Top 25 Best Remakes

Now when I mean best remakes, I'm not just putting my favorite films that are remakes of whatever in order. I'm going by how well they managed to follow or 1-UP the original. I was first going to do a top 10, until I realized there's a lot more remakes that I enjoy than just 10. That's why I decided to extend it to not 20, but 25 well done remakes that managed to live up to the original by following it step by step flawlessly or making it 10 times more epic using the technology we have today (and I mean that in a good way). So enjoy my list of films I believe to be the 25 best movie remakes of all time! 


WARNING: List may update or extend itself in case more remakes come out that I can't resist leaving off this list.


For example: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)


1. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Remake of: Ocean's Eleven (1960)

Yes people. This is what I consider to be the greatest remake of all time. Not only do I think it's better than the original, but I can't even imagine a better cast for this film. George Clooney does a grade A job at playing high class thief Danny Ocean. He has the perfect attitude of someone who wants to steal but do it in the most unsuspecting way. I also love the rest of his team with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and etc. If I had to choose my favorite of the team, it would probably be the Malloy brothers played by Casey Affleck and Scott Caan. They have the perfect family love/hate chemistry which is like the icing on the cake among the interactions with the rest of the team. There's really so much that I can talk about this movie that I really should just do my own review of this. As a remake, there are some different plots; like in the original they plan to rob 5 casinos, not 3. Also Danny Ocean is the only name from the original used in the new one. Either way, its still a GREAT movie that's entertaining literally from start to finish. One more thing to say about this film is that among most remakes, this actually had good sequels made. I mean you don't really see many remakes actually have sequels made since most of them fail at the box office. Thankfully this one didn't and for good reason. I love this film. I love that this remake actually had its own franchise and line of sequels which most remakes don't. Good job to Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney for being apart of this fantastic remake of a movie.


2. King Kong (2005)
Remake of: King Kong (1933)

Truly the best work done my Peter Jackson in my personal opinion. He doesn't make this look just like an old monster flick. He puts true art and emotion into this film. First off, he does manage to make it look EXACTLY like the sets from 1933. Second, he did great casting with actors in the roles of the original characters; and I didn't actually find anything wrong with Jack Black as Carl Denham like most people did. Third the visual effects looked incredible, especially Kong which Andy Serkis did a great performance of. Even with it being over 3 hours, I still found this film to be entertaining all the way through. I was even emotionally attached to this film with the relationship between Ann Darrow and Kong. Naomi Watts actually gave an award worthy performance in this, which I don't usually see in blockbusters (except Aliens). This is a terrific remake that I hope will be recognized as one of the greatest.


3. War of the Worlds (2005)
Remake of: The War of the Worlds (1954)

Most of you will probably disagree with me completely on this, but I LOVE this film and I thought it was better than the original. You think I have bad taste in movies? Well back off, this is my list, and I believe that Steven Spielberg my most favorite director ever did no wrong in remaking this film. I truly thought Tom Cruise did an excellent job at playing the divorced father figure trying to protect his kids from the invasion. I was really invested in all the characters written into this film. Yes this film has a different story to it than the original and also different characters. That doesn't mean it has a different invasion. Different approach from the martians, but same impact. They still have the same looking tripods and other equipment used to exterminate the human race. Still has the same ending. I thought I would have problems with this movie comparing it to the original, but I don't. I still love the original, but this just seems like more of my taste for an invasion movie. It may not be exactly like the original book or movie, but it certainly lives up to it.


4. Ransom (1996)
Remake of: Ransom! (1956)

Ron Howard still conquers cinema after making Apollo 13 with this incredible remake. As generic as the title sounds, it's still more original than you think. Even though this was a remake, it had better suspense and better background with each character. Mel Gibson also gives the performance of his career in this film. Even if you hate the way he is in real life, that doesn't stop him from being a great actor. This movie shows it. Also Gary Sinise does a great job at playing Jimmy Shaker who I consider one of the greatest villains of the 1990s. Definitely a film you'd wanna see if you give Mel Gibson and the title of this film a chance.


