Top 5 of 2010 (So Far)

Half of 2010 has almost come to past and it's around this time that I look back and think about what movie have really grabbed my attention these past six months. I've seen all of the listed at least twice just to get over my first impression reaction, and to see if there really are some things I find worthy of being some of the best films I've seen all year. In reverse numerical order:

5. Iron Man 2

A great sequel to a fantastic original. It doesn’t have the same level of quality as the original, but for a loud, explosive, and awesome summer film it does its job nicely and leaves you feeling satisfied.

4. Shutter Island

I can forgive a lame and predictable twist when the rest of the movie is this goddamn good. “Shutter Island” is the scariest film I’ve seen in a long time. While the typical horror film like the new “A Nightmare on Elm Street” uses the cheap tactic of beating you over the head with jump scares to elicit frights, “Shutter Island” uses its atmosphere and eerie mood to make you feel uncomfortable and frightened. There are a few jump scares, but they are well earned because the scenarios are so believable and very frightening. When the characters enter a small space, you feel claustrophobic and you find yourself trembling in fear. Martin Scorsese uses Kubrick-esque camera angles and shots to breathe life into this setting and to give the scenes an undying sense of fear and tension. If it wasn’t for the ridiculously predictable ending, “Shutter Island” would have definitely been the best psychological horror film I’d ever seen.

3. Kick-Ass

“Kick-Ass” is a wonderfully crude, gleefully explicit, manically over-the-top, and brilliant film about the clichés of superhero lore. Aaron Johnson headlines a superb cast including Nicolas Cage as the Batman-like Big Daddy, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as the wannabe mobster Red Mist, and Mark Strong as your typical cliché Italian mobster. But let’s not forget the scene-stealing Chloe Moritz as the brutal-as-fuck Hit-Girl. She owns this film with her amazing performance as a psychotic superhero that’d make even the Punisher piss his pants. Matthew Vaughn does an excellent job bringing this crazy superhero fantasy to the big screen in all its vulgar and graphically violent glory.

2. How to Train Your Dragon

DreamWorks Animation’s best film to date takes audiences on a soaring adventure that wowed me at every turn and constantly surprised me with something wonderful and exciting. Don’t be fooled by the crappy trailers, this is not your average acceptance story. It has heart and wit at its core, and it allows you to fall in love with this world showing you sights that are worth the IMAX price alone. This film is slowing making its way to the number one every time I think about, but every time I do my heart melts with excitement and wonder.

1. Toy Story 3

PIXAR’s 11^th film and 2^nd sequel remain at the top for a reason. “Toy Story 3” is a wonderful experience that anybody of any age can love. It has very clever writing, gorgeous animation, a colorful cast of lovable old and new characters, and an ending that break down any fan of this series into tears. “Toy Story 3” is a fascinating blend of zany humor and deep meditation on issues such as abandonment, letting go, and, in some ways, death. It sounds dark for a Toy Story film but Lee Unkrich and his team of PIXAR geniuses has created a mature and sweet film that anybody can relate to. It’s not “Up” or “Wall-E”, but “Toy Story 3” proudly stands among the best PIXAR has to offer. It also stands as the best film released in 2010 so far.