My Favorite Movies

Story about a simple minded man riding the waves of history. Tom Hanks is brilliant in this fantastic epic tale, while the cinematography glows beautifully from the heart. Those scenes where Forrest runs across America are the most beautiful images I've ever seen. My favorite movie of all time!

The BEST! of the Toy Story franchise. And currently, my favorite of Pixar films.

Screenplay by writer of one of my favorite movies (Little Miss Sunshine) Michael Ardnt. Directed by a trusty Pixar artist Lee Unkrich.

It's the Funniest. Scariest. Saddest. Most Bittersweet thing you will ever see all summer, perhaps all year. Beautiful, pitch-perfect sendoff to the series.

Please don't make any more sequels!

A dad's journey to find his son and learns about bravery and trust on the way. The sweetest Pixar movie ever. Who doesn't adore Ellen DeGeneres's voicework as Dory? Just keep swimming--classic.

Magnificent display of talent in the story of several people whose lives intersect in one day. What a bold, beautiful presentation of a film. The characters singing to the song was unexpectedly brilliant and classic, so were the raining frogs. It was 3 hour long movie, but it felt just right.

A painfully shy girl helps other through inventive ways and eventually finds happiness of her own. Amelie's pain and happiness is made tangible by the surreal performance of Audrey Tautou. Inspiringly sweet and visually satisfying; my favorite French movie!

A couple tries to forget their past, but the peculiarity of love brings them back together. Brilliant, thought-provoking, funny and bittersweet. Jim Carrey's most straight forward and best work, while Kate Winslet steals the scenes.

Taken from the jungles of Skull Island to the jungles of Manhattan Island, King Kong is simply trying to find what he deems beautiful in the world. Definitely the most unbelievable, jaw-dropping, eye-popping, thrilling, heart-breakingly touching movie I've ever seen.

A family goes on a road trip so their daughter can enter a beauty pageant, but after much hardship, they learn that the most beautiful things are the journeys in life. A whole lotta fun with so much heart, ending in such an inspiringly hilarious way. I LOVE THIS MOVIE!

During the Spanish civil war, a young girl learns to deal with the chaos of reality by gaining courage through her adventures in fantasy. A great mix of war-time drama, fairy tale, and horror, all of which are absorbing, riveting and shocking from start to end. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes grotesque, it's a movie for the eyes, heart, and soul.

Story about the difficulties of fulfilling the American Dream while the hustle-bustle of the industrial world meets the stagnant world of the depression. Chaplin's funniest, most ingenious movie. Scenes after scenes are just filled with classic moments, ending with an unforgettable bitter-sweet image.

A marvelous Christmas movie. Or better yet, a marevlous movie for any time of the year. A man wishes that he never existed and learns how many lives he has touched by living. There's been some semi-remakes of this movie, but nothing even comes close to this classic.

Harry's world turns darker, all for the betterment of the movie, as he uncovers the truth about how his parents died. Even with darker tones, the movie is still visually stunning, better than the first two. Superb casting for the new ominous characters. Rowling's use of time travel is brilliant and thoroughly engaging. Much better reveal of mysterious plot-line. All in all, my favorite of the Harry Potter movies so far.

Such a great movie, I still don't know how to write a review good enough to compliment this film!

Set in the present, recounting the past, it's a story about finding true love and never letting it go, even when you are an insignifcant part of the world's biggest tragedy. One of the most memorable movies ever made. Great score comprising mainly of soulful voices adds to the heart-felt nature of the film.

Shakespeare's Hamlet is retold for our generation: a lion revenges his father death by overthrowing his ambitious uncle. Great songs, great story, great looking. Simply the most beautiful Walt Disney drawn movie ever!

A group of friends sets out to find a dead body, all the while going on a methaphorical journey of life. Beautiful movie, each of the kids are interesting great characters.

When heros are forced to retire due to public backlash, one hero refuses to give up his glory days and soon rediscovers what it means to be a hero, both to the world and to his family. Action packed, exciting, thrilling, great pacing, a little bit more adult than other Pixar movies. It wasn't a laugh-out-loud movie, but then again, it didn't try to be.

I'm a casual Star Trek fan, and I've only seen maybe 2 full episodes of the original series. And I haven't seen the classic Wrath of Khan. Suffice to say, I missed a lot of the references aimed to entreat the hard-core fans!

