I know I am late with this, but I was really wanting t0 wait until I had seen everything I believed would end up on my top list. I hope the lateness does not deter people from reading it. I am not sure how much longer I will really continue updating this blog, but we shall see. Anyway, what follows is my end of the year stuff: favorites, least favorites, surprises and whatnot.
My Ten Favorite movies of 2008
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall- This was my favorite straight up comedy of the year. It made me laugh from beginning to end and there were singing vampire puppets!
9. Frost/Nixon- Amazing acting and writing and somehow made an interview crazy intense. It found a way to make me feel sympathy for Richard Nixon
8. Milk- The most relevant story of the bunch. It has great acting and a tremendous heart. Sean Penn throws himself into the role and everyone around him follow suit.
7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- An impressive marriage of intimate and epic. Brad Pitt gives the performance of his career and the technical side of the movie will change the way CG is used.
6. In Bruges- I loved this nice little surprise of a movie. It is funny, politically incorrect, featured a few cool shoot outs and gave Colin Ferrell the best performance of his career. I really hope more people find this little gem.
5. Slumdog Millionaire- I expected nothing out of this story, but it moved me and made me, even if briefly, believe in the idea of fate. It never feels false and it somehow makes beauty out of an ugly situation. It is a moving and powerful story.
4. The Wrestler- Heart breaking in so many ways, this is an intimate and tragic story, with a big heart and a powerhouse performance from the most unlikely of sources. It is really a movie about love and going out on your own terms. Live the life you want to live!
3. Wall-E- I cannot believe how amazing I found this movie. It is a gorgeous love story, a sweeping sci-fi epic and a message film all rolled up into one. Plus, Wall-E is soooo damn cute. How could you not fall in love with the little robot who wants nothing more than to hold hands with something?
2. The Dark Knight- I cannot say anything else about this movie that has not already been said. It is a moving, violent, sweeping and manic movie that makes superhero movies look good. I wonder how the pessimism of Gotham City will look under the new administration.
1. Rachel Getting Married- This is somewhat of a sentimental choice, I admit that, but I was so unbelievably moved by this suffocating family struggle. The way music and cameras are used to further the story only made things more intimate and interesting. I cried my way through it and when it was over, I wanted to believe in love and change.
The Next Five (11-15)- Tropic Thunder, Redbelt, Valkyrie, Ironman, Revolutionary Road
The 10 worst movies of 2008
10. Twilight- This movie carried hype, otherwise, it might have just been some forgettable movie I saw once and it would not have made this list. It sucked. The romance sucked, the action sucked, the effects sucked and the music sucked. If you liked this movie you are just flat out wrong.
9. The Mummy 3- Pointless sequel alert!! This was a mess from beginning to end and having Yetis that somehow understand Chinese and Yetis that have a sense of humor did nothing to help matters. This was also plagued with bad CGI.
8. Mamma Mia- I am still trying to forget I ever saw this garbage. Meryl Streep is not one for musical comedy and it was sad to watch her try. It was an uninspired movie, with one good sequence and a bunch of hot people, but still a waste of time and money.
7. Prom Night- Characters is slasher flicks have to be a bit stupid for a movie to exist, but this movie is full of the stupidest characters doing the stupidest things. I hated this thing so much because I just wanted them all to die of stupidity.
6. Speed Racer- This was probably the biggest disappointment for me this year. I wanted to like it but it was a disaster. The colors got headache worthy pretty early on, and the story did nothing to save it!
5. Saw V- It is not every year that a Saw movie does not end up in my worst 3 list, which means this was either not as a bad as the other ones or this yr just had more worse movies. You can pick whichever you like.
4. Punisher: War Zone- Gore, blood and bullets can help make a movie better, but if the movie is awful, they cannot change that. This was awful in every way imaginable. It should have gone right into the DVD bin.
3. Bangkok Dangerous- Such a string of pointless cliches tied together into a movie. Nic Cage has awful hair, again, and his acting is even worse. I am not sure what the point of it all was, I just know I was glad when everyone was dead.
2. In the Name of the King- I was so sure this would be number 1. I guess it should thank number 1 for coming out. I guess it is fitting that this is number 2 because it is a big steaming pile of crap.
1. The Love Guru- Words cannot even fully describe just how bad this movie is. Superlatives do not exist with enough gusto to properly place this movie in the right amount of suck. Actually let me try, if this movie had been released in the same year as Pirates of the Caribbean 3, this would have been the worst movie and not Pirates, which is saying something.
