OFFICIAL: Best CBM of 2014 thread (so far)

[craigdbfan]

GotG, TWS and DOFP are three great movies. That's why choosing which is best has been hard for me. I loved all three of them, I just have to figure out which I loved more.

I'm leaning towards Guardians though and I may press the trigger sometime before the year is over.

 

[TalismanRing]

TWS pulling away, I am surprised it is winning personally, out of all 3 it got the worst critical reception and by the time GOTG finishes its run it will have likely made the least WW as well.

As said, the difference in critical reception is quite negligible. Just flip four pos/neg "3/5" reviews for each and that % ranking would change.

Look even beyond the whole 3% difference in RT scores at the RT average and there's a .1 difference between all three. A tenth of a percent. Considering that many of the top reviewers don't even give numerical or alphabetical ratings even that's not exactly accurate either. It's splitting hairs.

CATWS: 7.6/10
DOFP: 7.6/10
GOTG: 7.7/10

Box office doesn't mean much in regard to critical reception and as it related to audience reception it's impacted by different release dates (there's a reason Cap 3 will be opening in May) and different tones and kind of films. GOTG is easily the most family/kid friendly of the three movies so it's better legs in the summer isn't surprising.

They also made different amounts in different countries. ASM2 WW is within spitting difference of all three, so why is it lagging so far behind in the poll? GOTG might not make more than Thor:TDW O/S - so does that mean TDW is liked more by everyone on the planet outside the U.S? All of these films are going to make about $500m less than Iron Man 3 is it more loved than all three by about 65%?

The best reviewed CBM of the year is Snowpiercer with a 95% RT rating and an 8.1 avg. (even higher among top critics) and it's made ... $4.6m in the U.S. B.O. and about $90m WW. It's not even listed on the poll while Sin City, Transformers 4 and TMNT are which isn't surprising but is depressing.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

As said, the difference in critical reception is quite negligible. Just flip four pos/neg "3/5" reviews for each and that % ranking would change.

Look even beyond the whole 3% difference in RT scores at the RT average and there's a .1 difference between all three. A tenth of a percent. Considering that many of the top reviewers don't even give numerical or alphabetical ratings even that's not exactly accurate either. It's splitting hairs.

CATWS: 7.6/10
DOFP: 7.6/10
GOTG: 7.7/10

Box office doesn't mean much in regard to critical reception and as it related to audience reception it's impacted by different release dates (there's a reason Cap 3 will be opening in May) and different tones and kind of films. GOTG is easily the most family/kid friendly of the three movies so it's better legs in the summer isn't surprising.

They also made different amounts in different countries. ASM2 WW is within spitting difference of all three, so why is it lagging so far behind in the poll? GOTG might not make more than Thor:TDW O/S - so does that mean TDW is liked more by everyone on the planet outside the U.S? All of these films are going to make about $500m less than Iron Man 3 is it more loved than all three by about 65%?

The best reviewed CBM of the year is Snowpiercer with a 95% RT rating and an 8.1 avg. (even higher among top critics) and it's made ... $4.6m in the U.S. B.O. and about $90m WW. It's not even listed on the poll while Sin City, Transformers 4 and TMNT are which isn't surprising but is depressing.

I strongly disagree with the bolded, there were some dark moments in GOTG and some VERY blue comments and jokes, it also had more swear words than TWS and possibly DOFP. I would say TWS was more kid friendly personally.

As for the rest, I know full well Box Office doesnt equal quality, but it does equal popularity amount the GA, and TWS may end up at the bottom of that WW, thats what it it looking like at the moment at least

And yeah 3% isnt a huge difference, but its something, it means TWS got more negative reviews than the other 2 did. Listen if people think its the best, they think its the best, all I was saying was that taking everything into account I am surprised it is winning the poll. I am also surprised GOTG doesnt have more votes.

 

[Erzengel]

And yeah 3% isnt a huge difference, but its something, it means TWS got more negative reviews than the other 2 did. Listen if people think its the best, they think its the best, all I was saying was that taking everything into account I am surprised it is winning the poll.

