Most enjoyable:
In no particular order. Not necessarily the “best” movies of the year, but those films that either delivered to my very high expectations, or provided a unique moviegoing experience. Anything I saw more than once immediately qualified for this category.
1. The Hurt Locker – Gritty. Intense. Memorable. Relevant. I’ve been told this is about as realistic a portrayal of life in Iraq as has been put on the big screen. I believe it.
2. Star Trek – Best popcorn flick. Best franchise reboot. Best casting. The choice for McCoy was genius.
3. AVATAR – My first big screen IMAX 3D experience will be tough to top. Cameron created a beautiful, if not derivative world (see Dances With Wolves, The Abyss and Aliens). A must see on the big screen.
4. Inglorious Basterds – This would be a very different film without Christoph Waltz in his supporting role He steals every scene he’s in. Tarantino’s most tempered work, while still toying with his self-indulgent nature.
5. Drag Me to Hell – Sam Raimi goes back to his b-movie roots. Just wish he’d found a role for Bruce Campbell.
6. Adventureland – This one resonated with me on many levels. Fantastic soundtrack, great cast and terrific dialogue. It felt like a long lost Cameron Crowe film.
7. Paranormal Activity – More fun with a movie audience. A movie that scares with what it doesn’t show you.
8. Zombieland – Went back for the double tap four times on this one. Best cameo appearance of the year.
9. District 9 – A more accessible alien story than Cameron’s. Microsoft must be kicking themselves for shit canning the Halo film after they saw what that crew ultimately produced.
10. Informant! – The rabbit hole ran deep on this one. I had no idea where I was going. Another solid performance by Matt Damon.
11. Anvil: The Story of Anvil – Hard to believe this wasn’t scripted. An underdog story with bite.
Honorable mentions (it was a good year for movies): Up, (500) Days of Summer, The Hangover, The Road, I Love You Man and Cloudy, With a Chance of Meatballs.
Biggest disappointments:
These either under-delivered against my expectations, or just plain sucked it.
1. Terminator Salvation – Bad acting coupled with a plot full of holes. McG shot his wad in the trailer.
2. Fanboys – I so wanted to like this, but just couldn’t get there. Penalized for failing under such a great premise.
3. Sorority Row – Chopping up sorority girls has never seemed less inspired.
4. Funny People – Not a good year for Rogen. Didn’t hate this as much upon leaving the theater, but it didn’t sit well after the fact. An Apatow film with no likable characters just doesn’t work.
5. Couples Retreat – How the mighty have fallen. No likable characters and no chemistry. How can Vaughn and Favreau come off as un-funny?
6. The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard – A movie so insultingly bad that it made me angry.
7. Bruno – The crudeness didn’t bother me, but the unrelenting mean-spirited nature of this one was a turn-off.
8. Observe & Report – Paul Blart was saved by sweetness. This mall cop had none. Unfunny, bitter and self-indulgent.
9. The Knowing – Actually pretty good through the first three quarters of the film, but the ending is so whacko that I can’t endorse.
10. Away We Go – This must have been all that consisted of the screenplay. Yawn….
Didn’t get to see, but still on the list:
Still holding out hope that a couple of these could crack the list for best, but likely won't know until after the first of the year.
1. Up in the Air
2. Whip It
3. Sherlock Holmes
4. Boondock Saints 2
5. The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
6. An Education
7. Precious
8. Moon
9. The House of the Devil
10. A Serious Man
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