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Top 25 Movies of 2009: Movies #1 – 10

COMMENTS

The cream of the crop from a fine year at the cinema

Brad Brevet
By:
Published: Wednesday, December 30th 2009 at 11:20 AM
A Prophet

Photo: Sony Pictures Classics

I cannot wait until all of you get a chance to see this movie. If you're interested in a comparison, take A Prophet and watch it as the third film in a triple feature starting with City of God followed by Gomorrah and you will have one of the most intense and entertaining cinematic experiences of your life. This film is that good and I almost didn't get a chance to see it for inclusion in this year's list.

The film stars newcomer Tahar Rahim as Malik El Djebena, a 19-year-old Arab sent to prison for 6 years in a French jail where his dealings with the leader of the Corsican gang on the inside prove to tell one hell of a story. Strangely enough, the way in which Rahim came to star in the film is a story all of its own.

A Prophet is the feature film debut for Rahim and it all came about as a result of him sharing a taxi with one of France's most celebrated directors, Jacques Audiard. Soon after that meeting Audiard cast Rahim in A Prophet and what he got out of him is one of the best performances I saw all year and the fact it's his feature debut means his uncredited role in the forthcoming The Eagle of the Ninth from director Kevin Macdonald will likely be the last time his name is not part of the billing.

Rahim was recognized at the European Film Awards as the Best European Actor of 2009, the film won the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival as well as recently winning the Louis Delluc prize from the fest. It won Best Foreign Language Film from the National Board of Review, won Best Film at the London Film Festival and was recently nominated for Best Foreign Language film at the upcoming Golden Globes where it will be competing with Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon and will most likely dual it out with Haneke's film at the Oscars. Personally I'm cheering for A Prophet if only be the slimmest of margins.

Audiard released the following statement following his Golden Globe nomination:

"This nomination is, first of all, very moving for me. It proves that a movie can travel, that we don't just make a film for one's own country, for our "home." For an American, that might seem obvious, less so for a Frenchman. Also, if I make films, it is because I've seen films and read film reviews. I belong to a generation of cinephiles for whom seeing films and reading about them went hand in hand. Filmmakers opened your eyes and film critics helped you think. I loved that. Now today, my film is nominated for a Golden Globe and I am naturally very proud."

After receiving that statement I sought out a screener as a last effort to see the film before compiling my list for 2009. Luckily by December 16 I had a copy in my hands and by December 17 I was emailing to ask if I could keep it a while longer so I could watch it again. I was granted my request and watched it one more time before sending it back and solidifying its place at the top of my list. It was just as phenomenal the second time as it was the first with a finale that capitalizes on everything that came before it and blowing the doors off.

A Prophet made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2009 and has made its way around the globe ever since and will again be seen at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Sony Pictures Classics has already purchased distribution rights and will release the film in New York and Los Angeles on February 26, 2010 with it expanding throughout March. I will be posting a full review at that time as I can't wait to finally see it in theaters, but for now will leave with the trailer that begins with a quote from "The London Times" that I have a hard time arguing with. You can choose to watch it or go in blind as I did, either way I cannot wait until everyone gets a chance to see this film and I can't wait to own it on Blu-ray. It's an instant classic in my mind and one I think many will truly love once given the chance.


So there you have it… That's my list of top ten films of 2009. Add your own personal top tens in the comments below as I am sure your opinion differs from mine. Also, browse my other 15 picks using the following navigation and vote for your top ten of 2009 right here

QUICK NAV:#21-25 | #11-20 | #1-10

Finally, just below are my top ten lists from previous years. The farther back you go, the more obvious it was how green I was at all of this.

My previous Top Ten lists can be found using the following links:

2003 | 2004 (1-5 & 6-10) | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008

 
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  1. matt

    I totally agree with A Prophet, but I don´t agree that the Avatar story is extremely weak

  2. Corey Bloom

    i agree totally with u on avatar brad and inglourious Basterds it gets better each time i watch it

  3. Garrett

    my top ten are
    drag me to hell
    public enemies
    zombieland
    district 9
    the fantastic mr fox
    paranormal activity
    the hangover
    sherlock holmes
    inglorious bastards
    9

  4. jess2234

    I agree when I saw Inglorious Basterds the first time I missed out on a few details but now that I have it on blu ray the more I watch it the better it gets. I missed out several key things the first time and my audience was going wild. This is truly a great film, I LOVE IT!

