Updated for Funny People, plus a grade change and a switch.
1. Up A
2. Coraline A
3. Star Trek A-
4. Observe and Report A-
5. The Hangover A-
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince A-
7. Drag Me To Hell B+
8. Knowing B+
9. Adam B+
10. I Love You, Man B
11. Funny PeopleB
12. Brüno B-
13. Adventureland B-
14. Confessions of a Shopaholic B-
15. Watchmen B-
16. Monsters vs. Aliens B-
17. Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian C+
18. X-Men Origins: Wolverine C-
19. Push C-
1. Up A
2. Coraline A
3. Star Trek A-
4. Observe and Report A-
5. The Hangover A-
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince A-
7. Drag Me To Hell B+
8. Adam B+
9. TakenB+
10. Knowing B+
11. I Love You, Man B
12. Funny People B
13. Brüno B-
14. Adventureland B-
15. Confessions of a Shopaholic B-
16. Watchmen B-
17. Monsters vs. Aliens B-
18. Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian C+
19. X-Men Origins: Wolverine C-
20. Push C-
1. Coraline - 9.5/10 - The first movie I've ever seen to use 3D to enhance the experience rather than for cheap thrills. A Brilliant movie. By far Sellick's best work, and that includes Nightmare Before Christmas. Seeing this again reminded me of its brilliance, and I hope it beats Up for Best Animated at the Oscars (although we'll have to see if Ponyo blows both out of the water)
2. In The Loop - 9/10 - Very well executed critique of British and American actions before the start of an unnamed war (which can very much be assumed to be Iraq). Absolutely hilarious, there are laugh out loud moments throughout.
3. Up - 9/10 - Another brilliant escapade by the fantastic people at Pixar. I wasn't all that interested in this movie, but it won me over in the first few minutes.
4. Funny People - 8.5/10 - Clearly not a perfect movie, but everything that it does well succeeds wildly. Seth Rogen is amazing, as is the entire supporting cast. The funniest drama i've ever seen, but it really isn't a Comedy... It's not a happy movie. And that's a ballsy move by Apatow I really respect.
5. Drag Me To Hell - 8/10 - Fun, Scary... A far cry better than Raimi's mediocre at best work on the Spider-Man moves.
6. (500) Days of Summer - 8/10 - Upon first seeing this, I was prepared to put it at the very top of my list for 2009, but seeing the movie again really helped me see a lot of the problems it suffers... My friends ended up hating it, but I still think its a beautiful, sweet movie... And Joseph Gordon Levitt should be in everything forever.
7. Star Trek - 8/10 - Pure, Unadulterated Fun... A little less overwhelmingly awesome on the second go, and there are certainly problems, but this was a great reintroduction to the universe of Star Trek
8. State of Play - 8/10 - Great Acting. Great Story... This makes me want to be an investigative reporter as much as it makes me want to watch the original BBC miniseries.
9. Moon - 8/10 - Great first film for Mr. Jones. Parts of it dragged, but Sam Rockwell was incredible in this movie, and it was great to see something so original in the Sci-Fi genre.
10. Terminator Salvation - 7.5/10 - Much better than I expected, although it should have focused entirely on Kyle Reese and John Connor... Any scene with just Marcus was lame and unnecessary.
11. 17 Again - 7.5/10 - This film had no right being as good, as funny, or as heartwarming as it ended up being.
12. Bruno - 7.5/10 - Funny. Not quite as good as Borat, but I might have laughed a little harder this time around.
13. Last Chance Harvey - 7.5/10 - This film wouldn't be anything without Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman, but with them it becomes a rather touching romantic comedy that never gets too sappy.
14. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 7.5/10 - The best looking and probably best acted of the HP franchise. Most of its problems come in its failure to set up the Deathly Hallows films... Probably the most cohesive story yet, so dispite my disappointment, I have to admit I was pretty pleased overall.
15. Monsters vs. Aliens - 7/10 - By no means a great movie, but a lot of fun, and a surprising amount of heart. Enjoyed it much more than I expected to.
16. The Hangover - 6.5/10 - Disappointingly Mediocre. Didn't laugh once, and I never believed the friendship between these guys like I did with Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Vince Vaughn in the far superior Old School (by the same director)
17. He's Just Not That Into You - 6.5/10 - Not an awful movie, just mostly uninteresting... And incredibly predictable. And not as cute as it wanted to be.
18. Watchmen - 6.5/10 - In the end I liked it more then I didn't like it. It got a lot right, more than certainly I ever expected. But at the end of the day it just wasn't capable of packing the punch of the original.
19. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - 6/10 - Incredibly stupid, but a lot of fun... It was cartoony and ridiculous, but never pretended it wasn't... JGL had the perfect voice as the Doctor, and they shouldn't have changed it for the last 20 minutes. The Cobra Commander outfit was pretty much awful. But I had fun, and I would totally see a sequel.
20. I Love You, Man - 6/10 - Disappointingly mediocre. Has some good moments, and I still love the concept, but it just didn't follow through at all.
21. Taken - 6/10 - Liam Neeson sleepwalks through this movie, in regards to his acting, I'll admit he's pretty bad-***, but its a mediocre film at best... I had actually forgotten to add it to my list, despite having seen it almost 3 months ago now.
