With 2010 upon us, it is time to pick my favorite films of 2009. Some of these films are givens that appear on many yearend lists, but there are a few that may surprise or even outrage some of you. Some of you might not agree with my choices and that’s okay…. Opinions are what make the world go round. You’ll notice that some films are conspicuously absent from my list, but remember these are my favorites. I’m not saying they are the best movies of the year, just the ones that I connected with the most.  Without further adieu, my list of the films that entertained me the most this year.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is a harmless, cute and amusing family film. Sure the humor is puerile and sophomoric at best (toilet humor reigns supreme here), but while watching it, I realized that it really shouldn’t matter what I think of this movie. It’s not meant for me, it is quintessentially a movie for kids and therefore it should be reviewed by them. With that in mind, I’ve interviewed both my nine year old daughter and my six year old son to see what they thought of the movie. 

It took fifteen years and countless dollars but James Cameron has crafted a multi-layered, action packed, visionary movie for the ages. Make no mistake about it, your kids will be showing Avatar to their kids twenty-five years from now. The film is a visually astonishing, technological masterpiece, a true leap forward for cinema and it’s a damn fine movie as well. If possible, you must see this film in IMAX 3-D and if you can’t get to an IMAX location, at the very least get to a 3-D showing. Here’s the thing… Avatar is not like anything you’ve ever seen. It isn’t just a film… it’s a cinematic experience of epic proportions. Cameron hasn’t created a movie here people; he’s created a brand new world that is fully engaging. I truly felt like I was there.

The place where you can find movie trailers for upcoming releases. There are 3 wide releases and 2 limited releases hitting theatres on December 25th. 5 films will also be expanding into more theatres. 

With Brothers, based on the 2004 Danish film, Brodre, director Jim Sheridan has crafted a potent domestic drama with powerhouse performance from its three leads and supporting cast. Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal  all give Oscar worthy performances and are the reason the movie is as good as it is. In the hands of a lesser cast, the film would’ve easily wandered into pure soap opery, melodrama, but Brothers avoids that due to the empathy you feel for the main characters due to the nuanced performances of the talented cast. 

Disney’s family comedy Old Dogs starring Robin Williams and John Travolta is not a great movie. It’s also not a terrible one. Universally savaged by critics, it is important to remember that Old Dogs is for kids and on that level it succeeds, but that’s why you’re reading Bill’s Reel Reviews for Real People. I review movies for what they are intended to be. As a 35 year old man, I can’t say that the movie was all that good, but my 9 year old daughter and 6 year old son loved every minute of it and isn’t that the whole point?

The place where you can find movie trailers for upcoming releases. There is 1 new wide release and 3 limited releases hitting theatres on December 11th. The Princess and the Frog will also be expanding wide, while 2 other films will expand as well.

The place where you can find movie trailers for upcoming releases. There are 4 wide releases and 6 limited releases hitting theatres on December 4th. One film will also be expanding into more theatres.

The place where you can find movie trailers for upcoming releases. There are 2 wide releases and 4 limited releases hitting theatres on November 27th. One film will be expanding to a wide release.