2010: what I saw
by mdx | created - 06 Apr 2011 | updated - 27 Jun 2011 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Julie & Julia (2009)
PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Julia Child's story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell's 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child's first book.
Director: Nora Ephron | Stars: Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 128,884 | Gross: $94.13M
My mum once told me, 'You can cook your way into a man's heart'. Too bad I don't cook.
2. The Ugly Truth (2009)
R | 96 min | Comedy, Romance
An uptight television producer takes control of a morning show segment on modern relationships hosted by a misogynistic man.
Director: Robert Luketic | Stars: Katherine Heigl, Gerard Butler, Bree Turner, Eric Winter
Votes: 230,439 | Gross: $88.92M
It's enjoyable and light. I like both the leads. Oh yeah, the guy she rooted for was kinda cute too.
3. A Christmas Carol (2009)
PG | 96 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
An animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Steve Valentine
Votes: 129,532 | Gross: $137.86M
Don't know why, but I think the muppets version was better.
4. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
PG-13 | 94 min | Drama, War
Through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a German concentration camp, a forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and unexpected consequences.
Director: Mark Herman | Stars: Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Zac Mattoon O'Brien
Votes: 246,493 | Gross: $9.03M
A rather sad film with an extremely sad ending.
5. Changeling (2008)
R | 141 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
After Christine's son goes missing, she reaches out to the LAPD to find him. But when they try to pass off an impostor as her son to quieten public protests, she refuses to accept him or give up hope.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Angelina Jolie, Colm Feore, Amy Ryan, Gattlin Griffith
Votes: 265,287 | Gross: $35.74M
This is another sad film by Clint Eastwood just like Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby. They're all good, though. Shouldn't miss it if you don't mind a sad ending.
6. The Haunting of Seacliff Inn (1994 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 94 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A couple starts to live in strange and scary situations when they move to an old house in a seaside town.
Director: Walter Klenhard | Stars: Ally Sheedy, William R. Moses, Lucinda Weist, Tom McCleister
Votes: 756
I was bored...and my rule is to watch the whole thing once I start...unless it's really bad. Reminds me of Death of a Ghost Hunter (2007).
7. Paranormal Activity (2007)
R | 86 min | Horror, Mystery
After moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.
Director: Oren Peli | Stars: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Mark Fredrichs, Amber Armstrong
Votes: 256,227 | Gross: $107.92M
I was waiting for the scary moment the whole time.
8. The Fourth Kind (2009)
PG-13 | 98 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A thriller involving an ongoing unsolved mystery in Alaska, where one town has seen an extraordinary number of unexplained disappearances during the past 40 years and there are accusations of a federal cover up.
Director: Olatunde Osunsanmi | Stars: Milla Jovovich, Elias Koteas, Will Patton, Hakeem Kae-Kazim
Votes: 81,856 | Gross: $25.46M
One moment you see Milla and the next another lady who are both playing the same person. The difference in their appearence makes it hard to get into the film.
9. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After being dumped by the girl he believes to be his soulmate, hopeless romantic Tom Hansen reflects on their relationship to try and figure out where things went wrong and how he can win her back.
Director: Marc Webb | Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz
Votes: 558,048 | Gross: $32.39M
A film from the guy's point of view. They don't know how they lost their lady, and they'll never find out.
10. Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family's killers free.
Director: F. Gary Gray | Stars: Gerard Butler, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Bibb, Colm Meaney
Votes: 319,917 | Gross: $73.34M
11. District 9 (2009)
R | 112 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Violence ensues after an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth finds a kindred spirit in a government agent exposed to their biotechnology.
Director: Neill Blomkamp | Stars: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Vanessa Haywood
Votes: 716,924 | Gross: $115.65M
A different take on when aliens 'invade' our planet. But its believeable on the fact that's what the government will probably do if they get their hands on a bunch of aliens who can't fight back.
12. Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)
G | 93 min | Biography, Drama, Family
Professor Wilson discovers a lost Akita puppy on his way home. Despite objections from his wife, Hachi endears himself to the family and grows to be Parker's loyal companion. As their bond grows deeper, a beautiful relationship unfolds.
Director: Lasse Hallström | Stars: Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Sarah Roemer
Votes: 311,404
I'm embarassed to say I saw it twice and bawled my eyes out both times! So bring tissues.