22. Public Enemies - 6/10 - An Aimless, Pointless film. The shaky cam was completely unnecessary. The script was terrible. Not a single character was remotely developed. The acting was good, but far from impressive. I thought this looked good, but god, it just pissed me off how bad it was.
23. X-Men: Origins - Wolverine - 5.5/10 - Everything they needed for a halfway decent film was in there, but they just didn't follow through.
24. The Year One - 5/10 - Meh. You'll get a few laughs, then never really want to see it again.
25. Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel - 5/10 - Mediocre Sci-Fi comedy shlock that has some good moments and some good ideas, but in the end just leaves you with a wholly mediocre film.
26. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen - 5/10 - Bad on every level other than CGI, I suppose, but even the Transformers mythology was bland and uninteresting... I wasn't expecting much, but Jesus, this was a piece of **** move.
27. Land of the Lost - 3/10 - Why did I watch this movie? Cruder than funny, and too stupid to find vaguely interesting.
Films I want to see:
Adventureland - Maybe The Brothers Bloom - This looks amazing Whatever Works - Woody Allen is back in NYC and this time with Larry David. Let's see what happens. Paper Heart - Looks cute. District 9 - Best looking original Sci-Fi movie in ages. Ponyo - Hayao Miyazaki + Tina Fey = **** yes. Inglourious Basterds - How could I say no to Mr. Tarentino? Taking Woodstock - I can't tell if this looks cheesy and bad, or like something I could put next to Almost Famous. Extract - Jason Bateman = Win. Whiteout - I love the comic, let's see if they do a decent job... Capitalism: A Love Story - It's Michael Moore, so i'll definitely see it... Hopefully its more "Sicko" than "Fahrenheit 9/11" A Serious Man - Coen Brothers, baby. Shutter Island - Looks great. Where The Wild Things Are - I am more excited for this movie than anything else coming out this year. Youth in Revolt - Maybe. The Box - Maybe. Fantastic Mr. Fox - Wes Andersen's First Foray into Animation. Should be interesting. The Lovely Bones - Peter Jackson. Let's see what happens. The Princess and the Frog - While I hope for greatness, if it sucks, I'll still see it just to support traditional animation. Avatar - Color me curious. Sherlock Holmes - Robert Downey Jr... Nuff Said.[/QUOTE]
19. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - 6/10 - Incredibly stupid, but a lot of fun... It was cartoony and ridiculous, but never pretended it wasn't... JGL had the perfect voice as the Doctor, and they shouldn't have changed it for the last 20 minutes. The Cobra Commander outfit was pretty much awful. But I had fun, and I would totally see a sequel.
If he is talkinga bout what I think he's talking about,
Cobra Commander's voice changes a bit once he actually puts on that mask at the end. It doesn't change alot, and it still sounded pretty cool...at least in my opinion.
Star Trek: A++
Shows me why JJ Abrahms is the man and why I want to make movies some day. This was exactly what a Star Trek movie should have been for a new generation. It was hilarious, beautiful and epic all in the same breath and possibly gathered together the best grouping of future talent in Hollywood that we'll see in a while. Pine, Quinto, Urban, Yelchin, Cho, Saldana, Pegg all were great and Bana was fantastic as Nero. Pine as Hal Jordan!
The Hangover: A+
Legitametly the funniest movie I've seen in years. This movie was freaking hilarious and left me wanting to see it again almost immediately after I had just seen it. Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zack GalifaIcan'tpronouncehiswholename were all awesome. Funny, funny movie and alongside Star Trek as the best movie this year.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: A
While I don't think it was the best adaptation of a Pottter film, I do think it is the best movie of the series so far. I thought that the effects used were perfect and the humor in this one was great. The performances by Gambon, Rickman, Radcliffe and Jim Broadbent as Slughorn especially were amazing and this film only has me excited for the final two Deathly Hallows films.
Up: A
Another fantastic film from Pixar, it was heartfelt and touching which is to be expected from Pixar. The animation, the humor, the plot were all perfect in this completely unique and wonderful plot. Another great Pixar film from a company that has yet to dissapoint.
Wonder Woman: A
So far it's the best animated film that DC has put out, though I do love New Frontier and enjoyed Doomsday. Great actors selected for it and essentally a perfect adaptation of the Wonder Woman mythology. And Fillion's in it so I'm obliged to enjoy it.
Green Lantern: First Flight: A-
Easily the second best of the DC animated movies behind Wonder Woman, the acting was top notch (Michael Madsen! Victor Garber!) and the animation was pretty good. I liked all of the character designs and how it spent zero time on Hal Jordan before he got the ring as we've seen that a billion times in recent years. Top notch but not quite as good as Wonder Woman.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: A-
Not as good as the first film, but it has its great moments throughout. The CGI was some of the greatest I had ever seen and the first fight between Optimus, Megatron and Starscream was awesome. The story might have lacked but I'm ranking this based on for what it was, not for how good of a movie it was. It gets knocked up from a B to an A- two grading slots for each of Megan Fox's funbags.
