Tracy’s Favorite Movies of 2008

I go see a lot of movies. Pretty much every weekend you can find my friends and I at the Showplace in Schererville. We’re always early, and we always sit in the top row. Our usual flicks are action movies, comedies, and the occasional drama. 2008 was such a great year for movies that I feel bad only choosing ten good ones, but here it is, Tracy’s Favorite Movies of 2008. In no particular order…

Indiana Jones--
So it had aliens, a nuclear bomb-proof refrigerator, and Shia LeBeouf swinging through the jungle. But it also had Harrison Ford’s dry one-liners, whip-cracking fight scenes, and a crazy romance based on bickering. It was fun, and campy, and oddly enough, based on a real historical legend.

Burn After Reading—
Brad Pitt’s characterization is hilarious and John Malkovich has an insane potty-mouth. Every single character in this movie is truly a terrible person and that keeps the movie together. It’s like Seinfeld meets the CIA meets LA Fitness.

Wanted—
Amazing special effects, a little Chicago love, super awesome slo-mo shots of fighting and explosions. Add a little humor and that dude from Atonement, and I’m all set.

Kung Fu Panda—
This movie has a unique animation style that makes it visually very pretty. Jack Black lends his comedic talents as the voice of the main character, a giant panda learning kung-fu. It’s slapstick humor at its best…and I’m a sucker for CGI.

Role Models—
This movie is wrong in every way, but I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. The plot might be predictable, but the laughs are not.

Tropic Thunder—
Robert Downey, Jr., playing an actor with no limits. Ben Stiller as a beefed up action hero. Tom Cruise in fat suit. This movie has something for everyone. I highly recommend the DVD with tons of high-quality footage not in theatres.

WallE—
I am once again floored by Pixar’s creativity with design and original storytelling. The first half of the movie is basically wordless yet it’s riveting and funny and meaningful.

Dark Knight—
What can I say about this movie that every fanboy and critic hasn’t already said? It’s amazing. It’s great. Heath Ledger is unbelievable, but don’t forget about solid performances by Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Aaron Eckhart. And how could I not mention the coolest chase scene ever featuring the beautiful streets of Chicago?

Iron Man—
Downey, Jr. is back and funnier than ever in this surprisingly awesome comic book adaptation. The special effects blew my mind. I was thoroughly entertained by this movie.

Get Smart—
I looove Mel Brooks and his style of humor, so a movie based on one of his TV shows is a sure winner for me. Steve Carrell can crack me up just by staring into the camera for two hours and not saying a word.

2008’S WORST:

The Happening-- M. Night Shyamalan’s latest was utterly disappointing. That’s a lot coming from me, since I am easily entertained… I even made it all the way through Lady in the Water…but I hope to spare everyone from this movie. The plot died before it even began, the suspense was laughable, and the acting was terrible. I’m not saying the actors themselves are bad, I just feel they were directed poorly. Two hours of my life are now gone.

~Tracy~