Critics Choose Must-Sees and Worsts of 2009

n.die.jaedong on 12-29-2009 04:10 PM

hurt locker ftw

Bulldog on 12-29-2009 04:15 PM

Everyone is jumping on the hate wagon for "All About Steve." Perhaps I stand alone is saying that film is significantly better than "The Proposal." See both and prove me wrong. One is dumb and unfunny. The other is dumb and still provokes some chuckles.

Bed Head on 12-29-2009 04:40 PM

How about if, instead, I just don't bother seeing either one?

Besides, how could anyone "prove" you "wrong", anyways? (It's your opinion.)

ColinTheCimmerian on 12-29-2009 09:25 PM

Yeah, I always thought it odd how so many people on these sort of forums like to declare "I proved you wrong", or in this case, challenge others to "prove me wrong" when the subject matter being discussed (and the 'proof' so often presented) has nothing to do with fact, and only to do with subjective interpretation (or very tenuous 'evidence', usually personal experience or opinion). I believe a vast majority of the people who like to abundantly use the words 'proof' and 'fact' don't actually understand their meaning.

BeZDave1 on 12-29-2009 10:44 PM

So you're trying to prove which movie is dumber? That's awesome.

C.S.Strowbridge on 12-30-2009 03:21 AM

I reviewed both The Proposal and All About Steve and The Proposal was better. I don't think All About Steve was the worst movie of the year, but it is far from a good movie.

Jarvs H. on 01-5-2010 08:24 AM

I agree with you on All About Steve, but it's not better than The Proposal.

Playboy Slim on 12-29-2009 04:34 PM

I thought Pete Hammond loved every film.

Throw An Onion on 12-29-2009 04:41 PM

Yes! One critic realizes the bottomless terribleness of Transformers! Someone chose 500 Days of Summer and Fantastic Mr Fox as the best films of the year! Huzzah for the critics!

My two picks worst film of the year would be either Watchmen or Surrogates. Both films took great source material and completely destroyed it. All About Steve, Transformers, and Miss March were bad from the beginning but Surrogates and Watchmen had potential to be great.

Sarah E. on 12-30-2009 01:32 PM

I don't think Watchmen is nearly bad enough to be amongst the worst films of the year. Perhaps one of the films with most squandered potential, but the resulting film wasn't bad, just nowhere near as good as its source material. It didn't translate well onto screen, that's for sure, but it still had some good parts (I particularly liked the opening credits sequence), the visuals were very good, and Jackie Earle Haley made a brilliant Rorschach (Jeffery Dean Morgan and Patrick Wilson were also good casting calls, in my opinion, but the rest of the cast either added little or nothing). Overall, I wasn't thrilled at the end of the film - I'd rather go back and read the graphic novel again - and I was disappointed, but I was hardly angry about the quality of the film. It was, simply put, OK.

ColinTheCimmerian on 12-30-2009 02:19 PM

I kind of look at Watchmen in the opposite way; I think it's great as a companion piece to the comics (and since I'm familiar with the comics, I enjoyed it immensely and thus rate it highly) but I think it has some major problems as a standalone film, which is why I can understand why some people detest it and why it was a commercial failure. I thought it was for the most part well acted and directed, with good action scenes and strong production values, but the story is way too hard to follow for those not already familar with the source material. Multiple flashbacks and extended isolated backstories work fine in comics, but in a film, even a three-hour one, Watchmen's storyline comes off as disjointed, confusing, and poorly paced. I loved it, and I would definitely recommend it to any friends who have read the book, but if they haven't, I would strongly suggest they read it first or not bother. For that reason, it's one of the few movies where I can completely understand it being on both a best-of list and a worst-of list, because depending on one's level of familiarity with the source material, I can see it being perceived as anywhere from super-awesome to super-crappy.

Nickolas M. on 12-31-2009 10:11 AM

it would be pretty hard to make a completely accurate movie of watchmen though.
i thought watchmen was a solid enough movie just not one watchmen comic fans could really enjoy.

but the they completely ruined doctor Manhattan.
and the ending was stupid they should have kept the squid.

Nickolas M. on 12-31-2009 10:12 AM

frozen01 on 12-31-2009 11:37 AM

@Nikolas M.: As a fan of the comic, I always thought the "squid" was kind of stupid. I understood why Moore did it, and who he was paying homage to, but it almost ruined the story for me... in fact, the first time I read the comic, I literally had a WTF moment.
I'm interested in hearing why you thought they ruined Dr. Manhattan. I thought they did the best with his character. If anything it was Laurie/Silk Spectre II who was ruined. I don't know, it seemed to me as if they just picked someone who kind of looked like the character in the comic, acting skills and likability be damned.

