The Top 10 Movies of 2014

/ / Top Tens & Lists

The Top 10 Movies of 2014

Family, friendship, and the struggle to find oneself’s place in the world were the big themes on my list this year. Looking back the year might not have offered me the clear winner to top the list (I gave out no perfect score for any film this year), but it still offered a solid list of ten movies worth noting and celebrating. As always, I tried to see as much as possible but there are a few films, most notably Whiplash and Gone Girl, which eluded me. Others like Foxcatcher, Inherent Vice, and American Sniper won’t release in my home market in 2014 (and which I was unable to view and/or review before the publishing of this list) are also not included (although you might see a couple of them turn up in my mid-year list of Best Movies of 2015 So Far next year). Enough with what didn’t make the cut, here is my list of the Top Ten Movies of 2014.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #18

/ / Comics

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #18Trapped inside a sinking Kraang Laboratory at the bottom of the ocean Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: New Animated Adventures #18 offers the conclusion to last month’s story as Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael will have to put aside their feelings and work alongside Tiger Claw, Razah, and the bug-eyed Baxter Stockman to survive.

Of course the solid (if unexceptional) adventure ends in the villains betraying the heroes (just as Raphael predicted) but the quick thinking of the Turtles allows the group to make it home safely while sending their enemies on an unexpected side trip which is sure to infuriate them even more.

The holiday-themed back-up story offers a bit more enjoyment as Mikey freaks out discovering he’s been chosen as Raphael’s Secret Santa. However, knowing his brother so well, Mikey eventually comes up with the best present anyone could ever give Raph for Christmas. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Mario Kart 8

/ / Gaming News & Reviews 
  • Title: Mario Kart 8
  • wiki: link

Mario Kart 8The first version of Mario Kart made specifically for the Wii U, Mario Kart 8 is a beautifully rendered and insanely fun game that all fans of the series (or of any racing games) should want to pick up as soon as possible. Adding new racers and tracks and anti-gravity racing (allowing characters to race sideways or even upside down on certain tracks) to the already winning formula, the latest installment follows the traditional set-up of crazy tracks and a free-for-all mentality allowing players to unlock new characters, tracks, and bonuses with each win.

Donkey Kong remains my favorite character (usually on some version of a motorcycle), but the latest version of the game includes a variety of new racers including DLC and unlockables such as Link and the Koopalings each of whom bring their own strengths and weaknesses to the game. And the courses themselves, finally rendered in true HD for the first time, are beautiful to behold and both amazing and occasionally frustrating to play through based on the strengths of your racer and vehicle. Online and versus play are also available.

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Ultimate Spider-Man – Nightmare on Christmas

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Ultimate Spider-Man – Nightmare on Christmas
  • wiki: link

Ultimate Spider-Man - Nightmare on Christmas

After stopping the Shocker‘s (Troy Baker) latest robbery on Christmas Eve, Spider-Man (Drake Bell) has a crisis of faith about whether or not being Spidey is actually helping anyone. Giving a tour through Christmases past, present, and future by the angel and devil on his shoulder Spidey takes a look back over his career and considers, for a brief time, hanging up the tights.

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Smallville Season Eleven: Continuity #1

/ / Comics

Smallville Season Eleven: Continuity #1After setting up the event in several of the previous mini-series, Smallville Season Eleven: Continuity brings a new Crisis to the Smallville Universe. Lois and Clark may have been able to make it home from a parallel Earth but not before the Monitors have begun deconstructing time and space in the reality they know as home. With all reality being erased, ripped apart to a molecule level, and rewritten, Superman has very little time to save his home.

Writer Bryan Q. Miller gets a little timey-wimey in his explanation of what is occurring across time and space (but not quite all at once as there are pockets left out for heroes to fight back from) but it works well-enough as the set-up to a world-ending event which will need all hands on deck to stop.

The bleak situation should allow the comic to bring back a wide assortment of characters to fight against the end of their universe. Not only do we get the regular Smallville cast but Batman, Nightwing, Zatanna, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and others all make an appearance here as Superman must lead his friends into war. Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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