2014 Best Awards

Welcome, to the first ever Dustin's Disastrous Decisions' end of the year movie awards. I picked an award format rather than a top ten, so I could mention some movies and performances that impressed me even if they didn't make the cut. You will undoubtedly see less movies on this list than others, that's because I don't have the access some other critics have to movies, and I am stuck with seeing whatever comes to theaters or video on demand. I am going to stick to movies I have reviewed (or did mini reviews of on the Facebook page), so you all aren't left out of anything. So, without further adieu let me get the proceedings started with...

Best Animated

Nominees: The Lego Movie, Big Hero 6, The Boxtrolls, How to Train Your Dragon 2

Winner - The Lego Movie

This is a category that is near and dear to my heart. I made a point to try and see every animated feature that came out this year, so I would have an even list. Luckily, this year was not in short supply of amazing animated pictures. While I loved the other movies, there is no doubting that The Lego Movie was in a separate class entirely. With stellar voice acting, solid jokes for all ages, and an ending that should still not be spoiled it would have been hard for any movie to come close to this.  

Best Horror

Nominees: Annabelle, Oculus, The Quiet Ones

Winner - Annabelle

Meanwhile, in horror, the showing for this year was absolutely abysmal. Basically I had to choose between the movies I hated the least, and I was going to scrap this category (like I did with Romance and Musical... thanks Annie and Into the Woods); but I honestly love horror too much to just not give it a category. Even though this movie broke one of my biggest rules for horror (showing the creature that should remain unseen... seriously read the review), it had just enough tension, and points that caused me to jump, for me to give this the pass. Oculus was nice and original, but this movie just had more appeal. Plus, the baby... at the end... nightmares. 

Best Comedy

Nominees:  Horrible Bosses 2, 22 Jump Street, Neighbors

Winner - 22 Jump Street

Two sequels and a movie with Zac effrom as a lead, what is this world coming to. In all seriousness, the movies mentioned here are hilarious, and 22 Jump Street had me gasping for air and holding my gut throughout most of the run time. The chemistry between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum has grown stronger since the first movie, and their characters are still the next best comedic duo (for movies). The jokes involve some of the elements seen in the first film, and a fair amount of poking fun at their "sequel status." Doesn't quite hit the mark as well as the first movie, but it this is the best out of the entire year.

Best Action

Nominees: John Wick, The Equalizer; Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Winner - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

So, some people think that the market is going to be over-saturated with comic book movies (due to the bold list DC and Marvel have put out); but as long as the movies can do as well as this (and the other movie you will see on this list) I don't think we have anything to worry about. This movie only had real competition from one other action movie this year (John Wick) and choosing between them was like pulling teeth. In the end, I had to go with the movie that proved how different comic book movies can be from the everyday affair. The choreography was flawless, The Falcon costume was one of the most memorable comic book costumes I have seen, and the story was brilliant. I say give me all the comic book movies you can. One a day would be nice. 

Best Comic Book Adaption

Nominees: Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: Winter Soldiers, X-Men: Days of Future Past

Winner - Guardians of the Galaxy

This category had slightly less competition, although I did want to at least mention the other's I liked. Honestly, what else could take this spot. It was like my two favorite franchises (Star Wars and  Firefly) met and had a baby. That baby went through some moments of obscurity as a comic book, then burst onto the big screen and sent the world into a frenzy. Out of all of the comic books I have read, I never kept current with this one, and now I wish I had, because this movie was just all types of brilliant. The most intense battle scenes I have been privileged to, some of the most creative characters,  and a soundtrack that lay claim to being one of three movie soundtracks I have downloaded (other two are Frozen and Tron: Legacy... Don't shoot). The movie was fun, this movie was exciting, this movie was one of the closest things to perfect I have seen from the comic book world.... and with all of those boasts LET THE HATE COMMENTS COMMENCE!

Best Novel Adaptation

Nominees: Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Gone Girl, The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

Winner - Gone Girl

Has David Fincher ever done a bad film? If he has, this isn't one of them. As if to tell the world that Ben Affleck might not be the worst choice for Batman, or to tell the world that Neil Patrick Harris is actually a damn good actor, this movie struck critics and audiences alike in a big way. Let me put this out there, Tyler Perry has taken some hits as an actor, and even more as a creator (rightly so) and this movie makes him seem less shitty. The third act is inspiring, the performances are amazing, this movie is like if M. Night Shyamalan actually started to care again.

