Top 5 Movies

So up today is my Top 5 Movies of the year. I'll get past this pop culture BS eventually and get into lists that actually recall my year. This is much easier.

Actually that's a lie. This one was really hard. That's why I've had to include some honorable mentions at the bottom.

5. Up

Ok, so honestly, when has Disney/Pixar ever let the world down? Seriously. The Incredibles is one of my favorite movies ever. Wall-E? Genius. Toy Story? Epic genius. Oh my gosh, Finding Nemo. This list is just unbelievable. Up is no different. Yeah, the story is cliche, there is a talking dog, an oddly friendly wild bird, and intense sadness. But you end up in love with the characters, including the talking dog, who you will quote more often than any other character, and you will also laugh as hard as you cry. If you haven't seen it yet, do so. You will not regret it.

4. The Hangover

What made this movie so good was the cast. Good grief. Zach Galifinakis is a hilarious man. I'm pretty sure that if I ever met him in real life, he would be able to make me pee my pants. I can't remember Andy from The Office's real name, but following anyone's name with "from The Office" is a surefire sign that they are hilarious. Observe: Dwight from The Office. Stanley from The Office. Creed from The Office. And then there was the cute guy whose name is also escaping me. Anyway, this movie was intensely funny. The cast was great, but I'm sure the writing helped at least a little. There were some really, really smart lines.

3. Inglourious Basterds

Listen. Say what you will about Quentin Tarantino; the guy can write some movies. Sure, there was only one bloody fight scene in this one, making it his least bloody movie ever, but it was a really, really well done bloody fight scene, and it was hilarious to boot! What made this movie fantastic was the dialogue and the characters that Tarantino created and then mashed together without ever even putting on screen at the same time. Brad Pitt is given a chance to do some real acting for once, and he delivers. Ryan from The Office (hey! see #4) plays his minor role quite well. The chick who played Shoshanna was fantastic. I don't know what else to say. Sure, the movie is not in the least bit historically accurate. Who cares? If for no other reason than to see Brad Pitt sport a mountains-of-Tennessee accent and kill some Nazis, this was a great movie.

2. Star Trek

Oh. Wow. I have never seen a single episode of Star Trek. Nor have I seen any of the previous movies. Literally, I knew some of the characters names, but nothing about them. This did not matter, as it turns out. This movie was apparently a re-imagining, or something along those lines. I don't know how else to say that this movie was flat out awesome. I thought (coming from someone with no prior Star Trek experience at all) that the casting was spot on. That guy from Shaun of the Dead as Scotty? Genius! Do I have any idea if he was supposed to be that silly? None whatsoever. Zachary Quinto as Spock? Genius! That guy from Harold and Kumar as Sulu? Genius! Follow good cast with a smart script and storyline, as well as really solid action, and I think you've managed to properly re-imagine a franchise and gain a new fan while you're at it.

1. (500) Days of Summer

This movie flew under the radar but it's well worth seeing. Joseph Gordon Levitt is a revelation. My childhood crush on him in Third Rock from the Sun probably doesn't help, but he is in fact a really fantastic actor. This movie is real life and I left it feeling good about life in general, even though I was in a really bad place at the time. Yes, life may be awesome sometime and suck other times, but it will always work out for the best. This is being released on DVD soon. See it immediately.

Honorable Mentions

Fanboys: It kind of hurt to put Star Trek on that list over a movie about a group of Star Wars fans who cross the country to try to steal a copy of Episode I from Skywalker Ranch before it's released in theaters in 1999. In fact, I feel like a traitor. It was very funny and very poignant, with some superb cameos, including Bill Shatner. I began asking "Was Bill Shatner involved in this?" every time something went wrong in the spring.

Zombieland: Woody Harrelson needs to be in more movies where he gets to play a pseudo-crazy zombie killing machine. End of story. Also, more cameos by Bill Murray would make life happier. P.S. This movie was hilarious.

My Bloody Valentine 3D: I have to give a nod to this movie as it did scare the bejeezus out of me. It actually wasn't terrible, and it was really fun to watch because of the 3D. Here's my rendition of how this movie got made: Two guys write a lame script that's just like every other lame Hollywood horror/thriller movie. They take it a Hollywood exec who says "My Bloody Valentine is just like every other lame horror/thriller movie we've ever made. Sorry boys." So the guys go home dejected and smoke pot for three weeks straight. Then one of them looks up and says "I've got an idea." They take the same script back to the same exec who is confused and says "This is the same script." And the guys say "No. Now it's My Bloody Valentine 3D." The exec gasps and says "Oh my god. We've been making kids' movies 3D for ages. Why oh why haven't we done horror movies?!?"

Next up: My Top 5 Travesties