Of Science, Sarcasm, and Psychos: My 2015 Quick-Fire Challenge!

Here at MoviePilot, the creators are getting psyched for the new year - and we're nominating one another for a Quick-Fire Challenge in which we talk about what's got us so excited! Thanks to Ashraf for the nomination, and here's my pick of the crop...

Confession time: I'm not always particularly fond of Fox's X-Men franchise. I love the comics a bit too much, and Fox haven't always shown a great deal of reverence for them. But when I saw the trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse, I found myself surprised at how excited I became. There's something tremendously fun about this trailer - from the power-levels on display to the well-thought-out use of the concept of 'apocalypse' - and I was left very much hyped. For my full thoughts, check out my in-depth trailer analysis!

I love when a film plays it carefully with science, and I frequently enjoy spotting the scientific inconsistencies of movies. The Martian was a joy to watch, in that there are only a handful of scientifically-inaccurate moments in it (the initial dust-storm is a weather system that could never build up on the surface of Mars). In the main, it had a level of consistency that was both admirable and - somehow - tremendously dramatic. The above bit of dialogue was a real laugh-out-loud moment in an otherwise tense film. Brilliant work!

Let me be clear: David Tennant can portray a psychopath with terrifying ease! Kilgrave is a powerful and potent super-villain, and his warped mind is fascinating to see. There are moments in Jessica Jones where he's just seriously creepy (my favourite is the episode-end where we realise he's only gone and bought the house she grew up in!).

What's fascinating is how compelling a character Kilgrave is. His insanity makes a twisted kind of sense, and his story could end only one way. Jessica Jones - like Marvel's other Netflix series, Daredevil - is a character study, one focused on the hero and the villain. But Kilgrave is the more compelling villain, and so he inches ahead of all other Marvel competition as the villain of the year!

With Star Wars back on the big screen, it's no surprise that Harrison Ford has stepped up and captured the public eye once again! I've always respected Ford - his refusal to compromise led to enormous conflict with George Lucas during the Original Trilogy, with the results invariably being genius. But this year, he's shown his quick wit and ready humour time and again. Asked whether he got nostalgic when he put on the Han Solo outfit, he answered:

"No, I got paid."

My Favourite Article of 2015

This is the one I really can't answer, because in truth there's a tie. When I was going through MoviePilot University, I kept itching to try out a detailed Trailer Analysis - a new post-type (for me) in which I'd really think critically about a trailer. Unfortunately, the movie I intended to trial this on just didn't come out during MoviePilot University, but when it did I had a great time pulling it together. It was fresh and challenging, as well as being my most shared post of 2015.

Bonus Question: What am I most excited for in 2016?

Let's face it, 2016 is the Year of the Superhero Film! I'm not convinced that the DC Cinematic Universe is going to work out - I can't help feeling that DC are in too much of a hurry! - but the idea of seeing Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman on the big screen? Magic. Captain America: Civil War is one of my most eagerly-anticipated movies (I'm a fan of the original Civil War comic), while Doctor Strange is a superhero I love. Even the X-Men movies seem to be offering some moments of real excitement, with X-Men: Apocalypse actually looking a whole world better than I'd ever expected!