    As for the others, I have a lot to go check out!

  5. Arjuna

    Star Trek ranking in front of Avatar baffles me a bit, at least as far as Sci Fi goes but great list! ill be sure to check out A Prophet. But although this year was good it wasnt nearly as good as some past years in the decade.

  6. 12. The Princess and the Frog
    11. District 9
    10. Star Trek
    9. Adventureland
    8. Sin Nombre
    7. Drag Me to Hell
    6. Black Dynamite
    5. Watchmen
    4. A Prophet
    3. The Hurt Locker
    2. (500) Days of Summer
    1. Inglourious Basterds

  7. Owen

    Haven't seen all the films I'd like to, but of what I have seen…

    1. Inglourious Basterds
    2. The Hurt Locker
    3. Star Trek
    4. Precious*
    5. Fantastic Mr Fox
    6. Adventureland
    7. (500) Days of Summer
    8. Public Enemies
    9. Avatar
    10. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

    *I'd be lying if I said I really "enjoyed" Precious or have any intention of watching it again, but it was such a powerfully moving experience I had to include it.

  8. Corey Bloom

    1.Inglourious Basterds
    2.District 9
    3.(500) Days of Summer
    4.Watchmen
    5.Public Enemies
    5.The Hangover
    6.Paranormal Activity
    7.Star Trek
    8.The Hurt Locker
    9.Up
    10.Invictus

    I have yet to see Up in the Air though so this list might change
    10.

  9. maja

    This is a great list, but i totally disagree with you on your comment regarding Avatars' "terrible storyline". I heard this from other critics before seeing it and had it in my mind when i saw it. I thought the storyline was okay, sure it was never going to match the groundbreaking visuals on display, but the storyline was never terrible.

    My top ten of the year:

    1. Inglorious Basterds – agree 100% about rewatching it, gets better and better.
    2. Avatar
    3. Moon
    4. The Damned United
    5. District 9
    6. Invictus
    7. Up
    8. (500) Days of Summer
    9. The Fantastic Mr Fox
    10. Paranormal Activity

    Overall, coming off a strong 2008 with 5 fantastic movies (The Wrestler, Benjamin Button, Slumdog, Wall-E and Dark Knight), i think that 2009 has been a year with more good movies, but less great ones – I would only say that my top three are great movies.

  10. PinstripedJon

    My Top Ten, So far:

    * An Education
    * The Hangover
    * Inglorious Basterds
    * (500) Days of Summer
    * Precious
    * Drag me to Hell
    * Broken Embraces
    * The Damn United
    * Sugar
    * The Hurt Locker

  11. JB

    I was surprised District 9 wasn't on the list (or did I miss it?). It was a very fresh take on alien invasion and was a blast to watch. I'd like to see Cameron make a movie that entertaining on that budget (I pick on J Cameron because of his reputation for using money like water).

  12. Andres

    What do u mean "sure, WE ALL AGREE the story is a little weak"… speak for urself Brad :D

  13. matt

    1- Avatar
    2- Inglourious Basterds
    3- A Prophet
    4- The Hangover
    5- Public Enemies
    6- Star Trek
    7- Watchmen
    8- The Hurt Locker
    9- 500 Days of Summer
    10- Up in The Air

  14. Zack Solomon

    Here's my top ten:

    1. Inglourious Basterds
    Tarantino said it himself, "I finally made an awesome movie this decade". And I am hear to help clarify that he did. Basterds is my favorite film of the year, because it shows us again why tarantino gets so much hype. All of his love in the world, however superficial it may be, goes into each one of his movies, which is something I can only say about a few directors. It doesn't make him the best, but it makes him an original. oh, the best supporting Oscar goes to Cristoph Waltz.