Watchmen: B+
The most hyped film of the year and a near perfect adaptation of the greatest graphic novel. Near perfect renderings of Doc Manhattan, Rorsach and Comedian with likeable portrayals of Night Owl and Silk Spectre. The only thing keeping it out of A range is the awful portrayal of Ozymandias. Great flick though.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra: B
I went into this expecting to see poor acting and thinly veiled plot barely tied together. That's exactly what I got out of this experience and it was still awesome. It was very (unintentionally) funny in places and knows that it's a dumb action movie with amazing fight sequences. Joseph Gordon Levitt was great in it and I actually couldn't tell that it was him the entire time. Good job for a movie about toys.
Wolverine: C+
Oh so much potential for greatness. A feel as if the first half of this film was near perfect for a Wolverine move. Hugh Jackman stole the show again and Liev Shriber played a wicked Sabretooth. I found the rest of Team X great until they jumped forward in years, turned Blob into a characature, introduced the dreaded Gambit and obliterated Deadpool. Great start dissapointing finish. I'd put it as the third best X-Men film going X2, X-Men, Wolverine and then Last Stand.
Dragonball: F-
I went to this movie wasted. I don't know if I threw up because of the movie or the Captain. Well so long to your career Chow Yun Fat.
Updated for G.I. Joe, I Love You Man, and Green Lantern...and I changed my grading format for like the fifth time.
Star Trek: A+
I can't think of anything I didn't like about this movie. I thought it was by far the most enjoyable movie I've seen this year and probably last year too (I liked it more than The Dark Knight, which although it was a great movie didn't really seem to know when to stop). Loved it.
The Hangover: A
Hilarious. The three main leads were great together, and I really liked how they told the story. Ed Helms' fiancee was a *****, so I was glad that he ditched her for Heather Graham. Very good.
Wonder Woman: A
I loved it. This convinces me that a live action Wonder Woman movie can work well. Steve Trevor was awesome. I seriously can't think of anything I didn't like about it.
Adventureland: A-
I liked this movie alot. Nice blend of comedy and real emotion. All of the actors were good, and it was nice to see that there weren't alot of traditional cliches.
Up: B+
Very good. I wouldn't say this is my favorite Pixar movie, that still goes to The Incredibles, but this was still good. I'm only knocking it a bit because I didn't really feel that connected to any of the characters, but that could have had something to do with the way I saw it. Doug was the best though.
Watchmen: B+
I may be being too generous but I thought it was fairly good. After thinking about it there are quite a few things that Snyder should have done differently (Oxymandias, some of the ending stuff, the fighting sequences, big blue penis, Hallelujah...) but more or less I think he got it right. I can't wait for the extended edition.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: B
Pretty good. I've never been a huge fan of the Harry Potter movies, but it did strike me in this movie just how amazing what they have done is. Six movies (soon to be eight) with primarily all the same cast members. It's pretty exceptional when you think about it. This was probably one of the best of the lot. I had no problem with the changes, but then again I have no idea what changes they made.
G.I. Joe: C+
I will admit that I had moderate expectations going in, and very little knowledge of the G.I. Joe universe. That said, I thought this was at the very least a very fun and entertaining film. It knows what it is, a movie about action figures, and it doesn't try to be anything else. Snake Eyes was badass. The plot between him and Storm Shadow was probably the best of the movie. Some of the CG needed work though. As others have said Joseph Gordon Levitt was fantastic as Cobra Commander, although I would have prefered they use the hood.
Confessions of a Shopaholic: C
Isla Fisher was hot as usual. Besides that nothing special. It was at least entertaining though.
Taken: C
This was a great action movie...that's about it. The performances weren't that impressive, and
the reunion between Neeson and the daughter felt off.
Badass fights though.
Terminator Salvation: C
While it wasn't as good as the first two Terminator movies, it seemed better than the 3rd (I haven't seen it in a while). In general, it was a decent action movie with patches of awesomeness. Most of these moments belonged to Sam Worthington, who stole the show. Am I the only one that is starting to think that Bale is becoming a bit one note? I don't think this was nearly as bad as some people make it out to be.
Green Lantern: C-
I honestly wasn't too impressed with this. I didn't feel any connection to any of the characters. I know that more of Hal's origin was covered in New Frontier but I think they should have added more to this. Simply put I didn't think Hal Jordan was very interesting. I liked Sinestro. The final fight between him and Hal seemed to go on and on though.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: C-
I didn't like this as much as the first one, but it was entertaining. Some awesome CGI. The story kinda made sense, at least enough to get me through the movie. I'm trying not to think about the plot too much. The fight between Optimus and the Fallen was surprisingly anticlimactic, especially incomparison to the battle that's going on before this. All in all it was enjoyable though more than a bit mindless. Far too long.
Defiance: D+
I thought this was kinda boring. It wasn't nearly as "actiony" as I thought it was going to be. But then again that may be my fault. Certainly worth checking on DVD, but I don't think it was worth the $8 I paid to see it in a theater.
I Love You Man: D+
I really didn't think this was that funny. Maybe I just expected too much from Rudd and Segel. Was it just me or did anyone else think that Segel's character was pretty creppy? I exepcted him to kill Paul Rudd at any moment. Maybe it was the fact that he always wore a sport jacket and scarf.
