Top Ten Movies of 2010

Here is my "Top Ten Movies of 2010" list. I calculated it out and I think I went to the cinemas 50 times this year. I saw a lot of good stuff, mostly okay stuff, and some bad stuff. This is the cream of the crop out of what I did get to see this year. This list is as of the date this entry was posted and has probably changed if you are reading this later. This is only my opinion. If you don't like my list, go do your own.

#10 The Fighter - With an against-all-odds sports story mixed with a family drama, The Fighter is certainly one of the better films of the year. It's a well-made film that I'm sure will see a few Oscar nominations in some categories. Read my full review here.

#9 The Social Network - Some people might be surprised to see The Social Network so low on my list, but I'm surprised that it even made it. Had I seen just a few more movies you'll find listed in the "Movies I didn't see that received good reviews" section below, this movie and The Fighter might have just slipped off the list. The Social Network is a superbly made film, especially the regatta race sequence. I give the cast and crew full credit in the creation of this movie. However, I am quite turned off by the story. It just doesn't entertain me. If I never saw this movie again, I would not be upset. But, I foresee lots of nominations and some wins for The Social Network at the Academy Awards this year. Read my full review here.

#8 How to Train Your Dragon - No one was more surprised by how good this Dreamworks animated film was. Everything about this film screamed cheesiness and boredom to me. When I saw the rave reviews, I just had to give it a shot and I'm so glad I was wrong. Along with the first Shrek movie, I think this is Dreamworks Animation's best film. You see a lot of Pixar elements involved in the story and characters, but it's still very much its own movie. Not only all that, but How to Train Your Dragon was the best 3D film I saw this year. Read my full review here.

#7 127 Hours - While 127 Hours is not Danny Boyle's best film, it is certainly a very good one. From the amazing performance by James Franco to the tight cinematography, this movie was made well. Director Danny Boyle is a visionary. This movie also holds some special significance to me because I got to meet Mr. Boyle at a preview screening of the film. Read my full review here.

#6 Black Swan - It's been a while since a good, dark movie has shown up. Black Swan certainly fills that void. Directed by one of my favorite directors, Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan has all the elements I look for in a well-crafted movie. The cinematography is fresh, the acting is exquisite, and the editing is top-notch. Read my full review here.

#5 Toy Story 3 - My favorite animated film of the year. Pixar shows no signs of making a bad movie. Just when you think there is no way they could come up with another good Toy Story... um... story, they do and they make it one of the best. They also added one of my new favorite characters, Ken who is voiced by Michael Keaton. There is also a great message about community and sticking together that is apparent in the film, especially at the emotional ending that made me teary-eyed. Read my full review here.

#4 True Grit - I was really surprised by how much I liked True Grit. The Coen Brothers have made some really high-quality stuff lately. True Grit is one of their best, in my opinion. It's been a while since they made a PG-13 movie, but True Grit is still quite violent. The character development is great and the relationship between Rooster and Mattie is terrific. I also enjoyed the amount of humor in the film. I don't really like westerns much, but I liked this movie. In fact, I think it might be safe to say that True Grit is my favorite western ever made. I will be writing a full review later.

#3 The King's Speech - I finally got to see The King's Speech this past weekend. It's a film I have been looking forward to since September after it premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. I heard plenty of great things about it and all of the things I heard were correct. The cinematography is so good for a film that relies completely on its dialogue. The acting is the best of the year with Colin Firth giving the greatest performance of his career. You can expect The King's Speech to be one of the greater contenders at the Oscars this year. If anything has a shot at dethroning The Social Network (pun unintended), it is this. I will be writing a full review later.

#2 Inception - Inception was #2 on my most anticipated list and look where it ended up! Director Christopher Nolan continues to prove that he is one of the best directors of our time. Really. He hasn't made a single bad movie yet. Inception is genius... it's masterful. It's all the other things you would put in quotes at the bottom of a DVD box. There is so much to love in this movie from the deep story to Hans Zimmer's brilliant score. I saw this movie three times in theatres and could probably watch it a few more times. Read my full review here.

Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for...





#1 - Yogi Bear - Sike!


#1 Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - I know! Shocking, right!? Alright, you all saw this coming. This is the first time my #1 most anticipated movie is actually my #1 of the year! I saw Scott Pilgrim vs. The World seven times (once for each of Ramona's evil exes) in theatres and a couple dozen more times since it has come out on Blu-ray. I just get really pumped about a movie that I follow religiously for over a year, set my high expectations on, and it still manages to exceed them. I'm doubtful that you'll find this film at the top of any professional film critic's top ten list, but you may find it in there somewhere on a few of them. The movie received positive reviews overall and is on its way to becoming a cult classic. The editing is top notch; really, ahead of its time. I keep telling the video editors that work in my building to check it out. Few have. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is also a fine adaptation from the graphic novels. I've re-read the books since watching the film and it's great how many little things director Edgar Wright added to the movie. I can't recommend this film enough. If you haven't seen this movie yet, do yourself the big favor of seeing the most unique and original film of the year. If you have seen the film already, watch it again. And again. And again. Read my full review here.

Runners-up: Red (this would be #11 if there was such a thing), Buried, The Town, Tangled, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Tron: Legacy

Movies I didn't see that received good reviews: Shutter Island, Somewhere, Enter the Void, The Ghost Writer, Winter’s Bone, The Illusionist, Rabbit Hole, Restrepo, Waiting for 'Superman', Blue Valentine, The Kids Are All Right, Never Let Me Go, Tiny Furniture, Four Lions, The Secret in Their Eyes

Past lists:
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005