This was a fun, exciting, action-packed, yet character-centered thrill ride. The pitch-perfect cast lead by Chris Pine has fantastic chemistry as they gather to form the team as we know them. The love story--though small--is quite intimate and poignant at times. And by God, this movie is as funny as any comedy you'll see this summer.

The missing half-star is that annoying horizontal glaring of lights that's in every FREAKIN scene!

My second favorite movie of the year, just behind Toy Story 3.

Why is it better than Inception, you may wonder? Because ultimately, it made me care more deeply for a greater number of characters.

Like Inception, the performances were great across the board. Justin Timberlake (who was the third billed actor)

Incredibly slick and bombastic. A technical masterpiece for Christopher Nolan. With superb performances (both understated and operatic), extraordinary editing, and a crisp script, and eye-bulging effects, this is a moviemovie-going EXPERIENCE.

The missing half-star is that lack in emotional investment. I was mesmerized by Cobb's backstory about his wife, and I did feel for him missing his kids, but what's making us care for the other characters?

The story itself is compelling enough to keep our interest, but I can't say I was completely pulled into this world. Overall, so much adrenaline, a lot of brain, viscerally exciting, but lacking the heart.

BEAUTIFUL. FEEL GOOD MOVIE OF THE YEAR!

Visually arresting, emotionally satisfying. Great performances from the young actors. I LOVE the chase scenes, backed by awesome exciting music, in which the adults can never catch up with the little kids...totally fun to watch.

Two nice, likable but total opposites hook up for one drunken night, and their relationship struggles are observed for 9 months. The slumming guys are absurb and funny. Seth Rogen is hilarious, childish, but genuinely good-hearted. Katherine Hiegl is amazing to watch, both performance and beauty. Leslie Mann delivers surprisingly funny lines well. And Paul Rudd has a comedic knack for these type of movies. Though somewhat long for a movie, it doesn't really feel so because each scene has at least one laugh out loud gag or line that lasts quite a while. The sentimental moments are woven into ridiculously funny situations (getting high on 'shrooms) so at no moment did I find my eyes rolling. One of my favorite comedies ever!

Two toys vie for the attention of their owner, but after a scheme gone wrong, they must learn to trust and respect each other to return home. The start of my love for computer-animated movies.

Having seen the first episode of the TV series, I knew I was in for an emotional football story that's about something more than just the game. It's about the heart of a town and the people who invest their lives in it. Man, I was blown away by the storylines of each player, so touching and moving in different ways. The performance is on-the-money, but I was most surprised by Tim McGraw's hard-edged but controlled performance. I was even more surprised when I found myself in tears at the end. I haven't seen that many football movies, but I don't think any other football film will touch me as deeply as this movie.

Recently graduated from high school, two best friends go on a road trip with a sexy older woman to find a mythical beach that may or may not exist. It's provocative, sexy, and quite funny. With beautiful sceneries for the eyes, and the best raunchy dialogue for the ears. The ending is truthful, profound, and in many ways heartbreaking! I LOVE this film.

They got WALL-E's nervous shaking pitch perfectly! Bravo Pixar!

Like Ratatouille, I'm not sure if this movie will be readily accessible to kids as Finding Nemo or Cars. The minimal spoken dialogue, the bleek outlook of Earth's future may pass over many four-year-old's head.

As a fan of Chaplin, I absolutely love the telling of a story purely through bodily movements and facial expressions. You get the eyes right, and you got half the movie!

All Pixar films beg for a little emotion and a few tears, and like all Pixar films, the movie earns our sentiment.

Plus, it's the best love story since Jack and Rose on Titanic (of which the movie slyly did a parody.)

An economics student goes to Spain and lives in an apartment with a potluck of foreign exchange students. One of the sweetest, charming french movie ever. When the group comes together to save the day of one of their own, it's the most magical part of that film.

Little Miss Sunshine meets Godzilla. A dysfunctional family must come together to resuce their youngest member, but first, each member must deal with their own demons before they could face off with the slimier, nastier one that wades in the Han River. This movie is so funny even in the most tragic of times, and it's so tragic even at the most comedic of times. The many suspenseful and frustrating scenes work due to brilliant directing and character-driven anxiety. The monster is fantastic-looking, cunning, and the way it moves under infrastructures is almost beautiful gymnastiques. Expect a non-Hollywood ending which makes the movie all the more poignant.

