Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Top Tens for 2004
Another salvaged post from the Yahoo! caches. On January 10, we posted the following:
Wendy's 2004 Wrap-Up
Well I know that it has been a very long time since I posted anything here, and I doubt anyone even still checks it anymore. However, last night I laid awake in bed trying to fall asleep, and during that time I decided that I would post today. Also since today is my birthday (I am now the ripe old age of 26), I figured what better day to start posting again than today.
So instead of doing a top ten list for the year, I am going to simply list every movie that I saw this year in the order that I liked them. Now keep in mind that I live in a very small town in Virginia, and we don't get a lot of the movies that have come out over the last month or so in the bigger cities. Three movies that I really want to see that haven't started playing around here are Million Dollar Baby, A Very Long Engagement, and House of Flying Daggers so unfortunately they won't be able to make this list. Also keep it in mind that I don't get to see very many movies in a year because of college and kids and the like. It's not that I don't want to go to the movies more, it's just that I have other priorities.
So enough blabbing from me, here is the list:
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Napoleon Dynamite
3. Hero
4. Kill Bill Vol. 2
5. The Polar Express
6. Garden State
7. Spider-Man 2
8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
9. Kinsey
10. Finding Neverland
11. Collateral
12. The Bourne Supremacy
13. Super Size Me
14. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
15. Team America: World Police
16. The Passion of the Christ
17. The Incredibles
18. Dodgeball
19. Shrek 2
20. Hellboy
21. The Village
Well there it is. Darrell hates my list and plans to post what he calls the "correct" list later on tonight. Then you guys can decide who you agree with more. Hopefully that person will be me ;).
Darrell's Top Ten (and then some) for 2004
The Best
01) The Passion of The Christ
I considered setting this movie aside and deeming it inappropriate for comparison to other movies because of the subject matter. The fact is, The Passion is a film that was a cathartic and spiritual experience for me, and it’s unfair to expect other films that are simply… well, films… to compete against that kind of thing. But the more I thought about it, I realized that was silly of me. Any movie I review is going to be written about from the perspective of the unique individual that I am. Each of us is a unique individual and we’ll react to movies, or anything else, for that matter, in a way unlike anyone else. The fact is, a big part of who I am is my belief in Jesus Christ as my personal savior… and Mel Gibson’s movie affected me deeply. No other movie has made the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ so visceral for me. No other cinematic depiction of the pivotal point in the history of my faith made the events as real or as immediate. It’s impossible for me to review The Passion objectively as a film-goer. I can only review it as a Christian. From that perspective, The Passion was the most meaningful movie-going experience I had this year, and for that, it is my movie of the year.
Just a note on the hype about the movie’s so-called anti-Semitism… anyone who sees this film and thinks it is an attack on Jews misses the point. Christians believe that the sacrifice of Christ was an atonement for the sinful nature of all mankind, not a murder at the hands of one race. Had Christ not been crucified, the salvation he offered his followers would not have been possible. It was because of my imperfection that Christ died. As a Christian, I must take responsibility for his crucifixion and it is incumbent on me to try to live a life worthy of his sacrifice. Blaming any people for the crucifixion of Christ is not only unchristian… it misses the point entirely. Mel Gibson’s film makes that clear.
02) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
If it hadn’t been for the profound religious experience of The Passion, Eternal Sunshine would have easily been my choice for film of the year. I can’t remember the last time a movie left me as wide-eyed and awe-struck as this one did. Just when you think that film-makers have exhausted all possible avenues of creativity, Michael Gondry comes along with entirely new ideas and an amazing vision. It’s easy to forget while watching Eternal Sunshine that movies like The Matrix and Forrest Gump ever even happened. Gondry’s visuals in Eternal Sunshine aren’t derivative of of anything else. But the best thing about the film is, it’s not just a jumble of great special effects. Eternal Sunshine is story and character driven, and in the middle of all those amazing visuals, there are also some amazing performances by the actors. Besides, Charlie Kaufman's screenplay is strong enough that, even with lesser direction, the movie would still probably have been good. This film has some shockingly insightful things to say about the nature of romantic relationships. Chief among the assets of the film is Jim Carrey. I’m not a fan of the Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty crap that he turns out, and even though I liked him in Man on the Moon, I had NO reason to expect that he was capable of such a complete and rich performance as he gives here. I actually forgot that I was watching Jim Carrey while watching Eternal Sunshine. Even without Gondry’s amazing direction and visual style... even without Kaufman's outstanding screenplay... Carrey’s performance alone is reason to see Eternal Sunshine. That by itself makes the movie worth seeing.
