Best of 2004, Part III (Movies)

There's still a few movies I haven't seen that are showing up on everyone's year-end lists, so I'll start by giving you a list of what I haven't seen. That way, you'll understand why I didn't choose any of these.

The 2004 Movies That I Want to See But Haven’t Gotten Around to Yet
Sideways
Collateral
Finding Neverland
The Passion of the Christ
Anchorman
Shrek 2
King Arthur

The Best Movies of 2004 That I Have Seen
The Incredibles
The title says it all. The best action movie I’ve seen in 10 years. Even the end credits were cool. And it’s a great story, which tends to get forgotten all too often in the age of CGI effects, but has never been a weak point in Pixar movies. This one, though, isn't just a good kids movie; it's almost more for grown-ups. It’s so good that you forget it’s animated and just enjoy it as a movie. I'll buy the DVD the day it comes out, and then probably buy the Super Special Edition a year later, too.

Garden State
One of the few movies that had a great preview and then lived up to it. Zach Braff did a great job acting and directing (and picking the soundtrack), and Natalie Portman obviously enjoyed the chance to play a real woman instead of the cardboard cutout that is Queen Amidala.

Spider-Man 2
The rarest of rares: a movie that was both a good comic book adaptation and a sequel better than the original. Add Albert Molina’s superbly tortured Doc Ock, and you’ve got a Hollywood hat trick.

A Very Long Engagement
The director and star of Amelie team up again for this beautifully filmed romance/mystery/period piece set just after World War I that also manages to send a powerful message about the horrors of war. You know it’s good when the theater goes completely silent during the climactic scene.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
The kids are growing up, and new director Alfonso Cuaran takes advantage. Grittier than the first two, but somehow, more magical. Aside from a poorly animated werewolf, this one was close to perfect.

The Aviator
I used to dislike him, but Leo DiCaprio gets more impressive with each movie. However, the only reason this movie makes my list is because Kate Beckinsale is so hot as Ava Gardner that I drooled on myself.

Special Mention: The Return of the King Extended Edition (DVD)
Since they added 50 minutes of new footage, it’s almost like a new movie. More time for character development, more tips of the hat to Tolkien nerds, and an insane amount of behind-the-scenes footage. The first movie I watched with my new surround sound system.

Most Disappointing Movies of 2004
Ocean’s Twelve
It looked like it was a lot of fun for the cast. Unfortunately, for the audience, not so much.

The Life Aquatic
Could have been so much more. Missing the warmth that made The Royal Tenebaums such a classic.

Napoleon Dynamite
I expected to laugh a lot more than I did. It just tried a little too hard.

Van Helsing
Dracula, the Wolfman, Frankenstein, and Kate Beckinsale STILL couldn’t save this piece of crap.

The Kill Bills
Meet Quentin Tarantino, still coasting on the strength of 2-1/2 great movies. These felt forced, and Garden State notwithstanding, it’s almost never a good idea to make a movie just to be able to work with a particular actress. Especially one that’s so long, it has to be split into two parts.