Top 10 Movies of 2014

Hello internet universe!! It's been a while since I last posted but life gets in the way. Meanwhile, I hope you've all had a wonderful holidays! The new year is approaching and as 2014 is coming to a close, I've decided that I will have two back-to-back posts on my favorites movies and tv shows of 2014!!!! Today I will rank my top ten favorite movies of the year. This may contain spoilers so you are forewarned!!


Up first are honorable mentions aka the movies I enjoyed but not enough to make the list!

The Hundred Foot Journey

First up is The Hundred Foot Journey! This movie was something that popped out of nowhere and I loved it! I ended up watching it because I was bored and I wanted to watch a movie and it turned out to be fantastic! I loved the plot! I loved the characters! The scenery was beautiful and the food looked so good! The character arcs were fantastic and you really bonded with everyone. The romances were so adorable and well-developed and the music was perfect and it really allowed you to feel like you were a part of the world! All-in-all it was a fun little movie and one that is highly enjoyable

Mr Peabody & Sherman

Next up on my honorary mention list is Mr Peabody & Sherman! Again this was a movie that I wasn't planning on seeing but when I was bored enough, I checked it out and it was precious. This was definitely a kids movie but sometimes there's nothing wrong with that! The characters were very cute and the adventure was fun! The climax was exciting and the ending was amazing! I loved the time-travel aspect of the movie and the character arcs were fun! It's definitely a movie you should check out if you have time!


And now, let's get to my top 10 favorite movies!!!!

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Coming in at number 10 is.... How to Train Your Dragon 2!!! Animated sequels are always a throw-up between better than the first or not as good and this movie was actually just as fun as the first! It was fun to see the characters grow up a little and how the relationships changed between the first movie and this one. I really enjoyed meeting the new characters and Hiccup's mom! The meeting between Hiccup's parents was so beautiful and I almost cried when they danced. The villain was great and I loved the climax and how Toothless was hypnotized into forgetting Hiccup and everyone he loved! The ending was perfect and the movie was a fun one!

Lucy

At number 9 is... Lucy!! I love Scarlett Johansson and the fact that she had a movie coming out where she was the main character made me very excited! When I finally saw the trailer I was even more excited because the plot looked fantastic! And after watching it, I have to say it was amazing! I loved how mind-bendy the movie was and the amount of physics that was present. It was definitely a sci-fi movie which is nothing to be ashamed about! I loved Morgan Freeman's character and the acting from everyone was awesome! The ending was super confusing but looking back, it was perfect. This movie definitely proved that Scarlett could hold her own!

Vampire Academy

Coming in at number 8 is... Vampire Academy! I know what you're thinking. Another vampire movie? But wait! This movie was NOTHING like Twilight or any vampire movie or show that has existed. Vampire Academy was based on a book series which I have always heard is great but I never actually checked out. Having said that, this movie was amazing! It had humor, great one-liners, sarcasm, amazing fight scenes and best of all, little to no brooding! How's that for a surprise? The final twist at the end was great and I totally didn't see it coming! It definitely was the biggest surprise of the year for me and it made me want to see the next one right away!

Guardians of the Galaxy

At number 7 is... Guardians of the Galaxy! Originally I didn't want to see this movie because honestly it looked silly to me and nothing about it really caught my attention. Then it exploded all over the internet and I couldn't stop hearing about how great this movie was. It made me curious and when I heard that characters from this movie may appear in other Marvel movies, my mind was made up and I decided to check it out. And I was pleasantly surprised. The movie was funny, it was smart, and it was sad. I enjoyed all the different characters and the plot was great although I felt like a lot of the drama could have been avoided. The 90s soundtrack was hilarious and Groot had to be the best part of the movie. When he sacrificed himself to save the others, I teared up and the post-credits scene where he danced was the best moment of the entire movie!

The Amazing Spiderman 2

Coming in at number 6 is... The Amazing Spiderman 2! Despite most people disliking this movie and it being a box-office flop, I really really liked it and I don't know why others didn't! Spiderman has never been my favorite superhero but the reboot with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone definitely has a soft spot in my heart. Their chemistry is off the charts, the plot with Electra was great and the Green Goblin was a great moment. I do think that they should have stuck to one villain instead of the amount they did but overall I did enjoy the movie! I cried at the ending of the movie when Gwen died and although I sort of knew it was coming because of the comics, I still wasn't prepared! It was the perfect ending and showed that this world still has it's risks!

Divergent

At number 5 is.... Divergent! This might be a movie many of you didn't check out simply because it was billed as a young adult movie but I've read the books and Divergent was my favorite of the trilogy so you can imagine I was excited by the movie. Although I originally wasn't a fan of the casting, after watching the movie, I cannot imagine anyone else in the roles! The movie stayed true to the books and I loved the moments that were picked! The simulations were incredible and I loved the fight scenes! The ending was exactly how I pictured it and I can't wait for the second movie to come out!

Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

Coming in at number 4 is.... Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1!!! Although Catching Fire has always been my favorite book of the trilogy, Mockingjay was probably my least favorite. Katniss spent most of the book hating where she was and missing Peeta and when she finally got him back, he hated her so although I wanted to see this movie, I wasn't extremely excited. But having said that, the movie was incredible! It actually made me like the first half of the book more! I loved how Katniss's PTSD was portrayed and how the propaganda was filmed! The cut scenes between District 13 and the other districts was epic and it really showed us the effect Katniss had on the rest of the world which wasn't shown in the books. And then there was The Hanging Tree song. It was better than I could ever have imagined it and the movie actually made me love the way Katniss felt after the second Hunger Games!

The Lego Movie

At number 3 is... The Lego Movie!!! What can I even say about this movie other than how freaking amazing it was!? This was hands down the best comedy of the year and you wouldn't believe how many times I've watched this movie. The songs were hilarious, the characters were amazing and I loved how the movie was animated. I got absurdly thrilled everytime something blew up and legos flew everywhere. The idea that the entire movie was actually controlled by a little kid who was having fun was such a fun twist in the end! I loved how all the characters were portrayed and the final fight scene was so epic!

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Coming in at number 2 is... X-Men: Days of Future Past!! X-men holds a dear spot in my heart and I was so excited when I heard that this movie was going to show the First Class as well as bring back the original cast. It was amazing to see how they all grew up. I enjoyed everything about this movie. Time travel is always fun so Wolverine traveling back in time was great! I loved the plot. I loved the characters. I loved the Sentinels. I loved the fight scenes. It was crazy how everyone was killed during the climax and just when you thought everything was over, they first class kicked ass and took names! It was hilarious that this movie rewrote X3: The Last Stand cause clearly that movie was garbage and no lie, I teared up when Logan saw Jean was alive. And Cyclops is alive again!! The acting was fantastic especially on James Mcavoy's part! And Quicksilver definitely stole the show! He had one of the best moments of the entire movie! This movie made me love the franchise even more than I did and I'm so excited for Apocalypse!

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

And finally, at number 1 is... Captain America: The Winter Soldier!! I'm sure you saw this coming but what can I say? You read my raving review of the movie when it came out. You knew how much I love Captain America. You must have known this was coming! Now that I have had some time to get off the high of this movie, I can still say it was one of my favorite Marvel movies of all times. The acting was fantastic, the plot kept you on the edge of your seat and the twist with Hydra was genius. I loved that although this was a Captain America movie, the side-characters were all still kickass. I loved how Cap was portrayed because many people forget how truly badass he is between the other super-powered heroes. The fight scenes between Cap and the Winter Soldier were some of the best choreographed fights and even though I knew Cap had to live, they kept you guessing! The movie was emotional and again showed that there are always risks in this world. Check out my in-depth review for more!


And that concludes my top 10 movies of 2014! I hope you enjoyed reading it and weren't too put off by my fangirling but if you don't fangirl over a movie, what's the fun in watching it? Do you agree or disagree with my opinions? Sound off in the comments below and let me know what you're favorite movies of 2014 were!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 TV Shows of 2014

Hey hey!!! I'm back with my top ten favorite tv shows of 2014!! Now these are all opinions so if you don't agree with them, sound off in the comments below. This may contain spoilers!!! Also don't forget to check out my Top 10 TV Shows of 2013 list!


First of, I want to start off with honorable mentions. These shows are shows that I binge-watched in 2014 and loved but no longer air so they aren't on my top 10 list!

BBC Merlin

First up is the BBC version of Merlin which was cancelled a while back haha but I finally got around to watching it thanks to my younger brother!! I've always loved the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and as you know, I thought this was probably the best tv adaption of the legend I've ever seen!! I loved the bromance between Merlin and Arthur and how evil Morgana was!! Gwen and Arthur had a ton of chemistry and I loved the magic plots. My only complaints with this show would have been the fact that it wasn't serialized and that it had a "big bad" of the week. As you probably know, I'm not a huge fan of stand-on-their-own weekly episodes. I also wish that Arthur would have been crowned king earlier than he was and that the show hadn't been cancelled when it was. Click here to see all my Merlin posts!