03) Spider-Man 2
I still can’t get over how good this movie was. I could ramble about it for pages and pages. The first Spider-Man film was a bit of a disappointment, but the second one was so much better than I’d ever dreamed it could be. Ebert calls it the best super hero movie ever made, and I can’t argue with that. It’s up there with the first Batman movie and with The Crow. The cast is great, the special effects are extraordinarily good, and the story actually manages to capture everything that us fanboys have loved about the comic all these years. Spider-Man 2 is the vindication of every bad comic book movie ever made, and it gives us comic readers something to point to with pride.
04) Kill Bill Volume 2
KBV1 was one of the best films of 2003, so my hopes were high for the second volume. I left the theater a bit let down, I suppose because I’d gone in expecting the same action-packed brain candy of the first volume… but KBV2 is the kind of film that sticks with you after it’s over, and over time I’ve come to appreciate it more and more. I didn’t expect, well, nuance from the performances… especially considering that volume 1 was one big, loud, bloody cartoon. Instead of continuing in that same vein, Tarantino went for something different in the second volume. Once it sunk it with me, I realized that I’d seen a really great picture.
05) The Polar Express
I really loved this movie. In fact, I think Wendy and I liked it even more than the kids did. I’m sure it will endure as a holiday classic, and I look forward to buying the DVD and watching it again next year. I liked the animation, and I imagine that the film’s distinct look will be a key to the lasting appeal I expect it to have (much like the distinct look of Rudolph the Red Nosed Raindeer is a major reason that holiday special remains so beloved from generation to generation). The Polar Express was a lot of fun and really helped put me in the holiday mood this past Christmas… plus, it has the best movie-version of Santa’s North Pole I’ve ever seen.
06) Team America: World Police
In a year full of Michael Moore movies and left-wing jackass celebrities telling us how to feel about everything, it was great fun to see a movie that saw through their bulls#!% and called them on it. Team America made me laugh out loud more than any other comedy I saw this year, and reassured me that I wasn’t the only person who was sick of the liberal elites in Hollywood. Matt and Trey knocked it out of the park with this one.
07) The Bourne Supremacy
This sequel was as smart and fast and action-packed as the first film, and that’s really saying something. It’s rare when an action movie can entertain without being dumb. The makers of the Bourne movies have pulled it off twice. Keep it up, guys.
08) Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
See my previous review.
09) Hero
Hero was a great visual treat, and should probably be higher on my list. It’s a really wonderful film. A solid, moving story… good performances… and beautiful visuals. It’s the whole package.
10) Finding Neverland
I liked this movie a whole lot. In fact, it’s safe to say that I loved it. Given, this movie is a great deal more conventional than the ones higher up my list… but it still moved me and effected me, and was an overall rewarding film. A friend of mine compared it to last year’s Burton film Big Fish, and while I can see the comparison, I think that Finding Neverland had a better story with better performances, and boasted visuals that were just as strong and fanciful.
The Rest:
Napoleon Dynamite
It was nice to see a comedy aimed at adults that I’d not mind our kids seeing. This is probably the “cult” movie of the year, and I can see why. Napoleon Dynamite was funny without being crude or mean, and even though I was laughing at the characters (as opposed to with them), I never got the sense that the film was designed to ridicule people. Some people, through no fault of their own, are just unintentionally funny. This movie is a chance to spend a couple of hours with those kind of people and laugh out loud at them instead of stifling your laughter, like you have to do in real life.
Hellboy
Good first hour, but the second hour was long, boring and repetitive. The second hour was bad enough to sink the whole ship. What a disappointment. I like the idea of a hero born of hellish origins who decides to turn his back on his nature and fight for good... so much more could have been done with this movie.
Shrek 2
The kids and I enjoyed it a lot more than Wendy did. I think that both Shrek films have been a lot of fun and I look forward to a third one.