5. The Departed (2006)
Remake of: Infernal Affairs (2002)

In my opinion, I love this film a whole lot more than the original. I don't hate the original, but I didn't find it to be all that great like most people do, even if it did come first. Thankfully Scorsese knows how to do no wrong in remaking a movie. The thing he did different with this film than what he did with "Cape Fear" was that he added more of his own style into the mix. He pretty much made a mashup of "Goodfellas", "Mean Streets" and the plot of "Infernal Affairs" which turned out very well. Even though the tone to this film is different than the original, Scorsese and writer William Monahan kept the characters in their same format which just made the film more interesting. It just makes me wish the original did more with their characters like how Scorsese did with this film.


6. True Lies (1994)
Remake of: La Totale! (1991)

Wouldn't have thought James Cameron among all people would remake a film. Either way he succeeds. The story sort of stays true to the original only with a few more added subplots and 100 times more action. Schwarzenegger believe it or not is perfectly casted in this role. He actually does a good job at portraying a man who's hiding the truth from his family that he's actually a top secret agent by pretending to be a salesman. Great action and well performed comedy by the whole cast. Fun flick not to miss out on.


7. Cape Fear (1991)
Remake of: Cape Fear (1962)

Scorsese does an excellent job at making it look just like how it did in 1962. Uses the same suspense, the same type of music, and of course tries to stay true to the original characters. This would be a little higher on the list if it seemed a little less boring. He does tend to drag some scenes out longer than they need to be. Yes he is trying to develop the characters more, but some I just didn't buy. Other than that, this film does show how well you  can remake a movie using the same features it had in the original. Too bad that tactic doesn't work with all films like when Gus Van Sant made "Psycho (1998)". 


8. The Thing (1982)
Remake of: The Thing From Another World (1951)

With John Carpenter being a huge fan of the original, it really comes to no surprise on how well he pulled this off. Great cast, great adaptation. Kurt Russell is always entertaining to watch whenever he does a John Carpenter movie. Definitely a creepy flick that YOU MUST see if you haven't yet, even if you haven't seen the original.


9. Bad News Bears (2005)
Remake of: The Bad News Bears (1976)

I must say, I was REALLY impressed how well Richard Linklater made this look exactly like the original. Yes, I do mean that in a good way. I guess after doing "School of Rock", it shows how well he works with kids and how well he can pick the right ones to have them look and act exactly like the kids from the original. Of course we can't forget Billy Bob Thornton who's perfect at pulling off Walter Matthau's drunken buffoon character known as Buttermaker. He's really funny and really good at acting like the no-good disorganized alcoholic who used to be a major league baseball player. In my opinion, really overlooked remake that deserves more recognition.


10. The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Remake of: Seven Samurai (1957)

It goes from swords to guns in this western remake of Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai". It tells the same story and even has some of the same characters. Only difference is they exchange the plots among some characters from the original and give it to others. For example, in this version they have the youngest one who they say isn't old or strong enough to fight with them ends up proving them wrong by following and protecting them behind their back. They never had the youngest one from the original do that. Either way it still works out. Great ensemble of actors match each original character perfectly. If you're ever in the mood for an awesome western that isn't "The Wild Bunch", I recommend this one.


11. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Remake of: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

Entertaining flick that truly lives up to the original. Do I think its better than the first? Just by a tad. Mainly because of the screenplay. I usually prefer longer movies so I can get to know the characters and story plot better. It does that job in this. Instead of telling the story through a flashback, it starts fresh and ends better. You know by the end whether the body snatchers have completely taken over the world or not. Philip Kaufman directs great suspense and has pretty good effects for the late 1970s. Worth seeing? You betcha!


12. You've Got Mail (1998)
Remake of: The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

An excellent remake that goes a clever transformation into modern society by changing it from writing letters to email. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan team up again providing great chemistry on screen where their characters battle in person to have the better bookstore in town. What they don't know is that they've been best friends chatting online thinking they're talking with completely different people. It's a great plot with superb build up to the very end. Don't wanna give anything away so if you haven't seen this movie, check it out, as well as the original.


13. The Fly (1986)
Remake of: The Fly (1958)

It does follow the original quite well, only in a much darker tone and not just like any B-horror flick. Who would've thought Jeff Goldblum could play the lead role so well and so creepy. David Cronenberg shows great direction in the pacing of the story and showing off his characters in the most interesting way. As fun as this movie sounds, still not one made for kids. It gets REALLY dark in the end. Still worth checking out as an adult.


