With 2005 and 2006, it's clear to me that movies have gone downhill. Infact it was hard for me to actually come up with this list.
10. Jackass Number 2- This is a very funny movie, stupid, but funny. With all the pranks, and incredibly crazy stunts they do at the movie, it's hard not to laugh. However I'm surprissed that Johnny Knoxville is still doing this crazy $&*% since he's some what of a successful actor, and if he keeps this up he'll be the next Christopher Reed, he even brought his daughter on set a couple of times. This would be higher on my list, but it really doesn't have a plot.
9. Monster House- The animation in this movie was incredible and I hope to see more movies with this kind of animation. Plus you got great voice work by Jason Lee, Jon Herder, and Maggie Gyllenhal. The story was oringinal too (Which is rare for Hollywood, now a days) and the twist at the end is a nice touch which I would have never guessed. Although it's a long shot, I hope this wins best animated feature at the oscars.
8. V For Vendetta- Great action sequneces, great story, great movie. I loved the character of V, he kinda reminded my of a new age Robin Hood, and all the other characters developed splendidly. Some of the visual effects in the movie were amazing, so as much as it's a movie for your brain, it's a movie for your eyes too, a rare combination. This is based of a comic book, not my favorite comic book movie when you have Batman Begins, Superman 2, and Hellboy out there, but it's top knotch.
7. Stranger Then Fiction- Another original story with great acting performace by Will Ferell, Emma Thompshon, Dustin Hoffman, and Maggie Gyllenhal. I don't think a lot of people expected a Will Ferell to be in a movie like this, fore it's a change, but it's a good change, fore he's going down the road of Tom Hanks and Jim Carrey. This also has one of the best final act in a movie of the year where Emma Thompshon must choose between writing one of her best books ever, or humanity
6. Clerks II- This might actually be better then the orginal. I glad Kevin Smith(possibly my favorite director) finally gave us the sequal he promised us for 7 years. I also glad to see nothing has really changed in Randall or Dante and it's good to have them back. Though this has a lot of curde humor, it also has a lot of heart, and it's a shame people will be lead away by all the crude humor to see what this movies really about.
5. Little Miss Sunshine- Here's another movie that has a lot of heart and should be seen by everyone. Know this may seem like RV a first but trust me, this blows RV out of the water(although that's an easy accomplishment). Such great performances by Alan Arkin, who plays the heroin addicated grandfather of the family, and Abagail Breslin, a little girl who wants to be a beauty queen, and is the glue that holds the family together.
4. The Departed- Know here's a movie where your not going to find much heart. This is an intense, on your seat action thriller that's done properly and Scorsese definetly deserves a best director award for this (Which is kinda funny since he lost for movies like Taxi Driver and The Aviator, but he might win for a remake of a Hong Kong film). Great performances by Matt Damon, Leonardo Dicaprio, and Jack Nicholson, that it's a surprise they got left out of the oscar run.
3. Pan's Labyrinth- Although this looks like a fairy tale, and it is, it's also not for kids, or anyone under 14. This is a stunning, beautiful peice of art. Don't be lead away by the fact that it's subtilted, it's magnificant in any language and should not be put aside for that reason. Their are many colorful characters too, like Pan, the faun, and the The Pale Male, a vicious monster who's eyes are located in the palm of his hands. This is on exciting and facinating tale with a true villian, who would twirl his mustache if he had one.
2. Borat- First off this is not a better movie then the most of the movies mentioned above, but none of them are funnier then this one. I just loved every inch of this movie and felt it should have been nominated for more oscars then it did. I think it's funny too how everyone probably believed that Borat was just a reporter for Kashastan making a documentary about America, as he finds the dark side of the human race
1. Rocky Balboa- What and inspirational, and wonderful movie. After 16 years it's good to see Rocky back on the big screen and gives us a fitting conclusion to the Rocky movies(Even though I'm the only person I know who liked Rocky V). Plus they have good emotinonal dramtic scenes and quotable lines. It's not really that much better then Borat, Pan's Labyrinth, or the Departed, but it completted a goal I thought never would happen, It was better then Rocky, and Rocky used to be my favorite movie, but know the title has to go to Rocky Balboa
Honarble Mentions: X-men: The Last Stand, Slither, The Omen, Tailadega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
However I did not see 3 movie I wanted to see that came out in 2006 that I'm sure I would have put on my list: Babel, Children of Men, and The Last King of Scottland.