Number 1 : Pan's Labyrinth

I was so pleasantly surprised with movie visionary Guillermo Del Toro’s work in his unique fantasy Pan’s Labyrinth. It is a story filled with such wonderful themes and great new ideas that spark interesting thought that leads me to investigate and challenge my beliefs on different matters. The movie is done is such a beautiful way that it inspires faith in me, something that I don’t easily or often have without proof or reason. Pan’s Labyrinth is such a powerful movie that is full of magic and wonder and I love the way it makes you see life and death.



Pan’s Labyrinth is my favorite movie because not only is it a beautiful looking fantasy, it is also a completely brutal war movie about guerillas standing up for what they believe in no matter what the consequences. It is the only R rated fantasy movie I have ever seen and I really love the harsh reality contrasted with the magical influences. The violence is really in your face and I like how it takes you by surprise as well as makes you aware of the seriousness of the situation. In this movie based largely on fear, many wonderful themes are woven in that really get you thinking.


Pan’s Labyrinth is based in Spain and the movie is spoken completely in Spanish, which adds to the mood tremendously. The beautiful speaking of the characters fits perfectly with the dream-like world made in Del Toro's awesome style all around them. I was first reluctant to see this movie because I did not know how much I could enjoy a movie that I had to follow the subtitles the whole time during. But that was not the case at all. Spanish is such a beautiful language and I would really love to hear more of it from Guillermo. I also love to learn the Spanish words from the movie and gradually stop using subtitles. Pan’s Labyrinth is extremely moving and teaches us all sorts of things. I came out with a different view on magic after watching it.

Number 2 : Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction is my favorite of Quentin Tarantino’s awesome collection and is probably even my second favorite movie ever made. It is an extremely brutal and vulgar gangster movie that makes me laugh from the very beginning to the very end. Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, and Uma Thurman are all at their best and playing the best characters of their careers. It is just so well written and is such a fun ride the whole way through.

Though some people may see all of the killing and cursing in the movie as a over the top, many people like me think Pulp Fiction is the most hilarious, cool, and interesting gangster movie there is out there. It has several awesome plots going on at once that all interlock into the same story and I love how Tarantino arranges it all. Every character from every plot in the movie is absolutely amazing and fun to watch, including the small but funny role Tarantino plays.


There is so much awesome and classic dialogue throughout Pulp Fiction that just make it so unique and hilarious. The conversations and scenes between the characters are written so perfectly and so full of humor and they are performed even better. Samuel L., John Travolta, and Uma all play their characters flawlessly in ways that no one else could have. Their interactions are just so natural and real that it makes me feel like they are actually real people. I love to think that there are people like Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega out there with their personalities.


Pulp Fiction shows its gangsters and the people they deal with in a new and different light and at quite a funny angle. From this hilarious angle of their inner workings and relationships I learned many fun facts about random things that I would not have otherwise known. But in the end what I really want is to know what was in the briefcase.

Number 3 : The Incredibles

Pixar has never failed to impress me and everything done by them is absolutely amazing. The Incredibles, an animated superhero movie directed by the talented Brad Bird, would have to by my favorite of all of the amazing Pixar films. Its adventurous plot matched with innocent and hearty humor make it so fun to watch. Though Pixar movies are mostly targeted at young children, I love their flawless ability to relate their movies to just about anyone in the audience. Anyone from my little brother to my grandmother can enjoy what The Incredibles has to offer.

The film takes a turn away from most superhero movies. In The Incredibles, superheroes have been sued and outlawed forcing them to hide in society and blend in as everyday individuals when they in fact have superpowers. I love this direction in that it shows some superhero’s need to serve society and other’s lack of it, giving it a very realistic feel. The Incredibles revolves around the family of Bob Incredible, whose wife and children are also all supers. It’s hilarious to see superpowers applied to the everyday activities of home and family life.

