Didn't see as many movies this year as in other years. Part of this was due to our recent addition. Part of this was...well, I don't know. Not sure why I didn't see a lot of movies.

Pan's Labrynth

Easily, the best movie I saw in 2007. When it comes to movies, I'm not a big fan of using hyperbole. But this movie is...ugh, it's just a beautiful, beautiful movie. One of the best fairy tales I've ever seen. In a year where I didn't see a lot of movies, I managed to see this one twice. If you have the chance to see this, don't hesitate. Warning: It is NOT a kid's fairy tale. This one falls solidly in the R camp.

Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima

Unlike most critics from 2006 and 2007, I preferred "Flags of Our Fathers" to "Letters from Iwo Jima." The beauty of these movies is that it's hard to separate them. They're supposed to be watched together. It was a move of pure genius on Eastwood's part to show the true horrors of war through the eyes of young men on both sides of the fight for Iwo Jima.

Bourne Ultimatum

I thought this was a great action movie. It's not quite as smart and deep as some critics think it to be, but it'll keep you engaged for its entirety. Kudos to Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass for making a pretty outstanding trilogy of action/suspense movies. These movies were so good in fact that it forced the Bond franchise to reboot.

Hairspray

What a pleasant surprise this movie was. I went in with LOW expectations but left with HIGH praise. There wasn't a single film this entire year that made me smile the entire way through. The music was great. So good that I consider its soundtrack a high priority the next time I'm in the mood to buy some music.

SiCKO

This is the Michael Moore movie that plays the best across the political divides. And because of that, I think it's probably his best movie. It's his most touching, and in many ways most important, movie. I thought it was great. It wasn't quite as low key as most critics and people said it was, but it wasn't your typical MM movie.

Zodiac

Hard to describe this movie because it's been numerous months since I've seen it, but this was a procedural of high art. This is a "Law and Order" episode if LandO were filmed by a genius filmmaker. Great script, performances, and script. David Fincher is one of those directors that you have to pay attention to. He truly is the Stanley Kubrick of our time.

Knocked Up

Um. Biographical much? This was our movie of the summer. It was funny, yes, but beyond that, it was as touching as movies come. I'm a big believer in the Judd Apatow brand of movies.

I'm Not There

Wow. This is one of the best biopics that I've ever seen. Instead of going for a straight forward biopic ala "Walk the Line" and "Ray," Bob Dylan gets an impressionistic take on his life and music. In many ways it's a genius movie and does the source material proud. But like most of Dylan's music, I was ready for it to end. I felt it went on a bit long. But the music and acting were top notch. The direction was BRILLIANT.

Grindhouse

Damn this movie was fun. Robert Rodriguez's movie wasn't great, but Tarantino's movie was awesome. That car chase? Whew! That was some awesome filmmaking. I loved the cinematography in this movie.

The Departed

I wasn't a big fan of this movie when it came out. I thought it paled in comparison to Scorsese's other work. I thought it was a little off in tone. Upon a second and third viewing on HBO, I've changed my mind and view it as a sort of mini-masterpiece. It *isn't* one of Scorsese's best, but it's vastly superior to nearly everything else out there.

1408

Along with "Hairspray," this was the big surprise movie of 2007. I thought it was a great roller coaster thrill ride of a movie. Scary, fun, and funny. John Cusack was great and deserves kudos for basically caring the entire movie by himself. Great flick.

Transformers

Guilty pleasure. I LOVE this movie. It was about as good as I expected. Basically, if you like seeing robots kick the shit out of each other, you'll like this movie.

Children of Men

No movie made me think more than this movie. Brilliant from sociological, philosophical, and theoretical perspectives. I felt a little detached from the movie, but it was perfectly directed and shot. This movie proves why Sci-Fi is probably the greatest of genres.

Ratatouille

"Ratatouille" was an almost-great Pixar flick. I can't quite put my finger on what didn't work in this movie, but I wasn't quite as blown away by this movie as many people are. That being said, a sub-par Pixar movie is still better than most of what's out there.

Apocalypto

Uber violent. Uber gory. But overall, a pretty solid action flick.

The Simpsons Movie

Not quite as brilliant as early Simpsons episodes, but it was a pretty good time at the movies. It was pretty solid. Kind of like a late-90's episode of the series.

Superbad

Maybe it was my heightened expectations that weren't met, or maybe this wasn't as great as everyone says that it was. Who knows. I went in expecting greatness, but thought the finished product was somewhat mediocre.

TMNT

Pretty solid animated movie. Not as great as it could have been, but it was a pretty solid movie. I think a sequel has great potential.

Dreamgirls

Wasn't a huge fan of this movie when I first saw it, but it's really grown on me since then. The music's great. I thought Eddie Murphy was just "okay" in the movie. Jennifer Hudson has a wonderful voice, but I'm not sure she was deserving of her Academy Award. But overall, a pretty solid musical.

Black Snake Moan

I thought this was a pretty cool movie. Good music and an interesting concept. Sam Jackson was pretty great.

Babel

Pretty good movie, but somewhat forgettable. I had forgotten that I had seen this movie.

Spiderman 3

Rather forgettable, actually. Story wasn't engaging. Some parts of it were both intentionally and unintentionally silly. Overall, very disappointing considering the first two are classics.


Little Miss Sunshine

Thought this movie was way overrated. Wasn't nearly as clever as it thought it was. Acting was mediocre. Blah. Didn't enjoy it all that much.

We Are Marshall

Wasn't a great movie, but kind of a nice little throwaway evening. It'll probably entertain you, but it didn't stick with me at all.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Better than the subpar second movie, but still a jumbled mess. I did like the boat in the desert and the final whirlpool fight scene, but not much else.

Live Free or Die Hard

I like the first three Die Hard movies. The first one's an action masterpiece. The second one is gory and fun. I liked the cat and mouse aspect of the third movie. This one sucked. It was PG-13. That's all you really need to know.

Vacancy

Crap movie about people being terrorized in a hotel. In different hands, this could have been an amazing movie. This movie had hack written all over it.