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December 31, 2008
Posted: 10:56 AM ET

CNN.com movie reviewer Tom Charity adds his list of the best — and worst — movies of this past year to the throng of such postings. “WALL-E” tops Tom’s list, and you’re welcome to post your No. 1 film of 2008 at iReport.com.

Critics are often roasted for their preferences, but Tom makes the valuable point that part of a critic’s role is to act as a guide — not to offer the final word on a film’s value, but to offer an informed opinion on what’s out there. Hundreds of films were released in 2008, many of which barely got into theaters (and certainly not in theaters outside of major markets). At the least, a reviewer can say, “Check this out.”

Of course, critics are a contentious bunch — even among themselves. (Perhaps especially among themselves.) There’s some infighting going on in the film-reviewing community over the addition of Ben Lyons to “At the Movies.” Lyons, who with Ben Mankiewicz replaced Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper on the long-running review program, has been attacked for being a “quote whore” and “an imposition.” There’s even a “StopBenLyons” Web site.

At the very least, Lyons appears guilty of hyperbole; even Will Smith probably wouldn’t call “I Am Legend” “one of the greatest movies ever made.”

What are your thoughts on movie reviewing? Offer your comments below or send them to iReport.com. Keep in mind, though: Not everyone sees eye to eye. Or, as the Rutles put it, “One man’s civilization is another man’s jungle (yeah).”

– Todd Leopold, CNN.com Entertainment Producer

Filed under: movies • pop culture


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Jennifer   December 31st, 2008 11:13 am ET

Best: Twilight
Worst: Max Payne

TerriL (Washington, DC)   December 31st, 2008 11:18 am ET

The best movie of the year, IMO, was “Tropic Thunder”. It’s what comedies should be, and Robert Downey, Jr should be up for Oscar consideration after his amazing performance as Kirk Lazarus.

Other top flicks:

“Wall-E”
“Iron Man”
“The Dark Knight”
“Changeling”

Deshard   December 31st, 2008 11:19 am ET

Milk, Slumdog Millionaire and Let the Right One In (Swedish– way, way better than Twilight)

Chris   December 31st, 2008 11:21 am ET

Best: The Dark Knight
Worst: The Love Guru (take a bow Mike Myers, the fat lady has sung)

Shannon   December 31st, 2008 11:23 am ET

I don’t have a worst, but my favorites were Sex & the City and Marley & Me.

Shannon   December 31st, 2008 11:24 am ET

Oh … also, The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger really was phenomenal in that plus just looking at Christian Bale for 2 + hours really made it worth it!

JJ Jones   December 31st, 2008 11:24 am ET

Best Movie: The Wrestler with Milk, WALL-E and My Winnipeg next in line.

Worst Movie: Be Kind Rewind with Twilight and Hancock next in line.

As for Ben Lyons, I think he brings nothing. Check out his glowing review of the awful Valkyrie. Perhaps having a very famous movie critic father doesn’t hurt.

Kevin Higgins   December 31st, 2008 11:25 am ET

Best Movie of the Year was Slumdog Millionaire.

Daniel   December 31st, 2008 11:26 am ET

Best: Dark Knight
Worst: Hancock

ADB   December 31st, 2008 11:27 am ET

WALL-E for sure

Brock   December 31st, 2008 11:28 am ET

Best – Frost/Nixon
Worst – Punisher: War Journal

Joe   December 31st, 2008 11:29 am ET

Best: Dark Knight and Wall-E

Havent seen Worst films. that would be waste of money.

Kevin   December 31st, 2008 11:30 am ET

Best: Dark Knight

Troy   December 31st, 2008 11:31 am ET

Best – Wall-E

Worst – Speed Racer

chris   December 31st, 2008 11:32 am ET

Best: The Dark Knight
Worst: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

I’m not sure why Button is getting the praise it is receiving. It was well acted, but a poor story. The entire time sitting in the theater, i thought i was watching a bastardized version of Forrest Gump. The movie was too long, most was uneventful and the theme seemed to jump all over the place without a clear focal point. I believe that there are so many “critics” that say this is a work of art that the general audience convinces itself that it must be.

SamIam   December 31st, 2008 11:34 am ET

The Dark Knight was the best film, hands-down. Nothing else was even CLOSE.

Worst: Twilight… a film for wannabe goth girls looking for sappy romance and no substance.

Vishal   December 31st, 2008 11:36 am ET

Best : Dark Knight

Worse : Max Payne & Hancock

KevinPS   December 31st, 2008 11:36 am ET

Best movie: Ironman
Worst movie: Star Wars Clone Wars–Just when you think Lucas can’t sink any lower…

Chase   December 31st, 2008 11:37 am ET

Movies suck. They are one of the reasons people are fat and lazy.. Get a life. Seriously. Enough said.

Tony   December 31st, 2008 11:38 am ET

Best:
U2-3D, Blindness, Milk

Worst:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Happening, The Mummy 3

Elisa   December 31st, 2008 11:39 am ET

Best: Wall-E and Sex and the City

Worst: House Bunny

Larry   December 31st, 2008 11:39 am ET

Best film was The Dark Knight. Everything else was a distant second.

heather   December 31st, 2008 11:39 am ET

Wall-E hands down. Not many movies (children’s or not) can have no dialog in the first act. the images were amazing, the characters were rich, and the message was sweet. beautiful film with a bonus to your kids singing Hello Dolly!

Brian   December 31st, 2008 11:40 am ET

Best: Dark Knight
Worst: You Don’t Mess With The Zohan

Deb   December 31st, 2008 11:41 am ET

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is at the top of my “best of” list. I’d put “The Day the Earth Stood Still” on my “worst” list.

Kyle   December 31st, 2008 11:42 am ET

Best: The Dark Knight

Worst: The Happening

Nilay   December 31st, 2008 11:42 am ET

From the ones I’ve seen:

Best-Dark Knight
Worst -Quantum of Solace

PG   December 31st, 2008 11:43 am ET

Best: Slumdog Millionaire

Jason   December 31st, 2008 11:43 am ET

Best: Dark Knight

Worst: Step Brothers, Twilight,

David   December 31st, 2008 11:43 am ET

BEST
-curious case of benjamin button

WORST
-Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (we waited almost 20 years for that??? bleh!!)

Lori   December 31st, 2008 11:44 am ET

best: the dark night

worst: babylon AD

Brent   December 31st, 2008 11:45 am ET

Best: Gran Torino, Wall-E, Dark Knight, Valkyrie

Worst: Hancock

Oliver   December 31st, 2008 11:47 am ET

Best: “Milk,” “Doubt” and “WALL*E”
Worst: “The Love Guru”

Gesso   December 31st, 2008 11:47 am ET

Best: Twilight (entertaining) Wall-E and The Wrestler (all around good)
Worst: House Bunny

LTJ   December 31st, 2008 11:51 am ET

Best: Miracle at St. Anna
Worst: The Happening

Suzye   December 31st, 2008 11:52 am ET

Best: Dark Knight & Milk

Worst: NYC Synodoche (cq)

Tabatha   December 31st, 2008 11:53 am ET

Best:
Twilight
The Dark Night

Worst:
WallE

Dustin   December 31st, 2008 11:54 am ET

Best: Wall-W, The Dark Knight, and 21
Worst:OMG The Happening. BTW the plants can’t kill you!!!

Jim   December 31st, 2008 11:55 am ET

WALL-E. Period.

The rest was unwatchable.

Americans have completely forgotten how to make good movies. Watch foreign films…if you can muster up the effort to read subtitles.

GENGEN   December 31st, 2008 11:55 am ET

Best: Twilight
Worst: Street Kings

Dustin   December 31st, 2008 11:55 am ET

SOrry for the TYPO i meant Wall-E!

Danilo   December 31st, 2008 11:56 am ET

Best: Seven Pounds
Worst: Twilight

Top 5

1. Seven Pounds
2. Valkyrie
3. The Wrestler
4. The Reader
5. No Country for Old Men

Never mind the worst list, it made me projectile vomit.

pilzer   December 31st, 2008 11:56 am ET

Best: 1st=Iron Man 2nd= Dark Knight
worst= Kingdom of Crystal Skull

Bronco   December 31st, 2008 11:57 am ET

Best: The Dark Knight
Worst: Burn After Reading (I can’t believe I’m the first one who mentioned this one, or perhaps I’m the only one who saw it.)

Dustin   December 31st, 2008 11:58 am ET

Really Danilo No Country for Old Mean? I’m not bashing you just curious as to what you liked about it. To me it had an ending like an M Night Shamalan movie, just poorly written.

Spackler   December 31st, 2008 11:58 am ET

Best: The Fall/Dark Knight
Worst: Twilight/ Anything with Will Smith

Rob   December 31st, 2008 11:59 am ET

Best is a tie: Dark Knight and Cloverfield

Worst: Speed Racer

KJ   December 31st, 2008 12:00 pm ET

Best: Twilight, Doubt, Marley and Me, Valkyrie and Tropic Thunder

Worst: Hancock and Babylon AD

Matthew   December 31st, 2008 12:01 pm ET

Best: Dark Knight

Worst: The Transporter 3, You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, and
Hancock

Brittani   December 31st, 2008 12:02 pm ET

Best: Twilight, Hancock,and Mamma mia
Worst: Dark knight

Lex   December 31st, 2008 12:02 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight. Hands down, no other movie is even close.

Worst: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I think that South Park got it right when they had their episode about this movie.

Sam   December 31st, 2008 12:02 pm ET

Best – The Dark Knight, Quantum of Solace, Iron Man, Gran Torino

Worst – Twilight, Sex and the City, and Mamma Mia…none of which I saw but the previews made me understand why the rest of the world hates America so much.

JK   December 31st, 2008 12:02 pm ET

The Dark Knight was the best without a doubt. Nothing else evern came close. As far as worst I want 2 hours of my life back from M.Night Shamalamawhatever for the Happening

Autumn   December 31st, 2008 12:03 pm ET

Best: Australia–so many people hated this film for being overly dramatic and sappy, but I saw it as stylized Old Hollywood and loved it

Worst: The Happening–in fact, it was the worst movie I’ve ever seen–and Twilight was a close second. As a fan of the books, I was HORRIFIED by the movie

Dan   December 31st, 2008 12:04 pm ET

Best- Dark Knight
Worst- Burn After Reaing

Dan   December 31st, 2008 12:05 pm ET

The Matador – an incredible documentary that should get academy consideration

Judith Canaan   December 31st, 2008 12:05 pm ET

Best: Appaloosa
Next Best: Burn After Reading

Susan   December 31st, 2008 12:06 pm ET

Best: Iron Man – even friends and family who aren’t into superhero movies loved it. No one but Robert Downey Jr could play Tony Stark so well. (Wall E. a close 2nd)
Worst: Four Christmases – what a waste of an hour and 22 minutes!

Denise   December 31st, 2008 12:07 pm ET

The “Dark Knight” good movie – Heath Ledger, a young man with so much talent to offer, Michael Caine always good, Christian Bale…hello.
“Topic Thunder” – funny movie – Tom Cruise should just stick to comedy.
Worst – movie Valkyrie

Tara   December 31st, 2008 12:08 pm ET

Talk about immature… *rolls eyes*

Best: “The Duchess”, “Frost Nixon”, “Kung Fu Panda”, “Wall-e”, “Slumdog Millionaire”, and not the best of the best but I laughed really hard was “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”. The acting in “W.” was amazing even though I thought it was a little boring.

Worst: I can only think of one right now…”Indiana Jones”

Bobby E   December 31st, 2008 12:08 pm ET

Best – The Dark Knight
worst – come on people don’t forget SPEED RACER
one of the WORST MOVIE ever!!!!!!!!
and meet dave.

SNOW BUNNY   December 31st, 2008 12:09 pm ET

The Dark Knight has to be the greatest movie of 08! Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker is the most remarkable performance of the year.

Benja   December 31st, 2008 12:10 pm ET

Best: Australia
The Changeling
Burn After Reading

Worst: The Happening (SUCKED)

JMF   December 31st, 2008 12:11 pm ET

Um..The Dark Knight. Why is there any discussion? Best by far. Worst? Wanted, hands down the biggest pos on screen

somto   December 31st, 2008 12:11 pm ET

the best movie by far this entire year was batman. Economically it did outstanding. 2nd richest movie of all time after the titanic. RIP Ledger. The second best movie of this year was slumdog millionair. This was not just a story of love and romantic heroism but told of a storiy that is within evryone’s hearts.

Sherry   December 31st, 2008 12:13 pm ET

The family that Preys

Jeffrey   December 31st, 2008 12:14 pm ET

Top: RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Bottom: THE LOVE GURU

james   December 31st, 2008 12:15 pm ET

the best movie this year would have to be as weird as it sounds “Speed Racer” due to fact that Christina Ricci played Trixi as well as the use of the red lens camera. The colors just made the whole movie. Lets not forget the Mach 5 or the Grand Prix Mach 6.

The worst movie this year would have to be…..I havent seen anything this year i havent pleased with.

For the most part you have to take movies for what they are and you will never be too bumbed about the flick going to the dogs.

lisa   December 31st, 2008 12:15 pm ET

i don’t have a worst. 2 best wall-e and marley and me

David   December 31st, 2008 12:16 pm ET

Best: A Band’s Visit (I saw it this year but it came out previously)
Honorable mention: Wall*E

Worst: The Dark Knight, the most overrated film in history

Alisa   December 31st, 2008 12:17 pm ET

Best: Slumdog Millionaire
Worst: Yes Man

BEV   December 31st, 2008 12:17 pm ET

TWILIGHT
INDIANA JONES

kevin g   December 31st, 2008 12:17 pm ET

top film: dark knight
other honorable mentions:iron man
incredible hulk
punisher:war zone
hancock
pineapple express
tropic thunder

buzbeech   December 31st, 2008 12:18 pm ET

Best Marley and Me
Iron Man

Worst Everything else. At 9.50 to get into a movie now they should try to improve on quality of product.

diana   December 31st, 2008 12:18 pm ET

Best:
* Dark Knight
* Iron Man
* Sex and the city
* Kung Fu Panda
* Wanted
* Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Worst:
* Marley and Me
* The happening

I’m seeing Slumdog Millioniare tonight,i’m glad it’s in most of your guys’ favorite list

MEBNYC   December 31st, 2008 12:19 pm ET

BEST: The Dark Knight

WORST: Quantum of Solace

Kiera   December 31st, 2008 12:22 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight

Worst: Twilight

Mandy T   December 31st, 2008 12:23 pm ET

The best movie of the year was WALL-E. Any movie that could convey so much using a machine who is more human than the actual humans… this movie deserves a best picture nod.

The worst movie of the year was Kingdom of the Crystal Skull simply because it ruined all the wonderful memories of Indy that we’ve held near and dear for 20+ years.

NEW   December 31st, 2008 12:23 pm ET

Best: Movie adaptations of books are NEVER as good as the book, but I think they did a pretty good job with “Twilight.” Yay for imaginations, especially Stephenie Meyer’s at this particular moment. I also enjoyed “Iron Man.”

Worst: “The Happening.” Yes, we can do a better job taking care of the environment, but disturbing stories of the loss of human life are not the way to encourage us to be better stewards of the globe.

DK   December 31st, 2008 12:24 pm ET

Best I’ve seen in 2008: Slumdog Millionaire
A cathartic experience and A-level story. Supported by B-level actors, and an A-level director.

Worst I’ve seen in 2008: Shutter
I’m not opposed to Joshua Jackson, nor do I get offended when some mistake me for him. PG-13 ratings on horror movies concern me, it cheapens the scare. That said, this movie terrified me. How a 5th grade script and 8th grade story plot could become a big screen flick is incredibly. Thank god for the Slumdog Millionaires, Frost/Nixons, and Cloverfields.

Biggest Disappointment: Tie – The Bank Job and Step Brothers
Bank Job, like Paris Hilton, was not nearly as attractive as it thought. The byproduct of its attempt to mix clever with witt was a $10 snooze. Step Brothers had promise with Ferrel and Reily, but without a script and any fundamental direction, it should have gone straight to video.

Underrated: Charlie Bartlett
Thought provoking, sincere, witty and different. Need I say more? Well worth the $3.99 to rent.

Wendy   December 31st, 2008 12:25 pm ET

Best:: The Dark Knight, The Express-Ernie Davis Story, I also enjoyed 21
Worst: Indiana Jones, and the Love Guru

Marsha   December 31st, 2008 12:25 pm ET

Best: Twilight

Worst: Everything else

Kanayo N.   December 31st, 2008 12:26 pm ET

my top ten and worst film I saw in 2008.
1. Dark Knight
2. Twilight
3. Sex and the City
4. Wall – E
5. Narnia,Prince Caspian
6. Baby Mama
7. Step Brothers
8. Tropic Thunder
9. Wanted
10. The other Boleyn Girl
Worst movie I saw : Pax Payne

Leanne   December 31st, 2008 12:28 pm ET

Slumdog Millionaire!!

c-note   December 31st, 2008 12:28 pm ET

Best: Iron Man

Worst: Max Payne/The Spirit (tie)

soxgirl   December 31st, 2008 12:29 pm ET

Without a doubt…BEST was THE DARK KNIGHT. I still get chills thinking about Heath Ledger as the Joker

Andrew   December 31st, 2008 12:32 pm ET

Best: Slumdog Millionaire and MILK. Sean Penn was amazing!!

