
Over the course of 2009, I came to realize more than ever that I truly am a movie geek and have a true passion for the cinematic experience. From my earliest memories of seeing Star Wars for the first time at the drive-in theater to Saturday afternoons laying on the living room floor watching old school kung fu flicks on the family television, movies have been a big part of my life and have had a profound effect on how I view the world. With continued advancements in the art and science of cinematic storytelling, the experience of seeing these imaginative tales unfold on screen (IMAX or iPod), continues to be an enriching and engaging experience.
2009 saw a wealth of quality releases and I was fortunate
enough to be able to see a lot of them in various Seattle area theaters with
many of my friends. I have decided to compile a list of my 10 favorites from
this year with my thoughts on how they managed to crack this list. It was tough
to limit the list to just 10 and even harder to put them in any particular order.
You may or may not agree with many of these choices and you may feel others
should be on the list over some of my choices. Ultimately this list is my
opinion and is a representation on my personal experience with these great
films. Whether you agree or disagree I welcome any and all feedback.
My Favorite Movies of 2009:
The Road

Food, shelter, and any other basic necessity taken for
granted today are all basically unavailable to our two main characters, the
father played by Viggo Mortensen and his son featuring Kodi Smit-McPhee in his
debut role. We get to know the two as they battle not only the elements and
other people fighting for survival, but also each other in a conflict mainly
instigated by the son and his ill feelings towards the father and the situation
they are in.
Charlize Theron also plays the role, in flashbacks, of the
wife and mother in the weeks and days leading up to the catastrophe and adds
layers of depth to the struggle between the two primary characters on their
journey towards what they hope to be a better place. I have not read the book,
but it seems that the movie’s portrayal carries the soul of the book to the
screen in ways that so many other adaptations fail. You find yourself following
the characters not only in their physical journey but in emotion as well.
District 9

Sharlto Copley played the lead role of Wikus Van De Merwe
and really brought a refreshing performance to the screen with a character that
is unsure of him self as he is thrust in to a leadership position. You really
see Wikus attempting to be the boss and a leader making both good and bad
decisions along the way. This transitional state of the character really sets
him up for what happens over the course of the movie and, without the depth of
this performance, the movie wouldn’t have near the impact that it does.
It’s very refreshing to see an entry in the sci-fi genre
that does not cater to the demands of movie studio executives who make sure all
the right marketing pieces are in place to cash in on first weekend receipts.
This movie was well thought out and the creative team was able to squeeze out
every last penny of the limited budget to bring a gritty and raw take on a
tried and true sci-fi story line.
I’m not concerned about the quality of acting or the subtle nuances of plot development when seeing this movie. Shia LeBouf and Megan Fox are not known for Oscar contending performances and Michael Bay makes movies that are the quintessential summer popcorn blockbusters. Each explosion is a little bigger than the last and each “hero shot” is a little glossier and more polished than the previous one. Bottom line, this is a fun movie to watch with jaw dropping effects and a fairly a coherent story to keep it all together.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
This was probably the movie that received the biggest amount of criticism from movie critics and even from a fair amount of movie-goers. Yes, the plot was a little hokey at times and some of the scenes were bad enough to either induce laughs or cringes, but this is still a very entertaining movie. Several releases in 2009 raised the bar for the Sci-Fi genre and this one, with huge battle scenes and amazing effects did not disappoint.

This movie picks up two years after the first with Sam on his way to college and the Autobots having joined forces with the military to hunt down any remaining Decepticons. Sam finds a splinter of the All-Spark which, upon contact, “uploads” all of its information in to his head. This puts the Decepticons on a path to find him in hopes of retrieving information that will lead them to the location of the Matrix of Leadership. Megatron is resurrected and many new characters are introduced on both sides. Eventually this all develops in to some pretty intense confrontations between the Autobots and Decepticons to decide the fate of the planet Earth. Will evil triumph or will the forces of good prevail once again?
Up In the Air
This movie was a pleasant surprise as the end of the year
approached. Intelligently written and perfectly directed by Jason Reitman, Up
in the Air is a movie that pleases on many levels. This is the story of Ryan
Bingham, played brilliantly by George Clooney, a man who is employed by a
company called Career Transition Counseling whose contracts are in corporate
downsizing. In other words, they fire people.

