The Films of 2014: Ranked and Reviewed - Page 3 of 4: Above Average

Above Average

The Monuments Men (including Bill Murray, George Clooney, John Goodman, and Jean Dujardin) reach the shore at Normandy Beach.

100. Son of God - Jesus' greatest hits are probably nothing you haven't seen before filmed more artfully, but for being edited from a History miniseries as an apparent afterthought,

this is a pretty passable adaptation of the Gospels.

99. A Walk Among the Tombstones - Absorbing enough dark crime mystery. Full Blu-ray + DVD Review

98. Very Good Girls - Authentic indie drama explores adolescence from the perspective of female best friends. Full Blu-ray Review

97. Begin Again - Good-natured, music-filled redemption drama is a tad too formulaic to win you over as intended. Full Blu-ray Review

96. The Monuments Men - Too corny and old-fashioned to have succeeded as Oscar bait, but it's a charismatic and occasionally enjoyable throwback. Full DVD Review

The Christening scene of "Maleficent" faithfully recreates an iconic moment from Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" with Angelina Jolie playing the misunderstood villain.

95. Maleficent - This boring reimagining will most delight those who haven't seen or do not like Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Full Blu-ray + DVD Review

94. Devil's Knot - Considering the fascinating true subject matter, this drama should be a lot more compelling than it is. Full Blu-ray Review

93. Happy Christmas - Not as sharp as Joe Swanberg's previous film, but this improvised indie still slightly stands out from the pack. Full DVD Review

92. Horrible Bosses 2 - Nowhere near as good as the original, but frequently entertaining all the same. Full Blu-ray + DVD Review

91. The Homesman - A respectable western with some surprises and nice work from Tommy Lee Jones on both sides of the camera.

In "Transcendence", Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) lives on after death in virtual form.

90. The Equalizer - Denzel Washington's latest action vehicle kindly develops characters and a universe. Full Blu-ray Review

89. Million Dollar Arm - Promising start gives way to a far too conventional "true" sports drama. Full Blu-ray Review

88. The Calling - Serial killer thriller has some holes,

but it's good enough to deserve a bigger audience. Full DVD Review

87. Transcendence - Messily told but technically proficient film is better than the disastrous reputation it earned. Full Blu-ray + DVD Review

86. Horns - Dark horror fantasy comedy does many things semi-successfully. Full Blu-ray Review

85. Fury - Machismo-fueled World War II drama holds your attention without treading any new ground. Full DVD Review

84. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - Final chapter in Peter Jackson's trilogy fails to compel with more of the same. Full Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray + DVD Review

"Big Eyes" stars Amy Adams as Margaret Keane, an artist whose husband takes credit for her popular paintings of doe-eyed waifs.

83. Big Eyes - An interesting story that should make for a more interesting film given all the talent involved. Full Blu-ray Review

82. Le Week-End - Story of a British couple's 30th anniversary vacation to Paris slowly wins you over with its candid heartbreak.

81. Ivory Tower - Competent documentary looks at escalating costs and other concerns of college in America. Full Blu-ray Review

80. The Internet's Own Boy - A fairly agreeable portrait of a technological martyr.

79. To Be Takei - Charming celebration of an enduring entertainer's fascinating life and career. Full DVD Review

78. Ilo Ilo - Earnest, human storytelling drawn from personal experience. Full DVD Review

77. Easy Money: Hard to Kill - Stylish, obscure Swedish sequel grips and intrigues. Full Blu-ray Review

76. The Jewish Cardinal - This French biopic is surprisingly down to earth, nearly to a fault. Full DVD Review

Billionaire mogul Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) isn't completely comfortable with having foster kid Annie Bennett (Quvenzhané Wallis) stay with him in 2014's "Annie."

75. Annie - Brings the '70s Broadway musical into the present day better than you'd expect. Full Blu-ray + DVD Review

74. Bears - An appealing film, even if its storytelling strays from the nature documentary format. Full Blu-ray + DVD Review

73. The Theory of Everything - A fine but pedestrian biopic which squarely meets unremarkable Oscar bait expectations. Full Film Review

72. Jimi: All Is By My Side - Excess style compensates for modest substance, but a pretty commendable biopic nonetheless. Full Blu-ray Review

71. Rudderless - A troubling twist-based design hinders this melancholic post-tragedy music drama. Full DVD Review

"Third Person" stars Liam Neeson as Michael Leary, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist abroad with a significantly younger girlfriend (Olivia Wilde).

70. Frank - Loony, original, and interesting.

69. The Wind Rises - Average as far as Miyazaki goes, but this animated drama is still pretty good.

68. Third Person - Paul Haggis makes an effective return to a connected ensemble, this time linking them with a line blurring reality and fiction. Full Blu-ray Review

67. Life of Crime - Snappy, offbeat Elmore Leonard adaptation.

66. Into the Woods - A well-produced, fairly faithful filming of the Broadway musical. Full Blu-ray Review

There will be fire. Godzilla makes the most of one of his too few moments in 2014's "Godzilla."

65. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Shows a good amount of creativity for a sequel, but relies too heavily on action that fails to engage. Full Blu-ray Review

64. Godzilla - Easily exceeds audiences' modest expectations with its fairly thoughtful take on the monster franchise. Full Blu-ray + DVD Review

63. The Gambler - The good narrowly outweighs the bad in this stylish, substantial remake. Full Blu-ray + DVD Review

62. Mr. Peabody & Sherman - A fun time travel adventure whose DreamWorks comedy instincts keep it from being more than that.

61. Cake - Depression drama showcases strong acting and emotion.

After a storm clears up, still-wet Sophie Baker (Emma Stone) and Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth) open an observatory's roof to marvel at the stars in Woody Allen's "Magic in the Moonlight."

60. Island of Lemurs: Madagascar - With adorable animals and top-notch photography, this demonstrates how easy it is to make a satisfying IMAX nature documentary.
Full Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray + DVD Review

59. Magic in the Moonlight - A characteristic yet enjoyable Woody Allen comedy. Full Blu-ray Review

58. Jersey Boys - Clint Eastwood channels Scorsese on this compelling biopic adapted from the popular, decorated jukebox musical. Full Blu-ray + DVD Review

57. Wild - Well-acted and competently composed, but noticeably shorter on stakes and power than the two fairly recent survival stories it closely resembles.

56. Nightcrawler - Effectively thrilling and gripping until its false-note ending. Full Film Review

Spider-Man battles an electrifying foe (Electro) in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2."

55. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb - Though it lacks the magic of its predecessors and a coherent plot, this nonetheless is a diverting finale.

54. Ping Pong Summer - A familiar but fun 1980s throwback. Full Blu-ray Review

53. Muppets Most Wanted - A big step down from its magnificent predecessor and kind of like a TV movie that snuck into theaters, but still frequently diverting. Full Blu-ray + DVD Review

52. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Although it can't shake that "been there, done that feeling", this improves upon its predecessor with less retread and fewer fights. Full Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray + DVD Review

51. Blue Ruin - Unconventional revenge drama induces cringes with violence, but otherwise compels with its unique, natural rhythms. Full Blu-ray Review

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Part 4: The Top 50