Karen TenEyck   December 31st, 2008 12:34 pm ET

The Reader
Benjamin Button

steven   December 31st, 2008 12:36 pm ET

hands down slumdog millionaire, why doesn’t fox searchlight release it everywhere

Matt   December 31st, 2008 12:37 pm ET

Best- Dark Night
Worst- Leatherheads

Eric (New York, NY)   December 31st, 2008 12:37 pm ET

Best Movies: Wall-E, Slumdog Millionaire
Worst: The Strangers

Louise   December 31st, 2008 12:38 pm ET

Best: The Secret Life of Bees was a wonderful movie!
Worst: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Awful!!!

Paris   December 31st, 2008 12:40 pm ET

best film of 2008: In Bruges

c.e.   December 31st, 2008 12:40 pm ET

I loved Wall-E throughout and still find new thing i missed when I watch it. And the Dark Knight had great acting and a few cool twists but the ending was cold. Benjamin Button had a lovely look but as a film it would have been cooler to show it from Daisy’s point of view as she did SOMETHING with her life. There I’m done with high tone critique now off to play LittleBigPlanet.

Sed   December 31st, 2008 12:41 pm ET

best
!. Dark Knight
2. Burn after reading
3. Seven pounds

worst
1. Max Payne

Alex   December 31st, 2008 12:42 pm ET

best: as we all know The Dark Knight

worst: “there isn’t enough space to write all of them down”

Laurie Mann   December 31st, 2008 12:43 pm ET

Best: – Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk, Rachel Getting Married, Wall-E, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (haven’t seen Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader, Good or Doubt yet)

Most Fun – Tropic Thunder, Iron Man (hey, look who’s in both!) (Mama Mia, Zach and Miri and Burn After Reading had their moments but didn’t work completely either)

Worst (that I saw) – Indiana Four – a complete waste of talented people (if a movie looks bad, I don’t go in the first place)

Most Overrated – The Dark Knight (a great cast and production values but a massive mess of a movie)

Biggest Disappointments – The Road and Soloist being pushed off until at least 2009

Other 2009 Movies I’m Looking Forward to – Star Trek, Harry Potter

gABbagabbAheY   December 31st, 2008 12:45 pm ET

Best: The Orphanage, Iron Man

Worst: Indiana Jones,

J-dog   December 31st, 2008 12:45 pm ET

Best: WALL-E: a true masterpiece, especially the first act!!! If this film doesn’t get the nomination for Best Film, it would be a tragedy

Worst: Bedtime Stories: my god, how can something so horrible not only get greenlit, but actually printed on film??? True garbage.

Zack   December 31st, 2008 12:46 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight
others include: Iron Man, The Fall, WALL-E

Worst: The Happening
others include: Journey to the Center of the Earth, Hancock

whitney   December 31st, 2008 12:51 pm ET

Best: Tropic Thunder, Let The Right One In, Slumdog Millionaire

Worst: The Hottie and the Nottie, 27 Dresses, Gran Torino (yeah, I went there. It was horrible, and you all know it.)

Matt   December 31st, 2008 12:52 pm ET

It’s been an AWFUL year for movies. This week I compiled my Top 10 films I watched this year (consisting of movies released in 2008) and none of the 10 would crack the list on any other year. Granted, I tend to watch “guy” movies, action and thriller pics, comedies and the like, but still…
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay was the movie I enjoyed most this year…and it’s not a very good movie.

The Super Hero Trifecta of “Iron Man”, “The Incredible Hulk” and “The Dark Knight” were all enjoyable movies, some of the best in the Genre…but PG-13 movies rarely motivate me to re-watch them or buy them on DVD.

“Burn After Reading” was a good Coen Brother flick…but certainly not their best.

“Hellboy 2″ was fun…but between the horrendous Young-Hellboy animation and the “Dungeons & Dragons” storyline…it wasn’t as good as I was anticipating.

I loved “Death Race” for its action and videogamesqe style, but the plot, and more specifically the concept, was horribly simplistic and unrealistic. I mean, if the US economy plummets and people are out of work all around the country…who the hell could afford to watch pay-per-view online Death Races anyway? Stupid concept.

The latest Indiana Jones flick wasn’t horrible, but it is the worst of the series.

“The Happening” and “Doomsday” were just bad, either conceptually or in execution.

All in all…a horrible year for Movies For Guys Who Like Movies.

UNCLE DUB   December 31st, 2008 12:52 pm ET

BEST MOVIE, TDK AND TCCOBB
WORST MOVIE; WANTED

WATNED WAS AN OVERRATED WANNA BE MATRIX. THE STORY SUCKED AND THE ACTION IS SOMETHING WE HAVE ALREADY SEEN.

A.J   December 31st, 2008 12:54 pm ET

Best So Far—Dark Knight……Heath Ledger left behind one last Tour de Force Performance..and STOLE this MOVIE!!!!!! Brilliant!!!!!!!
2nd –Benjamin Button.. True it’s a bit long .. But still worth seeing, A beautiful film ..

Worst– Indiana Jones– What a piece of ##it. I wasted 2 hrs of my time on that.
2nd — The X-Files …I could’ve seen this on T.V. What a sad ending to a Classic Series.

taichiman   December 31st, 2008 12:56 pm ET

Best: Iron Man

carlie   December 31st, 2008 12:56 pm ET

best :
1. The Dark Knight
2. Wall E
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Tropic Thunder
5. Iron Man
6. Pineapple Express
7. Gran Torino
8. Changeling
9. Twilight
10. Milk

worst :
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull…period!

everything else is decent.

paul n.   December 31st, 2008 1:00 pm ET

The Fall

bun   December 31st, 2008 1:00 pm ET

best: WALL-E
Changelling
Tropic Thunder
Mama Mia

Joe   December 31st, 2008 1:00 pm ET

My favorite, Milk/ Great perfomance by Sean Penn

kyle   December 31st, 2008 1:01 pm ET

best. the dark knight. every time i watch it heath ledger gives me chills
worst, the clone wars… omg if i have to hear “starkid” or “snips” one more time…. and the spirit. what a heaping bag of excrement

Mr. Bill   December 31st, 2008 1:03 pm ET

Best: Wall-E (that should say something when the remaining human movies are worse!)

Overrated: Dark Night – expected much more after all the reviews!

Most Disappointing: Indiana Jones – sameo, sameo – Harrison needs to age as gracefully as Sean Connery.
AND Quantum of Solace: Lousy plot and a waste of an exciting actor

Terrible: Kingdom of Heaven

Best Decision: Avoided all the new films over the holidays!

Tee   December 31st, 2008 1:04 pm ET

Best: Seven Pounds (Will’s best performance EVER!!!)
Worst: Zohan

All you people putting Hancock in the worst category are crazy that was a very good movie

Spartacus from Montreal   December 31st, 2008 1:05 pm ET

I consider myself quite the autority on film and that translates to the following.

There is ONE and ONLY ONE answer to this question.

In fact, it isnl;t even the film that was important here, it was the PERFORMANCE OF A LIFETIME AND ONE WHICH TOOK A LIFE !

Heath Ledger, DIED BECOMING THE JOKER !

There can be no querstion about it. You can see it in each scene he appeared in for The Dark Night !

never before had people orally expressed a desire to see aniother scene with an actor in it, whikle they were watching the movie in question.

At movie theaters all over North America, and IMMEDIATLEY everyone screamed the same wird at the same time…

OSCAR !!!

If Heath Ledger does not win best Supporting Actor at this coming Oscar ceremony, Hollywood will have done a DIS SERVICE to thr entire film industry !!!

In his sad and terribly tragic death, there is a HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR A MAJOR LESSON ENTITLED ACTING “101″ !!!

tHE LAST PERSON TO DO WHAT HE SHOUL;D BE GIVEN CREDIT FOR DOING WOULD BE PETER FINCH FOR THE MOVIE NETWORK AND IN THATCASE, WHIILE THE PERFORMANCE WAS INCREDIBLE AS WELL, IT DID NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO BEING WHAT HEATH LEDGERS JOKER WAS…

A SHOT IN THE ARM TO THE ENIRE ART AND INDUSTRY THAT IS FILMMAKING !!!

Michael5472   December 31st, 2008 1:06 pm ET

Best:

1. Ne Le Dis a Personne (Tell Nobody)
2. Wall-E
3. Milk
4. Conte de Noel (A Christmas Tale)
5. Ciao

Worst:

1. The Women
2. Indiana Jones and Tired Sequel of Death
3. Eagle Eye (Shia: take a break, heal the hand, change management)

Tom S.   December 31st, 2008 1:06 pm ET

Best:
Let the Right One In
The Dark Knight

Worst:
The Happening

Theresa   December 31st, 2008 1:06 pm ET

Best: Ghost Town and in second Twilight
Worst: Righteous Kill (worst movie ever with Marley and Me in as second worst movie ever: Did the director even read the book?)

Deirdre   December 31st, 2008 1:07 pm ET

The Dark Knight was the best movie of the year. It was the epitome of the “blockbuster”, as in everything you expect out of a movie but rarely get. It is about my favorite movie of all time.

Corey   December 31st, 2008 1:07 pm ET

My Top Five are:

1# Dark Knight
2# IronMan
3#The Incredible Hulk
4#The Mummy “Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”
5#Twilight

Kelly   December 31st, 2008 1:09 pm ET

Best- Gran Torino, Dark Knight

Worst- Indiana Jones, Revolutionary Road, Sex and the City

SoooSassy   December 31st, 2008 1:09 pm ET

best – The Dark Knight hands down!!!
worst – Hancock….yuck!

Sydney Bristow   December 31st, 2008 1:10 pm ET

My top 2 flicks
1. The Dark Knight
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

(of course, Slumdog and Frost/Nixon look to be good, just haven’t seen them)

My two no where near the top flicks
1. Four Christmases
2. The Incredible Hulk

(i try to stay away from such films)

Jamie   December 31st, 2008 1:10 pm ET

Best:
The Dark Knight
The Wrestler
Slumdog Millionaire
Iron Man
Tropic Thunder
The Visitor

Worst:
Indiana Jones 4
Harold & Kumar 2

Haven’t seen Gran Torino, Milk, Benjamin Button, or Revolutionary Road yet…..looking forward to checking those out.

Mikey M   December 31st, 2008 1:12 pm ET

Best: Slumdog Millionaire
Worst: Burn After Reading

JIm   December 31st, 2008 1:12 pm ET

Best Movies:
1. Batman
2. Ironman
3. Tropic Thunder
4. Hancock

Worsts:
1. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull(Alien trash)
2. Rachel getting marriedA (Vertigo from a handheld camera)
3. Four Christmases(No star chemistry)
4. Transporter 3(So bad)

Mikey M   December 31st, 2008 1:13 pm ET

Best:Slumdog Millionaire
Worst (tie): Four Christmases and Step Brothers

Jay Kay   December 31st, 2008 1:15 pm ET

BEST:
Doubt
Burn After Reading
WALL-E
Benjamin Button
Zombie Strippers
Milk
Iron Man

WORST:
X-Files
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The Happening

shell   December 31st, 2008 1:15 pm ET

Best-Hancock
Worst-Twlight

Benst   December 31st, 2008 1:16 pm ET

Best Movie: WALL-E!

Worst theme song: Quantum of Solace. Any movie with a song this terrible is not worth watching. Give the song a Golden Raseberry Award.

Dishorable metion to the fact for the last 40 years the 13 to 16 year old are told if they want to see an “R” rated movie they have to pay Adult admission and Then get a parent or guardian pay an additional adult price to see the film. One of the ONLY double standards still legal in the United States of America. It should be 17 and above pay adult prices, while 16 and under pay child’s prices, but, that will never happen.

Alexander   December 31st, 2008 1:17 pm ET

Best : Gran Torino / Dark Knight
Worst: The Day the Earth Stood Still

Denise   December 31st, 2008 1:18 pm ET

Best Movie: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It’s light-hearted and thought-provoking. It reminded me a lot of Forrest Gump, with a twist.
Worst Movie: Don’t Mess with the Zohan

claire   December 31st, 2008 1:18 pm ET

Best – Slumdog Millionaire

Worst – Wall -E. I could BARELY sit through this movie. The second time I saw it was on an airplane, which helped me go to sleep faster.

Oven   December 31st, 2008 1:19 pm ET

BEST: Twilight

I don’t have a bad one yet

laetitia   December 31st, 2008 1:19 pm ET

best: milk
worst: don’t have the time to watch bad movies

aaron   December 31st, 2008 1:19 pm ET

I can’t decide which movie I like the best. Here’s what I loved.

Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
Dark Knight
Wall E
Burn After Reading
Man On Wire

I try not to watch movies that I don’t think I’ll like because I have very little time, but I was forced to watch Mama Mia and it literally made me cringe throughout the entire movie. That’s my least favorite.

laetitia   December 31st, 2008 1:20 pm ET

best: milk, the dark kight
worst: don’t have the time to watch bad movies

Robby   December 31st, 2008 1:21 pm ET

Valkyrie! Tom Cruise may be weird but he can act.

Kevin in Denver   December 31st, 2008 1:21 pm ET

I know I’m just repeating what everyone else is saying, but “The Dark Knight” really was the best film of the year. It took the comic book genre in directions nobody would have thought possible. It has also permanently raised the bar for these types of movie in regards to story and social relevance. Best Picture and Director for Christopher Nolan for sure. Not only did it entertain for 2 1/2 hours, but it kept me thinking – and a bit disturbed – for days afterwards.

mmn   December 31st, 2008 1:21 pm ET

Best: Marley & Me; Eagle Eye; Dark Knight; Iron Man ( I guess I’m gonna have to go see WALL-E)

Worst: Totally disappointed in Indian Jones; The Happening (How ’bout The NOT Happening – M. Knight can’t top his 6th Sense or Signs -sorry M.); Hancock (i’ve been disappointed with Will’s choices of performances – i.e. I am Legend);

Robert Daniel   December 31st, 2008 1:22 pm ET

The Dark Knight. For an epic with such huge expectations to not only succeed as entertainment, but to deliver a perfomance which has already become legendary is a tremendous accomplishment.

Dennis   December 31st, 2008 1:23 pm ET

Worst – The Love Guru

Competition over.

Sammaji   December 31st, 2008 1:23 pm ET

Whoever said “No country for old men” sorry but that came out in 2007.

My faves this year: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight and Miracle at St. Anna.

Worst: Burn After Reading. Awful!

Anne   December 31st, 2008 1:24 pm ET

Frozen River – Best

Matt   December 31st, 2008 1:24 pm ET

After reading down through the list and noticing all the praises for The Dark Knight…I just had to respond.
I’ll give you Ledger’s performance as Joker was top notch…and the story was strong.
But there’s still four things that really annoyed me about the movie.

#1 – could someone please give Christian Bale a losenge. His whispery dialog as Batman was barely decipherable…like a creepy phone sex prank caller. It sounded fake, and overly-acted.

#2 – replacing sad-eyed cutie Katie Holmes with cherub cheeked Maggie Gyllenhaal in the role of Rachel Dawes. Was it really necessary to keep the same character in the movie? If Katie wasn’t going to do the sequel, why not just make the character a new potential love interest with a new name? Nothing erks me off more than when one character is played by more than one actor/actress in a film series.

#3 – a technical issue. What is it with movies now-a-days that feel it necessary to blare a symphonic musical score in the background of dialog. It’s fine to use music to heighten action scenes where it serves a purpose. But, I’m sitting in the theater watching Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox discussing some mundane detail and the background is this blaring orchestra racing along like a chase scene is taking place. I couldn’t follow what was being said because the orchestra was so loud and unnecessarily distracting. Maybe the theatre I watched the movie in was just crappy, but that would only explain the volume…not the stupid tune that was playing. And it was like that the entire movie. I paid to watch a movie, if I wanted to sit through a symphony, I’d get tickets for one.

#4 – Director Christopher Nolan was a bit too location happy. I read an article about how the director of Batman Begins used lots of special effect sets, etc, and that Nolan was going to do more locations…fine, I get it. But when Gotham City in one movie features a blend of dark-neo-gothic architecture and a high-tech city of the future…Nolan’s gotham leaves me a bit underwhelmed. Was the entire film shot in Chicago? Nolan’s gotham looks like any other boring American Uber-City. Nothing special…nothing to note. Completely forgettable.

Performances by Eckhart, Caine, Oldman, Freeman and especially Ledger saved the picture, the story was solid, but I can’t look past the rest. I was so afraid they were going to do what Batman did back in 1989, by killing the Joker. It really ticks me off when they kill of the super-villain in one movie. If it only takes one movie to kill the villain…he wasn’t that super! Lex Luthor plagues Superman movie after movie. Magneto always looms in the background to foil the X-Men. When the Joker didn’t die I was so happy. Of course, since Ledger died, I guess it really doesn’t matter. If the Joker returns, someone else will play the part…and his performance will always be compared to Ledger’s brilliant performance. Too bad.

