Top Ten of 2006

Friday, January 5, 2007 6:44 AM

Because I'm really kind of sick of waiting for Children of Men and Pan's Labyrinth to show up in a theater near me, I'm going to go ahead and post my Top Ten list for 2006. Those two will just have to go on this year's list next January.

Runners Up:
20) Night Watch
19) The Prestige
18) Slither
17) Silent Hill
16) Lady in the Water
15) Happy Feet
14) World Trade Center
13) Hard Candy
12) Flags of Our Fathers
11) Hollywoodland

Top Ten:
10) JOYEUX NOEL - In a year when the war in Iraq should have ended, it's good to see a movie like this. One that not only denounces war, but does so in the name of Christmas. The fact that the film is trilingual (English, German, French) makes things a bit confusing, but the message comes across loud and clear.

9) SUPERMAN RETURNS - A lot of people railed on this movie for being boring. They must've been watching a different movie. While certainly not the most thrilling movie released this year, Superman Returns reminded us why we need Superman, and Bryan Singer's steady direction shows just how much difference the director's touch makes (Brett Ratner, the guy who ruined X-Men 3, was originally supposed to direct this). The opening titles alone are worth your money.

8) PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST - Everyone who was disappointed in this film was either asking for far too much, or forgetful of the fact that this is only half of the story. Some of the best special effects 2006 had to offer, and one monster soundtrack helped make this the 3rd highest grossing movie ever.

7) MONSTER HOUSE - After Pixar's Cars left me seriously disappointed, the only thing to ease that disappointment was Monster House. Not only was it more interesting, it was simply a better film on every front. What Robert Zemeckis did with The Polar Express finally looks palatable onscreen. The CG work here is amazing.

6) LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE - Sometimes simple is better, and that's kinda what Little Miss Sunshine is all about. It's funny when it needs to be, dramatic when it needs to be. Despite being rated R, it's more or less the perfect family film.

5) (tie) CLERKS 2 / ROCKY BALBOA - The only reason I put both of these in the #5 spot is because they're about the same thing. People get older, but that doesn't mean they're completely done for. Rocky, Randal, and Dante all showed us that there's still life to be had after one's prime. These are arguably the best films that either Kevin Smith or Sly Stallone has ever directed.

4) THE DEPARTED - It's a pretty great movie, if you can stomach the violence, language, and an ending that makes you ask "Why?" Not "Why?" as in "Why did that happen?", but more of a "Why did the movie have to end like that." The ending drops the ball on an otherwise perfect movie. And for that, it gets 4th place.

3) CASINO ROYALE - Stands toe to toe with my personal favorite Bond movie (Goldeneye), and frequently borders on greatness. Daniel Craig is easily the best Bond since Sean Connery, and the opening credits are relentlessly cool.

2) V FOR VENDETTA - This is my personal favorite of 2006, even though it's in the #2 spot. It's not perfect, but there are enough great moments and top-notch scenes that make it worthy of any collection. Political allegory, science fiction, social fiction, action, suspense, it's all here, and it's fantastic. Hugo Weaving's V is the best character of 2006.

1) STRANGER THAN FICTION - Stranger Than Fiction worked on me like no other movie in 2006. It managed to mesh comedy with some pretty weighty drama, a stellar cast, and WIll Ferrell, who was surprisingly restrained. The premise was manipulated so effectively, that it didn't matter if the whole movie seemed implausible. That's why it's stranger than fiction, because things are so off kilter that a normal story would collapse under the pressure. In a year of movies that fly off the handle in every direction imaginable, Stranger Than Fiction brought things back down to earth in a way that ever

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