TombstoneLawDog on 12-31-2009 12:09 PM

That was my question also, NikolasM; I've read the graphic novel at least a dozen times and I thought they did, generally, a slavishly accurate interpretation of the book. Sure, things didn't get things *exactly* right on some of the set pieces, but I can't really imagine how they could've gotten much closer to how the book felt without the message feeling dated. I also think they did about as well as could be done with Dr. M, and I completely agree about the squid=WTF. I'm very GLAD they changed it in the way they did.

Anyway, not that my absence will be felt disproportionately (except by this weeks' version of 'Captain'), but I will be away for a few weeks, so All y'all have a happy and safe new year!

Kurai X. on 01-1-2010 01:47 PM

@Throw an Onion

And that's why you're not a critic on the list, Watchmen is a great amazing movie, that you call it bad is blasphemy.

Patricia S. on 01-2-2010 04:11 PM

Watchmen is an amazing movie. Don't be dumb.

Playboy Slim on 12-29-2009 04:41 PM

No offense to these *fine* people, but don't you think bigger name critics should be here. Like Richard Roeper (Best: "Brothers" (I think) Worst: "All About Steve") or Roger Ebert. Actually, Ebert gave way too many films a perfect 4 star rating this year, to the point where it becomes really hard to care.

And before some fool comes here to say how critics are people who think they're better than everyone else, or Satan worshipping sodomites, just remember, they're people who's reviews are entertaining to watch or read.

My choice for best movie of the year, "Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus"...no, "Star Trek".

Bed Head on 12-29-2009 04:58 PM

Ya. I hate to say it, but ever since Roger Ebert's, um, "situation" has deteriorated ... he's simply become way too "charitable" with the praise. (I mean, he even put "Knowing" on his ten best list!)

And that's rather odd, actually, because usually when someone is disfigured, he/she grows more bitter and hostile (a la The Phantom of the Opera).

Sean C. on 12-30-2009 11:00 AM

Richard Roeper, despite what it says on his paychecks or resume is not now, nor never has been a real film critic.

Roger Ebert, on the other hand, is the first Pulitzer Prize winning movie critic. How many 4 star reviews must a critic submit per year before you cease to care his judgment?

8 ball jacket on 12-30-2009 11:29 AM

Ebert gave a away 4 star reviews like an end of season sale....

Kwah on 12-29-2009 04:46 PM

Yeah, I was just typing that the presence of Pete Hammond in this feature just destroys its credibility. He really should have his keyboard taken away from him.

General Disarray on 12-29-2009 04:56 PM

Best: In The Loop

A lot of critics like to describe this movie as Dr. Strangelove for a new generation. Further proof that if a movie as ingenious as Strangelove came out today it would inevitably fade away into obscurity.

Worst: Wolverine***

I just think its funny that people complain about mindless junk like Transformers and they give frikkin Wolverine a free pass. At least Transformers had decent production values.

ColinTheCimmerian on 12-29-2009 09:36 PM

"I just think its funny that people complain about mindless junk like Transformers and they give frikkin Wolverine a free pass. At least Transformers had decent production values."

I wonder the same thing sometimes; they were both dumb, inane movies, devoid of any artistic merit, but Transformers was at least impressive on a visual level. Wolverine didn't even have that going for it. I think the reason why Transformers gets criticized more is because it was much more commercially successful, ergo it elicits a stronger reaction from its critics (just like Twilight does). Most people around here hate to see movies they view as poor get succesful receptions, which is why there is such a backlash against Transformers and Twilight, which fared extremely well, but Wolverine was only a moderate hit (if it can be considered successful at all) and was quickly forgotten after a couple weeks, so it's not really worth complaining about.

frozen01 on 12-31-2009 11:03 AM

@Film Nazi: Both TF2 and Wolverine were terrible. But Wolverine was just boring and didn't take its characters seriously. TF2 was boring, didn't take its characters seriously, AND horrendously offensive/filled with toilet humor. Plus the production values were almost TOO good. Could you tell what was happening during ANY of the fight scenes? I just looked like 300 tons of car parts rolling down a hill to me.
Wolverine beats TF2 because it had no swinging metal robot balls, farting robots, or illiterate, big-earred walking stereotypes with gold buck teeth. Plain and simple.

dj Mark on 12-31-2009 12:50 PM

"300 tons of car parts rolling down a hill"

...classic!

