Best and Worst Movies of 2008 - By: Clarke Baldwin

The movies that brought us up, and the ones that severely let us down. Here is a recap of last year's movies busts and blockbusters. Worst: Max Payne: Had very high hopes for this film, the video game is amazing with ground breaking effects. The movie is droll and doesn't have the style or spectacular feel that Max Payne did. A decent casting job with Mark Walberg, but a flop non the less. Not even worth a rental. Space Chimps: With so much marketing and fake hype for the film, some people may have accidentally gone to see this cheesey film. With so many better alternatives from Pixar and Dreamworks, why would you bother? The Bucket List: Nobody wants to think about their own mortality so why would we wanna watch two old guys do a bunch of stuff before they die. Even if it is two of the better actors in Hollwood (Nicholson and Freeman). Isn't the point to enjoy your life not watch two other people enjoy theirs for two hours? Swing Vote: As a Family Guy skit says "How does he (Kevin Costner) keep getting work?" The film centers around a guy who has the one vote to determine the presidency. Points for trying, but this could never happen, once the voting deadline is over, it's over. It's more implausible than sending people to Mars. Best: Wall E: Great animation, Pixar does it again. They never let us down do they? Wall E is a lonely robot who falls in love with Eve an advanced robot. He ends up following her to her spaceship on a crazy adventure. Great musical score and the robots interactions have lots of chemistry. The Dark Knight: Heath Ledger's acting as the Joker is phenomenal. Chris Nolan directs another fast paced Batman film that centers around the Joker and Two Face. We get to see the fall of Harry Dent and how he slowly becomes Two Face. "Why so serious?" Slumdog Millionaire: Combine Bollywood, Huckleberry Finn, and Oliver Twist, and you come out with this brilliant, sentimental, hilarious, and ultimately uplifting epic of survival in an urban world of cataclysmic poverty. The cinematography is beautiful, and the performances shimmer. It's been years since the movies have produced such an affecting story about the power of friendship. Tropic Thunder: How can you not love this film? It finally takes us away from it all and gives us non stop laughs, one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Robert Downey Jr. as a black soldier, and Tom Cruise as the mad and powerful Hollywood producer. It doesn't get much better than this. Plus the fake trailers at the beginning of the film are genius.