S0 there it is my 2008 wrap up. It is time to look forward to The Oscars and then of course, to 2009. Please let me know what some of your favorites of 2008 were, unless you just want to talk about how amazing Twilight was. In that case, just keep it to yourself, no one needs to know that. :-)
Showing posts with label end of the year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label end of the year. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 07, 2008
End of the year movie blowout! 2007 edition
I must preface this entire thing by saying, I was trying to wait until I saw There will Be Blood, but it appears it won't be in the Sacramento area until January 18th, and I don't want to wait that long to do this. So, my top 10 might be a bit different now than it will be on the 18th. Also, this year was a great year for movies and the final 3 slots in my top ten could have about 8 movies in them so I will do my usual top 10 and then I will list my 11-15 in no specific order. So without further waiting here is Kyle's 2007 big movie blowout!
My 10 favorite movies of 2007
10. 3:10 to Yuma- I am not the biggest fan of Westerns but this movie was intense, big and action packed. The climatic gun fight is worlds of fun to watch but the performances given by Christian Bale and Russell Crowe really helped raise this movie to excellent heights.
9. The Great Debaters- So what, I am sucker for inspirational tales and even more of a sucker for movies where people believe words can make a difference. Featuring a brilliant scene between Denzel and Forrest, this movie is predictable for sure, but it is so much more.
8. Gone Baby Gone- Ben Affleck's Boston is moving, gorgeous and dirty and Casey Affleck gives a haunting performance. This crime drama is challenging in the morality of characters and is questioning whether the smart choice is always the right choice.
7. Charlie Wilson's War- Aaron Sorkin's script pops and Phillip Seymour Hoffman gives an incredible supporting performance, but it is the story that really won me over. It never stops questioning American politics and the end is haunting and is still with me.
6. The Darjeeling Limited- Every time I think about this movie, I like it more. Shot beautifully, acted beautifully, written beautifully, this movie is funny, touching, serious and even outrageous. The final 20 minutes are quite a departure for the director, but they work so well.
5. The Bourne Ultimatum- This might be my favorite action movie in quite some time. It is always intense, unflinching, intimate and gorgeous. Damon is picture perfect as Jason Bourne and the movie features one of the best movie endings ever. The perfect cap on this trilogy.
4. Knocked Up- What else can be said about this amazing comedy. Always fast, funny, smart, dirty and even touching, this movie will be quotable forever, but it also works as a very nice romantic comedy for people my age.
3. Michael Clayton- The more I think about this movie, the more I love it. George Clooney gives the most layered and rich performance of the year and first time director Tony Gilroy weaves an incredible law tale. Even when we aren't sure what is happening we are sucked in.
2. American Gangster- I had high hopes for this movie and it did not disappoint one bit. Great performances to be sure, but this epic crime saga is never slow or boring. Ridley Scott weaves two interesting stories and gives them both equal time and importance to really make the final confrontation that much more intense.
1. No Country for old Men- What can I say? This movie is haunting, awesome, funny, creepy, gross, interesting, intense, intimate and epic all at the same time. A wonderfully told crime story featuring amazing performances, an amazing gun fight and some of the most intense waiting-for-shit-to-happen sequences ever. The ending is nothing like you'd want or expect, but that it what helps make it such a brilliant movie!
The next 5 movies (11-15)- Juno, Superbad, Into the Wild, Waitress, and Spiderman 3.
the 10 worst movies of 2007
10. Zodiac- I was so incredibly disappointed in this slow moving and boring drama. Robert Downey Jr. is wasted and the only truly intense moment comes at the end, after I was already bored and over the movie in every way.
9. Good Luck Chuck- I had some hopes for this movie but it was pretty unfunny and painfully misogynistic. Jessica Alba was slumming it badly here, but at least she spent a lot of time in her underwear. Dane Cook is funnier than the movies allow him to be.
8. Beowulf- I did take a certain amount of joy in this sucking, but I couldn't help it; it sucked. The animation is more creepy than interesting and the voice work was awful. The script was worse than any of it and it was unintentionally laughable
7. Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer- This is just a god-awful sequel. I wish I had nice things to say but everything good in the movie was given away by the trailer. The climax could have saved it, but they blew that, like they blew everything else in the movie.
6. Rush Hour 3- This is a series of movies that has just run its course. The jokes were stale and the action even worse. Chan doesn't appear to have it anymore and the stunts were just ridiculous here. Nothing about this movie was funny.