    2. The White Ribbon
    One critic said about The White Ribbon that it feels like a classic while your watching it and that is so true. Haneke's Cache is one of my top ten of the decade, and this film might be a better film, although Cache is a film I like a bit more. The movie makes you very emotional and asks a lot of questions.

    3. The Hurt Locker
    The Hurt Locker is an Iraq war, character study of addiction, thriller. It works on so many different levels. It's always entertaining and always interesting. Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie both deserve oscar nominations and I hope Kathryn Bigelow wins best director.

    4. Bright Star
    Bright Star shouldn't be as good as it is. It seems like it has been done so many times, but Jane Campion brings so much passion, grace, and artistry to this film that it can't help but be good. It is so beautiful and the three leads are so great and interesting. I loved this film and think it is Campion's second best film behind The Piano.

    5. Up In The Air
    Up in The Air is an extremely genuine film and as a piece it is great. But individually all it's parts are not. Looking at the movie as a character study of Bingham is sort of wrong.
    Every character brings something to what the piece means as a whole and what it is representing. This is Reitman's best film to date and he is a director that I hope keeps growing and staying consistent.

    6. Fantastic Mr. Fox
    Fantastic Mr. Fox was my favorite animated film of the year also, in the best year of animation I can remember. Wes Anderson's style fits perfectly for animation. I'm not sure if he is growing too much yet, but he is pushing himself to new places automatically just by doing one of his films in stop motion. It's his best film since Royal Tenenbaums.

    7. A Serious Man
    It was tough to put this film at number 7, But I can't say I liked it more than the six films ahead of it. I've talked to a lot of people about this film and everyone has a different reaction. I felt like I was going through a whirlwind like the main character. I think it is one of their most personal films and it shows. It is an interesting and different kind of black comedy that they haven't done before, even though their visual aesthetic remains the same basically.

    8. Drag Me To Hell
    Sam Raimi goes back to his routes and I'm glad, because this was one of the most enjoyable films I went to all year. It is very funny and even though it is very scary, it creates the perfect mood and tone.

    9. In The Loop
    Any thing or one that talks about politics well makes me react in two ways: Laugh or get angry. This movie made me laugh more than any film this year and get really angry walking out of it.

    10. Coraline
    A mature and interesting children's film and beautiful to look at.

    I think it has been a great year for films because all the films that I loved do a great job of bringing original artistry to normal formats that we have all seen (Costume drama, horror, revenge). There were movies that questioned the way I look at things and still are like The White Ribbon and A Serious Man. Fantastic Mr. Fox and Coraline have become two of my favorite animated films of all time. White Ribbon might be one of the greatest films I have seen. I have only seen it once and hope to revisit it when it comes out in my local theater.

    Just missed:
    (Me and Orson Welles, Moon, Tulpan, An Education, A Single Man, (500) Days of Summer)

    Disappointments:
    (Avatar, Where The Wild Things Are, District 9, Up, Public Enemies, Watchmen)

    Overrated:
    (Avatar, District 9, Up, The Hangover, Precious)

  15. George Kis

    Anyone who thinks AVATARS story line isn't weak- Go rent Furn gully the last rain forest

  16. mfan

    I'm waiting to see many of the above mentioned films on DVD.
    Since All movies have weaknesses, I will mention the my top films strengths. (These are not neccessarily in order)

    Avatar The meta experience of seeing top future technology with current top technology…not really. Visual effects, Duh.

    Hannah Montana: The Movie Parts of the Soundtrack have permeated the culture; It's nice to see a successful G rated live action movie.

    An Education Top notch acting

    Inglorious Basterds Nice demonstrations of building tension with simple conversation

    Watchmen Honorable mention for an attempt at adult filmaking

    The Blind Side Best inspirational story

    Zombieland Turned out to be a family movie…with Zombies in it!

  17. Roger

    Brad, would you mind maybe doing a quick article or something explaining why you believe Avatar's story is so weak?

