Total number of movies released in 2009 that I have seen as of the writing of this post: 94
Total number of movies released in 2009 which I saw in the theater: 42
Total number of times I went to the theater between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009: 41
Approximate amount of money I spent at the theater in 2009 (based on a price of $10/ticket): $410.00
THE BEST OF 2009
10. The Brothers Bloom
After seeing Rian Johnson's first film Brick, which I loved, he had already set himself up to be one of my favorite new directors. The true test of his talent was to be whether or not he could produce an equally entertaining, ingenuitive, and thought provoking follow up, which he did with The Brothers Bloom. This film features excellent performances from the entire cast (including Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, and Rachel Weisz), an outstanding, memorable score, and a great new take on the conman movie with unexpected twists and turns aplenty. Honestly, I think it's Johnson's writing that I've really clung to moreso than his directing, but regardless of the reasons, I've thoroughly enjoyed both of his films so far and am greatly looking forward to seeing what he's got in store for me next.
9. Next Day Air
This movie came and went in 2009, and I wouldn't be terribly surprised if you haven't heard of it. The main reason that I was interested in this film is that the trailer reminded me of Guy Ritchie's films Snatch and Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels, which are two of my all-time favorite movies. The main reason that this film appears in my Top 10 of the year is that it delivered 100% on those expectations. I wanted comedy, betrayal, suspense, witty banter, and gunplay, and I got them all in a perfect mix with exceptional performances by a motley crew of entertaining character actors.
8. UP
What more is there to say about Pixar that hasn't already been said? They have one or two less than stellar films in their catalog, but their track record is still so solid that regardless of what they announce next I am always excited to see it. UP is fun, it's heartbreaking, it's exciting, and it's touching. The cliché is to say "you'll laugh; you'll cry...", but in UP's case, your chances of doing so are greatly increased. Some would say that the film is manipulative. I would say that if you say that you're just embarrassed that UP affected you the way that it did. Accept it, this film is great.
7. Watchmen
If you're a fan of the Watchmen comics, I don't really think there's any way that you can complain about this film. When you really take into account how terribly an adaptation of this story could have turned out I think it's clear that Zack Snyder did a damn good job. I'm not saying that it's perfect or that you have to love the film, but as a casual fan of the source material I was vastly impressed with Snyder and co.'s ability to present a faithful representation of the Watchmen that didn't seem laughable in motion. The updated costumes looked good, the action may not have been necessary, but didn't detract much from the overall proceedings, and the altered climax is arguably better than that of the comic. Oh yeah, and it's a blast to watch. I'd call that a success.
6. Inglourious Basterds
I'll be the first to admit that I didn't unconditionally love this film after one viewing. Honestly, I still don't love it unconditionally, but I think the fact that I've watched the movie 4 times over the past 6 months and have liked it more and more each time goes a long way in explaining why it's one of my Top 10 movies of 2009. There are scenes in this movie that bring a smile to my face just thinking about them. There are performances in this film that remain jaw-dropping with each repeat viewing. Quentin Tarantino's writing and visual style are that of legend. How could this not be Top 10 material? Hell, the way things are going, if you ask me a few years from now what my #1 movie of 2009 is, it may just turn out to be this one.
5. Drag Me To Hell
Like Next Day Air, Drag Me To Hell is another example of a film that promised a particular experience with it's trailers and then delivered on that promise 100%. As much as I love Sam Raimi's Spiderman trilogy I was excited to see him take another stab at the genre he began his career with, and Drag Me To Hell jumps off the screen like a love letter excitedly delivered to that genre by a filmmaker bursting at the seams to tell his audience how much he adores it. Drag Me To Hell doesn't scrimp on the blood and slime, but it's refreshing to see a movie that scares you without falling back on torture and graphic dismemberment for a change. The only thing better than the scares in this movie are the laughs, and the only thing better than those are the times when you scream and laugh at the same time.
4. District 9
I think it's safe to say that District 9 was the surprise victory of the year. The average moviegoer knew nothing about this film before it came out. Even relatively hardcore movie nerds such as myself only really knew that the guy directing this had at one time been attached to a Halo movie. After seeing the film I stand by my estimation that whoever put their foot down and took Neill Blomkamp off of Halo is probably kicking himself (or herself) now. What an incredible movie this guy made. And all on what would be considered by today's blockbuster standards, a shoestring budget. Everything about this movie is impressive. The visuals, the story, the characters, the acting, you name it. It's hard to see an amazing sci-fi action movie like District 9 from a first time director and not think of the likes of James Cameron. Hey, now that I think of it, is anyone talking to Blomkamp about directing an Alien movie? If not, they should be.