And The Answer Is 42 on 12-30-2009 08:23 AM

Film Nazi ftw. In The Loop was hilarious and very well done, and Wolverine was simply tragic.

Kwah on 12-29-2009 04:56 PM

The Hurt Locker is a bad movie, by the way. It is supremely overrated by ignorant civilians.

General Disarray on 12-29-2009 05:17 PM

um, no

Don't get me wrong, The Hurt Locker is criminally overrated, but that's just because everyone wants to see a woman win an oscar for best director. I thought the parts that worked in the movie worked well, but it does deviate a little too much (there were parts in the movie where they obviously imbelished, that weren't taken from the journalists accounts it was supposed to be based on), but I still think its the best movie about the war in the middle east so far.

Ponykillr on 12-29-2009 07:48 PM

Roger that, brother.

Ponykillr on 12-29-2009 07:50 PM

Roger that, Brother... 2/325th AIR 82nd ABN DIV

Blues Ridden Cowgirl on 12-29-2009 05:00 PM

I have to say I'm probably going to like Away We Go and Miss March. I know for a fact I'll like Gentleman Broncos, too. I usually go the opposite of the critics... it's just how it works out. I do agree about Star Trek though.

Jennie1 on 12-30-2009 05:32 PM

I guess I'm in the minority but I really liked Away We Go. I thought the acting was great. But Avatar and Inglorious Bastards were my favorites by far.
And as for the worst - well, if I am pretty sure I'm going to hate a movie, like Transformers, or All About Steve, I just don't see it. So I don't see many movies I hate. Was disappointed in 500 Days of Summer - loved him, her, not so much. But other than that I thought it was a good year for movies over all.

Jennie1 on 12-30-2009 05:33 PM

dethburger on 12-29-2009 05:00 PM

Best- This is tough but I'd say either Fantastic Mr. Fox or Avatar.

While I thought The Hurt Locker was indeed a great film it didn't give me any lingering thoughts after I left the theater...something the other two films mentioned here managed to do quite well. Star Trek would come in close behind in forth with Inglorious Basterds rounding out a nice top five.

Worst- Transformers II. What a turd.

Even though I thought it was OK, Sherlock Holmes was a disappointment. :(

Brandon D. on 12-29-2009 05:06 PM

im about to watch500 days of summer

Emily P. on 01-6-2010 05:25 PM

I think that Avatar was the best movie becasue I think anyone (except people in the army :) ) can enjoy Avatar. I didn't get a chance to see very many new releases this year so I couldn't have a very good opinion on either best or worse, but I'm just putting it out there. I am very glad that I haven't been forced to watch All About Steve, I've been against it since I saw the first ads. Now I hope I never have to waste my time watching it.

warinari@hotmail.com on 01-14-2010 09:39 PM

'500 Days of Summer' and 'In The Loop' were my favourite two in 2009.

Rriter on 12-29-2009 05:17 PM

Apparently RT and other Critics are retarded for giving "All About Steve" so much beef. I mean its clearly a film we can all relate to in our society, its funny (of course not to Americans we need alcohol and sex right thats funny, oh and baby's being hit by a car door!) no I'm American and I love this kind of comedy two thumbs up for All About Steve!

Playboy Slim on 12-29-2009 05:22 PM

...? I can't tell if you're yanking my chain.

Ben S. on 12-29-2009 10:35 PM

****

Sinister Minister on 12-31-2009 12:02 PM

You shouldn't be allowed to have thumbs.

Splitter on 12-29-2009 05:30 PM

Count me pleasantly surprised by the lack of Pixar.

edangelus on 01-1-2010 10:43 AM

that's cause UP was really bad to pixar's standards

JRM on 12-29-2009 05:42 PM

Poor All About Steve. So much hate. :P Lol.

I'm surprised District 9 or Up is not up there. But, from those chosen, I'm going to have to go with Avatar as my favorite. Not to take anything away from any of the other great movies, but that movie was an experience I won't be forgetting anytime soon.

tomwaitsjrHAPPYICONOCLAST on 12-29-2009 05:59 PM

Does ALL ABOUT STEVE be so bad that it's funny, like THE HAPPENING was?