Best Religious

Nominees: Noah

Winner - Noah (obviously)

So, this is more of a statement category. Not only have their been a lot of comic movies that came out this year (lucky for us), there were a truck load of religious films that found there way to theater screens. Most were god awful, but this movie should be a testament (rimshot) that a movie based on religious materials can be be great. They may have tweaked the story a bit, but as you should know, every religion has a flood story.... I don't know, this could have been one. Great performances, great visuals, yada yada yada, make more religious crap like this. 

Best Science Fiction

Nominees: Guardians of the Galaxy, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Edge of Tomorrow

Winner - Guardians of the Galaxy

This may be the flaw in my awards list. You can see above for this entry, in all honesty I just wanted to at least mention Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Edge of Tomorrow. Both great films, but again no contest here.

Best Acting - Male

Nominees: Michael Parks: Tusk, Jake Gyllenhaal: Nightcrawler, Matthew McConaughey: Interstellar, J.K. Simmons: Whiplash

Winner - Michael Parks

The movie Tusk took some justified beatings by a fair amount of critics, but I still enjoyed my time with this film. Yes, Jake Gyllenhaal was great, Yes, McConaughey was one of the few good things about Interstellar, and yes, J.K. Simmons gave Michael a run for his money, but the performance Parks put forth here was just too great for me to ignore. There is a lot of hate for Smith as a director, and believe me, I am no uber-fanboy (regardless of me following him on Twitter), Parks' performance had nothing to do with ill will or love. Just a cold hard fact that he cranked his acting muscle into overdrive for this movie. If you didn't like this pick, then you won't like some of the picks for...

Best Acting - Female

Nominees: Eva Green: Sin City a Dame to Kill For/300: Rise of an Empire, Emma Watson: Noah, Jennifer Lawrence: Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1, Kristen Stewart: Camp X-Ray

Winner - Eva Green

So, I originally just wanted to combine the two genders into one category, but there were so many great performances here I couldn't help but split it. Shouldn't have mentioned Kristen Stewart? Hey, she is perfectly typecast for most roles she is in, and that suits me just fine, can't hold Twilight against her forever. Eva Green had not only one fantastic performance, but two jaw-dropping, amazing performances this year. Seems like she wanted to burst onto the scene as a highly sexualized presence, being as how I don't really enjoy that aspect of women I had to look at her as an actor. She nailed the Dame, and damn near brought Athens to its knees. What's more to ask from her?

Best Movie

Nominees: Whiplash, Guardians of the Galaxy, Chef, The Lego Movie, Gone Girl

Winner - Whiplash

I saw Chef catching some shit too, and wanted to put it as my movie of the year out of spite; but, this movie was just too good to not be my top movie. Ladies and gentleman, let me just take you on  the emotional journey you will go through with this movie. Anger at the teacher, regret for agreeing with his tactics or disagreeing with them, sorrow for the student, joy for the student, hate, love, this movie is a god damn roller coaster of emotions. J. K. Simmons puts forth one of the greatest performances form the year, Miles Teller sheds some preconceived notions about him, and the story is insanely good. This movie will either make you love jazz music or at least appreciate it. If you see nothing else from this year, see this.

That's it from the best, tune in tomorrow for the worst. 

Most anticipated movies coming out in 2015

Hello all, due to this week having no movies that were released in a theater near me, I decided to be productive in another way. You are going to be seeing a lot of lists come out this year, from a lot of different critics. I will not be releasing my "Best and Worst of 2014" list, until January; but, there are a shit ton of movies coming out in 2015 that I am looking forward to. Whether the premise has me intrigued, or the trailer has me frothing out the mouth for more, these movies are what I am looking forward to in the coming year. This list is based off of movies on IMDB, and might change their release date, or plot. With that in mind, let's get hyped up.

12) Jurassic World

Okay, so there is a lot of controversy surrounding this movie. Some people think the dinosaurs should have feathers (don't care if that is more realistic, it is stupid, stop trying to turn velociraptors into big chickens), some people think the hybrid is a stupid idea, and some people think that having trained raptors is impossible. For me, this movie looks fascinating. The plot is that they actually made Jurassic World, and the new generation is so preoccupied with technology that they think dinosaurs are boring (kids today, am I right?), so the scientists at Jurassic World try to make a new dinosaur in hopes it will bring customers back. The side of me that loves dinosaurs is looking forward to seeing Chris Pratt with a gang of raptors, and I am just really (weirdly) excited for this movie.

