Movies in 2007

Bleak, intense, and super-violent, No Country for Old Men is the perfect thriller. Many of the genuine moments of suspense in this film are clearly due to Javier Bardem's chilling portrayal of Anton Chigurh, who easily goes down as one of the greatest cinematic villains of all time. Deserves every bit of praise it has recieved, including the Oscar for Best Picture of 2007.

Beautifully shot and amazingly acted. Daniel Day-Lewis' descent into madness is both entertaining and disturbing to watch.

After writing The Incredibles, Brad Bird has done it again. Pixar remains the best at making computer animated movies for people of all ages.

Realistic and gripping in every possible way. In The Valley of Elah shows how devestating it truly is to lose a loved one, and also takes a look at the most repulsive side of war. Tommy Lee Jones is incredibly fortunate to have starred in two incredible movies this year, and he especially shines in this one as a father determined to find those responsible for the loss of his son.

Great performances and an all-around badass western with almost everything one should expect from such a film. Christain Bale is great as always, and Russel Crowe also shines as an incredibly likeable bad guy. One of the most satisfying films of the year.

David Cronenberg brings us another great movie in recent times, quite similar to A History of Violence not only due to the casting of Viggo Mortensen (in one of the best roles of 2007), but also due to the similar theme which both films share; the loss of identity. Eastern Promises is also an extremely graphic film, well-defined by the "naked bath house" fight sequence. Viewer discretion strongly advised.

More than simply "the most quotable film of the year", 300 is a visual achievement on behalf of Zack Snyder. Whether or not you've seen it in IMAX (which I did), it is a highly engaging experience for both men and women alike, combining intense, blood-soaked combat with rich characters that seem truly indestructable.

Sunshine, Danny Boyle's Alien (minus the title creature), is a terrific example of how Boyle and Alex Garland can pull together to create a film that's both stunning on a visual level, and well paced at the same time. With the Sun quite literally the centerpiece of the film, the entire concept is a canvas of endless possibilities, and Sunshine seems to understand that and use it to its advantage to tell very engaging story. Easily the most underrated film of 2007, and a must-see for fans of Boyle's work, namely 28 Days Later.

Denzel Washington does a sold job as Frank Lucas, although equal credit should be given to Russel Crowe, who has made a number of great movies (including this one) during his career. Highlights of American Gangster include moments of pure brutality on behalf of Lucas, as well as a very well orchestrated drug-raid sequence.

The best part about Zodiac is that David Fincher tells the Zodiac story like it is, while many other true crime stories like to fabricate things for the sake of Hollywood. Robert Downey Jr. especially shines in this one as Paul Avery.

As hilarious as it should be. Even funnier than Shaun of the Dead.

Even during some of the slower sequences, or moments where the film took a different direction, I very much enjoyed The Darjeeling Limited. Anderson has the gift of taking very quirky characters and putting them in situations where they stand out like a sore thumb, resulting in many funny scenarios. Though the short-film "Hotel Chevalier" seemed pointless, Anderson made a point of tieing it well with the main feature. Last but not least, Bill Murray makes a great cameo.

A cute film. Rather than dwell on the consequences of teen pregnancy, Juno takes a light approach while conjuring up some laughs along the way. Ellen Page does a pretty good job as a character whose dialogue is too sharply written to make her seem like a legitamite teenage girl, but I guess we all like to dream sometimes. That's what the movies are for.

An intriguing and very well-acted film, especially on behalf of George Clooney as the title character, and Tom Wilkinson as a man on the edge of his sanity. On a visual level, this film is also an achievement.

A worthy sequel to 28 Days Later that could have been better. While the former became somewhat silly in the last third of the film, this one becomes sketchy halfway through. However, like The Bourne Ultimatum, the stellar ending saved the film by half a star. This one should be seen by all fans of the first movie, as well as fans of zombie horror in general.

A colorful and campy musical that doesn't suck!

A thoroughly satisfying experience that is worth every penny. Confusing at times, yet always amusing.

Great music coupled with the immensely-likeable Johnny Depp, Helena-Bonham Carter in a standout role, and Sasha Baron-Cohen's brief-but-memorable appearance. Though some may disagree, I felt that it dealt with the theme of revenge somewhat appropriately, and despite Sweeney being the "hero" of it all, he does face the inevitable consequence of his blind rage like any other murderer.

I regret having doubted this film in the first place; it's a very intense action/thriller with some pretty solid acting and cinematography to boot.

In many ways, this one improves on the first two Bourne films. However, I found the camerawork to be a big problem. Though I generally agree that "shaky-cam" gives film and television shows a stronger degree of realism, this time it is used extensively by Paul Greengrass and resulted in a bit of a headache. Had the conclusion of the film been anything less than stellar, I would have given it less than it deserves. Overall, if you have seen the first two movies, you must see this one. No exceptions.

Whereas Tom Hanks acted completely silly as the sole survivor in Cast Away, Will Smith proves that he can star in a one-man show and pull through quite nicely. I Am Legend has some truly scary moments, even if the vampires don't look all that scary at a second-glance. Unfortunately, the film is brought down by a lacklustre ending, but at the very least, you can watch the much better alternate ending.

I can't really be fair because I'm not a Potter fan, but it seemed like a really well made movie. I kind of liked it, but don't listen to me.

Has some very entertaining moments, and definitely sets itself apart from the generally-lackluster new seasons of the Simpsons television series. At the same time, the addition of classic characters like Sideshow Bob and Hank Scorpio would have helped this one immensely, and even for an animated feature, the pacing is a bit too fast. For me, nothing will ever replace the first few seasons of The Simpsons, which I hold very dear to my heart.

Knocked Up is funny enough, but not too terribly clever. This is most evident when Leslie Mann lets out a string of F-bombs in a scene set outside of a nightclub, or when a gynecologist ends up putting her hands in the wrong place. The funniest moment has to be when Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd take mushrooms and watch a Cirque De Soleil performance, but even that is comedy at its most basic.

I thought this film was super entertaining, and for that it should be given a good pat on the back. At the same time, it seemed to me as if every action sequence was recycled from other action movies. For instance, the elevator shaft fight sequence seemed a little too much like the cliff scene in The Lost World, and when I saw the fighter jet stuff, True Lies came to mind. Also, I'm sorry Die Hard, but the parkour dude from Casino Royale was much, much cooler than yours.

Void of emotional drive and stellar acting, Gone Baby Gone is filled with stupid characters and a hokey "big reveal" at the end of the film. Why should we care about any of these people?

Shoot 'Em Up is a balls-to-the-wall action movie that doesn't achieve any redeeming qualities through its veneer of ridiculousness. The film seems to know perfectly well that it's stupid, but then again, that's exactly what the film is. Stupid. Now go see a real action movie, like Hard Boiled.