Bruno: D
While some of the stuff in the movie was funny, alot wasn't. Some of it was stuff that was either featured in ads, or was used by SBC in promoting the movie. I liked Borat more. I could have done without the swinging penis, but I guess I should have expected that.
Wolverine: F
While I didn't go in expecting a great movie like Iron Man or TDK, I thought it might be fun. Sadly, with the exception of Deadpool, this movie was pretty boring. I didn't see anything that I hadn't seen in previous movies.
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WATCHMEN - ***
I'm not sure how to rate this. It's good but not great. Enjoyable. A worthy adaptation. Probably the closest we'll come to a great film version of Watchmen. But there are still flaws... flaws that would always be there because it was a comic, not a film. But yeah... it's good enough for me. 4 might be too high but 2 might be too low, so I think 3 is right for me. The movie made me realise even more how brilliant the story Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons have created is and I doubt I will ever see this again as I'd rather read the graphic novel instead.
MONSTERS VS. ALIENS - ***
Predictable story but great animation and a brilliant voice cast. Really enjoyable and a lot of fun.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE - *
A lot of potential that is completely wasted. A movie that is sometimes about Wolverine but mainly all over the place. I had low expectations and even I was incredibly disappointed. I can't believe filmmakers get away with stuff like this after comic movies like Iron Man and The Dark Knight.
STAR TREK - *****
I loved it. I had high expectations for this movie and it met them. My favourite movie of the year so far and probably one of my favourite movies ever.
ANGELS & DEMONS - ***
A decent movie with a pretty good cast that seem to be wasted. It's entertaining and an average thriller and worth seeing but I doubt I'll ever bother seeing it again. Tom Hanks deserves to be in better movies than this.
STATE OF PLAY - ****
An interesting thriller and an entertaining movie. Some of it does get bogged down with the twists but the excellent cast makes up for it. Like DSF, I now want to see the original mini series and it has me interested in a career in journalism. I don't know if it will stand up on repeated viewings so it may lose a point in the future.
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN - ***
I didn't like it as much as the first one but it was still an entertaining action movie. Some of it was annoying and some of it was actually really funny. Not sure if the comedy is a good or a bad thing. Wanted to see more of Isabel Lucas (Alice, the Decepticon Pretender that went after Sam at college). Some really epic fights and amazing special effects. The more I think about this though, the more I think how different it would be if I got a crack at it. And it sort of disappoints me that this is what we have to settle with.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE - ***
While some of it is really stupid, it doesn't take you out of the movie and the cast's charm and strength makes up for any mistakes. The movies are mediocre adaptations from the books (I wonder how well I would enjoy them if I hadn't read the books, for example) but I really like the style and the tone of each movie as the series progresses. While I disagree with the idea of splitting the last movie into two, I will see them, probably enjoy them, but probably never have a desire to see them again. More than anything, these movies make me realise how much I enjoyed the books, and I guess that's a good enough reason for seeing the movie.
PUBLIC ENEMIES - ****
I was really excited for this but was prepared for disappointment when I heard the mixed reviews. I was always worried about Mann and his camera and while it did get pretty annoying sometimes, I got used to it and I think this is the first time I've been fine with it. I really liked the cast and while there wasn't much characterization, it was still a lot of fun. And those guns were badass.
CORALINE - ****
This was good. I think I still prefer The Nightmare Before Christmas but this was still a great animated movie. And man... some of that animation was amazing. I loved how unique it was. It was like Selick's previous animated movies on another level. The story was good too (Neil Gaiman knows how to tell a story) though there were a few iffy bits which I don't think were explained well enough or at all. However, these were few and far between and didn't subtract from the overall charm of this film.
DISTRICT 9 - *****
One of the most unique movies I've seen in years and incredibly well done. A lot of effort and thought has been put into this movie and it's really fun. Great special effects and action while remaining quite intelligent. Very recommended.
21. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Another mediocre comic book movie with no real idea what it could be. It makes me sad.
29. The Year One
It really wasn't that funny. Especially considering who was in it, but it had it's moments. And the girls were hot especially that Juno something chick. Damn.
19. I Love You, Man
It was a pretty plain comedy. Not what I expect after seeing them in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
18. State of Play
Decent movie starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, and Rachael McAdams. I enjoyed, but it's one of those movies, that you seen once and than never again.
17. Funny People
I think it was leagues better than Apatow's last two movies. I really enjoyed the dry humor it had
16. Bruno
Possibly more insane then Borat but not as funny. I still really enjoyed it, some parts I hoped was staged so I don't completely lose faith in the human race.
15. Watchmen
It was very brilliant in some parts and really really terrible at overall. The overall narrative seemed to suffer, especially for the ones not familiar with the source material. I was just happy to see Rorschach played so well.
14. Drag Me To Hell
I have always wanted to see the Evil Dead series and has yet too. But this movie from what I hear is in the same vein. I've never seen horror and comedy combined like this. It was great.
13. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
It's about as good as the others. They really should of started with this one from the get go.
12. Terminator Salvation
Let me get this out of the way. I am not a fan of the Terminator franchise. It had a couple of glaring flaws, but it didn't hurt my enjoyment.
11. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
I enjoy this movies despite how stupid they actually are. Some moments were a little too ridiculous and plot holes big enough for Prime to drive through, but I want to watch robots beating the **** out of each other and Megan Fox. I got that.
10. Adventureland
I like the new sting of teen romantic comedies that seem more realistic with the awkwardness of dating. This one was average, but I enjoyed it. Kristen Stewart is nice looking.
9. The Hangover
Another comedy starring people I really have never heard of and it was hilarious. Makes me want to go to Vegas and get wasted.
8. Fired Up
It was actually really funny. References to the classic Bring It On, hell they even watched it in the movie. It was like Wedding Crashers meets Bring It On.
7. Angels & Demons
I may be in the minority, but I loved this movies. I love mysteries and religious based stories.
6. Crank 2: High Voltage
I don't even know where to begin. This was the most offensive, over the top, insane thing I ever seen. I loved every minute.
5. Up
Almost as good as Wall-E. It was pretty wonderful. I'm glad I didn't watch too many trailers.
4. Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince
I love all the Harry Potter movies for good or bad. People complain about them not comparing to the books, well duh. But this suffers a bit from the pacing problem 4 had.
3. Coraline
Gaiman movies are 3 for 3 in my book. It was such a great corky little film. The voice acting and stop animation was perfect.
2. Star Trek
One of the best Summer blockbuster/Sci-Fi movies I ever seen. Great cast, action, and humor. I never cared for Star Trek at all and now it is cooler than Star Wars.
1. The Time Traveller's Wife
This is getting a lot of bad reviews and I'm not sure why. I thought the story was well crafted, Bana and McAdams were great. I loved it.
Watchmen - Pretty good. Not how I would've done it, but they put so much effort into how they did it that it payed off. A book-accurate Ozymandias might've made it a whole point higher. It's basically in the same category of b-t-f adaptations as the Potter films - no match for the book, but very cool to see for fans of it. And once in a while, sheer magic. 8.5/10.
Taken - Exciting, straight-forward, cool. Neeson is cool. 6.5/10.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - I enjoyed this, but basically, they just weren't making a good movie. So they just pumped up what they had as best as they could, and it turned out okay. It also just felt kind of dated.... seenitamilliontimes.... know what I mean? 6/10
Star Trek - First movie I can remember seeing in a while where the special effects actually impressed me. A great, fun action-adventure with a cast that completely sells it. I want more emotion and depth in a film, but this was the rare "great" movie that still manages without it. I hope it's there in the sequels, though. 8.5/10.
Terminator: Salvation - Pointless, dry, completely unengaging. Anton Yelchin was awesome, and Sam Worthington, for some reason, just really has something. I look forward to seeing more of both of them. But Conner was flat and the plot went absolutely nowhere. I'm disappointed in Bale for being so involved with this. And that stupid alternate ending they wanted to use.... damn.... 5/10
Outlander - This was pretty cool. A humanoid alien crash-lands in Viking-Era Norway. I like Jim Caviziel a lot and overall thought this was done pretty well. 8/10.
UP - The best, most touching thing I've seen from Pixar in years. I still wanted more, but as it was there wasn't really anything wrong with it. 9/10.
Tranformers: Revenge Of The Fallen - SFX porn with a likeable cast, especially Sam and his parents. I don't think this one felt as epic as the first, but it was good. 7/10.
Knowing - Stunning. Why isn't Shyamalan capable of this kind of thing anymore? Refreshing, creative, very suspenseful, amazing disaster sequences.... not to overhype it, but maybe the most I've enjoyed a movie this year. They clearly believed in the film they were making, which is more than I can say for a lot of films. 9/10
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince - Probably the best one yet, and certainly the most unique, beautiful, and magical to me. The problems that all the films have had still apply, but even those not as much. I loved it. 9/10.
Push - Fun, fast, good effects and well-directed action sequences.... the plot was extremely confusing in brief spurts, but I was pretty satisfied by it. A lot of the stuff that made Heroes good in the first place works here. 7.5/10[/QUOTE]
Horsemen - Detective movie about serial killers patterning themselves after the biblical four horsemen of the apocalypse. Good premise, only okay execution. Clearly made by people who really love Se7en, but aren't in the same leage. Patrick Fugit, the kid from Almost Famous, was the best part. 6/10
Funny People - Has lots of flaws and lots of good stuff. Sandler truly carries the picture, but everyone in it is good. A different and very personal step from Apatow. Odd for a director's third film, it feels more like a tenth. I guess that's the case for Sandler, though. What would really be interesting is if he stops making the type of movies they spoof in the film. 7.75/10
The Great Buck Howard - Swell. Colin Hanks is good here, but I'd really like to see him do a much less reserved, really emotional role soon. The movie is a must-see for any John Malkovich fan and overall was just really sweet and well-done. 7.5/10
I Love You, Man - I'm not usually big on the whole "bromance" thing, but this was awesome. It was really funny first and foremost, but the Segel-Rudd relationship is so much damn fun and steals the show, even when it's not being funny but just plain honest and raw. The whole cast is great and the film is enhanced by the fact that I love Rush. The extended concert scene on the DVD was a ****ing blast. 8/10
District 9 tomorrow night. I'd love to see (500) Days Of Summer and The Time-Traveller's Wife too, but **** if I'll be able to make that happen.