11) Terminator: Genisys

Old Arnold vs. CGI 1980's Arnold? Do Cyborgs age? How bad ass is Sarah Conner now? Is this T1000 enough to revive the franchise? There are a lot of questions surrounding this movie since the trailer was released. If I was to venture a guess about this movie I would say. Arnold is redoing every movie he ever starred in (it seems), and they are getting desperate for a box office so they brought back the T1000. Even if this movie is just a search for box office dollars, and we are treated to some BS reason as to why we have an old, flabby Terminator, I am still excited.

10) Ant Man

Only reason this is on here right now is because Marvel has yet to thoroughly disappoint me with their new run of movies. I (like most of the world) could care less about Ant Man, and as integral to the comics as Hank Pym was, I am still glad they are going with Scott Lang instead. Pym was the original creator of Ultron, I get it; but, he was also a very dark character, and I would have a hard time believing Paul Rudd could be too dark. This movie has been the victim of bad press since Edgar Wright left the production, so I want to see what movie pushed Edgar away.

9) Peanuts

The trailer sold me on this movie. The art style looked awesome, the peanuts sounded great, and it just had a general feeling of "yeah, this is Peanuts." It seems like they are going to do the old strip some justice, and I can't wait to see a new generation of Peanuts lovers. Another thing that has me intrigued is that I don't see any big acting names attached to this, which leads me to believe that they are going for authenticity.

8) In the Heart of the Sea

Another example of the trailer (and movie poster) selling me on the concept of a movie. Usually, I would see Chris Hemsworth attached to a movie based on Moby Dick and roll my eyes (which I did, when I first heard about this). Now I am filled with questions. Are they going to make Moby Dick the bad guy, or the captain, or both? Is Cillian Murphy going to get the attention he deserves? Are they going for just visual appeal, or are they going to stick to some appealing story? This movie has an opportunity to scare me as well. I don't know why, but I used to have dreams about being trapped in the middle of the ocean, and something very large swallowing me whole.

7) Jupiter Ascending

From Hemsworth to Tatum, from Olde English to Sci-Fi. This movie just looks fascinating. Very rarely do the Wachowshi's disappoint, so when they announce a new movie they have a good amount of my attention. All I know about this movie is what the trailers have revealed to me. Battle for the throne of a different world, someone on this world is the reincarnation of royalty, aliens might have been here before humans came along, Scientology is a fiction book, I get it. Let's see what you can do to impress me when this comes out Wachowski's.

6) Inside Out

I honestly didn't need a running reel of credited films Pixar was responsible for to be excited for this movie, the premise does just fine by me. This has the opportunity of being an unbelievably depressing movie, and if there is one thing Pixar does right it is making kids depressed. The cast of this looks amazing, and Pixar could use a win.

5) Tomorrowland

Disney seems to be on this kick where they love promoting science. This movie might be the culmination of everything they have been working towards. It might be another movie based on a ride from their theme park, and they might be trying to make lighting strike twice like they did with "The Pirates of the Caribbean" series, but, color me interested. Going to see more ideas from Disney on what the future will look like.

4) Chappie

I have loved Neil Blomkamp's film career thus far, so when he starts a movie where it is basically "Short Circuit meets District 9," I'm going to be excited. He hasn't done wrong by me yet, and I haven't seen him do a movie about a robot yet. He is visionary director, so I'm sure this movie will be gold.

3) SPECTRE

New James Bond movie with Christoph Waltz playing a villain. Need I say more?

2) Avengers: Age of Ultron

Joss Whedon is back in the directing chair for this sequel to Avengers. They found a way to introduce Ultron without having to introduce Hank Pym. Hulk Buster Armor. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch. No scenes of The Vision yet, but that might be a spoiler thing. Andy Serkis. How can someone not be excited for this movie?

1) Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens

I am a big Star Wars geek. I may not be a J. J. Abrams fan, but even with him at the helm of this project I am excited for more Star Wars. Everything I have heard about this movie, makes it seem like they got it right. I love the new lightsaber, I love that John Boyega looks to be the main character here. I love the Millennium Falcon. I love the Ball Droid. It looks like they mixed old and new seamlessly, and didn't overdue the CGI. This movie might turn out to be what every Star Wars Fan has been waiting for.

May the force be with you,

Honorable Mentions   

Hot Tub Time Machine 2
The first one was fun

Focus
A movie where I can enjoy Will Smith without suffering his kids

Furious 7
The Fast and The Furious movies are always a bit out there, so I can't wait to see them try to top themselves again

Pitch Perfect 2
Again the first one was fun.