    What is it with everyone knocking the Avatar story so hard? I don't get it.
    I read critics say the same thing over and over how it isn't very strong but I'm yet to hear why they say so and what they think could have been better. It just seems like every critic is saying the same thing and not explaining why they think that and I would love to know what the critics were expecting or what they would have wanted in order for this movie to be at the top of their top 10 list and not so low at the bottom.

    It's so easy to say "oh, this isn't a great story" but no one backs it up as to why they feel that way and what they think could have been better. If you have reasons, we would love to hear it so you can back it up. Other than that, you kinda sound like every critic saying the same exact thing about this movie.

    Quickly, some of my faves in no particular order:

    Avatar
    The Hangover
    Law Abiding Citizen
    Up
    Star Trek
    Taken

    There's a few on your list I am sure I will love but haven't had the time to watch yet.

  18. John-PT

    My Top Ten:

    1-Inglorious Basterds
    2-Star Trek
    3-Avatar
    4-Up
    5-Sherlock Holmes
    6-Drag Me To Hell
    7-Public Enemies
    8-District 9
    9-The Hangover
    10-Knowing

  19. Sebastian

    Great list. Love your number 1.

  20. Zack Solomon

    @Roger: First things first, It's a way too long. It's over written and the dialogue is hilariously awful. It's Fern Gully meets Pocahontis. It's Dances With Wolves in space. You've never heard the story of the military is bad and evil and there should be peace and living with world and the trees is right. It's so stereotypically stupid and black and white. There are no grey areas, and there is not one interesting character or development of character. Ny'Teri is a cool character, but not interesting. Cameron said himself the story is convoluted on Charlie Rose. The character development is so disappointingly predictable. You know the whole time where the film is going and I was just waiting for it to get there. It is quite exhilarating visually, but so bad in character and reality, although the story isn't truly awful, just unoriginal and I always felt there was no true knowledge or passion about the themes of the film.

  21. Alex

    My top 10:
    1. Up
    2. Precious
    3. Star Trek
    4. (500) Days of Summer
    5. Paranormal Activity
    6. Inglourious Basterds
    7. District 9
    8. Avatar
    9. Up in the Air
    10. Fantastic Mr. Fox
    Honorable Mentions: Drag Me to Hell, Where the Wild Things Are, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
    **Done without seeing The Hurt Locker or A Serious Man

  22. Mike Powell

    I've been reading lots of top ten (or more) lists this week, and it makes me very happy to see Bronson make your list. I loved it, and I haven't seen it pop up very often. I still have to see White Ribbon, Red Cliff, Crazy Heart, Hurt Locker, and a few others, but my list as it stands right now would be:

    1. Up in the Air
    2. Inglourious Basterds
    3. Where the Wild Things Are
    4. Fantastic Mr. Fox
    5. Bronson
    6. An Education
    7. Star Trek
    8. Antichrist
    9. The Girlfriend Experience
    10. The Damned United

  23. I still have a few movies that I really want to see (A Serious Man, The Prophet, and Bronson most notably), but here is my list so far.

    1. Brothers
    2. Inglourious Basterds
    3. A Single Man
    4. (500) Days of Summer
    5. Moon
    6. Avatar
    7. The Hurt Locker
    8. Watchmen
    9. An Education
    10. Whip It!

    I really wanted to include The Cove, but I don't really like comparing documentaries to fictional narrative films.

  24. As much as I enjoyed Star Trek, I still think Avatar was far more entertaining. However, I do think Chris Pine turns in one of the year's most overlooked breakout performances. He is brilliant in the film, and a big reason why I liked it so much.

    I love your friend's text about Saldana's performance, it really was something special. Your excitement for A Prophet only has me anticipating that film more because I've seen the trailer twice this week in theaters, and that opening quote gives me goosebumps every time.

  25. Arjuna

    I've seen Furn Gully and I've seen Dances with Wolves but neither makes me think any less of Avatar's storyline, it fit very well, it was like an epic disney movie for me, which there is nothing wrong with being that

  26. Alex

    My Top Ten:

    Inglorious Basterds
    The Hurt Locker
    Avatar
    (500) Days Of Summer
    Harry Brown
    Star Trek
    Public Enemies
    Two Lovers
    The Informant!
    A Serious Man

    Just missed out: Moon, Up, Fantastic Mr Fox, Zombieland, District 9.

