Year in Review: Best/Worst of 2009

I’m willing to give almost any movie a chance, but 2009 was a rough year for cinema. I had way more disappointments than new favorites. But there were a few bright spots on the list, and here they are: my picks for the five best movies – and the five biggest letdowns – of 2009.
Best:
1. “Up” – Every now and then there’s a film that actually lives up to its expectations. This year, Disney takes the trophy with “Up,” a film that delivers all the sorrows and triumphs we’ve come to count on from Disney/Pixar.
2. “Defiance” – Stories like this are the reason why we go to the movies. It captures all aspects of Jewish life during World War II. It has enough action and romance to keep casual watchers interested, but beyond that, it is truly moving. Love, courage, fear, racism, adventure, romance, life, death – it’s all there.
3. “Sherlock Holmes” – Robert Downey, Jr. makes the man and the movie in this case. Both are quirky, charming and funny, but still intense enough to keep you interested.
4. “Inglorious Bastards” – Director Tarantino utilizes his rare gift to lighten a subject without devaluing it in this look at World War II. The only weak point is leading man Pitt, who is almost impossible to take seriously.
5. “Terminator 4” – John Connor’s newest episode is a fairly typical post-apocalyptic story line, but it’s done well enough to merit a viewing.
Biggest disappointments:
1. “Law-Abiding Citizen” – This movie tries so hard to be a psychological thriller, to give that “whoa!” factor instead of being just another shoot-em-up. But it is just another shoot-em-up – and not even a great one at that.
2. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” – I think I just expected too much from this movie. For 95 percent of the time you don’t do much more than smile, and even then it’s just because you feel obligated to do something.
3. “Taken” – Like 2008’s “Wanted,” this film had the potential to be more than an action film. The filmmakers, however, never looked that far. There are no likeable characters in this film. You want to like Neeson. You want to feel for his daughter. But in the end, there are just too many reasons not to.
4. “Land of the Lost” – This film had two really funny parts, and both were in the previews. Otherwise, the jokes all got just as lost as the characters.
5. “Avatar” – Despite the sensation Cameron has created with his newest “epic,” it does not make my “best” list. Does it have amazing computer animation? Yes. Were the animations the only truly original things about it? Oh, yeah. The film only kept me engaged because I wanted to see if I had correctly guessed everything that would happen. I did.
Honorable Mentions:
6. “Harry Potter 6” – Between shuffling around battle scenes and focusing on the teen romances instead of the main story, this film leaves even non-diehard Potter fans dissatisfied.
7. “The Ugly Truth” – Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler have great chemistry, just one of the many reasons why this plot’s resolution can be seen from a hot air balloon. Beyond that, it does its best to fill out that “R” rating will all the cheap jokes it can find in an attempt to be hip and irreverent. Instead it comes out just plain trashy.

Movies not on this list because I haven't seen them yet but still would like to:

“The Men Who Stare At Goats”

“Invictus”

“The Blind Side”

“Whip It”

“Up in the Air”

“Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus”

“The Reader”

“Last Chance Harvey”

Movies I have no desire to see:

“The Box”

“Saw 6”

“Ninja Assassin”