2007 had it's share of ups and downs as far as movies go, with many films really splitting opinions on whether they were good or bad. For me, movies are about enjoyment. This can come from any (and many) aspects of a film, sometimes from being thought provoking, sometimes for making me laugh, sometimes for delivering adrenaline pumping action, or sometimes something else altogether. At the end of the day, movies can't be rating based on just one of these qualities, so the list of my top films of 2007 is based purely on how much I enjoyed them.
15. Shoot Em Up
Does exactly what it says. Relentless gun action through out the film, with Clive Owen finding himself rescuing a baby from death, though is less successful in saving the mother making him the only guardian the baby has from the legions of guns for hire that are in pursuit of the baby.
The plot isn't too taxing, and it's not supposed to be. The gun play is imaginative and over the top but the film doesn't take itself too seriously and provides some good entertainment.
14. Balls of Fury
Balls Of Fury is a spoof comedy taking place in the world of Illegal Underground Table Tennis. The FBI recruit a former Table Tennis protégée (who embarrassed himself in the Olympic Table Tennis final at the age of 9) to infiltrate the criminal organisation run by Christopher Walken. Sadly, his table tennis skills are no longer what they used to be and he must regain his winning form to succeed.
The film provided many laughs in many ways, providing plenty of (sometimes absurd) fun.
13. Ratatouille
Pixar's latest has many great qualities, not only does it make a funny movie from an absurd concept (well, looking at the two films listed above, maybe not so absurd after all!), Pixar has once again raised the bar in the standards of CGI animation. The characters are amazingly details, the rat hair is very real looking and the animation quality is superb.
While a really good film, it just didn't grab me in the same way that previous Pixar films have. Not that I'd hold that against it, the preceding films have all been so good and this film is still good in it's own right.
12. Hot Fuzz
Doing for action movies what Shaun Of The Dead did for zombie films, Simon Pegg & Co return with another great comedy. Taking a variety of clichés of the genre, Hot Fuzz turns the rules upside down, gives them a shake, then puts them back and delivers what you would expect from an action film.
Britain isn't really known for it's action films, however even although this is primarily a comedy, the action is still worth it!
11. The Simpsons
Long awaited and carrying great expectations, The Simpsons movie has finally arrived. While the original idea for The Simpsons movie had been to be as a way to bring closure to the franchise after the TV series had ended, allowing the family to go out with a bang, their continued popularity (and no doubt an element of greed by those that profit from it) has seen the movie arrive long before the series will be ending. Does this prevent them from going all out in the movie? Yes and No.
The plot may be suitably epic, involving the possible complete destruction of Springfield, and there are a few things that happen that would never happen on the TV show, however many people feel that the movie is nothing more than an extended episode of the TV show. While I agree with that to an extent, I think the movie does stand up on it's own, with the greater run time of the movie format allowing for much more development through the course of the story while still providing the magic formula that has made the Simpsons work so well for so many years.
Well worth watching in my opinion
10. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
A much hyped sequel to a film that never really stood out from the crowd much. Rise Of The Silver Surfer far exceeds the original film, with the main characters already established and in place, the film is able to get on with what super hero films are all about, Super-heroes and super-villains. Yes, there is the 'personal' stories covered in the film as well, but these do provide some entertainment and diversity from the core story.
Much improved over the original, enough to make it to 10 on this list, if you like super hero films, actions films, or even just Jessica Alba, this is worth checking out.
9. Stardust
A fantasy story about an average boy that has been chosen by fate to play a part in a very significant adventure. And what an adventure it is! With all the required fantasy features, magic, adventure, evil villains, comedy, a vulnerable heroin and an unlikely hero, this movie delivers a lot, matching the calibre of classics such as The Princess Bride and Willow.
An all star cast deliver an amazing film, however Robert De Niro really does steal the show as Captain Shakespeare!
8. The Golden Compass
In a parallel world, the Earth is a very different place, where every person has their own 'daemon', an animal which represents their inner soul an is always with them. Where there is one organisation in charge of most of the world, they seek to stop a scientist who is following a theory that could disprove everything that they preach (no, they don't necessarily believe it!). His niece, Lyra get's caught up in an adventure to help her uncle, have to fend for herself as she learns of other deceit and trickery. Of course she makes some friends along the way who travel with her to help on her journey. And did I mention that there are friendly polar bears and witches?
This movie went by so quickly, you barely realise how long has passed by the time it is over. It's an super adventure, which leads you into anticipation for the second film in the trilogy. I just hope that the second film will get the go ahead despite the disappointing box office performance in the USA.
7. I Am Legend
The whole idea of this film really struck a cord with me, I just loved the idea. One man has survived in a world where a disease has either killed everyone or turned them into blood thirsty mutants. Will Smith was brilliant, playing a man who is totally isolated with only a dog for company for the last three years, getting dangerously close the edge of sanity as he continues to hunt for a cure for the disease
The movie wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be, I had expected an action movie and while there is action and it is good, it is not the core of the movie. I did find the movie fascinating though and definitely one of the top movies of the year.