Mad Max: Fury Road
Tom Hardy taking the place of Gibson? I'm down.

Ted 2
Again the first one was fun. Even if McFarlane hasn't been on his game lately.

Pan
Dark Peter Pan origin story? Cool! Say what you want about Black Goatee the pirate, Hugh Jackman and Rooney Mara will do well

Regression
Been interested to see where Emma Watson's career is headed. Hopefully this is a good step.

Goosebumps
Jack Black as R. L. Stein makes me very nervous, but I am a child of the 90's. If you are telling me the niece of R. L. Stein is going to team up with some kid to defeat characters from The Goosebumps, you can take all of my money.

Pixels
O.K. Gamers are recruited to take on 1980's video game characters. Movie companies haven't gotten gamer culture right yet, I'm hopeful they do this time because that premise seems awesome.

Special Edition: Top 12 Robin Williams movies

Hello and welcome to a very special edition of Dustin's Dirty Dozen to honor a recent loss in our entertainment industry. Robin Williams was a man with a large, eclectic body of work that has touched many people of my generation and earlier. From voice acting to comedic stand up, from comedy to suspense he has truly left this world with a body of work to be remembered for generations to come. My goal today is to touch on what I feel are his best performances in the film industry. So, let us get this memorial started.

12) "Toys"

Giving us a good impression of Robin Williams' wit, we start our list off with "Toys." A movie about a military General who inherits a toy company, leaving Robin Williams and friends to keep the toy company in tact before the general tarnishes it. This movie showed us how child like Robin Williams could be, and how quick his delivery is.

11) "Popeye"

One of his earliest (or first attempt) to get to the big screen Robin Williams gave life to this cartoon in ways no one imagined. We saw how good he could portray a different face, and how far he could take it. Without Williams this movie would have definitely been easily forgotten.

10) "Awakenings"

Showing us his more serious side, this movie is still shown to psychology classes in high school when the teacher doesn't have a lesson plan for the day, or there is a sub. This movie shows Williams as a doctor in charge of mental patient Robert De Niro, which I always thought was a charming a bit of role reversal when I first saw it (since his roles in the past suggested that he would have made the perfect mental patient).

9) "Jumanji"

A pleasant moment from my childhood, "Jumanji" brought us a board game that made the effects of a wild jungle come to life. This movie was so well received that it was made into a cartoon serial sometime later, which you could have taken or left. Despite the lack of technology available during it's release this movie still holds up with the adults that saw it as a child.
 

8) "Hook"

There are quite a few people that can remember Robin Williams' interpretation of an adult Peter Pan, even though it was heralded as a critical disaster. Whether someone says "Hook" and it makes you break out into the chant "Hook, hook, give 'em the hook" or you just want to scream 'Bangarang!" at the top of you lungs. There is no denying that this movie registered with children of all ages, despite the fact that I still wish I could remember all of Robin Williams' insults to Rufio.

7) "What Dreams May Come"

One of my favorite interpretations of the afterlife this movie always manages to reinstate my faith of something yet to come. A brilliant design team at the helm made this movie not only memorable; but, also a work of art to behold. Filled with enough twists to make M. Night Shyamalan wet his pants this movie became a roller-coaster and we all loved the ride.

6) "Dead Poets Society" 

Another movie used as a a lazy day for teachers (this time English teachers) this movie has been remembered for giving us the teacher we always wanted. I actually have talked to a few choice people that used this (among other movies) as their reason for perusing a career in education. Regardless of if it made you want to teach, made you laugh or made you cry there is no denying that this was one of his finest works.

5) "Good Morning, Vietnam"

This movie finally gave us a look at just how many characters Robin Williams could portray when he took on the role of a DJ that was deployed overseas during the Vietnam War. To me, this movie was the role that launched Robin Williams' career, and gave us the best look at his true talent. To this day, it can still brighten my mood and make me laugh.

4) "The Birdcage"

Even among the great talents of Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Hank Azaria, Robin Willaims still shined in his role of a gay cabaret owner. He gave us an insightful look at the life of a gay man trying to play straight for the benefit of his son. He also gave some inspiring speeches for the benefit of LGBTQ community after its release, and I can only assume that this movie had a fair amount to do with the reasoning.