13. 2012 (I) (2009)
PG-13 | 158 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A frustrated writer struggles to keep his family alive when a series of global catastrophes threatens to annihilate mankind.
Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: John Cusack, Thandiwe Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet
Votes: 397,895 | Gross: $166.11M
I really like that Russian boss.
14. Hush (1998)
PG-13 | 96 min | Drama, Thriller
Newlyweds move to the family thoroughbred horse ranch, where the husband's obsessive mother resolves to get rid of her new daughter-in-law.
Director: Jonathan Darby | Stars: Jessica Lange, Gwyneth Paltrow, Johnathon Schaech, Nina Foch
Votes: 13,286 | Gross: $13.51M
Painful film. Forgive her, she was young.
15. Bodyguards and Assassins (2009)
Not Rated | 139 min | Action, Drama, History
In 1905, revolutionist Sun Yat-Sen visits Hong Kong to discuss plans with Tongmenghui members to overthrow the Qing dynasty. But when they find out that assassins have been sent to kill him, they assemble a group of protectors to prevent any attacks.
Director: Teddy Chan | Stars: Xueqi Wang, Tony Ka Fai Leung, Jun Hu, Bo-Chieh Wang
Votes: 8,542
A sad film. It's strange when they marketed the film, they tell you everyone is going to die. The important part is WHO.
16. Mulan: Rise of a Warrior (2009)
Not Rated | 114 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
The epic story of the Chinese girl-warrior, Mulan, who fights to defend her father.
Directors: Jingle Ma, Wei Dong | Stars: Wei Zhao, Kun Chen, Rongguang Yu, Jiao Xu
Votes: 6,874
Film is good...just wish they found a female lead that was more masculine...no way she could be walking around a camp and not be discovered if she looked as pretty as that. That pisses me off sometimes.
17. Avatar (2009)
PG-13 | 162 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Votes: 1,386,593 | Gross: $760.51M
Missed out on the 3D version. What's with the military commander hell bent on destroying everything?
18. The Way Home (2002)
PG | 80 min | Drama
This is the story of a 7-year-old boy, Sang-woo, born and raised in the big city, and his mute grandmother, who has spent her whole life in a small rural village.
Director: Jeong-hyang Lee | Stars: Yoo Seung-ho, Eul-boon Kim, Hyo-hee Dong, Kyung-hyun Min
Votes: 5,898 | Gross: $0.44M
19. Alice in Wonderland (I) (2010)
PG | 108 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Nineteen-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway
Votes: 441,098 | Gross: $334.19M
20. The Back-up Plan (2010)
PG-13 | 104 min | Comedy, Romance
A woman conceives twins through artificial insemination, then meets the man of her dreams on the very same day.
Director: Alan Poul | Stars: Jennifer Lopez, Alex O'Loughlin, Michaela Watkins, Eric Christian Olsen
Votes: 52,275 | Gross: $37.49M
21. The Lovely Bones (2009)
PG-13 | 135 min | Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
Centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from purgatory. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Saoirse Ronan, Susan Sarandon
Votes: 179,938 | Gross: $43.82M
Of the films I saw this year this stands at number one for artistic creativity. They say that the soul cannot move on if someone they care about cannot let go. Was it the murderer, or was it the family?
22. Daybreakers (2009)
R | 98 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
In the year 2019, a plague has transformed almost every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival; meanwhile, a researcher works with a covert band of vamps on a way to save humankind.
Directors: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Harriet Minto-Day
Votes: 135,032 | Gross: $30.10M
This is stupid. Why don't they just BREED humans? But some other parts were interesting. I like Dafoe.
23. Clash of the Titans (2010)
PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Perseus, a demigod and the son of Zeus, battles the minions of Hades and the Underworld in order to stop them from conquering Olympus and Earth.
Director: Louis Leterrier | Stars: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng
Votes: 292,753 | Gross: $163.21M
Saw the original. This version is better.
24. District 13: Ultimatum (2009)
R | 101 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Damien and Leito return to District 13 on a mission to bring peace to the troubled sector that is controlled by five different gang bosses, before the city's secret services take drastic measures to solve the problem.
Director: Patrick Alessandrin | Stars: Cyril Raffaelli, David Belle, Philippe Torreton, Daniel Duval
Votes: 46,240 | Gross: $0.04M
Actually quite a decent French action film. I just pretended they were speaking strange English.
