Best
“Star Wars: Episode VII-The Force Awakens”
The anticipation for this movie was at a max all year, as fans cherished every trailer.
However, after lackluster prequels, students wondered if Disney and the new Star Wars could revive the franchise. The movie did not disappoint.
After just 20 days, “The Force Awakens” overtook “Avatar” as the highest-grossing movie of all time in U.S. and Canadian theaters with a walloping $760.5 million in box office sales.
“The movie was everything I hoped for and more. It was an instant classic,” said Ben Crosland, a junior business major from Salt Lake City, Utah. “I was so excited to see it and loved every minute of it.”
“Inside Out”
Disney and Pixar teamed up once again to produce an animated classic and summer blockbuster. This time, they delved into the human mind and explored the emotions of a 12-year-old girl.
“The research they did to make the movie was great. A lot of what they talked about in the movie was very accurate,” said Tarryn Russon, a senior psychology major from Temecula, Calif.
“It was great to see a lot of what I have learned in a movie, especially a funny one like ‘Inside Out’.”
“Inside Out” was given an impressive 98% approval rating on rotten tomatoes. It also won best animated motion picture at the 2016 Golden Globes.
“The Martian”
Based on the book by Andy Weir, “The Martian” made good on the promise it showed. With top actors like Matt Damon, Michael Pena, and Jeff Daniels, the movie had a very successful run in the box office, earning over $225 million.
It also received high reviews with a 93% approval rating on rotten tomatoes. The Martian was nominated for a number of Golden Globes, and won the Musical or Comedy best motion picture. Matt Damon won Best Performance by and Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as stranded astronaut Mark Watney.
Worst
“Aloha”
This movie showed a lot of promise as it brought together an impressive cast list, which included Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Bill Murray, John Krasinski, and Rachel McAdams.
However, due to a confusing plot and lack of character development the movie turned out to be a major flop. Receiving only a 20% approval rating on rotten tomatoes, “Aloha” was a disappointment for many.
“Fantastic Four”
In a revamp of the 2005 movie, “Fantastic Four” was a huge disappointment. After a decent opening weekend where the movie grossed $25 million, the movie quickly lost steam as critics were not too kind to the movie. Unable to live up to the standard of the current Marvel movies, “Fantastic Four” received an abysmal 9% approval rating on rotten tomatoes.
“Pan”
This highly-anticipated motion pictured turned out to be one of the biggest flops of 2015. With Hugh Jackman leading the cast, hopes were high for this Peter Pan origin story. However, due to a lack of substantial story line and an overuse of special effects, this movie failed to meet expectations.
“It definitely was not as good as I was expecting. It seemed as though they focus more on special effects then on the story and it just was not what I had hoped for,” said Shemaina Miller, a senior ICS major from Chico, Calif.