I'm pretty sure that no one will really read this, and know that it's pretty early to do an end of when there's still a full month of Oscar Bait movies to come out, but I don't get to a lot of movies in December - and there's an edit button for a reason. In chronological order, starting with the best. May contain spoilers.
1. Kick Ass - I was a big fan of the comics after hearing about them for months before I finally caved. Matthew Vaughan's an awesome director - I really liked Layer Cake and Stardust (which seems to be a fairly polarizing movie, but I enjoyed it, except for a few things) - and his visual style is fantastic. It sticks really close to the comics, much like Watchmen (also A+) did, but it changed a little bit. Big Daddy's death was slightly less traumatizing in the comics than it was here (I was actually slouched down with my eyes in my lap during that.) and also the fact that here, he was actually a cop and her mother was dead. (In the comic, for those who don't know, Hit Girl's mother isn't dead, and in the end of the comics, HG goes back to live with her mother). But it's a hell of a lot of fun, and we were discussing it deliriously on the way home from the theatre.
2. The Trotsky - Extremely clever Canadian (?) movie. I've loved Jay Baruchel since Undeclared, so anything that gets him onscreen in a decent movie is awesome. It might be a slightly obscure pick, but I was very entertained by it, and it left this huge, dorky smile on my face. A really good date movie, too. It's very funny, in a subtle, very Canadian kind of way. If you can find it, do watch it, because I'd consider it a slightly more offbeat, Canadian version of Amelie.
3. Get Him to the Greek - I hated the idea of this movie, hated the first trailer I saw, and had very low expectations going into it. I really like Russell Brand, and I loved Forgetting Sarah Marshall, so this just seemed like a bastardization of those two things, but I laughed so hard I thought I was going to be sick sometimes. And when I rented it a month ago, I still laughed my ass off, so repeat viewings don't take away from it. It does drag a little towards the end, and I could do without so many close-ups of Jonah Hill, but for all the weirdness, I find Aldous Snow to be an absolutely charming bastard. Also check out the soundtrack - it's fantastic.
4. Toy Story 3 - What can you say about a Pixar movie (that isn't Cars, obviously)? I've seen Toy Story more times than I can count, and even though I hated the sequel the first time I saw it, when I went back for the double feature last year, I kind of understood why everyone loved it. But I think this one is possibly the best of the three. I saw it twice - once with a friend, once with my mom and sisters, and both times, outright sobbed at the ending. In fact, I think if you don't cry, you have no soul. Simple as that.
5. Inception - Went to a midnight screening of this (due partly to the fact that I love going to midnight screenings/showings) and if I hadn't had to pee for the last forty-five minutes, I would've loved it even more. Some parts of it seemed to drag on a little long, but Christopher Nolan is such an amazing director that I didn't even care. I loved the hell out of the cast (how fab were Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy together?) and holy crap, that score. And right at the very end, as the totem wobbles just slightly before cutting to black, and hearing the disappointed/frustrated groans of the audience, coupled with "OH, COME ON!" or "WHAT THE FUCK."s made it even better.
6. The Other Guys - My brother and I loved this, and my dad hated it, so I think there's definitely an audience for this but there was so much in this that was spot on that I didn't mind the odd parts. It's probably one of the better Will Ferrell movies, easily, and the supporting cast was amazing. When The Rock and Samuel L. Jackson departed from the film, I laughed so hard I got hiccups. Not as good of a cop comedy as say, Hot Fuzz, but it held its own.
7. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - My favorite movie this year. Easily. Of all the things to say about it, I can't think of one bad thing about it. The soundtrack(s) are perfect, the casting is perfect, the visuals are just stunning.. Edgar Wright was the perfect director to choose for this project, and the fact that it didn't make more money is kind of disgusting, because it means that people would rather choose moronic action films with aging male stars desperate to preserve some sense of masculinity than something original and fun and creative. Bah.
8. Easy A - Another movie that I didn't have high expectations for and that surprised the hell out of me. Emma Stone is insanely likeable and adorable. I could watch her in just about anything (..well, maybe not SNL), and the supporting cast is awesome. It's clever in the same vein as Mean Girls, but a little sexier (if that's possible). My only (tiny) qualm with it was having to see Lisa Kudrow's weathered, tired face up there on the big screen. If I were a teenage boy, I wouldn't have sex with her. Ew.
9. Machete - (Slightly out of order, but I saw it after Easy A) I was a big fan of the Grindhouse doublefeature - not so much Planet Terror, but oh god, did I love Death Proof. But most people remember the trailers, and since two of them are being made into actual films (this and Thanksgiving), it shows how fantastic a fake trailer can be. I loved every cheesy, bloody second of this. Watching a movie made by someone who has such love for the craft and who just truly enjoys movies makes it more enjoyable. And for how much Planet Terror turned my stomach, you can tell Robert Rodriquez is one of those directors. (Tarantino too.) Plus, how can you go wrong with Jessica Alba screaming "We didn't cross the border.. the border crossed us!" to a group of pissed off Mexicans?
10. Burlesque - I'm going to repeat myself and say that I loved every cheesy second of this movie. I'm sort of lactose intolerant, but goddamn, this movie. The music, the costumes, some of the over-the-top performances, how awesome Stanley Tucci was (again!), everything. Absolutely want to see this again.
Honorable mentions to: Hot Tub Time Machine, Tangled, A Team, RED, The Losers, Morning Glory, Batman: Under the Hood (technically a straight to DVD but it was SO SO good.), Megamind
Crap:
1. Drawn Together: The Movie - Not technically a theatrical release, but it was so fucking terrible that I thought it should be mentioned. Not only is it the worst piece of shit I've seen this year, but it is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It was offensive for the sake of being offensive, had sweet FA to do with the show (which was actually funny in the first season) and had no business existing at all. I hope whoever wrote this gets into a terrible car accident and loses the use of their legs.
2. Marmaduke - I love Lee Pace. I love Wonderfalls, Pushing Daisies is one of my favorite shows ever.. I think 'The Fall' is amazing, 'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day' was better with him in it, etc. I made it ten minutes through this Owen Wilson-voiced crapfest. I made it through Lee Pace chasing a fucking CGI dog through a house while Judy Greer gave him an "Oh, you boys" look before I couldn't take any more. I'm sorry, Lee Pace, but I think we need to take a break. This is.. this is just too much.
3. Eat Pray Love - Again, only made it ten minutes into this boring, middle-aged-white-woman-oh-poor-me-look-at-my-awesome-house-and-life-baawww story. I think when we're forced to spend so much time with someone we don't care about - hell, they never even told us her name in that time. How the hell are we supposed to feel sympathetic for someone who has so much, while most people would dream of that? Bitch.
4. Twilight: Eclipse - I didn't even have to watch it. I just know.
5. Yogi Bear - The trailer made me have to call a suicide hotline because I lost the will to live. How good can the movie be? (Tom Cavanaugh, you disappoint me.)
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