Din's Geek Reviews #6 - Top Geek Films of 2009

Hello, and welcome to another exciting episode of Din's Geek Reviews.
Well everyone, it’s been a big year for us geeks, any way you cut it. Sarah Connor and Dollhouse both got canceled, Star Wars and Star Trek traded venues, and Captain America rose from the grave. But, all that considered, it has really been the cinema that has had the biggest year in geekdom.

With Marvel and DC each only contributing a single film this year, it looked to be a pretty lack-luster season. But then, just as summer was ending, BOOM! stream of awesome.

To celebrate this year in geek-movies, I will be counting down the top six geek films of the year. I’m sure you’ve heard of the majority, but never-the-less, here’s my take on this surprisingly good season, and why it will be a painful, expensive year to come at the DVD stores.



#6 Ponyo

I really, really hope at least a few of you got to see this movie on the big screen.

Ponyo, fully titled Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, is the latest anime film by legendary Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. In some ways a loose re-telling of the traditional “Little Mermaid” story, the film follows the adventures of the titular Ponyo, a small fish… girl… thing… as she is washed ashore and rescued by a young Japanese boy named Sosuke.

At the same time, Ponyo’s father (apparently tasked with keeping the oceans in balance) is on a quest to retrieve the little fishgirl, as she has the potential to disrupt nature (or something. It’s been a few months, okay?).

Though featuring all of the reality-bending weirdery that Miyazaki has become famous for, Ponyo is still a charming film. I saw the English dub while it was in the theater, and I must, say, despite using two clearly market-targeted stars (Noah Cyrus and Frankie Jonas as Ponyo and Sosuke respectively) it was actually one of the better dubs I’ve seen. The supporting cast was great, featuring the likes of Liam Neeson and Tina Fey, and the voices always matched the characters.

But what really makes Ponyo a great film is the spectacle. The vast, hand-drawn oceans are simply amazing, particularly during the storm scene about halfway through.

All that said, this film also manages to capture much of that childhood innocence that a lot of kid’s movies lack these days. It’s a wonderfully charming film, with loveable characters, good lessons, and beautiful animation. Go rent it. Show your kids. Enjoy.

#5 Surrogates

Anyone who stepped foot into a theatre between the release of Terminator Salvation and September probably saw the trailer for this film. One of the two big, flashy, old-school sci-fi films of this year, Surrogates is based on a 2005 – 2006 comic book series and follows the adventures of… a character played by Bruce Willis, as he tries to solve a murder.

But you’re not here for that, not really. You’re here for the sci-fi attitude.

You learned about the premise in the aforementioned trailers. It’s the kinda-sorta future, and the supermajority of humans are living their lives through “surrogates” – essentially remote controlled android puppets – allowing them to live without limits. What the surrogates feel, they feel, etc.

However, all is not well for Willis, as the first murder in *generic amount of time* has occurred, forcing him to track down a killer that can murder people through their surrogates.

There’s plenty of action here. The whole normal-people-as-terminators thing is fully exploited, and the action scenes are pretty good. But what really makes Surrogates strong is its ideas.

This movie takes a very older-style sci-fi approach to the plot device – it’s not just an excuse for the action. It really does dabble with the questions raised: what would life be like with no consequences? Would some people give up on their own humanity? How would war change? What if such a system happened, but was taken away?

It’s the little stuff that makes to movie great – the character interaction, the backgrounds, just how normal these machines have become. A fun film to be sure, but probably a better discussion.



#4 Sherlock Holmes

Okay, I just saw this one yesterday, so I might be cheating a little, but I don’t really care. This film rocked.

Sherlock Holmes is the story of, well, Sherlock Holmes, and the continuing adventures thereof.

And I’m not going to spoil it for you. Let’s just say there is murder, and adventure, and high-flying action all around.

Without ruining it, the plot is an interesting blend of intrigue, going off in perhaps a bit of an odd direction. However, it concludes in a way that leaves you very satisfied with the entire adventure, and (as is always the case with good Holmes) gives you the chance to theorize a number of the pieces yourself. (I totally called it on the “fire” incident, by the way)

What makes Holmes wonderful is its acting. Robert Downy Jr. and Jude Law are fantastic in this movie, playing the characters off of each other perfectly. Watson is competent for once, and Holmes is a bit of a disheveled eccentric. I wish I could give you particular examples, but this film is (as most Holmes stories are) so detail-based that anything I could use would give away part of the fun. Just trust me – these characters have not been portrayed this well in… ever.

Oh, and the action was good. That happens too. I particularly liked the early slow-mo bits – they really brought in a new dimension to Holmes as a character that I thought fit quite well.

The only major complaint I have was the use of CGI – really, I know it’s cheap, but the tech is hardly perfect. Build some sets, danggit. If The Muppet Christmas Carol can do practical effects shots of Victorian London, so can you.

But the CG was really only a minor distraction. There’re only two or three shots that were annoying, and they were fast.

It’s still in theatres folks. Go check this one out.

