This year the team at TheGWW.com got together and wrote down our picks for the best movies of 2015! We would love to share our picks and why we picked them. These are movies that came out throughout the year of 2015. These are in no particular order. And of course, we welcome you to share with us your favorite movie of 2015 on Twitter @The_GWW or in the comments below!
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Adam Waugaman – “I did everything in my power to stay away from spoilers and story leaks. I didn’t want to know the characters. I didn’t want to know anything. Of course some toys and products gave that info, but I digress. I wanted to go into this movie fresh eyed and full of wonder. The taste of Episode 1-3 was still somewhat sour in my mouth, so my expectations were low. The Force Awakens far surpassed those expectations. It had everything I wanted in a Star Wars movie. Dogfights, lightsaber battles, planet hopping, droids, aliens, and endearing characters. My only real complaint was that The Force Awakens felt like Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope all over again; but at the same time, I think that’s why I found it so embraceable. It was familiar. It didn’t try to be something it wasn’t. I’m looking at you, political thriller prequels. The Force Awakens has rekindled my love of Star Wars and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us.”
Lance John – “Best Movie of 2015!”
Will Elizondo – “JJ made me feel something that us Star Wars fans had not felt in a long time. He made me feel like a kid again. Full of awe, joy, tears, and happiness. The actors brought such believability to the new characters and their emotions and chemistry; which really sold the story for me. With a perfect balance of practical and CGI effects as well as John Williams returning with an emotional charged soundtrack, The Force Awakens is a movie that I have enjoyed more and more every time I see it. 5 times now, by the way.”
Jeff Gordon – “This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me but I was truly impressed with what JJ Abrams and Disney were able to accomplish with this film. Say what you want to about it, but no movie has higher expectations for rent than this one. They delivered and succeeded in re-invigorating the world’s obsession with Star Wars.”
Nathan Dugas – “I haven’t actually seen it yet, but I know I’m going to love it.”
Sarah Payne-Mills – “It’s not even out yet, and I’m just going to predict this. We’ve all been anticipating this for ages. Even if it doesn’t meet my wildest dreams, c’mon, it’s Star Wars. And it’ll be better than the prequels, and that’s really all I can hope for. “
Jon Reyes – “Of all the categories, this one was by far the most difficult for me to figure out. From when the initial teaser posted on Nov. 28, ‘14 to the final trailer, trailer – my favorite of the year, if there was a category for it – before the film’s wide-release. None other than Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I’ve already gone to the theater three times to re-watch it. I can’t remember a time when I’ve ever done such a thing, and “I have a bad feeling about this” where I may end up going for a fourth time before its Blu-ray releases. (I want to thank The GWW.com family. I really couldn’t decide on a film for this award category. So I turned to trusty ol’ Twitter and tweeted a poll with the list of candidates I had narrowed it down to. I didn’t expect that much of a response, so I was leaning heavily toward Fury Road. However, literally seconds later my cellphone became flooded with notifications of mentions, retweets, likes and votes. There ended up being 100+ people to voice their respective opinion. For those of you who did participate, know I’m overwhelmed by the fan support GWW receives. My co-workers, I’ve been given the utmost pleasure to know and become friends with, are special. You fans of the website are nothing short of the same. Thank you.)”
Jurassic World
Casey Walsh – “Another pick I know will not be popular but Jurassic World is the most fun I have had at a movie in a really long time. While Star Wars was amazing (I have seen it 5 times at this point) and Age of Ultron ultimately disappointed, Jurassic World stands out as the movie that continues to bring a smile to my face each time I think about it. Hell, that third act alone is crazy enough to have you on your feet cheering by the end.”
Wayne Hughes – “As much as I enjoyed the Force Awakens, I think Chris Pratt alone helped me enjoy this movie to the max. I remember seeing Jurassic Park in the cinema and it bought back a lot of good vibes.”
Mad Max: Fury Road
Enrique Rea – “While Star Wars: The Force Awakens is my sentimental favorite, Fury Road defied convention and cast the powerful female protagonist earlier in the year. George Miller proved he can still thrill audiences doing it his way and without CGI. Fury Road was a breathtaking, heart-pounding, old-fashioned, action picture that paved the way for Rey in TFA.”
Erin Murphy – “I couldn’t watch this movie enough, so visually amazing and well done.”
Furious 7
Cory Anderson – “A franchise I have grown to love for it’s over the top action, takes it up a notch with the heart string pulling. The movie might not have been as emotionally powerful if it wasn’t for Paul Walker passing and the dedication of this movie and soundtrack to him. But for a movie about fast cars and revenge, this didn’t prove to be about anything more. This wasn’t about reviving a franchise, or about further building the roster of super heroes, just straight up action, brawling and stunts.”
Ant-Man
Anthony Franklin – “I’m a sucker for the superhero genre, so it should come as no surprise that I chose one of Marvel’s recent releases to be my favorite of the year. Ant-Man does a great job of showing that it doesn’t take serums or spider bites to be extraordinary. While the stakes didn’t feel too high in this film, it provided characters that I found more relatable and human than some of the other superhuman films out there.”
The Martian
Peter Morrow – “This movie is probably one of the best book to movie translations I have ever had the pleasure of watching. It captured the essence of the book and the feel of the characters, while still producing a visually stunning look into the near future.”
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Agasicles Stamas – “My favorite movie of the year is still The Avengers: Age of Ultron. It’s just the movie that I had the most fun in, both during and in the aftermath of discussions, podcasts, and review writing.
Chris Pirri – “Yes I did enjoy this more than Star Wars. I loved the action and just the continuing story of The Avengers. Seeing Ultron finally on the big screen brought a huge smile to my face. Hail Hydra!!!”
Ex Machina
Danny Benavides – “Sci-Fi at its best accompanied by amazing visuals. Also, one of my favorite actors of the year. Oscar Isaac kills it.”
Natalie Atkins – “This one is so hard for me! So many movies I really enjoyed and really looked forward to but was also so invested I was able to tear apart!”
Creed
Mac Thompson – “The perfect addition to the Rocky series with superb performances by everyone involved. This is the boxing movie I’ve always wanted and never knew I needed.”
SPY
Everett Harn – “It was super hard to pick one movie out of so many good ones this year, but when I try and remember how I was feeling while watching each movie, the enjoyment and laughter that SPY caused really stood out. This movie may look silly on the outside, but it’s an extremely well done spy parody and one of Melissa McCarthy’s best films to date. When they write her character with a good balance of smart jokes and silly jokes without overdoing the silly, McCarthy really shines. Plus, come on… it’s Paul Feig who directed Bridesmaids.”