Using Rotten Tomatoes as a reference point, here are examples from 2015 where our evaluations differed wildly from the general consensus. Were we completely wrong or just not drinking the right Kool-Aid?
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Rotten Tomatoes says: Stylish, subversive, and above all fun, Kingsman: The Secret Service finds director Matthew Vaughn sending up the spy genre with gleeful abandon.
We said: If The X-Factor asked its contestants to make a movie rather than cut an album, and their efforts were judged by UKIP councillors, they'd probably come up with something resembling Matthew Vaughn's latest offering. This is British cinema at its worst. (Full review here)
Blackhat
Rotten Tomatoes says: Thematically timely but dramatically inert, Blackhat strands Chris Hemsworth in a muddled misfire from director Michael Mann.
We said: After the disappointments of recent Mann snoozefests (Ali, Miami Vice, Public Enemies), Blackhat finds the Chicago auteur returning to the hyper-realism of his best work (Thief, Manhunter, LA Takedown) and all the Mann staples are present and correct. (Full review here)
Goodbye To Language
Rotten Tomatoes says: As visually thrilling as it is inscrutable, Goodbye to Language 3D offers a late-period masterpiece from a legendary director still very much in control of his craft.
We said: Once a young revolutionary who gave French cinema a much-needed shot of adrenalin, Godard is maturing with the grace of Keith Richards and Madonna. Bergman famously called him a "desperate bore," an accusation unjustified at the time but not without merit today. (Full review here)
Furious 7
Rotten Tomatoes says: Serving up a fresh round of over-the-top thrills while adding unexpected dramatic heft, Furious 7 keeps the franchise moving in more ways than one.
We said: Even by the standards of this franchise, which is now giving Transformers a run for its money in terms of awfulness, this is a terrible, terrible movie. (Full review here)
Ant-Man
Rotten Tomatoes says: Led by a charming performance from Paul Rudd, Ant-Man offers Marvel thrills on an appropriately smaller scale -- albeit not as smoothly as its most successful predecessors.
We said: Ant-Man isn't Marvel's worst movie (it'll take some doing to beat Thor: The Dark World in that regard), but it's certainly its least cinematic. (Full review here)
Trainwreck
Rotten Tomatoes says: Trainwreck drags commitment out of all but the most rom-com-phobic filmgoers with sharp humor, relatable characters, and hilarious work from Amy Schumer.
We said: Whatever intentions Schumer and Apatow had for Trainwreck, they've delivered a numbingly mainstream comedy. (Full review here)
No Escape
Rotten Tomatoes says: No Escape's talented cast and taut B-movie thrills are unfortunately offset by its one-dimensional characters and uncomfortably retrograde worldview.
We said: Relentlessly grim, and delivered at a cracking pace, No Escape's spiritual home is the drive-in, but it's worth catching at the multiplex too. (Full review here)
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Rotten Tomatoes says: Beautifully scripted and perfectly cast, Me & Earl & the Dying Girl is a coming-of-age movie with uncommon charm and insight.
We said: It's telling that, despite the subject matter, I never once felt anything for the plight of Rachel, simply because the film itself doesn't care; she's simply a prop, a clothes peg for quirky wigs. (Full review here)
Macbeth
Rotten Tomatoes says: Faithful to the source material without sacrificing its own cinematic flair, Justin Kurzel's Macbeth rises on the strength of a mesmerizing Michael Fassbender performance to join the upper echelon of big-screen Shakespeare adaptations.
We said: In Kurzel's hands, Macbeth resembles a two hour promo for a rugby final, or a Guinness commercial directed by Zack Snyder; all sound and fury, signifying nothing. (Full review here)
Room
Rotten Tomatoes says: Led by incredible work from Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, Room makes for an unforgettably harrowing -- and undeniably rewarding -- experience.
We said: Room plays like a worthwhile character study from which all the most interesting moments - those occurring before and after its protagonists speak - have been edited out to accommodate an audience raised on talky TV dramas. (Full review here)
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