Friend and reader Josh McCormack closes out this round of The Reader Top Ten with his list.
Josh writes:
"10. Pacific
Rim: Guillermo Del Toro's recent giant robot vs giant monster flick may
not be terribly original, but it's the most fun I've had seeing a movie this
year. Also, the choreography for the fight scenes are fantastic and I can see
what's going on. That was a breath of fresh air, after I saw the
seizure-inducing final battle at the end of "Man of Steel".
9.Star Trek (2009): I love
this film, lens flares and all. Though a true Trekkie could point out a few
missteps, I find it a welcome return to the original Starship Enterprise
crew...even if they are played by new actors. Spock's story arc is what REALLY
intrigues me about this flick. More than any of the previous movies, it really
asks the question: Is Spock meant to live among the humans or the Vulcans? The
sequel is a lot of fun as well, but lacks the, somewhat, genius storytelling of
this one. Now don't mess up "Star Wars" for me, Abrams.
8.Cloverfield: In the midst
of more and more, lackluster, found footage films, there lies this 2008 Matt
Reeves/ J.J Abrams gem. Like all found footage movies, you have to suspend
disbelief, just a little bit, so that you can genuinely believe a person could
still hold the camera during all the mayhem surrounding him. Once you've got
that out of the way, you can sit back and enjoy the movie. The reason I love
this film is because it starts out like a coming of age, indie film (a good
one, too), therefore you get to relate and care for the characters. So by the
time that all Hell breaks loose, it's THAT much more intense. Also, the two
main characters' "testimonial" to the camera, in the film's final
moments, are tragic and extremely chilling.
7.Dredd: After the 1995
release of "Judge Dredd" destroyed non-comic book readers' view of
the character, Lionsgate said it was about time for a reboot. This time, Dredd
remains true to his comic book counter part. He never takes his helmet off,
he's a man of few words, and he has that terrifying scowl. This movie reminds
of the low budget action movies of the 70's and early 80's. As a matter of
fact, it looks like the kind of movie John Carpenter should be making at this
point in his career. Karl Urban also owns it as Dredd. He knows how to balance
the character's dark persona with a nice dose of dead pan humor.
Ultra-stylized, ultra-violent, ultra-fun!
6. Looper/
The Hunger Games: I know I'm cheating, but I honestly can't decide,
they're both fantastic films, each with an interesting view on a dystopian
future.
5. The
Avengers: Man, 2012 was a good year for sci-fi. But I think within all
of these films, I have to go with the best super hero film of the twenty first
century. This movie is like a concert. Seeing all these epic heroes get
together to mow down some alien scum makes the audience cheer...me included.
4. Battle
Royale: The movie that people wrongly accuse "The Hunger Games" of
ripping off. It's also the movie that was banned in several countries for its
use of violence towards young teens. Now, I've never been a fan of violence
towards children in films, many directors use it as a cheap trick to get a
reaction. But director Kinji Fukasaku uses the violence in a very meaningful
way. It starts out as being tragic, but by the end we have grown used to it,
much like the characters in the movie. It's very eerie if you think about it.
3. The
World's End: I know it only came out a little over a week ago, but I
REALLY love this film. I second this only to "Shaun of the Dead" in
Edgar Wright's "Cornetto" trilogy. It is insanely funny, but much
like Wright's previous films, it treats the threat (this time, alien robots)
with utter seriousness. It also had a real heart to it. Its final act may have
leak a few tears as well.
2.District 9: A sci fi
movie with a true message. Director Neill Blomkamp takes the idea of racism and
separation, then displays them in such a wild form. It also has a nice dose of
dark humor, much like "Robocop" or "Total Recall" before
it. Another thing worth mentioning is that the CG effects are top-notch, and
look better than any big budget Hollywood film. Blomkamp once again showed his
fantastic use of visual effects in the very entertaining, yet inferior, "Elysium".
1. Wall-E:
If I were to list the ten best of the decade for any genre, a Pixar film would
almost always be on top. They completely deserve it, though. Within all of the
Pixar films, Wall-E has to be one of the best. Its vision of an over
polluted Earth is so well realized, that you can't help but think that's where
the human race is headed. But the thing that makes this film so special is the
love story between the two very different robots: Wall-E and Eve. Their
relationship consists of only a few words, yet every time they interact, it's
like poetry. Wall-E made any other romance look robotic (forgive the pun) in
comparison. Fun, honest, and heartfelt. That's what makes Wall-E so special."
Hi Josh: Great list. Glad to see Wall-E placed so highly, as well as District 9. I have not seen The World's End yet, but am looking forward to it.
Results to post at 4:00 pm TODAY! Don't miss the results!
Holy shit! I completely forgot about Battle Royale!
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