14. The Karate Kid (2010)
Remake of: The Karate Kid (1984)

Like most people, I was completely surprised at how good this actually was. It had the same story but with new characters and different location. Usually that's the stuff I never buy in remakes, but thankfully that wasn't the case with this film. The characters first off I must say were totally believable. I actually became invested in their portrayal and backstory, especially Jackie Chan's character Mr. Han. I didn't think anyone could make a good replacement of Mr. Miyagi, but like many parts of this movie I was proven wrong. Jackie Chan perfectly suits himself up into that character, not just because he knows actual karate (or kung fu is what they call in the movie) but he shows he can also do drama. Of course same thing goes for the other actors as well. I can see why the producer of the original one, Jerry Weintraub wanted in on this one as well. Good script and great casting. Comes to show its not just one of those films where a big movie star like Will Smith produces a big budget remake just so he can have his kid as the main star. Nope, he puts full faith in the project and tries to make it live up to the original, and thankfully it did. 


15. Heaven Can Wait (1978)
Remake of: Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Warren Beatty makes his directorial debut as well as stars in this remake about a guy who has an accidental death and is then given a new life in the body of a millionaire playboy. Very good production as well as superb dialogue written by Warren Beatty as well with the help of screenwriter Elaine May. Pretty smart movie for a remake. Hard to tell which film the audience prefers knowing this and the original did well at their release.


16. Angels in the Outfield (1994)
Remake of: Angels in the Outfield (1951)

I know most people prefer the original instead of this version, but I can't help but be sucked into the modern aspects added to this film with its color and new visual effects. But I digress. I did see this film at age 5 and as you would know at that age, I got addicted to it. That doesn't keep me from judging this as a remake though. As a remake, I believe it 1-UPs the original. Call me crazy but I thought this one had a better story going when told more from the kids point of view. It had clearer development and I was a little more invested in these new characters than the original. That doesn't mean the original is bad, it's still good. I just prefer this one.


17. Flipper (1996)
Remake of: Flipper (1963)

Now I know most of you probably don't like this movie. Yes this is a personal childhood favorite of mine, BUT that's not the only reason. Compared to the original, it doesn't do THAT bad at all. It still have good character development, follows the story in the correct path without too many modern Hollywood subplot gaps, and has some pretty good actors in it. Amazing that Elijah Wood did this movie before Lord of the Rings. The downside I do have with this film is that it really doesn't age well to audiences of today mainly due to the dialogue that isn't well written. Overall still a good remake.


18. The Italian Job (2003)
Remake of: The Italian Job (1969)

An sweet thrill ride involving a heist, a revenge scheme and awesome car chases using the main product placement of this movie, the Mini Cooper. Yeah, this may not be a BETTER film compared to the ones listed below it, but as a remake it does the job well. Also, I always love Seth Green in whatever movie he does. Even if some of his films suck, he always picks the right role to play and as the computer genius in this one; he hits the nail right on the head. Great performances from the rest of the cast as well.


19. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Remake of: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) 

Pretty cool that Alfred Hitchcock managed to remake his own film. The master of suspense does it again by casting James Stewart this time for the lead role of a father trying to protect his family from getting involved in an assassination plot he accidentally found out about. He also does his film in color this time, which in my opinion I prefer since I love the establishing shots Hitchcock films of Africa and London. A great film worth checking out.


20. Brothers (2009)
Remake of: Brothers (2004)

Based off the 2004 Turkish film. I didn't really expect this to be remade so soon. I guess the America really wanted their own version. Thankfully, producers attached critically acclaimed Jim Sheridan as the director and casted actors Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman. I will admit the trailer did give away some major parts of the movie, but still great suspense. Screenwriter David Benioff did a great job with adapting the characters to make them seem like real people and not just cardboard cutouts you see in every drama produced by Hollywood. Terrific film. I can see why Richard Roeper called this the best film of 2009.


