2009 YEAR END MOVIE ROUND UP

2009 is in the rearview mirror and I’ve read a lot of critics, bloggers and people who fancy themselves cinema sophisticates complaining that 2009 was a weak year for film. As Bugs Bunny would say, ‘they’re maroons’.

Now I review, I blog and I even ‘Tweet’ (because, really, who doesn’t – right? Right?!) but most importantly, I simply love going to the movies. I love my heavily buttered and salted popcorn with a large cola chaser. I love experiencing a good movie for the first time with a packed movie house. I love the way movies make you laugh, think, feel and cry (because they’re sad or because they stink).

Below are the movies I saw in 2009 – you might find the list helpful come your next on-foot trip to Blockbuster or online trip to NetFlix.

I’ll be back next week with reviews for 2010’s first offerings: CRAZY HEART, LEAP YEAR, YOUTH IN REVOLT and DAYBREAKERS.

Have a very happy and safe New Year and thanks for reading!
Brian

THE MOVIES I LOVED

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Brad Pitt; war/drama) I loved these bloody basterds.
AVATAR (directed by James Cameron; sci-fi/action) Visually stunning.
UP IN THE AIR (George Clooney; drama/comedy) Clooney knocks it out of the airfield.
THE BLIND SIDE (Sandra Bullock; drama/comedy) Sandra Bullock scores a touchdown.
THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX (animated) Fantastic.
PRECIOUS (produced by Oprah Winfrey; drama) Bleak and powerful.
AN EDUCATION (Carey Mulligan; drama) Live life, love life.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (based on the children’s book; adventure/drama) A deep and dark kids movie that’s not for kids.
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (horror) Low budget, high chills.
STAR TREK (sci-fi/action) Now you can consider me a ‘Trekkie’.
UP (animated) I’m down with this movie.
DRAG ME TO HELL (horror) Wish this movie stank – then I could have really used the title.
THE HANGOVER (Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms; comedy) Happiness can be found at the bottom of this bottle.
CORALINE (animated) Vivid and imaginative.
THE HURT LOCKER (war/drama/action) Powerful and action-packed.
500 DAYS OF SUMMER (Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Zooey Deshanel; romantic/comedy) Offbeat and fun.
DISTRICT 9 (sci-fi/action) So good I’m calling it ‘District 10’.
TAKEN (Liam Neeson; action) Awesome, B-movie action.
PONYO (animated) A sweet treat for children.

THE MOVIES I ENJOYED

NINE (Daniel Day Lewis and Nicole Kidman; musical) I’d say more like a seven and a half.
SHERLOCK HOLMES (Robert Downey Jr.; action/mystery) No mystery here – this movie was fun.
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (animated) Disney returns to 2-D animation.
INVICTUS (Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon; sport/drama) Freeman, Damon, Eastwood.
BROTHERS (Tobey Maguire; drama) War is hell…even when you come home.
THE ROAD (Viggo Mortenson; drama) A bleak road, but take it you should.
PIRATE RADIO (Philip Seymour Hoffman; comedy) Turn it up.
2012 (John Cusack; action/disaster) Can’t wait for ‘2013’ and better script.
THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS (George Clooney; comedy/war) Take a good look…even though everyone I’ve recommended it to has hated it.
MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT (musical/documentary) Hey, let’s make some money of this whole MJ debacle.
A SERIOUS MAN (drama) Seriously offbeat and Jewish and directed by the Coen Brothers.
WHIP IT! (Ellen Page; comedy) Whip it…good.
THE INFORMANT! (Matt Damon; comedy) Damon in mustachioed goofy mode.
LOVE HAPPENS (Jennifer Aniston; rom-dram-com) Hey look, Jennifer Aniston is playing another version of Jennifer Aniston.
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS (animated) Outlook...fun.
THE PROPOSAL (Sandra Bullock & Ryan Reynolds) Engaging.
BRUNO (Sacha Baron Cohen) Very nice…and graphic.
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE (Danielle Radcliffe) Better than 1 and 2, not as good as 3 and just about as good as 4.
FUNNY PEOPLE (Adam Sandler & Seth Rogen) Should have had a better sense of humor.
JULIE & JULIA (Meryl Streep & Amy Adams) Have seconds of Julia and wrap Julie in a doggy bag.
I LOVE YOU, MAN (Paul Rudd; comedy) Best bro-mance movie ever.
SUNSHINE CLEANING (Amy Adams; comedy) Solid performances.
AWAY WE GO (comedy) Quirky.
17 AGAIN (Matthew Perry and Zac Efron; comedy) Sometimes it’s fun to go back.
ADVENTURELAND (comedy/drama) You’ll like it if you were a teenager in the 80’s.
STATE OF PLAY (Russell Crowe; drama) Yeah, I still have no idea what the title means…but it’s got Russell Crowe.

