It's that time of year and that means my favorite movies list for 2009. Admittedly there were a few flicks I just never got out to see (I Sell the Dead, Drag Me to Hell, Boondock Saints II, The Road, Avatar) so this list could potentially change a bit as I catch up, but this will do for now.
10. Friday the 13th
Jason Vorhees is back, kids. This "relaunch" of the Friday franchise really does sit well with the rest of the films. I felt it captured the tone of the originals, never felt too flashy, and never pretended to be anything more than what it was: a good ol' fashioned slasher flick.
9. Star Trek
I've never been a hardcore J.J. Abrahams fan. I dig Lost but never really got into anything else he's done. And I've never been a Star Trek fan either (I know, geek blasphemy). But this action-packed and fun but still pretty smart flick sucked me right in. It was a breath of fresh air after a relatively disappointing start to my summer (I saw Wolverine and Terminator: Salvation before catching this.)
8. Where the Wild Things Are
I always loved the Where the Wild Things Are book as a kid. I think for a lot of us it was our first introduction to monsters. There was something about this film that just seemed like reliving childhood. I spent the running time grinning from ear to ear. Everything just fit together perfectly from the creatures by Jim Henson's shop, to the voice acting, to the soundtrack by Yeah Yeah Yeahs front-woman, Karen O.
7. Zombieland
Zombieland can be described as many things but the most accurate would be "cute." I know that sounds weird for a horror-comedy. While Zombieland never really delivers any scares the laughs come at a rapid-fire pace. And Woody Harrelson is more than content to steal the show as Tallahassee. This is definitely a zombie-romp worth seeking out.
6. Transformers: Rise of the Fallen
I am, and have always been, an action junky. Every once in a while I love to turn my brain off and watch giant robots beat the shit out of each other. And Transformers delivers that in spades. It's truly a beautiful film to watch and was even better on IMAX. The clincher for me was the fight scene between Optimus Prime, Megatron, Starscream and some other Decepticon in the forest. Just sheer bad-assery on the screen.
5. Trick 'r Treat
Trick 'r Treat had more problems getting released than any movie has any right to endure. But finally after two years of delays it finally came out on DVD. And goddamn am I glad it did. This one of those movies that no description I could give would do it justice beyond to say that Trick 'r Treat is a modern fucking horror classic. An anthology style film in the vein of Tales from the Crypt or Creepshow, Trick 'r Treat blends horror, a dark demented sense of humor, and Halloween into a piece of cinematic mastery. You'd be doing yourself a disservice by not checking this out.
4. Coraline
It's no secret that I'm a fan of stop-motion films. I've always been a fan of films like The Nightmare Before Christmas, James & the Giant Peach, and The Corpse Bride. So, it should be no surprise that I absolutely adored Coraline. Henry Selleck (who directed two out of the three aforementioned films) is a master of stop-motion. Aided by a story written by the ever-amazing Neil Gaiman, Coraline shines in every way imaginable. It's truly a masterpiece.
3. Sherlock Holmes
This is the kind of flick that I thought Hollywood had forgot how to make. A smart, action-packed, period piece with a great cast! Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Mark Strong, and Eddie Marsan all shine in their respective roles. Downey steals the show, of course, but the rest of the cast is all but brilliant. You will not regret checking this out.
2. Inglourious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino is back! After the disaster that was Deathproof (which I really wanted to like, I did), he returns to form with Inglourious Basterds, his World War II epic. The cast is fantastic, the dialogue sharp, and the violence brutal. Everything you would expect from a Tarantino flick. Brad Pitt, of course, stands out as Aldo "The Apache" with his hilarious southern accent but the rest of the cast is brilliant, even Eli Roth (who I loathe as a director) as "The Bear Jew" is awesome.
1. Watchmen
Alan Moore & Dave Gibbon's comic masterpiece is a complete and utter success as a piece of cinema. Admittedly, Watchmen isn't for everyone, but it doesn't make it any less an amazing film. The cast is spot on (with the exception of Matthew Goode as Adrian Veidt, who just didn't fit the role physically). The director's cut filled in a couple of the things that I thought were missing from the theatrical version of the film. Every detail is painstakingly re-created just take a look around the Comedian's apartment during the opening fight sequence. Some super-fans will balk at the changed ending but this is an adaptation and there will always be changes in adaptations. In short, Watchmen is a triumph and the best version of the film we possibly could have gotten.
