2009 in Review
- The Hurt Locker, A, non-stop tension and excitement
- Up, A, rich characters, good story, a little manipulative
- 500 Days of Summer, A-, well-written break-up movie with jumbled timeline
- Inglorious Basterds, A-, great cast of characters as Tarantino shines
- Avatar, A-, fun and exciting in 3-D despite flat characters
- Moon, A-, neat sci-fi concepts, but drags a little
- State of Play, A-, fun, fast-paced newspaper investigation
- Coraline, A-, well written and beautifully made animation
- The Hangover, A-, bachelor party in Vegas with good writing
- The Princess and the Frog, B+, conventional, but well-made Disney animated movie
- I Love You, Man, B+, chick flick for men saved by two strong leads
- The Damned United, B+, well made story of an arrogant soccer coach
- The Messenger, B+, small story about the two army guys at the door
- Crazy Heart, B+, slow-moving character study, with strong acting
- Star Trek, B+, brainy sci-fi series gets mindless makeover
- District 9, B+, gory, violent, but thought-provoking sci-fi piece
- City Island, B+, a lightweight gem with good performances
- Up in the Air, B+, Clooney brings charm to this character study
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, B+, solid movie, but feels more like an episode
- Sherlock Holmes, B+, Downey's action hero Holmes still worth watching
- The Blind Side, B+, formulaic feel-good movie still fun to watch
- Invictus, B, typical rugby/Mandela movie
- The Invention of Lying, B+, Gervais is great but concept doesn't quite gel
- Green Lantern: First Flight, B+, good introduction to the powers of Green Lantern
- Wonder Woman, B+, violent, but enjoyable animated debut
- Adventureland, B, a decent look at growing up in the early 80's
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, B, good, fun movie, but could have been better
- Where the Wild Things Are, B-, moody child meets moody monsters and ???
- Fantastic Mr. Fox, B, familiar story gets a makeover
- Night at the Museum 2, B, bloated cast in a movie more fun than funny
- Cairo Time, B-, slow romance and travelogue has some rewards
- Duplicity, B-, corporate espionage, not as fun as real espionage
- Year One, C+, best parts in the previews, but worth watching
- Paul Blart: Mall Cop, C+, has its moments, but too many fat jokes
- A Serious Man, C-, very dark movie filled with horrible people