The Top 10 of 2004

A little later than usual, but I couldn't let the New Year get under way without giving fans a rundown of FilmGuru's favorite films of 2004. Unlike the other Top 10 lists you may see from professional movie reviewers, my list is restricted by two things: 1) I have limited resources, so I don't see EVERY movie made, and 2) the flood of Oscar contenders in December usually guarantees that I don't see the truly outstanding movies until late January or February. Such is my curse.

So, if you are the editor of a magazine or newspaper and like what you read on this site, please consider hiring me as a full-time film reviewer. If nothing else, it will give me an excuse to see more movies.

Before I get into the Top 10, I'd like to note a few Honorable Mentions:

Kill Bill Vol 2. - Last year I had Kill Bill Vol. 1 as one of my honorable mentions. Once again, Quentin Tarantino's latest falls just short of making the top 10. I loved Vol. 2. It was, in my opinion, even better than Vol. 1. For fans, it was tops.
The Village - While many people were disappointed with M. Night Shayamalan's latest work, I thought it was much better than people said. Expectations are everything, and for those who wanted another movie like The Sixth Sense, they were bound to be disappointed. Fans of M. Night will love this film and be comparing it to his more popular work for years.
The Terminal - Another quiet, understated film just missed my top 10. Like The Village, this one was pretty much hit-or-miss with people. Even an outstanding perfomance by Tom Hanks couldn't reel in the summer crowd to this sleeper. For my money, this was a wonderful film that deserves a second look.

FilmGuru's Top 10

	10. National Treasure Nicolas Cage may never be the next Indiana Jones or James Bond, but he hit gold with this action film steeped in American history and Masonic conspiracy theory. While some folks passed it off as an attempt to cash in on The Da Vinci Code craze, I think it is an excellent adventure film that happens to hinge on the old Knights Templar legends. While it certain left room for a sequel, National Treasure may not be good enough to spawn a franchise. Even so, it's plenty enjoyable for an afternoon matinee. Read the full review of National Treasure.
	9. Shaun of the Dead Some would say that my sick sense of humor got the better of me this Halloween when I recommended this "romantic comedy... with zombies." But the truth is that Shaun of the Dead is one of the few films outside of the horror genre to examine the undead and use them as a jumping off point to make commentary about the living. Whether or not you are a fan of zombie movies, you owe it to yourself to check out this clever comedy.
	8. De-Lovely Kevin Kline shines in this biopic of composer Cole Porter. While Cary Grant may have portrayed Porter in the better known Night and Day, Kline's portrayal is more authentic, more realistic. Beginning at the end, the film replays Porter's life like a staged musical with occasional commentary by the dying Porter. Ashley Judd does a splendid turn as Porter's long-suffering wife Linda. The real treat in the film is the music, however. It brings back the beauty, charm, and irreverence of Porter for a new generation of listeners. Read the full review of De-Lovely.
	7. Garden State Good, quirky romances are hard to come by. When I heard that Zach Braff (of television's "Scrubs") wrote, directed, and starred in this film, I was instantly curious. His offbeat sense of humor appeals to me, and I wanted to see if he could tell a serious story. This film is appealing because it is sad, funny, unusual, and downright heartbreaking at times. Unable to categorize it well, most theaters passed it over and it ended up at the "art houses." That's a shame, because it's a great film that deserves better. Read the full review of Garden State.
	6. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Few things can make me feel giddy like a good science fiction movie. What Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow achieved was not good science fiction. It was an attempt to recapture what science fiction used to be back in the 1930s and '40s when it was featured in pulp magazines and Saturday matinee serials. Watching this film was like stepping into another world where the future that we had once been promised (with giant robots, rocket ships, and strange wonderous inventions) had finally come true. This film is a must for fans. Read the full review of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
	5. Shrek 2 The return of Shrek and company could have signaled the shallow end of the creative pool at DreamWorks Animation, but this sequel had plenty of original flair to make it unique. Unlike most sequels, there weren't a lot of jokes that relied on remembering what went on before. The story, the humor, and the action were all self-contained. This sequel stands on its own! Read the full review of Shrek 2.
	4. Hero Every once in a while, there's an "art" film that I try to get all my friends to see. This year that movie is Hero. With an amazing story based on Chinese history, this Jet Li film never falls into a martial arts mentality. Instead, it rises above the swordplay and acrobatics to become something beautiful. Even more than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, this film will make American audiences appreciate the beauty of Chinese filmmaking and storytelling. This is not a just a film. It is a poem. Read the full review of Hero.
	3. The Passion of the Christ Like a huge chunk of the population, I plopped down my eight bucks to see this film just on the hype alone. I wasn't sure I could handle the brutal violence or the two hours of Aramaic and Latin dialogue, but I was pleased to see that the film fulfilled all my expectations. While it's not something I think I could ever watch again, it was a truly moving and powerful piece of cinema that will be considered great in the years to come. Read the full review of The Passion of the Christ.
	2. The Incredibles The folks at Pixar have struck computer-generated gold again, this time with a story of a superhero family and their domestic problems. While The Incredibles is obviously going to be funnier to people who love comic books and superheroes, this film has plenty of comedy and action that will make it entertaining for anyone. Read the full review of The Incredibles.
	1. Spider-Man 2 What can I say? Spider-Man 2 was the only film I gave a perfect score this year. With a combination of an excellent story, wonderful direction, and awesome action, this movie has redefined the superhero genre. Every new superhero movie will want to be Spider-Man 2. It's a high bar, and we'll see how the rest of the biz reacts when The Fantastic Four is released in 2005. Read the full review of Spider-Man 2.