2008 Film Journals

[murlough23]

What have you seen in 2008? What are you looking forward to seeing in 2008? List/rate them all here. Discuss them in the appropriate threads elsewhere.

[murlough23]

Making the Cut:
1. Wall-E A+
2. The Dark Knight A
3. Slumdog Millionaire A
4. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian A-
5. Be Kind Rewind A-
6. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist B+
7. The Tale of Despereaux B+
8. Ghost Town B+
9. Baby Mama B+
10. Kung Fu Panda B+

It's an Honor Just to Be Nominated:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button B
Get Smart B
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa B-
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything B-
Definitely, Maybe B-
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull C+
21 C

The Cutting Room Floor:
Fool's Gold D+

(Last Update: 10/11/09)

[Aaron]

I watch movies like most young people read books so my list will be short.


Want to See

10,000 BC
Prince Caspian


I'll have to look at more trailers on Apple.com to see any other appealing titles.

[Brenden]

Top Ten:
1. The Dark Knight - A+
2. Wall*E - A
3. U23D - A
4. Burn After Reading - A-
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - A-
6. Zack And Miri Make A Porno - B+
7. Be Kind Rewind - B+
8. Iron Man - B+
9. Cloverfield - B+
10. Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull - B

The In-Betweens:
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - B
Pineapple Express - B
Hamlet 2 - B
The Incredible Hulk - B
Role Models - B-
Harold And Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay - B-
Quarantine - B-
Get Smart - B-
Hancock - B-


The Bottom Ten:
10. You Don't Mess With The Zohan - C+
9. Semi-Pro - C+
8. Speed Racer - C+
7. The Ruins - C
6. House - C-
5. The Happening - C-
4. Shutter - D+
3. Twilight - F

[AldaForPresident]

1. U2 3D, A+
2. Milk, A
3. Iron Man, A-
4. The Dark Knight, A-
5. Slumdog Millionaire, A-
6. Wanted, B+
7. Frozen River, B+
8. High School Musical 3: Senior Year, B+
9. The X-Files: I Want to Believe, B+
10. Sex and the City, B+

Also...
Tropic Thunder, B+
Quantum of Solace, B+
Defiance, B+
Revolutionary Road, B+
Changeling, B+
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, B
Cloverfield, B
The Duchess, B
Burn After Reading, B
The Reader, B
Vicky Cristina Barcelona, B
Doubt, B
The Day the Earth Stood Still, B
Baby Mama, B
Get Smart, B
The Happening, B-
The Other Boleyn Girl, C+
The Spirit, C
Leatherheads, C
Vantage Point, C-
Righteous Kill, C-
Made of Honor, C-
Nights in Rodanthe, C-
88 Minutes, D+
Fool's Gold, F

Updated 02/28/09

[Josh]

1. The Dark Knight (10.0)
2. Slumdog Millionaire (9.5)
3. Wall*E (9.5)
4. Synecdoche, NY (9.5)
5. Speed Racer (9.5)
6. Doubt (9.0)
7. Man on Wire (9.0)
8. The Visitor (9.0)
9. Gran Torino (8.5)
10. Burn After Reading (8.5)

Honorable Mentions:
Shotgun Stories (8.5)
Defiance (8.5)
The Tale of Despereaux (8.5)
Iron Man (8.0)
Seven Pounds (8.0)
Leatherheads (8.0)
Appaloosa (7.5)
Changeling (7.5)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (7.5)
Baby Mama (7.5)
The Reader (7.5)
Body of Lies (7.5)
Step Brothers (7.5)
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (7.5)
Be Kind Rewind (7.5)
Kung Fu Panda (7.5)
 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (7.0)
Hancock (7.0)
Wanted (7.0)
Get Smart (7.0)
Quantum of Solace (6.5)
Flash of Genius (6.5)
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (6.0)

Eh, not so much:
Swing Vote (5.5)
Meet Dave (5.5)
Fool's Gold (5.0)
Drillbit Taylor (5.0)
Over Her Dead Body (3.0)
Vantage Point (2.0)
Babylon A.D. (0.5)

Last Update: 1/23/09

[Brenden]

1. Fool's Gold... B-

That's surprising, I didn't expect Josh would be in the vast minority of critics saying the movie doesn't totally suck.

