2014 in Film

Visually stunning and action-packed animated comedy will not disappoint. The animation, while CG for most part, looks deceptively like stop-motion and has some of the finest animation since Coraline, Rango, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.

A visual feast rivaling that of LEGO Movie with its hands-on stop-motion animation. It was better than Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit in terms of its quirks and love for cheese but not as good or as sinister as LAIKA Animation's other films.

The most intriguing action film of the year. Entertaining setting, good action scenes, and a surprisingly dark sense of humour. They need to release this over in the UK sometime soon.

The most violent and energetic action film you'll see since...ever. This over-the-top yet enthralling work ups the ante on the martial arts movements, brutality, and even screenwriting to 90 degrees from the original. An 18-cert. film with dignity written on its sleeve.

For haters of the first, this will shut them up. Personally, I thought the second film could've benefited from a darker-edged ending and the addition of missing scenes from the trailer. Still, the action, L.A. setting, characters, and violence are amplified 115 degrees north. The themes are its main selling point- what would you do if all crime was legal between 19:00 (7pm) to 07:00 (7am) on a March night?

A nice and unexpectedly funny comedy-drama about bringing Indian cricket players to play American baseball is a feast for the eyes. Good performances all-round including from Jon Hamm or Mr. Draper.

Think Roger Rabbit meets The Matrix. A very daring and imaginative journey that fulfills your mind with excellent animation and surrealism and critical jabs at Hollywood. The story, on the other hand, is not one to cheer for too much.

*A note for parents, the film, while half-animated, is intended more for teenagers and adults than infants and small kids due to a sex scene, mature themes, and coarse language.

A slow-burning piece of existential drivel from David Michod starring Guy Pearce. It could've benefited from more explanation of its premise and a faster, better pace but what are you going to do?

A very self-aware, ambiguous, and critical take on sensationalist news media and young man's ambition in finding a get-rich-quick scheme (which either mocks or promotes what he is trying to do). Fine performance from Jake Gyllenhaal and a better Oscar contender than Gone Girl and Foxcatcher.

Quirky yet a bit flawed music comedy/satire that makes use of Michael Fassbender with a neo-Frank Sidebottom mask. Better viewed as an experience or a fan of films like Spinal Tap and Blues Brothers than anything.

A visual delight and a reminder that anime is not just all about robots and fanservice. Intriguing premise about an aviation engineer and a flawed man is so emotional that it even puts some live-action films to shame. The finest film Studio Ghibli has done since Howl's Moving Castle back in 2005.

A loose yet entertaining and relaxing travelogue set in Iceland featuring two geriatric actors who make use of the running time with some very entertaining almost ad-lib conversations and gazes into the scenery of the country.

A funny and mild-mannered comedy that showcases a softer, more realistic side of Jon Favreau. The finest cooking film since Ratatouille and kind of a satirical jab on culinary industry too.

A deceptively by-the-numbers action-thriller that plays out a lot like Cape Fear, Drive, and even Killer Joe with Dan Stevens pulling off the face and mannerisms of Ryan Gosling and Matthew McConaughey. It is more for hipsters than average moviegoers due to its intriguing 80s synth score and infrequent irony.

An intriguing set-up for what is a taxing 82-minute ride into a BMW X5 as Tom Hardy's character shown dealing with a personal, familial, and work conflict on his hands. Powerful acting and beautiful shots make for a convincing but boring watch...and well-done product placement too.

Intriguing and mysterious thriller that is more a comment and critique on marriage, sex lives, the media, and the legal system than just a plain old woman-gone-missing mystery. However, it's fair to say it feels more like a TV drama (e.g. Lifetime) than a film to watch on the big screen. Very happy to know it was one of the few 18-cert. films to make big money and get buzz this year.

Hilarious and over-the-top sequel to what was a weak and unfunny first film adaptation of the TV series. The sequel takes it to Australia making it all the more different from the original's Kevin & Perry Go Large-wannabe mentality.

A very entertaining and involving anthology of short films detailing about the workings of the U.S. economy in the eyes of comedians, filmmakers, animation, and even art installations. My favourite ones are Taxation Nation and Debt v. Deficit.

An enriching and extremely vivid animate documentary that looks into the theories and ideas of Noam Chomsky, a controversial anarchist, linguist, and political activist. Michel Gondry has upped his game with a self-regimented animation structure even if the visuals and dialogue can distract sometimes.