21. I Am Legend (2007)
Remake of: The Omega Man (1974)

If movies like Pursuit of Happyness and Ali didn't show you how great an actor Will Smith is, this one should. It's one of those films that actually did scare me in theaters. I don't mean just random stuff jumping at the screen, I also mean the performances and direction of the story. I do think this is somewhat better than the original, mainly because of the effects. I don't wanna sound too Gen-Y, but I can see why "The Omega Man" needed to be remade. Still a good film, but this had better production and pacing in my opinion. 


22. The Longest Yard (2005)
Remake of: The Longest Yard (1974)

I was surprised how well they followed the original film. I mean looking at the cast, I never would've guessed they could pull off each character that good. Funny how Burt Reynolds is still in this movie only playing a different character, and another actor from the original actually reprises his role playing the same character only just 30 years older. It's a lot of fun if you're into sports movies and you have a good sense of humor.


23. The Parent Trap (1998)
Remake of: The Parent Trap (1961)

I loved this film when I was a kid as much as the original. Now looking at this film today, I have to say it still lives up quite well. It follows the original perfectly by using the same story but changing the characters to have a better setup for the modern world. It's a great film for all ages. Also for those dissing on Lindsay Lohan, she may not manage herself well with her personal life but she can still act all right; and this film is a perfect example.


24. True Grit (2010)
Remake of: True Grit (1969)

I'm sure you thought this film would be higher on the list, but like I said, these were hard to decide on. I really did enjoy this film. When I heard the Coen Brothers were making this starring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, I was a little hesitant. Then again, like most of their movies they surprised me. I enjoyed the production of the film, the acting, and of course their well adapted script which thankfully related a little more to the book. Well done.


25. Solaris (2002)
Remake of: Solaris (1972)

To most it may be nothing but a slow moving picture starring George Clooney, but to me it's visually stunning on how well Steven Soderbergh managed to recreate the environment from the original. I can see why James Cameron was also the producer of this. Not the most exciting film, but still well recreated nonetheless. 

RTL Awards 2009

Best Picture

An Education

(500) Days of Summer

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

Up in the Air [winner]

Even though The Hangover was my number 1 movie of 2009, it still wasn't the BEST Picture compared to the other nominees. Just my favorite. Up in the Air was a no brainer pick. It clearly had what most movies don't have to offer, a sense of reality. It's not easy to take losing a job. It took true courage to make this type of film involving our economy and no one could have doe it better than Jason Reitman.

Best Popcorn Flick

Avatar

The Hangover 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2012

Watchmen

Zombieland [winner]

Once again; even though The Hangover was my number 1 film of the year, it still wasn't the Best POPCORN Flick. Zombieland did its job here. A great year for popcorn movies no doubt looking at the nominees, yes even 2012 I loved. All fun movies to watch, but it'd be hard for me to go at least a few months without watching Zombieland. Definitely a popcorn flick, and a very great one.

Best Animated Film

Fantastic Mr. Fox [winner]

Ponyo

Up

All three of these were excellent no doubt, but Fantastic Mr. Fox I thought was the best one made for all ages. Great story adaptation, great voiceovers, and amazing animation which in my opinion puts Wallace & Gromit to shame. Glad it got the award recognition it deserved even if it didn't win. I do wish Ponyo could've been nominated though.

Best Director

District 9 (Neill Blomkamp)

(500) Days of Summer (Marc Webb)

The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow) [winner]

Inglorious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

Up in the Air (Jason Reitman)

A great year for visionary directors, including ones like James Cameron, Zack Snyder and Spike Jonze who almost made the list. Amazingly, it's the chick that came out the strongest. Trying to define modern warfare on screen requires a lot of skill if you plan to be right. Bigelow conquered reality with this work of art. Glad she got to be the first female to ever win Best Director at the Oscars. :) 

Best Actor

(500) Days of Summer (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)

The Hurt Locker (Jeremy Renner)

Up in the Air (George Clooney) [winner]

Whatever Works (Larry David)

Where the Wild Things Are (Max Records)

I can't think of any better nominees than these five. Clooney I did believe have the best among all, but I was so impressed with all these nominees that part of me still thinks I should give the RTL award to all five. With Gordon-Levitt's battle with romance, Renner's addiction to war, Clooney's will to fire people for a living, Larry David's literal connection to the audience on his weird events, and Max Record's portrayal of figuring out his place in fiction and reality, all seem to live up to the same amount of challenging work and trying to carry on the movie. There can only be one winner, but there can always be multiple actors that put great effort in characters they play.