Xander   December 31st, 2008 1:26 pm ET

I haven’t seen too many good movies but I have seen a bunch of bombs. The worst of the worst: Hancock and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Nothing worse than big budget bombs.

Pam   December 31st, 2008 1:28 pm ET

Mamma Mia! left me singing and dancing in the hallway. It’s nice to feel uplifted after a movie!

Matt   December 31st, 2008 1:28 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight, Burn After Reading, Tropic Thunder
Worst: Wanted, Quantum of Solace, W.

I still want to see Milk and Frost/Nixon

Frank   December 31st, 2008 1:29 pm ET

The best film of 08 is definitely “THE DARK KNIGHT”.

Heath Ledger performance will go down in history as one of the most powerful, dark, villain of all time. RIP to a man who played the roll the way an actor should with heart.
Congrats on your performance you will never be forgotten.

LN   December 31st, 2008 1:29 pm ET

Other nations may hate americans because we have people here who are arrogant and stupid enough to vote for a movie they didn’t see.

Best: Slumdog Millionaire, Tropic Thunder

Didn’t see any bad ones.

Eric   December 31st, 2008 1:31 pm ET

Best: Iron Man, The Dark Knight, Tropic Thunder
Worst: The Scorpion King 2. Man, that movie was horrible.

Tristen   December 31st, 2008 1:36 pm ET

TWILIGHT!!! Loved the Dark Night, too, but my husband, kids and I have seen Twilight 6 times in the Theater..no other movie got us to go out twice, let alone 6 times :)

Debbie   December 31st, 2008 1:37 pm ET

The Dark Knight. Saw it 4 times!

Craig   December 31st, 2008 1:38 pm ET

When I see the millions of dollars made when a new movie debuts, I think of how all that money the public is handing over at the box office, could be put to better use. There are a lot of people in the world that are starving and dying needlessly…I wonder if all the movie fanatics out there contribute to needy causes as quickly as they spend money on attending the newest movie premier…..

virginia   December 31st, 2008 1:38 pm ET

Best: Mamma Mia

Worst: Transporter 3

Joe   December 31st, 2008 1:39 pm ET

Among the best: The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Death Race, The Love Guru, Charlie Wilson’s War
Among the worst: Speed Racer (Worst, no competition), Wall-E, Hellboy II

That leaves out other movies just hitting the theatre now like Valkyrie for instance.

Speed Racer was purely awful. The story and the movie failed to live up to the 1960’s cartoon series hype. No other movie can compete with how bad Speed Racer was. Wall-E failed to capture my attention. Even my kids were little interested in it. Hellboy II was a bit better than Hellboy 1 but it was still pretty bad.

The Dark Knight makes a good argument to be #1 but Iron Man was so masterful that a good argument could be made there too. If you are into history then Charlie Wilson’s War was fantastic and Mike Myers was hilarious in The Love Guru.

rja   December 31st, 2008 1:39 pm ET

Frozen River deserves prizes: Melissa Leo, best female actor; Courtney Hunt for directing, perhaps writing. The characters remain with me long after seeing the movie.

On the other hand, the three actors in the closing long scenes of Doubt were intense, indeed breath stopping. Viola Davis was so convincing, so completely precise in coveying all of her character’s conflicting emotions. She turned her character into the only presence in the movie who could stand up to Sister Aloysius Beauvier. The tensions she conveyed in her long conversation with Streep — tensions between husband and wife, server and authority figure, between tolerance and rigid commitment to unquestioned notions, and between anguished hope and frozen focus on sin — deonstrated her great skill. Yet the next scene between Streep and Hoffman probably surpassed it in tension; those two actors going face to face was a great moment in flim, I think, and the multiple tnesions were all there as well. How can those two acotrs not be recognized — again. I’ve only seen Doubt once, but I want to see it again to watch more closely in those two scenes in order to better appreciate the ebb and flow of tension; I supect that pacing is the work of director Shanley. Maybe there is room for a director’s prize here as well.

Leslie   December 31st, 2008 1:39 pm ET

Twilight!!!

Laurie   December 31st, 2008 1:40 pm ET

Best: Movie: Twilight.
Finally, a movie not targetted to 14 year boys whose standard of entertainment equals people getting naked and stuff getting blown up.

Todd   December 31st, 2008 1:41 pm ET

Best: Valkyrie, Iron Man

Worst: Indiana Jones 4 – just terrible.

Nika   December 31st, 2008 1:42 pm ET

I would have to say the best was The Dark Night and the worst was the Love Guru.

Actually The Dark Night is may favorite movie of all times.

Sheri   December 31st, 2008 1:42 pm ET

“The Happening” was the worst movie I’ve seen all decade, nevermind all year!

Justin   December 31st, 2008 1:42 pm ET

Best Films of 2008: Wall-E, Dark Knight, Step Brothers, Tropic Thunder, Synecdoche-New York, Valkyrie, Doubt, Benjamin Button, Milk, Frost/Nixon.

Worst Films of 2008: Eagle Eye (I hate you Shia Lebouf), Indiana Jones (I hate you Shia Lebouf), The Hottie & The Nottie, Disaster Movie, Yes Man, The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Once again… Shia Lebouf is the worst actor alive.

Karen   December 31st, 2008 1:42 pm ET

You really have to be near a good “arts” cinema to see really good films, many of which are foreign and most of which never make it to commercial theaters – in Philadelphia, we have the very best arts cinema (3 Ritz theaters). I feel bad for folks who don’t have access to truly great films – and I know that’s most folks. The stuff you see at commercial theaters is mostly junk (not the mention the ear-splitting, eye-offending commercials you must endure) – I go to commercial theaters as rarely as possible and drive about 35 miles each way to see the very best films.

1. Milk
2. (Tie) I’ve Loved You So Long-Slumdog Millionaire-Gran Torino
3. (Tie) Edge of Heaven-Doubt
4. The Visitor

Donald   December 31st, 2008 1:43 pm ET

The Best: IRON MAN!! Followed closely by The Dark Knight!!
Worst: Every movie that the critics stated was wonderfully acted and full of life and story lines.
Maybe some day they will realize people go to movies to be entertained and forget about life for a couple of hours, not wallow in the depths of it for $8.00 +
But I’m not holding my breath

Laurie   December 31st, 2008 1:43 pm ET

Best Movie: Twilight

Finally a movie that is not marketed to 14 year old boys whose standard of entermainment equals people getting naked and stuff getting blown up.

Tod   December 31st, 2008 1:45 pm ET

Best: Wall-e, Dark knight, Button
Worst: All of those movies copying off The Ring and Sixth Sense

jenny   December 31st, 2008 1:45 pm ET

Well not having seen a lot of movies over the hoilidays. )Too much work.) I will say Wall-E was possibly the best I have seen although I do want to see Frost/Nixon, Milk and Doubt in particular. I was genuinely suprised and delighted by it. Also a shout out to Mama Mia. Yeah I know a critics favorite but man was it fun. All those women over forty singing along with the movie. Great. Most fun I have at at the movies in years.

Virg   December 31st, 2008 1:45 pm ET

Best: Let the Right One In with Slumdog Millionaire a close second

Worse: Not worse but disappointing was Quantum of Solace – what is it with rooftop chases

Kristy   December 31st, 2008 1:47 pm ET

Slumdog Millionaire for me was by far the best in ‘08, maybe the best I’ve seen in years.

Justin   December 31st, 2008 1:51 pm ET

I almost forgot, and I don’t know how I did, about THE absolute worst film of 2008: The Happening. I only saw this because my wife and I were over at a friends house, and for some reason he really wanted to watch it. I had given up on Shamalan long ago… I expected nothing. What I saw was probably the worst written script and one of the most ridiculous stories I have ever seen in a movie. I ask you, why is this guy still allowed to make movies??? The Sixth Sense wasn’t even that good. Why? Why? Why is he still allowed to pollute the movies with his garbage?

Along with Evan Almighty, this film ranks as one of the worst I have ever seen in my life.

Steve   December 31st, 2008 1:52 pm ET

Best: Marley and Me. Not just about a dog…

Worst: 88 Minutes. Cmon Al…

Dark Knight. The joker was great but other than that, nothing… The accent for Batman almost made me turn it off…

JD   December 31st, 2008 1:55 pm ET

Best: Dark night

Worst: The Happening

Brian   December 31st, 2008 1:57 pm ET

Best Movie: The Dark Knight

Kelley   December 31st, 2008 1:57 pm ET

I really enjoyed “Street Kings”, saw it several times and bought the dvd when it was released. I was disappointed with over half the movies I saw this year, but “The Happening” had a terribly high disappointment factor due to my expectations that it would be as good as “The Sixth Sense”.

Clyde   December 31st, 2008 1:59 pm ET

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will recieve all kinds of awards because it is an american classic from a short story by F.Scott Fitzgerald. The acting to top drawer. Sets and set dressing incredible.

moviegoer1   December 31st, 2008 1:59 pm ET

best is Let the Right One In, tied with Happy-Go-Lucky.
worst is Indiana Jones-mind numbing

mplsrover   December 31st, 2008 2:01 pm ET

slumdog millionaire
dark night

John   December 31st, 2008 2:01 pm ET

Best: Wall-E (Hands down the winner)
Worst: Milk (boring)

AJoanna   December 31st, 2008 2:03 pm ET

Best is of course “Dark Knight.” AMAZING. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but it’s definitely the best. Plus, the director realized he could make a good, powerful movie without ruining it with excessive language and sex. Kudos to him.

kkrist   December 31st, 2008 2:03 pm ET

Best : Twilight, then SATC

Worst: Dark Knight

Matt   December 31st, 2008 2:05 pm ET

Top Films:
Milk
The Dark Knight
WALL-E
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Comedies:
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Tropic Thunder

And Rounding Out The List of Horrible 2008 Films and Going Down in History as Films That Should Have Never Been Made:
The Happening
Hancock
Speed Racer

akert   December 31st, 2008 2:05 pm ET

Best: Twilight, Wallie

Worst: Dark Knight

Scott McGinley   December 31st, 2008 2:06 pm ET

I still think the best has been ‘The Dark Knight’, which brought comic book themes to the screen like never before. Although there’s no doubting Ledger’s brilliant performance as The Joker, Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon was equally powerful, though subtle. Beautifully well-written, human and thrilling, it has stuck with me longer than anything else.

If not the worst, easily and biggest disappointment for me was ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’. Despite amazing art direction and cinematography, Pitt was completely emotionally flat. It felt like ‘Meet Joe Black’ rips off ‘Forrest Gump’. What a let-down.

Scott McGinley   December 31st, 2008 2:09 pm ET

Oh wait: the absolute worst, perhaps of the decade, is ‘The Happening’. Should have been called ‘The Crappening’. Crude, yes, but it is really that bad. Bring on the Razzies!

Josh   December 31st, 2008 2:09 pm ET

Best. Milk
Worst. The Happening

Kel   December 31st, 2008 2:10 pm ET

Best: Don’t have one. Nothing was great to me this year.

Dark Knight= totally over rated.
I was so tired of listening to Christian Bale’s “Batman voice.” Agree with Matt that Ledger did a fantastic job. If it wasn’t more his death though I would have never been interested in the movie.

edge   December 31st, 2008 2:13 pm ET

Best – Dark Knight, Ironman and Sex in the City

Worst – Tropic Thunder (how in this day in age can we still confuse crudeness with comedy), Burn After Reading (too much hype and not enough delivery) and The Happening

Annie   December 31st, 2008 2:13 pm ET

Best – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire
Worst – Indiana Jones

Hollywood must stop being greedy. Three is a charm not Four!

Chris   December 31st, 2008 2:13 pm ET

Chase,

If you hate movies so much, why are you even on this blog??? You blast everyone for wasting their time watching them, but you are wasting your time bashing those who do? Seems like you are wasting your life to me…..

Dark Knight – for Heath Ledger
Iron Man – Unexpected Surprise

Biggest Letdowns – Wanted & Indiana Jones

Tommy   December 31st, 2008 2:16 pm ET

Best Film – Slumdog Millionaire
Worst Film – Mamma Mia
Most Overrated – Dark Knight….way too long and rambling, the end was like a steroid-hyped video game.

Rob   December 31st, 2008 2:17 pm ET

WALL-E-The first half of the movie was as close to perfect as a movie can get. The second half is not as good but overall easily the best movie I have seen this year.

William   December 31st, 2008 2:17 pm ET

The Best Movies Of 2008 were:

Wanted
The Dark Knight
Twilight
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

The Worst Movies Of 2008 were:

Jumper
The Forbidden Kingdom

sims   December 31st, 2008 2:18 pm ET

BEST: DARK KNIGHT

Amber   December 31st, 2008 2:18 pm ET

Best: Dark Knight, just all around amazing film. Iron Man, Wanted, and of course Wall-E.

Worst: Unfortunately there are a few…..The Day the Earth Stood Still. Note to studios. If you’re going to remake a film you should try and make it as good if not better than the original. Indiana Jones, Harrison what happened? The Happening, Hancock….so disapointing!

Ede   December 31st, 2008 2:20 pm ET

I just saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and I was shocked at how long and uneventful this movie was. A three hour character study of a wierd fictional character. First, it was a stupid story line with very little action and somewhat depressing. The study of death was totally lost. If Brad hadn’t taken off his shirt and flashed those beautiful eyes, I would have left.
The Dark Knight was just that, dark.
I’ll just have to watch reruns of the X-Men series!!!!

Steve   December 31st, 2008 2:20 pm ET

Most of the movies this year were mediocre.

Best documentary: STEEP
Most overrated: Dark Knight

I did enjoy Marley and Me and the new Bond film.

Kristin D in BFLO NY!   December 31st, 2008 2:23 pm ET

The Dark Knight!

Paul   December 31st, 2008 2:24 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Mathew   December 31st, 2008 2:24 pm ET

Best – hands down WALL-E is my favorite, followed closely by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Worst – Funny Games. anything but funny, anything but good.

walt   December 31st, 2008 2:25 pm ET

Best: Rachel Getting Married

Worst: Dark Knight

Barry   December 31st, 2008 2:26 pm ET

The Dark Knight was gripping, to say the least!

One movie critic put it well, when he said that it felt like The Joker (Heath Ledger) was sitting next to you, haunting you, throughout the entire movie.

Even when he wasn’t on the screen, he was an imposing and ominous figure throughout.

Heath Ledger certainly was a talented person. How sad it is to lose him.

April   December 31st, 2008 2:26 pm ET

For the best I’d Say Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, The Wrestler, Wall-E.

Good, solid entertainment, but not the best, would be The Wackness, Kung Fu Panda, Appaloosa, Wanted, Iron Man.

Worst! The Hottie and The Nottie! Why isn’t anyone listing this one here? And In The Name Of The King, that movie about killer plants, Speed Racer, The Love Guru, 10,000 B.C., and let’s not forget that sparkling vampire movie.

Tyler   December 31st, 2008 2:27 pm ET

Best: Burn After Reading (this movie is genius, you just have to get this kind of comedy that the Coen brothers are brilliant at.)

Worst: Tropic Thunder, Indiana Jones and Hancock (out of the ones that I actually saw)
i’m sure the Hulk, Iron man and the Love Guru were really terrible, but i was smart enough not to see them.

antonio   December 31st, 2008 2:29 pm ET

-JCVD- A must See-great film-
-In the city of Sylvia
-Milk
-Doubt
-Dark Knight
-Wall E

-Worst Movie-The day the earth stood still

Best Actor: Sean Penn or JCVD-my picks

Funny!   December 31st, 2008 2:29 pm ET

Hey Chase! It’s hilarious that you call us fat and lazy but you are (I’m sure) sitting on your ass reading articles/comments about movies. I’m never failed to be astonished at people’s unmitigated gall!

Will   December 31st, 2008 2:29 pm ET

Best: Mamma Mia

Worst: Mess with the Zohan

Nethy   December 31st, 2008 2:29 pm ET

Best: “Milk,” followed by “The Dark Knight”
Worst: “The Bucket List”

Ann Pack   December 31st, 2008 2:33 pm ET

Two favorites:
Marley & Me
Mama Mia

Ian   December 31st, 2008 2:33 pm ET

my top ten (and i have seen EVERYTHING!!!):

1) Wall-E
2) Milk
3) The Wrestler
4) Slumdog Millionaire
5) Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6) Revolutionary Road
7) Doubt
8) Dark Knight
9) Frost/Nixon
10) Iron Man

Funny!   December 31st, 2008 2:34 pm ET

Movies are my favorite past-time. Most are pretty good even when they’re bad.

Best: Tropic Thunder
Worst: 88 Minutes

They are replaying No Country for Old Men on cable right now and that movie still amazes me. It’s so beautiful that it almost makes my cry.

Scottsdale Drew   December 31st, 2008 2:34 pm ET

THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
Direction: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Cast: 5/5
Cinematography: 4/5
Screenplay: 5/5
Soundtrack: 5/5
Viability: 5/5
Pride Of Ownership: 5/5
Recommendability: 5/5
Entertainment Value: 5/5

This is filmmaking at its very finest. I’ve taken a couple of days after watching this movie back on Friday night, and I’m still shaking from the experience. The Dark Knight is one absolute f***ing knock-down-piss-in-your-pants-and-then-sit-in-your-own-urine-until-the-credits-are-done-rolling-and-you-see-the-MPAA-logo-at-the-end hell of a movie. If you haven’t seen it yet, and it’s Sunday night already, you’ve missed out on the mania.

