Top 10 Films of 2008

[dalmatianjaws]

Ok, all the votes have been counted, here is the final top 10...

10. Zack And Miri Make A Porno
9. Pineapple Express
8. Quantum of Solace
7. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
6. Wanted
5. The Strangers
4. Iron Man
3. Cloverfield
2. Wall-E
1. The Dark Knight

Iron Man
Witty, clever, and all-out fun, Iron Man entertains without losing its brain, just like rip-roaring adventures of the Spielberg era.

Cloverfield
This is the first truly "artful" film about 9/11, and the first film to take the fake documentary style (made so infamous with The Blair Witch Project) to new blockbuster heights. But the real genius is the creature design and faithful devotion to the "found tapes" gimmick without sacrificing the story.

Wall*E
The attention to detail in the photo realistic animation is rivaled only by the perfect screenplay. The layers of humor, adventure, and dystopian epic are woven together with a nostalgic nod to the unabashed sentimentality of cinema classics. And they also made a garbage disposal that you want to cuddle with ... there has to be a special award for that.

The Dark Knight
This is an astounding film, ground-breaking comic book adaptation, and the best sequel since The Godfather II. The Dark Knight breaks all the weak rules of sequel cliches while obeying the rules of great cinema. The screenplay enters the pantheon of movie scripts by weaving multiple characters and action plots into a single, cohesive theme and vision. Oh, and Heath Ledger turns in the performance of a decade, if not a century. Don't forget about that.

[Tyler Lovemark]

10. Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Haven't seen it, but Elizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen can only make porn even better.

9. Pineapple Express
Even though the previews made this out to be kind of a one trick pony.  But it was nice to see a consistent action comedy.  The soundtrack was a great compliment to an already thoroughly fun ride.  A great movie to watch with a bunch of friends.

8. Quantum of Solace
Easily one of the manliest movies ever.  Bond carves his way through everyone, except Judi Dench, and breaks arms with his hardened jaw-line.  Not as great as Casino Royale, but still a fun action fest.

7. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
If you're ever in the mood for dick, turn to this movie.  I typically hate romantic comedies, but when they're wrapped in bro-ness, they can be a knock out.  Anyone who enjoyed 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up will surely find something they like here, whether it's glorious penis shots or women faking it.

6. Wanted
Bullets flying everywhere, an unfettered Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman curses, and many civilians' lives are tossed aside like nothing.  The movie is so ridiculous, but it works wonderfully.  That Russian director (hell if I can remember his name) definitely outdid himself here.

5. The Strangers
A great horror movie very reminiscent of older films from the seventies and eighties.  While it doesn't really go anywhere, it's at least great to watch the whole cat and mouse thing.  The ending does leave a bit to be desired.

4. Iron Man
Robert Downy Jr. in an iron suit being himself.  Oh yeah, and The Dude.  Iron Man is kind of like the anti-Dark Knight, in the sense that it never takes itself too seriously, thankfully.  It's a shame Terrence Howard won't be in the sequel, as he was a great addition to the movie.

3. Cloverfield
If you can, catch this one on a big screen with a great sound setup.  It's essentially a roller coaster of a movie.  The spectacle is great, but unfortunately it doesn't translate so well to average home systems.  Nevertheless, the movie was a fun ride.

2. Wall-E
Cuteness is definitely the Oscar bait of the animated world.  For a good thirty minutes, there is no dialogue in the movie, essentially making this the "ultimate" animated film, in that it relies almost completely on the body language of the two main characters.  Pixar really outdid themselves here.  Fat people also roll around, which is always entertaining.

1. The Dark Knight
It's freakin' Batman.  I for one like Bale's gravel voice, all I have to do is close my eyes and imagine Clint Eastwood is Batman, which is nothing short of a winning combination.  Heath Ledger unfortunately ruined Halloween this year by being totally badass and stealing the show from everyone else.  The cast definitely helped to sell it as well, finally a comic book movie with a deep pool of talent.  When Christian Bale gets overshadowed, you know you've got a solid cast.  I'm a huge Batman nut, so I'm a bit biased here.

[Sheridan Passell]

Dammit, I've already put the article together. I thought no one else was going to leave comments, so I went through old posts to see what each of you had said about the movies at the time.

[Tyler Lovemark]

That's a shame.  I spent the last few days trying to get out of Portland, the city was pretty much shut down from the weather.  I kind of shoved this to the back of my mind.  So when boredom set in today, there was only one thing left to do.

[Sheridan Passell]

It got a bit complicated and so much was left by the wayside, for which I apologise, but here are the final results:

http://www.movie-moron.com/?p=2548

[dalmatianjaws]

Same here. Holidays hit and I totally forgot!  Oh well.

Tyler, how's Portland now? got a friend flying into there today.

[T.ROSS]

I cant wait to do this next year fo the 2009 round up!