My Top Ten Films of 2010
I plan on doing a series of these Top Ten lists (as most people do). So like Top Ten TV Shows of 2010, Top Ten Ships of 2010, etc. Whether I'll actually get around to doing them is another matter. Here I present my first offering:
TOP TEN FILMS OF 2010
There's something you should know when going into this list. When I see a film I try not to analyse. I either enjoy it or I don't. If I don't enjoy it, then I'll analyse. I don't like being depressed, I don't like getting upset. To me, a good film is one that I can simply enjoy for what it is...which means most of my films are actions films and rom coms. I've seen 60 films for the first time this year. And these are my favourites...
10. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (as the title was in the UK)
Good, simple action. I adored Kevin McKidd as Poseidon and gained a new inappropriate crush in Logan Lerman. Percy beat Clash of the Titans by a mile, which really really surprised me. Best kids/teenagers film of the year.
9. Leap Year
Yes, this is a rom com. Yes, its generally regarded by critics as a not very good one. BUT I LOVED IT. Yes, its sexist and has a strange way of portraying Irish people. But Amy Adams is adorable and Matthew Goode is bloody gorgeous. I really enjoyed this film, its so romantic and funny and lovely and they have great banter and great chemistry. (Btw when I first saw this film I had a bit of a fangirl thought spasm, which can be found here.)
8. Prince of Persia
This film was a pleasant surprise. I expected an even worse version of The Mummy. After all, we all know how bad films based on computer games are. But this was actually good. Jake's odd accent grew on me and he was a convincing hero, and I'm gradually growing into a psychotic worshipper of Gemma Arterton. This was a great swashbuckler and a really good action film.
7. Kick-Ass
Well, its definitely kick-ass, that's for sure. Great great great superhero movie. Supercool action sequences, a foul-mouthed superawesome child action star, and Nic Cage actually being good in a film for once. I love the concept and the post-modern approach.
6. The Losers
Just a cool movie. I've only seen this once, many months ago, but to my mind The Losers is what The A-Team wants to be. Cool, awesome, funny, sexy, and oh yeah IT HAS DADDY WINCHESTER AS THE MAIN FREAKING CHARACTER! Best all-out classic shoot 'em up action film of the year.
5. Centurion
A completely epic film. A rough, tough, realistic (or at least what I think is realistic) version of the Roman empire in Britain. Gruesome, bloody, full of fuck-yeah moments, and it somehow reminded me of 300. Also, there's a group of men who are fighting for survival as they are hunted by the enemy. The majority of this group was either in Doctor Who or a costume drama adaptation. There's Mr Rochester/Stelios from 300, Mr Tilney, General Tilney, Mickey Smith, and David Morrissey who was both Colonel Brandon AND Jackson Lake (Doctor Who). And as an added bonus frickin GWAINE from Merlin is in it randomly! That alone bumped this film up a place in my list. :D
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1)
There is absolutely no way that HP wouldn't make my top ten list. I love it. I adore it. I saw this film three times the day it was released (at 9.15am, 1.15pm, 8.15pm...I'm dedicated). Its been a massive part of my life for years; its the reason I entered the world of Internet Fandom and its the reason I started writing. But this film is on my list for one reason; its a frickin good film. Quite a few critics only gave it 3/5 stars, which I think is ridiculous. You give Madagascar 3 stars. You give Leap Year 3 stars. But you do not give just 3 measly stars to Harry Potter. This film is epic, its emotional, its legitimately scary and threatening from the very first frame. This is not a safe, happy, magical place anymore. Anyone could die, anything could happen. Its a well crafted mystery-thriller. And a perfect set up for the last part (*sob*). Also, look at how beautiful/scary that poster is! I could stare at it and cry all day.
