Top 25 Films of the 2000s – #16

#16 – Ratatouille (2007)

If Monsters, Inc. represented Pixar’s transition from the more kiddie-oriented fare of the Toy Story era, Ratatouille marked the transition to full-blown storytelling mastery. Ever since it bowed in 2007, Pixar has been on a roll, following up with Wall-E in 2008, and Up in 2009. Sometimes, it’s hard to imagine this is the same group that brought us A Bug’s Life.

Beyond its masterful story, Ratatouille boasts some staggering animation. Paris comes absolutely alive, albeit in a dreamlike, almost idealized way. Gusteau’s kitchen is beyond intricate in its detail, from the dents in various pots and pans to the not-quite-straight tilework on the floors. And then there’s the food…

Peter O’Toole’s voice work as food critic Anton Ego also deserves mention. The man’s deep, sonorous voice could make the phone book sound riveting, and when he reads Ego’s review just after the big finale, it still gets me, even though I’ve seen this movie probably a hundred times now.

#17 – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

#18 – Transformers

#19 – Iron Man

#20 – Monsters, Inc.

#21 – Inglourious Basterds

#22 – Hot Fuzz

#23 – Watchmen

#24 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

#25 – District 9

OMG Vikings!

So the news is out. Mel Gibson’s next directing effort will be a movie about vikings, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Suffice to say, I have a few thoughts.

First, let’s get it out of the way. Mel Gibson is one messed up dude. An anti-semitic, ultra-orthodox Catholic torture fetishist. Oh, and given to some pretty hard drinking. Then again, the never-ending parade of scandals would seem to indicate that most of Hollywood is messed up. There’s just a dividing line between those whose cray-cray has been brought to light, and those who have as yet escaped detection.

Whatever his flaws, though, there’s no denying that Gibson is one gifted filmmaker. Braveheart stands as one of the all-time great historical epics. Apocalypto is a bracing and beautiful chase movie, utterly engrossing despite the completely alien language and culture. Then there’s The Passion of the Christ. A difficult movie to watch, but I tend to think that is exactly the point. Christ’s sacrifice was a lot more than a crown of thorns and some trickles of blood, and Passion was the first treatment I’ve ever seen that forced its audience to face the brutality and sheer, unendurable pain of Christ’s torture and execution.

Gibson’s historical work, his penchant for epic, violent action, and his ability to imbue that action with actual dramatic weight make him a promising candidate indeed to helm a viking movie. Add in the screenwriting talents of William Monahan (who also wrote Kingdom of Heaven and The Departed), and this could end up being something really special.

And then there’s Leonardo DiCaprio, who I for the life of me can’t really picture playing a viking. My initial thought was that maybe he’d end up on the Christian side of things, possibly playing someone like Alfred the Great, but the reports seem to indicate that he will, in fact, be playing a viking. Which…umm…okay. I still can’t see it, but I couldn’t see him as Howard Hughes, either, and let’s face it, he totally sold it in The Aviator.

More to come as the project gets off the ground, but for now, consider me highly interested in this one.

Top 25 Films of the 2000s – #17

#17 – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

In a way, the success of the Harry Potter films was a foregone conclusion, coming as they have off the most successful novels in history. At the same time, though, their success is nothing short of miraculous. Just think about it. Here’s  a series where the first movie is arguably the weakest. A series where the same cast has stuck around (with the exception of the late Richard Harris), film after film, with no prima donna issues or salary disputes. A series that is cast to frightening perfection, where each film seems more assured, and does better at the box office. After a decade where so many sequels and threequels and prequels have disappointed (Star Wars, The Matrix, Pirates of the Carribean, X-Men), the Harry Potter movies have actually gotten better.

So why have I chosen the third film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban? Well, aside from it being my favorite of the books – and movies – it also represents the turning point in the movies. After Chris Columbus established the world over the first two films, director Alfonso Cuaron took it and ran with it, bringing a whole new level of visual inventiveness and pacing. Just as Cuaron built on Columbus’ efforts, I think the subsequent movies owe a ton of their visual feel to Azkaban, and had Cuaron not pushed the envelope as far as he did, the series would have suffered for it.

