Top 15 Movies of 2005
My wife and I stayed up to watch Ebert and Ropers top 10 movies of 2005. Their list inspired me to make my own. Mostly because I hadn't seen or heard of a bunch of their movies, and couldn't limit it to 10. So here we go...
15. The Longest Yard - Yeah, it's a remake but it's still funny. It's got some of your typical Adam Sandler humor in it, but not anything like Happy Gilmore does. If you're going to remake the original, this would have been the best way to do it.
14. Assault on Precint 13 - This also falls in to the remake category but is a good action flick with Laurence Fishburn and Ethan Hawke. I never saw the original so I can't compare but this movie is good...really good.
13. Elektra - Jennifer Garner's first and probably only one of these movies. I heard some people complain that it wasn't as in line with Daredevil as they'd hoped but this is it's own movie. Certainly worth owning and watching, and not because Jennifer Garner is in red leather. She's only in the famed Elektra outfit for a few minutes, but clearly Jennifer Garner makes a good comic book assassin.
12. Serenity - Based on a TV series that I never saw this was a good movie. I like science fiction and space travel, and I really did enjoy this movie. My only regret is that I didn't see it in the theaters.
11. The Ringer - This is a late comer and probably shouldn't be this high but it was really funny. I'll review it later this week, but I laughed so hard at this movie. It almost feels wrong to laugh, but you just can't help it.
10. War of the Worlds - The movie was good, and probably right on with what I thought the book would look like in my mind. I could have done without Tom Cruise, and Dakota Fanning - while she nailed her role - was insanely annoying. The ending was dumb, but I did my senior mass media research in college on War of the Worlds so I was excited to see this one.
9. The Dukes of Hazzard - So it's not the TV show. Not even close. It does have the car and the theme song, and Jessica Simpson. My wife accused me of watching this one just because she's in it. She really only visits the movie, but we did buy the DVD because her music video is on it. I liked the movie, but don't expect to have those warm fuzzy feelings you had when you learned a moral lesson from the tv show, expect to laugh like you do when you watch American Pie or The Ringer.
8. Hitch - I bet a lot of countdowns forgot this one because it came out early 2005. I really liked it. It's a pretty decent date movie, and I'm sure most guys can relate to Will Smith's character at some point.
7. Sin City - Okay so my wife hated this one but I'm really waiting to see the Director's Cut when it comes out. This movie isn't for the squeemish and if you didn't like Pulp Fiction you won't like this one at all. Yes, it made my top 10 but I did like it. To name a movie Sin City, you can expect exactly that as this movie does not disappoint.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - The best and most recent installment in the Harry Potter series. This lady seriously needs to cut out some of the information she's putting in to these books as I'm tired of hearing people complain that the movies are only outlines. This movie was almost three hours long and it did seem like they rushed to put everything in then rolled the credits, but it was good. If you liked the first Harry Potter movies, this one is just as good if not better.
5. Fantastic Four - It's obvious that I'm a fan of comic book movies so this one is no different. It might have been better if it didn't come out within a few weeks of Batman Begins, but a good comic book movie none the less. They did leave the door wide open for a sequel, but I wouldn't look for one.
4. Wedding Crashers - Yeah. I laughed so hard at this movie I almost busted a blood vessel in my head. This was by far the comedy of the year and it comes out on DVD tomorrow so I'm all over it. If only Circuit City were open at 6:00 am when I leave for work. I doubt they'll have the unrated edition at WalMart. If you haven't seen this, and can stand to laugh that hard you really need to see it.
3. The Chronicles of Narnia - Probably the only late comer on the list but it was great. I read the books in middle school and high school and this movie seemed like the perfect way to start the book franchise on the big screen. My wife left the theater ready to see the remaining six books. Just think, in 12 more years we probably will.
2. Star Wars Episode III - Finally, the Saga is complete. Now I can make my wife watch all six movies in order. If you haven't seen this one, this is probably the best one of the six. I imagine if you see them all in order Episode VI would be the best, but since the rest of the world has waited 30 years to see the beginning, this ties them all together in the perfect way.
1. Batman Begins - By far the best movie of the summer. A fantastic way to revive the Batman Franchise with Christian Bale as the Dark Knight. This is probably the one my wife and I agree on for the year.