Witches of East End

Next up on my honorary mentions is Witches of East End!! If you remember, this show was on my top 10 of 2013 list and normally this would be on my top 10 of 2014 list too but unfortunately Witches of East End was cancelled recently. The cancellation was very annoying as I really enjoyed this show and I really hate when shows end without all the storylines wrapped up. The second season was not as great as the first but it was still amazing! I loved Frederick and King Gramps appearing and how morally ambiguous Freddie was throughout the season because as you know, I think the characters that live in the grey area are the most interesting!! The chemistry between Freya and Killian was killer and I was so looking forward to Dash going full-on evil! This show had some of the strongest female characters I've ever seen and I loved how the Beauchamp family was at the forefront of the show unlike most others where family takes a backseat to romance. It will be missed.... Click here to see all my Witches of East End posts!


Now onto my top 10!!!!!

The Night Shift

Coming in at number 10 is.... The Night Shift!!! I'm usually not into shows like this. I prefer those in the genre of supernatural/dystopian or period dramas or superhero shows so this fun summer show caught me off guard with how much I actually enjoyed it! The characters were relatable, the medical plots were fun and the chemistry between TC and Jordan was amazing! Even Krista and Landry grew on me because if you remember when I wrote my initial review of the show, I wasn't a huge fan of them. And if that's not enough, Eoin Macken aka Gwaine from Merlin is the the main character and does a fantastic American accent! Season 2 is airing in February and I'm very excited. Click here to see all my Night Shift posts!

Vikings

Number 9 is.... Vikings!!! Surprising right? Now I had not known anything about this show when I first checked it out other than the fact that it followed a family of Vikings but I decided to watch it because after Outlander ended and I finished watching the Musketeers, I was aching for a new period drama. I heard plenty of good things about this show so I jumped into the show headfirst and I found that I did end up enjoying it. The characters were all 3-dimensional and interesting. Their arcs were all fascinating and I do not think that there is a single character on the show that did not evolve whether that evolution was good or bad. This show had one of the best brotherly relationships I've ever seen and the females of the show can definitely hold their own! The only complaint I have about Vikings has to be that it started to get a little boring towards the middle of season 2 but that was quickly resolved. I also didn't enjoy how Ragnar set aside Lagertha just because he wanted more sons but I loved how she went on to become a Earl! Season 3 will be airing in February and I'm excited! Click here to see all my Vikings posts!

The Musketeers

At number 8 is.... The Musketeers!!! What to say about this show.... Simply put, I loved every single moment. I loved the theme song of the show, I loved all the characters, I loved the plot for each episode and I loved all the romances! Although this show took a procedural route, I barely noticed it because of how well written and how connected each episode was to each other. I've always enjoyed the story of the Three Musketeers and although much of this first season followed the normal story of the Musketeers, I still enjoyed it and I can't wait to see where the show goes now! I loved the bromance between the Musketeers and the fight scenes on the show were epic! And if that's not enough, Santiago Cabrera aka Lancelot from Merlin plays Aramis!! Season 2 will be airing in January!!! Click here to see all my Musketeers posts! 

Black Sails

Coming in at number 7 is.... Black Sails!!! You knew this was coming after how I talked about how much I liked it in my review and let me tell you, Black Sails was one of my favorite summer shows!! There were so many characters on this show that many should have been underdeveloped or forgotten about but Black Sails was amazing at building each character enough so that you care about each one. I know there were a lot of complaints about the show being "slow" for a pirate show but I loved the slow pace because by allowing you to get to know each character, there will be more at stake once the fighting and real drama happens. I loved each episode and that many of the characters were pirates in real life! The scenery was fantastically made and the politics of the show is so interesting! On top of all this, Tom Hopper aka Percival from Merlin and Jessica Parker Kennedy aka Melissa from The Secret Circle play Bones and Max respectively. Click here to see all my Black Sails posts!

Outlander

Number 6 is.... Outlander!!! Yes yes another period drama but what can I say? 2014 was chock full of fantastic ones!! Outlander was another one of these. Although I have never read the books, the show was highly enjoyable! Between time travel, kilts and the chemistry between Claire and Jamie this show had it all!! I loved every single one of the characters on this show from the villains to the heroes! Claire is such a smart and strong female lead and Jamie is the sweetest man I have ever seen on screen. I loved the slow acceptance of Claire into the Mckenzie clan and how quickly Claire accepted her situation because I would have been so annoyed if it took her several episodes to get out of denial! Their wedding was amazing and that episode has to be one of my favorites. Black Jack Randall is a terrifying villain and it's amazing how Tobias Menzies is able to contrast Black Jack with Frank!! The scenery is incredible and I cannot wait until March when the second half of season 1 airs!! Click here to check out all my Outlander posts!