District 9 - A completely enthralling, edge-of-your-seat film experience, the most unique in ages. I feel like the whole "documentary/shaky-cam/handicam" thing a lot of them have been trying to use recently to make it feel more like you're actually there was finally perfected by this, with the perfect blend it uses. For the first time since I think 2007..... it's a solid 10/10.
1. Up A
2. District 9A
3. Coraline A
4. Star Trek A-
5. Observe and Report A-
6. The Hangover A-
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince A-
8. Drag Me To Hell B+
9. Adam B+
10. Taken B+
11. Knowing B+
12. I Love You, Man B
13. Funny People B
14. Brüno B-
15. Adventureland B-
16. Confessions of a Shopaholic B-
17. Watchmen B-
18. Monsters vs. Aliens B-
19. Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian C+
20. X-Men Origins: Wolverine C-
21. Push C-
Updated for District 9, which has stolen the A++ spot from Star Trek
District 9: A++
By far the best movie I've seen since either Slumdog Millionaire or Dark Knight, this was one of the best sci-fi movies I've ever seen. The action in it was used perfectly and the emotion was great, so much so that I was literally on the edge of my seat. Not in the metaphorical way, I actually was leaning forward the entire time. I really felt for the main alien Christopher and was very sad for the fate of the main human character. My top pick for Best Picture this year.
Star Trek: A+
Shows me why JJ Abrahms is the man and why I want to make movies some day. This was exactly what a Star Trek movie should have been for a new generation. It was hilarious, beautiful and epic all in the same breath and possibly gathered together the best grouping of future talent in Hollywood that we'll see in a while. Pine, Quinto, Urban, Yelchin, Cho, Saldana, Pegg all were great and Bana was fantastic as Nero. Pine as Hal Jordan!
The Hangover: A+
Legitametly the funniest movie I've seen in years. This movie was freaking hilarious and left me wanting to see it again almost immediately after I had just seen it. Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zack GalifaIcan'tpronouncehiswholename were all awesome. Funny, funny movie and alongside Star Trek as the best movie this year.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: A
While I don't think it was the best adaptation of a Pottter film, I do think it is the best movie of the series so far. I thought that the effects used were perfect and the humor in this one was great. The performances by Gambon, Rickman, Radcliffe and Jim Broadbent as Slughorn especially were amazing and this film only has me excited for the final two Deathly Hallows films.
Up: A
Another fantastic film from Pixar, it was heartfelt and touching which is to be expected from Pixar. The animation, the humor, the plot were all perfect in this completely unique and wonderful plot. Another great Pixar film from a company that has yet to dissapoint.
Wonder Woman: A
So far it's the best animated film that DC has put out, though I do love New Frontier and enjoyed Doomsday. Great actors selected for it and essentally a perfect adaptation of the Wonder Woman mythology. And Fillion's in it so I'm obliged to enjoy it.
Green Lantern: First Flight: A-
Easily the second best of the DC animated movies behind Wonder Woman, the acting was top notch (Michael Madsen! Victor Garber!) and the animation was pretty good. I liked all of the character designs and how it spent zero time on Hal Jordan before he got the ring as we've seen that a billion times in recent years. Top notch but not quite as good as Wonder Woman.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: A-
Not as good as the first film, but it has its great moments throughout. The CGI was some of the greatest I had ever seen and the first fight between Optimus, Megatron and Starscream was awesome. The story might have lacked but I'm ranking this based on for what it was, not for how good of a movie it was. It gets knocked up from a B to an A- two grading slots for each of Megan Fox's funbags.
Watchmen: B+
The most hyped film of the year and a near perfect adaptation of the greatest graphic novel. Near perfect renderings of Doc Manhattan, Rorsach and Comedian with likeable portrayals of Night Owl and Silk Spectre. The only thing keeping it out of A range is the awful portrayal of Ozymandias. Great flick though.
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra: B
I went into this expecting to see poor acting and thinly veiled plot barely tied together. That's exactly what I got out of this experience and it was still awesome. It was very (unintentionally) funny in places and knows that it's a dumb action movie with amazing fight sequences. Joseph Gordon Levitt was great in it and I actually couldn't tell that it was him the entire time. Good job for a movie about toys.
Wolverine: C+
Oh so much potential for greatness. A feel as if the first half of this film was near perfect for a Wolverine move. Hugh Jackman stole the show again and Liev Shriber played a wicked Sabretooth. I found the rest of Team X great until they jumped forward in years, turned Blob into a characature, introduced the dreaded Gambit and obliterated Deadpool. Great start dissapointing finish. I'd put it as the third best X-Men film going X2, X-Men, Wolverine and then Last Stand.
Dragonball: F-
I went to this movie wasted. I don't know if I threw up because of the movie or the Captain. Well so long to your career Chow Yun Fat.
The action in it was used perfectly and the emotion was great, so much so that I was literally on the edge of my seat. Not in the metaphorical way, I actually was leaning forward the entire time.
I've started a Facebook Oscar Campaign: Sharlto Copley (Wikus) for Best Actor. With the ten Best Picture nominees, District 9 is much more likely to snag a spot, and as a result, Copley's nomination odds will be much, much better.