5. Resident Evil 3- For some reason Alice turned into a super hero but it is never explained. the CGI was not impressive and sadly I don't think this series is over. Bloated plot, bad comedy and out-of-left-field romance really turned this movie into a laugh fest.
4. I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry- A movie cannot use every gay stereotype for comic effect then apologize for them in the end. It just doesn't work. Not offensive enough to be truly funny and I will never buy Sandler as a stud.
3. Underdog- The movie I most did not want to see this year. The CGI dog kind of creeped me out and nothing in this movie is funny. I was entertained in anyway shape or form. Plus Peter Dinklage is so much better than this. ugh!
2. Saw IV- This movie makes no sense. The traps weren't all that cool and the Jigsaw-as-a-tortured-victim bullshit does not work. You cannot have a brutal killer for 3 movies then try and turn him into a misunderstood victim. This movie makes me angry when I think about it.
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: At world's end- Everyone saw this coming, but seriously this is the worst movie I have ever seen. Pointless plot twists, a bloated sense of self, bad Johnny Depp, forced romance, bad jokes, horrible action sequences, terrible CGI, a lack of a decent climax, really terribly acting from Orlando Bloom are all just the tip of the iceberg as to what was wrong with this complete waste of time. People like it but can't tell me why because deep down they know this was a rape of the mind, the eyes and of my time.
The two movies I discussed and debated the most- Harry Potter 5 and Spiderman 3.
2007 surprises-Casey Affleck, Ben Affleck's directing, Adrien Brody in Darjeeling, Stardust, Waitress, Keri Russell, Sean Penn, Disturbia, Roger Bart in American Gangster, John Travolta in Hairspray, Amy Adams, The Mist's ending, The transformations in Tranformers, Enchanted, 28 weeks later, Hot Fuzz.
2007 disappointments- Sweeney Todd, Beowulf, Zodiac, Eastern Promises, Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer, Jet Li Vs. Jason Stratham(War), Atonement, The sex in Perfect Strangers, The lack of comedy in Rush Hour 3.
My favorite 2007 movie trend- The fun movie! I can count six movies that were just fun movies. They were movies that just put me in a good or fun mood and those 7 movies were: Hairspray, Stardust, Enchanted,Transformers, Shoot em up, Waitress, and Ocean's 13.
There you have it. Feel free to comment about my lists, or even add some of your own to my lists or create new lists of your own. 2007 was an awesome year for movies; It was much better than 2006 for sure. Hopefully everyone who reads this thing enjoyed my reviews, thoughts and lists and hopefully you guys all continue to read and enjoy!
P.S. I Left Grindhouse off my top 15 intentionally because I loved half of the movie and just kind of liked the other half, but they are one movie so it didn't make the cut.
My 10 favorite movies of 2007
10. 3:10 to Yuma- I am not the biggest fan of Westerns but this movie was intense, big and action packed. The climatic gun fight is worlds of fun to watch but the performances given by Christian Bale and Russell Crowe really helped raise this movie to excellent heights.
9. The Great Debaters- So what, I am sucker for inspirational tales and even more of a sucker for movies where people believe words can make a difference. Featuring a brilliant scene between Denzel and Forrest, this movie is predictable for sure, but it is so much more.
8. Gone Baby Gone- Ben Affleck's Boston is moving, gorgeous and dirty and Casey Affleck gives a haunting performance. This crime drama is challenging in the morality of characters and is questioning whether the smart choice is always the right choice.
7. Charlie Wilson's War- Aaron Sorkin's script pops and Phillip Seymour Hoffman gives an incredible supporting performance, but it is the story that really won me over. It never stops questioning American politics and the end is haunting and is still with me.
6. The Darjeeling Limited- Every time I think about this movie, I like it more. Shot beautifully, acted beautifully, written beautifully, this movie is funny, touching, serious and even outrageous. The final 20 minutes are quite a departure for the director, but they work so well.
5. The Bourne Ultimatum- This might be my favorite action movie in quite some time. It is always intense, unflinching, intimate and gorgeous. Damon is picture perfect as Jason Bourne and the movie features one of the best movie endings ever. The perfect cap on this trilogy.
4. Knocked Up- What else can be said about this amazing comedy. Always fast, funny, smart, dirty and even touching, this movie will be quotable forever, but it also works as a very nice romantic comedy for people my age.
3. Michael Clayton- The more I think about this movie, the more I love it. George Clooney gives the most layered and rich performance of the year and first time director Tony Gilroy weaves an incredible law tale. Even when we aren't sure what is happening we are sucked in.