In terms of RT it's really not, you're talking about the difference of 8 more people giving TWS negative reviews.

If it this was TASM2 winning this poll, that would be saying something.

The movies are so close in terms of reviews, that the difference is miniscule.

 

[TalismanRing]

TWS at it's heart is a political action thriller in muted blues and greys. The violence is also more adult and less comic book-ized with it shooting, stabbing and bludgeoning. In a couple of countries in Europe it was rated 15 because of the violence which meant no children under 15 were allowed to see it - even with an adult.

Likewise, DOFP skewed toward an older audience with themes of genocide, prejudice and some graphic on screen violence.

I'm not saying that TWS and DOFP didn't have a partial family and kids audience or that GOTG is a kids movie or even a family movie but it is more family friendly. GOTG's daily and w/e box office patterns in the summer and now fall hew closer to family films than more adult skewed ones as concerns weekday/weekend drops and rises. That it has adult aspects does not negate that it also is more appealing toward younger children - for whom those blue comments pass right over their heads. It's a very colorful often funny space adventure with a talking racoon and a tree and ends in a dance off - of course that's going to appeal more to children than a political thriller action film or a time travel movie to stop the genocide of mutants.

And yeah 3% isnt a huge difference, but its something, it means TWS got more negative reviews than the other 2 did. Listen if people think its the best, they think its the best, all I was saying was that taking everything into account I am surprised it is winning the poll. I am also surprised GOTG doesnt have more votes.

That 3% difference in RT pos/neg (all of about 8 votes) coupled with the nearly identical 7.6/7.7 average would then indicate that the positive votes were then slightly higher in terms of grades for TWS than DOFP or GOTG, or that the negative votes were less negative...

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

^But there was a difference, and TWS was the lowest of that. I just find that interesting considered its winning here. I dont care that its winning, as TWS, DOFP and GOTG were all great and all deserve to win, I just find it surprising and interesting the one that got the (admittedly marginal) worst critic score is winning.

 

[Hunter Rider]

^But there was a difference, and TWS was the lowest of that. I just find that interesting considered its winning here. I dont care that its winning, as TWS, DOFP and GOTG were all great and all deserve to win, I just find it surprising and interesting the one that got the (admittedly marginal) worst critic score is winning.

Critics and fans are often miles apart in their views of films.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Critics and fans are often miles apart in their views of films.

Its not miles apart here though, thats what I find interesting. Because in general, well reviewed CBM's tend to be the ones that get voted the best by fans, many CBM's are proof of that.

Its a sharp contrast to last years poll, when MOS won even though it was most poorly reviewed of all the major blockbuster CBM's. Here its just the lowest rated of the big 3 thats winning t:.

 

[Erzengel]

I just don't get the "surprise" and "interesting" because the critic score is as you admit marginal.

We all understand what you mean but the way you make it sound, it's like TWS got a 54% RT score and is winning.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I just don't get the "surprise" and "interesting" because the critic score is as you admit marginal.

We all understand what you mean but the way you make it sound, it's like TWS got a 54% RT score and is winning.

Wait, it did didnt it? . I am kidding of course, I just it interesting especially that GOTG isnt in with more of a shout of winning this, when I made this poll, I thought if any movie would run away with it, it would be that.

 

[Flint Marko]

Cap, Guardians, and x-men are all pretty much excellent films. To say one is "slightly better" because it has one or two more percentage points on RT is absurd.
I'm glad people chose Cap, because I think it is by far the best superhero movie this year.

 

[Saitou Hajime]

I just it interesting especially that GOTG isnt in with more of a shout of winning this, when I made this poll, I thought if any movie would run away with it, it would be that.

Eh, not really. In "best of the year" polls, the "serious" movies often get the nod over the "fun" movie. The fact that TWS and DOFP happened to be extraordinarily exceptional increases their edge even further, even if GOTG was their counterpart in the opposite spectrum.

 

[StarkTheProdigy]

Eh, not really. In "best of the year" polls, the "serious" movies often get the nod over the "fun" movie. The fact that TWS and DOFP happened to be extraordinarily exceptional increases their edge even further, even if GOTG was their counterpart in the opposite spectrum.

