I love starting off my year with some great new-to-me movies. I'm not doing individual movie review posts, but opted for mini review collections.

#1 Star Wars: The Force Awakens "Three decades after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, a new threat arises. The First Order attempts to rule the galaxy and only a ragtag group of heroes can stop them, along with the help of the Resistance." -- Really really really enjoyed this one! So glad I got to see it!

#2 The Skeleton Twins "Having both coincidentally cheated death on the same day, estranged twins reunite with the possibility of mending their relationship." -- I really enjoyed this quirky little indie film. Wiig and Hader were great in this. Two thumbs up.

#3 Vampire Academy "Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, half human-half vampire, a guardian of the Moroi, peaceful, mortal vampires living discreetly within our world. Her calling is to protect the Moroi from bloodthirsty, immortal Vampires, the Strigoi." -- I read the book series and enjoyed it. The movie was ridiculously campy and vapid. Not a fan at all.

#4 Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List "Naomi and Ely have loved each other their whole lives, even though Ely isn't exactly into girls. The institution of a "No Kiss List" has prevented the two from rifts in the past, but bonds are tested when they both fall for the same guy." -- Ugh! So stupid. I only watched about half before I gave up. It was not good at all...

#5 I Give It a Year "Newlywed couple Nat and Josh are deliriously happy despite their differences, though friends and family aren't convinced that they can last. With their first anniversary approaching and attractive alternatives in the mix, can they last?" -- I really really enjoyed this little romance.  The lead actor was bugging me the entire movie until I figured out that he was in the Cornetto Trilogy. Duh! Beyond that, I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline in this one.

#6 Europa Report "An international crew of astronauts undertakes a privately funded mission to search for life on Jupiter's fourth largest moon." --  A little late to the party, but this movie was amazing! I loved the storyline, but even more, I loved the characters. Fascinating movie about space exploration. A must see! And that ending just floored me. I just sat there for a few minutes processing everything I had watched. Loved it!

#7 Drinking Buddies "Luke and Kate are coworkers at a brewery who spend their nights drinking and flirting heavily. One weekend away together with their significant others proves who really belongs together and who doesn't." -- I feel like the tone was a bit all over the place on this one. I didn't quite feel like I got the message at the end. Decent movie, but nothing to rave about.

#8 Insurgent "Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side." -- Ugh. Not excited about all the changes they made to the storyline and characters.

#9 Don Jon "A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love." -- Very interesting film. J and I had a big discussion about characters and pacing because of this film. I really like it, but the trailer completely sold a different movie.