3) "Mrs. Doubtfire"

Probably one of his most notable roles among the rest on this list we all can remember the time Robin Williams dressed as an old woman. This movie not only gave us a good message about smoking (which I didn't listen to), and a message about keeping true to your values in the first five minutes. It let us know the reasoning behind divorce in a time where divorce was every where, and showed kids that it had nothing to do with them.

2) "Aladdin"

Probably the most amount of characters Robin has portrayed in a movie, his quick timing and wit put animators to the test of keeping up with him. The final count of characters in this masterpiece was supposed to be in the ballpark of 52, which should be a triumph to any actor. This movie has lit my T.V. Screen multiple times every year, and never gets old.

1) "Good Will Hunting"

Of course the movie that got Robin Williams the "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" award at the Oscars was going to be number one on this list. It is still one of my favorite movies, regardless of what comes out because it was so smart. It may not have been Robin Williams in a comedic role, but it was Robin Williams at his absolute acting best.

Honorable Mention(s) )
"Insomnia"

Robin Williams plays a serial killer

"FernGully: The Last Rainforest"

Robin Williams is the voice of a bat

"Jack"

Robin Williams is a grown child, true to himself

"Patch Adams"

Robin Williams is a doctor

"Bicentennial Man"

Robin Williams is a robot

"Robots"

Robin Williams is the voice of a robot

"House of D"

Robin Williams is mentally handicapped

"Happy Feet"

Robin Williams is the voice of a penguin

"Night at the Museum" series

Robin Williams is Teddy Roosevelt

"Flubber"

Robin Williams is an inventor

"Moscow on the Hudson"

Robin Williams is Russian

......and more

Top 12 Marvel villain portrayals

Hello and welcome to another edition of Dustin's Dirty Dozen, in honor of my newest review of "Guardians of the Galaxy" I decided to rate the top portrayals of  Marvel comic book villains in movies. In case you didn't read that review (shame on you) I stated that the acting in it was some of the best I have seen from a Marvel movie. I have taken "Guardians of the Galaxy" out of the equation for this list and focused specifically on portrayals before the movie released. These are all based off of my own opinion (as per usual) and have no basis in other critical acclaims. I have also limited the list to one per movie (not franchise). If their were two villains in a movie I had to choose between them. So let's get this bad guy bunch counted off.

12) Julian McMahon - Dr. Doom

This movie may have not heralded the same critical praise most Marvel movie's get today; but, as with most Marvel movies the cast was perfect. The plastic surgeon from "Nip/Tuck" may not have been anyone's first pick, but people are often happily surprised by these choices in the end. Julian brought a certain air of cockiness and obvious superiority to the role that Dr. Doom commanded from the comic books. It was easy to see through out the movie why Reed Richards hated him and why he became the Fantastic Four's greatest rival.

11) Michael Clarke Duncan - The Kingpin

You know the most disconcerting argument I hear about this casting choice? You guessed it, the race card. I am the type of person that likes to see this type of material played around with every once in a while. Whether it be changing a villain's race or changing a superhero's gender I really don't care, it can only enhance the story of the movie, and maybe even improve upon the original content. Michael was the most believable portrayal of this role I could even hope of seeing. The way he towered over Affleck as Daredevil to the way he spoke to his subordinates. His performance was commanding, abrasive, and at times a bit frightening.

10) Jeff Bridges - Iron Monger

Another choice no one really saw coming, but Marvel proved to be on top of the performances once again. Bridges didn't really surprise anyone when his character betrayed Tony Stark, but he did command a certain amount of respect. You could really believe he was this guy that lived in the shadow of better men while he got nothing. When he went up against Stark I could imagine myself in his shoes, punching the lights out of a few select bosses I have had in my time. If he wasn't such an obvious asshole I could have seen myself rooting for him, but he liked to sell arms to both sides so screw that guy.

9) Ben Kingsley - The Mandarin

I've gotten a lot of guff for saying this movie was the best in the series. I've especially gotten a lot of snarky remarks from loving what they did with The Mandarin's character, since it wasn't true to the comics. There was once a time I complained about things not being like they were in the comics, but if the movie was good I no longer have these complaints. Especially if the change that they brought to the table actually improved the character from the version it was in the original book. Kingsley slipped seamlessly from unattached terrorist to bumbling, drunk actor. The man did it so effortlessly you would think he had been acting for decades...oh wait.

