Your 5 favorite films of 2006 -- Update as you go.

ultimatedjf

ultimatedjf

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This thread will be your chance to post a list of your 5 favorite films of the year, from best to worst, by your own grading system (numbers, stars, letters, comments). Whenever you see a new film that makes it into your top 5, you can post an updated version of your list. Also, if your thoughts change about a movie that you originally loved, but now want to lower your grade for (or vice versa), feel free to update the list according to those changes as well. I've see this a lot on other message boards, so I felt like starting one here.

And by the way, the list in my sig has changed so many times as I've changed my thoughts about a lot of the movies on there.

My current list:

1. Monster House A
2. Cars A-
3. Superman Returns A-
4. Hoodwinked! B+
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest B+
 
I'm just gonna rank all the movie's I've seen this year, best to worst.

1) V for Vendetta - 10/10
2) Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest - 10/10
3) X-Men: The Last Stand - 8.5/10
4) Mission: Impossible III - 8/10
5) Clerks II - 7.5/10
6) Beowulf and Grendel - 7/10
7) Lady in the Water - 7/10
8} Superman Returns - 6/10
9) Scary Movie 4 - 4.5/10
 
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I'll just list everything I've seen this year, from best to worst:

The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
V For Vendetta
Mission Impossible III
Superman Returns
X-Men: The Last Stand
The Da Vinci Code
 
2006: My Top 5 - to be updated.

1. United 93 (2006) 10/10 - Wow. Shocking, incredible, real. One of the best movies I have ever seen. Maybe the best I've seen or will ever see. Wow.
2. Superman Returns (2006) 10/10 - big, handsome, sweet, inoffensive and wholly acceptable. It's a very valid take on the big, blue schoolboy, with a great Lex Luthor, a pretty Lois Lane, a surprisingly good Superman (who I want to see again), a nice script, and great presentation (like the beautiful Daily Planet and globe) and great special effects, sound and music. No major flaws anywhere.
3. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) 10/10 - the best film music I have ever heard, red hot action and emotion, a plot that goes from one pointed and punchy scene to another, and amazing acting, from Famke Janssen as Jean Grey and Phoenix, and from others. Only, it left me wanting more. (I don't care if it says "the last stand": I don't want it to be over, I want more!) And some of the dialogue was slightly clunky.
4. Tristan + Isolde (2006) 5/10 - a nice story, if you take it on its own terms and don't say "that's not "Tristan and Isolde!" Both major kings were properly kingly in different ways, and I liked that. I thought the presentation was somehow slightly lacking. For me, it didn't quite take off, ever. But I was glad I saw it.
5. Mission: Impossible III (2006) 5/10 - good, solid action movie fare. Michelle Monaghan was incredibly beautiful, and Keri Russell was no slouch either. (Keri Russell not being the most beautiful woman around means you are officially in the paradise of Hollywood babes.) And I'm a Tom Cruise fan - I think that guy can really act. And the hero was moving like he had a purpose. Good action too. Somehow the villain did not engage me. Still, I got good value for my movie money.
-
6. Inside Man (2006) 5/10 - I forgot I saw this, till I saw it on Victor Von Doom's list. A movie I saw and instantly forgot would be a 5/10 or a 6/10 at best.
7. Underworld: Evolution (2006) 4/10 - It's still got that crazy dynastic thing going, and Kate Beckinsale, so of course I'll go see the next one too.

Ratings
10. Excellent, see many times. Example: Batman Begins (2005)
9. Excellent, see again. Example: Cast Away (2000)
8. Even better than expected. Example: Black Hawk Down (2001)
7. Full satisfaction. Example: Red Eye (2005)
6. Had something that for me makes it better than usual. Example: Blade II (2002) - romantic sunrise
5. Average. Or, half-great, half disaster. Examples: Hollow Man (2000), Alexander (2004)
4. Cheese. But that's OK, I like going to the movies. Example: The Scorpion King (2002)
3. The worst movie I will sit through once. Example: Doom (2005)
2. I walked out bored. I don't rate movies a 2: I walked out. Example: Bedazzled (2000)
1. I walked out angry. I don't rate movies a 1: I walked out. Example: Date Movie (2006)

The break points are four, representing a good day at the movies, and 7. I go to the movies every week in the hope of seeing 7 or better. If I don't see enough 7s, I'll stop going to the movies.

Other movies I've seen lately, but I'm not sure when, or that I did not watch to the end.