Collateral
Another movie that I enjoyed more in retrospect than I did at first glance. Jamie Foxx was superb, as was Tom Cruise. I’ve come to expect damn good work from Cruise, but Foxx was a real surprise. I think the guy really has a future as a dramatic actor. When I think back on how good Collateral was, I’m really kicking myself for not dragging Wendy to see Ray.
Dawn of the Dead
A fun, light horror film. Better than I thought it would be, but nothing revolutionary. Movies like The Sixth Sense and Alien are so good that I recommend them to anyone, no matter if they are typically horror fans or not. That is not the case with this remake of Dawn of the Dead. It’s only for horror fans… and at that, it’s only for horror fans who are willing to lower their expectations a bit and just go with the flow for an hour and a half.
Dodgeball
Wendy and I went to see this hoping for a light, amusing comedy… and we got what we hoped for. I laughed out loud a few times, and that’s what I expect from a comedy. Rip Torne is the best thing in the film.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Wow! I’m not a fan of the first two Harry Potter movies, I consider them over-long and overwrought. This one, however, moved along at a fast pace and kept me interested and entertained. For the first time, I’m looking forward to the next Harry Potter movie!
Super Size Me
It was funny, it was smart, and it made me laugh and think.
The Village
Oh, good Lord, what a piece of crap. You owe us one, Shyamalan. You owe us one BIG TIME.
Garden State
See my previous review.
The Incredibles
The Toy Story movies will always be my favorites from Pixar, but this film didn’t disappoint. I was in the minority who didn’t think that Find Nemo was all that great. I enjoyed The Incredibles more. I know, I know, us comic book geeks are inclined to feel that way, so sue me.
Kinsey
Oh, what an upsetting, unpleasant film. Sure it was a darn good film, but like Trainspotting, Kinsey was a movie that aimed to unsettle it’s audience, and it worked well. For the record, no, I am not a sexual prude who thinks that any movie that addresses human sexuality is automatically guilty of indecency… but Kinsey did such a good job of convincing me that Alfred Kinsey and his researchers had their lives ruined by their research (and their experimental promiscuity), that I left the theater unhappy and bothered. Yes, it was a well made, well acted film. No, I never want to see it again.
(Just a note, this entry is also posted at my personal blog, The Southern Conservative.) ¶ 4:16 PM
Another salvaged post from the Yahoo! caches. On January 10, we posted the following:
Wendy's 2004 Wrap-Up
Well I know that it has been a very long time since I posted anything here, and I doubt anyone even still checks it anymore. However, last night I laid awake in bed trying to fall asleep, and during that time I decided that I would post today. Also since today is my birthday (I am now the ripe old age of 26), I figured what better day to start posting again than today.
So instead of doing a top ten list for the year, I am going to simply list every movie that I saw this year in the order that I liked them. Now keep in mind that I live in a very small town in Virginia, and we don't get a lot of the movies that have come out over the last month or so in the bigger cities. Three movies that I really want to see that haven't started playing around here are Million Dollar Baby, A Very Long Engagement, and House of Flying Daggers so unfortunately they won't be able to make this list. Also keep it in mind that I don't get to see very many movies in a year because of college and kids and the like. It's not that I don't want to go to the movies more, it's just that I have other priorities.
So enough blabbing from me, here is the list:
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Napoleon Dynamite
3. Hero
4. Kill Bill Vol. 2
5. The Polar Express
6. Garden State
7. Spider-Man 2
8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
9. Kinsey
10. Finding Neverland
11. Collateral
12. The Bourne Supremacy
13. Super Size Me
14. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
15. Team America: World Police
16. The Passion of the Christ
17. The Incredibles
18. Dodgeball
19. Shrek 2
20. Hellboy
21. The Village
Well there it is. Darrell hates my list and plans to post what he calls the "correct" list later on tonight. Then you guys can decide who you agree with more. Hopefully that person will be me ;).
Darrell's Top Ten (and then some) for 2004
The Best
01) The Passion of The Christ
I considered setting this movie aside and deeming it inappropriate for comparison to other movies because of the subject matter. The fact is, The Passion is a film that was a cathartic and spiritual experience for me, and it’s unfair to expect other films that are simply… well, films… to compete against that kind of thing. But the more I thought about it, I realized that was silly of me. Any movie I review is going to be written about from the perspective of the unique individual that I am. Each of us is a unique individual and we’ll react to movies, or anything else, for that matter, in a way unlike anyone else. The fact is, a big part of who I am is my belief in Jesus Christ as my personal savior… and Mel Gibson’s movie affected me deeply. No other movie has made the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ so visceral for me. No other cinematic depiction of the pivotal point in the history of my faith made the events as real or as immediate. It’s impossible for me to review The Passion objectively as a film-goer. I can only review it as a Christian. From that perspective, The Passion was the most meaningful movie-going experience I had this year, and for that, it is my movie of the year.