Playboy Slim on 12-29-2009 06:45 PM

NO! Comedies can't be so bad their good.

the hoeks on 12-29-2009 06:05 PM

I don't know why so many people think that Hurt Locker is so overrated. It is definately among the top five films of the year.

General Disarray on 12-29-2009 06:22 PM

Sounds like you need to see more movies. It really wasn't THAT good. Kinda like how people overrate Moon. Good movies, but definetly not great.

Ponykillr on 12-29-2009 07:56 PM

If you've been to Iraq, you would understand why The Hurt Locker is a pile of turds.

Kwah on 12-29-2009 08:12 PM

Air-f***in-borne. Falcons lead the way.

PornAgainChristian on 12-29-2009 06:31 PM

I just think it's hilarious how people react to this, or that this stuff even exists. These are all opinions, not provable facts. But the fact that so many people give props to movies like Star Trek (a horrible, stupid mass of cliches and plotholes bound to a lame action movie) and Avatar (an embarrassing magic Indian movie made by an aging hippie who lost his ability to tell a story like 20 years ago).

Nowhere on this list is the only fresh action/blockbuster movie of 2009, "District 9". Why? Because it was produced/directed by foreigners WITHOUT a reputation for raping kids or making movies that are incomprehensible or filled with left-wing cliches and moralizing?

BUCK69 on 12-30-2009 05:27 AM

Porn, what is your deal, dude? Only obscure, foreign films rate on your list. That's fine, but don't try to justify your own pretention by making disparaging remarks about what other people like.

Sorry James L, but I know quite a few people who were in the Army [and in Iraq] who think Hurt Locker was not only a great movie, but very realistic. I was in the Army for nearly seven years, and although I haven't seen Hurt Locker [yet], I've seen a number of other films that accurately capture the military and war without detailing the day-to-day tedium. People complain that M.A.S.H. [more so the movie than the TV series] was "bull crap" but it's one of the best portrayals of the absurdity and futility of war. Don't miss the forest for the trees.

Ron B. on 01-3-2010 02:47 PM

actually, i watched hurt locker in iraq. while if i was never in the military or even if i was right out of basic and not in the same exact environment, i.e. iraq, i would prolly be blown away by HURT LOCKER. instead i couldn't stop picking the movie apart and so were the rest of my soldiers. there are really good elements to this movie, since i still love movies i appreciate and give credit where credit is due.

the directing was pretty good, the acting of the lead actors were better. and the actual setting looked like the streets of iraqi cities and it portrayed the heat, which actually gets up to 130 degrees. but everything but the actions of the characters from dialogue or combat awareness was just plain unrealistic. like when does a convoy of EOD ever roll out the gates with just one vehicle or when do infantry hide all congregate behind one wall hiding from an IED?

Peter W. on 12-30-2009 07:59 AM

You one big idiot.

The.Watcher on 12-29-2009 06:33 PM

I'm very inclined to think that Dustin D is legally retarded.

DoctorSubmarine on 12-29-2009 07:27 PM

I continue to be baffled by how many critics adored Avatar. I found it pretentious, overblown, lazy, and boring. *shields self for incoming hatred* Also, surprised not to see Up or Inglourious Basterds on here. Those are tied as my #1 film.

DanielPeterTimothyRayXIX on 12-29-2009 09:27 PM

Up,Public enemies and Inglorious Basterds FTW

the hurt locker i will have to check out later

Wolverine was way better Transformers 2 ( this movie sucks ppl please understand that)

Ethan J. on 12-29-2009 07:28 PM

surprisingly, 3 out of 4 of the most memorable movies of the year for me came during summer, The Hurt Locker, 500 Days of Summer, and Inglourious Basterds with A Serious Man being the only fall/winter release that i was completely pleased with. Where the Wild Things Are, An Education, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Up in the Air all stand out in one way or another but to me there's nothing better the the Coens' dark comedy. Avatar was well directed and well acted, but its story was way too formulaic, its characters too one-dimensional, and its dialogue too laughably simplistic for me to consider it one of the best movies of the year. It was at best really good entertainment.

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Critics Choose Must-Sees and Worsts of 2009

Some of RT's distinguished critic friends share their choices with us.

Claudia Puig, USA Today

Must-See: The Hurt Locker

Worst Film: All About Steve

Alonso Duralde, IFC.com

Must-See: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Worst Film: All About Steve

Pete Hammond, Boxoffice Magazine

Must-See: Up in the Air

Worst Film: Miss March

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