3. (500) Days Of Summer
As I mentioned in my Brothers Bloom review above, the film Brick turned me onto director Rian Johnson in a big way, but more importantly it turned me onto the acting styles of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. After his performances in that film and The Lookout I was pretty much prepared to follow him anywhere that his career takes him, but after seeing 500 Days Of Summer you'd be hard pressed to convince me that Gordon-Levitt is capable of any wrongdoing. I already loved the guy, but his performance in this movie is simply perfect. I'm not sure if I want to be friends with Tom Hansen or if I actually want to be him. Certainly if it meant being able to get close to Zooey Deschanel's Summer Finn I'd be hard pressed not to choose the latter. This film isn't really a love story, but it's easily one of the best stories about love that I've ever seen on film. It'll rip your heart out one moment and inject it with adrenaline and perfume the next. It is a true roller coaster ride of emotions to which few experiences outside of real life interaction can hope to compare.
2. Star Trek
If District 9 was the surprise victory of 2009, Star Trek is the come from behind victory. Surely no other successful film this year had as many preconceptions and prejudices to get past as Star Trek, which belongs to a franchise engrossed in over four decades of corn-ball nerd culture that a lot of geeks can't even get behind. Who would have ever thought that Star Trek could be "cool"? I'd hesitate to say anyone other than J.J. Abrams. This movie has exciting action, delicious melodrama, interesting science fiction, and likable, relatable characters, which some fans would probably say that the franchise has always had. Even those people have to admit, though, that for the first time all of those things were presented to the public in a way that wouldn't scare the average moviegoer away. Star Trek became a blockbuster for the first time. I'm not absolutely sure whether this potential has always been hiding just below the surface or J.J. actually created something brand new out of the bones of a commercially unsuccessful property, but I could care less because however it came into being, Star Trek is an amazing action/adventure film.
1. AVATAR
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I've been waiting for a new James Cameron film since Titanic. I didn't love that film, but when you consider that Cameron is responsible for not only my favorite movie of all time (Aliens), but also True Lies, The Abyss, and the first two Terminator films, how could I not be excited for whatever he was planning next? Especially if it's in the realm of sci-fi? Now, normally when you have really high expectations for something like this it's hard not to be disappointed by the final product, but I made a point not to listen to too much of the internet chatter surrounding the film or even get my hopes up too high. So I went into AVATAR with an open mind and a huge anticipatory grin and came out on the other side with a memory that I'm not likely to soon forget: the first time I saw AVATAR. Heady science fiction, badass high-flying action, robotic suits of armor, alien creatures, space travel, Cameron-style military personalities, armored personnel carriers, machine gun fire, Sigourney Weaver...this movie was tailor made for me and it fit perfectly.
Runners-Up (in alphabetical order)
Brothers
The Hurt Locker
Observe & Report
Paranormal Activity
The Time Traveler's Wife
THE WORST OF 2009
10. Friday The 13th
Part of the problem with these never-ending slasher franchises is a lack of originality. It doesn't matter that this is a reboot. It's still not interesting to see the same predictable story about the same predictable characters being hunted down by the same predictable killer yet again. Why remake the movie if you're not going to make any significant changes?
9. Jennifer's Body
I think that Diablo Cody had good intentions when writing this movie. She wanted to make a throwback to the sex-charged teen horror movies of the 80's. Unfortunately, I fear that this is simply a genre that cannot be translated into the hip modern indie culture. While I'm not opposed to seeing emo guys wearing eyeliner have their intestines ripped out, something is lost in the transition from asshole jocks and stoners to brooding sentimental losers with dyed black hair covering their eyes. The only thing they did with Jennifer's Body to successfully capture the spirit of 80's horror was to cast a really hot chick who can't act.
8. Screamers: The Hunting
I'll never understand how sequels to unsuccessful sub-par horror/sci-fi movies keep getting made 10 years or more after their predecessors failed to make any money or leave a lasting impression on just about anyone. With that said, I am a fan of the original Screamers, but I knew full well that there was no need for a sequel because if one ever did get made it would turn out to be a big piece of shit...just like this movie.
7. Couples Retreat
Honestly? I just felt insulted by this movie. I felt like it was calling me stupid for watching it. Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, and Vince Vaughn were in a movie together and I never laughed once. It's the popular thing to say when bashing this movie (which it very rightfully deserves), but it really did just feel like Favreau and Vaughn wrote a movie set in a tropical paradise just so that they'd have an excuse to spend a few months there relaxing in between (and seemingly during) takes. I don't know what genre this movie belongs under, but it's certainly not a comedy.
6. The Uninvited
Twist endings. Sometimes they catch you off guard because they're clever and meaningful and you come away from them feeling happy that you were tricked. Sometimes, as is the case with The Uninvited, a twist ending comes along that is so cheap and out of left field that you walk away feeling cheated and angry. This was building up to be an okay, if forgettable thriller when suddenly the writer and director decided to pull the rug right out from under the viewer and completely negate any semblance of quality that they'd been working to achieve thus far. I'm still mad at this movie.