THE MOVIES THAT I THOUGHT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER

IT’S COMPLICATED (Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin; rom-com) It’s not that complicated – just write a better script next time.
PLANET 51 (animated) Not out of this world.
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON (based on the books) This vampire series sucks.
DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Jim Carrey; animated) Humbug.
ASTRO BOY (animated) Does not blast off.
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN (Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler; drama) Violent and unbelievable.
THE INVENTION OF LYING (Ricky Gervais; comedy) Great concept, poor execution.
PANDORUM (sci-fi/horror) Uninvolving.
SURROGATES (Bruce Willis; sci-fi/action) Bruce Willis wears a goofy hair piece.
JENNIFER’S BODY (Megan Fox; comedy/horror) …is about the only thing good in this movie.
9 (animated) More like a five.
EXTRACT (Jason Bateman; comedy) Watered down Mike Judge comedy.
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE (Hugh Jackman; action) Declawed.
ANGELS & DEMONS (Tom Hanks; drama) Tom Hanks runs around Europe pointing at stuff.
TERMINATOR SALVATION (Christian Bale; action) Should have been much, much cooler.
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN (Ben Stiller; comedy) Headache inducing.
THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 (Denzel Washington & John Travolta; action/drama) Half a good movie.
IMAGINE THAT (Eddie Murphy; comedy) Not as bad as most recent Eddie Murphy movies…imagine that.
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (Shia LaBeouf; action) Takes itself way to seriously.
MY SISTER’S KEEPER (Cameron Diaz; drama) Hollywood sap.
PUBLIC ENEMIES (Johnny Depp & Christian Bale; drama) Beautifully dull.
ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (animated) Not thoroughly thawed.
A PERFECT GETAWAY (thriller) Perfectly goofy.
G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA (action) Knowing this is pure cheese is half the battle.
THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE (Rachel McAdams & Eric Bana; drama) Get a divorce already.
SHORTS (family/kids) Too long.
MONSTERS VS ALIENS (animated) Big, colorful, uninspired.
KNOWING (Nicolas Cage; sci-fi/drama) Cage doesn’t wear a goofy hair piece…for a change.
DUPLICITY (Julia Roberts and Clive Owen; comedy/drama) Double-crossing to the point of confusion.
PUSH (action) Should have been called Fantastic Four 3.
THE SOLOIST (Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx) Downey Jr. and Foxx are unspectacular.
THE INTERNATIONAL (Clive Owen; action) Strong action, ridiculous plot.
OBSERVE AND REPORT (Seth Rogen; comedy) I observed a mediocre dark comedy.
FIGHTING (action/drama) A movie about fighting that’s not called Fight Club can never be quite that good.
HOTEL FOR DOGS (comedy) For the dogs, but kids will love it.
OBSESSED (Beyonce; drama) Cat fights should always be more fun than this.
FIRED UP (comedy) Guys crash a cheerleader camp. Mayhem ensues.
SORORITY ROW (horror) Scantily clad sorority girls get terrorized. I so wanted to give this an ‘A’.
UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS (action) Another underwhelming vampire flick.
HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE (Miley Cyrus; comedy) She really does have the best of both worlds.
RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN (Dwayne Johnson; action) The Rock races to a mountain.