Just a note on the hype about the movie’s so-called anti-Semitism… anyone who sees this film and thinks it is an attack on Jews misses the point. Christians believe that the sacrifice of Christ was an atonement for the sinful nature of all mankind, not a murder at the hands of one race. Had Christ not been crucified, the salvation he offered his followers would not have been possible. It was because of my imperfection that Christ died. As a Christian, I must take responsibility for his crucifixion and it is incumbent on me to try to live a life worthy of his sacrifice. Blaming any people for the crucifixion of Christ is not only unchristian… it misses the point entirely. Mel Gibson’s film makes that clear.
02) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
If it hadn’t been for the profound religious experience of The Passion, Eternal Sunshine would have easily been my choice for film of the year. I can’t remember the last time a movie left me as wide-eyed and awe-struck as this one did. Just when you think that film-makers have exhausted all possible avenues of creativity, Michael Gondry comes along with entirely new ideas and an amazing vision. It’s easy to forget while watching Eternal Sunshine that movies like The Matrix and Forrest Gump ever even happened. Gondry’s visuals in Eternal Sunshine aren’t derivative of of anything else. But the best thing about the film is, it’s not just a jumble of great special effects. Eternal Sunshine is story and character driven, and in the middle of all those amazing visuals, there are also some amazing performances by the actors. Besides, Charlie Kaufman's screenplay is strong enough that, even with lesser direction, the movie would still probably have been good. This film has some shockingly insightful things to say about the nature of romantic relationships. Chief among the assets of the film is Jim Carrey. I’m not a fan of the Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty crap that he turns out, and even though I liked him in Man on the Moon, I had NO reason to expect that he was capable of such a complete and rich performance as he gives here. I actually forgot that I was watching Jim Carrey while watching Eternal Sunshine. Even without Gondry’s amazing direction and visual style... even without Kaufman's outstanding screenplay... Carrey’s performance alone is reason to see Eternal Sunshine. That by itself makes the movie worth seeing.
03) Spider-Man 2
I still can’t get over how good this movie was. I could ramble about it for pages and pages. The first Spider-Man film was a bit of a disappointment, but the second one was so much better than I’d ever dreamed it could be. Ebert calls it the best super hero movie ever made, and I can’t argue with that. It’s up there with the first Batman movie and with The Crow. The cast is great, the special effects are extraordinarily good, and the story actually manages to capture everything that us fanboys have loved about the comic all these years. Spider-Man 2 is the vindication of every bad comic book movie ever made, and it gives us comic readers something to point to with pride.
04) Kill Bill Volume 2
KBV1 was one of the best films of 2003, so my hopes were high for the second volume. I left the theater a bit let down, I suppose because I’d gone in expecting the same action-packed brain candy of the first volume… but KBV2 is the kind of film that sticks with you after it’s over, and over time I’ve come to appreciate it more and more. I didn’t expect, well, nuance from the performances… especially considering that volume 1 was one big, loud, bloody cartoon. Instead of continuing in that same vein, Tarantino went for something different in the second volume. Once it sunk it with me, I realized that I’d seen a really great picture.
05) The Polar Express
I really loved this movie. In fact, I think Wendy and I liked it even more than the kids did. I’m sure it will endure as a holiday classic, and I look forward to buying the DVD and watching it again next year. I liked the animation, and I imagine that the film’s distinct look will be a key to the lasting appeal I expect it to have (much like the distinct look of Rudolph the Red Nosed Raindeer is a major reason that holiday special remains so beloved from generation to generation). The Polar Express was a lot of fun and really helped put me in the holiday mood this past Christmas… plus, it has the best movie-version of Santa’s North Pole I’ve ever seen.
