As much as we hate to admit it, the nights are drawing in and the summer is quickly drawing to a close, yet 2014 has on the whole been a pretty rock-solid summer for movies, be it big-budget blockbusters or more intimate art-house fare. Sure, some of our most-anticipated flicks of the year disappointed us and fell by the wayside (though we'll cover them in an upcoming article), but most of the big-hitters knocked it out of the park, and the results were pure cinematic bliss. These 10 movies, be they thrilling animated adventures, heart-warming family dramas, hilarious comic book movies or brooding thrillers, captured our imaginations more than any other films this summer, and reminded us why we love to watch movies in the first place. These films transcended the stereotypical expectation of a summer movie to put visual effects and money-making ahead of great characters and an affecting story: they essentially managed to have their cake and eat it, thrilling us with smart storytelling and stunning visuals. Naturally a few fun movies didn't quite make the cut (namely the hilarious comedy Neighbours), so what about you? Which movies did you love this summer? And do you disagree with any of our picks? Let us know in the comments!