I've got a worst list of 2005 as well but I haven't published it. It's sitting in reserve. If anyone wants to read it, I'll be happy to post it later this week. Honorable mentions for 2005 go to The Island, The Interpreter, Hostage, The Brothers Grimm, Kingdom of Heaven, and Jarhead. Movies I haven't seen from 2005 but really want to are Walk the Line, Domino, Into the Blue, and The Legend of Zorro. If you read my previous post, it looks like 2006 will be a good year for movies as well.
15. The Longest Yard - Yeah, it's a remake but it's still funny. It's got some of your typical Adam Sandler humor in it, but not anything like Happy Gilmore does. If you're going to remake the original, this would have been the best way to do it.
14. Assault on Precint 13 - This also falls in to the remake category but is a good action flick with Laurence Fishburn and Ethan Hawke. I never saw the original so I can't compare but this movie is good...really good.
13. Elektra - Jennifer Garner's first and probably only one of these movies. I heard some people complain that it wasn't as in line with Daredevil as they'd hoped but this is it's own movie. Certainly worth owning and watching, and not because Jennifer Garner is in red leather. She's only in the famed Elektra outfit for a few minutes, but clearly Jennifer Garner makes a good comic book assassin.
12. Serenity - Based on a TV series that I never saw this was a good movie. I like science fiction and space travel, and I really did enjoy this movie. My only regret is that I didn't see it in the theaters.
11. The Ringer - This is a late comer and probably shouldn't be this high but it was really funny. I'll review it later this week, but I laughed so hard at this movie. It almost feels wrong to laugh, but you just can't help it.
10. War of the Worlds - The movie was good, and probably right on with what I thought the book would look like in my mind. I could have done without Tom Cruise, and Dakota Fanning - while she nailed her role - was insanely annoying. The ending was dumb, but I did my senior mass media research in college on War of the Worlds so I was excited to see this one.
9. The Dukes of Hazzard - So it's not the TV show. Not even close. It does have the car and the theme song, and Jessica Simpson. My wife accused me of watching this one just because she's in it. She really only visits the movie, but we did buy the DVD because her music video is on it. I liked the movie, but don't expect to have those warm fuzzy feelings you had when you learned a moral lesson from the tv show, expect to laugh like you do when you watch American Pie or The Ringer.
8. Hitch - I bet a lot of countdowns forgot this one because it came out early 2005. I really liked it. It's a pretty decent date movie, and I'm sure most guys can relate to Will Smith's character at some point.
7. Sin City - Okay so my wife hated this one but I'm really waiting to see the Director's Cut when it comes out. This movie isn't for the squeemish and if you didn't like Pulp Fiction you won't like this one at all. Yes, it made my top 10 but I did like it. To name a movie Sin City, you can expect exactly that as this movie does not disappoint.
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - The best and most recent installment in the Harry Potter series. This lady seriously needs to cut out some of the information she's putting in to these books as I'm tired of hearing people complain that the movies are only outlines. This movie was almost three hours long and it did seem like they rushed to put everything in then rolled the credits, but it was good. If you liked the first Harry Potter movies, this one is just as good if not better.
5. Fantastic Four - It's obvious that I'm a fan of comic book movies so this one is no different. It might have been better if it didn't come out within a few weeks of Batman Begins, but a good comic book movie none the less. They did leave the door wide open for a sequel, but I wouldn't look for one.
4. Wedding Crashers - Yeah. I laughed so hard at this movie I almost busted a blood vessel in my head. This was by far the comedy of the year and it comes out on DVD tomorrow so I'm all over it. If only Circuit City were open at 6:00 am when I leave for work. I doubt they'll have the unrated edition at WalMart. If you haven't seen this, and can stand to laugh that hard you really need to see it.
3. The Chronicles of Narnia - Probably the only late comer on the list but it was great. I read the books in middle school and high school and this movie seemed like the perfect way to start the book franchise on the big screen. My wife left the theater ready to see the remaining six books. Just think, in 12 more years we probably will.
2. Star Wars Episode III - Finally, the Saga is complete. Now I can make my wife watch all six movies in order. If you haven't seen this one, this is probably the best one of the six. I imagine if you see them all in order Episode VI would be the best, but since the rest of the world has waited 30 years to see the beginning, this ties them all together in the perfect way.
