Top 10 Movies 2009

It’s been a long time coming but I thought I’d wait a little bit this year so that I’ve seen the movies I want to see for 2009. This year more so than a lot of years, was great for Science Fiction, there were a few really good ones and me being the Sci Fi fan, have included them in the list below. Of course this is just my opinion and other people would have different views. Some of the movies that didn’t make it to the list but were good enough to catch my attention are below as honourable mentions, in no particular order.

Honourable mentions:

Sherlock Holmes, Angels and Demons, Coraline, The Soloist, Terminator Salvation, Drag me to Hell, In the Loop, Paranormal Activity, A Serious Man, A Single Man, The Blind Side, Invictus and The Lovely Bones.

10. Watchmen

This proved to be an alternative to the ‘normal’ comic books inspired movies. Although the comic book itself is also quite abstract, the movie was done very well and pulled it off in the end. The visuals are good, the story is good, all in all this is a solid movie and is number 10 in 2009

9. Avatar

No movie list is complete without this movie for 2009. The visuals are exceptional and the entire feel of the movie is fantastic. I wasn’t quite impressed with the story as it followed a very similar story line as compared to a lot of movies. It does make up for the lack of a good story by blowing you away in the visuals.

8. Moon

Sam Rockwell is one of my favourite actors and he’s done amazingly in this movie. It’s an amazing movie about life in the future and how corporate interests can exploit people. It’s also a treat to see how loneliness can envelope a person isolated from everyone else in the world.

7. The Informant

Hilarious! I didn’t know the story of Mark Whitaker but found this movie to be really funny, more so that this is based on a true story. This is definitely one of the best comedies of the year.

6. District 9

Aliens living in a slum in Johannesburg, South Africa? Man! This movie was so different from all Sci fi movies out there. Don’t know much about the actors but they’ve done amazingly. I loved the way they showed the movie like a documentary but not quite a full documentary. The visual effects blend in with reality seamlessly and you never even think once about them. Complete contrast to Avatar where everything looks beautiful but you know in the back of your mind that this is not real…you don’t think like this in District 9.

5. Inglorious Basterds

This is probably one of the only World War 2 movies where you don’t know what is going to happen at the end. It’s quite violent but also really funny at the same time. The actors have done amazingly in the movie, especially Christopher Waltz and Brad Pitt. Simple yet brutal and one of the best of 2009.

4. Up

Pixar never fails to impress me. They come up with the best animated movies year after year. The most impressive part is that there are so many studios trying to make animated movies these days but Pixar movies still hold their own and will do so in the future. This movie is simple but also complex at the same time. Fantastic movie and definitely an outside chance for the big prize at the Oscars

3. Up in the Air

George Clooney shows us that in addition to being a heart throb, he can also act. Again, a very simple story line but has hidden implications and lessons for everyone. Loved the story, loved the acting, and loved everything about the movie.

2. The Hurt Locker

This was definitely out of the blue. I had no idea I was going to watch a movie this good. The life of a bomb disposal unit in present day Iraq can be a little hazardous. I loved the way this started with the words ‘War is a drug’. All known actors die very soon in the movie and it’s the unknown stars that carry it forward and how well they do so. Definitely a big favourite in my book for the big prize this year!

1. Star Trek

Being a true and hopeless Trekkie, I could not get past Star Trek. This movie, in my opinion has just kick started the Trek franchise. The actors are all young and story line is just fantastic. Whatever J.J Abrams touches turns into gold these days and this is no exception. The movie never lets go of the momentum and is just a no holds barred rollercoaster ride. I cannot wait for the sequel!!