For months and months leading up to last Friday, The Dark Knight had almost a total consensus of being one of the best films of the year. All the variables seemed to be working in its favor. The cast, the direction, the sharp writing, the entertainment value, the franchise, the darkness, and the sheer spectacle of it. The consensus was right. And I say that as objectively as I can.

The Dark Knight has tied for the highest rating I’ve ever given on the Drewbric. I consider it now to be one of my all time favorite movies regardless of genre. I take so many things into consideration when I rate a movie. More than the ten categories that you normally see. I try to take into effect the total package…and that includes the marketing of the film, a select few other’s opinions, and general pre-release buzz. This movie completely beats the ever-loving s*** out of all of those things and hammers its point home with a gravitational force only found in a shuttle blasting away from Earth at 14,000 miles per hour.

And since it is such a great movie, it by default sets a type of gold standard for all other movies of both in out of its genre. The Dark Knight defies convention, criticism, and it defies cliche. This film does exactly what a great movie is supposed to do. And that is to make you escape into the world that it has created. It makes you glad that creativity in this field of art isn’t dead, but rather alive and thriving with a pulsating heartbeat. The Dark Knight does all of this with only what I can call ’stellar accuracy’. Total Score: 49 out of 50.

NOTE: This was originally posted @ TrueFact (http://www.truefactdrew.blogspot.com) on July 20th, 2008.

###

vhamp   December 31st, 2008 2:36 pm ET

Year’s Best: The Dark Knight
Turkey: Don’t Mess With The Zohan

Matt Welsh   December 31st, 2008 2:37 pm ET

Worst: Seven Pounds

The makers of this movie deliberately mislead people as to the nature of the film by using deceptive marketing. The movie is not what you think it is about. It is dark, depressing and deceptive.

Misty   December 31st, 2008 2:38 pm ET

Best:
Changling
Wall-E

Worst:
Twilight – the books were fantastic, but the movie was seriously poorly done and a huge disappointment. The only really good character was James and he’s dead so it makes me wonder what movie #2 will be like…

Fun:
Hancock – the ending was surprising and it was fun to watch. Something different.
Wanted

Notable Mention:
Juno – it came out after Christmas 2007 so it deserves mention here.

PDIDDY   December 31st, 2008 2:39 pm ET

Best flick – Tropic Thunder: Robert Downey, Jr. was Oscar worthy and not offensive at all.

Worst flick – Bolt – The newcomer Mark Walton as the Hamster was hilarious but the explosion scenes near the beginning scared my 3 year old. John Travolta you need to tighten up your script selection.

rja   December 31st, 2008 2:39 pm ET

Someone asked what there was to like in No Country for Old Men. Plenty, I think. The subject alone — looking back in maturity at one’s life’s work and seeing that it has had little or no positive effect — makes the movie valuable.The scene that made me read the book included Tommy Lee Jones’ relating the good sheriff’s dream of his father riding by on horseback in the darkness. That image by itself — father preparing a place for his grown son, carrying light in a horn, light that is little more than banked glowing embers in the vast cold dark — delivered with fragile lyricality by Jones — taught me something about dignity at career’s end. I think the movie instructs us how not to become The Joker in the face of awful darkness.Tess Harpur’s Loretta Bell offering relentless and forgiving love in the face of evil helped make that dignity possible.

Kirbir   December 31st, 2008 2:40 pm ET

Best:

-Wanted
-The Dark Knight

Worst:

-Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull {aka Lost Script}
-I’ve heard terrible things about Valkyrie

Monica   December 31st, 2008 2:40 pm ET

Twilight!

Dane   December 31st, 2008 2:41 pm ET

Best: Iron Man.
Worst (and most overhyped): The Dark Knight.

cas   December 31st, 2008 2:41 pm ET

Twilight and the sisterhood of the traveling pants 2 were my favs.

Julee   December 31st, 2008 2:43 pm ET

BEST: Religulous and The Dark Knight (for Heath Ledger’s performance – I totally forgot that it was him)! HATED the voice Christian Bale used when he was Batman, but I still love him as an actor.

WORST: High Scholl Musical (ALL OF THEM – WHAT A WASTE OF TIME) & Valkyrie – which would have been cool w/o Tom Cruise, when will he go away?

Mary   December 31st, 2008 2:43 pm ET

Best: Tropic Thunder because, Wow!

Worst: Benjamin Button! Chris, I so agree with your BB take. It was just awful!

Ross Foyee   December 31st, 2008 2:44 pm ET

Best movies of 2008 are two that I saw in the last month. #1 Benjamin Button, #2 The Day the Earth Stood Still…very provacative and right on the nose with its plot!

aaron   December 31st, 2008 2:46 pm ET

It amazes me how many people say they were disappointed in the Dark Knight. I’ve never been a comic book fan and I don’t really get into the idea of superheroes, but this movie was spectacular. It was such a complicated story and it went much further into the character’s psyche than most superhero movies go. I loved Ledger’s performance, but I think the real star of this film is Nolan. He co-wrote an amazing script and captured it perfectly on film. The movie was intense because of the situations that Nolan put the characters in. Ledger’s performance helped, but performances can’t save a movie if the story is terrible. My hats off to Christopher Nolan.

Ron3853   December 31st, 2008 2:48 pm ET

Best: Slumdog Millioniare
2nd Best: Milk

Jimmy   December 31st, 2008 2:48 pm ET

Best; The Day the Earth Stood Still
Worst; Tropic Thunder

mileshigh   December 31st, 2008 2:49 pm ET

My Top Ten Films of 2008
1. “Slumdog Millionaire”
2. “WALL-E”
3. “The Dark Knight”
4. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons”
5. “Frost/Nixon”
6. “Revolutionary Road”
7. “Doubt”
8. “I.O.U.S.A.”
9. “The Visitor”
10. “U2-3D: The I-MAX Experience”

Most overrated: (tie) “Milk” and “Tropic Thunder”

Worst: “The Happening,” “Vantage Point,” and “Seven Pounds”

Jeff   December 31st, 2008 2:51 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight-still having nightmares over the joker
Marley and Me

Worst: I don’t go to worst movies.

roger siskel   December 31st, 2008 2:51 pm ET

Please don’t confuse a great performance with a great movie. Heath Ledger was as good as it gets. The Dark Knight was just better than average superhero fare.

Best: Wall-E
Slumdog Millionaire
Tropic Thunder

Worst: Sex and the City.
If you found any aspect of this movie enjoyable, you have neither brain nor soul. Who is your favorite musical artist? Hannah Montana?

Love Guru was almost as bad

Steve   December 31st, 2008 2:52 pm ET

The Dark Knight
The Wrestler
Ironman
Valkyrie

David   December 31st, 2008 2:53 pm ET

Best: Dark Knight, Wall-E

Worst: The Happening, Funny Games

John Scott   December 31st, 2008 2:54 pm ET

Wall-e and Milk are at the top of my list

Chris   December 31st, 2008 2:54 pm ET

Best : Indiana Jones , Quantum of Solace, Benjamin Button

Worst: Didn’t Bother

Jason   December 31st, 2008 2:54 pm ET

Best: Inside
Worst: Cloverfield

Nic Small   December 31st, 2008 2:55 pm ET

Best – Dark Knight (not even a question)
1st Runner Up – Pineapple Express (pure hilarity)
2nd Runner Up – Cloverfield (so intense and immersing)
3rd Runner Up – Wanted (what a fun ride this was)

Worst – Twilight (yawn) tied with The Spirit (seriously? was this a real movie or was I just fast asleep at a movie theater having a crazy dream?)
1st Runner Up – 10,000 BC (nice look, but so lame)
2nd Runner Up – Bangkok Dangerous (uninspired and so forgettable)

*Worst of all time – it’s still Lady in the Water, though I haven’t yet seen The Happening.*

Biggest Disappointment: The Incredible Hulk (Preferred the look of Ang Lee’s CG Hulk though this movie tied with Ang for poor story line)

Most Pleasantly Surprised: Speed Racer (a lot more fun than I expected based on reviews)

marianne   December 31st, 2008 2:56 pm ET

BEST: Sex and The City

WORST: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (how could that be so not funny)
The Love Guru (terrible, but not as bad as the reviews)
Hancock –2nd hour with Charlize Theron. First hour was good!
Although not horrible, I was dissapointed with Quantum of Solace, all because Casino Royale was an absolutely oustanding film

d.w.   December 31st, 2008 2:56 pm ET

The Best film I saw this year was:

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” – AWESOME

best action film:

“The Dark Knight” – Heath Ledger really was brilliant and amazing.

Chris   December 31st, 2008 2:56 pm ET

Rethought the Worst: “X-Files-I Want To Believe”

Scully and Mulder should’ve stayed in retirement….

JP Fan   December 31st, 2008 2:57 pm ET

Worse:

1. Twilight
2. Twilight
3. Twilight

Nothing comes close except maybe

4. Marly and Me.

Best:

1. Slumdog Millionaire
2. Let the Right Onw In (if you liked Twilight, do not go see this because you will not understand it).
3. Milk
4. Happy Go Lucky
5. Wall-e

Most disappointing:

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Performances:

1. Heath Ledger in Batman
2. Kate Winslett in the Reader
3. Sean Penn in Milk
4. Kate Winslett in Revolutionary Road
5. Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road

Worse Perfomances:

1. ANYONE AND EVERYONE IN Twilight
2. Al Pacino in 88
3. Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino

Most overrate Film:

1. Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Chris   December 31st, 2008 2:58 pm ET

and to add to Best….”Clone Wars” my kids and I loved it.

Dave   December 31st, 2008 2:58 pm ET

Best: Iron Man & Dark Night

Worst SAW V, and I’m a huge SAW fan! Let it go guys, it’s DONE!

Karen Collins......Missouri   December 31st, 2008 2:59 pm ET

best.. Hancock, Wall-e (And I just saw this one and I liked it very much)Twilight. So there are my best.

As for the worst if I don’t like the trailer I don’t go to the movies and waste money

Gary   December 31st, 2008 2:59 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight, Appalossa

Worse: Wall-E

Rose   December 31st, 2008 3:00 pm ET

Two bests: Choke, In Bruges

Worst: You Don’t Mess with the Zohan

Tomm888   December 31st, 2008 3:00 pm ET

Best: The Curous Case of Bejamin Button
Worst: 7 Pounds

karyn   December 31st, 2008 3:00 pm ET

Best:
Prince Casipain and of course Dark Night.

Ab   December 31st, 2008 3:01 pm ET

Best- Slumdog Millionaire
Worst- Yuma

Ab   December 31st, 2008 3:01 pm ET

Best – slumdog millionaire

Jay   December 31st, 2008 3:02 pm ET

SlumDog = Best Romantic Movie [and my person fav of the year]
Frost Nixon = Best snooty movie
The Reader = Best awkward movie [in a good way]
Doubt = Best expected movie and cast, a hit or miss end with people
Milk = Best historical adaptation
The Dark Knight = Best Action Movie in Years

KIM   December 31st, 2008 3:04 pm ET

No doubt the best movie was “Dark Knight”. Heath Ledger was astounding. The whole movie left me breathless.
“Iron Man” comes in second.
The worst and most disappointing – “The Hulk”. They just cant seem to redeem it. – Sigh-

chuck reeder   December 31st, 2008 3:05 pm ET

doubt and frost/nixon——– two great acting performances by meryl streep and frank langella— and philip seymour hoffman is always very good.

Carol   December 31st, 2008 3:05 pm ET

Best

1. Iron Man
2. Tropic Thunder
3. Jumper
4. The Business of Being Born – a must see for people who want to have a baby whether your a man or woman.

Worst – I didn’t hate these movies but don’t want to see them again and thought they were overrated.

1. Fools Gold – it sucked big time
2. The Dark Knight- overrated and looked like it was filmed in a dark garage. The movie took itself too seriously. It’s a Batman movie!
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Boring! The movie was long and not much happened except Brad Pitt aged backwards which wasn’t as good as I thought it would be.
4. Indiana Jones 4- It didn’t have the playful wit of the 3 previous movies

nate   December 31st, 2008 3:05 pm ET

My best moives for year 2008 were
Slumdog Millionaire and MILK
Worst was Hancock

Claude   December 31st, 2008 3:06 pm ET

I thought the Dark Knight was good, but not the best movie of the year. The portrayal of the Joker as a terrorist was a real stretch from the traditional villain portrayals and the comics themselves. I’m sure the writers though “well, we’re making this more relevant”. But, personally I don’t want to go to the theater and be thrust right back into reality. Other than that, it was well acted and there were more twists and turns than I expected.

Best- Wall-E, Slumdog Millionaire

Worst- Hancock, Twilight, Role Models

Greg (Newport, WA)   December 31st, 2008 3:12 pm ET

Best of 2008
Doomsday – Why is everybody ignoring this great movie?
Ironman
Tropic Thunder

Worst of 2008
Hancock
10,000 BC

Girl   December 31st, 2008 3:14 pm ET

It definitely had to be “The Dark Knight”

WB   December 31st, 2008 3:16 pm ET

There Will Be Blood!!!

On another note, The Dark Knight was so overrated.

Patrick   December 31st, 2008 3:21 pm ET

Best: Dark Knight..nothing closer to it. Heath, you will be missed.
Worst: Tie between Indy 5 and Hancock.

I mean seriously what was Will and Harrison thinking. They made not just two of the worst films of the year, but seriously two of the worst movies of ALL TIME!

PDIDDY   December 31st, 2008 3:22 pm ET

Okay revision. No Country For Old Men is the best movie. Llewellyn Moss was the man.

Kristin   December 31st, 2008 3:27 pm ET

BEST:

Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Gran Turino
Revolutionary Road
Burn After Reading

WORST:
The Mummy 3
Indiana Jones
Wall E, I know I’m the minority here, but I really did not like this movie at all!

Mark Janec   December 31st, 2008 3:33 pm ET

Best: 7Pounds
Worst: Australia

kevin   December 31st, 2008 3:33 pm ET

Best:

Let the Right One In

The Wrestler

Milk

Worst:

Quantum of Solace

Doug   December 31st, 2008 3:36 pm ET

Best: Wall-E
Worst: Righteous Kill

Still haven’t seen:
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Milk
Frost/Nixon

elder darius   December 31st, 2008 3:41 pm ET

In my opinion, the best film of this year (2OO8) was WALL-E. It had everything. Silent film, Romance, Comedy, Action, great music, and a lovely messages.

i haven’t seen many films this year, so i can’t really pick the worst one.

My runner ups were in this order:

2. The Dark Knight (Heath Ledger, not because he’s dead, was great. It too had romance, action, and a good message.)

3. Appaloosa (i love westerns, and Ed Harris did a great job of filming it.)

Hans Olbrecht   December 31st, 2008 3:41 pm ET

Best: Quantum of Sloace
Worst:Twilight

Nahush   December 31st, 2008 3:42 pm ET

Best is Slumdog Millionaire and Wall-E

Suzy   December 31st, 2008 3:46 pm ET

Best: 7 Pounds or The Dark Knight

Worst: House Bunny, The Happening, Tropic Thunder, Indiana Jones,

Ashley   December 31st, 2008 3:47 pm ET

Best movies of 08 to me: Dark Knight and Sex & the City (I haven’t seen Seven Pounds yet but was told it was great)

Worst movie: Hancock. Love Guru was terrible too but I watched it while I was drunk so I still laughed at it…especially the BLOWME part! LOL

fromzenon   December 31st, 2008 3:47 pm ET

Twilight!

Chris   December 31st, 2008 3:50 pm ET

1. Slumdog Millionaire
2. Wall-E

Period.

Melvin   December 31st, 2008 3:51 pm ET

The Best: My personal fave was “The Dark Knight” nothing else was actually genre breaking like this film was! I also love the Happening and Iron Man , 21 and Traitor , The Incredible Hulk they nailed the old tv show tone.

The Worst : Max Payne, The Love Guru , Dont mess with Zohan was crap! So was Hancock!

Ron N. (Dallas)   December 31st, 2008 3:51 pm ET

Best: Slumdog Millionaire

Other Worthy Nominees: The Dark Knight
Wall E

Too many movies still on my list that I haven’t yet seen.

Naren Mehta   December 31st, 2008 3:51 pm ET

Best Film of 2008: Slum Dog Millionaire
Worst Film: The Happening

roger   December 31st, 2008 3:51 pm ET

I know I am in the minority, but the WORST movie of the year was “The Dark Knight”. Talk about overrated! Heath Ledger, God Bless Him, did a fine job but it wasn’t his best work and he was a bit of a ‘one-note Johnny’ with not much dimension. I prefer Jack Nicholson’s Joker to his.
And the film itself…DULL. Nothing but bang, bang, bang and NO story or character development with hack-job directing. A poor film that is only beloved because Ledger passed away. There: I have said what I am sure many people are truly thinking.
The best movie of the year: MILK.

Bailey   December 31st, 2008 3:54 pm ET

Not usually a theatre-going person, but I’ve seen 7 this year, four of which stand out the most:

The Dark Knight – For pure entertainment and Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker

WALL-E – For its subtlety and amazing story.