The New World (2005) 9/10 - This is a very good movie which in retrospect I should have seen more than twice, but it didn't get me charged up. It's smart, moving and good to look at, but slow. It would be too slow if I didn't care what happened to our Pocahontas, but I always did.

V for Vendetta (2005) 5/10 - Superhero action fare, with many strong political points to make. It didn't appeal to me, but it's a well made movie and the acting is good.

Date Movie (2006) - This was headed to be a 1/10, so of course I walked out. Someone said this was sharp and funny. They lied.
 
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I'll just put these in order from the best to still good, but enjoyed others better. I know I saw more, but I always forget so the list will change most likely.

Clerks II
Pirates of the Carribean
X-Men: The Last Stand
You, Me and Dupree
V for Vendetta
Cars
Nacho Libre

So out of these, the bolded are my Top 5.


I had also seen Superman Returns and Scary Movie 4 and both did not enjoy.
 
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  1. OSS 117 (It's a French movie)
  2. V for Vendetta
  3. Pirates of The Carribean : Dead Man's chest
  4. United 93
  5. Slither

I saw OSS 117 saturday and I was in stitches. It's about a James Bond style French secret agent in 1954 Cairo, Egypt. The protagonist is arrogant, mysoginist, homophobic, close minded and so filled with unwarranted sense of worth that you can't help laughing to tears. At one point he his woken by the muzzein leading the morning prayers on speakers and, as if it was a broken clock sounding an unwelcomed wake up call, he drags himself out of bed, get up the muzzein's tower and shut him up. With the speakers on, for the whole of Cairo to hear. Then he goes back to sleep, unaware he just kick started an islamist reaction. It's hilarious but it also rings true on another level. At the beginning of the mission, his boss tell him to : ''Pacify the Middle East'', ''No problem'', he replies ! Anyway, I loved it.

Runners up

  • Inside Man
  • Mission Impossible 3
  • X-Men The last Stand
  • Ice Age 2 : The Meltdown
  • Lucky Number Slevin

Wished I had seen but are/were not in convenient theatres:

  • A Scanner Darkly
  • Fateless
  • Beowulf and Grendel
 
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I think I've only seen three movies this year!

From best to worst of the three...

Pirates of the Caribbean
Cars
X-Men 3
 
In no particular order...

V For Vendetta
Superman Returns
16 Blocks
The Inside Man
Lucky Number Slevin (I'm a sucker for Noir...)

I'm sure Clerks II will bump something off as soon as I see it...
 
Caduceus said:
I actually really, really enjoyed this movie, and had a fairly hard time pinning down precisely why.
Click to expand...

For me there were so many great things that nothing actually stood out......but it all just worked together perfectly. I noticed there were a couple scenes missing that kinda messed with the pacing in a few spots but nothing that really detracted from the film.
 
Victor Von Doom said:
For me there were so many great things that nothing actually stood out......but it all just worked together perfectly. I noticed there were a couple scenes missing that kinda messed with the pacing in a few spots but nothing that really detracted from the film.
Click to expand...
I was really disappointed by it. It just seemed way too predictable and unbelievable. Here's why.
1. The guessed that what was in the safe deposit box was of Nazi origin almost instantly after he said it was of an emberessing nature. 2. The escape was totally rediculous. Clive Owens escape was rediculous because if you cut 3 feet off the dimensions of a room that size someone would notice. Especially a room with furniture like storage shelves which would have had to move 3 feet closer to the door. As for the rest of the robbers escape, their escape was rediculous for an even more obivous reason. The premise of their escape was that they were never seen on camera, so they couldn't be identified and therefore must be released. BUT, by PROCESS OF ELIMINATION they could be seperated from the hostages!
Why they call this movie an intelligent thriller I have no idea. As your average who done it flick, it was alright, though.
 
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MaxwellSmart said:
I was really disappointed by it. It just seemed way too predictable and unbelievable. Here's why.
1. The guessed that what was in the safe deposit box was of Nazi origin almost instantly after he said it was of an emberessing nature. 2. The escape was totally rediculous. Clive Owens escape was rediculous because if you cut 3 feet off the dimensions of a room that size someone would notice. Especially a room with furniture like storage shelves which would have had to move 3 feet closer to the door. As for the rest of the robbers escape, their escape was rediculous for an even more obivous reason. The premise of their escape was that they were never seen on camera, so they couldn't be identified and therefore must be released. BUT, by PROCESS OF ELIMINATION they could be seperated from the hostages!
Why they call this movie an intelligent thriller I have no idea. As your average who done it flick, it was alright, though.
Click to expand...

