TOP TEN TOPIC: MOVIES OF 2007

300? That movie bored me to death. I can only take so many ripped men doing slow-motion acrobatics. The monsters were cool, though. All the "extra" story was absolutely dreadful.

Shooter was an excellent movie. As was Transformers, Die Hard and Harry Potter.

Don't see The Golden Compass.

Erm...

Ratatouille was probably the best 2007 movie I saw this year, but I also really enjoyed Stardust, which was just plain fun to watch--some of the scenes, like the airship battle and the fight in the Witch's Castle (where the witch "drowns" Septimus) were absolutely brilliant. I'm also a big fan of Neil Gaiman's stuff, so even though the movie wasn't entirely faithful to the source material, it was still quite enjoyable.

The Simpson's Movie was really funny, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix was decent--although Luna Lovegood was great. I did think it was kind of funny that they appear to mess with the art direction from movie to movie, though; the dementors in Azkaban were much scarier than the ones in Order of the Pheonix, and the patronuses changed completely. Still, Umbridge and Luna Lovegood were awesome, so...

300 was basically a video game, but I have the feeling that decades later, high-school students will still be quoting the movie (Tonight, we dine in hell!) to each other and snickeringl. So I guess it deserves a place here, as well.

That was fairly long-winded.

1. Stardust
Neil Gaiman's story adapted into a wonderful fantasy film that plays with the cliches and is nicely witty. I loved the source material and I love this as well. It's also a very sentimental story in that while it plays with the standards it also very much follows them with respect.
A modern fairy-tale.

2. Tali-Ihantala 1944
A war movie about the decisive battle at Tali-Ihantala, released to coincide with Finland's 90th birthday it's a film not about individuals but about the actual battle. Basically a dramatization of historical events with many people named in passing and dying just as fast.
There's also two guys I graduated school with in it with speaking parts :D

As a true nationalist I could not not watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPiaYpqPwvo Teaser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9IEQYlpFlQ Trailer

3. Sunshine
An SF-movie about how the sun is dying with true "Sense of Wonder" included in the package. It derails a bit towards the end but that doesn't stop it from having really awesome Science Fiction moments. It feels real. And it looks awesome. And the cast delivers. Nothing not to like.

4. The Golden Compass
It delievered. The special effects were stunning, with all the scenery and all that. A good movie in my book.

5. Live Free or Die Hard
Die Hard returns and it returns just the way it should. Old-school action at its best and it doesn't try to be anything but either.

6. Hot Fuzz
Hot Fuzz didn't come to cinemas until way after it had had a DVD release (and rip) out elsewhere. Thus I didn't get to experience it in the cinemas. It's a good film. But I hate the distributors in this country.

7. 28 Weeks Later...
Zombies. In London. With Americans. It has a bunch of plotholes and generally sucks at times. But the opening scene is just THAT good. And I really want more Robert Carlyle. He should be in more movies I watch.

8. Death at a Funeral
Lovely dark comedy.

9. Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds' End
Apparently this sucked in many people's opinion. Me it had from the opening. Sure it was slow and weird at times but any movies that starts with a song is good in my book.

10. Shoot 'em Up
This is a senseless movie. But damn. It's just so fun.

Mentions:
Grindhouse
Grindhouse was split in my country and although both movies delievered I won't put them on any list because the split sucks big time.

The Bridge to Terabithia
A wonderful children's story of the sort that they just don't do anymore.

The Simpsons Movie
Barely didn't make it. It's definitely an 11th placer.

Movies I haven't yet seen but that could possibly get somewhere on the list:
-No Country for Old Men
I'm not a huge Coen fan but I've heard nothing but good about this and I have a feeling it might just be that good.
-I Am Legend
Looks nice.
-3:10 to Yuna
-Hitman
Apparently it sucks but the trailer looks so awesome I feel really bad for not being able to watch this yet. Mostly because our buggery distributors decided to postpone it by two weeks and therefore not allowing me the time to watch it. GOddamn pieces of shit.
-Beowulf
-Black Book
A war film from Verhoeven. I saw it on DVD here now and I'm going to buy it eventually. It looks like a really nice WW2 drama thing. I love those.
-Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
The trailer looks great but I don't think it has a release date over here yet.
-Sweeney Todd
I love Tim Burton, no matter what other people say.


Overall I think it was a fairly poor year this year. Many decent movies around and many blockbuster sequels but nothing really awesome.

1) No Country for old Men

A distant 2nd would be Hot Fuzz. Those were the only two this year that made an impression on me.

I didn't really get to see all that many movies this year...

1.) Transformers (uh, duh? Also, Shiloh LeBuff )
2.) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (me and my friends loved the wedding scene so much)
3.) Live Free or Die Hard (not quite as good as the original or Die Hard With a Vengeance)

That's pretty much all I've see of movies in 2007... I've seen little snippets of some others, though, like Ratatouille and 300, but other than that...

I'm really hoping to see National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Golden Compass, I Am Legend, American Gangster, Great Debaters, and The Bucket List (this last one is like a must-see for me) - either in theatres (it'll probably be that way for National Treasure), or else on DVD or whatever.

1. Transformers

Those who know me best know I am a HUGE Transformers fan. To be honest, I was pretty wary of the movie. I didn't like the character designs, the director, how much screen time the humans would get, etc. Then I watched the movie and all was forgiven. And you know what? I thought Shia Lebouf was great in the movie.

2. The Bourne Ultimatum

I'm a pretty casual Bourne fan but the last movie was way slick. I always overlook Matt Damon but he's normally pretty damn good in anything I watch with him in it.

3. 300

I'm a sucker for the ancient world. I'm also a sucker for awesome action scenes. Sometimes it was a little too over the top, but for such an odd movie it actually follows the historical events pretty closely, save for some poetic licenses taken by the narrator.

4. The Simpsons Movie

I've loved The Simpsons for years, but at this point I think they should cancel the show and just release a feature film once a year. This was the best I had seen from them in a long time.

5. TMNT

This selection is driven by nostalgia more than anything, but the movie reaffirmed my childhood and let me know it's still OK to say cowabunga.

6. Surf's Up

I took my three year old daughter to see this one and expected to be bored. I was pleasantly suprised.

7. Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer

Something is wrong when the Fantastic 4 make it on the list about Spider-Man, but the movie was fun to watch. The only real major glaring fault was Galactus not being a bazillion foot tall omnipotent being. Being a cosmic dust cloud just isn't the same... even if it is sentient.

8. Spider-Man 3

I love my comic book movies, so Spidey had to be on here somewhere. But the plot was a mess, Venom was terrible and emo Peter was one of the most hilariously bad things I have ever seen. Still, a good popcorn movie.

9. Pirates of the Carribean 3: At World's End

I loved the original Pirates, but I felt the second one was so-so. Lets get two things straight: 1) There is nothing epic about pirates and 2) Keira Knightley is way hot. However, someone at Disney had a lot of balls to approve the ending.

10. Shrek the Third

This one barely makes it on here at all. I loved the original Shrek, loved the sequel even more... but this makes me fall asleep. The jokes are lame, the plot is boring... gah. This big threequels really weren't that great.