Top movies of 2009
I didn’t get to watch as many movies in 2009 as I have in prior years due to other things taking up my time but here is my list for the top 10 movies of the year. Because movies didn’t affect me the same way music did this year, the explanations will be more brief (for the most part). A couple of the movies were released late in 2008 but since I didn’t see them until this year I included them on my list. Plus as I stated in my top music list, it’s my list and I can put whatever I want on it!
10. Tyson – Trying to find a movie to put in this spot was tough because nothing immediately sprang to mind. I chose this movie because when I saw it, I changed my view about Tyson completely. Whereas before I thought of him as a brute, cold-hearted boxer who made too many mistakes, the movie left me feeling sorry for him. The way it portrays Tyson as someone who’s trusted too many people and been burned too many times for it is sure to change some opinions too.
9. Zombieland – Just as in my music list, zombies have found their way onto this list too. Is there anything in the world cooler than finding awesome new ways to kill zombies? Zombies are one of the greatest things ever invented because you can kill one with zero guilt (unless the zombie happens to be someone close to you that was converted). This movie explores that and more in a comedy about the zombie apocalypse. I’d like to say that Woody Harrelson plays a great part in this movie but the star of the show goes to the celebrity cameo midway through. I won’t ruin it for those who haven’t seen the movie but check it out and you’ll know exactly who I’m talking about.
8. Inglorious Basterds – I’ve always enjoyed Quentin Tarantino movies and westerns. When I heard that he was making a WWII flick with a spaghetti-western flair, I knew I had to see it. Throw in Brad Pitt with a southern accent and I was hooked. I saw this film on opening day and it was a blast. The character development is impressive and the dialogue that Tarantino is known for in his movies is clearly present. I like everything about this movie from the soundtrack to the over-the-top violence (especially in the final scene).
7. Up – My 2nd annual list and Pixar finds itself on here once again. Pixar has captured the art of making you feel for little animated creations. Although not on the level of last year’s Wall-E, this movie still pulls at your heart strings. And even though I thought it was par for the course for Pixar, it’s still heads and shoulders above most animated movies out there. I thought the movie peaked too early and everything that came after just wasn’t as satisfying to me as they tried to make it. Still a good movie and Pixar once again scores with a hit.
6. Avatar – Without a doubt, this is the best-looking movie I’ve ever seen. You know something special is happening when the special effects and 3-D integration don’t stand out because they feel so natural. This movie does a good job of immersing you in the Avatar world and you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t watch it in 3-D while you still have a chance. The story is good but it doesn’t particularly stand out in any way. It probably wouldn’t make my list if it weren’t for the gorgeous special effects, which says a lot of how beautiful this movie is.
5. The Wrestler – Another movie that was released late in 2008, I didn’t get to watch it until earlier this year. It’s a heart wrenching story that I really enjoyed. It brought back memories of the days when I watched wrestling. Even the circumstances that I watched the movie under were somewhat depressing as you can see in my full movie review here (with a bonus beer review!).
4. Watchmen – As a long time fan of the graphic novel, I was a bit skeptical when I heard that it was being translated to film. That reservation was quickly put to rest when I saw the first trailer for the movie. I still remember it clearly as it accompanied last year’s movie of the year: The Dark Knight. While not an entirely faithful adaptation of the graphic novel, this movie stands well on its own and, like many books that are brought to film, I think you might be let down if you’ve read the graphic novel first. That still doesn’t take away from the coolness of this movie. As a nerd, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include one comic book movie on my list.
3. District 9 – I was late to the District 9 party as I barely saw this movie on Christmas Eve and I immediately regretted not seeing it in theaters because this is a remarkable movie. With a premise unlike anything I’ve seen, it’s an alien movie that touches on several topics that extend beyond of sci-fi films. The growth and character development of the protagonist is top-notch and the filmmakers even managed to make you feel sympathy for the insect-looking aliens. A really solid movie.
2. The Hangover – Hands down the funniest movie I’ve seen all year. This movie hits home if you’ve ever had one of those nights where you’re sure some crazy shit went down but you can’t remember exactly what happened because of too much alcohol. This movie makes you want to go to Vegas with your friends and takeover. It’s something I’m glad will be happening in the coming months. Also, I believe Mike Tyson is the only actor to make another appearance in my list so kudos to him!
1. Slumdog Millionaire – Technically released in late 2008, this film didn’t get a widespread release until early 2009 so it makes my list because that is when I saw it. I won’t say much about the move here because I wrote a review on it when I first saw it that you can read here.