06) Team America: World Police
In a year full of Michael Moore movies and left-wing jackass celebrities telling us how to feel about everything, it was great fun to see a movie that saw through their bulls#!% and called them on it. Team America made me laugh out loud more than any other comedy I saw this year, and reassured me that I wasn’t the only person who was sick of the liberal elites in Hollywood. Matt and Trey knocked it out of the park with this one.
07) The Bourne Supremacy
This sequel was as smart and fast and action-packed as the first film, and that’s really saying something. It’s rare when an action movie can entertain without being dumb. The makers of the Bourne movies have pulled it off twice. Keep it up, guys.
08) Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
See my previous review.
09) Hero
Hero was a great visual treat, and should probably be higher on my list. It’s a really wonderful film. A solid, moving story… good performances… and beautiful visuals. It’s the whole package.
10) Finding Neverland
I liked this movie a whole lot. In fact, it’s safe to say that I loved it. Given, this movie is a great deal more conventional than the ones higher up my list… but it still moved me and effected me, and was an overall rewarding film. A friend of mine compared it to last year’s Burton film Big Fish, and while I can see the comparison, I think that Finding Neverland had a better story with better performances, and boasted visuals that were just as strong and fanciful.
The Rest:
Napoleon Dynamite
It was nice to see a comedy aimed at adults that I’d not mind our kids seeing. This is probably the “cult” movie of the year, and I can see why. Napoleon Dynamite was funny without being crude or mean, and even though I was laughing at the characters (as opposed to with them), I never got the sense that the film was designed to ridicule people. Some people, through no fault of their own, are just unintentionally funny. This movie is a chance to spend a couple of hours with those kind of people and laugh out loud at them instead of stifling your laughter, like you have to do in real life.
Hellboy
Good first hour, but the second hour was long, boring and repetitive. The second hour was bad enough to sink the whole ship. What a disappointment. I like the idea of a hero born of hellish origins who decides to turn his back on his nature and fight for good... so much more could have been done with this movie.
Shrek 2
The kids and I enjoyed it a lot more than Wendy did. I think that both Shrek films have been a lot of fun and I look forward to a third one.
Collateral
Another movie that I enjoyed more in retrospect than I did at first glance. Jamie Foxx was superb, as was Tom Cruise. I’ve come to expect damn good work from Cruise, but Foxx was a real surprise. I think the guy really has a future as a dramatic actor. When I think back on how good Collateral was, I’m really kicking myself for not dragging Wendy to see Ray.
Dawn of the Dead
A fun, light horror film. Better than I thought it would be, but nothing revolutionary. Movies like The Sixth Sense and Alien are so good that I recommend them to anyone, no matter if they are typically horror fans or not. That is not the case with this remake of Dawn of the Dead. It’s only for horror fans… and at that, it’s only for horror fans who are willing to lower their expectations a bit and just go with the flow for an hour and a half.
Dodgeball
Wendy and I went to see this hoping for a light, amusing comedy… and we got what we hoped for. I laughed out loud a few times, and that’s what I expect from a comedy. Rip Torne is the best thing in the film.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Wow! I’m not a fan of the first two Harry Potter movies, I consider them over-long and overwrought. This one, however, moved along at a fast pace and kept me interested and entertained. For the first time, I’m looking forward to the next Harry Potter movie!
Super Size Me
It was funny, it was smart, and it made me laugh and think.
The Village
Oh, good Lord, what a piece of crap. You owe us one, Shyamalan. You owe us one BIG TIME.
Garden State
See my previous review.
The Incredibles
The Toy Story movies will always be my favorites from Pixar, but this film didn’t disappoint. I was in the minority who didn’t think that Find Nemo was all that great. I enjoyed The Incredibles more. I know, I know, us comic book geeks are inclined to feel that way, so sue me.
Kinsey
Oh, what an upsetting, unpleasant film. Sure it was a darn good film, but like Trainspotting, Kinsey was a movie that aimed to unsettle it’s audience, and it worked well. For the record, no, I am not a sexual prude who thinks that any movie that addresses human sexuality is automatically guilty of indecency… but Kinsey did such a good job of convincing me that Alfred Kinsey and his researchers had their lives ruined by their research (and their experimental promiscuity), that I left the theater unhappy and bothered. Yes, it was a well made, well acted film. No, I never want to see it again.
(Just a note, this entry is also posted at my personal blog, The Southern Conservative.) ¶ 4:16 PM
