I think I only saw 10 movies in 2009, so I might as well rate them in order of enjoyment.
10.. Observe and Report - A Seth Rogen movie where Seth Rogen is not allowed to be funny. Oh and any movie where this climax is a naked fat guy running for 2 minutes, though with a brilliant punchline, not my kind of movie.
9... Bruno - Definitely no Borat, slightly funnier then #10, but again, way, way too much penis.
8... G-Force - If you told me at the start of the year that I'd be rating Sacha Baron Cohen's latest movie below that of one consisting of stereotypical guinea pigs and a Nic Cage on helium-mole, I'd have stolen your pills. And yet here we are.
7... Year One - A really disappointing year for big comedy stars, Rogen, Cohen, and now Jack Black falling well short. Thank god for David Cross or this movie would have been pointless.
6... Zombieland - Now we get into the good movies, Woody Harrelson makes this one, as he is pretty much every internet nerd with cojones after zombies attack. Although it scores big with the secret celeb cameos, it loses points for way too much Abby Breslin, and she isn't even LMS quality in this.
5... Sherlock Holmes - Sort of tied with Zombieland, edged ahead for some really good writing, and an excellent performance from Robert Downey Jr. and I'll give Jude Law some credit too. Rachel McAdams on the other hand, just stick to the chick flicks. You're not Angelina, so don't try.
4... Watchmen - I don't think Alan Moore could have any complaints with the finished product of a long process to get this movie made. Resisting the allure of the big name stars, there was some great casting all around, Jackie Haley with top performance putting his comic knowledge to good use as Rorschach. But in a common theme this year, it loses points for one thing. Too much glowing blue space penis, is still too much penis.
3... The Hangover - Again, showing that good things happen when you ignore names and go for talent, a hilarious movie, expertly told, and with some really nice twists, it's like Sherlock Holmes for frat boys. Helms, Cooper and Galifianakis built a great deal of chemistry in between them, and Ken Cheung is a scene-stealer as the antagonist. Plus Mike Tyson + Phil Collins karaoke = win? I dunno how, but the math doesn't lie.
2... Inglourious Basterds - It's always a special year when Quentin decides to grace us with another superb take on the movie genres he spent so many years studying, and this year, it was the War movies turn under the Tarantino spotlight. And did he deliver! Christoph Waltz was just a brilliant villain, seeming calm and collected as he thought he had it all figured out, that child-like enthusiasm as he enacted his schemes, it was just perfect. And I'll give Brad Pitt credit, he was great in this movie too. The perfect counter to Waltz's calculating Nazi, Pitt's erratic mountain boy was fun to watch as he went after the evil empire. But one downside, I couldn't help picturing Eli Roth being replaced by Adam Sandler (Q.T.'s first choice). I mean Waterboy at war? Let's see the Nazi's fight that.
1... Avatar - It's not often you get to say you saw a movie that launched a cult franchise and changed the movie industry. Boomers got to say that about Star Wars, and now we get to say it about Avatar. I mean, just, I can't even describe the visuals, I would imagine its like seeing Mila Kunis after she just stepped out of the shower, that good. Every film is going to have to be compared to it now, and what will they be able to say? I don't know, it will be hard to top.