A movie where you can't tell the good guy from the bad with powerhouse performance from Leo and Matt. Jack is just being Jack, but he is never cooler. Never seen Goodfellows, the Godfather, nor Scarface, but I know this movie will go up among those rankings. I left the theatres shaking because last five minutes were shock-inducing. Amazing!

In a bet in which the winning prize is a chance to sleep with his stepsister, a playboy seduces a virgin who swore to celibacy until marriage, but he ends up falling in love with his catch. Reese Witherspoon plays my ideal girlfriend. The chemistry between Ryan Phillipe with Reese is great, but his chemistry with Sarah Michelle is even hotter.

In a world where women are infertile and men are savages, a little miracle emerge from a woman's belly. It's an uneasy look at the 'what if.' This movie is hardcore, merciless, violent, pathetic, ugly...and I'm actually praising the film here. Because underneath all that shocking exterior is the simple story of hope. Clive Owen's performance is raw and tense and a true hero in my eyes, and the supporting characters are real and believable. That one car pushing sequence felt a bit too slapstick for me, but everything else left me dumbfounded in a very good way. I don't believe I've ever watched a movie with my jaws hanging that low for an extended period of time. Oh, is it just me, or did the director seem to have a bit of a foot fetish?

A delusional, aged actress refuses to let go of her dreams and desires, and if she can't achieve them, no one else will either. Unbelievable performance and delivery of classic lines by Gloria Swanson makes it almost entrancing to watch.

Just pure fun featuring adorable characters with adorable nicknames.

After a tragic car accident that killed two of his friends and left him mildly brain-damaged, Chris Pratt tries to get his life back together but is unfortunately lured into a bank heist. This is a fantastic character-driven movie that is engaging in every aspect: visually, storyline, and performance. It's poignant in many ways but not overly somber. The ending is bittersweet but leaves one's heart lifted.

I LOVE EMMA STONE!

And I really love this movie.

It's hilarious! A love letter to John Hughes movie, a different take on Mean Girls, but it stands on its own as just a laugh riot of a movie.

Take the faking sex scene where the characters jump on the bed and make moaning sounds...done countless times before in other movies...and yet there are new twists in that scenes that just had me rolling in my seat.

The worst part about this movie: Emma Stone's hair was bright and red enough. I just imagined her hair to be a little more vibrant than it was in the movie. Oh, well!

A couple of middle school kids stood up at the end and applauded. That was interesting. I've seen applauds for movies like Inception, but never for a romantic comedy.

easy A is among my favorite comed9es, falling short of Knocked Up.

Three kids set out to save the neighbhorhood from being eaten by an angry house, ultimately learning to stand up for themselves in a world of adults. The best camera movement I've seen in an animated film. Great fun story. There are a few distasteful jokes, but most of the humor worked. May actually frighten youngsters.

A hotrod racecar, on the fast-track to stardom, ends up in the slow-track of the real world where he discovers life is more fulfilling with fellow automobiles driving by your side. Sweet, beautiful. Great, life-like sceneries. Possibly the funniest Pixar movie, yet made me cry/on the verge of tears many times.

Edge of your seat, nail-biting look on tolerance, and the cultural clash in American cities, namely L.A. This movie made my heart stop at least twice. Great cinamatography and beautiful music enhance each suspenseful moment.

The narrator wants to join a club, but he soon realizes that the club may be more than he can handle. Is there a cooler movie? Brad Pitt is compelling and Edward Norton is excellent. Great twist.

A mother returns from her death to unravel the truth about the past. Essentially, it's a story about three generations of women and the cycles of life and death. Lovely made movie. Superbly acted by all, but Penelope Cruz's star really shines here. The ending of this movie left me wanting to see more into the lives of these women.

Falsely convicted of murdering his wife, a man is sent to prison where he learns that hope brings meaning to life. A very inspiring classic. Great story supported by great performances. The great escape is one of the most memorable scenes in cinematic history. Have and always will love Morgan Freedman's narrations.

A year after losing her family, a woman joins five female friends in an exploration at the depths of the Earth and stumbles upon the dwellings of things from nightmare. The first quarter, intriquing. Second quarter, suspenseful. Third quarter, scarey and shocking. Last quarter, kick-ass!

