Best of 2009

Pixar strikes again with another awe-inspiring CGI-animated beauty! It's massive, hilarious, heartfelt, and intelligent. Sporting a cast of characters that is both extremely memorable and likable, UP shows that not only is Pixar far ahead of every other animation house, but they are only getting better as they perfect their formula with each film. And oh man, if it's possible that CGI visuals get better than Wall-E's I think they might have discovered how it's possible with this one! Easily, yes VERY easily, the BEST FILM OF 2009 so far.

Seriously, can they be stopped?!

500 Days of Summer sketches (literally and figuratively) an almost perfect picture of what it's like to be in love, fall out of love, and move on. It's clever in every sense of the word. The film is stunningly fresh considering the story has been mined a ridiculous number of times in romcom romps before it. Telling the story of the relationship highs and lows between Tom (Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Deschanel) in non-chronological order adds a large amount of liveliness and wittiness to the film. It has just enough flashy style to make it stand out, while at the same time it doesn't overdo it to make it seem overly quirky. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel sharing the screen together should go down as one of the finest examples of onscreen chemistry in recent years. Both actors put on performances that are so funny, charming, and sincere that there is no way you won't be in love with them by the end of the film. Two very very talented actors create two very very memorable performances. Just great...

My initial reaction to the film after seeing it for the first time was not as strong as my reaction after my second viewing. Coraline is definitely a visually splendid movie that is filled with a creepy moodiness and gloomy atmosphere, and yet it remains steadily vibrant. This is one that is likely to grow on you the more and more you see it. Grab a pair of 3-D glasses if you can, it actually helps this film by making it more immersive and eerier!

Watchmen is going to suffer from the "it's no Dark Knight" mentality that most of the public is going to feed it (which is almost completely unfair by the way...I said ALMOST). Essentially, we have a lesser known property that is actually widely known within the comic book/ graphic novel realm.

First of all, I only knew about the graphic novel and had not read it. So I actually thought it was much stronger than it will probably ever be given credit for based solely on the film itself, not comparisons to the novel. What we have is an extremely original entry in the superhero genre. Really I think what the bigger problem is though is the superhero genre has become a little too popular at this point. When the originality of a concept such as Watchmen seems to be an issue you can tell that something is up. I mean, yes, at its core many of the themes prevalent in Watchmen are nothing we have not seen touched on in superhero movies before. The foolishness of humanity, the alienation of superheroes from a society that more or less fears their power. We've seen it in countless movies. But Watchmen shakes this formula up a bit. It shows just how gruesome it can be when said superheroes go vigilante or take matters into their own hands instead of casually fading away into the shadows (although yes, I guess they do eventually do just that but not without strong opposition...and yes there is the matter of Dr. Manhattan but that's a completely different subject). Instead of the superhero returning to greatness by saving the day once again (i.e. Spidey series, X-men series, etc.) this film is bold enough to allow the superheroes to make choices that are questionable and not completely noble. In addition to that, the film also dares to scare the crap out of us with its predictions for the future of humanity. For the most part I would say the story has some serious backbone, something lacking from most superhero films.

I think more than any other superhero film I've seen in quite some time the tone is absolutely perfect. Yes, even moreso than The Dark Knight. The unrelenting morose feeling that breathes life to the film (yes even during the opening credits) gives a refinement that is a rarity in this genre. And the CGI...my goodness the CGI. Easily some of the best I've ever seen on film. Dr. Manhattan himself is a spectacle to behold, and that's just scratching the surface of the amazing CGI here.

Speaking of Dr. Manhattan, Billy Crudup is just fantastic. I can't stress enough how perfectly he conveys the detachment of the character from the rest of the world. It never feels cheesy or artificial, it's just perfect. He's undoubtedly the most fascinating character in the film. Other great performances are turned in from Jackie Earle Haley and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. As Rorschach, Haley proves to be the most likable and captivating character in the entire film. Patrick Wilson is relatively good and Malin Akerman is decent enough(but undoubtedly the weak link among the main cast). One of the things the film does extremely well is character development. With the exception of Ozymandius (which I am still trying to figure out why the hell he didn't get more character development), each of the important characters gets enough exposure to allow the viewer to not just understand where they come from and their point of view but to empathize with them...this is key, in fact, not just to this film but all superhero movies. It's a crucial element. Something that just might have been lacking in several other films of the genre.

Enough of the good...so what about the bad? Well, the ending seems so anticlimatic, it basically is the only thing keeping the film from achieving greatness to me (besides some unnecessary corniness earlier in the film...I'm sure you know what I'm talking about--hint: sex was involved). Unlike the rest of the film which is brilliantly paced, the ending seems glossed over a bit. The conclusion is a bit of a mess really. Yes, its tragic but it doesn't seem nearly as carefully crafted as the rest of the film to me. I get the sense the runtime for the film became an issue.

