Top 10 Movies of 2009 That I Saw

I haven’t posted on New Movie Friday since the summer and haven’t reviewed anything since the beginning of the year, but that’s going to change in 2010. Yet, even with the lack of posting here, I was still going to the movies most weeks and posting a lot of 140 character instant reviews over @NewMovieFriday on Twitter. Overall, I ended up a bit light on the movie front this year, as I only got to the theater 40 times.

So, thought I’d get things restarted by listing my Top 10 movies of 2009. Below you’ll find my rankings of these movies with a little bit about why they were my favorite movies of the year.

Top 10 Movies of 2009 - That I Saw

1. Star Trek - Going into the year, this was probably my most anticipate movie and for it to live up to the hype made it all-the-better. It really did a good job of rebooting a series and giving it new life. Can’t wait for the next one.
2. Up - Oddly enough, this may actually be the best movie I saw this year, but it gets my second place. I had no real expectations for this one, as I don’t normally watch animated features, but if I recall, it was the only new option that week. The first part of the movie is absolutely brilliant, as it conveys so much with only picture and music, no dialogue. It was like a magnificent animated silent film.
3. Inglorious Basterds - I wasn’t sure what to make of this one going in, but it was just outstanding. It might just be Tarantino’s “masterpiece.” It was dramatic and sad, yet unbelievably funny in places.
4. Up in the Air - I don’t mind a movie that gets you thinking, as long as it is also entertaining. This movie does just that. Also, what would you do if you had 10 million miles?
5. Sherlock Holmes - The duo of Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law was great. They played off each other remarkably well. If you don’t mind a little action with your deductive sleuthing, then you will enjoy this as much as I did.
6. The Hangover - This was by far the funniest movie of the year. I went in skeptical, cause many comedies in the raunchy genre have brought plenty of raunchy, but very little comedy. This brings plenty of both, but I haven’t laughed that much at a movie in a while.
7. District 9 - Was very light on the details going into this one, but came out with an appreciation for the special effects. They were seamless. It was a really good movie to boot, even if not wholly original as many deemed it to be.
8. Defiance - This was just a great movie based on true events with a fantastic cast lead by Daniel Craig Casino Royale. Yes, technically it was released on the last day of 2008, but I didn’t see it until it was released nationwide on January 16th, 2009. So, I’ve included it on my list.
9. Taken - This movie just kicked ass. It gave you just enough setup and then bam! It barely took a break until he got his daughter back. It was the best pure action flick of the year.
10. Avatar - This is a great movie, but the 3D special effects overshadow what is really a basic plot that we’ve all see before. Also, I’m getting tired of sci-fi type movies that portray the humans in story as the assholes. This is a trend I hope comes to an end soon.

The next 10 would be: He’s Just Not the Into You, I Love You, Man, Fanboys, The Taking of Pelham 123, The Soloist, State of Play, Law Abiding Citizen, The Proposal, Fast and Furious, and A Christmas Carol.

And, the next 10 would be: Public Enemies, Surrogates, Gamer, Angels & Demons, Fired Up, Watchmen, Terminator Salvation, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Race to Witch Mountain, and Ninja Assassin.

The bottom 10 movies I saw in 2009 would be: The International, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, 2012, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, 12 Rounds, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li, Push, and Dragonball Evolution.

Think something should’ve been higher on my list? Do I have something to high? What were your top 10 movies of 2009? Let me know in the comments.

What New Movies Start Friday, May 8th, 2009?

There are seven movies opening this week. One is opening everywhere and six more open on a limited basis.

Opening Nationwide on Friday, May 8th:

Movie: Star Trek (PG-13)
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood & Karl Urban
Genre: Sci-Fi Action Adventure
Synopsis: A new vision on the origins of the Enterprise crew and their adventures boldly going where no one has gone before.
First Thoughts: I’ve never been a huge Star Trek fan. I’ve seen some of the original TV series and I think all of the movies. I never watched Deep Space Nine or Enterprise, but really liked The Next Generation and Voyager. What I am a fan of is big blockbuster summer movies, and while the summer movie season has been extended into late spring as of late, this one surely looks to fit the bill. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while, but have tried to keep from being overwhelmed by the inevitable hype that surrounds it. It’s from J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III, TV’s Alias, Lost & Fringe), so I believe it has the potential to be really great. Also, it will be available in IMAX for two weeks.

Movies in Limited Release:

• Julia - The story of a middle-aged woman out of control. She does whatever to get by, until she goes to far and she must make a desperate choice between sacrifice and redemption.
• Little Ashes - The story of Salvador Dali as he entered university at the age of 18 and the people he met there.
• Love N’ Dancing - A romantic drama that looks to be pretty much what you’d expect from the title.
• Outrage - Documentary about politicians who go against the LGBT community, but are secretly apart of it.
• Powder Blue - Looks like a Crash style story, as four strangers in Los Angeles have their lives intersect through extraordinary circumstances.
• Rudo y Cursi - The story of two brothers barely getting by as day laborers in rural Mexico that are seen by a scout playing soccer in out in the field and get signed to rival teams.

For New Movie Friday there is one new movie to choose from this week. It is Star Trek. What new movie looks good to you this week?

Tags: chris pine, j j abrams, leonard nimoy, star trek, zachary quinto