Willow's Top 10 Films of 2007

My number ten pick of the year is Knocked Up. It was a fabulous film, well written and directed. The actors kept me laughing and even made me tear up a time or two. It's the typical love story or is it? Little known actor Seth Rogan who has made appearances in plenty of top comedies over the years was finally given his chance at a lead role and he proved without a doubt that he can be funny on his own. Along side actress Katherine Heigl, known for her role on "Grey's Anatomy", he shined bright. With guest appearances by Harold Ramis and Alan Tudyk this film couldn't fail. If you're looking for a great comedy with crude humor and very few emotional scenes then this is the film for you. Another great film from Judd Apatow (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40 Year Old Virgin, and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story) who continues to produce excellent comedies again and again.

My number nine pick of the year is The Simpsons Movie. I've been a big fan of the show for a long time and I was very excited when I saw the first trailer for the film. It's hard to take a 30 minute cartoon show and turn it into an hour long movie but the geniuses behind The Simpsons pulled it off. The film stayed true to the show and even improved upon it. The fabulous opening sequence can now be seen on the show each week. On the big screen they were able to get away with a lot of things they can't get away with on TV. Such as showing frontal nudity of everyone's favorite bad boy Bart Simpson. Don't let that stop you from seeing the film though, it took me three viewings before I even noticed. It happens that fast. If you're a Simpsons fan you have to see this movie it will make you love them even more and help you to understand the newest episodes better.

My number eight pick of the year is Beowulf. I've always been a fan of the epic poem and when I heard that Neil Gaiman was helping to write the screen play for the film version I couldn't contain my excitement. With stunning special effects, a stellar cast and a great director as well as writers this film was by far the best when it came to visual arts. Even if you've never read the poem you'll enjoy this film for its story and the fabulous acting. With such actors as Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone, Robin Wright Penn, John Malkovich, and Crispin Glover you can't miss out on this one. It's worth renting and it was entirely worth the eight dollar ticket cost at the theater.

My number seven pick of the year is 1408. I love a good horror film and when you put Stephen King's name on it I love it even more. The film is based on the short story written by Stephen King and it was a fabulous story. Well directed, and John Cusack did an amazing job with the character he portrayed (Mike Enslin). With another great performance by Samuel L. Jackson and young actress Jasmine Jessica Anthony this film really draws you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It takes a lot to scare me but I will admit I jumped a time or two during this film. So check this film out because it's worth it. Get cozy at home, have a friend or loved one around if you scare easy, and curl up with a bowl of popcorn.

My number six pick of the year is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Number five in the series and worth every penny. While the film is a lot shorter than it should be and is missing a lot of important details that should have been covered, the film still works for me. If you're not a reader of the books then this film is going to be even more enjoyable for you. The actors in the films continue to give amazing performances despite their age, and I love the feeling I get every time I read a book or see one of the films. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Emma Watson (Hermione) and Rupert Grint (Ron) are fabulous actors with huge futures ahead of them. It's not very often that young actors get such a great start in the movie industry, but it happened for them. This film shows the growth the characters have gone through since the beginning, and deals with more adult issues. You almost feel like you're watching them grow up and that is why I love the entire series. This film only made number six in my list due to the fact that the director messed up in making the film so short.

My number five pick of the year is Spider-Man 3. I never imagined that each Spider-Man film would surpass the one before it, but that is what has happened so far in this (now) trilogy. The casting director continues to do a fantastic job with these films and I'm happy about that. Just like taking a book or TV show and turning it into a film, making a comic book into a film is tough business. Spider-Man is an old comic book character that has a rich history and a massive fan base of which I am a part of. This film introduced Sandman and Venom to the cast of villains in the films and really hit the nail on the head. With great performances from Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace and Bryce Dallas Howard the film yet again did even better than the second film did. Which is saying something.

My number four pick of the year is Stardust. Based on the Bestselling Novel by Neil Gaiman this film takes you on a fantasy ride you'll never forget. With Michelle Pfeiffer as the villain you can't go wrong. The special effects, set design and costume work is amazing. The film is vibrant, magical and amazingly close to capturing the brilliance of the novel it's based on. With Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes, Ian McKellen and Robert De Niro the film begs for your attention and it deserves it. Action packed, lots of surprises and a fairy tale feel this film is well worth the time to see. Enjoy it with your kids or on your own. Either way this film isn't in my number four spot for no reason.

My number three pick of the year is Shrek the Third. Another fabulous addition to the franchise. In my opinion this film really surpassed the ones before it. With even better jokes, a great story line and wonderful voice performances by the top list actors this film couldn't have failed if it wanted to. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz reprise their roles in this third installment, but they are joined by even more big Hollywood names. Antonio Banderas comes back as "Puss in Boots", John Cleese comes back as "King Harold", Julie Andrews returns as "Queen Lillian" and Rupert Everett returns as "Prince Charming". Throw in newcomers Eric Idle, Justin Timberlake, Cheri Oteri, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Amy Sedaris and you've got a great mix for a wonderful comedy. DreamWorks has a great thing here and I hope they'll continue to produce great C.G.I. films like this for years to come.

My number two pick of the year is Black Sheep. A film from New Zealand that took me by surprise. It's one of the lesser heard of 2007 film releases but it is by far one of the greatest films I've seen all year. It combines subtle British style humor with American style gore and leaves you wanting more. With a relatively unknown cast (unknown in America) and what can only be described as a very different plot line this film is in a league of its own. With creature design by the Weta Workshop (Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, King Kong, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) this comedy/horror had a lot going for it. This film has it all. Comedy, Action, Drama, Science Fiction and Horror. It's gory, funny and just down right wonderful. That's why it makes my number two spot but it fell short of number one for many reasons.

My number one pick of the year is 28 Weeks Later. This film did for the horror industry what X-Men did for the comic book industry. It proved that with the right combination of director, writers and actors you can do anything. This film proved that great sequels in the horror genre are possible. I couldn't turn away from the screen during this film, and that's one of the many things I love about it. It drags you in and keeps you enthralled the entire time. I have always loved a great horror film and the gorier the better for me. This film transcends that and sets a new standard for the horror genre. Robert Carlyle, Catherine McCormack, Emily Beecham and Jeremy Renner give great performances in this film. They make you care about them and once you do that everything that happens from there on means so much more. With great action scenes, heart warming reunions, and devastatingly sad moments this film deserves to be the number one film of 2007. It won an award for "Best Horror Movie" of 2007 at the Scream 2007 Awards. An award it most definitely deserved.

That completes my list of the top ten movies of 2007. Here are some films I can't wait to see in 2008.

Cloverfield
The Dark Knight
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Repo! The Genetic Opera!
Funny Games U. S.
Iron Man
The Eye