I can respect that opinion and reasons why more than a lot of other random complaints about other films that people make. Gary Coleman and all.......
 
Victor Von Doom said:
I can respect that opinion and reasons why more than a lot of other random complaints about other films that people make. Gary Coleman and all.......
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It was mostly that it was marketed with Clive Owen saying he came up with the "perfect bank robbery." I went in expecting some really clever plan that couldn't reasonably be done by a bank robber, but didn't have any obvious holes in it. I also didn't like Clive Owen as the likeable and honorable bank robber.
 
MaxwellSmart said:
The premise of their escape was that they were never seen on camera, so they couldn't be identified and therefore must be released. BUT, by PROCESS OF ELIMINATION they could be seperated from the hostages!
Click to expand...

That's not the premise. They split the hostage in several groups which were moved several time. And each of the members of the team except for Clive Owen were slipped in one or more of these groups to act as if they were hostage too. That way, each member of the gang had several hostage as alibis who could say that they were hostage too. That's why the cops had to release them even though they had a pretty good idea on which one were part of the team. Like the woman with big breasts ; One team member was a well endowed woman and few of the hostages had a bust to match. "So what, you are going to arrest me for violation of the DD code?" :lol:

The double wall hideout thing was amusing. It was obviously inspired by Ann Frank and her family ; they were a family of jews that hid from the nazis during WW2 in exactly that kind of double wall in an Amsterdam house. They were successful through much of the war but got caught toward the very end. Ann kept a journal, like Clive did. Since this movie involved Nazi crimes and jews, I'm fairly confident that this is no coincidence. I thought it was smart.

As for guessing roughly what they were after, so did I but who cares, it was a MacGuffin.

Overall that was a pretty smart and fun thriller.
 
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E.Vi.L. said:
That's not the premise. They split the hostage in several groups which were moved several time. And each of the members of the team except for Clive Owen were slipped in one or more of these groups to act as if they were hostage too. That way, each member of the gang had several hostage as alibis who could say that they were hostage too. That's why the cops had to release them even though they had a pretty good idea on which one were part of the team. Like the woman with big breasts ; One team member was a well endowed woman and few of the hostage had a bust to match. "So what, you are going to arrest me for violation of the DD code?" :lol:
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You're clearly thinking the way they expected you to think. Let me explain why it doesn't work. Clive Owen enters the bank and blinds the cameras. He hides his face and then his cohorts enter the bank. When they're reeased, the cops act like they have no way of decerning who was a bank robber and who was a hostage. What they're over looking is that all the hostages walked into the bank exposed their faces to the camera upon entering, but the bank robbers didn't. So anyone who didn't show their face upon entering the bank is a bank robber.
 
So I just saw "Clerks II."




It's now in the top five.







But where?





































1. Monster House A
2. Clerks II A-
3. Cars A-
4. Superman Returns A-
5. Hoodwinked! B+




I loved it. Every frame.


Kevin Smith, I applaud you. It takes a hell of a lot to make a better film than Pixar (IMO), but this was a really great movie.
 
MaxwellSmart said:
You're clearly thinking the way they expected you to think. Let me explain why it doesn't work. Clive Owen enters the bank and blinds the cameras. He hides his face and then his cohorts enter the bank. When they're reeased, the cops act like they have no way of decerning who was a bank robber and who was a hostage. What they're over looking is that all the hostages walked into the bank exposed their faces to the camera upon entering, but the bank robbers didn't. So anyone who didn't show their face upon entering the bank is a bank robber.
Click to expand...

I know but I doubt they were able to eliminate everyone using the cameras. Ever seen these security cameras footage? Not only are you dealing with low resolution, but not everyone will have provided a shot allowing for positive ID quite simply because these cameras are positioned high and in corners. Anyone wearing a headwear probably can't be positively IDed. Their primary purpose is security. Judicial evidence comes second. And a positive proof (alibis) beat a negative proof (Proof by elimination when you can't even be 100% positive that no people entered the bank between the moment the cameras were neutralized and the moment the bank was locked down.

The gang members were repeatedly interrogated in these interview scenes but if they don't crack you can make a good Hollywood case that the cops don't have enough to prosecute.

Plus I'd have to re-watch but didn't they deal with the camera's record? Maybe I'm thinking of another movie but I thought they did.

Either way, that's good enough for Hollywood. Seriously, even classics like Usual Suspects fall apart if you look at them too hard. It's all about the construction and storytelling, never realism. Otherwise I'd stop watching 24!
 
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