I didn’t get to watch as many movies in 2009 as I have in prior years due to other things taking up my time but here is my list for the top 10 movies of the year. Because movies didn’t affect me the same way music did this year, the explanations will be more brief (for the most part). A couple of the movies were released late in 2008 but since I didn’t see them until this year I included them on my list. Plus as I stated in my top music list, it’s my list and I can put whatever I want on it!
10. Tyson – Trying to find a movie to put in this spot was tough because nothing immediately sprang to mind. I chose this movie because when I saw it, I changed my view about Tyson completely. Whereas before I thought of him as a brute, cold-hearted boxer who made too many mistakes, the movie left me feeling sorry for him. The way it portrays Tyson as someone who’s trusted too many people and been burned too many times for it is sure to change some opinions too.
9. Zombieland – Just as in my music list, zombies have found their way onto this list too. Is there anything in the world cooler than finding awesome new ways to kill zombies? Zombies are one of the greatest things ever invented because you can kill one with zero guilt (unless the zombie happens to be someone close to you that was converted). This movie explores that and more in a comedy about the zombie apocalypse. I’d like to say that Woody Harrelson plays a great part in this movie but the star of the show goes to the celebrity cameo midway through. I won’t ruin it for those who haven’t seen the movie but check it out and you’ll know exactly who I’m talking about.
8. Inglorious Basterds – I’ve always enjoyed Quentin Tarantino movies and westerns. When I heard that he was making a WWII flick with a spaghetti-western flair, I knew I had to see it. Throw in Brad Pitt with a southern accent and I was hooked. I saw this film on opening day and it was a blast. The character development is impressive and the dialogue that Tarantino is known for in his movies is clearly present. I like everything about this movie from the soundtrack to the over-the-top violence (especially in the final scene).
7. Up – My 2nd annual list and Pixar finds itself on here once again. Pixar has captured the art of making you feel for little animated creations. Although not on the level of last year’s Wall-E, this movie still pulls at your heart strings. And even though I thought it was par for the course for Pixar, it’s still heads and shoulders above most animated movies out there. I thought the movie peaked too early and everything that came after just wasn’t as satisfying to me as they tried to make it. Still a good movie and Pixar once again scores with a hit.
6. Avatar – Without a doubt, this is the best-looking movie I’ve ever seen. You know something special is happening when the special effects and 3-D integration don’t stand out because they feel so natural. This movie does a good job of immersing you in the Avatar world and you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t watch it in 3-D while you still have a chance. The story is good but it doesn’t particularly stand out in any way. It probably wouldn’t make my list if it weren’t for the gorgeous special effects, which says a lot of how beautiful this movie is.
5. The Wrestler – Another movie that was released late in 2008, I didn’t get to watch it until earlier this year. It’s a heart wrenching story that I really enjoyed. It brought back memories of the days when I watched wrestling. Even the circumstances that I watched the movie under were somewhat depressing as you can see in my full movie review here (with a bonus beer review!).
4. Watchmen – As a long time fan of the graphic novel, I was a bit skeptical when I heard that it was being translated to film. That reservation was quickly put to rest when I saw the first trailer for the movie. I still remember it clearly as it accompanied last year’s movie of the year: The Dark Knight. While not an entirely faithful adaptation of the graphic novel, this movie stands well on its own and, like many books that are brought to film, I think you might be let down if you’ve read the graphic novel first. That still doesn’t take away from the coolness of this movie. As a nerd, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include one comic book movie on my list.
3. District 9 – I was late to the District 9 party as I barely saw this movie on Christmas Eve and I immediately regretted not seeing it in theaters because this is a remarkable movie. With a premise unlike anything I’ve seen, it’s an alien movie that touches on several topics that extend beyond of sci-fi films. The growth and character development of the protagonist is top-notch and the filmmakers even managed to make you feel sympathy for the insect-looking aliens. A really solid movie.
2. The Hangover – Hands down the funniest movie I’ve seen all year. This movie hits home if you’ve ever had one of those nights where you’re sure some crazy shit went down but you can’t remember exactly what happened because of too much alcohol. This movie makes you want to go to Vegas with your friends and takeover. It’s something I’m glad will be happening in the coming months. Also, I believe Mike Tyson is the only actor to make another appearance in my list so kudos to him!
1. Slumdog Millionaire – Technically released in late 2008, this film didn’t get a widespread release until early 2009 so it makes my list because that is when I saw it. I won’t say much about the move here because I wrote a review on it when I first saw it that you can read here.
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