Best Actress

The Blind Side (Sandra Bullock)

An Education (Carey Mulligan) [winner]

(500) Days of Summer (Zooey Deschanel)

Inglorious Basterds (Melanie Laurent)

Trucker (Michelle Monaghan)

When it comes to a great performance by a newcomer for a coming of age character besides Ellen Page for Juno, it'd be Mulligan. I can't believe she never won any big awards for her brilliant performance. Even though she got nominated for the big ones, it just didn't seem like enough when she didn't win any of them. At least she won the majority of critic awards for Best Actress. How is it that the critic awards seem to be more correct with my opinions than the Oscars or Golden Globes? Weird. Also Deschanel, Laurent and ESPECIALLY Monaghan were completely overlooked.

Best Supporting Actor

An Education (Alfred Molina)

The Hangover (Zach Galifanakis)

Inglorious Basterds (Christoph Waltz)

Watchmen (Jackie Earle Haley)

Zombieland (Woody Harrelson) [winner]

As crazy as it sounds, I thought the zombie killer gave the best performance among the ones nominated. He never once changed character and showed true devotion throughout. I know a lot of you probably hate me for not giving it to Christoph Waltz, but Harrelson played I character I was more invested in and to me had more challenge with his character. Waltz did show better facial expressions, but Harrelson showed better charisma with his fellow actors. I will admit Waltz did deserve the Oscar and I'm still glad Harrelson was nominated not for Zombieland but his other film The Messenger. This award was just my own personal pick.

Best Supporting Actress

An Education (Emma Thompson)

Funny People (Leslie Mann)

Inglorious Basterds (Diane Kruger)

Up in the Air (Vera Farmiga)

Up in the Air (Anna Kendrick) [winner]

I don't see how Monique gave a better performance in Precious than Kendrick for Up in the Air. Kendrick's role was challenging and unique with big dialogue. Monique's was just the same character we see in every movie, only it was one-note and uninteresting. Well I can admit in my own personal opinion that Kendrick is the real winner and that Monique doesn't live up to the rest of the nominees as well. That be that. 

Best Original Screenplay

(500) Days of Summer 

Funny People

The Hangover [winner]

The Hurt Locker

Inglorious Basterds

I was debating between The Hangover and (500) Days of Summer. I decided The Hangover because it was super clever at putting everything together and adding character after character without having to question the reasons why because it's so perfectly setup. Also the plot may be a slight rip off of Dude Where's My Car?, but the jokes are actually funny and it has a better ending. I was very surprised when (500) Days of Summer didn't get nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars though. That was a shame.

Best Adapted Screenplay

An Education

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Up in the Air [winner]

Watchmen

Where the Wild Things Are

Another no brainer. I thought it would also be that way at the Oscars until Precious undeservingly took it away. Now Jason Reitman is still empty handed. Well hear me out: there is NO WAY in my opinion that there was a better written screenplay this year than Up in the Air. It will always be the true winner in my book.

Technical Categories

Cinematography: Inglourious Basterds

Art Direction: Avatar

Costume: The Young Victoria

Film Editing: Up in the Air

Sound: The Hurt Locker

Visual Effects: 2012

Makeup: District 9

Score: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Song: “All is Love” Where the Wild Things Are

Robert Richardson continues to impress me with recent work he's done like Inglourious Basterds. Avatar had a perfect new world design even though they are a slight rip off of "Yes" album covers. Couldn't think of a better job done than The Young Victoria for costuming. I loved the editing for The Hurt Locker but Up in the Air had better pacing and jump cuts. Probably all of you may disagree but the effects of destroying the earth in 2012 I thought were better than the Pandora effects in Avatar, sorry. Same thing goes with The Hurt Locker for sound. I didn't hate Avatar, I just thought some aspects in other movies were better. It still had a great production. Same thing goes for District 9 which I can't believe wasn't nominated for Best Makeup. Not one of my most favorite movies of the year, but the makeup seemed really challenging. Alexandre Desplat I hope wins an Oscar one day because with Fantastic Mr. Fox, he shows he can score more than just period pieces. As cheesy as the song "All is Love" sounds, I like the melody and the feeling of it seems to match up with the movie itself. At least I think so.

