Thursday, January 1, 2009

TCWreviews' Presents: Best of 2008

As the Editor in Chief of TCWreviews.com I feel that it’s necessary of me to give a full detailed selection of the top 10 films that I deemed worthy of being called the top 10 astonishing films of 2008. So without further ado, I present to you TCWreviews' top 10 films of 2008.

[NOTE: the opinions expressed below are not the opinions of the whole TCW staff but are the sole opinions of the site’s Editor in Chief, Clifford Kiyabu.]


Rambo (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; Sylvester Stallone proved to the moviegoer community that he is as much the same man he was over 20 years ago with the fourth installment to the Rambo franchise, the film proved to be just as action packed as its predecessors but also carries a big heart and a plot that is more to the actual reality of the horror that is going down in Burma. Rambo was a real treat and I was very impress with Stallone’s performance. Rambo is number ten on my top ten list of 2008.





Juno (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; Juno was probably one of the most enjoyed Comedy/Drama’s of the year, it was smart and cleverly funny, Ellen Page is one heck of witty and sassy girl, I enjoyed her performance a great deal. Juno proved to be a delightful film that ended up being batter then I had originally expected, and deserve to be number nine on my top ten list of 2008.








Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; the fourth installment to the Indiana Jones’s franchise was a hug success in my book, though it did get a somewhat mixed reception the film in “My Opinion” was a win to my standards. I think the real problem many fans as well critics alike hated it was due to the theme the movie had, where as the three previous films took a spiritual take as its overall theme with Nazis taking the lead as main villains, with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull the main villains are now the KGB and its theme takes a Sci-Fi tone this time around with a anti-communist overall feel, which I thought suited perfectly since the timeline of the film took place in the 1950’s McCarthy area. Though good, it sure will never be as great as its previous predecessors. But still it managed to be as good enough as to number eight on my top ten list of 2008.


Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Rating – 9/10
Quick thoughts; Hellboy II was a stylish and fantastic sequel to the 2004 Hellboy, not only was it good, but it turned out to be greater than the first Hellboy, the film gave a much deeper look into our red horned hero now dealing with having to go public with who he is and dealing with the racism that comes with the territory of being different then everyone else, we see our hero go through fighting a new villain as well as taking a few more wounds that go much deeper than flesh, ultimately The Golden Army still manages to hold that dark yet stylish comedy the first Hellboy had, making this number seven on my top ten list of 2008.



Wanted (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; Wanted is probably one of the biggest surprises of 2008, for one thing the film was juristically different from the graphic novel it was based on, loosely based on Mark Millar’s graphic novel by the same name, Wanted was considered on the bottom of my list of film wanting to see in summer of 2008. However, despite the hug changes done to the movie from the book, it still manages to come out a winner in a very big way, making it deserving to be number six on my top ten list of 2008.





Tropic Thunder (2008)
Rating – 9/10
Quick thoughts; I had long anticipated the realest of Tropic Thunder, and after waiting close to a year from when I first heard of it being made I was more than thrilled by the film overall. Tropic Thunder is considered to be the parody film fans have been waiting years for. This film contained stars up the wazoo, from having big time comedians actors like Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Steve Coogan. To big name actors like Nick Nolte, Tom Cruise, and Matthew McConaughey. Tropic Thunder turned out to be a winner in a hug way for me and is a must see for those who enjoy a real spoof film. Tropic Thunder is number five on my top ten list of 2008.



Iron Man (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; Iron Man is a film that lives up to its hype and the expectations for both comic readers and moviegoers alike, Robert Downey Jr. showed us in 2008 that he hasn’t faded away like so many proclaimed him to have, but starring and co-starring in two, count em! Two blockbuster smash hits! Making 2008 the year of the Downey Jr, and making Iron Man number four on my top ten of 2008.






The Wrestler (2008)
Rating –9/10
Quick thoughts; The Wrestler is probably one of the most heart wrenchingly beautiful dramas I had seen in 08. The plot which I don’t have to tell if you’ve already read my review on it, is remarkable, when seeing someone who has fallen so low that they cannot fall anymore lose that last little flicker of light left in their lives, it will make even some of the strongest all teary. Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei come back in a hug way with The Wrestler, their performances along with actress Evan Rachel Wood is purely fantastic, director Darren Aronofsky has done it again with another mind-blowing film. Making The Wrestler number 3 on my top ten of 2008.



WALL•E (2008)
Rating – 10/10
Quick thoughts; Pixar Animation Studios has been responsible for making some of the biggest and the greatest 3D animated films ever, and now they have outdone themselves with WALL•E, never before have I been so inclined as to re-watch this film over and over again, and no matter how many times I have always seen it, the effects of its emotions still get me as it did the first time I had seen it. The plot, though lacking it words, this film says more than what could ever be said through words. Making WALL•E number two on my top ten list of 2008.




The Dark Knight (2008)
Rating – 10/10
Quick thoughts; I don’t think I need to tell you why The Dark Knight is number one, but I will anyway, [Laughs] in 2005 we were astounded by the Batman Begins, for old batman fans it was a new begging for us into the world of the Batman, for new fans, it truly was a new beginning. However to quote Heath Ledger’s Joker “You've changed things... forever” is basically what this film has done for Batman fan new and old alike, how we perceive Batman has been changed forever, all due to director Christopher Nolan gave us a glimpse into the world of a Batman who is much closer to our reality than any other is past films. The only thing that this film continues to do to me every time I see it is make me a little sad knowing that this will forever be the very last completed work we see by actor Heath Ledger, such a brilliant actor taken from us far before his time, and he shell truly be missed. The Dark Knight is number one on my top ten list of 2008.




And now for the honorable mentions that almost made the list.

Cloverfield (2008) The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) The Incredible Hulk (2008). Kung Fu Panda (2008) Hancock (2008) Penelope (2008) The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) Max Payne (2008) New York Lately (2009)

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