It has been an interesting year for films, the rise of 3D has come around, some interesting leaps in technology have been made and the films themselves have been rather good. Anyway, on with the Top 10!
Here are my 10 best for 2009.
Now, I'm not normally into these sorts of films but I really liked this. It had an indie edge to it and although this sounds really simple and blunt, probably the best way to describe it is 'nice'. It will make you laugh, and it will pull on your heart strings and with the unconventional ending it made for a really good watch. I recommend the soundtrack too, full of indie goodness if that's what you're into.
I liked this film because I knew, and the film knew exactly what sort of film it was supposed to be. It is no Oscar winner, the acting is piss poor at times and it is way, way over the top. But that was exactly what I wanted from the film and it was 2 hours of glorious Cgeye candy (see what I did there), cheap thrills and it delivered. My only problem was John Cusack....I hate John Cusack. Kazed's review HERE
Lots of funniez! I seen this film with a girl and she loved it as much as I did. It is one of those films which has an all round appeal and some genuine LOL moments. Its good to see Jason Segel have a main role in a film because he has played all of his roles very well and his comic timing is brilliant. Paul Rudd plays the same sort of character you have seen him in most of his other films, but in a starring role he is allowed to shine. Slappa' dee bass will stick with you forever once you have watched this film, to me it is an unconventional chick flick that everyone will love.
It wouldn't be right to have a top 10 of the year without a Pixar film in it. Pixar have literally never failed me with their films, some I have liked more than others but I haven't been disappointed yet. With the last two films they have brought out (Wall-e and UP) they have had these underlying tones about loss, growing up, loneliness that make it grown up in a way, the first 20 minutes or so of UP are actually quite moving, depressing and slightly dark. But it's good to see that the storytelling has grown up and now offer more to the adult audience but that isn't to say the film is without its funny and slapstick humour, because it really is. The fact that Pixar has combined these adult subjects into a children's film is actually quite genius. My only problem with it really was that the characters aren't as memorable as the Woody's or Wall-e's we have seen in the past but it is a very minor gripe. Kazed's review HERE
I had mixed emotions about Terminator Salvation. I will tell you now that if you haven't seen it then it definitely isn't a Terminator movie you will know and love from the James Cameron era but definitely a return to form none the less, especially after the slightly iffy third effort. It was the first time I had seen Sam Worthington in a major role and he played it well, although I think he will be confined to this sort of role in his future films. A good cast, good story, good action sequences, good film!
For me, it was without a doubt the funniest film of the year and one of the funniest films I have seen in a long, long time. It is definitely the Superbad of 2009 and this is the first film since then to fill its boots, others have tried and just haven't quite been on par but im willing to be brave enough to say that The Hangover is as good as, if not better than one of the top comedy films of the decade. It offers the début of Ed Helms in a starring role and Zach Galifianakis who is seriously funny. I look forward to seeing more from these two, they have a lot to live up to now.
My surprise package of the year. District 9 is refreshing and something that offers a fresh take on the sci-fi genre. Neill Blomkamps first effort into the mainstream industry is a promising and exciting product. It is shot in a documentary style which offers that sense of realism to a film which plot might sound slightly ridiculous to someone who only sees the black and white of it. The film itself offers so much more than that, rather than being your conventional Hollywood blockbuster, the film-makers have done brilliantly with what was a relatively small budget and chosen to develop the story and the characters rather than just adding lots of pretty explosions and CGI, although it has those too. It all makes for a compelling watch, a definite must see! Kazed's review HERE
Brilliant film from J.J Abrams. In the first 5 minutes it manages to reduce a whole audience to tears in the midst of a battle scene with characters you are not engaged in or attached to emotionally which is an big feat and a quality piece of film making. The best part about it? It only gets better from there. This film is a fresh and exciting take on the sci-fi genre and the Star Trek franchise. The fact that this film was done so successfully with a relatively unknown cast is a testament to Abram's undoubted quality as a film maker. Kazed's review HERE
I will just refer you to my review for this one. A seriously good effort from Tarantino that bravely re-writes the history books and fills it will lots of gory and trademark dialogue filled goodness. My favourite character of the year goes to Christopher Waltz who plays the jew hunter in the film, and his scary, demeaning charm makes the film in my opinion. My review HERE
It had to be. And as much as I hate to say it, I agree with Kazed with pretty much everything he says about the film. It is probably the first film since Lord of the Rings to blow me away with special effects. The technology is ground breaking and the effects are astonishing, especially in 3D which is a must. What I liked about the 3D side of things was that it wasn't a gimmick in any way, with other 3D films I have seen this year, it has been 'wow, look at me I pop out of the screen'. Avatar does it brilliantly because it is subtle and used to good effect to create a good all round visual orgasm. The plot is good, and compelling throughout but I do think without the effects and the technology the film wouldn't be anything special, still good, but nothing special. The film will be one of those films that will be remembered for a while and I'm glad that a blockbuster has lived up to the hype and in many ways exceeded it. Well done James Cameron. Kazed's review HERE
I would just like to repeat Kazed's sentiments about the supports for Movieville over the past few months. Kazed deserves more of the praise for the work done on the site, my work has been pretty rare around here so kudos to Kazed. I decided to make my top 10 a bit more in depth than Kazed's offering but that's just to try and make up for the reviews that I haven't done.
Dan