No way. It's about a 9 for me. 8.5 if I'm feeling really critical. I just have too many problems with most of the way they used Batman, casting Gylenhaal, and with Ledger. I truly hadn't seen what I'd call a ten hit theaters since, I think, Zodiac.
I've started a Facebook Oscar Campaign: Sharlto Copley (Wikus) for Best Actor. With the ten Best Picture nominees, District 9 is much more likely to snag a spot, and as a result, Copley's nomination odds will be much, much better.
1. Coraline - 9.5/10 - The first movie I've ever seen to use 3D to enhance the experience rather than for cheap thrills. A Brilliant movie. By far Sellick's best work, and that includes Nightmare Before Christmas. Seeing this again reminded me of its brilliance, and I hope it beats Up for Best Animated at the Oscars (although we'll have to see if Ponyo blows both out of the water)
2. In The Loop - 9/10 - Very well executed critique of British and American actions before the start of an unnamed war (which can very much be assumed to be Iraq). Absolutely hilarious, there are laugh out loud moments throughout.
3. Up - 9/10 - Another brilliant escapade by the fantastic people at Pixar. I wasn't all that interested in this movie, but it won me over in the first few minutes.
4. Funny People - 8.5/10 - Clearly not a perfect movie, but everything that it does well succeeds wildly. Seth Rogen is amazing, as is the entire supporting cast. The funniest drama i've ever seen, but it really isn't a Comedy... It's not a happy movie. And that's a ballsy move by Apatow I really respect.
5. District 9 - 8.5/10 - A good film, but not the great one everyone seems convinced it is... I definitely think all the Oscar talk is overstating it... It could make it in one of the ten slots, but it wouldn't make it in the five. But still, props need to be given to such an original science-fiction concept. Its an unbalanced film, and the characters aren't as fully realized as they should be, and neither are the Aliens. The Action is brilliant, though, and this is a movie any fan of the genre needs to see.
6. Drag Me To Hell - 8/10 - Fun, Scary... A far cry better than Raimi's mediocre at best work on the Spider-Man moves.
7. (500) Days of Summer - 8/10 - Upon first seeing this, I was prepared to put it at the very top of my list for 2009, but seeing the movie again really helped me see a lot of the problems it suffers... My friends ended up hating it, but I still think its a beautiful, sweet movie... And Joseph Gordon Levitt should be in everything forever.
7. Star Trek - 8/10 - Pure, Unadulterated Fun... A little less overwhelmingly awesome on the second go, and there are certainly problems, but this was a great reintroduction to the universe of Star Trek
8. State of Play - 8/10 - Great Acting. Great Story... This makes me want to be an investigative reporter as much as it makes me want to watch the original BBC miniseries.
9. Moon - 8/10 - Great first film for Mr. Jones. Parts of it dragged, but Sam Rockwell was incredible in this movie, and it was great to see something so original in the Sci-Fi genre.
10. Ponyo - 8/10 - Not one of Miyazaki's best. The Animation is beautiful, though, and I loved Tina Fey's voice acting. Its a fun, adorable movie, but not nearly as deep or moving as his last three films.
11. Adventureland - 8/10 - A sweet movie, but nothing all that original to it. Doesn't really deal well with the deeper issues it tries to address, but still an enjoyable film.
12. Terminator Salvation - 7.5/10 - Much better than I expected, although it should have focused entirely on Kyle Reese and John Connor... Any scene with just Marcus was lame and unnecessary.
13. 17 Again - 7.5/10 - This film had no right being as good, as funny, or as heartwarming as it ended up being.
14. Bruno - 7.5/10 - Funny. Not quite as good as Borat, but I might have laughed a little harder this time around.
15. Observe and Report - 7.5/10 - Lacks the real punch of Eastbound & Down, but does a lot to show Seth Rogen's range as an actor... Look forward to seeing more dark, ****ed up comedies from Jody Hill.
16. Last Chance Harvey - 7.5/10 - This film wouldn't be anything without Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman, but with them it becomes a rather touching romantic comedy that never gets too sappy.
17. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 7.5/10 - The best looking and probably best acted of the HP franchise. Most of its problems come in its failure to set up the Deathly Hallows films... Probably the most cohesive story yet, so dispite my disappointment, I have to admit I was pretty pleased overall.
18. Monsters vs. Aliens - 7/10 - By no means a great movie, but a lot of fun, and a surprising amount of heart. Enjoyed it much more than I expected to.
19. The Hangover - 6.5/10 - Disappointingly Mediocre. Didn't laugh once, and I never believed the friendship between these guys like I did with Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Vince Vaughn in the far superior Old School (by the same director)
20. He's Just Not That Into You - 6.5/10 - Not an awful movie, just mostly uninteresting... And incredibly predictable. And not as cute as it wanted to be.
21. Watchmen - 6.5/10 - In the end I liked it more then I didn't like it. It got a lot right, more than certainly I ever expected. But at the end of the day it just wasn't capable of packing the punch of the original.
22. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - 6/10 - Incredibly stupid, but a lot of fun... It was cartoony and ridiculous, but never pretended it wasn't... JGL had the perfect voice as the Doctor, and they shouldn't have changed it for the last 20 minutes. The Cobra Commander outfit was pretty much awful. But I had fun, and I would totally see a sequel.