3. Inception
Yes, it really is as good as people say it is. I'm not going to go on about this one as I'm sure you've heard it before. Suffice it to say, this film blew my mind. Yes, its action packed but it actually respects the audience enough to assume that you can think. This is not dumb action, this is thought-provoking mind-bending awesomeness, without being pretentious. Leo was brilliant, a star is born in Tom Hardy, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt looked totally hot once again. *sighs* A definite classic.
2. Avatar
Avatar only just pipped Inception to the #2 spot. While Inception is cleverer and probably the better film overall, Avatar is the one that made me feel. When I walked out of the cinema I felt like I was going to explode. The key to this was probably the love story- I am a sucker for a romance and I adored the one in this. I love the sci-fi, I love the complete, intricate world-building and how immersed you feel in the world of Pandora, how real and detailed it feels. So what if the plot is essentially Pocahontas without the songs? Its beautiful and epic and BLUE! And it has heart. I cried, I admit it. I cried multiple times. Watching this felt to me like Titanic all over again. I'll watch it and cry for years to come. Thank you, Mr Cameron.
1. How To Train Your Dragon
It may seem a little odd to put an animated film above Inception and Avatar, but there's one simple reason why. I love this film. More than I love any other I've seen this year. I had grown a little jaded when it came to animated films as it seemed one was being popped out every few weeks, regardless of the quality or level of originality. (Please, please, Gods of Animation, stop doing crappy talking animals films!). Then this film came out. Vikings+Dragons can never not be awesome. But I didn't expect to adore Toothless and his relationship with Hiccup. Toothless's animation is beautifully done, he feels like a real dragon (I WANT ONE!), a real creature. I realised recently, that part of its appeal is that the way its "shot", so to speak, is like a real film- the angles, the lighting, etc., which somehow makes it feel less like a kid's film and more like an honest to goodness adventure. Its a slightly off-beat animated film, its lovely and hilarious and sweet and surprising. I love it because its an utter shock. I didn't expect to love this movie. I haven't loved any animated film since the golden age of Disney. No, not even Toy Story, which I never really liked. And yet I love How To Train Your Dragon. And I honestly could watch this film on repeat, which I couldn't do with any of the others on this list. This is going to be one of my favourites for a while.
TOP TEN FILMS OF 2010
There's something you should know when going into this list. When I see a film I try not to analyse. I either enjoy it or I don't. If I don't enjoy it, then I'll analyse. I don't like being depressed, I don't like getting upset. To me, a good film is one that I can simply enjoy for what it is...which means most of my films are actions films and rom coms. I've seen 60 films for the first time this year. And these are my favourites...
10. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (as the title was in the UK)
Good, simple action. I adored Kevin McKidd as Poseidon and gained a new inappropriate crush in Logan Lerman. Percy beat Clash of the Titans by a mile, which really really surprised me. Best kids/teenagers film of the year.
9. Leap Year
Yes, this is a rom com. Yes, its generally regarded by critics as a not very good one. BUT I LOVED IT. Yes, its sexist and has a strange way of portraying Irish people. But Amy Adams is adorable and Matthew Goode is bloody gorgeous. I really enjoyed this film, its so romantic and funny and lovely and they have great banter and great chemistry. (Btw when I first saw this film I had a bit of a fangirl thought spasm, which can be found here.)
8. Prince of Persia
This film was a pleasant surprise. I expected an even worse version of The Mummy. After all, we all know how bad films based on computer games are. But this was actually good. Jake's odd accent grew on me and he was a convincing hero, and I'm gradually growing into a psychotic worshipper of Gemma Arterton. This was a great swashbuckler and a really good action film.
7. Kick-Ass
Well, its definitely kick-ass, that's for sure. Great great great superhero movie. Supercool action sequences, a foul-mouthed superawesome child action star, and Nic Cage actually being good in a film for once. I love the concept and the post-modern approach.
6. The Losers
Just a cool movie. I've only seen this once, many months ago, but to my mind The Losers is what The A-Team wants to be. Cool, awesome, funny, sexy, and oh yeah IT HAS DADDY WINCHESTER AS THE MAIN FREAKING CHARACTER! Best all-out classic shoot 'em up action film of the year.