Serious or funny has nothing to do with it. Whether or not a movie has heart is key in my opinion which all three including GOTG have

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Cap, Guardians, and x-men are all pretty much excellent films. To say one is "slightly better" because it has one or two more percentage points on RT is absurd.
I'm glad people chose Cap, because I think it is by far the best superhero movie this year.

Not one person has said that?

Serious or funny has nothing to do with it. Whether or not a movie has heart is key in my opinion which all three including GOTG have

Agreed. All 3 had a lot of heart, and a lot of emotion, but DOFP had the most emotion, were as for me TWS had the least. GOTG probably had the best balance between heart, emotion and fun.

 

[Flint Marko]

Not one person has said that?

Apologies then, I didn't read closely enough

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

Not one person has said that?



Agreed. All 3 had a lot of heart, and a lot of emotion, but DOFP had the most emotion, were as for me TWS had the least. GOTG probably had the best balance between heart, emotion and fun.

Agreed, I was surprised and delighted at the amount of heart in that movie

 

[SymbioteKal-El]

Agreed, I was surprised and delighted at the amount of heart in that movie

Same here, I think it has the most heart out of any MCU movie, and as Gunn said it would, a lot of it cam through Rocket.

 

[SofNascimento]

It's a difficult choice between The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy. I have to go with the latter because if I had to pick one to watch again, it would be it. Also, space.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

Apologies then, I didn't read closely enough

It happens, no problem

Agreed, I was surprised and delighted at the amount of heart in that movie

Same here, I think its something the MCU movies in general have lacked, along with emotional moments, but GOTG had plenty of both and they are a couple of the reasons I think its the best MCU movie.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

And DOFP re-takes the lead, this has yo-yo'd so much between DOFP and TWS its amazing, once they are both out on BD/DVD I think we may finally get a definitive winner in this poll.

 

[MarvelU]

And DOFP re-takes the lead, this has yo-yo'd so much between DOFP and TWS its amazing, once they are both out on BD/DVD I think we may finally get a definitive winner in this poll.

The extended cut of DOFP is also coming out next year, so who knows.

For me, it has been hard to choose between The Winter Soldier and X-Men. The Winter Soldier is the best Marvel Studios movie IMO just in terms of story. The X-Men movie had the best acting out of the superhero movies and also a good story. Guardians for me was really good due to the ambition of a space adventure with unknown characters, but the plot was basic and the villain wasn't as developed.

With that being said I think The Winter Soldier has more re-watch ability and I am leaning towards the Winter Soldier.

1)The Winter Soldier
2)X-men
3)GOTG

 

[marvelrobbins]

It should be remarket how DOFP keeps coming back In poll.And how it keeps going back
and forth between it and Winter Soldier.

 

[DA_Champion]

For those of you who care a lot about small differences on Rotten Tomatoes,

Snowpiercer (2014)
Tomatometer: 95%
Average Rating: 8.1/10

I didn't expect it to win this poll, but I'm surprised that I'm the one person to vote for it as best CBM of 2014.

Statistics 101 lesson:

Small differences on Rotten Tomatoes don't matter. You know how public opinion polls are always stated to be "accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20"? Well, for a movie with 200 ratings and 90% on RT, the tomato mater is accurate within 2.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20." However, that's only true for a sample of identically and independently distributed random variables.

Critical ratings are not distributed identically since different critics evaluate each movie, I bet the newspapers owned by News Corp assign anti-CBM critics to review MCU films. Further, they're also not "independent" since critics might pay attention to other reviews before releasing their own opinions, et cetera. So the true error is probably larger than 2.1 percentage points.

 

[def28]

Snowpiercer is my #1 flick of the year, but I don't think it's getting any votes here for three reasons. It's not named on the poll, not as many people knew it was a graphic novel adaptation and not as many people saw it.

 

[DA_Champion]

Snowpiercer is my #1 flick of the year, but I don't think it's getting any votes here for three reasons. It's not named on the poll, not as many people knew it was a graphic novel adaptation and not as many people saw it.

All fair, but it's still surprising that it only has one vote.