8) Alfred Molina - Doctor Octopus

It is no secret that I have a special place in my heart for the original Spider-Man series, so it should surprise no one that the man that portrayed such an iconic character made the list. Alfred Molina had a wide range of chanters he has played  before he dawned his tentacles, so it should have came as no surprise that he would be good. Not only did he prove to be good, he proved brilliant during such scenes where he took control of the tentacles that to seemed have him under their spell. Moments where it seemed he was slipping slowly into madness, and scenes where he finally redeemed himself for the wrongs he has committed make him stand out among his peers.

7) John Travolta - Howard Saint

This is probably going to be one of the more controversial decisions on this list. Whether people say it is too high or just shouldn't merit any attention my choice stays. John Travolta has made it his hobby to slip back and forth between protagonist and antagonist roles, and every time he plays them he does so in his usual superior way. This role was seemingly perfect for him after you saw his portrayal of both good and bad guy in "Face-Off." You see anger in his eyes when he has to kill, you see fear cloud his face when his inevitable comeuppance is at hand and you never see real joy (which is what you would expect from someone in his position).

6) Sebastian Stan - The Winter Soldier

Why did a character who basically had no lines make this list? Because presence was everything with this character and Sebastian Stan had plenty of presence to go around. If you were unfamiliar with the comic book, the reveal of his true identity still probably didn't surprise you too much; but, the ride he led us on was a real roller coaster. Whether you were looking into his smoldering eyes, or feeling his pain during the mind washing scenes he fit the bill for this role perfectly and ultimately shined.

5) Kevin Bacon - Sebastian Shaw

This has nothing to do with the degrees of Kevin Bacon hype train. While that is kind of funny, Kevin Bacon really came into his own as an actor and this role was a big example of his talent. Basically he answered the question of how you play a character with seemingly limitless power? The answer was simplicity itself. You be the most menacing you, you can be. When he absorbs a blast from an exploding hand grenade and touches the person with his index finger you feel the presence of true power emulating from his performance. When you see him order the murder of a woman in front of her child as easily as he would order a pizza, you feel true fear in your heart. Kevin Bacon didn't just command respect, he embodied absolute power in this role.

4) Hugo Weaving - Red Skull

Mr. Smith, Lord Elrond, and all of his other roles culminating into a throw-down with America's best soldier as the Red Skull. His character was crazy, his demeanor was enforcing, almost as if he was trying to play a better version of Hitler. When he killed dozens, tore off his fake face or just got into a fist fight with Cap he was Red Skull incarnate While some people can take or leave his German accent, I can't stop loving his character.

3) Willem Dafoe - Green Goblin

You remember when I said it shouldn't surprise you that an original Spider-Man trilogy cast member made my list? It definitely shouldn't surprise you that THE Spider-man villain ranked among the top three. Willem Dafoe has a nack for playing dark characters, and this character was one of his more dark portrayals  Call it typecasting for his notable voice, I call it damn good acting. You can hear him battle with his inner demons until he takes on the guise of Dissociative Identity Disorder. One character a weak man trying to save what little good is left with in him, the other an evil man that will go through Mary Jane, Aunt May, even his own son to get things done and come out on top. The final scene when he utters the words "don't tell Harry" should make you shiver all over.

2) Sir Ian McKellen - Magneto

When you put Sir Ian McKellen in the driver seat of a major bad guy, you can only expect greatness. In fact when you put him in the driver seat of a major good guy you should expect the same thing.  I am not saying the man is the best actor in the world, I am saying he hasn't done a bad role yet. His portrayal of one of the biggest villains in comic books turned out to be exactly what Marvel intended it to be. Perfect. His one liners register with audiences and have us saying them for years after the movie's release. His presence is a mix between deity, cocky, wise, and corrupt. When Fassbender dawned the helmet in "X-Men: First Class" he was a very good fit, but when the two of them played the same role in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" it was as if Sir Ian McKellen was saying "Listen Jr. this is how it is done."

1) Tom Hiddleston - Loki

Who was this guy before he played Loki? The answer is no one really. This character made his career and it is not hard to see why people can't stop talking about him. We didn't really expect much from a no name actor, but what we got knocked our socks off and stole our hearts. Whether he is facing his brother Thor, or the entire Avengers team you see Loki in every part of his performance. From playful banter, to horrifying threats he puts your heart in an unstoppable emotional hurricane and leaves you begging for more. I have often imagined if he spent months preparing for this role, or if this is just his usual nature; but, whatever it is it sure is amazing to see. I can only hope his star keeps rising from here.

Honorable Mention) Stephen Dorff - Deacon Frost

Someone that seems like he had more fun with this role than most of the people on this list. If only he acted it out better.