Best Ensemble

An Education

The Hangover

The Hurt Locker [winner]

Inglourious Basterds

Zombieland

Tough choice, but I thought every role in The Hurt Locker was extremely challenging, especially Renner's role. I wish it could've won the SAG for Best Ensemble but Inglourious Basterds was as deserving and at least The Hurt locker won Best Picture. I think that's a fair trade.

Best Film Debut

District 9

(500) Days of Summer [winner]

The Messenger

Moon

Zombieland

A great year for film debuts. I thought (500) Days of Summer was the best not because it's my highest ranked movie but because it had the most creativity put into it and got great audience response. Glad to see director Marc Webb is working on the new Spiderman reboot. Hope he pulls it off.

Most Overrated/Underrated

Overrated: Precious

Underrated: Funny People

Precious was good, but no where near Oscar worthy in my book. Why? Because I've seen that type of film A MILLION TIMES BEFORE! I don't see why all the sudden it finally got noticed by critics and the Academy. Also, it stole Jason Reitman's Oscar! Not cool. Now with Funny People I can't see why so many people hated it. It may be long, but it's build up can't make it any shorter. Also most people didn't realize it's supposed to be more of a drama than a comedy. It's pretty much a serious story featuring some jokes. Well I'm glad that at least me, my friends, and my favorite critics all loved this movie.

Best Hero/Villain

Hero: Harry Potter (The Half-Blood Prince)

Villain: Hans Landa (Inglorious Basterds)

There were a lot of heroes this year, but Harry Potter showed more bravery and ambition than any other movie character in 2009, even more than Tallahassee in Zombieland. There shouldn't be any question at all for Hans Landa. He is the best villain of the year. He's a Nazi, is all about business, and scary as shit when you look at his suspicious face for more than 10 seconds. Truly a devoted villain.

Best Scene

(500) Days of Summer (Feel Good Dance Line)

(500) Days of Summer (Expectation/Reality)

2012 (Escaping from L.A)

Up in the Air (Ryan’s “rebirth” speech)

Zombieland (Tallahasee’s Showdown in 

            the Park) [winner]

I don't think there's ever been a scene where you're shooting zombies with a shotgun while riding a roller coaster. That to me was very cool to see in theaters. As for the rest, if I had to choose a second place winner it would be Ryan's "rebirth" speech from Up in the Air. That was so emotional and so well acted. All are great are all scenes you must YouTube on your spare time.

Best Quote

Columbus: Rule #32, enjoy the little things.

(Zombieland)

A very well thought out quote because it actually is one of those phrases you should be saying in real life. People always focus on big problems or just think outside the box too much. You can always get that positive feeling by enjoying what you have now even if it's not much. A great quote indeed.

Source Code Review

Source Code is one of those movies that's actually more original than it seems. It goes in a direction you wouldn't expect it to go. I was excited about this movie when I saw the trailer because it had an interesting plot, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Duncan Jones as the director who made the 2009 critically acclaimed Sci-Fi, "Moon". The thing is that you see more than what you believe you're gonna see. Did this movie meet my expectations? Here's my review:


Jake Gyllenhaal plays a guy who at first wakes up in the body of an unknown man on a train. When he tries to remember how he ended up in the situation, the train all the sudden blows up then he wakes up again in his own body strapped to a machine. A female captain in the military (played by Vera Farmiga) tells him that he's strapped to this machine called Source Code. She explains briefly that it's a device which can send someone back to an event of the past only its a simulation, not the REAL past. It is a past that Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) already visited once of the bombing of a train. She says his mission is to keep going back to that same event every 8 minutes to try and find the bomber on that train. He has to do it before 6 hours hits or else another bombing would happen from that same bomber who bombed the train. 


Now as confusing as that sounds in words, it's better if you watch the trailer. I could tell you a bit more of the plot knowing it seems unfinished, but that would just be giving away the movie almost entirely. So instead I have nothing else to mention except if I like it and why I do or don't.


