2014 SQUID Actor of the Year

Quite a few thespians decided to be busy this past year in both film and television. While it proved to be a close race for both sexes, the triumphant recipients are truly the stand out King and Queen of the screen for 2014. Below, we shall break down the race for the SQUID Actor of the Year 2014. 

Among the men, some, like Willem Defoe (John Wick, The Grand Budapest Hotel) and Bill Paxton (The Edge of Tomorrow, Agents of SHIELD, and Nightcrawler) made strong comebacks of sorts. The veteran actors made firm cases for AOTY but they were never center stage. 

Other actors in the running this year include two genre stalwarts. One, the reigning champ, the other, his Hobbit and Sherlock costars. Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) and Martin Freeman (Fargo) proved that they have indeed arrived and are going nowhere. Cumberbatch wasn't one to easily relinquishing his throne. While Freeman would have run away with it if this were solely a television award. 

There were dark horses including relative unknowns who excelled at supporting roles like Boyd Holbrook (A Walk Among the Tombstones, Gone Girl, The Skeleton Twins), and James Cordon (Into the Woods, Begin Again). Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher, Begin Again) and Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher, 22 Jump Street) were also quite visible throughout the year.

The year marked the arrival of another Brit, Dan Stevens (The Guest, A Walk Among the Tombstones, and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) who, now free of the Abbey, sets his eyes on conquering Hollywood. He'll throw his hat in the ring for the next couple of years, no doubt, as he was recently announced to star opposite Emma Watson in the live action Beauty and the Beast.

It would be a crime to ignore the tour de force performances on both mediums from Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, True Detective), but there were talents who proved far more present. We arrive now at the hyper-massive-mammoth-cosmic explosion of Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Parks and Recreation, The Lego Movie, and, while only a trailer, we can't ignore the raptor master of Jurassic World). Pratt truly came close to taking the title but his ascension to the A-List was trumped by one man. 

All those men and all those roles yet none of them are the pyramid's tip. No, the tentacled crown for SQUID Actor of the Year of 2014 belongs to the resilient, prolific Irish Terminator that is Liam Neeson. IMDb lists him in ten roles during the twelve months including exceptional films like The Lego Movie and A Walk Among the Tombstones, along side decently entertaining fare like Non-Stop, A Million Ways to Die, and Taken 3. He was front and center, he was supporting in both villainy and comedy, he was everywhere! Say what you will about the generic actioners he churns out, they still pack a stylish and visceral punch. He has the tendency to go full Nic Cage but he still manages to be a resonant actor. Now venturing into comedic roles, he crossed a line into unknown territory so who knows what his future holds. The year, however, belonged to Liam Neeson. 



SQUID Actor of the Year recipients:

2014 winner - Liam Neeson
The Lego Movie, A Walk Among the Tombstones, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Non-Stop, Taken 3, Various other voice acting roles on TV. 

2013 winner - Benedict Cumberbatch 
12 Years A Slave, Star Trek into Darkness, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, August: Osage County, The Fifth Estate, The Simpsons

2012 winner - Joseph Gordon Levitt
Premium Rush, Looper, Lincoln, The Dark Knight Rises

2011 winner - Michael Fassbender 
Jane Eyre, X-Men: First Class, Shame, Haywire, A Dangerous Method

22 Jump Street (2014)

Written and Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Lego Movie)

Also written by Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World)

Starring:

Channing Tatum (This is the End)

Jonah Hill (This is the End)

Ice Cube (21 Jump Street)

Amber Stevens (New Girl)

Wyatt Russell (Kurt Russell?)

Jillian Bell (Workaholics)

Dave Franco (Fright Night)

Rob Riggle (21 Jump Street)
Lucus Twins (Tonight Show Stand up set)
Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation)
Craig Roberts (Submarine)
Peter Stormare (Constantine)

It took a while to finally watch the whole film and so it sat patiently high on the watchlist for almost a year. But the bridge has finally been crossed and boy howdy was it a raunchy bridge. The level of self awareness approached Spaceballsian levels yet somehow avoided being an all out parody. Much like in the first film, Miller and Lord continued to build on these lovable morons and set them loose in this pre-established world. Lest we forget, this is still the same universe but with a vastly different tone than the show.

Impressive and bold stunt work that, when paired with the highly creative humor, earns the right be called an action comedy nearly equal to Hot Fuzz.

Boundless flowing idiocy from every character and every scene that requires thought and plays to niche interests. So many jokes that its a struggle to recall all of them. This is a movie to own because it will make you funnier as a person.  Also the end credits sequence is an all time great so you'll be wanting to pause it about 43 times.

The cast not only performs well, but the casting choices are themselves meta-jokes that take even more thinking to get. There have never been, and may never be again, this many Ice Cube jokes in one film. And if that jock football player looks familiar, it's because he's a young Kurt Russell. I'm not buying the whole offspring thing. He's a clone.

The story has just the right amount of predictability. It keeps everything fresh even while you know full well that the outcome will be that these two goofballs will win. That's not the point.

And there is a bit of retreading here as well. The first film already had the odd couple dynamic play out and while that may be the hardest thing to sit through again, the destination, and knowing that when they come back together the hilarity will be unmatched is what we all wait for. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Coupled with the abusive use of a higher budget, the turbo-stupidity will make it all worth it.

Bottom Line. The praise is high and the film deserves it. Lord and Miller are on a roll. With so few films left in the year, this is a lock for top ten of the year.

10 out of 10 chickens