#18 – Transformers

#19 – Iron Man

#20 – Monsters, Inc.

#21 – Inglourious Basterds

#22 – Hot Fuzz

#23 – Watchmen

#24 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

#25 – District 9

Top 25 Films of the 2000s – #18

#18 – Transformers (2007)

Yes, I know. If any one choice in my top 25 is assured to earn me scorn and mockery, this is it.

What can I say, I’m biased. Transformers were the definitive toys of my childhood. The cartoon was the first show I ever found on the TV by myself. I’m pretty sure the animated movie introduced me to the concept of death. So when I found out a live-action Transformers was happening, I was jazzed.

Is the movie perfect? No. Far from it. The script is actually pretty bad, the robot fight scenes too fast and too close-in to get a good sense of what’s going on, etc. But it nailed Optimus Prime, got me to buy into the idea of Bumblebee as a Camaro, and, to my eternal surprise, Jamie actually liked it.

It’s really too bad that the sequel was a mess. It’s like it fixed some of the flaws with the first one, but then went and dumped in a whole bunch of other crap. That, and it got way too serious about itself.

But the first one is still a blast, and I look forward to watching it with Nolan when he gets a bit older.

#19 – Iron Man

#20 – Monsters, Inc.

#21 – Inglourious Basterds

#22 – Hot Fuzz

#23 – Watchmen

#24 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

#25 – District 9

Top 25 Films of the 2000s – #19

#19 – Iron Man (2008)

Iron Man makes the list for several reasons.

First, nobody really saw it coming. Let’s face it, Iron Man has traditionally been a second-tier superhero, and most second-tier superhero movies, well, they suck (cough…Daredevil). And Jon Favreau? Before this movie, I think most people thought of him as the other guy in Swingers, not the director who would make one of the better action films of the decade.

Second, Robert Downey, Jr. The guy’s always been a brilliant actor, and he played Tony Stark perfectly. The other actors were all solid, but he carried the movie.

Third, it was fun. This has been a decade of the conflicted, brooding hero. Moments of levity, sure, but most of the big superhero flicks have shifted to a darker, grittier path. Iron Man, though, captured a sense of adventure that, in a way, reminded me of the Indiana Jones movies of the 80’s. And it’s a sense that lets Iron Man hold up really well over repeat viewings.

#20 – Monsters, Inc.

#21 – Inglourious Basterds

#22 – Hot Fuzz

#23 – Watchmen

#24 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

#25 – District 9

Top 25 Films of the 2000s – #20

#20 – Monsters, Inc. (2001)

In my opinion, Pixar is hands down the most consistent production house going today. The strength and quality of their storytelling is really something to marvel at, and the fact that I can still love a movie like Monsters, Inc. after having it in pretty much constant rotation for the last year (ah, the joys of having a toddler) is a testament to their abilities.

Looking back, Monsters, Inc. strikes me as something of a transitional film, somewhere between Toy Story 1 & 2 and the somewhat more…mature…stories found in The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and the like. Like the former, it remains solidly kid-friendly, keeps the catchy Randy Newman song, etc. But like the latter, it delves into some themes that probably fly right past the kiddos.

The animation is stunning, too, and the climactic chase through the door storage facility is one of the better, more inventive action scenes of the decade. But it’s really the whole package that brings me back, that lets me kick back and enjoy this movie, even if for the 178th time.

#21 – Inglourious Basterds

#22 – Hot Fuzz

#23 – Watchmen

#24 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

#25 – District 9

Top 25 Films of the 2000s – #21

#21 – Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Inglourious Basterds is a really tough film to pin down. I think the best description might be something like “World War II Fantasy”, but even that doesn’t seem to capture it. But, in a way, that’s what I love about it. It defies categorization. It draws from many genres, but belongs to none. If you think you know what to expect going in, chances are you’re wrong.