25. Legion (2010)
R | 100 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
When a group of strangers at a dusty roadside diner come under attack by demonic forces, their only chance for survival lies with an archangel named Michael, who informs a pregnant waitress that her unborn child is humanity's last hope.
Director: Scott Stewart | Stars: Paul Bettany, Dennis Quaid, Charles S. Dutton, Lucas Black
Votes: 111,989 | Gross: $40.17M
I dig Paul Bettany but the film was lousy and typical. Is there no other place on earth but a DINER? I guess production wise its cheaper. Extra points are for Bettany and those wings.
26. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A young fugitive prince and princess must stop a villain who unknowingly threatens to destroy the world with a special dagger that enables the magic sand inside to reverse time.
Director: Mike Newell | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina
Votes: 303,965 | Gross: $90.76M
If you like adventure films and action, this is it.
27. Iron Man 2 (2010)
PG-13 | 124 min | Action, Sci-Fi
With the world now aware of his identity as Iron Man, Tony Stark must contend with both his declining health and a vengeful mad man with ties to his father's legacy.
Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle
Votes: 868,635 | Gross: $312.43M
28. Solomon Kane (2009)
R | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A ruthless mercenary renounces violence after learning his soul is bound for hell. When a young girl is kidnapped and her family slain by a sorcerer's murderous cult, he is forced to fight and seek his redemption slaying evil.
Director: M.J. Bassett | Stars: James Purefoy, Max von Sydow, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Pete Postlethwaite
Votes: 76,410
People say this was the original haunted hero storyline. But it's hard to enjoy when so many similar films have already been produced.
29. Robin Hood (2010)
PG-13 | 140 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In twelfth-century England, Robin Longstride and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Matthew Macfadyen, Max von Sydow
Votes: 283,195 | Gross: $105.27M
One of the only decent films I've seen this year.
30. After.Life (2009)
R | 104 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After a car accident, a young woman caught between life and death meets a funeral director who claims to have the gift of transitioning the dead into the afterlife.
Director: Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo | Stars: Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, Justin Long, Chandler Canterbury
Votes: 41,094 | Gross: $0.11M
A strange film on the meaning of life and a person's unwillingness to die, once they know they're dead.
31. The A-Team (2010)
PG-13 | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A group of Iraq War veterans look to clear their name with the U.S. Military, who suspect the four men of committing a crime for which they were framed.
Director: Joe Carnahan | Stars: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel
Votes: 268,978 | Gross: $77.22M
Brainless action film with over the top action sequences. Like Mission Impossible except x4.
32. Toy Story 3 (2010)
G | 103 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it's up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren't abandoned and to return home.
Director: Lee Unkrich | Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty
Votes: 892,563 | Gross: $415.00M
Better than 1 and 2.
33. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
PG-13 | 130 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
After Edward leaves because of an incident involving Bella, Jacob Black becomes her best friend. But what Bella doesn't realize is that Jacob also has a secret that will change their lives suddenly.
Director: Chris Weitz | Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Christina Jastrzembska
Votes: 300,068 | Gross: $296.62M
I anticipated this film after seeing the first one. Now I wish they'd stop with the first.
34. Alone (I) (2007)
105 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Deceased Siamese twin returns to haunt surviving sister
Directors: Banjong Pisanthanakun, Parkpoom Wongpoom | Stars: Marsha Wattanapanich, Vittaya Wasukraipaisan, Rachanu Boonchuduang, Hatairat Egereff
Votes: 5,768
Done by the same director as the original Shutter. But Shutter was way better...this is your average boring scary film.
35. The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)
PG | 109 min | Action, Adventure, Family
A protege of the magician Merlin must train his teacher's successor - an introverted but resourceful physics prodigy - in the art of sorcery to prevent the return of Morgana le Fay.
Director: Jon Turteltaub | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina, Teresa Palmer
Votes: 170,018 | Gross: $63.15M
I was happy that they included the 'mop scene'
36. Salt (2010)
PG-13 | 100 min | Action, Thriller
A CIA agent goes on the run after a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy.
Director: Phillip Noyce | Stars: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Olbrychski
Votes: 330,141 | Gross: $118.31M
She's completely unbelieveable as a spy...she stands out too much.
