5 Most Underwhelming Films 2015

This year was filled with many great films but I was underwhelmed by a few so I thought I would continue my tradition started last year and once again make a list of these films. Remember that just because these films are on this list doesn't quite mean that I hate the film or dislike it, but rather that I had high expectations that the film didn't quite meet Be aware this isn't my 5 Worst films of 2015 but rather what films disappointed me.

5. Pixels

Pixels was a film with a great premise and great potential that just fell flat. It wasn't the worst movie I've seen this year but it wasn't anywhere near the best or even the good films.

4. Fantastic Four

Fantastic Four was a disaster. The film totally falls apart in the third act where it's clear the studio took control. The film was just very dreary and boring when it was a superhero film about a superhero team that should be bright, cheery, and fun. The reason this isn't higher on my list is because the trailers weren't particularly promising so it wasn't quite underwhelming and this isn't quite my 10 worst films of 2015 list.

3. In The Heart Of The Sea

In The Heart Of The Sea has some spectacular trailers that looked to tell a very gripping engaging story behind the tale of Moby Dick. It didn't quite measure up to what looked to be a potential Oscar contender. The biggest issue was the lackluster characters and story that failed to captivate me or make me engaged in the film.

2. Tomorrowland

I'm a part of a minority that actually can say I liked Tomorrowland however there's a very strange ending that made me very uncomfortable and just came across as creepy. This film was disappointing to me in regards that it was made by Brad Bird, who has made some incredible films (No pun intended) and it was just "good" rather than amazing or spectacular. The end of this film just tanked the film and made it "good" or mediocre to me as opposed to what it could have been.

1. The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

I didn't quite hate this film but I didn't really like it that much either. I was very disappointed as I loved The Maze Runner and had high hopes for it's sequel but the best way to describe how I felt about this film was disappointment. It just didn't quite compare to the first film in my eyes but I hope the next film will be an improvement.

'In The Heart Of The Sea' Review

In The Heart Of The Sea tells the story that inspired Moby-Dick detailing the events that occur to the crew of the Essex, a whale ship. Now the premise of the film and it's trailers certainly made it seem as though it is an action adventure film on the high seas but these are very misleading. While there is indeed some action in the film, it is very limited to a few whale attacks which are quite enjoyable.  Aside from this the film is very dialogue driven, although at times it was very difficult to hear the dialogue over the score and the sound effects at sea. The fact that the film is so dialogue driven cripples the film as it makes the film drag at times and made it seem quite boring. This wasn't helped by the lack of characterization for the characters, literally none of the characters were very developed or presented with any depth. This hurt the film most during the whale attacks as it dramatically reduced my interest in their survival. The acting on display was very high quality but wasn't quite able to help this issue which lies in the script. Chris Hemsworth did the best he could as the first mate of the ship, Owen Chase, but his character like every other character in the film is bland.  I tried to pay particularly close attention to newcomer Tom Holland, who will be the next incarnation of Spider-Man in Marvel's upcoming Captain America: Civil War, and he did quite well in the role provided for him despite the fact that it was very one note. The rest of the cast is serviceable and didn't ever peek my interest but I was very impressed by the physical changes the cast underwent to actually portray a starved image for the film. Ron Howard directs the film and he really makes a point to capture some gorgeous shots with some fantastic camera work with his cinematography team. Despite all of it's flaws, there is some enjoyment to be found in this film through the performances and camera work. Overall, In The Heart Of The Sea is a decent moviegoing experience but I can't quite recommend the film as it drags throughout with the exposition and then the resolution of the story. If you are interested in seeing a film this weekend I would suggest Creed for adults, The Good Dinosaur for family entertainment and thats if you weren't able to snag a ticket to Star Wars: The Force Awakens of course.

Film Assessment: D