After catching Basterds toward the end of the summer, I posted a few thoughts about the movie, and the stuff going on under the surface that really drew me in. Briefly, the Ennio Morricone score that builds a subtle connection with the best of the spaghetti westerns, the role of cinema in battling the Nazis, the use of alternate history as a commentary on the glaring inaccuracies in so many historical epics, and the story’s embrace of the slow burn. If you want to read more, the post is HERE, but beware, it does contain spoilers, so don’t come crying to me if you haven’t seen it yet.

Over time, I think this is one of those movies that might well creep up my list. I mean, how many movies can build tension with two characters sitting around a table talking about milk? But I think it has to age a bit first, at least in my mind, before I can figure out where it really ranks, both in Tarantino’s filmography and among the other movies of the decade.

#22 – Hot Fuzz

#23 – Watchmen

#24 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

#25 – District 9

Top 25 Films of the 2000s – #22

#22 – Hot Fuzz (2007)

I have massive amounts of love for Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s particularly British brand of satire, and despite the greatness of Shaun of the Dead, I have to give Hot Fuzz the nod between the two.

As with all the best satires, Hot Fuzz is both a send up and a love letter to the genre it takes the piss out of – in this case, bombastic action flicks from Point Break to Bad Boys 2. If you haven’t seen it, I hate to ruin it, but suffice to say it is well-crafted, big-hearted, and wonderfully biting. Everything from the acting (including a wonderful turn by Timothy Dalton) to the Michael Bay-style editing to the over-the-top action works brilliantly, and holds up well over multiple viewings.

#23 – Watchmen

#24 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

#25 – District 9

Top 25 Films of the 2000s – #23

For the introduction and numbers 24 and 25, see HERE.

#23 – Watchmen (2009)

After years of stops and starts and on-again, off-again development, a film version of Watchmen finally made its way to theaters courtesy of Zack Snyder (who also directed 300). It more or less bombed, savaged on one side by legions of fans who were pissed that the ending was changed, and on the other by mainstream audiences who usually don’t go whole hog for “everyone is morally compromised” type movies. More than that, though, I think Watchmen was hampered by its own influence. The themes and even specific plot elements of the original comic have found their way into so many other properties over the years, that the story just doesn’t hold that groundbreaking edge anymore.

All that said, Watchmen was a beautifully filmed, (mostly) well-acted adaptation that delivered pretty much everything I wanted and then some. And as far as adaptations go, it’s probably one of the better ones I’ve encountered.

My 25 Top Films of the Last Decade…

With the 2000s drawing inexorably to their end, it seems everyone and their dog is compiling “of the decade” lists. Instead of events or scandals or tech innovations, I thought it’d be fun to go through my favorite 25 movies to come out over the last ten years.

This list was arrived at by ranking movies over at the highly addictive Flickchart.com. I can’t in good conscience call it an exhaustive list – there are just too many movies I haven’t seen – but each one that made the list had to fight off a whole host of worthy contenders.

I’ll be posting movies now through the end of the year, but, seeing as there are only 24 days left before we hit 2010, I’m going to start the list with a double-header.

#25 – District 9 (2009)

This time last year, few people knew who Neill Blomkamp was. Sure, the South African director had some pretty slick commercials under his belt (like THIS ONE), and he’d been tapped to direct the Peter Jackson-produced Halo movie before that whole thing fell apart, but District 9 landed him on the map. The gritty, heart-breaking sci-fi adventure would have been a credit to any director’s name, but as a freshman effort, it’s nothing short of stunning, especially considering the ridiculously shoestring budget.

Twenty-five years from now, I can’t help but wonder if we’ll look back on District 9 as we now look back on James Cameron’s Terminator.

#24 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Think back for a moment to the summer of 2003, when nobody expected Pirates of the Caribbean to be anything but crap. I mean, a movie based on a Disneyland ride, directed by the guy who directed Stuart Little? Johnny Depp as a pirate? Pirates in general?

Of course, we all know how that turned out. Pirates wasn’t just good, it was fun, and ended up one of the surprise hits of 2003. In my opinion, the two self-important sequels have diminished the whole thing somewhat, but the first film is still an absolute blast.