It is my opinion that 2009 was the best science fiction movie year in my lifetime. I have NEVER paid to see so many movies in one year!

Most of the list is science fiction but this list also includes all of the movies that I saw this year and how I ranked them. I’ve seen fifteen movies this year so I will rank them from least favorite to favorite.





15. Angels and Demons
Yes. I am ranking Angels and Demons LOWER than New Moon. This movie bored me and was a complete snooze-fest compared to the book. I remember really enjoying the book. The only thing that saved this film was Ewan McGregor portraying the sexiest priest ever. Everything else… yawn.

14. New Moon
I didn’t hate it. Jacob as inappropriate eye candy was delish. The special effects in this movie were interesting and I even related to Bella once. It’s a fun teen movie and is way better than the first movie. I’ll see the next one.

13. Terminator Salvation
I was disappointed in this film. I didn’t know Sam Worthington and I couldn’t understand why the movie was more about his character instead of John Connor as over-intensely played by Christian Bale. No wonder dude was pitching fits on the set; he wasn’t the star which was downright rude.
The robots kept me from totally hating this movie. They were sexy and what you come to expect from the Terminator franchise. The naked CGI Governator was also a treat. This movie left me wanting more in a bad way.

12. Harry Potter
My initial reaction to the latest Harry Potter movie was unfavorable. Overall, it was cute movie, I guess. The teen sexual tension was cute but there was too much of it and not enough about everything else. I’ve only read the first two Harry Potter books and have been told that there was supposed to be a lot more going on in this movie. The readers of this series have the benefit of filling in the blanks with the knowledge from the books. I did not want that. I wanted the Harry Potter movies to stand apart from the books and be a strong representation of what the books are. It was not. I’m still upset at the ease in which Dumbledore died. I really expected a grand wizard finale battle like the movie before it. It was a major disappointment for me. I’m still a little bitter but I will read the books now because the movies just don’t cut it.

11. Wolverine
This was a chick-flick. I, of course, wish all chick-flicks were this awesome then I could tolerate them. As an action flick, it did its job. There were a lot of shirtless men muscling around growling; lots of “male bonding”. Hugh Jackman was divine. Wolverine had the misfortune of being one of the first sci-fi films out this year so its memory and effect has faded. I remember not hating it and liking it more than Terminator.

10. Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen
Compared to the first movie, this one was a steaming pile. The bad language in this movie was so unnecessary and blatant that even my 7 year old nephew complained. The plot isn’t complex; it’s a special effects spectacle so we should at least be able to bring kids to see this. I was unmoved by the “racist robots” uproar. I’ve seen movies made by Black people with stereotypes that are way worse than this. Also, the desert scene was so long and boring that you could take a restroom break and not miss a thing.
This one ranks so high because of nostalgia. I enjoyed seeing the characters from the first movie; Shia LaBeouf makes me laugh. Tony Todd voicing The Fallen was a fangirl treat for me. I love Optimus Prime way too much for me to be considered sane.

9. Surrogates
I just liked this film. Anything that has to do with robots as avatars is a winner for me. Bruce Willis was perfect and the movie’s message while tiresome was still effective. I enjoyed the contrast between the surrogate and human. It is also fortunate that this movie came out before Avatar.

8. Inglorious Basterds
This movie impressed me. I didn’t expect it to be an alternate history where Jewish badasses kill Hitler? Given the grim subject matter, the movie was a lot of fun and the costuming struck a cord with me. I’m glad that I was talked in to seeing this one.

7. Zombieland
A funny zombie movie takes away from the stress of a classic zombie movie. I have a hard time tolerating zombie movies because they seem so hopeless and overwhelming. Zombieland wasn’t all goofiness and I think it had the perfect balance of wit and horror. Woody Harrelson totally rocked this movie. Zombieland reminds me why I love the guy and why I love Bill “F’ing” Murray.

6. GI Joe
This movie had a Wayans brother in it so I expected it to suck majorly. It didn’t. I ended up liking GI Joe more than Transformers which surprised me. Sure, I may have been blinded by the gloriousness that is Christopher Eccleston but this movie is still high on my list. It gave me what I expected and delivered exactly what a summer sci-fi blockbuster is supposed to.

5. Sherlock Holmes
Two words: Steam Punk… or is that one word? Whatever. The Sherlock Holmes movie wasn’t as steampunk as some of the other movies that use the style but it made up for in set design and costuming. I wouldn’t have suspected this movie to be directed by Guy Ritche if it weren’t for the Snatch-like fighting pit scene. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. Either way, I loved the grittiness to this movie. I must admit (with lots of shame) that I’ve only seen Sherlock Holmes as portrayed by Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I’ve always imagined that Holmes was uptight and gentlemanly not gritty and damned near menacing… and kinda gay. I love Ritche’s vision of Holmes. He’s more accessible and his genius shines through perfectly.

4. Moon
The best thing about this movie was the story-telling. The special effects were there. It was futuristic but it was the story that held everything together. In a summer glutinously filled with explosions and gyrating robots, this movie was refreshing and elegant. Sam Rockwell is brilliant!

3. District 9
This was the biggest surprise of the year for me. I totally didn’t expect this movie. It was one wild ride from beginning to end. Because this film was made in South Africa, it had a unique feel that I really appreciated. The apartheid theme was blatant but alien spin on the theme made it a compelling tale. There are explosions but not the grand, gratuitous ones that we are used to. This movie has a stylized grossness that I wasn’t prepared for but grew fond of mainly because it was different. There isn’t happy ending to the story but a believable compromise that made the entire experience fulfilling.

2. Avatar
This movie was the most beautiful movie that anyone has seen this year. Yes, I’m making that judgment for everyone whether they like it or not. The breakthrough technology and world building in Avatar was phenomenal. James Cameron has raised the bar for film-making again. This may be this generation’s Star Wars, maybe not, but no one can deny that Avatar was an amazing spectacle. Some people had issues with the plot. I thought it was fine. I cared about the characters and the ending was satisfying. Avatar was my first major movie experience in 3D. I’m glad I made the decision to experience the film that way. It is part of the movie and I can’t imagine the film without 3D.

1. Star Trek
I own this DVD, soundtrack and I’ve paid to see this film 4 times in theaters. (6 if you count the tickets I bought for my nephews.) This is without a doubt my favorite movie of the year. I think it’s the best too. This movie had decades of history and stereotypes to overcome. If that wasn’t enough, Star Trek fans are nearly impossible people to please. JJ Abrams didn’t please every one of us but he pleased a HUGE majority of us and now will take his place amongst the deities of the Star Trek universe. (I want my JJ Abrams action figure NOW!) That is no minor feat. He managed to make Star Trek fresh and exciting. I even think that people are interested in future journeys with the starship Enterprise.

Honorable mention: Rifftrax presentation of ‘Plan 9 from Outer Space’
This is a very good idea. Rifftrax had a live heckling of ‘Plan 9 from Outer Space’ that was streamed to theaters across the nation in real time. Veronica Belmont hosted. Jonathan Coulton performed two songs. The movie was just as awful as ever but Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett made this hilarious and watchable. The movie going experience had a community feel. People laughed freely, shouted out their own jokes and we even goofed off with each other afterwards.