My TOP 37 MOVIES of 2009

Better late than never.

Here's counting down to 37 of the most yakked-about movies of 2009. Thankfully, there were many films that were memorable (although some were remembered for all the wrong reasons).

Fortunately, I didn't torture myself by sitting through New Moon - if not, it'd be #38, I'm sure. But some hypes should be believed, as in the form of James Cameron's crazily-advertised Avatar. Where will it rank?

Before we begin, a sneak-peek at past years' TOP THREE:

>> Click for 2008's TOP 61 Movies
#3 Wall-E
#2 The Mist
#1 The Dark Knight

>> Click for 2007's TOP 40 Movies
#3 Hot Fuzz
#2 Hairspray
#1 The Pursuit of Happyness


Let the countdown begin!!
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#37 Final Destination 4 (2.0/5)
"It's raining! I forgot to bring in my laundry! NOO!!"

No suspense, no thrills, no acting skills. I hope this means R.I.P for this franchise, and they keep to their promise that this is THE Final Destination.




#36 Land of the Lost (2.0/5)
"What are we doing in this movie?!"

With this lame movie, Will Farrell is officially the highest-paid actor in Hollywood whose movie generated the lowest returns. Crude and largely unfunny, its biggest fault is that it is packaged as a family-friendly film, where it is nothing but.




#35 Inkheart (2.0/5)
"Watch-out. The audience is coming after us for their money back."

A misguided adaptation of a fantasy novel, its notable cast which includes Brendan Fraser and Academy Award winner Helen Mirren seems utterly lost amidst the uninspiring screenplay.







#34 风云 2 - The Storm Warriors (2.5/5)
"There goes my conscience."

A bloated effects extravaganza that shortchanged on coherent characterization and storyline. Poor fans of the original Storm Riders - who are in their thirties and forties - must've been baffled by the one-dimensional acting and ridiculous dialogues.




#33 Bride Wars (2.5/5)
"You took my Vera Wang, didn't you?"

The star power of the two leads (Kate Hudson and Anne Hatthaway) could not mask the cheesiness of childish bickering when two best friends realise that they have chosen to wed on the same day.




#32 Terminator Salvation (2.5/5)
"Why didn't you come with spare batteries!?"

A needless addition in the already-classic series - Christian Bale seemed to have sleepwalked through his role. Probably he knew he had the other franchise to fall back on.




#31 Watchmen (2.5/5)
"Lady Gaga didn't want this suit so I took it."

There really isn't any point in remaking one of the best graphic novels of all time. Seeing the flawed superheroes fleshed out on screen in another medium is unnecessary - there is a reason why fans were crazy-in-love with the comic illustrations in the first place.




#30 He's Just Not That Into You (2.5/5)
"I just realised I'm looking at two Jennifers."

A-list comedic-actresses Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore couldn't save this cliche-filled rom-com that is adapted from a chick-lit best-seller. The funniest parts are in the trailer.







#29 X-Men Origins: Wolverine (3.0/5)
"Grr...This shirt is too tight."

Arguably the most popular character to come out of the X-Men movie series, this spin-off suffers from uninteresting visual effects to make this an average actioner. We probably had enough of seeing Wolverine tormented and angsty.




#28 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (3.0/5)
"I wasn't the one that broke the nose."

Stunning robot transformations and big-scale explosions - behold the biggest fan-boy movie ever made. Widely-panned by critics but still breaking box-offices worldwide, credit must be given to this movie for looking like the perfect summer blockbuster. Just work on a better script next time.




#27 Angels & Demons (3.0/5)
"Run! It's a Miley Cyrus concert!"

The Da Vinci Code had the better plot but Angels & Demons had better pacing and more money for effects. A mildly-thrilling ride through faith and science.




#26 窃听风云 - Overheard (3.0/5)
"I know it's ugly but I endorse the watch, so I'm wearing it."

A standard by-the-numbers action-thriller about lies and greed. But the film is marred by a rather depressing ending.




#25 The Reader (3.0/5)
"First, check the water temperature before putting in the bath salts..."

This movie helped Kate Winslet nab her long-overdue Academy Award for Best Actress - and it was a well-deserved win. Together with an affecting Ralph Fiennes, the leads breath life into an otherwise plodding screenplay of bleakness, regrets and tragedy.







#24 Duplicity (3.5/5)
"Don't judge me. I deserved that Oscar for Erin Brockovich."
A nearly-forgotten vehicle by Julia Roberts, this smart conman-flick is exciting and delightful enough to sit through. Just don't get lost among the heady plot-twists.




#23 My Sister's Keeper (3.5/5)
"Happy in the arms of Cameron Diaz."

Based on the tear-jerker and controversial bestseller, the film adaptation obviously retains the emotional core of the book. The cast - including Oscar-nominated Abigail Breslin - ups their game to deliver a touching take on a cancer patient's final journey.




#22 Revolutionary Road (3.5/5)
"Thank goodness there're no sinking ships this time."

The Titanic stars reunite to play a 1950's American sub-urban couple who crumbles internally when they conflict over personal dreams. A performance masterpiece by the leads but for those who dislike depressing dramas, give this one a miss.




#21 Fame (2009) (3.5/5)
"We're sexier than High School Musical, that's for sure."

An uninspiring screenplay is saved by boisterous, passionate vocal and dance performances by the talented young cast. Watch it for the songs and be entertained.




#20 The Hangover (3.5/5)
"The sun hurts his eyes."

A road trip with a purpose - this hilarious film about a fraternity of misfits trying to locate their missing friend who is also a groom-to-be succeeds in bringing out the funny from outrageous situations.




#19 17 Again (3.5/5)
"I'm sitting with Zac Efron; watcha lookin' at?"