I will start off by saying this is a very good movie. I really liked how well it has you hooked in like the first 5 minutes. There's not a single boring part of the movie that makes you wish it could go by faster. There's not a scene that should've been cut out because every one is completely relevant to the story. Great direction from Duncan Jones who knows what shots to use when it comes to great suspense. Hitchcock would've loved it. All the cast  gave good performances. Glad to see Gyllenhaal recover from that Prince of Persia letdown of a movie. Ben Ripley's script is incredibly original and puts so much detail into replaying time over and over without any issues or flaws. From what I've heard, a lot of people have a problem with the ending, but I don't. I really liked how everything played out to the very end. I say it's worth checking out.


***1/2

Top 10 Movies of 2009

1. The Hangover

After seeing the trailer to this film for the first time, the thought never crossed my mind that it would be my number 1 film of 2009. I guess the director of Old School proved to me that if you can get a SUPER CLEVER script, great actors, and awesome locations, its possible to come out with GREAT results. Don't forget, I'm not the only one that LOVED this film. The audience loved it enough to make it the newest highest grossing R rated film of all time. Not only that, it won a frickin Golden Globe award for Best Picture Comedy/Musical AGAINST (500) Days of Summer. That's an awesome twist I'll never forget. No matter how raunchy this movie gets, I'm still 100% invested in what goes on with the story and characters. I myself like the director of this (Todd Phillips) was not expecting the great results it got. Well Todd, you not only managed to receive a Golden Globe but also the number 1 spot on my list of top films of 2009. You deserved it buddy. Your film is THAT good.


2. Up in the Air

George Clooney I believe gives the performance of his career in the movie. Also not to mention a perfect screenplay adaptation by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner. I was literally shocked when this didn't win Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars. Thankfully it's still known to be the better film. I mean I was blown away by this film from start to finish. A man who travels around the U.S to fire people has got to be the hardest job anyone could ever do, but George Clooney's character does it so perfectly enough to make him look as convincing as Danny Ocean. Also great supporting performances by Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick especially. I never would've thought a chick from the Twilight movies could be that good of an actress. Comes to show, Jason Reitman knows his actors. A flawless film that perfectly defines what the economy went through in the late 2000s and early 2010s.


3. (500) Days of Summer

Definitely a well thought out original comedy. In fact I look at this film as like Annie Hall, only it's a lot better and more clever with its message and dialogue. I love the way this film begins with the narrator saying that this film isn't a love story, which it's not in case you're still wondering. Like Annie Hall, the story does jump around in times to where the main characters of Tom and Summer are together and not together only it creates better build up in their characters as to why. Terrific screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber which I still can't figure out why they weren't nominated at the Oscars. Also great direction debut by Marc Webb which I'm looking forward to see how he does with the Spiderman reboot. If you think this movie is full of cliches from every romance movie you know of, it isn't. It's that good.


4. Zombieland

My new favorite among all zombie films. This movie I could literally watch over and over and still not be bored with at all. Talk about a great cast, AND THERE'S ONLY FOUR OF THEM! All great at playing their characters, especially Harrelson with Tallahassee. I never would've thought Jesse Eisenberg who plays Columbus would've starred in a Best Picture contender the next year and also get nominated for Best Actor as well. That's quite an achievement. Now about this movie, it sets itself up well for everything that happens in this. I mean you have the main character of Columbus listing all these rules he made for Zombieland that come in handy throughout the movie. It's also amazing that Eisenberg actually did a better job at playing a Michael Cera ripoff role than Michael Cera himself. I'm not calling it sad or anything, I'm just saying the guy can really act. Well I know a lot of people still prefer Shaun of the Dead over this, but for me I believe the opposite. I still love both films but this one did it for me not just because of the clever jokes put into this, but also because of the characters. I feel like they have well thought out development and found myself really invested in them. Overall, definitely a film not to miss out on.