1. Batman Begins - By far the best movie of the summer. A fantastic way to revive the Batman Franchise with Christian Bale as the Dark Knight. This is probably the one my wife and I agree on for the year.
I've got a worst list of 2005 as well but I haven't published it. It's sitting in reserve. If anyone wants to read it, I'll be happy to post it later this week. Honorable mentions for 2005 go to The Island, The Interpreter, Hostage, The Brothers Grimm, Kingdom of Heaven, and Jarhead. Movies I haven't seen from 2005 but really want to are Walk the Line, Domino, Into the Blue, and The Legend of Zorro. If you read my previous post, it looks like 2006 will be a good year for movies as well.
16 Comments:
Batman, Star Wars, Serenity, Everything is Illuminated, Munich, Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, Wedding Crashers, Walk the Line, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Sin City, Brokeback Mountain, Chronicles of Narnia,Hotel Rawanda and Red Eye, Runner up for The Interpreter.
I think Serenity would have been much higher on your list if you had watched it after the Firefly series.
Hooters - Your list of null and void because you have Brokeback Mountain on it. That, and any independant film with Elijah Wood makes it null and void. I do want to see Walk the Line. I'm sure if I had it would have made the top 10.
Mike
It has only made about 13 million (and 90% of that is money forfeit by the gays to support the movie). If this movie was as good as all the critics say, shouldn't it have at least made 130 million by now? People avoiding a movie like a plague is usually a sign that the movie sucks.
Mike, Elektra wasn't that bad. If you think you're bad enough just bring it on. Wasn't it your idea to go see Pluto Nash? Yeah...I think we're even on that one now.
That said, I'm genuinely sorry. Sorry like Eddie Murphy should be...he should owe me for his life after that.
I know everyones ridiculously hard on brokeback mountain, but to be honest...its about gay cowboys. It was OBVIOUSLY written with the intention of elliciting the reactions it is. "Gay cowboys? That's ridiculous." "BUT WAIT. It's a LOVE story!!! it's really REALLY good" It can be full of great acting all day long, but who cares if its based on such a ridiculous theme? As a native Texan, you may not claim to be a cowboy if you were born anywhere* else. Do so, and I've got a size 15 Tony Lama diamondback, ready for penetration.
So I'm sure i'll see it eventually and think its good. Dumb storyline and all. However, the first time I hear a line like, "Well, I reckon we got a hard days work ahead of us takin' care of all these steers," I'm going to ridicule it mercilously.
Stop claiming Elektra wasn't that bad. It was. It was awful in every possible way it could have sucked. Well...actually, it could have been worse if Jennifer Garner had been replaced, but then it woulda been straight to video (if we were lucky).
* New Mexico, "real" Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada excluded from said booting. They are considered merely aspiring-to-be-Texans, and will one day join the Union.
The reason everyone loves it is because of the raw emotion between the characters. It's so much more than a gay cowboy movie. Yes they are gay, but Heath spends the whole movie fighting himself and hating himself for what he's doing. He destroys his family, breaks hearts, and hates himself all the while. While Jake Gyllenhall spends the whole movie creating the gay stereotype of whoring around and even goes to Mexico for love.
Ultimately it's about a man who loses the one true love he's ever had because he was afraid to be himself. THAT's why everyone loves it. The fact that it's two men is what makes it controversial.
And yes. It's in like 13 cities. Nashville almost didn't get it. And in a way I wish they had. Im tired of beating on the homophobes in this town.
And say what you will about EW Raul, I know you loved Lord of the Rings. I think you're just a closet Elijah fan ;-)
The word is zkhoey. I better not miss this one...
It's find that Bendover Mountain is a love story that just happens to be about gay people. Personally, I don't care much for tear jerking love stories either. Wouldn't matter if it were two guys, two girls, or a guy and two girls (though that third option might classify it as a different kind of independant film), I still wouldn't want to see it.
I know you'd never see it. And Im sorry. I just get hacked off at the intolerance. Im intolerant of their intolerance. Guess that makes me just as bad.
Oh well. Casanova tomorrow. There's a cute movie.