The Top 10 Movies of 2009...

Well, it's that time of year for top 10 lists. First up is my top 10 movies of the year. By my tally, I've seen somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 films this year. The rules for being considered for this list are quite simple: 1) A 2009 theatrical release, and 2) I've seen it (either in the theater or on DVD).

Honorable Mention: Family Guy - Something, Something, Something Dark Side - It gets honorable mention for being hysterical but not truly a theatrical film. Really worth the watching if you like Family Guy or Star Wars...even better when you are like me and really enjoy both.

So here it is...my list organized as follows: Number. Film (release date) - rating out of 5

10. Pandorum (Sept 25) - 3 1/2 stars
A pretty solid film about a crew that awakens to find their ship in a state of disarray. Entertaining and pretty much sticks to what it aimed to be. One of the better sci-fi films of the year.

9. The Hangover (June 5) - 3 1/2 stars
A comedy that hits on more notes than it misses. Some of the situations that the characters find themselves in are quite hysterical. There is enough that doesn't quite work and a "plot" that drags just a little too long holding this film back from being great.

8. Avatar (Dec. 18) - 3 1/2 stars
Definitely the prettiest movie I watched all year. Really, a visual treat. The story falls flat though. You should be slapped if you don't figure out the direction of this movie pretty quickly. Also, if you feel like you heard that ominous, things are going well music before...you have...note for note from Enemy at the Gates (really lazy, James Horner, really lazy!).

7. Watchmen (March 6) - 4 stars
I was by no means a die-hard fan of the comic, so my expectations weren't as high as others. However, I did find it to be a pretty solid film. Looked great and was pretty entertaining.

6. Angels and Demons (May 15) - 4 stars
A quality movie (better book) that was actually better than the first film with these characters and director (aka the DaVinci Code). Better pacing and Tom Hanks getting a haircut made for the improvements.

The Top 5...with visual aides....

5. Taken (Jan 30) - 4 stars
The best pure action movie of the year. Liam Neeson really holds his own as an action star. Not much on plot, but does some pretty clever things following a man's search for his daughter.

4. Harry Potter: The Half Blood Prince (July 15) - 4 stars
A very excellent installment to the Harry Potter franchise. My biggest complaint was the ending. A great build-up really was wasted (not sure if that's how the book played out), but it brings the film down just a bit.

3. Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (Oct 30) - 4 stars
While not as good as the original film, the sequel does most of the same things and is still superbly entertaining. This is gratuitous violence done right...now hopefully the third film doesn't take as long to come to fruition.

2. Star Trek (May 8) - 4 stars
A spectacular film that makes Star Trek relevant again. Really entertaining and all the casting really shines through. Immediately after watching, your thoughts really go what's going to happen next for this crew....I guess, we'll wait and see.

And the best movie of the year is...

1. Zombieland (Oct. 2) - 5 stars
One of the easiest decisions to make was putting this film at number 1. It was entertaining, superbly hilarious, a couple of awesome characters, and zombies. Now if only the DVD will hurry up and get out...then we can make Zombie Day II happen!

There you go. You'll probably get games of the year and ...well, who knows what else. Stay tuned and stay frosty!