Best of 2007: Five films that didn't suck

Since I'm the father of a young child, and since my prime moviegoing time falls in mid-summer, I haven't seen all of the highbrow flicks raved about by critics and showered with awards.  But I do end up seeing more movies than most in a given year.  And, honestly, most of them suck.  Listing the "best films of 2007" would require too much justification.  "Movies that didn't suck" seems to be the area I know best.  So here you go:

1. Beowulf:  For about a minute, I was rolling my eyes.  I didn't know it would be done in CGI.  But it's unbelievable.  You've got to see this in 3D.  I think it's still playing, but not for long.  This is probably the most visually stunning film I've ever seen.  There is some gore, and a lot of violence, and even an odd naked fight scene (don't worry, there's no full on CGI nudity).  But there's a reason this story has endured for a millenium and a half.  And they did a bang-up job adapting it to the screen.
2. 1408:  John Cusack stars in one of the creepiest films I've ever seen.  What sets 1408 apart from other suspense films is it's villain:  a hotel room.  While it's hard to carry this one gag over the whole film, they darn near pulled it off.  It gets a little old towards the end, but the last scene brings it back around. 
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:  This isn't the best Harry Potter film by a long shot (I think I'd give that one to Prisoner of Azkaban).  But it kicked The Golden Compass squarely in the butt as far as kids' fantasy films go.
4. Ratatouille:  Probably the best film in the Pixar catalog.  Because the plot centers around a rat, this film will probably not be remembered the way Finding Nemo or Cars is, and that's a shame, because I think they really nailed it on this one.
5. Blades of Glory:  OK, so on some levels this film does suck.  But we're not judging it by the same standards as most films are we?  I laughed hard for an hour and a half.  Mission accomplished.

Comments

[Angi]

Blades of Glory? Really? It just didn't do it for me. Not at all.

[Paula]

I went and saw 'Enchanted' with friends on Boxing Day - to say we loved it would be an understatement. It's fantastic. It takes all your old - hand drawn! - disney cartoons and throws them into New York. I also saw 'Blades of Glory' on Boxing Day - i can't believe i laughed so hard! It's definitely 'up there' with 'Talladega Nights'!

[Mark Lee]

I haven't seen that yet. A few guys from our tour went to see it in Tulsa the other day and said it was pretty killer. I'll add that to the list...

[Brody Harper]

Did you see "No Country For Old Men"? That one gets my vote.