Dice's Top 15 Movies of 2005
Submitted by pastordice on Thu, 08/17/2006 - 08:23
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- 15. Hitch - As far as I'm concerned Will Smith has found his home. He was great in his 4th of July action heyday (ID4, MIB, Wild Wild West, ok skip that last one), but he is absolute genius in Romantic Comedy (having Kevin James to play off of certainly doesn't hurt.) The only thing that keeps this from ranking higher is that it plays love off as a crapshoot instead of a commitment, even if it does so with the right heart.
- 14. House of Flying Daggers - Every year it seems there is one martial arts movie that is so jaw-droppingly beautiful that I can't help but put it on my list. Add to that a wonderful point about perseverance and self sacrifice, and it's worth reading subtitles for a couple of hours.
- 13. Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow - Almost more of an experiment than a film, this movie was shot with live actors entirely in front of green screen. The result is a film where the shots are gorgeous enough to hang on your wall even if the acting is purposefully old school. Quirky, for sure, but a lot of fun none the less.
- 12. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster - A stunning look inside one of the most famous rock bands of all time. Brutally honest and intimate, it was refreshing to see a band open up and show the world the men behind the curtain. I've never had a Metallica CD, never seen a show, and don't know a single tune to any of their songs (well, maybe "Enter Sandman" but I'm not sure). All I know is, it was a revelation to see how human they are, and how much spiritual searching they do. I hope someone close to them can show them who Christ really is, and that we can further learn that our battle is not against flesh and blood (ie the guys in Metallica, Eminem, or whoever the latest Christian whipping boy is.) By the way, a strong caution for language in this one, these guys swear... a lot.
- 11. The Notebook - The best movie about love I watched this year with maybe the best visual example of love (excepting "The Passion") I've ever seen. Initially I thought this movie was falling into the trap of many modern "love stories" in emphasizing the emotion and passion over the commitment of true love. Yet, by the end of the movie it was clear this couple had both. It would be in my top five this year if not for the mixed sexual messages and the nod to reincarnation at the end.
- 10. Finding Neverland - One of two movies on this list starring Freddie Highmore and Johnny Depp (the other one is up at number 6). This is a film with wonderful performances and a great message about innocence and wonder. Depp is a true gift to film, and Highmore is the male Dakota Fanning, cute as a button, but the kid can flat out act.
- 9. Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit - Did you know it's pronounced "Weer" not "Ware"? I didn't, but now I do. I also now know that Nick Parks deserves every Oscar he's ever won and will win in the future. The technical achievement of feature length, stop motion animation is amazing enough, but to create lovable, personable, and downright hilarious characters out of pictures of clay is enough to make you want to write love letters to the man. "Dear Nick, Don't ever stop making W&G movies. Faithfully yours, Dice"
- 8. Batman Begins - I've never liked Batman movies (and I even love Tim Burton, again see number 5) but this one got me. Christian Bale is the perfect Batman, and the realism with which this was handled, made it very moving. I'm giddy to see where this franchise goes next.
- 7. War of the Worlds - Spielberg always seems to know how to hold an audience, but anyone who saw this knows it was Dakota Fanning who led us through. We saw the invasion through her eyes, the wonder, the fear, and the need for family. Not only that, but for two days after, I saw attack ships behind every water tower. I loved this movie in spite of Cruise's and Tim Robbins' terrible acting, even more proving what a master Stevie truly is.
- 6. Charlie & the Chocolate Factory - I love the original, and wasn't sure what I would think of this one. The weird thing is, it wasn't Burton or Depp, or even the once again wonderful Freddie Highmore that sold me on this. It was the Oompa Loompas, Their songs were quirky genius. That, and the squirrels... and the dancing grandpa... and Christopher Lee... ok, so there was a lot to love.
- 5. Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire - I don't know how else to say it, so I'll just quote Harry, "I love magic". Scene after scene tweaked my imagination and I soaked in the other worldliness of it all. In fact, the only time the movie lost me was when it was too "real world." (The prom scene seemed more OC than Hogwarts, and can someone tell me what was up with the Ron rage? It seemed to be over absolutely nothing.) The Dragon scene would have been my favorite scene of the year if not for a big monkey fighting some even bigger dinos. The first 3 Potter films didn't do much for me (though I do miss the old Dumbledore), but this one had me from the get go.
- 4. Serenity - I hadn't even heard of "Firefly" (the TV show that preceded the movie) until Sci-Fi did a marathon earlier this year. I got hooked and overloaded on the amazing style, characters, and humor of the series, and became a full fledged "browncoat" in just one day, at which point I immediately began salivating over the film's upcoming release. "Serenity" did not disappoint and I will follow Joss Whedon, Captain Mal and the crew on any journey they take from here on out.
- 3. Star Wars: Episode 3 - The movie I've been dreaming about since I was 10. How did Darth become Darth? It's also the first movie of the new trilogy to deliver the complete goods (though "Clones" was a lot of fun) Obi Wan and Anakin's Lava battle is worth the price of admission alone, and whatever you want to say about Lucas' money grubbing, he did create a universe in which I'm thoroughly invested. Can't wait to see what he does with the live action TV series, and I'm anxiously awaiting a new set of "Clone Wars". As for answering the question all SW fans must ask, I say 4-3-5-6-2-1 (that's best to worst, by the way)
- 2. King Kong - Peter Jackson proves himself as the ultimate fan director, His passion for Kong is evident in the respect he gives the material and the time he takes with it. I've heard many say that the movie is too long, but I've yet to hear a good example of something that could be cut out. The action and effects are by far the most astounding to ever hit the big screen, and as with Gollum, Andy Serkis and a bunch of ones and zeros have given us one of the most compelling characters in cinema history. Naomi Watts also deserves big-time kudos for such a beautiful performance with no actor or even physical presence to play off of. And who knew Jack Black could be so understated (ok, maybe mediumstated). This is popcorn cinema at it's best and I enjoyed all 190 minutes.
- 1. The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe - Combine the wondrous effects of Kong, the magic of Potter, and the childhood dreams of Star Wars, and then add the truth of the self sacrifice of a Savior and you have this beautiful (and faithful) adaptation of the CS Lewis classic. The film is full of wonderful acting and beautiful scenery, but I always thought the movie would live or die on the girl they found to play Lucy. Her name is Georgie Henley and she is astonishing in her innocence and wonder. Her initial scene with Tumnus is as heartfelt and touching as any Narnia fan could have dreamed, and the movie overall is the perfect companion to Lewis' written text. When all is said and done, it is likely that the Lion will overtake the Ape at the box office and though money doesn't mean everything, it does mean at least one important thing, Prince Caspian is on the way and Aslan is on the move.
My favorites of 2005 in reverse order. Notice these are not all 2005 releases just movies I saw for the first time that year.