Overall, Watchmen is a lionhearted entry into the superhero genre and it isn't apologetic for anything, whether it be serious violence, serious nudity (wow this is not The Dark Knight and is NOT for kids by the way parents!!), or serious apocalyptic views. It never backs down...never. And for that I have to commend and recommend it. A LOT!

Now this is how you do summer entertainment right! Good story plus solid action, humor, wit, and acting makes for a great movie experience. I don't even need to mention how good the special effects are (oops...). Thank you for showing how to do a loud, over-the-top spectacle right! Kudos to J.J. Abrams who continues to prove to the rest of the world why he is indeed one of the best!

Okay, so let's make the case for children's movies which are simple yet elegant. Ponyo is a perfect example of this. Sure, there aren't very many deep themes or much in the way of logical narrative continuity, but the film is crafted so spectacularly that it easily holds its own with its CGI-animated brethren. The story is pretty awkward, in fact, coming off as a twisted mix of The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo. I was sitting there at first wondering just where Miyazaki was headed with the film until I realized that I was becoming completely swept up in each scene and that it really only mattered very little to me that things just kind of happen. My senses of sight and hearing had been hijacked by the film. The music and animation are the obvious culprits. For people who think that normal animation doesn't stand a chance in this big, gorgeous CGI world we are living in now, watch this movie...and weep. It's quite beautiful.

Impressive indeed, so much so that this may grow to be one of my personal favorites in the long run. Adventureland is a pretty remarkable achievement. It's a very intimate film. Seldomly do things feel contrived, instead it all feels like a natural series of both fortunate and unfortunate events which define a pivotal point in James' (Eisenberg) life. Unlike similar movies (like Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist) it focuses less on trying to be quirky and funny and more on giving you reasons to care about the characters. This film works so well because of the character development of its central characters, plain and simple. There is a living, breathing heart here and it makes all the difference. The comedy comes in perfect doses in the film, just enough to keep it light enough so the drama doesn't feel overbearing. The performances are universally solid here as well. Nice supporting performances are given by Bill Hader (who is in serious need of a starring role for once), Kristen Wiig, Martin Starr, and Ryan Reynolds. Kristen Stewart is great as the awkward girl character, and Jesse Eisenberg gives a performance that basically makes Michael Cera look like he's trying too hard. Bravo. Superbad + Adventureland = DOUBLE WIN for Greg Mottola, enough to make me really look forward to his next film.

This is an extremely successful return to form for Disney. Recalls the classics such as The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. Maybe not as great as some of those, but the film has a visual flare that should remind everyone why traditional 2-D animation is a necessity that should not be completely replaced with CGI. There are some brilliantly beautiful scenes here. Catchy songs, vibrant characters, and heartwarming storytelling, this is destined to become a classic in its own right.

This is a film that blurs genres. And as such, none of the criticisms I've heard of this film are justified. Even here on Flixster the film is being advertised as an all out laughter fest. Yes, it's very funny, but that's not really what makes the film good. Don't blame the film, blame the damn marketing and advertisement. It's not really a pure comedy in the traditional sense, more like a dramedy. I'm beginning to think that the braindead comedy trends of late are affecting peoples' abilities to enjoy layered and intelligent comedy. Even with the film falling almost completely into drama in the latter half, I laughed harder at this flick than I did at Bruno or even The Hangover, which, lets be honest, is pretty much the best example of the stupid-funny comedy that has taken over. Apatow KNOWS comedy, and smart comedy at that, and this is his way of proving he knows drama too. The direction that the film takes in the latter half does not feel odd and flows pretty naturally from the set up that occurs throughout the film's first half. Is it that people would rather not have character development in a comedy? There are some problems, but not those. This film can be appreciated on many levels. As a probing analysis of a man on the brink of death who gets a renewed chance at life and his affect on the people around him it entirely succeeds.

I will admit some of the improv doesn't work nearly as well as it does in Apatow's other films and it feels a bit forced sometimes, but the actors eventually work out their interplay problems. Jonah Hill was hit or miss. Rogen, Mann, and Bana are all very solid. Heck, Adam Sandler delivers his best performance in years. The parade of cameos was a nice touch as well. Apatow is still batting perfect when it comes to his directorial releases. Very solid flick.

I'll end with the quote from the film that describes how I feel about all the negative vibes this film has been unduly getting: "F*** negativity, f*** it in the a** with a chinese monkey."

