Best & Worst of 2009: Part 1

2009 was a rocky year.

As far as quality of movies go 2009 could be one of the weakest on record.

Funny, that the Academy Awards picked this year to nominate ten movies for best picture.

Sure there were the surprises, early in the year you had Liam Neeson’s revenge film, TAKEN, the summer’s THE HANGOVER and late summer’s DISTRICT 9.

Then you had studio hits like STAR TREK, HARRY POTTER, TRANSFORMERS 2 and PIXAR’S UP.

But to find deep movies that said something or challenged you as a viewer, they were few and far between. I did find that 2009 was also a celebration of genres. Sci-Fi, Action and comedy all saw amazing resurrections.

Over the next two days we will take a look at the Best and Worst of 2009.

#10 Taken

The movie came out of nowhere and became the best straight action flick in five years.

Sure it was released almost a year before in France and trickled out across the world.

But Liam Neeson fighting back to save his daughter really resonated with audiences. For me, it was like the 80s TV show The Equalizer was back but on steroids.

Why it makes the list: It proved that the action genre isn’t dead. And that a character actor like Liam Neeson can hold an action picture.

#9 Sunshine Cleaning

Two of the best actresses (Amy Adams & Emily Blunt) working movies today play sisters who open a business to clean up crime scenes so that they can send one of their sons to private school.

The movie is a true story and shows how valuable or troublesome family can be. Adams and Blunt are also both brilliant.

Why it makes the list: It is one of those diamond’s in rough. The reason it makes my list is because it marks the sign of the times, the recession has hit us all really hard and this movie shows us if we adapt we can survive.

#8 Star Trek
To ignore that Star Trek was a miracle is to be silly. It took a franchise that had 28 seasons of TV and ten movies and made it fresh. You would think that every story had been told and every angle pursued. J.J. Abrams proved us wrong.

Why it makes the list: We all had dropped a tombstone on the Star Trek franchise but the new film brought it back. 2009 was the year for Sci-Fi so it was perfect timing for Trek to be back. Also has Chris Pine, breakout star of the year!

#7 The Princess & the Frog

Princess and the Frog marked the third era of Disney 2D animation, it felt like so many of the late 80s/early 90s classics. It was also a reimagining of the classic tale of fairy tale told over a bowl of Southern Gumbo.

Why it makes the list: It makes my list because it gave me faith that 2D animation isn’t just for DVD. Here’s hoping they keep bringing us more like this one.

#6 Zombieland

What a surprise, another movie that changed the face of a genre. And when it comes to zombies that isn’t an easy task. This horror-comedy hit sprang from a dead TV pilot to be one of the most entertaining films of the year.

Why it makes the list: Woody Harrelson’s dynamic performance was one of the most memorable heroes of the year.

Stay tuned tomorrow for PART TWO

NEW TV: Coming in January

Demons (debuts Jan. 9, 9 PM, BBCA)


What It Is: Yet another supernatural show, with vampires, werewolves and the like. The twist here is that Luke is a descendant of Van Helsing and has to go all Buffy on the underworldly beasties.


Should You Watch: Probably not. It could be fun, but it could also be ridiculously silly. Then again, we said that about Vampire Diaries, which also turned out to be surprisingly decent.

Archer (debuts Jan. 14, 10 PM, FX)


What It Is: An animated spy series. Sorta like Alias, but with people out to betray each other at every corner.


Should You Watch: Maybe. It’s by the creator of Sealab 2021 and Frisky Dingo, it’s got a great voice cast (Jessica Walter, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell) and FX does good work. But we’ve already seen Team America and all the Bond movies, so we’re not sure we need this ‘toon.

Human Target (debuts Jan. 17. 8 PM, FOX)


What It Is: Christopher Chance is a bodyguard who becomes a human shield for his clients. 


Should You Watch: Yes. It’s got potential to be a fun action thriller, and it has Mark Valley, Chi McBride and Jackie Earle Haley going for it. It’s got to be better than Heroes… at the very least.

Life Unexpected (debuts Jan. 18, 9 PM, The CW)


What It Is: A cutesy drama about two estranged friends who have their lives turned upside down when the daughter they gave up returns after she emancipates herself from her foster parents.


Should You Watch: Sounds a little sentimental, but it has an old school WB vibe to it that reminds us of Everwood or Gilmore Girls. Definitely worth checking out.

Parenthood (debuts Mar. 1, 9 PM, NBC)


What It Is: Like Modern Family meets Brothers & Sisters, but based on the movie from the late ’80s.


Should You Watch: Yes. It’s got a great cast, including Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Bonnie Bedilia and Craig T. Nelson, though Dax Shepherd makes us more than a little nervous. Here’s hoping NBC finally allows this be the hit it deserves to be!

The Deep End (debuts Jan. 21, 8 PM, ABC)


What It Is: Young, overworked lawyers trying to stay afloat and keep their jobs.

Should You Watch: Yes. Not the most original of premises, but it does star one Miss Tina Majorino (among others) and she’s got the potential to make this more fun than a typical legal drama. We hope.

Caprica (debuts Jan. 22, 9 PM, Syfy)


What It Is: A prequel of sorts to Battlestar Galactica, set on Caprica way back before the first Cylons were even created. 


Should You Watch: Yes. Even though the first preview episode that arrived on DVD over the summer was a little slow, this show should provide a BSG fix and shows just how evil humans can be, especially when they look like Eric Stoltz.

The Inbetweeners (debuts Jan. 25, 9 PM, BBCA) 


What It Is: A fish-out-of-water story about a teenager who has to transfer from private school to the crazy waters of public school. 


Should You Watch: This BBC show got good buzz overseas and we’re always curious about anything that could have a Freaks & Geeks vibe.

Past Life (debuts Feb. 11, 9 PM, FOX)


What It Is: A psychologist specializes in investigating the past lives of her clients along with her skeptic detective partner. 
Should You Watch: No. If we want to see The X-Files, we’ll just watch our old DVDs.

Sons of Tucson (debuts Mar. 14, 8 PM, Fox)


What It Is: Tyler Labine (who was recently Reaper’s resident slacker) is a schlubby guy who plays parent to a convict’s three kids for cash, in order to help keep them out of foster care. 


Should You Watch: No. It looks pretty generic, as far as sitcoms go, and while we enjoy Labine in sidekick roles, and we’re not sure we can handle him as the central figure.

Source: televisionwithoutpity.com