My Top 10 Movies of 2005

I saw 40 of the 580 movies that were released in 2005. That is one movie every 9.13 days...and yes…I do have a life. It just involves going to the movies a lot. Generally speaking, I enjoy (on some level) most of the movies that I go to see. Here are my ten favorites from the year 2005.

10. War of the Worlds
A great science fiction movie with lots of action, awesome special effects and the best child actor in all the land – Dakota Fanning. Too bad it also had one of the worst endings…ever.

9. Coach Carter
Basketball and Samuel L. Jackson…’nuff said. See my review here.

8. Wedding Crashers
Vince Vaughn is unstoppable. Add Owen Wilson and you have the 2nd best comedy of the year. There are parts of this movie that are laugh-out-loud funny, no matter how many times you see it.

7. The 40 Year Old Virgin
The best comedy of the year. I had never even heard of Steve Carell before this film, but he delivered. Side note: Never sell your action figures for a girl!

6. Serenity
Even though I am a big fan of writer/director Joss Whedon‘s previous work (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel) I did not have high hopes going into this movie. I was pleasantly surprised (ok, shocked) by what I saw on the big screen. Serenity is a sci-fi movie packed with tons of action and humor. I liked it so much that I bought Firefly (the TV series the movie is based upon) on DVD.

5. Munich
I knew almost nothing about the terrorism that took place at the 1972 Munich Olympics. This film covers the aftereffects of that event, as Israel undertakes a secret mission to eradicate everyone involved in the planning of the attack. The movie is full of suspense but it also succeeds in making the viewer take a long hard look at the costs of terrorism…on both sides of the conflict.

4. Walk the Line
A tremendously entertaining movie about Johnny Cash, with great performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon.

3. Cinderella Man
As boxer James Braddock during the Great Depression, Russell Crowe gives the best performance of his career. Although the film has plenty of boxing action, it succeeds most in showing us how a man that was down on his luck turned the tables, and became a source of inspiration for the entire country.

2. King Kong
I had such a great time at this movie! The film took me back to being a kid watching all those old Japanese, King Kong vs. Godzilla movies on television. Truly a fun movie-going experience.

1. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Come on now…did you really expect me to pick anything else? George Lucas (the KING of screwing stuff up) finally did something really right (for the most part). Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader…it doesn’t get any better than that!