[RedcoatJones]

Top 10:
1. The Dark Knight ... 8
2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall ... 7
3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ... 7
4. Definitely, Maybe ... 6

Borrowing Popmatters' rating scale:
10 - The Best of the Best. Transcendent, essentially perfect, important, and more than likely to remain a classic touchstone for years to come.
9 - Very Nearly Perfect. A superlative example of film of any form, a pinnacle of an artist's achievement, and something that all film lovers should see.
8 - Excellent. Among the best work of the given cast, or among the best in the given genre, though it may only appeal to fans of that genre.
7 - Damn Good. Stands out and is definitely worth viewing, though it has some flaws.
6 - Good. Enjoyable and should be of interest to fans of the cast or genre, but has specific weaknesses.
5 - Average. Decent, but will probably appeal to fans of the cast/director the most -- some good individual scenes, some bad; average acting; work that meets expectations of the cast/director or genre.
4 - Unexceptional. Truly a mixed bag, with some highlights, but not enough to distinguish itself from similar films or artists.
3 - Weak. Bland, with little to distinguish it or recommend it, even to fans of their particular cast/director or genre.
2 - Seriously Flawed. Contains major flaws which significantly limit appreciation; very poor work by a particular director; very poor representations of a genre.
1- Terrible. So poorly written / performed / produced that it is an embarrassment to the genre and the artists who produced it. To be avoided at all costs.

[bloop]

1  The Dark Knight 10.0 = A++
2  WALL*E  9.5 = A+
3  In Bruges 8.0 = A-
4  Forgetting Sarah Marshall 7.5 = B+
5  Kung Fu Panda 7.5 = B+
6  Iron Man 7.5 = B+
7  Horton Hears a Who 7.0 = B
8  The Spiderwick Chronicles 7.0 = B
9  Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 7.0 = B
10 Prince Caspian 7.0 = B

[T-Bone]

The Dark Knight:  9.5
Slumdog Millionaire:  9.0
Iron Man:  8.5
Wall-E:  8.5
Doubt:  8.5
Gran Torino:  8.5
Defiance:  8.0
Kung Fu Panda:  8.0
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian:  8.0
Leatherheads:  8.0
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:  8.0
Horton Hears a Who!:  7.5
Get Smart:  7.5
The Incredible Hulk:  7.5
Baby Mama:  7.5
Flawless:  7.5
Seven Pounds:  7.5
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:  7.0
The Spiderwick Chronicles:  7.0
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army:  7.0
Cloverfield:  7.0
Eagle Eye:  7.0
Bedtime Stories:  6.5
Burn After Reading:  6.5
Quantum of Solace:  6.5
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa:  6.5
Hancock:  6.0
27 Dresses:  6.0
Nim’s Island:  5.5
Mamma Mia:  5.5
21:  5.5
Vantage Point:  5.0
Igor:  5.0
Made of Honor:  4.5
Twilight:  4.0

[spacebrat311]

My ratings are based on letter grade percentages, I.E 9-10 are the A range, 8s are the B range, 7s are the C range and so on.

The Dark Knight: 9.5
Wall-E: 9.0
Burn After Reading: 8.5
Be Kind Rewind: 8.5
Hellboy II: The Golden Army: 8.5
Tropic Thunder: 8.5
Cloverfield: 8.0
Iron Man: 8.0
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist: 8.0
Pineapple Express: 8.0
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: 7.5
Vantage Point: 6.0

[Celldweller7]

21 = D +
Iron Man = B
WALL-E = A -
The Dark Knight = A
X-Files: I Want to Believe = D
Leatherheads = B -
Burn After Reading = C
W. = C
Appaloosa = B - (C +)