Back at CTC, a new method of doing business is being
implemented thanks to young upstart Natalie Keener. Her revolutionary
techniques allow technology to take the place of person to person interaction
and all but eliminating the need for air travel. Ryan, of course, is explicitly
opposed to this and agrees to one last journey across the country to show Miss
Keener the fine art of personal interaction and how much of a difference it can
make to a person during one of the more pivotal times of their lives. The story
plays out beautifully with each character learning something about them selves,
about life, and that the future, no matter what path is travelled, remains
ultimately up in the air.
Zombieland
This movie is an hour and a half of indulgent fun. We have
seen many different takes on the zombie movie, but this is one of the best that
I have ever seen. No need for elaborate back story on how the zombies came to
be, you get a quick intro in to the world along with a rundown of basic zombie
survival rules and then it’s off to the races. Each character is referred to by
they’re hometown. The story begins with Columbus played by Jesse Eisenberg as
he is on a journey to return to Ohio in hopes of reuniting with his estranged
family. Along the way we meet Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock who
eventually form a reluctant alliance in an attempt to reach an amusement park
in Los Angeles that is rumored to be zombie-free.

On the way to Los Angeles the four characters never know
when they will be betrayed not only by other travelers but by each other.
Wichita and Little Rock became experts at the con game even before the zombie
outbreak and they are not afraid to take advantage of any situation to further
their own gain. Columbus quickly realizes that Wichita may just be the love of
his life and adds her to his quest for happiness as he was never been able to
get the girl when life was still normal and survivable.
Along for the ride are hordes of zombies, other survivors
doing everything they can to get by even if it means killing and stealing from
everyone in their path, and a brilliant guest appearance that I will not give
away here but is a wonderful surprise. This all leads up to a gloriously gory climax
that is literally a carnival ride of zombie carnage.
Up
Pixar studios has proven time and time again that they know
how to make a fun, engaging, and heartfelt movie better than just about any
other movie studio out there. I really didn’t know what to expect going in to
this movie, which is a wonderful thing in itself as Pixar refuses to tell the
story of their movies in the previews. In this movie, they do manage to tell a
story that resonates on so many levels, dealing with love, loss, life, friendship,
growing up, growing old, and all the good and bad that each of those things can
bring. All this wrapped in a fun and exciting story that audiences of all ages
can enjoy.

Seeing Up in 3-D was also very impressive as Pixar chose to
add depth and texture to the movie with the emerging technology rather than
filling the movie with overly gratuitous scenes of objects hanging in front of
the audience. The richness of the animation was enough to satisfy fans of Pixar
but to then add the element of 3D was an added bonus. Technically, Pixar
continues to keep raising the bar for all animation studios. You easily find
yourself looking closely at the fibers of Carl’s tie and sweaters and then are
so awe-struck by the lush jungles and rock formations you start to think you
can actually smell the jungle plants and morning mists.
John Lassetter was once asked what the secret of Pixar is
and his reply was that they set out to only make movies that they themselves
would love to watch on the big screen. This movie will make you want to head
out on the grandest of adventures but only if you are able to then stop and sit
on a sidewalk while sharing an ice cream with a loved one.
Star Trek
As the movie franchise “reboot” becomes a more popular trend
in Hollywood, this movie should be used as a blueprint for success. Not only did
JJ Abrams and crew re-establish the franchise and send it in a new and fresh
direction, they found a way to do it within the original Star Trek universe.
Entertaining from start to finish, this movie was a very fulfilling experience
and as the credits started rolling, I wanted nothing more but to see what type
of adventure the crew of the Enterprise would find themselves in next.