I love all of the characters in the film for they are all very well developed and through vital scenes we get a great idea of how their unfortunate circumstances make them feel. Two of my favorite characters are not even members of the Incredible family, showing that Brad Bird puts stock in every role, no matter how small and I find that important in creating an entirely good movie. Samuel L. Jackson plays Mr. Incredible’s fellow superhero Frozone and he really spices up certain scenes adding his well-known and hilarious ethnic flare. Jason Lee's comedic style also adds greatly to the voice of the movie's villain. Brad Bird not only amazingly wrote and directed The Incredibles, he also did the voice for my favorite character of them all, Edna, who is a famous designer with a hilarious attitude. He plays her voice perfectly and probably better than an actual woman could have. Now that’s talent.

Even if you are not a fan of children’s movies, you can definitely enjoy The Incredibles. Pixar has slipped some fun in for everyone.

Number 4 : Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

I have never really been a big fan of musicals but Tim Burton’s adaptation of the Broadway thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street has won changed my outlook on it. It has an insane storyline, dark mood, and amazing singing from a lot of my favorite stars including Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Timothy Spall. They all actually belt it out on the screen and it really turned out amazing.

Johnny Depp, my favorite actor hands down, was first a musician and you really see it carried over in this musical. He plays Sweeney Todd and every moment of his singing is amazing and really interesting to hear. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard him sing and I am definitely not disappointed. His uniquely dark style transfers over perfectly to this tragic musical that is based on revenge.

Johnny Depp’s amazing acting accompanied by that of Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman completely satisfy everything I could have wanted from a musical created by Tim Burton, again one of my favorite directors. Yeah, his adaptation is extremely brutal and the story is pretty heart wrenching, but he pulls it off with such an amazing balance of the tragedy and the beauty from the original play. He adds humor to it like he does to everything and I really love the contrast in mood.

A totally amazing appearance by Sacha Baron Cohen makes will brings laughs to just about anyone. It is crazy to see who you might know as Borat or Ali G sing out beautifully with all of his heart. It’s hilarious and is quite a treat. His comic style applied to such a flashy and brutal character is a combo I would have never thought of but I am sure glad they did.

All of the singers/actors and actresses’ performances in the movie really amaze me and I would love to hear them sing more. Tim Burton’s style and design of things never fails to put me in a good mood, even when it is under tragic circumstances. Plus Johnny Depp is in it and anything he’s in is worth watching.

Number 5 : Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2

Quentin Tarantino is a movie-making genius. He’s right up there with Tim Burton on my favorite directors list. His movies are all so unique and completely badass in delivery that I think make his style really stand out. He really knows how to impress with story, look, and dialogue and always comes out with a very well rounded film. What he did with the Kill Bills just blows me away. The movies are so intriguing and genuinely cool to watch from the very beginning to the very end that it almost makes me sad to see them ever end (though Quentin has never made a bad ending). He really knows how to give movie nerds everything they want.

Uma Thurman is the star of the Kill Bill films and she really brought her best to the table. She plays an assassin seeking revenge on her former partners, who attempted to kill her but only succeeded in killing her unborn child (or so she thinks). Did I mention she is a samurai? It’s so awesome to see Uma kicking ass with knives and swords and even her bare hands because there’s just hardly ever movies with females doing so. She displays such physical and emotional strength that just makes me say “..hell yeah!” with ever blow she gives. Not only did Quentin create the action scenes picture perfect, he did not neglect the other important aspects of the film such as dialogue and mood. The dialogue of the film is so clever and amazing no matter which characters it is coming from. The way each of the characters speaks gives you a clear idea of who they are and what they’re about. Whether their situation is serious or casual, Quentin never fails to fit humor in and I love that. The mood of the movie is added to greatly by this humor as well as the bright colors and awesome music accompanied with it. Like I said, Quentin doesn’t miss anything. I have never watched one of his movies and wished that something were different.

Number 6 : Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder is the funniest Ben Stiller movie there has been yet, hands down. He made something very new and fun while still sticking to his well known comedic style. He both directs the film and plays a starring role in it, showing how amazing he can be on either side of the camera. It has crazy awesome story, hilarious dialogue and scenes, and many controversial elements that make it an incredibly unique and amusing way to think of comedy. Tropic Thunder is definitely one of a kind.

