1. Up (2009)My favorite Pixar movie by far. As an added bonus in the theater, there was an excellent Pixar short called 'Partly Cloudy' that I dare you not to smile at. But back to 'Up'. Underneath all the balloons, fat little Asian kids, giant freaky birds, and talking dogs, is really a charming story of love and devotion that kind of makes you feel all mushy inside. I downloaded this onto my iPod and find myself just watching little snippets from it when I need a break and it perks my right on up. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out, friend.
2. The Dark Knight (2008)Is this perhaps the most perfect comic book movie ever made? Maybe even better than (gasp!) Richard Donner's Superman? Well, if it's not, it certainly comes close. Christopher Nolan's realistic take on the Batman mythology has been an exciting adventure to jump aboard. Forgotten are the over-the-top interpretations of Joel Schumacher and the now seemingly ridiculous Jack Nicholson Joker. Heath Ledger's Joker is now the stuff of legend. Christian Bale could lose the pre-throat cancer Batman growl, but otherwise is a wholly convincing Bruce Wayne/Batman. Sadly, it would appear that we won't be seeing any more of Harvey Dent/Two-Face in subsequent sequels. So now, I think the entire geekisphere is wondering which villain(s) Christopher Nolan is going to put into the next movie. The realism in these movies make villains like Penguin, Mr. Freeze, and Poison Ivy a little farfetched so my guess is a creepy version of The Riddler and Harley Quinn (see some pretty cool fan movie posters for The Riddler and Kristen Bell as a possible choice for Harley). Or maybe they just recast The Joker and let him loose on Gotham City. Either way, with The Dark Knight being so good, there will be high expectations.
3. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)This movie still reigns supreme in my mind as the epitome of 'cool'. A perfect heist film with a nutty cast of characters that work perfectly together. I think in 2001, Clooney was still a pretty unestablished quantity. Obviously, people knew him and liked him, but he and the rest of the Ocean's cast really hit it out of the park. I also give them credit for reuniting two more times to engage in entertaining tomfoolery. Every once in awhile, I like to think of who would be on my own Ocean's 11 team if I wanted to commit the perfect heist. Who's on your team?
4. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)Another Superman the Movie shout out -- it's tagline was: "You'll believe a man can fly". The tagline for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon should have been: "You'll believe Chinese people can fly". In Ang Lee's martial arts epic, you are witness to some of the best choreographed fight scenes of all time. Of all time! Chinese people fly across rooftops and bamboo forests. Bald(ish) monks wield magical swords. Oh yes and the fighting. See Zhang Ziyi take out an entire restaurant full of chumps. And her weapons battle with Michelle Yeoh is hard to top. Go forth and fly across the Asian skies.
Of movies on this list, I had the lowest expectations for this one. A movie based on a ride at Disneyland? Johnny Depp as a pirate? Seems an unlikely formula for success. Oh how very wrong I would be. Not only was this movie a lot of fun, but it cemented Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow as one of the top character performances all decade. It was also pretty awesome that he got nominated for an Oscar for this performance. Don't let the incredibly horrible sequels to this movie take away from the greatness of the first one. Like The Matrix, they should have quit while they were way ahead.
6. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)And unlike the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the Bourne Trilogy didn't have any weak links as Bourne Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum were all excellent with Supremacy being the best of the three. The whole series is a well-crafted, but not over-the-top, spy thriller that made Matt Damon into a credible action star. The addition of Joan Allen's no nonsense CIA suit made for a great foil to Bourne. And sadly, despite all the kick ass fight scenes and car chases, Julia Stiles' character survives through the entire series.
7. Star Trek (2009)As much as it pains me to be laudatory to the Star Trek genre due to former high school friend dickery, I can't help but be impressed by JJ Abrams' reboot and reimagining of the Star Trek universe. Before this movie, Star Trek-related films appeared to be on their last legs but Abrams stuffed this movie with so much action and character while also giving a wink to the Trekkie faithful (Trek nerds love Cpt. Pike). I think from top to bottom, the recasting of these legendary roles was spot on, particularly Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and Uhura (Zoe Saldana). I hope in subsequent sequels, if we get more Chekhov, Scotty, and Sulu action. All in all, add Star Trek to the list of already big wins for JJ Abrams.
8. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)Certainly the least high profile movie on this list, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is many things. It's hip nouveau LA noir. It's a buddy comedy. It's a whodunit murder mystery (though I suppose that's noir-ish). There's also a bit of romance thrown in there. But really it's two of my favorites: Robert Downey Jr. (before he was cool again) and Val Kilmer riffing off each other. Hard to believe that the same guy who wrote Last Action Hero was responsible for this movie as well.
9. Casino Royale (2006)Well it would appear that in the past decade, realism sells. Batman got real. Jason Bourne was real. And now James Bond came back to earth. Gone are the ridiculous see-through cars, poison shooting wristwatches, and laser pens. Hell, Q is totally AWOL. Who needs the gadgets when you have this "blunt instrument" Bond? And do you remember the outrage when Daniel Craig was named the new Bond? Fools. Casino Royale made James Bond relatable again and broke his heart a little bit. *sniff* A lone tear...
10. Amelie (2003)And we end this list on a whimsical note with Amelie. Basically the story of a French waitress with social anxiety disorder who meddles in the lives of loved ones and strangers alike and eventually gets caught up in a love story and mystery all on her own. Doesn't sound appealing, but it actually works well and Amelie is well meaning. It's unique in the style and cinematography and is well worth taking the two hours to check it out. As long as you don't mind subtitles.
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