Doubt – For its complexity.

Milk – For its humanness and message. Saw it three times and cried every single time.

Crystal   December 31st, 2008 3:56 pm ET

Best: Twilight
Worst: The Stranger! YUK!

katie   December 31st, 2008 3:57 pm ET

My favorite was Rachel Getting Married……. My least favorite was Maid of Honor (sorry McDreamy)

Jackie   December 31st, 2008 3:57 pm ET

Best: Tie between The Dark Knight and Milk

Worst: Australia (come on, Baz!), Indiana Jones

deedee   December 31st, 2008 4:00 pm ET

BESTS:
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL
IRON MAN
THE DARK KNIGHT
TROPIC THUNDER
SEX & THE CITY
WALL-E

Re   December 31st, 2008 4:01 pm ET

Best- Dark Knight
Worse- The Happening

Carolyn   December 31st, 2008 4:01 pm ET

Best: Wall-E

Worst: Quantum of Solace. I’ll never go to another Bond film by this director. Jerking the camera around during high-action scenes makes it really hard to follow the action. Plus, there were no classic Bond quips. Was ALL the dialogue left on the cutting room floor?

ito   December 31st, 2008 4:03 pm ET

Best: Dark Knight

CG   December 31st, 2008 4:04 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight
Worst: Leatherheads, but mostly because I was so disappointed that George Clooney and John Krasinski were involved in something less than good. I nearly cried.

Jenn   December 31st, 2008 4:04 pm ET

Young & Tight Volume 13

Markus   December 31st, 2008 4:05 pm ET

Best Over All
Dark Knight
Best Comedy
Pineapple Express
Biggest Suprise
Wanted
Biggest Disappointment
X-Files 2
Worst Overall
You dont mess with a Zohan
Good Movies Of the Year
Tropic Thunder, Incredicle Hulk, Zack and Miri, Quantum of Solace and The Spirit

Sarah Palin   December 31st, 2008 4:05 pm ET

Best : Dark Knight

Worst: AUSTRAILA, OMG SO LONNNGG…

marko buenrostro   December 31st, 2008 4:05 pm ET

best of 2008: Dark Knight – we all know why !!!! heath made the movies !!!!!!!

worst: Tropic Thunder – i walked out of the movie

Jackie Tulli   December 31st, 2008 4:07 pm ET

My favorite films of 2008 were Mama Mia & Australia. Mama Mia for the music & light heartedness of the film. Austalia for the story, scenery, & the relationship between the two main characters. However, the little aboriginal boy stole the show, & my heart.

john   December 31st, 2008 4:10 pm ET

BEST: cape no. 7

WORST: INDIANA JONES VS. E.T.

Frank   December 31st, 2008 4:10 pm ET

Best: WALL-E followed closely by Dark Knight

Honorable Mention: Iron man

Worst: Day the Earth Stood Still – I had high hopes for this film because the original is so good, but this just sucked out loud.

i also have to agree with Samlam about Twilight… “a film for wannabe goth girls looking for sappy romance and no substance.”

Billb   December 31st, 2008 4:12 pm ET

Best: Speed Racer. Because I was the only one in the theater.

Worst: X-Files. Some TV episodes were better.

Lola   December 31st, 2008 4:13 pm ET

The Worst was the easiest for me to name. By far the worst movie I saw this year was “The Love Guru”, and following a close second was” The House Bunny.”

The Best movie…well, I don’t think I’ve seen it yet. I liked “Burn WIthout Reading” and “Tropic Thunder” but none I’ve seen so far are worthy of any major movie awards.

Sorry, but I have to call them like I see them.

Lola…..

Cheryl   December 31st, 2008 4:14 pm ET

Best Movie: I am pretty sure I have not seen it yet, but Ironman, The Dark Knight and Sex and the City are up on top

Worst Movie: The Happening…hand down!

Stephen Steele   December 31st, 2008 4:15 pm ET

Hollywood has not created a good in many years. Read a book.

Ms. Codpiece   December 31st, 2008 4:17 pm ET

this list is lacking to say the least.
Speed Racer was simply aweful and you needed shroons to enjoy it.
kingdom of the crystal skull was not great but it was not terrible either.
Iron man and dark knight were hits and rightly so. Strong characters and story drove these movies. they belong on the list.
let the right one in was OK but not a top 10 film and stop comparing it to Twighlight. they are not the same movie or story.

Rene   December 31st, 2008 4:18 pm ET

BEST: The Dark Knight, Ironman

BEST HORROR MOVIE: Quarantine (sorry, I’ve seen thousands of horror movies, and none of them scared me – THIS one was FREAKY AND UNCOMFORTABLE! You people who can’t stomach a little shaky camera movement need to grown some kahonies)

WORST: Indiana Jones, The Happening, Tropic Thunder (LOATHE Ben Stiller, and the movie just wasn’t funny – except the director being blown up by a land mine)

Joe   December 31st, 2008 4:19 pm ET

Haven’t yet seen everything I’d like to see, but the best I’ve seen in 2008 is A CHRISTMAS TALE; the worst, I guess, is THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, though even that was pretty to look at.

Gabe   December 31st, 2008 4:20 pm ET

There were a lot of great movies this year for one reason or another. But as a movie fan I go to the movies to be wowed, whisked away to a smarter, more exciting world. This year Chris Nolan and Team managed to bring us all to a place not not dissimilar than teh world we know, AND inject fantasy into while keeping the theme relevent to our surroundings. The Dark Knight encapsulated everything a movie fan wants; action, suspense, drama, shock, and terrific non-CGI based stunts. Of course we all gush over heath Ledgers Joker, and rightfully so, but the ensemble was superbly directed.

I agree with a nothe rposter that I can’t say I’d spend money on teh worst movies, but unfortunately for me I saw Vin Diesel’s apocolyptic movie, Babylon A.D. and wanted to ask Vin personally for my money back.

Some other great or underrated movies from this year that I saw:
Iron Man
In Bruges
The Band’s Visit
Tropic Thunder
Red Belt
Son of Rambow
The Grand
Zack & Miri

And Some dissppointing ones:
Indiana Jones and the I Shouldn’t Have Made This Movie
Be Kind Rewind
Semi-Pro
Benjamin Button (rip-off of Forrest Gump and Big Fish)
Quantum of Solace
Leatherheads

Marcus   December 31st, 2008 4:20 pm ET

Dark Knight

jon   December 31st, 2008 4:20 pm ET

Milk! Sean Penn was great… and it’s about time, the story came to film

Candy   December 31st, 2008 4:23 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight,Worst: Twilight

Stacy   December 31st, 2008 4:23 pm ET

Best Movies (that I can remember of 08)

THE READER*
VALKYRIE
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL
IRON MAN
THE INCREDIBLE HULK

(As for a comedy) DON’T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN

Worst Movies WOW there a lot of them. Unfortunately we are living in a society were today’s writers and film makers, are not the same as the good old days of movie making.

Worst Movies

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED -AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL!!! JUST CRAP. THE WORST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY WHOLE LIFE!
LOVE GURU
10,000 BC
AUSTRALIA -BORING BORING
(That’s all I can remember thank god)

adam   December 31st, 2008 4:25 pm ET

BEST: synecdoche new york
WORST: everything else

Jeffrey Prescott   December 31st, 2008 4:26 pm ET

Best:
Milk!

Milk was so powerful, moving and devastating. The film has all the elements of great moving making but also creates a powerful picture of one man’s struggle to make a difference. This film is unforgettable and the most important film of the year.

Worst:
Twilight

Not only is the movie boring and overlong but so is the book. Forget about this ridiculous series of “novels” and read something worth your time and money.

Sandy   December 31st, 2008 4:28 pm ET

Best: The one and only The Dark Night!

Worst: Mamma Mia

Patrick   December 31st, 2008 4:28 pm ET

Mamma Mia was by the far the best movie for 2008. Why? In these hard times where the financial markets are crashing, jobs are being eliminated we needed something to make us feel good. And Mamma Mia did just that. It’s a light-hearted happy feel good movie that just made you forget about your troubles and have fun!

Katie   December 31st, 2008 4:30 pm ET

BEST: *The Dark Knight* and Marley and Me
WORST: that stupid 007 Quatuam of Solice movie, esp. the beginning, what kind of start was that, long and annoying! I will never see a 007 movie w/ that “bond actor” and the director of those movies, he killed it! Had no plot and had no like action scenes, with these times and esp. look how the Dark Knight came out, there was no reason for it to look so crappy as it did!

zide   December 31st, 2008 4:31 pm ET

BEST- cape #7

WORST-max payne

Christian Zafiroglu   December 31st, 2008 4:32 pm ET

Best: Milk, Wall-E, The Dark Knight (Top Three)

Overlooked Gem: Ghost Town

Worst: I avoid such films at my own pleasure.

Sally   December 31st, 2008 4:32 pm ET

Best – Dark Knight
shocking – for me – second place to Tropic Thunder

Robert Clifton   December 31st, 2008 4:35 pm ET

Best movie of the year by far was “Transformers”. Basically ,anything with Megan Fox should be at the top of the list.

Worst Movie of the year has to be “Max Payne”. Mark Wahlberg is a horrible actor! Why doesn’t anybody else see this?

Sandy in LRA   December 31st, 2008 4:40 pm ET

Best: Slumdog Millionaire – I knew half-way in, this would be a favefor me.
Worst: Tropic Thunder – I tried. I really tried to watch this movie, but half-way in I just couldn’t stand to see or listen to Tom Cruise or his disgusting character any more.

T.H.   December 31st, 2008 4:41 pm ET

The Dark Knight & The Family That Preys

TESAP;SAVANNAH, GA   December 31st, 2008 4:42 pm ET

BEST: TIE..DARK KNIGHT/SEVEN POUNDS

HONORABLE MENTION: SAW V

WORST: TROPIC THUNDER……. WHAT WAS THAT

BRING ON 09………. BRING ON TRANSFORMERS; UNDERWORLD, STAR TREK AND WOLVERINE… YEAH BABY!!!

jake   December 31st, 2008 4:45 pm ET

The Best: The Incredible Hulk – I had a blast watching him just desimate everything! Good Fun

The Worst: The Mummy 3 – Just didn’t have the substance of the first two. Felt really rushed.

TESAP;SAVANNAH, GA   December 31st, 2008 4:46 pm ET

OH NO :( FORGOT IRONMAN…GREAT COMEBACK MOVIE FOR ROBERT DOWNEY JR………

SORRY………

HEY PEOPLE I LIKED THE HAPPENING AND THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL!!!! GREAT MESSAGES…….

Deb   December 31st, 2008 4:47 pm ET

Best: Wall-E

Worst: The Dark Knight (maybe because I hadn’t seen the previous movie and so was expecting something a little less dark)

Shannon   December 31st, 2008 4:52 pm ET

Slumdog Millionaire-best of 2008 and the best film I’ve seen in years!!!

trevor   December 31st, 2008 4:52 pm ET

dark knight. no question. how is there any other choice? unless u count the curious case of benjamin button.

Sheshoe   December 31st, 2008 4:53 pm ET

Best:
Indiana Jones – Harrision was still Indiana after all these years
Dark Knight – love the twist at the end – is Batman good or bad?

Worst:
The Happening – it just wasn’t

cathy   December 31st, 2008 4:53 pm ET

Best: IronMan, Sex in the City & Dark Knight

Worst: The Happening

charles lane   December 31st, 2008 4:54 pm ET

Best Movie: The Dark Knight

Valerie   December 31st, 2008 4:56 pm ET

I think Australia was superb.
The worst movie ever: Fred Claus

VPk   December 31st, 2008 5:03 pm ET

The Top Movies of 2008:

1. Dark Knight
2. Body of Lies
3. Changeling
4. Iron Man
5. Valkyrie
6. Stardust
7. Cloverfield
8. Wall-E
9. Madagascar 2
10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
11. Doomsday
12. Gran Torino

cheryl   December 31st, 2008 5:03 pm ET

Worst:
Valkyrie

Steve   December 31st, 2008 5:08 pm ET

From the movies I’ve seen so far, the best are Slumdog Millionaire and The Changeling. The worst is Milk.

tony   December 31st, 2008 5:10 pm ET

Since no one else mentioned it i must assume that i and my family were the only ones to see AUGUST RUSH and it did what movie should do made me feel Good
So the best AUGUST RUSH
The absolute worst Indiana Jones

ANDY   December 31st, 2008 5:14 pm ET

FOREIGN= MONGOL
USA BURN AFTER READING

Joey   December 31st, 2008 5:15 pm ET

Best: Let the Right One In

Worst: Day the Earth Stood Still

Danielle   December 31st, 2008 5:16 pm ET

Best: Milk and The Dark Knight.

Worst: Saw V. Just stop making Saw movies. They really should have stopped after the first one. I loved it…then they made 4 more and turned it into a complete joke. Fail.

Joseph   December 31st, 2008 5:16 pm ET

I see several movies a week in both the art house circuit and main stream theatres and I feel that the following films are enduring works of art:
MILK
DOUBT
SEVEN PONDS
BENJAMIN BUTTON

The only movie I got up and left midway through was the awful
MAX PAYNE

Rick   December 31st, 2008 5:19 pm ET

Best – Iron Man – The acting, editing, etc. were all very good. The movie flowed really well and kept you engrossed.

Worst – Dark Knight – Terribly overhyped due to Ledger’s death. The editing was aweful. It seemed like important pieces of the storyline were missing which made the story very confusing at times. I kept looking at my watch wondering when the movie would end.

MIA'S GRANNY   December 31st, 2008 5:20 pm ET

Best – Mamma Mia

Matt The Bat   December 31st, 2008 5:24 pm ET

The Dark Knight. Hands down. Checking it out on Blu-ray right now.

wisdom 62   December 31st, 2008 5:28 pm ET

MILK………Sean Penn was excellent……..Hopefully the Academy voters wont bypass this film again for some other crap like they did with voting CRASH for best picture……..

Frank Castle   December 31st, 2008 5:28 pm ET

BEST MOVIE: The Punisher: War Zone. Best death scenes ever!

Zurick   December 31st, 2008 5:29 pm ET

Best: The Happening, I loved the idea of nature attacking back! I also like the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

I am a sci-fi, horror, fantasy, type of guy. I could care less about comic related movies, dramas, idiotic comedies.

Jason   December 31st, 2008 5:30 pm ET

Best: Tropic Thunder or Ironman

Worst: Doomsday. Believe me 1 of the worst movies ever.

Overrated: Dark Knight. it was good a little long, and you killed off a major character in two-face in about 45 mins. He’s a major character deserving a leading role in a movie. what a joke

Connie   December 31st, 2008 5:34 pm ET

Best – The Secret Life of Bees and Mamma Mia!

Jared   December 31st, 2008 5:34 pm ET

Best: Appaloosa, WALL-E, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Worst: The Day the Earth Stood Still, Seven Pounds, The Women, Max Payne

Timbrel   December 31st, 2008 5:35 pm ET

Top Movies of 2008 are…..Drum roll please…..
1) DARK KNIGHT – btw Christian Bale’s voice was raspy because the way the suit fit around his neck. He had a hard time moving his head and doing normal everyday things….like speaking without a rasp. I needed a drool pan for this movie, Ledger brought out what the Joker is supposed to be like, which is Dark and unforgiving.
2) Iron Man – LOVED IT!! It was witty and an unexpected hit.
3) Funny Games – This is actually a remake. The original was in German I believe. The original and the English version were both done by the same director and was recreated like the original, shot by shot. GREAT MOVIE, if you like sadistic, yet entertaining violence.
4) Slumdog Millionaire – What a brilliant film.

Worst movies of 2008:
1) Space Chimps (yes, I saw it with my child…absolutely horrible)
2) The Day the Earth Stood Still
3) Journey to the Center of the Earth
3)

Just   December 31st, 2008 5:38 pm ET

Frost / Nixon

J,R   December 31st, 2008 5:38 pm ET

Best Film of ‘08 – The Dark Knight

Entertaining Comedy – Pineapple Express
Zack and Miri

Worst Film – X Files

Christina   December 31st, 2008 5:39 pm ET

THE DARK KNIGHT

WALL-E

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Geo   December 31st, 2008 5:43 pm ET

Best: The Reader, Kate Winslet is amazing!!!!

Worst: Seven Pounds

Brian   December 31st, 2008 5:45 pm ET

Vicki, Cristina, Barcelona is a classic, with asbolutely hysterical performances by Penelope Cruz and Xavier Bardem

lauri   December 31st, 2008 5:45 pm ET

Best: I enjoyed Twilight and Sex and the City the most…give them a break…nobody was expecting Oscar noms…just fun.
Worst: Beverly Hills Chihuahau/High School Musical 3…I have little girls that forced me to see these…ouch…very painful to watch !

Michelle   December 31st, 2008 5:45 pm ET

Of the ones I’ve seen…

Best – Ironman, Dark Knight, Sex & the City

Worst – Mamma Mia (how on Earth did Pierce Brosnan get that part?! I mean, the man CAN NOT sing!!!) I really loved the play but think Hollywood made a huge mistake casting big stars in this film.