The movie has all of the perfect actors in their perfect roles. Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Tom Cruise, and Matthew McConaughey all deliver hilarious performances in a big way. Ben, Robert, and Jack all play actors making a war movie. With actors playing actors, we really get to see them apply funny movie business stereotypes to themselves. Ben plays an overconfident but ditzy action star and Jack Black plays a cocaine addict who plays several roles in each of his movies (Eddie Murphy reference joke – so funny). But Robert Downey Jr. plays the controversial role of the movie. He is a famous Australian actor who has been casted as an African American war general. It is hilarious to see him use stereotypes to guide his character while an actual African American challenges his accusations. Robert Downey Jr. does such a great job at being black that many who watch it are laughing too hard to get offended and I think that was the movie’s intention. Things like stereotypes only hurt them if you let them and this movie expresses that we should all be able to laugh at ourselves. It is very well executed.

Only Ben Stiller could have given us such an over-the-top comedy. His concept and storyline was a bit risky to put out but he didn’t miss a beat and covered all of his bases. He ended up creating a comedy that was unprecedented but amazing. All of his risk paid off. You rule, Ben!

Number 7 : The Departed

The Departed is the best suspense movie out there and it is directed by Martin Scorsese, a total master of movie-making. Every movie he has ever made has been awesome (Gangs of New York!). The Departed is an instant mafia movie classic. It has an all-star cast and is gripping from beginning to end. There are many secrets and lies within the Irish mafia leading to many strands of betrayal. Scorsese brings us a captivating story with an attitude. “Cops or Criminals. When you’re facing a loaded gun, what’s the difference?”

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as an undercover cop, William Costigan, that seems to be the only person in the movie with his heart in the right place. He does an incredible job with this one in being sensitive and a badass at the same time. His character is an overworked, mentally drained undercover policeman who runs a long and constant sting operation in the mafia in order to build a case on one of its crime lords, Frank Costello, played hilariously by Jack Nicholson. He plays his role both powerfully and humorously making him very appealing on top of being the bad guy. Matt Damon’s character is a total prick and he plays it perfectly. He is a dirty cop who acts as an informant to Costello. When these three relationships get all tangled up, insane intensity ensues. As Costigan betrays Costello, Costello betrays his cop informant and the outcomes of this are explosive. You don’t ever know for sure how it’s all going to end with this movie until it actually does. The cop informant kills Costigan to cover his own ass. Though this ending makes you go “WTF?!” it is all made up for in the end. Mark Wahlberg plays an amazing character that is a must see performance. He is absolutely vital and he is hilarious.

From the hilarious dialogue to the surprise ending, Scorsese made this movie completely awesome. Though it is different from most mob movies, The Departed shows you crime from many different angles all at once and it is so captivating. I love you Leonardo DiCaprio.

Number 8 : Big Fish

I love every aspect of just about everything Tim Burton has made. He is my favorite for sure. Big Fish would have to be my favorite of his movies because I think it’s story and the style in which it’s told makes it stand apart from the rest. It’s fun to follow and interesting to watch as you go through a man’s life as seen through his own eyes. The storytelling in this movie is larger than life is showing us that it all depends on how you look at things. I love Tim Burton’s quirky ways of teaching us things about life. He inspires me in all kinds of ways.
The movie is based on Daniel Wallace’s book Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions. This wonderful and unique story mixed with Tim’s amazing ability to grab your attention makes this a movie of mythic proportions. It is a tale of an imaginative, storytelling father who is on his deathbed. The movie takes you through his amazing life as he saw it himself; to me it is like a dream. His son feels that his father is too imaginative and has excessively fabricated every story he has ever told. As he furthers his understanding of his father’s life, he comes to find how real his father’s crazy life stories really are. The story of Big Fish has such an amazing and warmhearted feeling to it that makes me want to watch it over and over; it just makes you happy. It’s like a dream that Tim Burton has beautifully created where nothing is impossible and everything is more fun.

Ewen McGregor does an amazing job at playing the young Edward Bloom. He is as charming and perfect as the world Tim has built around him. It is so intriguing and fun to watch that you just wish his story could keep going and never end. But that’s what is so great about this story. It ends with you knowing that all people die but that some live on in what they leave behind.

