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01 | RockNRolla
What? Are you crazy?? Isn’t The Dark Knight supposed to be in the #1 spot? No. As good a movie as the Dark Knight was, it wasn’t as outrageously fun, action packed and plot twisting as Guy Ritchie’s return to form was. RockNRolla wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, in fact some critics panned it saying it was a poor rip off of Ritchie’s early epics, Lock Stock and Snatch. All I can say is get over yourselves, this is my top ten and I love Guy Ritchie’s British gangster flicks and I’m hanging out to see if this trilogy gets the green light right through to completion.

02 | Taken
What can I say, it seems like the top of my top ten is being taken up by action flicks. Well that’s because I’m a fan of heart pumping adrenaline rides. Taken would have taken the top spot if it wasn’t for RockNRolla’s over the top attitude and black humour. Taken gets second place honours on the back of Liam Neeson’s role as a no holds barred man of fierce determination. I’d have never pegged him for a role like this, but he nails it. Not only a roller coaster ride but a subject matter that deserves more attention than we give it.

03 | Iron Man
The Iron Man proved (to me at least) that comic book adaptations could be good. But it was more than that, Iron Man was also a superhero who didn’t have any special abilities. he was essentially just your average Joe. It was the robotic suit that made him into a super hero. Fun times indeed, especially with Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role. Another movie where a risk was taken with the lead role and it paid off big time.

04 | The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight. The peoples choice. Many a call for an Oscar for the late Heath Ledgers role. There is no doubt in my mind that Ledger made this the best batman movie ever, but it’s not the best movie of the year. It was spectacular on the big IMax screen, but in the end was just a superhero movie, entertaining, but not necessarily outstanding.

05 | The Counterfeiters
We leave the action movies for now and look at a great story that is constructed well and weaved into a compelling tale. Based on a true story, The Counterfeiters shines a light in the midst of one of the biggest tragedies of modern history, showing that the human spirit lives on, even in the darkest of spaces.

06 | Cloverfield
It wouldn’t be a Top Ten if Cloverfield wasn’t in it some where. JJ Abrams proves that monsters are cool again whilst managing to redefine the genre by not focusing on the monster, but by looking at the people. Intense and full of little details, misdirections and a bucket load of action and special effects, Cloverfield helped kick off an awesome year of movies.

07 | Gone Baby Gone
Intense human drama, that proved something that we may have subconsciously suspected; Ben Affleck is better behind the camera than in front of it. An emotional rollercoaster with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing till the end.

08 | Mirrors
A surprisingly good movie that managed to combine thrills and gore in a way that wasn’t outlandish, creating a movie that had you on edge for most of it’s duration, only dropping the ball once it what was almost a genre masterpiece.

09 | Mongol
History never look so stunning as it did in Mongol. Promoted as a big battle violence laced action epic, Mongol turned out to be a story of love and commitment wrapped up in the harsh and violent struggles of a tribal culture.

10 | Wall•E
Pixar never fail to amuse the young and old with there blend of pop-culture references and self mockery. Wall•E, the little robot that could, stole our hearts whilst trying to educate us on the dangers of rampant consumerism.

Honorable Mention | Let The Right One In
Let The Right One In gets an honorable mention because it just missed inclusion to this top ten by being released on January 8th, 2009. It will probably be over looked in next years top ten, but this coming of age vampire movie deserves some honour. FilmGuide review coming soon.