Absolute Worst – The Love Guru – really….what the HELL was Mike Myers thinking?! This movie was absolutely abysmal and insulting.

jim   December 31st, 2008 5:52 pm ET

slumdog millionaire!!!! racheal getting married

Mackenzie Keeley   December 31st, 2008 5:57 pm ET

Best:
1. Boy in the stripped pajamas
2. Tropic Thunder

Worst:
1. Burn after reading- who can sit through that crap?
2. Vicky Christina Barcelona- snore.

Steve   December 31st, 2008 5:57 pm ET

If you want to feel about every human emotion available, go see Slumdog Millionaire. I walked out and didn’t want to talk to anyone for an hour just to absorb it all. REALLY fantastic film

James   December 31st, 2008 5:58 pm ET

Just a comment on Dark Knight (which I would put very close to the top of the list, along with Iron Man, and at least the parts of Tropic Thunder with Tom Cruise – Tom, do that kinda stuff more often, you don’t always have to be the star of the movie to be the star of the movie:

Batman’s raspy voice was actually digitally enhanced to be that raspy – that wasn’t just Christian Bale. It was a choice by Chris Nolan.

It also makes me sad to think abou Ledger (who no one can argue plays a very unique and disturbing Joker, if not brilliant to begin with) – he’ll most likely get an Oscar for it, but there will always be the posthumous aspect looming over it bring the performance into question. At least he was recognized for his acting chops in Brokeback Mountain (no matter what you thought of the movie, he was amazing and held nothing back).

Paul   December 31st, 2008 5:59 pm ET

Best: Wall-E – great story enhanced by great movie making. Dark Knight is up there too

Worst: Wanted – Great visual effects and stunts hiding a weak and convoluted story. Looks like a video game rather than a movie.

Eric   December 31st, 2008 6:00 pm ET

Best – Man on Wire, WALL-E, The Dark Knight
Worst – The Spirit, The Happening, Harold & Kumar

Christopher   December 31st, 2008 6:01 pm ET

Best:

MILK
Wall-E

Richard   December 31st, 2008 6:02 pm ET

I just saw Slumdog Millionaire. It is AMAZING!!! It isn’t just a movie, it’s a film. It is so nice to see a non-Hollywood movie in a culture from which we could all learn more.

Worst movie-Seven Pounds…I mean really…can we just all cry for Will Smith and his sadness at getting older. He is a great actor but needs to take a less serious role next time. We like your drama, but without your drama.

Aaron   December 31st, 2008 6:02 pm ET

Best: Sex & The City and Milk

worst: Indiana Jones, almost unwatchable it was so bad

Steve   December 31st, 2008 6:09 pm ET

HA!HA!HA!HA!THEDARKKNIGHT!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!THEDARKKNIGHT!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!THEDARKKNIGHT!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!THEDARKKNIGHT!!!!!HA!HA!HA!HA!

Dan I   December 31st, 2008 6:12 pm ET

Best: Milk
Worst: Disaster Movie

charles   December 31st, 2008 6:16 pm ET

Best Movie: Dark Knight/Marley & Me
Worst Movie: A Rigtheous Kill/Hancock

Max Eggers   December 31st, 2008 6:16 pm ET

Best: Milk – overall the best in terms of acting, directing, writing, production, conception, etc. Wall-E is up there (weird how an animated film is better than almost every “real-life”)

Worst: The Happening- I just have to put this here because it is so God awful in every single way. M. Night Shamylan is proving to not know what the hell he’s doing (kind of a one hit wonder) and Mark Whalberg’s acting was absolutely hysterically terrifyingly bad (i.e. “So guys you want to learn about the bees!”-why was everything said as a question? or better yet why was everything he said a question?) It was the funnest experience I had at the movies this year because it was so funny to just laugh at.

Dark Knight isn’t awful but IS NOT the masterpiece everyone thinks. Why the HELL is it like 3rd on IMDB? However, Curious Case . . . is a piece of crap re-make of Forrest Gump and does not deserve the praise.

Paul G   December 31st, 2008 6:17 pm ET

Best: Wall-e

Nothing else really comes close. There were some excellent films this year, from Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons to Doubt and Milk, all of which are likely Best Picture contenders. Even The Dark Knight could arguably be listed among the year’s best films, but none were as effective as Wall-e. To make a love story about two robots that is, for the most part, a silent movie, and to make you become emotionally involved in that story is an extraordinary achievement. Even as animated characters, Wall-e and Eve generated more human emotion than most human actors. I hope the film receives nominations not just for Animated Picture, but for Picture, Director and Screenplay. It should walk away with the Oscar for Sound.

David   December 31st, 2008 6:18 pm ET

1-Dark Knight
2-Step Brothers!!! wooooo!!!!

wisdom 62   December 31st, 2008 6:19 pm ET

MILK…..Sean Penn was excellent……Hopefully the Academy voters wont bypass this great film for some “clever” film making like they did with voting for CRASH for best picture…………..

Jordan   December 31st, 2008 6:23 pm ET

Best of the Year:
Slumdog Millionaire
The Wrestler
The Dark Knight
Revolutionary Road

Worst of the Year:
The Love Guru
with You Don’t Mess With The Zohan a close runner-up

Most Overrated:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Most Underrated:
Frost/Nixon

Most How The Hell Was That #1 At The Box Office:
The Day the Earth Stood Still

Dave   December 31st, 2008 6:23 pm ET

Ben Lyons would give a rave review on Pink Flamingos on the sole basis that he had his picture taken standing next to the dog poop before Divine ate it. Consequently, Ben Lyons reviewing skills leave the same after taste.

Mike   December 31st, 2008 6:23 pm ET

Best: Let The Right One In
Worst: Religulous

Helaine   December 31st, 2008 6:25 pm ET

Best:Twilight

Worst:Day The Earth Stood Still (a monkey could have done better than Keanu Reeves)

Mary   December 31st, 2008 6:26 pm ET

Best: Slumdog Millionaire, I’ve Loved You So Long – which was certainly the best acted.

Worst: Burn After Reading. It was embarrassing watching talented actors trying ever so hard to be funny, and falling flat on their faces. What a waste.

As for Ben Lyons, he’s worthless, laughably bad. At least Ben Mankiewicz has a brain and some discernment.

angela   December 31st, 2008 6:30 pm ET

dark night and prince caspian

Tony   December 31st, 2008 6:34 pm ET

Best: Iron Man, Dark Knight, Wall-E
Worst: Indiana Jones, Clover Filed, Mama Mia

**Notice the only people who said Twilight was best are all girls, or wanna be girls.**

Sherryn   December 31st, 2008 6:35 pm ET

My list of the top 5 best movies for 2008 are:

1.) Pineapple Express
2.) Slum dog Millionaire
3.) Wall-E
4.) Mama Mia
5.)Twilight

Worst movies of 2008:

Everything else…

Sarah   December 31st, 2008 6:37 pm ET

Best: Step Brothers
Dark Knight

Worst: Tropic Thunder
The Love Guru

Chris Anderson   December 31st, 2008 6:38 pm ET

my favorite movie of 2008 is definately the indie TEETH

worse movie has to be Meet the Spartans, Superhero Movie, and all those other terrible parody movies

Steve   December 31st, 2008 6:43 pm ET

Best: Seven Pounds ( Best Picture Oscar, Best actor Oscar).
Notable mention Twilight, Dark Night.
Worst. Max Payne

Shanna   December 31st, 2008 6:50 pm ET

Dark Knight was the best for sure. I’ve seen it over and over and never gets old. Worst…. I’d say Sex and the City. I just physically cannot produce enough estrogen to handle that.

Tangee   December 31st, 2008 6:53 pm ET

best movie Top 5
secret life of bees
7 pounds
sex and the city
hancock
the happening
worse movie
The Love Guru

mh   December 31st, 2008 6:54 pm ET

best – Dark Knight
worst – Meet Dave & Hancock

Ben   December 31st, 2008 6:56 pm ET

I saw all the movies that have been making the number one spots THe Dark Knight, Doubt, Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire, etc… but still the best film I saw all year was an indie film called “The Wackness”

The Kid   December 31st, 2008 6:56 pm ET

Best Film: WALL-E

Worst Film: Eagle Eye

Andrew   December 31st, 2008 6:59 pm ET

Best: MILK.

Rachel   December 31st, 2008 6:59 pm ET

Top films: Rachel Getting Married, Ghost Town, Twilight, Milk

Worst: the Happening (Seriously.)

rob galen   December 31st, 2008 7:02 pm ET

Best: Wall-E, Iron Man, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire

Worst: Benjamin Button, Doubt, Speed Racer, Babylon AD, Indiana Jones-OMG they raped Harrison Ford, The Happening and Righteous Kill.

Carlynn   December 31st, 2008 7:03 pm ET

The best movie of the year Slumdog Millionaire. Gran Torino was also very good.

EMAN   December 31st, 2008 7:04 pm ET

Best: Wall-E
Worst: Max Payne

somto   December 31st, 2008 7:06 pm ET

Hello Again!

here’s my list

1. batman
2. slumdog millionair
3. milk
4. the curious case of benjamin button
5. the wrestler
6.frost nixon
7. doubt
8. the reader
9. 7 pounds

BK   December 31st, 2008 7:10 pm ET

Best:
Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight

Curtis   December 31st, 2008 7:11 pm ET

Best: Dark Knight…no question about it! The acting and writing was some of the best ive ever seen! You wont see another all-around good movie like that for a while!

Worst: Wanted…huge waste of my time, the only good thing is you see the bare backside of Angelina Jolie for like a second….

Renee   December 31st, 2008 7:20 pm ET

best: twilight, the dark knight, australia

worst: the day the earth stood still, four holidays, nim’s island

mazzyboi   December 31st, 2008 7:22 pm ET

Top 10 (alphabetical)

The Dark Knight
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Frost/Nixon
Happy Go Lucky
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Snow Angels
WALL-E
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler

Worst: The Happening

http://www.mazzyboi.com

Kat   December 31st, 2008 7:24 pm ET

was hoping to be able to list Hot Fuzz… too late. Dark Knight and Iron Man were two of my favorites. The Happening would have to be one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. It’s a tie with that and The Assassination of Jesse James as told by BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

Michelle   December 31st, 2008 7:26 pm ET

Best: Man on Wire

evan   December 31st, 2008 7:28 pm ET

Best: Could not decide between Dark Knight and Milk with Wall-E in a respectable third.

Worst: Zach and Miri make a porno…I usually love Seth Rogan and co., but this one left me high and dry.

Chris   December 31st, 2008 7:32 pm ET

Best: Milk
Worst: Mamma Mia (and I usually like musicals)

Steve   December 31st, 2008 7:40 pm ET

Zack and Miri make a PORNO!

tina   December 31st, 2008 7:41 pm ET

Wanted

Angelina Jolie
Morgan Freeman

Bo Johnson   December 31st, 2008 7:51 pm ET

I Thought the best films were The Dark Knight, The Wrestler, and Wall-e. I’d probably add Gran Torino in that list, but I haven’t had the chance to see it.

The worst (that I actually watched) was Righteous Kill. It was cliche and predictable. The story was a mess as well. I also was apauled by the fourth installment on Indiana Jones.

Jonah   December 31st, 2008 7:52 pm ET

“The Dark Knight” is #1

“The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button” would be a close second.

Rich   December 31st, 2008 7:54 pm ET

Two of the best:
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Attonement

Joe   December 31st, 2008 7:57 pm ET

Sorry that “Australia” didn’t affect others, as much it did me. Did people not get it that it was a drama spoof on Old Hollywood movies? Hugh Jackman was just great – and the scenery and photography was amazing. The Japanese bombing Australia in the end was really great film-making.

ron   December 31st, 2008 8:00 pm ET

Best: Juno
Worst: Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Mark   December 31st, 2008 8:02 pm ET

Best few

Iron Man
Batman

Worst
The Happening

Barry   December 31st, 2008 8:13 pm ET

Best: In Bruges & Happy Go Lucky

Chuck   December 31st, 2008 8:14 pm ET

Everyone giving their opinions as if anyone gives a damn. Funny. But just for the record…Dark Knight was the best. :)

BRY   December 31st, 2008 8:24 pm ET

“SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE” (HANDS DOWN!!!!)

The Shadow   December 31st, 2008 8:34 pm ET

Best Movie of 2008 – Dark Knight

Worst Movie – Anything with Angelina Jolie

Marc   December 31st, 2008 8:42 pm ET

Best: The Wrestler
Worst: The Love Guru

Salam Tims   December 31st, 2008 8:51 pm ET

Best: “Slumdog Millionaire”
Worst: “Sex and the City” Vs. “Indiana Jones et whatever that was”

Matt   December 31st, 2008 8:52 pm ET

Best: Iron Man

Worst: WALL-E and Dark Knight

TDK was too long and overrated. Wall-E was boring just watching Wall-E’s antics. The graphics went downhill after the first 5 minutes too.

Kristin   December 31st, 2008 8:56 pm ET

Best movie of 2008: Stepbrothers

Steven   December 31st, 2008 9:03 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight
Worst: Meet the Spartans

William B.   December 31st, 2008 9:05 pm ET

BEST

WALL-E
DARK KNIGHT
SLUMDOG MILLONAIRE
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
IRON MAN
BURN AFTER READING
TROPIC THUNDER
THE WRESTLER
ANONYMA – A WOMAN IN BERLIN
FAUBURG 36

WORST

TWLIGHT
SPEED RACER
SEVEN POUNDS
THE LOVE GURU
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL

rosem   December 31st, 2008 9:07 pm ET

EAGLE EYE – BEST
WALL-E – BEST

HEATH LEDGER – BEST

Matt   December 31st, 2008 9:13 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight
Worst: The Love Guru

Gia, Arizona   December 31st, 2008 9:14 pm ET

WALL-E was the best film.

Everything else was forgettable, and The Dark Knight was overrated!

Hans   December 31st, 2008 9:20 pm ET

Best:

WALL-E
I.O.U.S.A.
Iron Man
Rambo

Worst:

Leatherheads
Red Belt
Appaloosa
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Jane   December 31st, 2008 9:29 pm ET

BEST: MILK

Anonymous   December 31st, 2008 9:48 pm ET

Am I the only one who hated The Dark Knight? While I thought Heath Ledger was good – I found the rest of the movie a joke when compared to the first two.

MikeyMike   December 31st, 2008 9:58 pm ET

Best–Slum Dog Millionaire
Funniest–Tropic Thunder
Best actor–Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler
Worst–Damn near all of the rest!!!!!

Julie   December 31st, 2008 10:03 pm ET

BEST: Wall-E and Marley & Me

WORST: Haven’t seen enough to say a worst

Salsa   December 31st, 2008 10:21 pm ET

Favorite: Twilight, twilight and more twilight.

Least Favorite: Anything with Jim Carey in it.

Lola   December 31st, 2008 10:26 pm ET

Best: Burn After Reading. Funniest movie in years. Brad Pitt was fantastic! Tough to pick in a year of many excellent shows, but this was a standout.

Jeannie   December 31st, 2008 10:30 pm ET

Best- Iron Man & Tropic Thunder

Worst- The Happening even Wahlberg couldn’t save that flick.

I am so sick of Hollywoods Man bad Nature good, USA bad Everyone else good, Man bad Computers good attitude it is truly a bore

nancy   December 31st, 2008 10:30 pm ET

best: twilight and burn after reading

worst: house bunny and bangkok dangerous

chioma   December 31st, 2008 10:34 pm ET

BEST MOVIE I HAVE SEEN SO FAR……
THE DARK KNIGHT, by a mile.

Logan   December 31st, 2008 10:38 pm ET

1. MILK – By far.
2. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
3. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
4. THE ORPHANAGE
5. IRON MAN

MaryA.   December 31st, 2008 10:40 pm ET

Number one in my book is “Doult” Just watched it a day ago. The acting and story keep you glued to the screen. The ending is very true to life, your imagination is working over time. I went to Catholic school thur the 8th grade. I knew both kinds of nuns. I knew more of the kind ones than the strict ones.
l loved Mamma Mia
too, full of life muscial and beautiful scenery. The cast seemed to be having a ball which made it even more fun.
The Curious Life of Benjamin Button was very different BUT too long.
The make-up was outstanding. So 1.Doult
2.The CuriousLif of B.B

H   December 31st, 2008 10:43 pm ET

Brideshead Revisited.

Timmy the wonder dog   December 31st, 2008 10:46 pm ET

best movie: The Highlander

worst Titanic- overacted epic

GSKOWAL   December 31st, 2008 10:50 pm ET

BEST:

1.DARK NIGHT
2.BENJAMIN BUTTON
3.BURN AFTER READING

WORST:

1.HAPPENING
2.TWILIGHT
3.INDIANA JONES

Jay Turnquist   December 31st, 2008 10:55 pm ET

The Film the ‘The Dark Knight’ is the Best Film of the year 2008 as it forfilled the cold dark side of the Character Batman, showing the audience two sides of the fictional character which represents the light and dark all of us have the choices we made everyday in the real world that will affect others. Another good film that has not received the respect it deserves is Hancock; Its a rated R action/comedy/sci-fi superhero having an identity crisis; everyone at some point has an identity crisis
Worst Film: Tropical Thunder

Desi   December 31st, 2008 11:00 pm ET

The Best Movie of the Year by far is MAN ON WIRE

ULTxx   December 31st, 2008 11:09 pm ET

Movie Of The Year: Gran Torino

Notables:
7 Pounds
Benjamin Button
Changeling
Dark Knight

Desi   December 31st, 2008 11:12 pm ET

Why so much hate for my boy Indy? It was miles better than that stupid slap-sticky The Last Crusade and just about a much fun as Temple of Doom. We cry for another installment and then when one is served we complain like a bunch of old yenta’s. There were far worse movies than this.

