Top Ten Movies of 2009

This year was a fair year for movies. Not nearly as good as last year, but 2009 had it’s gems.

1. Avatar – This was the biggest film of the year and everything else is a distant second. I loved this movie for it’s immersive experience, but it was not the best story line of 2009. That said, what I felt during and after this movie makes up for any shortfalls in the storyline. The graphics and 3D are spectacular, and not done in a gimmicky way, but in a completely scenic way, like watching Discovery Channel in HD.
2. Star Trek – I am a huge Star Trek fan and was disappointed this didn’t take the number one spot on my list this year. I’m really glad J.J. Abrams brought the franchise back to life, and even took it a little main stream. The first time I saw this movie I was actually disappointed, but later realized that was only because of my impossibly high hopes for the movie that just about nothing could have met.
3. Watchmen – I never have read any of the Watchmen comics but this movie had so much buzz from Comic Con that I decided to go see it right away. I was blown away, and think this is one of the best comic book movies ever. You defiantly feel like your watching a comic book movie, but it still leaves you on the edge of your seat thanks to an amazing gripping story and well done acting.
4. Inglourious Basterds – Quentin Tarantino does WWII. What else do I need to say?
5. Terminator Salvation – I’m a big fan of the entire Terminator series and I think I’m one of the few that actually enjoyed the third movie. While I was skeptical at first about a Terminator movie without Arnold, I was quickly corrected during this movie. The entire movie feels like a Terminator movie, and much like the third one, doesn’t have an overly happy ending to it.
6. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – The second installment of the Transformers franchise was a fun watch for all. While I didn’t find it nearly as funny as the first movie, it still managed to thrill me and make me laugh from time to time. The story line leaves something to be desired though.
7. X-Men Origins: Wolverine – Wolverine tries to bring X-Men back from the dead after the horrible X-Men 3 movie. The movie isn’t just about Wolverine, we do see many of the other X-Men in their earlier stages, but for the most part we are taken along Wolverine’s life journey. This movie takes us back to the good old, bad ass kicking Wolverine that we all know and love, but still lacked the magic from the first movie.
8. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans – The third movie from the Underworld series takes us back to the time when the Lycans and Vampires worked together. This movie is a little disappointing because it goes over the same history that we had already learned about from the first two.
9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – I had huge expectations for this movie that were not lived up to. While this movie was still pretty good, I felt as if the life experiences could have been enhanced. I would have rather followed around Benjamin Button around on his life journey, rather then the old girlfriend that is narrating the story.
10. Hangover – I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard in a movie. The only reason this movie is on the bottom of the list is because of the lack of actual story line. That being said, I don’t think I had more fun at any other movie this year. If your looking for a good time, and loads of laughs, watch the Hangover.