A surprisingly heartfelt and often-funny movie about life's regrets lost-then-found, given a teenage twist. Adults will also find something interesting in here. It is also known as the movie where Zac Efron attempts to canoodle with a 40-year-old 'cougar'.




#18 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (3.5/5)
"Do you have to wear that hat to the table?"

With a good balance of thrills, humour and effects, this 6th offering of the phenomenal series serves as a good bridge to the final concluding book Deathly Hallows, which will be split into two movies.




#17 赤壁 2 - Red Cliff 2 (3.5/5)
"Doing my trademark brood."

The badly-written subplots involving Vicky Zhao and Lin Chi-Ling distract the otherwise smart and exciting war tactics to bring down the ego-driven Cao Cao.




#16 Paranormal Activity (3.5/5)
"I'm so going to move house."

Easily the creepiest flick of 2009, this sleeper-hit movie filmed on hand-held camera is the Blair Witch Project of this generation. Several scenes from this movie will probably haunt you mentally for a very long time.







#15 2012 (4.0/5)
"Don't worry, dear, it's just a blue screen."

Literally Earth-shattering effects make this "mother of all disaster movies" a worthwhile watch. Although it features a decidedly far-fetched plot, there is no denying this scary spectacle from shaking up audiences worldwide.




#14 I Love You, Man (4.0/5)
"Rock n roll makes me wild."

The buddy movie to end all buddy movies. This laugh-out-loud comedy about a groom-to-be searching for his best man is a wonderful romp which showcase the comedic talents of its leads Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.




#13 Zombieland (4.0/5)
"Rarr! You didn't pay for your parking ticket!"

Killing zombies never looked so fun. A tongue-in-cheek rampage through zombie-infested America - this story has a lot of heart, too. Also, featuring one of the funniest and most appropriate cameos of the year.




#12 Slumdog Millionaire (4.0/5)
"In 5 seconds, the back-up dancers are going to appear out of nowhere."

Released in the beginning of 2009 in Singapore, this Oscar winner for Best Picture is a rousing success, featuring a giddy mix of rich cinematography and an underdog story no one has trouble rooting for.




#11 Suspect X (4.0/5)
"Na-ni?! Korean dramas are getting more popular than Japanese ones?"

Based on the popular Japanese detective TV series Galileo, this great film reveals the murderer right at the start, but it is the psychological journey through to the end that proves to be the most riveting.



HERE'S PRESENTING TO YOU THE TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2009!




#10 Drag Me To Hell (4.0/5)
"Your breath stinks. YOUR BREATH STINKS!"

With Sam Raimi (Spiderman) returning to helm his classic horror flicks, the result is a delightfully frightening piece of demonic film about an old woman's revenge for a failed mortgage loan.




#9 Sherlock Holmes (4.0/5)
"Mission: find Holmes a top hat."

Stylish, exciting and funny - this reinvention of the 19th Century fictional detective by director Guy Ritchie lives up to its solid expectation. The easy chemistry between Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law makes this a must-watch.




#8 Star Trek (2009) (4.0/5)
"What? Do you have a problem with our uniforms?"

With the Oscar Best Picture race this year extending to a 10-nominees list, there are buzz that this JJ Abrams revamp of the beloved Sci-Fi series just might squeeze in with the big guys. A strong plot with great visual effects anchor this movie as one of the best of the year.




#7 Up (4.0/5)
"Sir, please let me in. I can't feel my legs anymore."

Heartwarming and funny - Pixar has done it again with this colourful film, featuring an unorthodox friendship. With heady competition this year from Fantastic Mr Fox, can Up take home the prize for Oscar's Best Animated Film? We'll just have to wait and see.







#6 (500) Days of Summer (4.5/5)
"Don't look at me like that - we're renting Mean Girls."

This special movie appreciates love in all its forms: infatuation, passion and even the heartache of breaking up. A zipping back and forth of the ups and downs of a relationship - it raises the one question that many have yet to grapple with the answer - what is love?




#5 District 9 (4.5/5)
"Damn spaceship is blocking my sunset."

A haunting tale of aliens stranded on Earth and being forced to evict because of human hostility. But when one of our kind threatens to mutate into one of them, what happens? A science fiction thriller as much as a story about segregation, this Peter Jackson-produced movie is destined to be a cult favourite.







#4 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (5.0/5)
"That's the way, ol' boy!"

The Forrest Gump of our generation: this is a masterful and touching film about life. No matter how it goes - backwards or forwards - it is good to know that where nothing physical ever lasts, love will always prevail. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett deliver stellar performances.




#3 おくりびと (Okuribito) - Departures (5.0/5)
"For her sake and ours, I hope you're doing this right."

A surprise Best Foreign Film win at the Oscars, Departures is a profoundly moving story of an unemployed man who stumbled onto a job which requires him to do 'encoffinment'. Despite a morbid subject, the excellent film succeeds with a blend of humourous and tender moments. A truly special movie.




#2 Avatar (5.0/5)
"The dragons win."

James Cameron's groundbreaking masterpiece lived up to its hype in every sense. The alien world of Pandora is singularly one of the most breathtaking wonder to be created in cinema history. A grand and fantastic movie nobody should miss.




#1 Inglourious Basterds (5.0/5)
"We're #1. We can afford to look smug."

Brad Pitt is obviously not the star of the show. Crazy-inspired director Quentin Tarantino is. No film-maker in history has ever had the madness to create such an outrageous movie and get away with it. Critics love it. Audiences dig it. These Basterds get my official pick as my personal recommendation of 2009. Watch it.

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Finally, it's done! Although I was too busy to release this list before 2010, later is better than never right?

Here's to another great year of movies!

=D

Take care, people!