The 2009 top three films of the year!!

I'm a little late with this, but that's partly because I hadn't made my own mind up yet as to which three films would make my list, let alone an order of ranking.
Initially I thought 2009 would be a weak year. While it got off to a slow start (I didn't care much for Slumdog Millionaire, good film but not great), the later half of the year has been very strong.

As always, the rules are simple. What are your top three films of 2009, in order of preference. The only restriction is that the film must have had a theatrical release in the UK in 2009. You don't necessarily had to have seen it at the cinema mind. If it's a film that was released in 2009 but you only got to watch it on DVD later, that's fine.
And for a bit of fun, what was your worse film of the year.

Here are my thoughts:

1) Where the Wild Things Are - The key with this film is that it got completely under my skin for a good week afterwards. It's all I could think about. It's a beautiful film in so many ways. The first ten or so minutes are just wonderful. A triumph on many levels, but even I'm not sure if it should be my number 1 film of the year.

2) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - David Yates does it again. I think he's really got the best out of the books and the more I watch this film, the more I love it. I don't think it's my favourite Potter film (that goes to his pervious one, Order of the Phoenix), but certainly worthy of my top three. A proper film.

3) Star Trek - Once again it was the start of the film that I found the most impressive. The only real complaint I have is that the last third is a bit too weak, but that's only because the first two thirds are very strong. An excellent job all round, real heart and soul.

Other films that are well worth mentioning are the following:

Fantastic Mr.Fox, Up, District-9, Let the Right One In, New Moon (maybe a guilty pleasure), Gran Torino, Sherlock Holmes (yes, a Guy Ritchie film) & Inglourious Basterds.

Worse film of 2009: I had hoped to say Transformers 2, but there was one even worse then that, Gamer. So bad it's not even good.

What does 2010 have in-store for us?? The Road is out in January which I'm looking forward to, and we have the new Christopher Nolan film, Inception. Peter Jackson makes a welcome return with The Lovely Bones, but the one I'm gunning for would have to be Paul Greengrass' Green Zone. And of cause the third film in the Twilight Saga, Eclipse which has a very good director, so I'm interested in seeing what he does with it.

Should be a good year

 

1) Avatar: It's been too long since I have seen a proper epic in the cinema. This scratches that itch quite nicely. It's not everything it was hyped to be and the special effects are more dated than people let on but I still came out thoroughly satisfied.

2) Coraline: IMO it was an underrated movie despite the constant three and four star reviews. Despite the quick ending everything here is on par if not better than Nightmare before Christmas and is a classic in my books.

3) 9: Not a fantastic film but I was flawed by the scale of the imagination on display.

There are some films that I feel were overrated but still enjoyed and there are a few others that I have to wait to see like Fantastic Mr Fox because other people want to see them with me.

 

Not much of a poster
so forgive me if its short :

1) Star trek: Brillant start to the frenchise nice to see it back to life
2) Watchmen: THis is what X men and GLA should have been
3) Let the right one in: Ok not the best vampire film but the end scene was the best

 

1) Star Trek - An excellent reboot of the franchise. George Lucas should take notes on how a Prequel (of sorts) should be done.

2) UP - One of Pixar's finest productions. Moving, funny and beautifully animated. Toy Story 3 will be going some to match up to this.

3) District 9 - A great low budget sci-fi B movie.

Special mention to - Zombieland, Night at the Museum 2, Watchmen, Avatar

 

1. Sherlock Holmes
Perhaps the fact that it's fresh in the memory (saw it for the second time today) works in its favour, but I don't remember enjoying a film so much in quite some time. I really am baffled at the mixed critical consensus. I loved almost everything about it, from the direction to the acting to the score to the cinematography.

2. Slumdog Millionaire
It resonated powerfully with me, and I can't quite explain why. Whether it deserved the acclaim and the Oscars, I don't know. But I remember I went for a second viewing, which I only ever do when I find a film to be exceptionally enjoyable. I watched it as a fairytale, and found it uplifting on that level.

3. Inglorious Basterds
I think it had the strongest opening scene of any 2009 film. This might have been at #1 for me, were it not for what is (IMO) a plodding middle section with Shoshanna and the bar scene that drags on a little too long. But at its best, the dialogue sparkled with characteristic Tarantino flair.

Biggest disappointment: Avatar. Breathtaking visuals, pbviously, you can't avoid mentioning them. I felt incredibly involved in the world. It's a shame the storyline was so bare, and that the Na'vi were so derivative.

 

1)Star Trek

2)Where the wild things are

3) Inglourious Basterds

(AVATAR wouldn't be in my top 10/possibly 20 - awfully dull and unengaging)

 

1) Inglourious Basterds

2) Star Trek

3) Zombieland

 

1.) Star Trek.

2.) Inglorius Basterds.

3.) Zombieland - okay, sure. It's a poor-mans "Shaun of the Dead", but it was damn funny.

 

1. Star Trek: By a mile the best film of the year for me.
2. Up: So much love for this film!
3. Sherlock Holmes: Fantastic fun.

Honourable mentions:
Taken: Absolutely fantastic.
Terminator Salvation: Very entertaining.

I've not seen many films this year. Still need to see District 9, Moon, Avatar, 2012 and Nine.