Before we tie up 2015 in a neat little bow and send it on its way to the past, we’ve gotta geek out on one heckuva year at the movies. From massive blockbusters like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Furious 7 and Jurassic World to ridiculously compelling real-life stories like Spotlight, Straight Outta Compton and The Big Short, 2015 delivered the works – and the Wookiees – in a year that celebrated the awakening of nostalgia at the box office.
So what were the biggest things that happened in movies in 2015? Have a look…
The Biggest Movie – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
With over $500 million worldwide in its first five days, Star Wars: The Force Awakens smashed practically every box office record as generations of fans poured into theaters for multiple screenings of the eagerly anticipated Star Wars sequel.
No other movie dominated popular culture quite like The Force Awakens, which became a cultural event the likes of which we haven’t seen… well, since the last Star Wars movie hit theaters. Nevertheless, director J.J. Abrams successfully relaunched (and rebooted) the most successful movie franchise in history, with many fans beyond excited to see where it all goes next.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is next up to bat, hitting theaters on December 16, 2016.
The Biggest Trailer – Yup, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
2015 delivered some big movie trailers, and some memorable ones, too. From Deadpool and Suicide Squad to Captain America: Civil War and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, we certainly enjoyed our share of blockbuster previews.
But it was the year’s biggest movie – and its brilliant way of teasing us without revealing too much of its secrets – that earned the second teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens the esteemed honor of Biggest Movie Trailer of 2015.
After all, it includes the three most memorable words spoken in a movie trailer this year: “Chewie, we’re home.”
The Biggest Performance – Harrison Ford as Han Solo
He won’t be nominated for an Oscar and you won’t find his performance on any of those year-end best-of lists, but there’s no denying that Harrison Ford’s return to the role of Han Solo was not just the biggest performance of the year, but the most anticipated one, too.
And ya know what – he killed it. Ford slipped back into the shoes of the galaxy’s most notable smuggler with ease, churning out a performance that was slick, funny, heroic and incredibly heartwarming. We’d tell him that ourselves, but we already know his reply…
The Biggest Trend – Nostalgia-based movies
From Jurassic World and Creed to Terminator: Genisys and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, we’ve arrived at a time where nostalgia-based movies are making a play at those box office dollars by tapping into the warm and cozy feelings these older franchises evoke in moviegoers.
Be it the music cues in Jurassic World or Han Solo telling Chewbacca “We’re home,” nostalgia has never played such a big and pivotal role at the movies before. Sure we’ve had sequels and remakes and reboots for years now, but this newer hybrid – best described as a sequel and a reboot – is finding success by handing the reigns of a beloved property to the fans who grew up obsessed with it, like J.J. Abrams with Star Wars or Colin Treverrow with Jurassic World.
Can the trend continue to revel in its success without feeling too forced? We’ll see as 2016 promises similar attempts with the popular Independence Day and Ghostbusters franchises.
The Biggest Badass – Furiosa, Rey and Katniss
Three characters share this particular category because not only did all three rule their respective movies, but they also helped prove the value of female-driven blockbusters. Charlize Theron's ferocious and powerful performance in a male-dominated postapocalyptic wasteland earned rave reviews, placing the film among the very best of the year and a top awards contender. Her Furiosa is a leader, a warrior and the true hero of the film, as she fights alongside Tom Hardy's Max in an attempt to free a society of their power-hungry leader.
Sound familiar, Katniss? Through four movies we watched Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss help lead her own revolution against an evil empire, and while she isn't exactly on par with Katniss and Furiosa, Rey is well on her way. This self-reliant scavenger knows how to hold her own against the elements and a lightsaber-wielding Kylo Ren, proving she's the right choice to lead an all-new Star Wars franchise into the future.
The Biggest Movie News -- Spider-Man joins the Marvel cinematic universe
What's been a pipe dream for fans for years actually became a reality back in February when Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures announced a groundbreaking joint partnership that would see Spider-Man join the ongoing Marvel cinematic universe. Not only would the web-crawler be getting a new rebooted franchise, but he'd now be available to star in other Marvel movies alongside the Avengers, beginning with his first on-screen appearance in next year's Captain America: Civil War.
The news got even more interesting when Marvel finally announced who'd be playing him: Tom Holland.
The Biggest Comeback – Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in Creed
Sylvester Stallone wasn’t exactly missing from movie action before Creed, what with his successful Expendables franchise still kicking away, but his return to the character of Rocky and a franchise that was pretty much KO'd was a risk, sure, but one that proved to be well worth taking.
Not only is Creed one of the year's best movies -- and a great example of how you take an old franchise and spin it in a new way while paying homage to the elements of it fans love the most -- but Stallone gives one of the best performances of his career, and the performance as Rocky since the original.
The Biggest Surprise -- Creed
Let's keep it right here in Philly and honor a film no one saw coming. I mean, here we were with what amounted to a seventh Rocky movie, only this was a spin-off focusing on the son of Rocky's greatest nemesis (and friend), Apollo Creed. On paper you kinda just roll your eyes -- like, what could this movie deliver that we haven't already seen in six other Rocky movies? -- but the results, much of it due to writer-director Ryan Coogler, were outstanding.
Sylvester Stallone's decision to hand the reins of the franchise to a young, hungry up-and-comer proved to be a valuable one, as Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson and Stallone delivered a ferociously passionate story about... well, Rocky handing the reins of his boxing wisdom to a young, hungry up-and-comer.
The Biggest Fight Scene – Leonardo DiCaprio vs. a bear in The Revenant
2015 featured a ton of great, inventive fight scenes, but none of them quite literally brought you to the edge of your seat like the moment in The Revenant when Leonardo DiCaprio’s character is attacked by a bear. Holy crap is this scene intense.
Director Alejandro González Iñárritu is hesitant to explain how they shot it, so we’ll chalk it up to some wicked camera tricks, but watching DiCaprio get tossed around like a rag doll as he fights for his life is among one of the wildest, most visceral movie moments we’ve seen in years.
The Biggest Stunt – Tom Cruise hangs onto a plane in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
In one of the most talked-about opening sequences of the year, Tom Cruise attempts one of his most dangerous movie stunts ever by clinging to the side of a plane as it takes off – proving the 53-year-old actor may be the most fearless A-list star working today.
We salute Cruise for giving so much of himself to these Mission: Impossible movies all in the spirit of entertainment. For that reason alone, this airplane stunt is the year’s biggest (and best).
The Biggest Tearjerker Moment – That one scene in Room
Anyone who's seen Room knows exactly the scene we're talking about here.
This movie -- about a mother and son held captive in a garden shed until they decide to plot an escape -- is captivating from start to finish (with awards-worthy performances from both Brie Larson and little Jacob Tremblay), but there's one scene that grabs you by the tear ducts and never lets go.
About halfway through the film, after Ma finally decides to go through with her dangerous escape plan, the moments that follow are some of the most gut squeezing in any movie this year. You'll cry, you'll wimper, you'll cling to the edge of your seat -- quite frankly, you'll feel it all... but in a good way.
The Biggest Hidden Gem – Ex Machina
There were countless smaller movies that deserved your attention this year, many of which will no doubt pop up in awards conversations as we push toward the Academy Awards. But this freaky little sci-fi movie sort of flew under the radar when it hit theaters earlier this year, and it's time to change that.
Ex Machina, about a cubicle worker tasked with testing a new, secret humanlike artificial intelligence, features one of the year's best performances (from Alicia Vikander), not to mention a compellingly nerdy story that's both original and topical.
Oh, and this dance scene is the year's best, by the way.