5. Fantastic Mr. Fox

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I thought that it just seemed like a silly film like Wes Anderson was trying to speak to kids after making all those R rated films for adults. When I actually saw the movie, I was completely blindsided and saw that this film spoke to adults more than kids. I mean the film is made for all ages, but I could clearly see that you would at least have to be at least 12 years old to get half the jokes in this movie. The reason I say that is because Wes Anderson usually writes clever jokes that you have to read into and not just wait for it to be said. That's what this film is. If you understand sarcasm and have a sense of humor or at least a heart, you'll probably really like this movie. Amazing how much the trailer made it look totally different than what it really is. I can now see why it got nominated for Best Animated Feature. Hell I wish it could've beat Up in that category, even though that was also a great movie.


6. Funny People

I would say 2009 was the year for the most misunderstood films that didn't do as well as they should have. You had Watchmen, Where the Wild Things Are, Whatever Works, but the biggest among all misunderstood films that year that doesn't begin with a 'W', Funny People. I don't get why so many audiences HATED this movie. Did they not even get by watching the trailer that this wasn't just a comedy but also a drama? I also kept hearing that the movie was too long and that there was no need for the second half of the movie. Well yeah, the movie was long but you wouldn't see any breakthrough with any character at all if it weren't for the second half, not to mention that the CLIMAX is always in the second half of a movie! Well needless to say, I enjoyed it and at least most critics gave this movie a great response. Even if it's also a drama, it's still funny. I loved the stand up routine scenes, and not to forget the character who's on this horrible disney like show "Yo Teach!". Hilarious but also with a heart of gold in the characters.


7. The Hurt Locker

This film has the perfect tagline among all modern war films, "war is a drug". I was so glad this film won Best Picture knowing it had an early release, not to mention the first female director ever to win an Oscar. Kathryn Bigelow did a great job at directing this movie, and of course my favorite about this movie, Jeremy Renner did an excellent job at portraying his well written lead character who disarms bombs for a living. The film is intense at a level to where you (or at least I) show empathy to all the characters in this movie. You understand their situation on why they're there and how one speaks to another. This is not one of those films like Top Gun that makes war look cool and makes you want to join. It's pretty much the exact opposite. Great movie and I hope Jeremy Renner wins an Oscar at some point. Thankfully he's showing progress by getting nominated again this last Oscars ceremony. 


8. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

After seeing the 5th one, I was hoping this one would be 10 times better and could live up to the 3rd and 1st one. Thankfully, my wish came true. It's interesting because a lot of people hated this one and called it "too boring". Well that's a shame because the best part for Harry Potter films to me is the dialogue, not the action. This one felt a lot like a Sherlock Holmes movie, ironically better than the one that came out this same year. It had that mystery solving feel to it than just wondering when the hell Voldemort is gonna pop up. In fact, it's better to see how Voldemort can influence evil on other wizards like Snape and Malfoy and not just have him do all the dirty work to become supreme ruler among all witches and wizards. I have no problems with this movie which is enough to take the number 8 spot on this list.  


9. An Education

Nick Hornby writes a lot of terrific screenplays, but this I think is his best work. A terrific coming of age story about a girl named Jenny (Carey Mulligan) who's life changes after she dates this man named David (Peter Sarsgaard). She also has interesting relations with her parents, particularly her father (Alfred Molina) who have mixed thoughts about her current lifestyle. The plot may sound simple, but it goes deeper enough to where you get to know each character a lot more than the way they appear at the beginning. Fine performances from the whole cast of this film, especially newcomer Mulligan. 


10. 2012

First off, I'll say that I do not believe in the world ending in 2012. What I do believe is that this is the mother of all disaster films and I mean that in a good way. For those that are disaster movie fans like myself, if you think seeing cities being destroyed is cool? Try watching this film and see the whole frickin' world get annihilated. Now I still can't see why people hate Roland Emmerich so much. His films are supposed to be fun. Why do people try to put so much focus on the acting and writing? You're not gonna get much enjoyment out of his films if that's ALL you do. If you still want to look for good actors in this movie even though you won't find much, try John Cusack because he always pulls off every role he plays no matter how silly it is which is why I think Nicolas Cage should do a Roland Emmerich film. Right, anyways the production is also amazing and I'm still bummed that this didn't get any Oscar nominations for sound or effects. Interesting that people hate his films yet they gross over $700 million dollars.