Films of 2015: Hits and Misses

Hits

Jurassic World

Jurassic World was one of the most anticipated films of the year, and it most certainly delivered. A brand new cast gave it a refreshing boost that proved it is a franchise that will stand the test of time, as it does not rely on particular actors. It was a classic Summer blockbuster, and rightly became the third highest grossing film of all time.

The Martian

There was very little talk of the Martian until it was in cinemas, but it deserved the attention it ultimately got. It was a very timely film; with much talk about manned missions on Mars, it created a "what if" scenario that many would not have considered, and that's an interesting concept in itself. It was able to be funny while still taking itself seriously, which put it a notch ahead of other Sci Fi films of recent times.

It Follows

Personally my favourite film of the year, and one of my favourite films of all time. It's everything a horror needs to be. It's scary without needing to frighten you, the tension will have you trying to pause it or look away and the imagery is second to none. There's no such thing as the perfect film, but It Follows comes pretty close. 

Bridge of Spies

Steven Spielberg is still at the top of his game. The atmosphere, theme and emotional fluctuation is so trademark Spielberg that the film almost feels sentimental. He's a real magician with a camera. Tom Hanks put in a great performance, and the score is memorable too. The combination of people involved meant that anything less than amazing would have been disappointing. Thankfully, it wasn't.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Like Jurassic World, it was highly anticipated. It could have fallen victim to being too nostalgic and not producing a worthwhile storyline, but it didn't at all. The new cast stole the show and the old cast offered some memorable moments. The story made sense and didn't feel forced. The film's cycle hasn't quite finished yet, but it's likely to become one of the highest grossing films of all time. It makes Star Wars the number one franchise in the world once more. 

Honourable Mentions: Inside Out, Song of the Sea

Misses

Tomorrowland: A World Beyond

This isn't a miss because it was a bad film, it just promised to be so much more. It had moments where it was great, but it never really packed a full punch. The film succeeds in terms of trying to restore and reproduce old values and inspire the audience, but fails in terms of telling a story. It was an enjoyable film nonetheless and the visuals were wonderful, but I'm not quite sure who the target audience is. 

Poltergeist

The original is a great film. This remake is absolute muck. There's not much else to say really. Avoid at all costs.

The Good Dinosaur

I really wanted this film to be good. A combination of aspects landed it in the miss pile. It was released at a really bad time, with Star Wars coming out in the same month. Pixar had also released a film earlier in 2015, and people weren't excited about The Good Dinosaur. The characters weren't all that interesting and the story never made me want to continue watching. It's an okay film, but poor by Pixar's standards.

Krampus

You can never really expect a horror film to be good, so it didn't exactly disappoint but it was just visually too dark, and couldn't decide if it was a horror or a comedy. It had potential to be good, it could have capitalized on an interesting concept, but it never delivered. David Koechner's typecast character is intolerable and should never have been in Krampus, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. 

Song of the Sea (2015) Review

Song of the Sea is an Irish animated film created by Cartoon Saloon based in Kilkenny. It was famously nominated for best animated film at the 87th Academy Awards ahead of the Lego Movie. The story is about two children from Donegal and they are brought to "the city" (Dublin) by their grandmother. The plot follows their journey back to their home as they pass through multiple tales of Irish folklore and discover that the stories that their mother told them before her death were true.

As an Irish person, I was extremely impressed with the portrayal of the Irish landscape and, in fact, the entire style of animation in general. In an age where CGI Animation films are a dime a dozen, it is refreshing to see an alternative form of animation being explored. It is such a unique and recognizable style that would give the Japanese a run for their money. Every frame feels like a work of art that you could hang on a wall. There was some really strong and memorable imagery in the shape of the islands and the seals popping their heads out of the water.

On the topic of memorability, the soundtrack was a really important aspect for this film (considering the name). The title track is a motif that runs throughout and I caught myself humming it long after the film had ended. In a film that is aimed at children and families, memorable songs are really important for the success of it, so it's great to see that they have hit the mark on this front. 

Since its inception, animation has been utilised for telling old childrens' stories in new ways. Old Irish folk tales have fallen behind in this regard as Japan and America have led the animating industry, although America have been telling European stories due to the lack of their own stories to tell. The Americans can't be trusted with anything Irish (because it would be riddled with leprechauns and shamrocks) so it's wonderful to see these Irish tales come to life from an Irish animated film. Mac Lir the Giant, faeries, selkies and Seanachaí feature in Song of the Sea, and this will hopefully bring relevance to these stories once again.

The film ticks all the boxes in terms of artwork, soundtrack and story, but the issue might be that the story is too complex for children to follow. It is aimed at children, and while I enjoyed it, it will probably be more difficult to engage with for the younger audience. They would be more likely to opt for Minions or Pixar's Inside Out, but Cartoon Saloon would have had to sacrifice some of its unique style to make it more enticing to that audience. 

On the overall, the film was massively enjoyable and deserved its Oscar nomination. I hope this film brings more success to Cartoon Saloon and allows them to create more feature films in the future.

5/7