37. Knight and Day (2010)
PG-13 | 109 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A young woman gets mixed up with a disgraced spy who is trying to clear his name.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Jordi Mollà
Votes: 210,334 | Gross: $76.42M
What the!? I want my money back! Ranks as the worst film I've seen this year. Completely pointless and way over the top. What was Mr Cruise thinking?
38. Next (2007)
PG-13 | 96 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A Las Vegas magician who can see into the future is pursued by FBI agents seeking to use his abilities to prevent a nuclear terrorist attack.
Director: Lee Tamahori | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, Thomas Kretschmann
Votes: 166,427 | Gross: $18.21M
39. Inception (2010)
PG-13 | 148 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe
Votes: 2,551,163 | Gross: $292.58M
WOW~ enough said. Stands second in creativity this year.
40. Aftershock (2010)
Not Rated | 135 min | Drama, History
The epic story of a family separated as a result of the Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976.
Director: Xiaogang Feng | Stars: Daoming Chen, Chen Li, Yi Lu, Fan Xu
Votes: 9,737 | Gross: $0.06M
This film is a little like Hereafter. I deals more with the personal problems then the special effects. I didn't cry though.
41. Piranha 3D (2010)
R | 88 min | Comedy, Horror
After a sudden underwater tremor sets free scores of the prehistoric man-eating fish, an unlikely group of strangers must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the area's new razor-toothed residents.
Director: Alexandre Aja | Stars: Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O'Connell, Richard Dreyfuss, Ving Rhames
Votes: 96,707 | Gross: $25.00M
If you like naked ladies and don't need a meaningful plot. Go see.
42. The Social Network (2010)
PG-13 | 120 min | Biography, Drama
As Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, he is sued by the twins who claimed he stole their idea and by the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara
Votes: 758,809 | Gross: $96.96M
His strange, smug geeky stare. As if telling everyone that he's so much more smarter and all the brains combined in that room.
43. Turtle: The Incredible Journey (2008)
G | 81 min | Documentary
A little loggerhead turtle follows in the path of her ancestors on one of the most extraordinary journeys in the natural world. Born on a beach in Florida, she rides the Gulf Stream all the... See full summary »
Director: Nick Stringer | Stars: Miranda Richardson, Hannelore Elsner, Georgina Verbaan
Votes: 888 | Gross: $0.31M
I watched a show on Discovery where they tied tiny trackers on the backs of baby turtle so scientist can track where they go. But they still won't know what happens to them. Now we do.
44. Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
R | 96 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
While still out to destroy the evil Umbrella Corporation, Alice joins a group of survivors living in a prison surrounded by the infected who also want to relocate to the mysterious but supposedly unharmed safe haven known only as Arcadia.
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson | Stars: Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Wentworth Miller, Kim Coates
Votes: 179,215 | Gross: $60.13M
Some of the special effects at the end is annoying because its like the Matrix.
45. Detective Dee: The Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
An exiled detective is recruited to solve a series of mysterious deaths that threaten to delay the inauguration of Empress Wu.
Director: Hark Tsui | Stars: Tony Ka Fai Leung, Chao Deng, Carina Lau, Bingbing Li
Votes: 11,878 | Gross: $0.46M
It's like House of Flying Daggers meets Sherlock Holmes.
46. Pandorum (2009)
R | 108 min | Action, Horror, Mystery
Two crew members of a spaceship wake up from hypersleep to discover that all their colleagues are missing. Despite this, it appears that they are not alone.
Director: Christian Alvart | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue
Votes: 159,542 | Gross: $10.33M
I find this film depressing and disturbing. The metal walls that describe what happened made me flinch a bit. Imagine how much pain the creator had to endure scraping metal.
47. Devil (2010)
PG-13 | 80 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A group of people are trapped in an elevator and the Devil is mysteriously amongst them.
Director: John Erick Dowdle | Stars: Chris Messina, Caroline Dhavernas, Bokeem Woodbine, Logan Marshall-Green
Votes: 156,972 | Gross: $33.58M
Not a bad elevator film. But the elevator scene in Resident Evil was scarier.
48. The Town (2010)
R | 125 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A proficient group of thieves rob a bank and hold an assistant manager hostage. Things begin to get complicated when one of the crew members falls in love with her.
Director: Ben Affleck | Stars: Ben Affleck, Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner
Votes: 415,804 | Gross: $92.19M
Just glad I ended the year with a decent film. Also Pete Postlethwaite's last film. Rest in peace, you were one of the more interesting actors who was so over-looked.
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