The Flash

At number 5 is... The Flash!!! You had to have known this show was going to be on my list!! Superheroes hold my heart and I've accepted it. This show was incredible and such a different take on the genre. The Flash doesn't take itself too seriously and it's much more lighthearted than most superhero shows and movies recently! I love all of the characters and how the show keeps you on your toes by hinting at comic book characters but not telling you who they are! The chemistry between Iris and Barry is incredible and so is the chemistry between Caitlin and Ronnie! Cisco is hilarious and Joe is a great father figure. I love that the big bad of the season is the Reverse Flash!! Way to pull out the big guns early! The Rogue's gallery is great and one of my only complaints would be that I wish the show would drop the procedural element and focus on a serialized format. Barry learns lessons each week but they never seem to stick. Throughout this first half of the season, every character I was iffy about in the pilot, I now love!! Season 1 returns in January! Click here to see all my Flash posts!

The 100

Coming in at number 4 is...... The 100!! Although I loved season 1 of this show, season 2 has amped up everything that made this show incredible and here we are at number 4 on my list!! The 100 is a post-apocalyptic show that follows the survivors of a nuclear apocalypse and it pulls no punches when it comes to killing off characters! This show has some of the absolute best written women I have ever seen and unlike what Witches of East End did, the men are amazing and strong too. All of the characters have evolved so much from the pilot and the war between the Grounders and the 100 and Mount Weather is one of the best storylines I've seen on tv. The show gets very dark sometimes and one the best parts is that no one on the show is inherently good or bad. Everyone has multiple layers. The scenery is amazing and the cliffhangers really leave you wanting more! Unfortunately it's not doing so well in ratings and it will be heartbreaking if the show is cancelled... Season 2 returns in January! Click here to see all my 100 posts.

Once Upon A Time

Number 3 is.... Once Upon a Time!!! I love love love this show! At first I was hesitant to watch it because I was worried that the show might make fun of fairy tales but I quickly realized that wasn't true. Although the second half of season 3 and the first half of season 4 weren't the best, this show is incredible. I love all the characters (although Rumpelstiltskin, Hook and Belle are my favorites) and I loved most of the villains (Peter Pan was my favorite although Cora was amazing too). The evolution of the characters are very well written from Regina and Hook's redemption to Emma's acceptance of her life and her family. The romances between Hook and Emma, Rumple and Belle, Snow and Charming and Regina and Robin Hood are amazing as well as the chemistry between all of these pairs. I really enjoy going into a new world each half season and seeing what kind of spin the show puts on these classics. The love between the Charming family is one of the best parts of this show. Although sometimes the show looses track of characters due to the large amount of them, it does pretty well! Season 4 returns in March!! Click here to see all my Once Upon a Time posts!

Agents Of SHIELD

At number 2 is.... Agents of SHIELD!!! I don't have enough words to describe how great of a show this is. Despite what most people said, I loved loved loved the first half of season 1 and I loved getting to know each character. I also liked the procedural elements of the show but once the second half of the season 1 came around, it became serialized and the show became ten times better! It took so many risks and even made one of the team members a sleeper agent!! The fight against Hydra became a major plot point and I ended each episode wanting more. Season 2 became even better and honestly I am always in awe at how every time I think this show can't get any more amazing, it does. Each and every character has a special place in my heart and the fact that inhumans have been introduced into the show makes me so excited! I really enjoy that although there are romantic elements in the show, they take a backseat to the action. The fight scenes are one of the best parts of the show and not a single character remains underdeveloped. The second half of season 2 comes back in March and I can't wait! Click here to see all my Agents of SHIELD posts!

Arrow

And number 1 is.... Arrow!! Arrow is probably the most amazing show I have ever watched. It has literally everything in it from action to romance to great characters to amazing storylines to epic villains!! The fight scenes of this show are so well choreographed and executed. The chemistry between Felicity and Oliver leaps off the tv screen and sizzles and the friendship between Team Arrow is so incredible that they really act like one big family. A lot of the characters have evolved so much that they're leaps and bounds from where they originally were. The storylines keep you on the edge of your seat and the villains are the absolute best. You can't help but love to hate them! The show pulls no punches and the cliffhangers leave you wanting more. It doesn't back away from the comic books but embraces them. Lazarus Pit anyone? And the costumes! Have you ever seen superheroes look so badass from Arrow to Arsenal to Canary to Ra's Al Ghul!! Season 1 was a little slow but season 2 was amazing and season 3 is even better! Arrow was the show that opened the silver screen to other superhero shows and it made me embrace my DC side!! Season 3 returns in January! Click here to see all my Arrow posts!


And with that, my list of top 10 favorite tv shows is complete. Do you agree? Do you disagree? What are your top 10 shows of 2014? I hope you all had a wonderful 2014 and here's to 2015 being great as well!

xoxo Allie