    Still to see: Up in The Air, Invictus, Precious, The Lovely Bones, The Road. Really looking forward to seeing 'A Prophet'!

  27. Carson Dyle

    A lot of the major Oscar contenders are yet to be released here, but here's my top 10 as of the end of the year:

    1. In the Loop
    2. Star Trek
    3. Fantastic Mr. Fox
    4. Inglorious Basterds
    5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
    6. (500) Days of Summer
    7. A Serious Man
    8. The Damned United
    9. The Lovely Bones
    10. Moon

  28. JM

    I think saying that Avatar's story is "weak" in an extremely incorrect way to put it. I am sure you were thinking "unoriginal" or "done before," but the fact remains that the story is nothing but weak. In fact, the structure of the story, however familiar and however done-before it feels, is very, VERY strong. Every scene flows into the next, and it's hard to think of one single thing that happens in the movie that could be cut out without weakening the story later on. It all fits together, and very beautiful. Yes, the PREMISE isn't original at all. But what James Cameron does with an extremely unoriginal premise is utterly fantastic.

    Just wanted to clear that up. ;)

  29. adu

    Great list Brad…I'm just surprised that Moon missed out since it wasn't on your honorable mentions even; and was surprised Bronson made it.

    As for Avatar I agree that the story was weak, but I've noticed people are not noticing that as the whole imagery of the movie blows everyone away (yours truly included)

  30. thatkid101

    my top ten:

    1. The Hurt Locker
    2. District 9
    3. Up
    4. The Hangover
    5. Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Prince (awesome cinematography)
    6. The Hangover
    7. Inglorious Basterds
    8. (500) Days of Summer
    9. Paranormal Activity
    10. Fantastic Mr. Fox

    Honorable Mention:
    Where the Wild Things Are

    Most Dissapointing:
    1. Watchmen
    2. T Salvation

    Worst:
    1. I Love You, Beth Cooper
    2. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (it could have been worse, but with a better story and a shorter running time, it would have been a fun B+ movie, but they had to go with the repetitive action sequences *yawn*)

  31. rowho500

    1. Inglourious Basterds
    2. A Serious Man
    3. Avatar
    4. Up in the Air
    5. 500 Days of Summer
    6. District 9
    7. Up
    8. Star Trek
    9. Fantastic Mr. Fox
    10. Where the Wild Things Are

  32. yeah, for Avatar I agree that the story was weak, .
    but it is still interesting.

  33. Ram

    Ok here is my list

    1. Inglorious Basterds
    2. 500 Days of Summer
    3. District 9
    4. Up
    5. A serious man
    6.The Hurt locker
    7. Avatar
    8. Coraline
    9. The Hangover
    10. The prophet

  34. adu

    also surprised 500 days of summer missed out

  35. beautifulm

    I really need to see The White Ribbon and A Prophet.

    Maybe I need to see An Education again, I really liked the song you posted, but the film just missed the mark for me. Coming out of the Theatre everyone was asking each other whether or not they liked it and most comments were a reluctant yeah or kind of. It was like we were supposed to say we liked it because of all the hype etc. While, I thought Carey was good, unforgettable ( as many people are saying she is) isn't a word I would use to describe it. Molina was over the top for me. I thought the best in show was Cooper and Pike.

  36. KatieRoo

    Great list, Ive got alot of movies i need to check out!

    1- The Blind Side
    2- Taken (Was an amazing movie!Came out early this year and was quickly forgotten)
    3- The Hangover
    4- The Proposal
    5- Star Trek
    6- Up
    7- Zombieland
    8-Coraline
    9-Drag me to Hell
    10- Paranormal Activity

    Most Dissapointing/Wasnt what i expected
    Watchmen
    Harry Potter Half Blood Prince

    Overrated-
    Twilight New Moon- Not saying i didnt like it.. but i didnt see it until a a few weeks after it came out, and it was not what everyone had hyped it up to be..

