The Best Characters of Summer 2014

Hello all. Mark here.

Summer 2014 was loaded with fantastic characters. They proved to be memorable, hilarious and fond of shoes. Nothing went over their heads, they enjoyed naps and slipped on fish. When all is said and done their characters will be cherished and discovered for years to come. Here is the list! Enjoy!

Drax the Destroyer – Guardians of the Galaxy

In a film full of wonderful characters he has the best lines, story and character arc. He drunk dials an army, doesn’t listen and says “Why would I want to put my finger on his throat?” He was the pleasant surprise in a movie that was a pleasant surprise. I can’t wait to see what they do next with his character.

Rita Vrataski – Edge of Tomorrow

Emily Blunt was an effortless badass who wasn’t simply a Tom Cruise love interest. Her character wasn’t a plot device and I loved that. She imbued a soul and personality into a character that was stuck in what seems like a very uncomfortable costume. I really hope Edge picks up an audience in the years to come.

She also may have started a yoga craze with all her gratuitous poses meant to spice up the trailers.

Mason – Snowpiercer 

Tilda Swinton  is my hero. Mason is an oddball maniac who is the perfect wing man to a madman who happens to run a dystopian train society. She also says this “I belong to the front. You belong to the tail. When the foot seeks the place of the head, the sacred line is crossed. Know your place. Keep your place. Be a shoe.”

Mom and Dad – Boyhood

When the award season rolls around I hope Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette get nominated for their amazing work in Boyhood. Their characters are fully fleshed out humans who had believable bumps and bruises. Their commitment to make such a wonderful film needs to be appreciated.

Godzilla

Godzilla is not a good film. The human characters were paper-thin and plot was haphazard. However, Gareth Edwards absolutely nailed Godzilla. He is the earth’s grumpy protector who happens to love siestas. The scene where he is swimming with the war ships en route to battle the monsters was badass. He wakes up. Kicks ass. Takes a nap. Swims away. I also loved that he was part bear, dog and eagle. Cool look.

Martin – Chef

John Leguizamo is one of my favorite actors. I love his comedy special Freak and always felt like he has been underused and underappreciated. However, in Chef he is a likable dude who adds a fantastic energy to the proceedings. Chef puts a smile on your face and Leguizamo is a big reason for that.

Father James – Calvary

Father James is a good man who came to faith later on in life. He is a widower, former alcoholic and father of a troubled yet loyal daughter.  You can tell he won’t take any sh*t yet is too smart to allow himself to be shaken. He has come from a rough life and that is what makes him so effective as a priest. There isn’t judgement in his eyes. He understands the world yet you can see that it tires him. Give Brendan Gleeson the Oscar now.

Curtis – Snowpiercer

Curtis is a good man. He is haunted by the past yet can still rally everyone around him. He is too smart to be a pawn and too strong to be stopped by axe wielding maniacs.  He is the leader you want to fight next to. He also is the straight man who isn’t overshadowed by a cavalcade of character actors. Between Sunshine and Snowpiercer Chris Evans has proven himself to be a fantastic actor.

Neville Love – Starred Up

Neville Love is a career criminal who has worked his way up to be being second in command in an English prison. He is calm yet explosive and constantly fails at being a parent. Ben Mendelsohn is an amazing actor who stole the show in Killing Them Softly and Animal Kingdom. In Starred Up he is the perfect foil while still being relatable. You can see the dude trying but constantly let down by his immense emotional problems and zero impulse control.

Galgo –Expendables 3

Expendables 3 is not a good film. However, Antonio’s character Galgo adds a much-needed shot of adrenaline. He is a motor mouthed badass who sits in Jason Statham’s chair and flirts with Ronda Rousey while fighting. Many will be annoyed by Galgo but I bought into the character and enjoyed the fun Banderas brought to him. You can tell everyone loved having him around too.

Toothless – How To Train Your Dragon 2

Who wouldn’t want a toothless? The dragon has zero dialogue yet had more personality than 90% of the summer characters. Kudos Dreamworks for creating such a wonderfully realized creature.