Number 9 : Watchmen

Zach Snyder’s most recent movie Watchmen is the best comic book movie ever. It is based on the story of the popular (and rightfully so) graphic novel written by the amazing Alan Moore, who is a comic genius. Snyder is well known for making movies based on stories that already exist but this time he has outdone himself . His dead on accuracy in the transition from the book to the movie makes this a movie that I wouldn’t even go as far as to say the book was better, like I would with just about every other movie I’ve seen that is based on a book. Sure, I more strongly admire the book in that it is the original and amazing work from which the story comes; but Zach Snyder brings it to life in such an impressive way.

Not only did Snyder nail the story of the Watchmen pretty much right on the head, he also created amazingly similar camera shots to the still frames in the book and in turn giving the movie the same great look and feel as the comic. There were of course some things in the book that had to be edited out of the movie, but Snyder definitely got in the vital parts of the story and kept with the integrity of the original story.

Zach Snyder is also known for his intense action scenes that usually contain a lot of slow motion shots. He did not overuse slow-mo in Watchmen like he sort of did in 300. He added some great slow motion shots that really contributed to the feel of certain scenes while still keeping it to a minimal. I think the action shots were awesomely done.


I also love that the cast of Watchmen was not full of celebrity actors and actresses. Many of them I had never seen act but they all made their way to the screen in a big way. The actors and actresses in Watchmen may not be that well-known, but they all did amazing jobs at bringing the characters written on paper to life. Both Jackie Haley, who plays Rorschach, and Jeffrey Morgan, who plays the comedian, made huge impressions on me and I can’t wait to see more of them.

Who watches the Watchmen? All of you should. But you should most definitely read the book first. You have to see the transition to really know and appreciate how awesome the movie is.

Number 10 : Catch Me If You Can

Though Steven Spielberg has created many classics over the years that any sane person would enjoy, I love most what he did with Catch Me If You Can. How can you go wrong with Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Hanks, and Christopher Walken all in the same movie? They are all amazing actors. Spielberg does a fantastic job at telling the comedic and dramatic true story of one of 1960’s most legendary con artists, Frank Abagnale Jr. , who by age 21 had already stolen millions of dollars by using fraudulent checks and forging resumes and certificates, therefore passing as a pilot, an assistant DA, and even a senior pediatrician! It’s a wild story indeed, but it’s even cooler that it’s all true! The actual Frank Abagnale Jr. actually worked along in making the movie, which I find crazy cool.

Leonardo Dicaprio is a complete badass as Frank Abagnale Jr. He is confident, attractive, stylish, young, and clever, making you admire him immediately despite his deviant behavior. He is only 16 when he begins to con banks and employers and I give him props on being so charming and sneaky at the same time.

Frank is being chased and investigated by FBI agent Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks, who is a super hilarious and somewhat fictionalized character that adds greatly to the film. Carl is sympathetic to Frank while still stopping at nothing to catch him. His determination gets my admiration, making it an odd situation since I want to root for both sides. Tom Hanks is so perfect for this role, though it is apparently a bit fabricated. Mr. Hanks makes Hanratty an epic character that I'm sure only he could have delivered.


Christopher Walken plays the wonderful and supporting father of Frank Abagnale Jr. There is one amazing scene of his that makes me tear up every time! Christopher Walken is always such a real guy while still acting; that’s why I love him so much. In the movie, he delivers an extremely emotional scene in which he chokes up crying while telling the sweetest story of how he and Frank’s mother had first met. It is such a genuine and sincere performance that even the director wasn't expecting it. He must have been pleasantly surprised though.


Catch Me If You Can is bound to become more of a classic as the years go on. It gets me laughing loudly in one minute then tense with suspense in the next every time I watch it. The movie has such whole-hearted themes and great characters that just about everyone can relate to. Though Frank does things that are supposed to be looked down upon by society, I think this movie gives everyone's inner rebel a little satisfaction. A ride alongside this con artist is an enjoyable one indeed.