After watching Zombieland I can safely say 2009 has been a good year for horror comedy. The horror genre got a much needed kick in the rear end courtesy of Sam Raimi earlier in the year with Drag Me To Hell, which became one of the most fun and memorable outings in a long while for the genre. That was the wind up and pitch, and Zombieland is officially the home run. Now it's easy to become apprehensive given the fact that it's almost a certainty at this point Hollywood will try and capitalize on this momentum, creating far less original entries into this sub-genre of the genre, but just taking a second to comprehend what Zombieland has accomplished will probably make you smile. And even if that does not make you smile the film itself will already have done so repeatedly. This film is a riot. Literally, a laugh-a-minute extravaganza. Many clever elements employed throughout the movie keep it entertaining and original. Instantly quotable lines are unleashed furiously by the characters. Slow motion opening credits hint at the freshness of the film. Rules in the form of literal words for survival in Zombieland are superimposed into scenes so that characters' actions directly affect the words, serving as a constant inventive reminder of character motivations. Zombies are wiped out in a seemingly endless stream of different ways. It's just a complete joy to watch. The film does succumb to some of its ambitious fun in a few instances, a particular misstep being with the portion of the film that will most likely be the most memorable part to the majority. The cameo appearance (that I won't dare spoil) serves only to pull you out of the movie as the actors all linger on the verge of breaking the fourth wall. It's funny, but given the direction of the movie up until the segment it seems out of place. It recovers easily from this with its finale (so awesome) and its depth which is gradually revealed through the fundamental theme of needing people to survive awful circumstances, which is universal.

Jesse Eisenberg has to be one of the biggest breakout stars of the year. Starring in two exceptional movies in one year is a good way to boost your resume. Unfortunately, he has faced much criticism likening him to Michael Cera, to which I have to implore people to give him a second chance (or 3rd or 4th depending on how many of his films you've seen). There's definitely a depth to his performances that Cera lacks, and while it is easy to assume he has already been swiftly typecast, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for at least one more movie now that he's finally become recognizable. Those glimmers of gravitas he has displayed in Adventureland and Zombieland could potentially become something great. The rest of the cast does a great job too. Woody Harrelson seems born to play the role of Tallahassee. He shoots, he bashes, and he speaks with zeal and confidence, completely selling his character's view of the world overrun with zombies. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin also do decent jobs in their roles. The script actually allows the characters to flourish, to the benefit of the actors and film.

Zombieland proves that fresh takes on old horror ideas can still be created, and it reaffirms what most of the comedies of 2009 seem to have forgotten. A good time at the movies doesn't have to come with the requirement that you leave part (or all) of your brain at the door. It's a comedy with ample supplies of fun, wit, and heart.

All the Slumdog Millionaire haters who thought the film was too optimistic and fairy tales and sweetness should have a dose of Precious. Would you rather have a film where fairy tale endings don't exist? Where the bitterness of the world is almost too much to bare? Is that "realistic" enough for you? Well here you go. First of all, if you hear anyone describing this film as emotionally manipulative I can tell you with 100% certainty they are completely full of crap. This film is the opposite of manipulative. It never feels like the film wants to make you cry because the story of Precious is presented with honesty and sincerity. Just because a situation is sad doesn't make it manipulative. Lee Daniels doesn't overplay the horrors of the situation, instead he focuses on making you understand them and the characters who are involved. To most the circumstances will be unfathomable, but there's no way you won't completely understand and empathize with the situation and characters afterwards.

The film is elevated by the strongest performances by an ensemble cast of the year. Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey (a name I thought I would never mention in a sentence about good acting) give solid performances that will most likely stick with their fans. Paula Patton glows as the alternative school teacher, and Mo'Nique is absolutely staggering in this. She takes her role to places that will make you uncomfortable to watch, but you'll continue on because of the power of the performance. And while most of the attention has been put on Mo'Nique, Gabourey Sidibe is the true revelation of the year. Her performance is in no way as showy as Mo'Nique's, but even more poignant. As far as I can tell, this is an unknown
delivering Oscar caliber acting in her first starring role...amazing.

There's nothing that truly stands out as a negative for the film other than the scenes where Precious retreats to her imagination. These feel oddly ineffective, no matter how understandable. They don't serve the story or the film in a large enough way to justify their inclusion, although they do give the film a bit more style and give the audience a break from the oppressiveness of the story. The most fascinating thing about Precious is even when it could be considered depressing on a level rarely seen in cinema, the message of hope is the most powerful thing you'll take away from it.

A courageous film that succeeds at telling a powerful story. The semi-documentary feel eliminates much of the need for character development and breathes originality into the predictable plot. The seemingly effortless intertwining of two separate stories is amazing here. Everything about this film feels authentic, nothing glossy or flashy just for the heck of it. Very moving.

Can you imagine what goes through Tarantino's mind when he is conceptualizing something like this? Seriously, it must be some of the most off the wall thought processes in the world. Uniqueness will never be a problem for him, that's for sure. This film is one of the most ingeniously original pieces I have seen in quite some time. The action is fast and intense, the dialogue is always interesting, and the homages to other films (including his own) are nice surprises.

