention must be paid to Furiosa, a remarkable character creation of blistering rage and extraordinary empathy, and her adversary-turned-brother-in-arms camaraderie with Max – a relationship that is earned and forged in front of our eyes on screen. When they fight, you believe they are fighting to the death, and once they unite you believe they will fight just as hard for one another. Every remarkable set piece in the film possesses that same urgency and desperation, because it defines the life of any character inhabiting this world.
The cost of living in that world is clearly established, becauseFury Roadis a paramount achievement in world building: the silver-stained mouths of the War Boys shouting their mantras with their dying breaths; the stilt-legged swamp walkers gripping your interest with only a glance; even the rigs themselves—vehicles that are a peculiar combination of setting, character, and action—everything is endowed with iconography. Every prop, every costume, every piece of the puzzle that makesFury Roadsuch a wondrous achievement invites the viewer to explore the relationship between image and narrative.
That’sFury Road’s greatest strength, though it’s real hard to pick when there are so many. Miller has complete command of composition. Set-piece is stacked upon set-piece, with moments of beautiful intimacy laced in between, relaying the story through motion and exchange without a single moment of expository blather. It’s not only the best blockbuster of the year; it’s one of the best of all time.
For more of Collider’s Best of 2015 coverage, peruse the links below.