5. Centurion
A completely epic film. A rough, tough, realistic (or at least what I think is realistic) version of the Roman empire in Britain. Gruesome, bloody, full of fuck-yeah moments, and it somehow reminded me of 300. Also, there's a group of men who are fighting for survival as they are hunted by the enemy. The majority of this group was either in Doctor Who or a costume drama adaptation. There's Mr Rochester/Stelios from 300, Mr Tilney, General Tilney, Mickey Smith, and David Morrissey who was both Colonel Brandon AND Jackson Lake (Doctor Who). And as an added bonus frickin GWAINE from Merlin is in it randomly! That alone bumped this film up a place in my list. :D
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1)
There is absolutely no way that HP wouldn't make my top ten list. I love it. I adore it. I saw this film three times the day it was released (at 9.15am, 1.15pm, 8.15pm...I'm dedicated). Its been a massive part of my life for years; its the reason I entered the world of Internet Fandom and its the reason I started writing. But this film is on my list for one reason; its a frickin good film. Quite a few critics only gave it 3/5 stars, which I think is ridiculous. You give Madagascar 3 stars. You give Leap Year 3 stars. But you do not give just 3 measly stars to Harry Potter. This film is epic, its emotional, its legitimately scary and threatening from the very first frame. This is not a safe, happy, magical place anymore. Anyone could die, anything could happen. Its a well crafted mystery-thriller. And a perfect set up for the last part (*sob*). Also, look at how beautiful/scary that poster is! I could stare at it and cry all day.
3. Inception
Yes, it really is as good as people say it is. I'm not going to go on about this one as I'm sure you've heard it before. Suffice it to say, this film blew my mind. Yes, its action packed but it actually respects the audience enough to assume that you can think. This is not dumb action, this is thought-provoking mind-bending awesomeness, without being pretentious. Leo was brilliant, a star is born in Tom Hardy, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt looked totally hot once again. *sighs* A definite classic.
2. Avatar
Avatar only just pipped Inception to the #2 spot. While Inception is cleverer and probably the better film overall, Avatar is the one that made me feel. When I walked out of the cinema I felt like I was going to explode. The key to this was probably the love story- I am a sucker for a romance and I adored the one in this. I love the sci-fi, I love the complete, intricate world-building and how immersed you feel in the world of Pandora, how real and detailed it feels. So what if the plot is essentially Pocahontas without the songs? Its beautiful and epic and BLUE! And it has heart. I cried, I admit it. I cried multiple times. Watching this felt to me like Titanic all over again. I'll watch it and cry for years to come. Thank you, Mr Cameron.
1. How To Train Your Dragon
It may seem a little odd to put an animated film above Inception and Avatar, but there's one simple reason why. I love this film. More than I love any other I've seen this year. I had grown a little jaded when it came to animated films as it seemed one was being popped out every few weeks, regardless of the quality or level of originality. (Please, please, Gods of Animation, stop doing crappy talking animals films!). Then this film came out. Vikings+Dragons can never not be awesome. But I didn't expect to adore Toothless and his relationship with Hiccup. Toothless's animation is beautifully done, he feels like a real dragon (I WANT ONE!), a real creature. I realised recently, that part of its appeal is that the way its "shot", so to speak, is like a real film- the angles, the lighting, etc., which somehow makes it feel less like a kid's film and more like an honest to goodness adventure. Its a slightly off-beat animated film, its lovely and hilarious and sweet and surprising. I love it because its an utter shock. I didn't expect to love this movie. I haven't loved any animated film since the golden age of Disney. No, not even Toy Story, which I never really liked. And yet I love How To Train Your Dragon. And I honestly could watch this film on repeat, which I couldn't do with any of the others on this list. This is going to be one of my favourites for a while.