  37. tjm52290@yahoo.com

    I was expecting Funny People to at least be in the honorable mentions.

  38. viral

    what ? no (500) days of summer? how come! not even a honourable mention? please explain.!

  39. rajat

    hangover
    The.Bad.Lieutenant
    Zombieland
    UP
    Yes Man

  40. Roger

    @Zack Solomon:

    Man you're really overthinking this whole movie just a bit lol

    Someone on the boards put it nicely: the movie isn't weak, it has just been done before.

    That's what it is. But it shouldn't affect anyone's view on the movie making it seem "bad" or something.

    Doesn't it seem like people are really searching hard to find things to dislike about Avatar?

  41. Oscar Smarty

    I definetly agree with you Brad about Zoe Saldana. In my opinion i think she deserves an Oscar Nomination for Best Actress!

  42. Bradley Badder

    I am Deeply suprised too see that 'The Blind Side' didn't make the top 25!!
    It was very well received with both Critics and Box Office and Sandra Bullock gave the performance of a lifetime!! It also captured me I didn't take my eyes of screen and was truly moved!
    ???????

  43. Bradley Badder

    I also think AVATAR and Basterds were two of the best aswell!!

  44. em

    @Garrett:

    and KatieRoo.

    Only american movies in your lists. That's pretty sad. A lot of good foreign movies also came out this year you know.

  45. Rhonda

    1. A Single Man – the way color is used, and the setting (60s), almost has a Hitchcock feel to it, but a very emotional story. Colin Firth will get an Oscar nom, Julianne Moore. Love, love, love this movie.

    2. Nine – I almost walked out, 45 minutes into it. So annnoying how the women were throwing themselves at Guido. Then a moment came where I started to really care about the "average" man. Daniel Day Lewis will get an Oscar nom for his portrayal of a broken soul. Marion Cotillard is pure and solid. Kate Hudson, Fergie, Nicole Kidman and Penelope Cruz gave great performances.

    3. 500 Days of Summer – Loved everything about this movie. She was honest, he didn't hear her. He thought he was in love with her. It was charming, the Hall & Oates song / dance in the street, the card writing, the moments where you knew he felt incomplete as he did not understand what was happening.

    4. Precious – Ugh. Man, was that hard to watch. Sad to see how people abuse one another. On the brightside, there is always someone willing to help you out of the mess. Shocked at Mariah Carey's performance. All of the actiing was top notch.

    5. Blind Side – From the opening credits I enjoyed this movie start to finish. Sandra Bullock's steady confidence and love for her family, her son steals so many scenes with his charm and humor – negotiating with college football coaches on behalf of big Mike. My guess is, many people will see this movie and say, "yeah right" as if that could happen. Very cool to see the family on 20-20 talking through the real-life story and how much the movie is in sync. Sandra Bullock will win the Golden Globe, I think.

    6. Up in the Air – I could not have been more disappointed. I love Clooney, I couldn't wait to see this movie. Then, flat. Boring. I wanted to love it. I don't care about the aerial scenes above each city as the plane was landing. The filmmakers could have found a better way to move us. I didn't care about any of the characters. I cared about the "extras" that came for the casting call. They seemed genuine. Other that those folks, we could have seen this on TNT or the Hallmark Channel. What a bummer.

    7. A Serious Man – First, I am Jewish and second I found nothing offensive of mean about the movie. I just hated it. From start to finish. It was so incredibly, painfully SLOW. And, as with Up in the Air, I did not care about anyone in the film. Wait for this one to be on clearnace in the bin at the checkout. :(

    I've got more movies to see. Have a great day!

  46. I always love your #2 choices… Usualy, that ones are my #1, or favorite films of the year (2007-Atonement. 2008-Benjamin Button. 2009-Inglourious Basterds). Anyway, I like your list :)!!!