5. The Unborn
I'll be honest; I barely remember anything about this movie aside from the shitty premise. A girl is haunted by her evil twin brother who died while they were still in the womb. I honestly only watched this movie because there was a pretty cool looking monster in the trailer. This just proves that you shouldn't see a film based solely on 1.5 seconds of footage in the previews.
4. Halloween II
What a fall from grace. I realize that I'm in the vast minority when it comes to my take on Rob Zombie's first Halloween film. Not only do I prefer it to John Carpenter's original, but it's one of my favorite slasher movies of all time. Then, along comes the sequel with it's dream sequences riddled with glowing white horses and Zombie's wife in long flowing gowns. Yeah, I still don't really get it. The first film felt as though it had purpose. This just had no plot. Michael Myers walks from point A to point B killing people along the way while Malcolm McDowell works on his book deal. Ugh.
3. Gamer
The best way I can describe this movie is to say that it felt like it was based on the fever dream of some fifteen year old kid with A.D.D. who's really into techno remixes of metal songs and spends all of his time not spent masturbating to 2 Girls 1 Cup taking acid from his older brother's stash while he plays Call Of Duty and falls asleep nightly in his gaming chair with the Running Man dvd on repeat in his XBox and a mixture of Taco Bell fire sauce and Mountain Dew Code Red smeared all over his face. I'd rather stare into a strobe light for two hours than watch this piece of shit again.
2. The Final Destination
Mindless garbage made only to take advantage of the current 3D trend. In other words, it's worthless.
1. The Blackout
Whoever wrote this piece of crap is obviously a fan of monster movies, because every single cliché of the genre can be found in this film at least two or three times. What people need to learn is that you don't make a good monster movie by simply copying what has been done before. There is a difference between homage and being unoriginal. I simply find it hard to believe that upon completion of this film, anyone who worked on it felt any sense of pride about what they'd accomplished. The acting sucks, which is not to say that the material the actors were working with was very strong. The story has been done before dozens, if not hundreds of times. The creature designs were lazy and uninventive, which is the worst crime one can commit when making a monster movie. The only remotely original or interesting part of the film is the ending, but just as you get there the credits roll. My only hope is that one day I'll forget that this movie ever existed.
Runners-Up (in alphabetical order)
Crank 2: High Voltage
A Perfect Getaway
The Thaw
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
MOVIES FROM 2009 WHICH I STILL WANT TO SEE
Astro Boy
The Fourth Kind
Gentlemen Broncos
Invictus
Ninja Assassin
THE UNABRIDGED WHAT I WATCHED IN 2009
- Movies I saw in the theater
- Movies I downloaded or watched on DVD
- Movies that came out Direct To DVD (more or less)
- Movies I saw in IMAX
- Movies I saw in 3D
- Movies I saw in the theater twice
- Movies from 2009 which I didn't see until 2010
(500) Days Of Summer
AVATAR
Brothers
The Brothers Bloom
District 9
Drag Me To Hell
Inglourious Basterds
Next Day Air
Paranormal Activity
Star Trek
The Time Traveller's Wife
Toy Story 3D
Toy Story 2 3D
UP
Watchmen
Armored
The Cartoonist
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
Cold Souls
Coraline
The Cove
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Futurama: Into The Wild Green Yonder
The Hurt Locker
Killshot
Knowing
Land Of The Lost
Law Abiding Citizen
Moon
Observe & Report
Orphan
The Road
Sherlock Holmes
State Of Play
Surrogates
Terminator: Salvation
Universal Soldier: Regeneration
Up In The Air
Whatever Works
9
12 Rounds
Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans
Big Fan
Black Dynamite
Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
Carriers
Extract
Fast & Furious
Funny People
G.I. Joe: Rise Of The Cobra
The Goods
Green Lantern: First Flight
The Hangover
Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince
The Informant!
The Invention Of Lying
Men Who Stare At Goats
Outlander
Pandorum
Public Enemies
Push
A Serious Man
The Taking Of Pelham 123
Triangle
Whiteout
Wonder Woman
Zombieland
Anti-Christ
The Box
Brüno
Crank 2: High Voltage
Dragonball: Evolution
Echelon Conspiracy
Friday The 13th
Give 'Em Hell Malone
The House Of The Devil
Jennifer's Body
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
A Perfect Getaway
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
The Thaw
The Tournament
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen
Where The Wild Things Are
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Year One
The Blackout
Couples Retreat
The Final Destination
Gamer
Halloween II
Screamers: The Hunting
The Unborn
The Uninvited
Click Here to read my Top 10 Movies of 2008
Click Here to read my Top 10 Movies of 2007
***All of the information in this post is only accurate through 2/28/10, after which time my opinions may change due to subsequent viewings.