#3 Inglorious Bastards

Alright, I know, this one might not really count as a “geek movie,” but look at it this way: what we’re dealing with is essentially a spaghetti-western set entirely in Nazi-occupied France, starring European actors no one has heard of, all directed by the guy who made bad kung fu movies cool again. Oh, and about 80% of it is in subtitles.

So yes. Yes it is a geek movie.

What may surprise you is that this movie, despite its promotional campaign and Tarantino’s history, is not so very gory. Oh yes, the violence is there, and it’s harsh, but there’s only three or four moments of it, and they don’t last.

What’s more, there’s actually not all that much action. Rather, this film is based on dialogue, building suspense and excitement through conversation – no mean feat, particularly in foreign languages.

The acting is universally enjoyable – even Brad Pit is good – but you’re really here to see Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa, and Melanie Laurent as Shosanna Dreyfus. Waltz in particular is amazing, carrying the Nazi Colonel through not one, not two, but four different languages, and still keeping an atmosphere of venomous evil through the entire film. He’s one of those nice villains – the kind that might give you a cake, but that you really, really don’t want to piss off.

Over all, Bastards was an exciting, stimulating movie, possibly one of the best Tarantino has done to date. Turn your eyes away at the right moments, and you’re in for a treat.

#2 District 9

I dedicated an entire review to this when it first came out, so there’s really no need to re-hash the virtues of District 9. However, I will point out why this movie didn’t make the #1 slot on this list.

Sadly, all its strengths aside, District 9 is a hard movie to watch. The film is emotionally brutal, visually unpleasant, and leaves you feeling physically drained. It is certainly a “must see movie,” but sadly, you will probably only feel up to seeing it once or twice. It’s not a film you will be watching ever couple of months – probably not even once a year. It’s powerful, very, very powerful, but with that power comes the price of effort. You need to be in a particular mood to re-watch District 9.

If you haven’t seen it, see it now. If you have, rent it, watch it, and then put it down for a while.

#1 Watchmen

It’s a little ironic that I opened this list by pointing out the shortage of Marvel/DC adaptations, yet it’s Watchmen that takes the cake.

Where to begin? Well, I suppose the source material is as good as anywhere.

Based on the 1986/7 (and I don’t say this lightly) masterpiece by Alan Moore, Watchmen is a super-hero/alternate-history/Cold-War drama/romance/intrigue/detective story?

Alright, let me back up. It’s the 1980’s, and, in this universe, costumed heroes have been around for years. No powers, mind you, just flamboyant vigilantism. Over time, however, the government decides it doesn’t care for this, and makes it illegal.

The “core” story is that of a series of murders. Someone, somewhere, is attempting to kill off masks, and this does not sit well with those remaining. Clue leads to clue, eventually culminating in events that will reshape the world as we know it and make every reader/viewer question their own humanity.

…

Okay, look. I can’t do better than this. This story is so labyrinthine, so multifaceted, so interwoven between personal relationships, massive governments, and inner monologues on the nature of humanity you have to read it or, in this case, watch it. I can’t summarize it here, and it would be a disservice to try it.

Alright, so wonderful comic. What makes this movie so great?

Most things, to tell the truth. An incredibly loyal adaptation, Watchmen really does what it set out to do. The action is exciting (though admittedly sparse by modern standards) and the plot is well executed, but the reason to watch this is the characters.

Strong performances are delivered by almost the entire cast (with the notable exception of Malin Akerman, who kind of falls on her face). Patrick Wilson and Matthew Goode provide wonderful contrast as Night Owl and Ozymandias respectively, showing the various paths that vigilantism (and wealth) can take, depending on your attitudes. Wilson in particular performs well, creating a believable, insecure, and unconfident character that is easy to identify with.

Billy Crudup also brings a fair bit of talent to the table as Doctor Manhattan, coming off as (fittingly) emotionless. It takes a lot of effort to remain that monotone.

The star of this cast, of course, is Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. Seriously. This guy nailed it. The monologue, the voice, the expressions – everything. Haley keeps Rorschach what he was in the book – cold, mean, and obsessed. Hell, the guy even looks the part.

As far as super-hero movies go, this one is top-bracket. Though some audiences might find it slow for an action film, that’s actually fine. Because this isn’t an action film. It’s a drama, and a sci-fi. It’s about questions, and discussions. When does the law cease to be justified? How far is too far? To what lengths do you go to protect humanity? What do you do with the powers of God? When does obsession become insanity? Does it even matter?

Watchmen is all about these kind of questions, and more.

Watch the film. Then read the book (you’ll thank me later).

Then buy them both so you can repeat the process every-so-often.



Conclusion

As you can see, it’s been a huge year for geek films. Honorable mentions go out to Avatar for its special effects, Harry Potter for not sucking, and Star Trek for revitalizing the franchise, but in the end, none of those was quite good enough to make it on the list.

Well, 2009 is over. What’s 2010 got in store?

First up will be Iron Man 2 in May. After that? Well, we’ll just wait and see. 2011 is the “big year” for geekdom. But maybe, just maybe, 2010 will have as good a run as 2009.