  47. ani

    my top 5

    1. the Hurt Locker
    2. Inglourious Basterds
    3. Up In The Air
    4. Adventureland
    5. District 9

  48. Gavi

    I COMPLETELY AGREE THE STAR TREK TRAILER IS ONE OF THE BEST IVE EVER SEEN. definitely the best of the year, no question about it.

  49. Gene

    "…the movie[story] isn't weak, it has just been done before."

    That is essentially the problem. Cameron didn't even try to flip the script up a bit, he used a cliche story as a vehicle for his visual effects. He did the same thing with Titanic but Kate and Leo's chemistry is what saved that movie IMO.
    I don't necessarily mind it when a film maker uses a story that has been done before as along as they try something new with it, and if they don't they better hope the performances can save the film. This is why I can't get behind all of this Avatar love, if there was no 3D in this movie people would consider it a mediocre movie. The same thing goes for Zoe's performance. Although there are many who already consider her performance mediocre.
    I think a decade from now maybe even 5 years from now people will look back on Avatar as a groundbreaking film, but not necessarily as a classic film that will be cherished for generations. Especially as other directors utilize the technology and apply it to well thought out scripts.
    "Doesn't it seem like people are really searching hard to find things to dislike about Avatar?"
    Or it could be that some people don't like it when others have a different (but valid) opinion on a film they love.

    Anyway, the is one of the better lists I've seen, but 500 Days of Summer would be somewhere in my top 10.

  50. Ektelion

    I totally agree with you. Star Trek was an entertaining movie but it can be in no way compared to Avatar. When i walked out of the theater, having watched Star Trek, i thought – that was a nice movie, this is how entertaining sci-fi schould be made.
    The special effects were very good, the jokes worked well, the performances were solid but some of the plot holes and parts of the story itself bothered me much and lowered my opinion about the movie as a whole. I thought, I may see this movie one more time some day, and maybe enjoy it again.

    Cameron said, he wanted to bring people back in theaters with Avatar. When I walked out of the theater, having watched Avatar, i was already planning when i'm going to see it again IN THEATERS. Avatar is the most imposing movie i have seen in a very long time. We all know there are many elements of the story, which are borrowed from other movies (Dances with wolves, The Last Samrai) and many of hte characters are cliché. I couldn't care less about that.
    Cameron and his team have created a new world, which is beautiful, enchanting, detailed and convincing, and even logical, although its fictional. The story is brilliantly told and you don't want to leave this world.
    When i first saw Avatr, i was sure i have never seen a movie like this one. That is something, which doesn't happen often and i can't defenitely claim that about Star Trek or any other film i have seen this year.

    I have seen Avatar three times in theaters with about 15 different people (age ranging between 23 and 60, including my parents) and everybody was overwhelmed with it. I guess Cameron has accomplished its goal and i only hope he quits doing whatever he's doing now and starts working on the sequel.

  51. LUD

    @George Kis:

    OMG!! Thats SOOO true. It was the first thing i thought about when i saw it! The exotic girl, the moody boyfriend, the outside guy trying to 'get popular', the wise granny and even the tree!! Especially the tree was a real rip off. And the 'bad guys' trying to ruin the forest. At a certain moment you see the machines behind the vegetation: it looks exactly like furn gully. At another point in the movie when the main guy & girl get start walking over some branches, the ground lights up underneath their feet: furn gully!!

    Its like a combo between furn gully and some national geographic documentary on african tribes. The story line sucked!!

    However: i saw avater 3D in Berlin and i have to admit the visuals are really really pretty and i have no regrets watching the movie. The colours, details and graphics are great to look at, and thats what made me really enjoy the movie. Its a movie to watch, not to think about. I'd rate it 7 (10 for the graphics, 4 for the storyline)

  52. Carl712

    I can't believe that no one has mentioned law abiding citizen..it is such a good film. Also, Avatar should be number one, excellent entertainment, and i don't know how you can say that the story line is weak, it is in fact a great story line and it is something different to everything else. James cameron is a genius.!

  53. I've only just seen Avatar, and must say I was pleasantly suprised. Its a lot better than I expected and don't agree that the plot is weak. I like the "new age" save the environment aspect.

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