A film about the futility of war, the frustration of home sickness while longing to do something in the routiness of a useless conflict. Rockin performances, gritty look, just entertaining overall.

A film legend and aircraft connoiseur finds his world quickly spinning out of control as his mind takes a nose-dive into psychopathology. Saw this from my rommate's stack of DVDs. Great performances, DiCaprio's best. The airplane crash scene is shockingly great.

A story set in Hollywood with a creepy and oh-so-sexual factor. My first time seeing it was on TV, so they cut a lot of good stuff out. Now that I bought the DVD, let me just say it was totally worth the money. Still, do I get what the story is all about? No. Do I care? Not really. Not when the actresses are that hot. When the acting is that compelling. When the directing is that mesmerizing. Okay, so maybe I wished it made a little sense, but this movie is way too cool to complain.

A re-upholstery of the Batman franchise, exploring the dark origins of Batman and how he learned to turn his greatest fear into his greatest strength. The Scarecrow scared the crap out of me. Christian Bale is the one and only Batman for me. One of the best action flick ever.

As a young man gets ready to become a father, he wishes to learn about his own father, the truth, rather than the elaborate fiction that the old man always told him as a child. I love this movie. So magical, fanciful, and wildly fun. A true joy-ride with an emotional ending that left me in tears.

To say I love this movie more than Pulp Fiction would be sinful for many critics and movie fans out there, but my heart speaks the truth!

When I saw Pulp Fiction, I liked it a lot and thought Tarantino is just awesome as writer and director. But there was something missing in that star-studded movie, a character I actually cared about!

In True Romance, we see two quirky characters hook up, fall in love, and get married in less than 24 hours. Afterward, for a moment, I thought the two lovebirds would regret their decision, resent each other, get annoyed with their quirkiness, and then plot to kill one another. But nope, my cynical heart was wrong...these two are truly in love and as they flee across the country with a suitcase full of cocaine, I fell in love with this buddy-love movie!

Christian Slater's character is someone nerdy guys like me can relate too, but it's Patricia Arquette who I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE! Yes, any girl can play the perky, vivacious, sexiness she portrays, but few actresses can cry and make you care like she does! (I'm a huge fan of her TV show Medium)

Like Pulp Fiction, this movie is star-studded, and the script of Tarantino gives each star their shining moment, albeit some of those moments are short! Give Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper their props, but it's the two main characters that instantly hooked me, and if I have to go to hell for admitting my preference of this movie to Pulp Fiction, then I hope Hell plays this movie 24/7!

A man recounts the last few weeks prior to his death, a provocative narration that illuminates the dark side of beauty. Genius performance by Kevin Spacey. Exceptional storyline. Love the video of the flying bag.

A man is sent back in time to prevent a bizarre event from happening. Intriguing, exciting movie. I very much enjoyed it. Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis play off each other very well.

The revenge tale continues as the Black Mamba finishes off her final three on the list. A more consistent form of storytelling, and with a much better character development, this is a great, beautiful, poetic sequel that manages to outdo the original.

Now in college, Peter struggles with controlling his powers, with his love for Mary Jane, and with the secrets he has kept for two years. Action packed, thrilling. The Train scene is one of the best action movie sequences ever.

One of the best action movie ever! Too bad the sequels were not successful.

Traumatized by childhood experiences, a country legend is pulled to the dark side of fame, while his only saving light has troubles of her own. Classic songs supported by authentic voices of the actors themselves make every stage moment so alive and absorbing. Is it me, or was Reese Witherspoon's chin a whole other character of its own?

A cold-hearted, money-pinching old man learns the joy of caring and giving through the magical world of puppets. I've always thought the Christmas Carol was too dark for a christmas movie, but the delightful nature of the puppets provides great comedy and warmth that other versions seriously lack.

After a five year absence, Superman returns to Earth and finds that the world has moved on without him. Majestically moving. Visually stunning. A long awaited return. The plane sequence, although short, was one of the best action sequence I've ever seen in a movie. And the instrumental revelation was brilliant.

A classic in every sense. An awesome script, great dialogs, and fine performances. Compared to the other 1950 gem Sunset Blvd that also focuses on a fading, aging star, this one has a human heart, and characters we can sympathize with. Great film!