The story of Kirk and Spock’s parallel journey to adulthood
are very well thought out having to play amidst already established Star Trek
history. The turning point is brought on by a surprise character that alters
the future forever. There are too many twists and turns to go in to any detail
without giving away stuff you have to see for yourself so that’s all I’ll say
about the story. Bottom line, if you want to just kick back with a bucket of
popcorn and have a great time with some new yet very familiar friends…this is
the movie to see.
The Hangover

The casting of this movie was spot on perfect and gave us
fresh faces that you most likely did not already have a predefined characterization
of. This really lent a sense of reality that these are just some averages guys,
maybe even friends that we know, that get thrown in to this most bizarre of
circumstances. The standout performance of course goes to Zach Galifianakis as
the well intentioned, sometimes slow, and ready for anything character of Alan
Garner who will always be remembered for such classic movie lines as “Not at
the table, Carlos!” and “I didn’t know they gave out rings at the holocaust.”.
A comedy that is truly original and enjoyable is a rare
treat in this day and age of bathroom jokes and retread humor, so to see a
movie this genuinely funny was quite the treat. At the end of the movie, my
first thought was what will the guys get in to next and to me that really is
the telling sign of a good movie.
Inglourious Basterds

The character of Aldo Raine was made for Brad Pitt and he
brought a wonderful energy to the role, making Aldo even more of a stylized
character than Quentin himself had intended. His homage to old school war movie
American heroes works just as well as a parody. This character exemplifies the
overall direction of the movie as being a tribute to great filmmaking, a parody
of American pride, and an all-out indulgence in re-writing the history of World
War II to a more favorable ending.
Another standout performance is that of Christoph Waltz
brilliantly playing the evil mastermind role of Colonel Hans Landa also known
in the movie as the “Jew Hunter”. He was given this moniker for his ability to
find and capture Jewish refugees trying to flee the tyranny of the German army
during the war. You can tell that Mr. Waltz is relishing the opportunity to
sink his teeth in to such a rich character and gives every bit of him self to
the part in delivering some of the best dialog of the movie.
With Inglourious Basterds, Quentin has truly delivered his
masterpiece.
Avatar
Easily the most hyped movie of any 2009 release partly due
to the fact that this film and world was created by Mr. “King of the World”
himself, James Cameron. He seems to carry a lot of baggage and expectation to
everything he does although after making the highest grossing movie of all time
in Titanic, you can’t really blame people for the reaction. Aside from all of
that, he continues to put his heart and soul in to every film that he releases
dating back to such great films as The Abyss, Aliens, Terminator 2, and even
the Dark Angel TV series which starred a young and still unknown Jessica Alba.

The story follows a paraplegic marine named Jake Sully who
is on his way to a distant moon called Pandora. There he will become part of a
unique mission that had been intended for his twin brother who was killed in
battle. The mission is for Jake to integrate with an Avatar originally based to
pair up with the DNA of his brother and created in the likeness of the native
species of Pandora called the Na’vi. He will then try to integrate himself in
to their culture and try to get them to move from their native home which
contains a rich supply of a valuable material called unobtanium.
At first, Jake is bent on successfully completing his
mission but matters are complicated when he begins to become part of the Na’vi
culture and begins to understand the harmony they have obtained with the planet
itself. This deviation from his military unit’s mission begins an alternate
plan set forth by Colonel Quaritch to forcefully remove the Na’vi from their
home to complete the mission. Jake is forced to make a decision on whether he
is to remain true to his human ancestry and help complete the mission or to
move forward with his newly adopted culture and fight for what they represent.
Sam Worthington does a good job of playing the jaded soldier
role in Jake Sully who eventually finds a greater purpose and allows him self
to be opened up mentally and spiritually. Zoe Saldana (who also made this list
with her appearance in Star Trek as Uhura) does a great job in playing the role
of Neytiri, Jake’s newfound love interest and one of the leaders of the Na’vi
tribe. Other standouts are Michelle Rodriguez as a sympathetic military pilot
and Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch.
This is the first of what will be at least a trilogy of
films set in the Pandora universe and it is certain to go down as one of the
great achievements in cinematic history. James Cameron, as he so often does,
has shown us things we didn’t think were possible both in special effects and
in the newly emerging 3D technology. The richness and depth of the Avatar
experience are almost overwhelming at times in a way that leaves you breathless
and on the edge of your seat and that is what going to the movies is all about.
Honorable Mention:
2012
Drag Me to Hell
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Invictus
Let the Right One In
Moon
Paranormal Activity
Sherlock Holmes
Taken
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