2009 in Review

  1. The Hurt Locker, A, non-stop tension and excitement
  2. Up, A, rich characters, good story, a little manipulative
  3. 500 Days of Summer, A-, well-written break-up movie with jumbled timeline
  4. Inglorious Basterds, A-, great cast of characters as Tarantino shines
  5. Avatar, A-, fun and exciting in 3-D despite flat characters
  6. Moon, A-, neat sci-fi concepts, but drags a little
  7. State of Play, A-, fun, fast-paced newspaper investigation
  8. Coraline, A-, well written and beautifully made animation
  9. The Hangover, A-, bachelor party in Vegas with good writing
  10. The Princess and the Frog, B+, conventional, but well-made Disney animated movie
  11. I Love You, Man, B+, chick flick for men saved by two strong leads
  12. The Damned United, B+, well made story of an arrogant soccer coach
  13. The Messenger, B+, small story about the two army guys at the door
  14. Crazy Heart, B+, slow-moving character study, with strong acting
  15. Star Trek, B+, brainy sci-fi series gets mindless makeover
  16. District 9, B+, gory, violent, but thought-provoking sci-fi piece
  17. City Island, B+, a lightweight gem with good performances
  18. Up in the Air, B+, Clooney brings charm to this character study
  19. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, B+, solid movie, but feels more like an episode
  20. Sherlock Holmes, B+, Downey's action hero Holmes still worth watching
  21. The Blind Side, B+, formulaic feel-good movie still fun to watch
  22. Invictus, B, typical rugby/Mandela movie
  23. The Invention of Lying, B+, Gervais is great but concept doesn't quite gel
  24. Green Lantern: First Flight, B+, good introduction to the powers of Green Lantern
  25. Wonder Woman, B+, violent, but enjoyable animated debut
  26. Adventureland, B, a decent look at growing up in the early 80's
  27. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, B, good, fun movie, but could have been better
  28. Where the Wild Things Are, B-, moody child meets moody monsters and ???
  29. Fantastic Mr. Fox, B, familiar story gets a makeover
  30. Night at the Museum 2, B, bloated cast in a movie more fun than funny
  31. Cairo Time, B-, slow romance and travelogue has some rewards
  32. Duplicity, B-, corporate espionage, not as fun as real espionage
  33. Year One, C+, best parts in the previews, but worth watching
  34. Paul Blart: Mall Cop, C+, has its moments, but too many fat jokes
  35. A Serious Man, C-, very dark movie filled with horrible people