But overall, I think Tarantino comes up a bit short on this one, especially when you compare it to his other work. What he has created here seems to be something like 2 or 3 films in one. Plot contrivances are all over the place in this one in an attempt to make it a coherent film when it really just isn't. It would have been nothing short of a masterpiece if the pieces fit together better, or if the film decided to focus solely on the Basterds themselves. That portion of the story entirely failed to work because we never got to know the characters, yet other scenes went on for far too long and added little. Instead the film focuses more on two other characters, Col. Hans Landa and Shosanna Dreyfus. Really there was no need for this. But make no mistake, Melanie Laurent and Christoph Waltz turn in the best performances of the film; however, their stories seem completely separate and far less intriguing. As it stands, the Basterds are completely secondary to these two which is unfortunate because they are the most interesting characters (well, at least to me). Also, too many things that happen in each story serve no purpose. It's too much going on for really no reason, no matter how interesting it all is. Tarantino manages to elevate it all by the way he directs his scenes. It is always entertaining.

So while its flaws prevent it from even coming close to Quentin Tarantino's best films, it is one of the strongest films of the year. I wonder what Tarantino is cooking up for us next. Seriously, think long and hard about the story in this film after you watch it...just...wow.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is an animated film designed for adults to enjoy more than kids. Whether this is entirely a good thing is debatable when the film is billed as a family film. Granted, it probably isn't possible to call a movie like this anything else. Kids will probably be fidgeting through a lot of this and a good bit of the humor will be way over their heads. There is enough slapstick and cute furry animals to keep them quiet though. The film has a charm that is almost impossible to deny. The stop-motion animation (utilized in completely original ways) in addition to Wes Anderson's trademark offbeat quirkiness adds up to a unique and enjoyable film. While George Clooney tends to be pretty distracting in his role as Mr. Fox (does anyone else on Earth sound like George Clooney? Geesh.) the rest of the voice acting is stellar. Overall pretty great.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is one of the funniest films of 2009! The CGI is breathtaking, the voice work is inspired, and the score is impressive. The humor is so clever and CGI is so impressive that overlooking the predictability of the story is no big deal. This is a fine example of taking a worn out story and putting an original spin on it. It's also worth watching in 3-D! So watch it!

This is probably my favorite Harry Potter movie so far. I say probably because I don't remember a lot from the other ones because they are so entirely forgettable. There is something inherently wrong with a film that feels like a book to me that makes it faceless, no matter how good the book may be. Yet I think David Yates has managed to do what I almost deemed impossible and create an above-average entry in the franchise, one that feels more like a movie and less like it was lifted word by word from a book. It feels less controlled and artificial, more spontaneous and tangible. Yates' vision for the films has finally separated sufficiently from Rowling's vision for the books, creating a somewhat happy medium between the two. There's a naturalness to this film that all the transitions to the big screen have been sorely lacking. The kids also seem to have grown into their roles quite well, which helps. Daniel Radcliffe now plays much more genuinely off the other actors in the film. There has always been a disconnect between him and the actors he interacted with, but he seems to have finally shattered that wall. Emma Watson is still a scene-chewer, albeit now solely in a good way. Rupert Grint's annoying comedic tendencies have become much more subtle and controlled. The focus has shifted towards character development more than any in the series since the first one. The scenes flow more smoothly from one another allowing the shifts in tone from light to dark to not feel abrupt anymore. Visually, the series has always been appealing and now they have finally added the other necessary ingredients.

Overall, definitely one of the best entries and I hope the final two continue in this direction, the last one actually has the potential to be truly great now.

Great movie with a great cast. Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons...the list seems to go on and on. The non-comedic moments are some of the strongest parts of the film.

Drag Me to Hell doesn't really succeed as a straight-out horror movie mainly because it just isn't that scary. But it makes up for it with loads of the "shock factor," which of course is different than being scary. Some of the things that happen will literally make your eyes pop wide open. In fact, it's actually more funny than scary but, for once, not in a bad way. Needless to say this is a rarity in itself for the horror genre as of late, films which are intentionally funny but don't overdo it, or just intentionally funny in general, have been sorely missing. One of the biggest things that stands out though, is how Alison Lohman plays the role of Christine Brown in a serious manner, no matter how demented the situation she was involved in becomes. She plays it straight all the way through and oh boy does the film benefit from it. If Drag Me To Hell has one weakness, it's its unnecessary reliance on "gotcha" scares, which probably would've worked better if the film were scarier. The mood of the film is far too light for those type of scares to be effective, although I would entertain arguments that some of these instances are meant to mock typical conventions of modern horror. On the whole, Sam Raimi really hit it out of the park with this one. So many memorable scenes destined to become some kind of classic in their own right (the car fight scene is pure genius, and the ending will leave your mouth hanging wide open even if you do manage to call it long before it happens). It's a horror experience you won't soon forget!