Twilight was way overrated. A chick flick wanting to be a cool guy flick. yawn. Tropic Thunder fell apart about a third of the way through. The Dark Knight showed us how un-fun an emo Batman can be – boring! The Clone Wars cartoon was just three episodes strung together. Oooh was that rough. And I LOVE STAR WARS!!!

Mary Witaszek   December 31st, 2008 11:16 pm ET

Top:
IronMan
The Dark Knight
Wall-E

Worst:
Mummy 3
Indiana Jones – I LOVE Indy but that movie was NOT indy – it was more like a bad cross between close encounters of the third kind, Star Wars, and Tarzan with Indy’s name slapped on the title.

Nikitas   December 31st, 2008 11:23 pm ET

Best in my book: Iron Man, The Dark Knight
Can’t think of worst

Ron   December 31st, 2008 11:32 pm ET

Best: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Worst: The Happening

Bobby   December 31st, 2008 11:37 pm ET

Best – Grant Torino

shawn   December 31st, 2008 11:39 pm ET

Best film of 2008:
The Dark Knight

Runners up:
Iron Man
Kung-Fu Panda

Betsy   December 31st, 2008 11:41 pm ET

Best:
Doubt
Iron Man
Gran Torino
Last Chance Harvey
Tropic Thunder
The Dutches

Lynda   December 31st, 2008 11:44 pm ET

If you cannot see the brillance of the Cohen Brothers films and M. Night Shamylam (SP?) films you are not watching correctly. These men are true genious….. Look harder……. Listen deeper……. For crying out loud, nothing can touch what they create!!!

Sarah   December 31st, 2008 11:44 pm ET

best: Twilight!

Bill   December 31st, 2008 11:54 pm ET

BEST: Rachel Getting Married

WORST: The Day The Earth Stood Still

Sean Hancock   December 31st, 2008 11:55 pm ET

Best: The Dark Knight

Worst: The Happening (is it me or is M.Night’s movies actually getting worse with each successive one?)

Pat Smith   December 31st, 2008 11:55 pm ET

Best: Doubt, The Visitor
Worst: Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Susan   January 1st, 2009 12:15 am ET

Slumdog Millionaire — Best by far!

J   January 1st, 2009 12:20 am ET

I loved Wanted…James McAvoy shooting it up in a leather jacket was hot! Also enjoyed Twilight and Jumper.

Kim   January 1st, 2009 12:33 am ET

best: Twilight, Dark Knight, WallE, House Bunny

worst: love guru

Russell Jampol   January 1st, 2009 12:36 am ET

Best: The Dark Knight

Worst: 10,000 BC

Steve Graf   January 1st, 2009 12:36 am ET

Best that I have seen so far;
1)The Dark Knight
2)Iron Man
3)Wall-E
4)The Visitor
5)The Fall

Worst (Most Disappointing)
1)Indiana Jones and TKOCS
2)Hancock
3)Speed Racer
4)The Incredible Hulk
5)Hellboy 2

Brian   January 1st, 2009 12:37 am ET

The Dark Knight
-Nothing compares, even if youd like it to.

—For all the people who say Dark Knight was over rated or one of the worst, your just a doosh trying to start controversy on a message board.

Fat Tommy   January 1st, 2009 12:57 am ET

Best Picture – WALL-E

Worst – Hancock

Best Surprise (wanted to hate it but ended up liking it) Speed Racer

Dale Williamson   January 1st, 2009 1:03 am ET

I didn’t see much this year, so I can’t offer best or worst opinions. However, I can say that “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” was my biggest disappointment. It’s not that it was bad; it’s just that it felt forced and unnecessary. It should have been much better. “The Dark Knight,” however, showed how something old can be reshaped to transform into something new, daring, relevant, and (gasp!) entertaining. I will always love Indy, but 2008 was the year of the bat.

Carol   January 1st, 2009 1:09 am ET

Best: #1 The Dark Knight and #2 WALL-E
Worst: Australia

Dave   January 1st, 2009 1:17 am ET

Best: Charlie Wilson’s War
Worst: Dark Knight

Shaun O'Banion   January 1st, 2009 1:19 am ET

Best are:

Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, Dark Knight, Frost/Nixon, Wall-E (in no particular order).

Worst: Spirit. Didn’t see it, but I heard.

Oliver   January 1st, 2009 1:20 am ET

Best: Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire
Worst: Indiana Jones

Natasha   January 1st, 2009 1:22 am ET

Best: The Dark Knight (class all the way)
Worst: The Happening (pointless, sloppy and miscast)

Jeremy   January 1st, 2009 1:24 am ET

Best: Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, Batman: The Dark Knight, Frost/Nixon and Doubt

Worst: Valkyrie, Indiana Jones, Eagle Eye, The Happening (Some of the worst films I’ve ever seen, much less in 2008)

NatTurner   January 1st, 2009 1:35 am ET

Best: Frost/Nixon
Worst: tie between Sex and the City, and Marley and Me — blech!

richard   January 1st, 2009 1:42 am ET

only saw 3 movies in the theater. all were good for what they were geared toward but the best of the 3 was Eagle Eye!

Chris   January 1st, 2009 1:46 am ET

Best: 1. Wall-E
2. Dark Knight
3. the curious case of benjamin button
4. slumdog millionair
5. Iron Man
6. Boy in the stripped pajamas
7. Mongol
8. Twilight
9. The Wrestler
10. Because Mamma Mia was so bad: High School Musical 3 because at least they could sing!!!

Worst
1. My Best Friend’s Girl
2. Mama Mia (The worst Musical Movie of All time!!!!!!!!)
3. the Happening
4. Max Payne
5. Hancock
6. Seven Pounds
7. The Love Guru
8. The Clone Wars
9. Religulous
10. RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

Courtney   January 1st, 2009 1:48 am ET

Best: Twilight
Worse: Be Kind Rewind….well, it was very disappointing.

Doug   January 1st, 2009 1:56 am ET

Best Movie – Slumdog Millionaire
Worst Movie – Indiana Jones
Biggest Disappointment – X-Files I Want To Believe
I Don’t Understand All The Hype – Wall-E

Cody   January 1st, 2009 1:58 am ET

Best: Man on Wire
Funniest: Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Worst: Happy Go Lucky

Jeffery McGonagill   January 1st, 2009 2:01 am ET

Best: Hard to choose, but Wall-E, Mamma Mia, Dark Knight, Iron Man are in the top tier, but it has been a good year and there are others I could suggest.

Worst: My wife and I didn’t go to watch those movies that we would classify as bad. We’ve been disappointed with a few, such as Day the Earth Stood Still and Babylon A.D.

Based on previews I would say the worst were Step Brothers, Cloverfield, College Road Trip.

RDO38   January 1st, 2009 2:16 am ET

The Dark Knight = Best Movie
Twilight = Sadly, Worst Movie

Nykki   January 1st, 2009 2:25 am ET

Best: The Dark Knight (no contest)

Worst: The Happening (I mean, come on!)

Nykki   January 1st, 2009 2:37 am ET

Oh! In Bruges!!!! One of the best movies I’ve EVER seen!!!

SB   January 1st, 2009 2:41 am ET

Best: The Dark Knight

Worst: Tropic Thunder

drno   January 1st, 2009 2:44 am ET

best: Let the Right One In
worst: iron man (15% power, give me a break)

FredBob   January 1st, 2009 2:53 am ET

Zack & Miri—hands down!

Marshall   January 1st, 2009 3:02 am ET

Best:
*Let The Right One In
*Slumdog Millionaire
*Grand Torino
*Frost/Nixon

Annabel   January 1st, 2009 3:11 am ET

The Dark Knight was the best movie of 2008. No question.

Fruitlaugher   January 1st, 2009 3:13 am ET

“Americans have completely forgotten how to make good movies. Watch foreign films…if you can muster up the effort to read subtitles.”
And I am sure you have encyclopedic knowledge of the many great independent and small-time American productions released over the last several years? I doubt it. I agree that Hollywood releases 99.99 percent garbage but your comment reads like the usual America bashing As you cite Wall-E as the best film. That’s American. Why didn’t you list a foreign film if there was one better than Wall-E? It didn’t ask for the best movie made in Hollywod? Hmmm? Kook.

barefeets   January 1st, 2009 3:30 am ET

best of 2008 – for me that is a toss-up between ‘the wrestler’ and ‘gran torino’ … rourke and eastwood, both Oscar-worthy, though eastwood was better. i feel this is probably his best work yet, both as director and actor.

worst of 2008 – without a doubt ‘twilight’ … it’s like these folks said let’s take a popular teeny novel, get a bunch of pretty young people that appear to have emotional issues, put some mountains in the background and we’ll be set … millions of dollars later, these fools are still laughing at us, all the way to the bank. shame, shame.

Aaron Wiens   January 1st, 2009 3:33 am ET

Two films stand out in the best/worst categories:

Best – Dark Knight

Worst – The Happening

Honorable Mention (Best Comedy) – Pineapple Express

Pinky   January 1st, 2009 3:38 am ET

Don’t see many movies at the theatre. Patrons too rude, for my money. Anyway:
Best: Ghost Town (but I expect to enjoy Let The Right One In and Slumdog Millionaire, when they eventually become available to me)
Worst: Haven’t been to a bad movie in ages, thank goodness.

Tennis   January 1st, 2009 3:42 am ET

Best: Iron Man
2nd: Indiana Jones – Shia the Buff! Great effects!
3rd: Dark Knight, only for Heath. Bale was awful, mumbling and growling.

Didn’t waste time seeing the crap movies.

New Earth Scott   January 1st, 2009 3:48 am ET

BEST: WALL-E

WORST: Whatever it would be, I didn’t see it. Thank Goddess for review sites like Rotten Tomatoes which give a pretty good indication of what might be worth my time.

SPECIAL MENTION: THE CHANGELING. Painful to watch, but Clint has become a Master Director. Best Period film of the year. Angelina Jolie gave a tremendous performance, with a strong supportint cast.

Joanne   January 1st, 2009 4:05 am ET

Best Films of 2008:

“Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (The time flew by – pun intended)
“The Counterfeiters”
“The Visitor”
“Iron Man”

Worst Films of 2008

Tale of Despereaux (tried to be good but was boring)
Indiana Jones

phillip   January 1st, 2009 4:15 am ET

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (best movie in years)

Scott Merriam   January 1st, 2009 4:37 am ET

Best: Dark Knight

Worst:
Twilight – One of the worst movies I have ever seen

Day the earth stood still – Wow, are you kidding?

Benjamin Button – I rarely walk out on a movie, but this one merited it.

Amanda   January 1st, 2009 4:52 am ET

The best movie I saw this year was definately Twilight. The worst movie would probably be Tropic Thunder, I couldn’t even finish the movie.

James   January 1st, 2009 5:06 am ET

Best: (In no particular order)
–In Bruges
–Redbelt
–The Dark Knight
–Milk
–Frost/Nixon

Worst: (Who really cares about the order?)
–The Love Guru
–Babylon A.D.
–Mummy 3
–The Happening
–X-FIles

Virgil   January 1st, 2009 5:08 am ET

My Lucky 13 Films of 2008:

1. Dark Knight (US)
2. 100 (Philippines)
3. Ploning (Philippines)
4. Love of Siam (Thailand)
5. Sparrow (Hong Kong)
6. Mamma Mia (US/UK)
7. Cloverfield (US)
8. Concerto (Philippines)
9. Melancholia (Philippines)
10. Serbis (Philippines)
11. The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela (Iceland/US)
12. The Band’s Visit (Israel)
13. Confessional (Philippines)

There are a lot of great films from around the world! Sadly, most of the films get to see are American ones because of their marketing muscle.

Shelley   January 1st, 2009 5:27 am ET

Best??? The Dark Knight….Heath Ledger is legendary in that movie…

Marsha R.   January 1st, 2009 5:28 am ET

Best:
Ironman
Transformers (come on guys)
The Dark Knight
Sex & the City

Worst:
The Hulk
The Women

I only listed the moivies I saw. Mike Myers hasn’t been funny since he left SNL. Eddie Murphy maybe needs to give comedy a break he was excellent in Sream Girls. I don’t see M. Night Shamaylan movies b/c he hasn’t made a good one since the Sixth Sense.

Emma   January 1st, 2009 5:52 am ET

Best:

Wall-E and Slumdog Millionaire

Jason   January 1st, 2009 6:01 am ET

In no particular order:

BEST- Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, The Wrestler

WORST- Indiana Jones, Burn After Reading. Benjamin (Snooze) Button, Day the Earth Stood Still, Step-Brothers

Prashant   January 1st, 2009 6:29 am ET

Best Movie: Tropic Thunder – Hilarious and I agree that Robert Downey Jr. deserves an oscar for it. It was a comeback year for him.
Worst Movie: Transporter 3 – WOW. I don’t know why Jason Statham agrees to these movies! Worst dialog ever.

Lynn   January 1st, 2009 6:31 am ET

Revolutionary Road-scathing & brutally honest look at how people “love” each other

Michael   January 1st, 2009 7:00 am ET

The best:

Slumdog Millionaire
Milk

sharon   January 1st, 2009 7:19 am ET

best-Wall E and Marley and me
worst-Burn After Reading

kris   January 1st, 2009 7:27 am ET

Best- Australia, Wall-E, Twilight, Mamma Mia
Worst-Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Vincent   January 1st, 2009 7:28 am ET

Best : Traitor
Worst : Zohan

scruffy   January 1st, 2009 7:33 am ET

Best Movie, Dark knight, -> Everything was excellent ….
Worst movie…hmmm…..maybe Sex and the city…hated that…ARgg…that horse faced woman makes me cringe…every time she grins..its like stop..u are not hot….!! oh and hated love guru..mike myers needs a new Job..

GiangNguyen   January 1st, 2009 7:37 am ET

I love “WANTED” with the actress I love,Angelina Jolie !

Marc-Anthony   January 1st, 2009 7:42 am ET

hahaha a lot of these comments are quite amusing. As the author of the article pointed out, in the end these are just opinions.
Best of 2008
Iron Man, Dark Knight,The Incredible Hulk
Worst of 2008
Burn After Reading, Hancock

Angie   January 1st, 2009 7:54 am ET

Best:
Hancock
Cloverfield
Marley and Me
Batman
Sex and City
Ironman

Worst:
One Missed Call
Strange Wilderness
Over Her Dead Body
The Eye
The Ruins
Vantage Point
The Happening
Indy 4
Love Guru
Untraceable
the list goes on – a bad, bad year for movies!

R. Dale McCarver   January 1st, 2009 8:01 am ET

Most overrated: Wall-E (let’s show how politically correct we can by)
Most under-appreciated: Hancock (critics have turned on Will)
Best: Ben Buttons (…and some were born to dance)

Mark   January 1st, 2009 8:02 am ET

Best:
The Visitor
Milk
Tell No One
In Bruges
Religulous – not really the best but an interesting commentary on an unthoughtful society.

Alan   January 1st, 2009 9:15 am ET

Best

Slumdog Millionaire
I Served The King Of England
The Dark Knight
WALL-E
War Inc

Worst

Death Race
Babylon A.D.
An American Carol ( one good joke in the whole thing )

bri   January 1st, 2009 9:44 am ET

Best Twilight

Worst the love guru

Elizabeth   January 1st, 2009 10:44 am ET

I’m not sure when this was released but it is the best movie I saw this year, The Curse of the Golden Flower.

John Van Eman   January 1st, 2009 11:57 am ET

Best: The Dark Knight
Worst: Baghead

Matt Fellows   January 1st, 2009 12:19 pm ET

“Dark Knight” was overly long and too self-serious and set expectations WAY too high to be met–there’s some dead air in Dark Knight, but on the whole it was still a great film.

Wall-e set expectations really high and the first hour was TREMENDOUS–some of the finest ideas EVER committed to film–and Andrew Stanton grabbed the Pixar mantle and raised the bar even HIGHER–and the second act is a very entertaining action film. Can you imagine Brad Bird and Andrew constantly try to outdo one another for the next decade or so?–Pixar will be a FORCE for some number of years!

Iron Man was also very entertaining and fun popcorn stuff.

Tropic Thunder was funny!!–The Tom Cruise cameo–over the top HILARIOUS.

Hancock was a total waste. The Happening was disappointing.

Jon   January 1st, 2009 12:24 pm ET

I would rather see these results displayed as a graph. This blog sucks- like we have the time to look at over 500+ comments – How stupid.