2. American Gangster- I had high hopes for this movie and it did not disappoint one bit. Great performances to be sure, but this epic crime saga is never slow or boring. Ridley Scott weaves two interesting stories and gives them both equal time and importance to really make the final confrontation that much more intense.
1. No Country for old Men- What can I say? This movie is haunting, awesome, funny, creepy, gross, interesting, intense, intimate and epic all at the same time. A wonderfully told crime story featuring amazing performances, an amazing gun fight and some of the most intense waiting-for-shit-to-happen sequences ever. The ending is nothing like you'd want or expect, but that it what helps make it such a brilliant movie!
The next 5 movies (11-15)- Juno, Superbad, Into the Wild, Waitress, and Spiderman 3.
the 10 worst movies of 2007
10. Zodiac- I was so incredibly disappointed in this slow moving and boring drama. Robert Downey Jr. is wasted and the only truly intense moment comes at the end, after I was already bored and over the movie in every way.
9. Good Luck Chuck- I had some hopes for this movie but it was pretty unfunny and painfully misogynistic. Jessica Alba was slumming it badly here, but at least she spent a lot of time in her underwear. Dane Cook is funnier than the movies allow him to be.
8. Beowulf- I did take a certain amount of joy in this sucking, but I couldn't help it; it sucked. The animation is more creepy than interesting and the voice work was awful. The script was worse than any of it and it was unintentionally laughable
7. Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer- This is just a god-awful sequel. I wish I had nice things to say but everything good in the movie was given away by the trailer. The climax could have saved it, but they blew that, like they blew everything else in the movie.
6. Rush Hour 3- This is a series of movies that has just run its course. The jokes were stale and the action even worse. Chan doesn't appear to have it anymore and the stunts were just ridiculous here. Nothing about this movie was funny.
5. Resident Evil 3- For some reason Alice turned into a super hero but it is never explained. the CGI was not impressive and sadly I don't think this series is over. Bloated plot, bad comedy and out-of-left-field romance really turned this movie into a laugh fest.
4. I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry- A movie cannot use every gay stereotype for comic effect then apologize for them in the end. It just doesn't work. Not offensive enough to be truly funny and I will never buy Sandler as a stud.
3. Underdog- The movie I most did not want to see this year. The CGI dog kind of creeped me out and nothing in this movie is funny. I was entertained in anyway shape or form. Plus Peter Dinklage is so much better than this. ugh!
2. Saw IV- This movie makes no sense. The traps weren't all that cool and the Jigsaw-as-a-tortured-victim bullshit does not work. You cannot have a brutal killer for 3 movies then try and turn him into a misunderstood victim. This movie makes me angry when I think about it.
1. Pirates of the Caribbean: At world's end- Everyone saw this coming, but seriously this is the worst movie I have ever seen. Pointless plot twists, a bloated sense of self, bad Johnny Depp, forced romance, bad jokes, horrible action sequences, terrible CGI, a lack of a decent climax, really terribly acting from Orlando Bloom are all just the tip of the iceberg as to what was wrong with this complete waste of time. People like it but can't tell me why because deep down they know this was a rape of the mind, the eyes and of my time.
The two movies I discussed and debated the most- Harry Potter 5 and Spiderman 3.
2007 surprises-Casey Affleck, Ben Affleck's directing, Adrien Brody in Darjeeling, Stardust, Waitress, Keri Russell, Sean Penn, Disturbia, Roger Bart in American Gangster, John Travolta in Hairspray, Amy Adams, The Mist's ending, The transformations in Tranformers, Enchanted, 28 weeks later, Hot Fuzz.
2007 disappointments- Sweeney Todd, Beowulf, Zodiac, Eastern Promises, Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer, Jet Li Vs. Jason Stratham(War), Atonement, The sex in Perfect Strangers, The lack of comedy in Rush Hour 3.
My favorite 2007 movie trend- The fun movie! I can count six movies that were just fun movies. They were movies that just put me in a good or fun mood and those 7 movies were: Hairspray, Stardust, Enchanted,Transformers, Shoot em up, Waitress, and Ocean's 13.
There you have it. Feel free to comment about my lists, or even add some of your own to my lists or create new lists of your own. 2007 was an awesome year for movies; It was much better than 2006 for sure. Hopefully everyone who reads this thing enjoyed my reviews, thoughts and lists and hopefully you guys all continue to read and enjoy!
P.S. I Left Grindhouse off my top 15 intentionally because I loved half of the movie and just kind of liked the other half, but they are one movie so it didn't make the cut.
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