THE MOVIES THAT I’M SORRY I HAD TO SEE AND WILL PROBABLY CAUSE HARM TO PEOPLE WHO SEE THEM

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEKQUEL (animated) We basically get a newly created word out of this – nothing more.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? (Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker; rom-com) The only thing you’ll hear is the sound of no one laughing.
ARMORED (action) …yet still unprotected from bad reviews.
EVERYBODY’S FINE (Robert Deniro; drama) Deniro was fine – everyone else was not.
NINJA ASSASSIN (action) Creative title, guys – well done.
OLD DOGS (Robin Williams and John Travolta; comedy) Can’t teach an old dog how to make a good movie.
THE FOURTH KIND (horror) Actually, the twelfth kind of movie like this I’ve seen in the past 12 months.
THE BOX (Cameron Diaz; horror) Wrap it up. Throw it out.
CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT (drama) Another vampire movie that bites.
AMELIA (drama) Hilary Swank gets lost.
THE STEPFATHER (horror) Step back. Walk away.
COUPLES RETREAT (Vince Vaughn; comedy) …as will audiences.
TYLER PERRY’S I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF (comedy) Yes he can…and he did.
WHITEOUT (Kate Beckinsale; action/drama) They should have used Whiteout on the script.
ALL ABOUT STEVE (Sandra Bullock; comedy) Made me want to heave. Sandra Bullock’s one blemish this year.
GAMER (Gerard Butler; action) Was looking forward to this – and then I got played.
GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST (Matthew McConaughey; comedy) At least he kept his shirt on.
NEXT DAY AIR (comedy/action) Return to sender.
LAND OF THE LOST (Will Ferrell; comedy) Worst movie of the year.
MY LIFE IN RUINS (Nia Vardalos; comedy) Her movie in ruins.
YEAR ONE (Jack Black; comedy) Because it looks like it was made by one year olds.
I LOVE YOU BETH COOPER (Hayden Panetierre; comedy) Actually, no I don’t.
THE UGLY TRUTH (Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler; comedy) Ugly, indeed.
G-FORCE (semi-animated) Because a ‘G’ is worse than an ‘F’.
ORPHAN (thriller/horror): Because no one wants it.
THE GOODS: LIVE HARD, SELL HARD (Jeremy Piven; comedy) Nothing good here.
POST GRAD (comedy): Time to get a job – preferably not in the field of making movies.
WATCHMEN (action) Unwatchable men.
BRIDE WARS (Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway; comedy) Don’t say ‘I do’.
CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC (comedy) I confess…it’s horrible.
THE PINK PANTHER 2 (Steve Martin; comedy) …because it’s twice as bad as the first one.
DANCE FLICK (comedy) Another spoof movie. ‘nuff said.
CRANK: HIGH VOLTAGE (Jason Statham; action) Low thrills.
ALIENS IN THE ATTIC (comedy) And bad actors, writers and producers working on this movie.
FAME (musical/drama) This movie shouldn’t live forever…and no one will remember it’s name.
INKHEART (Brendan Fraser; fantasy) Next time use pencil so you can erase the bad parts.
NEW IN TOWN (Renee Zellwegger; comedy) Charmless. Hope you enjoyed your stay – now beat it.
TYLER PERRY’S MADEA GOES TO JAIL (comedy) Lock her up. Throw away the key.
HE’S JUST NOT THAT IN TO YOU (comedy) I wasn’t in to this movie.
FAST AND FURIOUS (Vin Diesel; action) Stalled action.

SHERLOCK HOLMES (B)

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong

Story: Sherlock Holmes has made his reputation finding the truth at the heart of the most complex mysteries. With the aid of Dr. John Watson, his trusted ally, the renowned "consulting detective" is unequaled in his pursuit of criminals of every stripe, whether relying on his singular powers of observation, his remarkable deductive skills, or the blunt force of his fists. But now a storm is gathering over London, a threat unlike anything that Holmes has ever confronted...and just the challenge he's looking for. (Warner Bros.)

Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some startling images and a scene of suggestive material

Bottom Line: The story is all over the place but Downey Jr. and Law have a great time in this fast-paced and funny summer-action-movie-in-December. It’s elementary my dear moviegoers: the action-packed, story-light antics of SHERLOCK HOLMES will clean up at the box office this holiday season.

NINE (B)

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis , Marion Cotillard , Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench , Kate Hudson , Stacy Ferguson and Sophia Loren

Story: Nine is a vibrant and provocative musical that follows the life of world famous film director Guido Contini as he reaches a creative and personal crisis of epic proportion, while balancing the numerous women in his life including his wife, his mistress, his film star muse, his confidant and costume designer, a young American fashion journalist, the whore from his youth and his mother. (The Weinstein Company)

Rated: PG-13 for sexual content and smoking

Bottom Line: It’s missing the zip, flash and dazzle of the director’s previous, Oscar winning musical, CHICAGO – but its subtlety, beauty and heart-felt finish are hard to resist. I really enjoyed this art house-like musical. But NINE?! …I’d say more live a seven and a half.

IT'S COMPLICATED (C+)

Starring: Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski and Lake Bell

Story: Jane is the mother of three grown kids, owns a thriving Santa Barbara bakery/restaurant and has—after a decade of divorce—an amicable relationship with her ex-husband, attorney Jake. But when Jane and Jake find themselves out of town for their son’s college graduation, things start to get complicated. An innocent meal together turns into the unimaginable—an affair. With Jake remarried to the much younger Agness, Jane is now, of all things, the other woman. Caught in the middle of their renewed romance is Adam, an architect hired to remodel Jane's kitchen. Healing from a divorce of his own, Adam starts to fall for Jane, but soon realizes he's become part of a love triangle. Should Jane and Jake move on with their lives, or is love truly lovelier the second time around? It's... complicated. (Universal Pictures)

Rated: R for some drug content and sexuality

Bottom Line: There’s a lot to laugh at here and Streep, Baldwin and Martin are all game – they’re just not given much to do in what feels like a glossed-up and expanded idea for a thirty-minute TV sitcom. It’s really not that complicated…just write a better script next time.

