BEST OF 08 PART 1: MOVIES

I was going to do a quick best of 2008, with 3 favorites from each category (movies, DVD, TV, music, comics), but once I got the wheels turning, I went with my muse, and took things a bit further.

So, I'll just post what I feel are the works I must mention from each category, however many that may be. Starting with the movies of '08.

There are some I'd love to include, like the amazing Into the Wild which hit DVD this year, but came out in late '07, or possibly, big films that hit late in '08, like David Fincher's Benjamin Button, and Mickey Rourke in Aronofsky's The Wrestler, but I most likely won't see those til they hit video, but ya know, this is the stuff that I've seen, that qualifies, working my way up to my favorite and starting with...

In Bruges

Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes are perfectly cast in this engaging, hilarious, smartly written, and verbally assaulting tale from inside the world of hit men, that could only happen in Bruges.



Wall-E

I’d really love to rate Wall-e higher. The animation and heartfelt story of the first act is pure poetry. However, as much as the rest of the tale is enjoyable, and pulls on the heartstrings, it’s not on par with the opening, and it’s also all been seen and done in Mike Judge’s Idiocracy.



Forgetting Sarah Marshall

For it’s unapologetic, ballsy humor, that hit’s the mark, and had it’s way with me the whole way through. Plus it introduced Russell Brand, and had great turns from Mila Kunis and a host of cameos.




Iron Man

I’d love to rate Iron Man higher, because it was so solid, the production, the cast, the story, the heart, and most of all Robert Downey Jr., who truly makes the movie, but it wasn’t without it’s flaws, mainly being a bit light on action, and sorely lacking a powerful climax (unless you count Downey/Stark’s closing “I am Iron Man” zinger, or Sam Jackson’s epilogue cameo).

THE TOP 3

Quantum of Solace

I stand alone here I think, including the latest Bond movie on my tops of ‘08 list, but damn if I wasn’t on the edge of my seat throughout, from opening to closing frames, loving every last minute of it. Daniel Craig is perfect, the production is flawless, and the overarching story continuation from the previous Casino Royale outing was rich and fulfilling.

Cloverfield

Yes, another one that is mostly ignored (or forgotten that it came out in ’08), and even more so, unloved, but to me, Cloverfield was the height of movie-going, because just as with Quantum of Solace, it was a thrill ride that dropped me square in the middle of larger-than-life action, executed to perfection. I love this movie, just love it.

Dark Knight

No surprise here, except perhaps to me. You see, I thought Batman Begins was wildly uneven, and that Nolan destroyed everything he built with the gritty real-world origin of the first half. In Dark Knight however, he succeeds; we’re treated to the largest screen telling of a wholly believable city under criminal siege, with a powerhouse performance, story, and hero… none of them pulling any punches. The cast, production, effects, and score all heighten the showcase performance from Heath Ledger, and together create a truly epic motion picture. Dark Knight succeeds on every level.


2008 was a truly great year for movies, especially for genre lovers like us, an embarrassment of riches, with many anticipated comic book adaptations; Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Wanted, The Dark Knight, Hellboy 2, The Spirit, and genre standouts; old man Indy, the Pixar robot/sci-fi Wall-E, the Will Smith original superhero flick Hancock, the CG cartoon Star Wars The Clone Wars, the Daniel Craig Bond sequel Quantum of Solace, and the mysterious and much hyped Cloverfield, and overall, it was a success, with many solid, very well made films, and only a couple stinkers...

2009 is shaping up to be another very exciting year in genre movies, with Zack Snyder's highly anticipated Watchmen adaptation in March, JJ Abrams' Star Trek reboot in May (that looks cool as hell), and a new Wolverine feature, Harry Potter sequel, a new McG Terminator model, and a Tarantino (Inglorious Basterds) release this summer, to name a few!!

So, come back soon for more best of's from '08, where I talk DVD's, TV, music, and comics, and hopefully shed light on things that aren't as universally known and talked about.

MEANWHILE AT THE MOVIES: Quantum of Solace

I was finally able to catch Quantum last night, as I'd been dying to see it since it hit, but my wife's not big on going to movies, and my Mom had actually mentioned wanting to see it, but it turns out my Dad and wife not so much. So with the holidays and everything, it took a bit to get on the same page, as I absolutely had to see this in the theater, so my mom and I went last night... probably not your typical Bond ticket buying demographic ;)

So, how was the movie?
Was it worth the wait?
And what did mom think?

Quantum of Solace kicks ass.

Casino Royale? An appetizer, a slow burn origin to this new, lean, mean, ass kicking machine that is an utterly modern spin on the shoe worn franchise, wholly unleashed from the opening frame, clear up to the final, where perhaps we catch a glimpse of evolution and resolution. And just as Casino takes us directly to the start of Quantum, most likely this latest chapter does to the next. Because it’s not just James Bond the character who’s been totally reworked, and the world he exists in, but also the framework of the franchise, to include an ongoing, over arcing story. One that, frankly, seems asinine to not have existed before… we all follow her majesty’s secret agent from film to film, over decades, but we’ve never been acknowledged in doing so, not to any great extent. This new spin finally takes that into consideration, not only giving us a fresh start, new approach, and origin, but an ongoing story, unfolding in layers.

Quantum peels back the next layer, and starts to get at what, and who was behind the tragedy that befell our superhuman spy the last time out, and while it resolves some of that, it also unfolds more layers and points to a much larger tale afoot. It’s simply great storytelling, and when it’s coupled with even smarter set pieces, increased pace, an amazing character growing before our eyes, all with fantastic acting, production, and direction, Quantum of Solace maintains Casino’s momentum, accelerates it, and slings you into the much anticipated next chapter of Daniel Craig’s Bond franchise.

And for those that find it doesn’t carry enough of the elements we've come to expect from Bond films, i.e. the gadgets, girls, and goons, I’m not among them. I thought, just as with Casino, there were a ton of techie tools in play, and next gen gadgets that are either already in use, or believably could be. And while both films feature new, stronger female counterparts, and more grounded villains, this Bond still has plenty of game with the ladies, and I think we’ll get bigger villains as the story progresses. And there are plenty of nods to cannon along the way, in scenes like the one when Bond escapes MI6 at the hotel but meets up with M in classic Bond profile, or when a woman turns up dead on a bead in that same hotel, covered head to toe in oil (as opposed to gold).

My only complaint, as with the first, is the tricky balancing act of a James Bond franchise that very much lives in an ultra real world setting, it can some times be too over the top, in contrast with it’s grounded nature. Although, my qualms with this in Quantum are much better than with Casino’s ridiculous set driven Venetian villa collapse climax. So, as with Casino, it’s not perfect, but it’s damn close!

I absolutely loved Quantum, it is an exhilarating, gorgeous, and dangerous next level of Bond storytelling!!

Oh, and mom loved it too :)