Best movies of 2009
Yep, it's that time again. Best movies of the previous year, I'll start (and don't feel compelled to post a full list, I'm just a nerd):
10) Duplicity -- It's easy to forget this one since it came out so early in 2009, but this was a really enjoyable, well made and twisty film that's constantly pulling the rug out from under you (in a good way).
9) District 9 -- Gritty, thought-provoking and fun. It's been a pretty good year for sci-fi.
The Hurt Locker -- Amazingly tense almost all the way through.
7) Moon -- This is the type of smart, well-crafted sci-fi that only comes around once every few years.
6) Up -- Pixar can do no wrong.
5) Fantastic Mr. Fox -- A really charming animated film that retains pretty much everything that's great about Wes Anderson's live action stuff.
4) Avatar -- James Cameron does it again.
3) Up in the Air -- Funny and touching, with a perfect performance from George Clooney.
2) Taken -- Liam Neeson is pretty much the ultimate badass in this movie. So much fun.
1) Star Trek -- When I heard "Star Trek reboot" I immediately braced myself for something embarrassingly bad that would barely resemble the Trek we know and love (especially coming from JJ Abrams, whose aborted Superman film was rumoured to contain a Kryptonian Lex Luthor). However this turned out to be surprisingly faithful to the original material while still being its own thing. Pretty much a perfect summer blockbuster.
And just for fun, the worst:
10) 12 Rounds -- Coming from Renny Harlin, who directed some classic action films (including Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger) this was a pretty big disappointment.
9) Fast and Furious -- This actually started out with a surprisingly decent action set piece, but it was all downhill from there.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra -- This wasn't nearly as fun as it was clearly trying to be.
7) The Girlfriend Experience -- It pains me to put a Steven Soderbergh film on a "worst of" list but this was so agonizingly dull.
6) The Stepfather -- One of the worst horror remakes in a while (and that's saying something). Speaking of which...
5) Friday the 13th -- I hate Platinum Dunes so much (that's Michael Bay's low-budget horror production company, for those unaware).
4) Obsessed -- I'm generally pretty forgiving when it comes to cheesy thrillers like this, but this was terrible on pretty much every level.
3) Halloween II -- I think Rob Zombie has some promise as a director, but he should definitely stick to his own stuff.
2) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen -- An awful, awful mess of a film. So boring...
1) Capitalism: A Love Story -- I hate Michael Moore so much. Not because of his politics, but because he is a shitty filmmaker. One of the least entertaining films I've seen in a long time.
10) Duplicity -- It's easy to forget this one since it came out so early in 2009, but this was a really enjoyable, well made and twisty film that's constantly pulling the rug out from under you (in a good way).
9) District 9 -- Gritty, thought-provoking and fun. It's been a pretty good year for sci-fi.
The Hurt Locker -- Amazingly tense almost all the way through.
7) Moon -- This is the type of smart, well-crafted sci-fi that only comes around once every few years.
6) Up -- Pixar can do no wrong.
5) Fantastic Mr. Fox -- A really charming animated film that retains pretty much everything that's great about Wes Anderson's live action stuff.
4) Avatar -- James Cameron does it again.
3) Up in the Air -- Funny and touching, with a perfect performance from George Clooney.
2) Taken -- Liam Neeson is pretty much the ultimate badass in this movie. So much fun.
1) Star Trek -- When I heard "Star Trek reboot" I immediately braced myself for something embarrassingly bad that would barely resemble the Trek we know and love (especially coming from JJ Abrams, whose aborted Superman film was rumoured to contain a Kryptonian Lex Luthor). However this turned out to be surprisingly faithful to the original material while still being its own thing. Pretty much a perfect summer blockbuster.
And just for fun, the worst:
10) 12 Rounds -- Coming from Renny Harlin, who directed some classic action films (including Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger) this was a pretty big disappointment.
9) Fast and Furious -- This actually started out with a surprisingly decent action set piece, but it was all downhill from there.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra -- This wasn't nearly as fun as it was clearly trying to be.
7) The Girlfriend Experience -- It pains me to put a Steven Soderbergh film on a "worst of" list but this was so agonizingly dull.
6) The Stepfather -- One of the worst horror remakes in a while (and that's saying something). Speaking of which...
5) Friday the 13th -- I hate Platinum Dunes so much (that's Michael Bay's low-budget horror production company, for those unaware).
4) Obsessed -- I'm generally pretty forgiving when it comes to cheesy thrillers like this, but this was terrible on pretty much every level.
3) Halloween II -- I think Rob Zombie has some promise as a director, but he should definitely stick to his own stuff.
2) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen -- An awful, awful mess of a film. So boring...
1) Capitalism: A Love Story -- I hate Michael Moore so much. Not because of his politics, but because he is a shitty filmmaker. One of the least entertaining films I've seen in a long time.
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