Dennis L.   January 1st, 2009 12:51 pm ET

My opinion for best films of the year are as follow
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Brad Pitt gives an amazing performance that finally deserves some recognition
2. MILK – Sean Penn portray of Harvey Milk is simply perfect, he got my vote.
3. Gran Torino – Clint Eastwood deserves an Oscar
4. The Dark Knight – Best Film of 2008, needs to get accredited

Sandeep   January 1st, 2009 12:52 pm ET

I thought the best film of the year was either WALL-E or Slumdog Millionaire…enough said about the first but the second one was just magically inspiring and the pacing was pitch perfect

Jon   January 1st, 2009 1:03 pm ET

I saw Dark Knight last night and did not feel it carried the same impact as the first movie. The tone stayed the same throughout and so many bad guys – scarecrow, joker, two face, and gangsters. I mean come on, haven’t producers learned that the character development gets mediocre the more characters added to the mix? As sorry as I am to see Heath Ledger’s passing, I just do not agree that this performance is as mythical as the hype has made it out to be. Granted it’s fairly original, I compare it to a mix of Jeff Goldblume’s fly performance, Johnny Depp’s willie wonka, & Brad Pitt in 12 monkeys.

Justin Li   January 1st, 2009 1:43 pm ET

Best:
Wall-e – pixar never fails to impress me.
Hancock – it was entertaining to say th eleast
Miracle at st anna – i’m surprised to see that the 2 people who mentioned the movie put it on their best list. The reviews for the movie were no so good, but i liked it.

Okay:
Ironman – it was entertaining
Seven Pounds – plot was jumpy, seems like the director completely relied on will smith to make it a decent movie.
Worst:
speed racer
twilight – if you think this is good, you probably haven’t seen many good movies like Schindler’s List

I’m glad everyone is saying slumdog millionaire is a good movie, i’m just about to watch it. And the curious case of benjamin button seems to have hit or miss fans.

Kevin   January 1st, 2009 1:48 pm ET

Milk, Let the Right One In, Slumdog Millionaire, Gran Torino, Wall-E,

live stage actor   January 1st, 2009 2:34 pm ET

Bought the DVD Dark Knight on the assumption it would be as good as Batman the Beginning. This Bail dude needs lip surgery, terrible Batman!

The writer/director has a mentally dark side that is unacceptable in a Batman series. Batman was stripped of his identity/powers and that sucks. This would be better known as a “Joker” film Batman just happened to be in it.

No wonder Ledger punched out. Only a demented mind like Jack Nicolson could have handled the evil creatures that are created within the soul during such a role. Ledger did not have control of his mind or career and this film took him beyond his personal ability to deal with real life. He did the part too good and it cost him.

I loved him in the Patriot, but Broke Back Mountain was his first stroke of destruction.

Will Smith should go back to TV sitcoms. Does he buy the lead parts?

Happy Person   January 1st, 2009 3:01 pm ET

Best:The Dark Knight
Worst:Twilight (no one could act, and it made NO sense! just for wimpy girls who think guys sparkle with fake glitter and would never eat you.)

August   January 1st, 2009 3:04 pm ET

BEST : Slumdog Millionaire

Walter Frith   January 1st, 2009 3:15 pm ET

Sounds like the people’s choice awards in here because all of the top picks look like they’re well known films by people who see about 5 movies per year. Batman, Batman, Batman. Geez, there were other films this year people. Ever try spending time at a movie art house? You might surprise yourself and make the world a better place at the same time while you’re at it.

Dark Crap   January 1st, 2009 3:45 pm ET

‘The Dark Knight’ deserves an award – most OVERRATED movie of the decade. Ledger’s performance was average, so was rest of the movie.
Some good scenes, but overall NOTHING to deserve so much attention.
Other Batman movies were much better, for their time.

Amanda   January 1st, 2009 3:48 pm ET

Best-Iron Man (got to love a super hero movie with a flawed hero who redeems himself!), WALL-E (totally a classic, pravo! Disney/Pixar!), Marlee and Me (the ending hit too close to home but still a great movie)

Worst- The X-files (love the tv show but this was a huge disappointment, the only good thing was seeing what happened to Mulder and Scully!), Twilight (love the books but this was a disappointment as well, much rather read the first book again then see this)

Gary (Atlanta)   January 1st, 2009 5:55 pm ET

Best: Dark Knight

Followed closely by Iron Man

Worst: Burn After Reading

Kate   January 1st, 2009 6:00 pm ET

Either Dark Knight or Iron Man. I loved WALL-E, but I think that while its story is great and everything, animated characters will never be a substitute for human acting. Benjamin Button was sweet and sad, but not as engrossing as my top two picks. Indiana Jones sucked (aliens? really?), and Twilight was all fluff. U23D was pretty sweet.

David   January 1st, 2009 6:12 pm ET

Burn After Reading – Well done movie about how the CIA and how the I does not mean intelligence.

Eagle Eye – A far reaching plot and the ending would have been better if the computer succeded.

Iron Man – Tropic Thunder – Iron man and Tropic Thunder for Robert Downey Jr – thank god he has stayed on the wagon. Tropic Thunder – Tom Cruise’s best acting ever. Give this man an Oscar!

Timothy   January 1st, 2009 6:38 pm ET

Best: 1st: Ironman, 2nd the dark knight (both awesome!)

haven’t seen much of anything else but I saw a snipit of twilight when my sister was watching it looked terrible and so does mama mia and high school musical 3. (also note that the only ones who are listing twilight on there top and batman on the bottom are girls)

Tanya F.   January 1st, 2009 8:06 pm ET

Re: Todd Leopold’s article “Your views…”

Is it too late to comment ? I don’t normally read blogs…
Anyway, here is a brief comment:

I liked “The Happening” (and “Lady in the Water” too). I hope
Shyamalan will keep making movies.

I am 36, female, a full time faculty member at a canadian university.

russell   January 1st, 2009 8:42 pm ET

diary of the dead, by george romero

Tammy   January 1st, 2009 9:52 pm ET

Though I highly agree that “The Dark Knight” was the best movie of 2008, I can not believe the harsh reviews of “The Happening”. M. Night is an AMAZING writer and director. Just because his movies don’t follow the same old boring direction that “The Sixth Sense” started and “Unbreakable” helped keep going (and don’t get me wrong, I loved both of those)…..my god, don’t give up on his movies because there isn’t a twist, that his movies may go in an entirely different direction then what you expected. Forget his earlier movies and watch the newer ones again, minus the expectations. You might find something you like and also, thankfully different from the rash of movie remakes that are plagueing our entertainment industry right now.

Virginia   January 1st, 2009 11:17 pm ET

Best: Sex and the City – loved the series, loved the movie
Worst: Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull – it was good right up until the alien part. Ugh.

Laine   January 2nd, 2009 12:08 am ET

Best: The Dark Knight

Kim   January 2nd, 2009 12:37 am ET

Best: Let The Right One In

Worst: Twilight

Sean   January 2nd, 2009 12:57 am ET

Dark Knight. ~WOW~ It can not be beat this year. No Way.

friend   January 2nd, 2009 1:07 am ET

Best: Wall-E and The Dark Knight
Worst: Hancock

Renee   January 2nd, 2009 8:32 am ET

Best Movie: Dark Knight and Tropic Thunder
Dark Knight only because of the late Heath Ledger’s performance. He was amazing. Christian Bale as Batman was a snooze.
Tropic Thunder was hilarious and the cast was amazing. Ben Stiller is among the best still.

Worst Movie: You Don’t Mess with the Zohan
Absolute worst Adam Sandler movie I have ever seen, and I am a big fan of his since the early Billy Madison days.

jennifer   January 2nd, 2009 10:01 am ET

Wait – Wasn’t “No Country for Old Men” last year’s winner? Even though it did s#ck.

Looking forward to seeing some of the movies being nominated.

Dark Night – really. He sounded like Andy Dick. If that is the case they should have nomiated Jack for his role as the Joker – much less annoying.

Gran Tranio was great. Wall -E was great.

Asad   January 2nd, 2009 11:32 am ET

What’s a ‘best film’?

In my humble opinion, A film with a solid, moving, entertaining STORY. Story comes first – Story has to be the key. Story that moves you, makes you wonder, makes you think, makes you laugh, makes you cry – THEN follows the Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Editing, Music, Make up etc.

Another criteria that I use is: Did the movie honored the Genre that it was in? Was it a comedy that made me laugh? Was it an Action Thriller that thrilled and excited me? Was it a Drama that moved me? etc

So by the definition and criteria stated above:

Best Film of 2008: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

A ‘complete’ film. Story is wonderful. Direction is seamless – Brilliant. Acting is very good. Music is fabulous. Everything is VERY VERY GOOD about this film hence I will call it BEST MOVIE OF 2008. I would be very disappointed if SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE misses out on BEST FILM OSCAR AWARD. (but then again they didn’t give OSCAR to SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION !)

2008 showed us a lots of GOOD movies with some EXCEPTIONAL performances.

1. DARK KNIGHT — Heath Ledger was phenomenal. Dark Knight was an above average film, not the best of 2008. Heath was the BEST thing about Dark Knight. Every Scene he was in was spectacular. He did an amazing job – Rest in peace Heath!

2. THE READER – Kate Winslet is wonderful. But then Kate is never bad. She is truly gifted!

3. CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON – Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett were very good but hands down the best performance was by Taraji P Henson (she played the character of Queenie). The direction of David Fincher was very good. I, personally, did not feel the story was some sort of off-shoot or rip off of Forrest Gump. The script was based on a short story written by F Scott Fitzgerald. And, to some, if it felt a bit ‘Forrest Gumpy’ it was only because the screenplay was written by Eric Roth who also wrote Forrest Gump.

4. MILK – Sean Penn is excellent. Another great performance.

5. VALKYRIE – Tom Cruise was very good ( he may jump off couches but he can still act if he is DIRECTED well). Movie was very engaging and was well done.

6. THE WRESTLER – Mickey Rourke has done an amazing job.

7. TROPIC THUNDER – Robert Downey Jr was excellent! (Tom Cruise’s cameo was funny too)

2008 also saw some BAD MOVIES done by some GOOD ACTORS:

HANCOCK & SEVEN POUNDS – Will Smith ( Both movies had good premise but the end result was inconclusive)
INDIANA JONES – Harrison Ford (Story had no depth. It was only made because of ‘The BRAND’ )
STEP BROTHERS – Will Ferrell & John C Reilly ( Some jokes made me laugh though).

and finally the WORST MOVIES of 2008:

LOVE GURU – (Total and absolute DISASTER . DREADFUL, TERRIBLE – Mike Myers is extremely OVER RATED. ).

MAX PAYNE – (Utter failure. Mark Wahlberg was FLAT, DEAD PAN with SAME EXPRESSION – like always. Add to that Mila Kunis – Are you kidding me with leather-attire and attitude ?? – what a colossal waste !!!)

X – FILES – ( No story, no suspense, nothing X-filey – again was made b/c of the X-Files brand. One of the best things about X-Files (the Series) was that they didn’t show Mulder and Scully in bed together. They took that away in the movie. What a SHAME!)

BANGKOK DANGEROUS – ( Nicolas Cage should QUIT. The theater I was in – EVERY SINGLE PERSON walked out of the movie within the first 45 minutes. I was the only idiot who stayed till the end and what a waste of time it was.)

CASINO ROYALE – (Senseless and mind boggling Action, Bad choice of villain, bad acting, no story)

Special mention:

THE HAPPENING – ( Everything was AWFUL in this movie – the premise was absurd, the story (or lack of it) was incoherent, there was no connection, no sympathy for the characters – There was nothing INNOCENT about Mark Wahlberg – same dead and emotionless expression. Zooey Deschanel was horrible with her goofy expression. But the worst part — that it was from M Night Shyamalan! – - the guy who did ‘Sixth Sense’ and breakable’ – two of the GREATEST MOVIES ever made .

I think the fame, ego and money has gone to Night’s head. There is no other excuse. Night proved it with ‘Lady in the Water’ and just when he had a chance to redeem himself and prove everyone wrong – He did ‘The Happening‘

Zac   January 2nd, 2009 3:47 pm ET

Best Movie overall – Wall-e
Best Horror – Eden Lake , Inside
Best Comedy – Tropic Thunder
Best Drama – Gran Torino

Worst Movie – Vantage Point
Most Disappointing Movie – Dark Knight (Hated it except for Ledger)

ava amon   January 2nd, 2009 6:26 pm ET

did you’al know that all medicare d scriber could not get there prescription today 1/2/09

Sam Jackson   January 3rd, 2009 3:27 pm ET

Some of the best movies never even get to the critics. You have to dig to find them. Independently made jewels like “Iron City Blues” may win film festivals, but only the big studio films seem to get the attention (good OR bad).

Shane McGuire   January 5th, 2009 7:50 am ET

Well lets just start by saying there were some movies that were worth the time and some that were not.

Lets start with the ones that my wife and I considered the worst. At the top of the list was Austrailia. I have to say, when you advertise for a World War II film of any kind, that is what the film had better be. Not a cross of Crocodile Dundee, Quigley Down Under, Out of Africa, Open Range, Silverado and 3:10 to Yuma. The only difference is the fact that all of the westerns that I mentioned were actually excellent films.

Tropic Thunder should have been called Tropic Blunder. I really like Robert Downey Jr. But this film totally takes the cake, and I am quite suprised that there were not some racially based lawsuits created over his character. Of course the same thing could be said about the Wayan’s Brother’s movie White Chicks a few years back. Nevertheless, not a film that was worth the popcorn to throw at the screen!

My wife went to see 7 Pounds, and came back with a fairly dismal report. Needless to say after her description of the film I will probably not rent the DVD.

As for the Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, I was told to remain curious, so I will wait for the DVD.

Vantage Point was not the best film either. The constant repeat of the same action through a different set of eyes coming to the same conclusion, was definately different, but did not hold my attention long enough to make the film worth it. All I remember is my wife waking me up when the credits were rolling. That is pretty bad.

The new Ailen VS. Predator film was just a waste of celluloid!

So lets talk about some of the better films that graced the screen this year. I can truely say that I enjoyed The Kingdom. This was a very telling tale of both sides of the terrorism issues that we are facing today. For those of you who may not have seen it, this film is going to be quite a shocker. Its more than just an action flick, and it really equates itself more with Black Hawk Down.

Wall-E was definately a nice treat for the eyes, and disney did a fine job with this film. Great for the kids and adults alike. Definately a slam on our wasteful tendancies as a society. It definately addresses our need to improve our recycling programs and improving our waste management programs.

Contrary to a couple of previous comments about the Batman Dark Knight film, this was the best film of the Batman Genre I have yet to see. As noble as Jack Nicholson’s effors were in the first Batman film many years ago, Heath Ledger’s rendition of Joker was closer to the sinister character that Joker really is. Definately an intense film and one for the books for this year.

Hancock was a great ride in the theaters this year. We definately enjoyed that film. In my opinion it was a nice twist on the Superman Tale.

Kung Foo Panda was Jack Black’s best performance I have seen in quite some time. Definately great for the kids and the kid in you.

Apaloosa and 3:10 to Yuma were definately worth the time this year, and will probably turn out to be the typical Western Classics like Silverado, Quigley Down Under, Unforgiven, Hondo, The Magnificent Seven, True Grit, Tombstone and Wyatt Earp. Good action, good gun slinging and great scenery.

I could go on, but I think CNN would probably edit the length of my article.

In any event, see you in the dark!

Anne   January 6th, 2009 1:17 pm ET

I’d have to say my all time favorite this year was the creepy “Let the Right One In”. It was horror at it’s best, and it depicts vampires as they really are — horrific death machines. Unlike “Twilight” — which is little more than sophmoric Mormon fanfiction for women who are into abusive relationships.

Jackie in Dallas   January 6th, 2009 2:17 pm ET

Maybe I mis-read the story, but I thought we were supposed to comment on critics, not movies. The last paragraph clearly says:
“What are your thoughts on movie reviewing? Offer your comments below or send them to iReport.com.”

On that note, I tend to avoid reading the critics before I see a movie. I like to make up my own mind, and find that a lot of movies that the critics love, I barely tolerate, and the ones they find “must-see” I usually wish I hadn’t seen! I usually read the book (if it is from a book), see the original (if it is a remake), or at least see several trailers. Then I go if it looks interesting. If it is questionable, I usually wait for word of mouth from my friends or until it is on satellite!

However, if we are talking about good movies in 2008, I’d have to agree that my favorites were two animated movies: “Wall-E” and “Kung Fu Panda”. But there were a lot of good movies in 2008.

moviefan   January 6th, 2009 7:01 pm ET

Best movies I’ve seen for 2008:
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Wall-E
Indiana Jones IV (Yes, I liked it)
Kung Fu Panda
Wanted
Step Brothers (Haven’t seen Tropic Thunder)
Hancock

Haven’t seen any bad or mediocre movie except for Hannah Montana 3-D, but that’s mainly because my sister forced me to see it. It could have been terrible, but the 3-D saved the movie. Still, a mediocre movie. Haven’t seen Beverly Hills Chihuaua, but that looks bad, too. What’s wrong with Disney today.

nighthawk   January 7th, 2009 7:58 am ET

Best movies 2008:

Wall-E – great!
Hancock – completely underrated!
Dark Knight – too long!
Indiana Jones – for the nostalgic story telling style and like visiting an old friend..

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