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEKQUEL (D)

Starring: Jason Lee, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate, Amy Poehler and Justin Long

Story: Not content to rest on their laurels, the 'Munks are preparing yet another "first": There have been many great movie sequels. There have even been prequels. Now, get ready for the world's first Squeakquel, in which Alvin, Simon and Theodore finally meet their match - and maybe more - in the newly arrived female trio, The Chipettes. (20th Century Fox)

Rated: PG for some mild rude humor

Bottom Line: You know what’s REALLY funny about this movie – aside from the awesome new word they created in the title? There are lots of pratfalls. People falling down. Classic stuff! Kids will love it and parents will wish they were born without ears of eyes (themselves, not the children).

AVATAR (A)

Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez and Giovanni Ribisi

Story: Jake Sully is a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. But despite his broken body, Jake is still a warrior at heart. He is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where a corporate consortium is mining a rare mineral that is the key to solving Earth's energy crisis. Because Pandora's atmosphere is toxic, they have created the Avatar Program, in which human "drivers" have their consciousness linked to an avatar, a remotely-controlled biological body that can survive in the lethal air. These avatars are genetically engineered hybrids of human DNA mixed with DNA from the natives of Pandora... the Na'vi. Reborn in his avatar form, Jake can walk again. He is given a mission to infiltrate the Na'vi, who have become a major obstacle to mining the precious ore. But a beautiful Na'vi female, Neytiri, saves Jake's life, and this changes everything. Jake is taken in by her clan, and learns to become one of them, which involves many tests and adventures. As Jake's relationship with his reluctant teacher Neytiri deepens, he learns to respect the Na'vi way and finally takes his place among them. Soon he will face the ultimate test as he leads them in an epic battle that will decide the fate of an entire world. (20th Century Fox)

Rated: PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking

Bottom Line: While nothing groundbreaking in the story-telling department – It’s basically DANCES WITH WOLVES in space – AVATAR benefits from glorious visuals, solid acting, breathtaking scenery, mind-blowing creativity, dizzying high-action battle sequences and the ability to flat out entertain. It’s not the best movie of the year…just the best movie to see in theaters in the last 30 years! If you thought Cameron rocked the cinematic boat with TITANIC twelve years ago…wait ‘til you feast your eyes on this one!

DVD/Blurays released next Tuesday (12/22):
DITRICT 9 B+
500 DAYS OF SUMMER B

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? (D-)

Starring: Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sam Elliot and Mary Steenburgen

Story: The comedy Did You Hear About the Morgans? follows a highly successful Manhattan couple, Meryl and Paul Morgan, whose almost-perfect lives have only one notable failure – their dissolving marriage. But the turmoil of their romantic lives is nothing compared to what they are about to experience: they witness a murder and become targets of a contract killer. The Feds, protecting their witnesses, whisk away the Morgans from their beloved New York to a tiny town in Wyoming, and a relationship that was on the rocks threatens to end completely in the Rockies... unless, in their new BlackBerry-free lives, the Morgans can slow down the pace and rekindle the passion. (Sony Pictures)

Rated: PG-13 for some sexual references and momentary violence

Bottom Line: Flat, formulaic, forgettable and unfunny – I guess the only thing we’ll ever here about The Morgans is how they tanked at the box office.

UP IN THE AIR (A)

Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick and Jason Bateman

Story: Ryan Bingham is a corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent flyer miles and after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams. (Paramount Pictures)

Rated: R for language and some sexual content

Bottom Line: Clooney shines playing a Clooney-like character in this intelligent, cynical, witty and funny slice-of-life movie that ambles along at a breezy and thoroughly engaging pace. A Best Picture Oscar front runner - this is one flight you won’t want to miss…

On DVD/Bluray next Tuesday (12/15):
THE HANGOVER (A)
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (A)
G-FORCE (D)

INVICTUS (B+)

Starring: Starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon

Story: Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match. (Warner Bros.)

Rated: PG-13 for brief strong language

Bottom Line: Its pre-packaged messages of hope are conveniently shoved down your throat, but it still remains a handsomely-crafted, expertly-acted and inspirational tale of leadership and overcoming adversity. …and if you find yourself getting misty-eyed over a rugby movie just blame it on your allergies.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (B)

Starring the voices of: Anika Noni Rose, Terrence Howard, John Goodman and Oprah Winfrey

Story: The Princess and the Frog is a modern twist on a classic tale, featuring a beautiful girl named Tiana, a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana. (Walt Disney Pictures)

Rated: G for General Audiences

Bottom Line: Disney returns to good ol’ fashioned 2-D sensibilities (think ALADDIN or THE LION KING…just not quite as good) in this beautifully animated yet sometimes tame fairy tale. What it lacks in character depth it more than makes up for in positive messages, toe-tapping musical numbers and colorful, chaotic family fun. This frog will, deservedly, be in the box office green!