Geeks on Film: Dan’s Top 5 Films of 2009

The year has come to a close and I thought I would put together my top 10 list of films for the year like most sites; but quite honestly by the time I got to 6 I was like, “Yeah these are good but I wouldn’t necessarily buy them.” So I decided to focus simply on the films that that I am passionate about. The films that I plan to buy for my collection, which are going on my blu-ray shelf and nothing less.  Because quite honestly in this day of piracy and downloading it says a lot when you’re fully prepared to put down your hard-earned cash for any media. So this is my top five films of 2009!

5.Star Trek

How do you take one of the geekiest things there is, and make it a box office and cultural phenomenon? Why give it to JJ Abrams of course. He not only successfully re-launched the franchise but made it much cooler than it had ever been in a very long time. Star Trek was simply a great summer blockbuster in every sense of the word, and to be honest this maybe the best Trek film since Wrath of Kahn. I re-watched Star Trek this weekend and have to say it still holds up and is every bit of fun I remember from watching it in the theater. This film has not only the dream cast of any Trek fan but some of the greatest writers to boot and this is one case where I can’t wait for the sequel.

4.Watchmen

So, the great un-filmable comic was FINALLY filmed and it was actually pretty good. I mean of course you had the fanboys cry and complain about the lack of a giant squid at the end, but I think the ending it had made sense and while completely different; still hit home the same message. The film was surprisingly faithful to the comic and in one corner of my mind I think that is why the Watchmen didn’t live up to expectations of being another The Dark Knight. The Watchmen was always a complicated book and I think the movie did a great job recreating that, only I think maybe that is what scared some people away from the film.  I thoroughly enjoyed the Watchmen and think eventually this superhero masterpiece will get its due.

3.Zombieland

I still can’t really explain what this movie is about without getting really excited like a small child on a sugar rush, flailing my arms about. This film took a genre that was getting about as stale as the zombies this genre celebrates, and breathed some much needed new life into it. I love zombie movies, but even I know they are getting about as overdone as vampire films and Zombieland somehow not only broke the genre out of its stupor, but also left us wanting more. This is because Zombieland succeeds the way almost every good zombie film does, by focusing more on the people not the zombies. The characters are so well done in Zombieland that even though we don’t even know their real names, we still care about them and hope they make their way through Zombieland in one piece. The film seemed to me seemed more like a family roadtrip film, which just happened to take place post zombie apocalypse, which is why it works so well. That and Woody Harrelson killing zombies with a banjo.

2.Avatar

I still have to review this for the blog proper, but it’s been a very long time since I have stared at the screen in wonder as I took in all that was Pandora. Avatar for me, made me feel like when I saw Jurassic Park for the first time in a theater; it wasn’t just a movie it was a true experience. I know some people fault this film for the story, and how it wasn’t quite as edgy or earth shattering as they would have liked it to be; but when you spend 500+ million dollars on a film you really can’t push the envelope too far. This film, if it had failed could have done to Fox what the Golden Compass did to New Line. I think what James Cameron proved is how great of a storyteller he truly is; because of how well he could work within those confines and still deliver a compelling, thought provoking narrative. Not to mention cover almost every theater going demographic under the sun, making the story resonate with so many people turning what could have been a cult sci-fi film into something much more.

1.District 9

I knew District 9 was going to be good ever since I saw Halo:Landfall, I just didn’t think it was going to be as good as it actually was. This film surprised me to say the least, and what can I say other than I thought this was one of the greatest, edgiest sci-fi films in a very long time. It just seemed like a breath of fresh air in a very uneventful summer movie season where most films were remakes, or involved some already established licensed property. Watching District 9 reminded me of the days where you could make an R-rated sci-fi film and use that freedom to be thought provoking, and play with more extreme ideas like apartheid and not have to water them down to PG-13 territory. District 9 is unapologetic and in your face the entire film, and makes you really care for some of the most disgusting creatures that have graced the silver screen; and if that isn’t great writing I don’t know what is.  Most of all District 9 will have us watching Neill Blomkamp to see what he comes up with next.