6. The Bourne Ultimatum
Matt Damon returns as Jason Bourne in the third and (presumably) final film of the series. The quality of this film surpasses it's predecessor, with amazing locations and action scenes, not mention brining a close to the story of Jason Bourne. The story picks up and takes place between two scenes from near the end of the second film, with only the final 15 or 20 minutes taking place after the end of the second film. This worked well and was handled seamlessly.
As far as good quality actions films go, the Bourne series has been one of the best and Ultimatum has been a superb ending to the series.
5. Oceans Thirteen
Danny Ocean and the gang are back and this time it's all business. The first film, Oceans Eleven, brought heist films back into fashion and although the Oceans Twelve was fairly entertaining it just didn't have the 'purpose' that the original had. Not a mistake that is made this time, the story is there and the gang have a unified purpose that drives them on their biggest job yet. This isn't about getting rich, this is about pay back.
The film is focused, yet still maintains the humour and the twists that the series is famed for. It may or may not be the last film in the series, if it is, they have certainly gone out in style.
4. Spiderman 3
One of the best Superhero franchises to date, the previous two Spiderman films have been (appropriately enough) 'amazing', both in terms of Superhero Vs Villain action and in terms of quality film making. The third film had promised a lot, a close to the story arc that had ran through the first two films, new characters (including Gwen Stacey, former girlfriend of Peter Parker in the comics) and not to mention 3 villains; Sandman, Venom and a variation of the Green Goblin. Could a film deliver all this without losing the 'character' that had made the previous films so highly regarded?
Opinion seems to be mixed on this film, many thought they tried to do too much and dropped the ball, other thought that Peters 'emo' thing in the middle of the film was totally stupid, while others, including myself, though that it all worked and the movie was fantastic. In my view, his 'emo' phase was right, despite being a Superhero, Peter himself is and always has been a nerd. What he got up to is just what a nerd like Peter would think was 'cool' and would impress a woman - the audience might not think it's cool, but the point is that Peter did.
If you have seen the first two films, then you do have to check this one out as well. If you haven't seen either of the first two, then watch them first and then watch this. You just have to.
3. Happy Potter and the Order Of The Phoenix
Another year and another Harry Potter, hard to believe that this is now the 5th film in the series. Personally, I've been loving the Harry Potter films every since I saw the first one all those years ago. Of course, I've not read the books yet, so this may be why I find the films so brilliant while there are many people that do not (though in most cases the main complaint is about what was NOT included in the film). As with the previous films, the tone continues to get darker and the events taking place are increasingly more serious, while at the same time we are introduced to new wonders of the magic world, new magic spells, new characters and all new developments in the live of Harry Potter and to top it all off the movie ends with two of the most powerful wizards fighting at their best. In short, excellent stuff!
If you've enjoyed the previous films in the series, then there is nothing that would prevent you from enjoying this one as well. I await the 6th film with baited breathe.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
The 4th film in this list that is the closing part of a trilogy. The Pirates Of The Caribbean films have been something of a phenomenon, the first one came out of no where and surprised everyone that movie based on a theme park ride could actually be brilliant, never mind just good! The wave of hype that has surrounded the two follow up films has been huge, and while Dead Mans Chest was in itself a good film, the closing chapter, At World's End takes the films to a new level, finally answering some of the questions that have lingered throughout the series (such as, Is Jack really mad?).
The full cast of characters and some news one take the story in directions you would not have predicted, leading up to a finale of epic proportions. To cap it all off, the movie is brave enough to not quite give the happy ending that everyone would have been hoping for!
1. Transformers
The Transformers, once an obsession of my childhood, have finally been given new life in the live action movie I (and many others like me) have been waiting years to see! Ever since adaptations of popular comics have proven that they can be good (witness, Spiderman and X-Men as two of the best examples), this movie has been one has been at the top of my wish list. Despite the heated online discussions all across the internet and the fear that Hollywood was going to butcher my childhood, the release of the first trailer for the movie made my jaw drop. Not only did the Transformers look stunning, they also looked believable, hope brewed and anticipation of the July 4th release date grew every day.
Thankfully, the movie came out a few days earlier than expected and I managed to catch it on opening day while on holiday. I tried not to get my hopes up, just in case the movie was a disappointment, but it turned out that my hesitation was unnecessary, the movie was brilliant!!
The movie started off with a taste of what would be coming, as Blackout attacks and levels a military base. From there, you are left with no doubt that the action is going to be satisfying. As the movie progresses, there is plenty of humour and the story is built up at a reasonable pace. Although there is only limited action through the first half of the film as all the players are put into position, this allows the second half of the film to really go to town with the action, and it rocks.
True, the transformers don't really look like their original incarnations (or really any subsequent version either), with only Optimus Prime really keeping similarities to his original look, however it would be silly to think that the film would work in the same they all looked like they did in the comics or cartoons. They did keep to the spirit of it all and this is why it worked.
For me, The Transformers had everything it needed to make it my film of the year, which is more than I ever expected it would. Now we must wait for the next film, due in 2009!