23. I Love You, Man - 6/10 - Disappointingly mediocre. Has some good moments, and I still love the concept, but it just didn't follow through at all.
24. Taken - 6/10 - Liam Neeson sleepwalks through this movie, in regards to his acting, I'll admit he's pretty bad-***, but its a mediocre film at best... I had actually forgotten to add it to my list, despite having seen it almost 3 months ago now.
25. Public Enemies - 6/10 - An Aimless, Pointless film. The shaky cam was completely unnecessary. The script was terrible. Not a single character was remotely developed. The acting was good, but far from impressive. I thought this looked good, but god, it just pissed me off how bad it was.
26. X-Men: Origins - Wolverine - 5.5/10 - Everything they needed for a halfway decent film was in there, but they just didn't follow through.
27. The Year One - 5/10 - Meh. You'll get a few laughs, then never really want to see it again.
28. Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel - 5/10 - Mediocre Sci-Fi comedy shlock that has some good moments and some good ideas, but in the end just leaves you with a wholly mediocre film.
29. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen - 5/10 - Bad on every level other than CGI, I suppose, but even the Transformers mythology was bland and uninteresting... I wasn't expecting much, but Jesus, this was a piece of **** move.
30. Land of the Lost - 3/10 - Why did I watch this movie? Cruder than funny, and too stupid to find vaguely interesting.
Films I want to see:
The Brothers Bloom - This looks amazing Whatever Works - Woody Allen is back in NYC and this time with Larry David. Let's see what happens. Paper Heart - Looks cute. Inglourious Basterds - How could I say no to Mr. Tarentino? Taking Woodstock - I can't tell if this looks cheesy and bad, or like something I could put next to Almost Famous. Extract - Jason Bateman = Win. Whiteout - I love the comic, let's see if they do a decent job... Capitalism: A Love Story - It's Michael Moore, so i'll definitely see it... Hopefully its more "Sicko" than "Fahrenheit 9/11" A Serious Man - Coen Brothers, baby. Shutter Island - Looks great. Where The Wild Things Are - I am more excited for this movie than anything else coming out this year. Youth in Revolt - Maybe. The Box - Maybe. Fantastic Mr. Fox - Wes Andersen's First Foray into Animation. Should be interesting. The Lovely Bones - Peter Jackson. Let's see what happens. The Princess and the Frog - While I hope for greatness, if it sucks, I'll still see it just to support traditional animation. Avatar - Color me curious. Sherlock Holmes - Robert Downey Jr... Nuff Said.[/QUOTE]
Brüno: B (I laughed my *** off, but a lot of it just reminded me too much of Borat, but really, there's only so much you can do with that kind of shock comedy.)
Coraline: A- (I freely admit, I watched it with a child's eyes, was it perfect, no, but was it wonderful, oh hell yes)
Friday the 13th: A- (I loved it, easily as much as the originals. I liked the more realistic and rational explanations of things like how Jason can get the drop on people running)
GI Joe: C+ (Looks like mindless fun, was mindless fun. I really liked the girl who played Scarlett, and Levitt's Cobra Commander were pretty damn perfect, not counting his final costume.)
Green Lantern: A (Oh...my...god... So friggen awesome. DCA has some GREAT stuff coming out lately. I am so in love with the animation, and the voice work was amazing.)
Hulk Vs: B- (Thor)/B (Wolverine) (Okay, these were what I expected, great smash em ups, but with the Doc Strange animated movie fresh in my mind, it just didn't stack up)
Star Trek: A (Seriously, great and fun movie. Definitely won me over to enjoying the Trek universe.)
Terminator Salvation: C (Seriously, I think they tried a little too hard with this one. It was very melodramatic at times, and Marcus was well, too much.)
Transformers 2: C- (ooooh what a bunch of crap this movie turned out to be. Character designs and Arcee were pretty decent tho)
Up: A (Was sooo totally adorable, and I was kinda surprised with how fresh and creative the story was.)
Watchmen: B-/C+ (After initial *****ing and a second viewing, I have a few less complaints. It's still not a great adaptation, but it is a beautiful film)
Wolverine: C (It was pretty much what I expected, ignoring what they did with Emma, it was a pretty weak movie when it hit mid stride. Loved the cast though, definitely kept it from being a D or an F)
Wonder Woman: A+ (This is what the Live Action movie should be. Tho, I'll admit and cried and yelled at the screen during the Alexa/Persephone scene)
Movies I'm going to see:
Where the Wild Things Are (probably multiple times)
Sherlock Holmes (I'm a Guy Ritchie fan, sue me)
Halloween 2
Harry Potter
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
The Brothers Bloom
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
Inglourious Basterds
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Lovely Bones
The Princess and the Frog
Don't expect me to take you with me when I go to s
Joined
Sep 15, 2004
Messages
25,007
I have recently obtained KNOWING, OBSERVE AND REPORT, I LOVE YOU MAN and ADVENTURELAND and I'm going to see INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS on Thursday night so I've got a lot of updates coming (probably just in one or two posts though because I'm lazy)!
