My favorite movies of 2009.

I know I hate ranking things, but this time, I really feel up to the challenge:

10. (500) Days of Summer - Can a film be romantic and comedic without actually being a romantic comedy? Beats me, but this is a delightfully off-beat look at the rise and fall of a relationship. The last line, in particular, is a howl.

9. Watchmen - I can't really judge this film on how faithful it is to the graphic novel (which I haven't read...yet), but I can say that it is an impressively dark comic book movie, augmented by some terrific visual effects and art direction.

8. Coraline - A little girl ends up in a perfect alternate world...with a catch. The first of the year's two stop-motion marvels, visually stunning and, at times, surprisingly suspenseful.

7. Sherlock Holmes - I expect to get raked over the coals for this, as I've never read the books, but this latest screen incarnation is a joy, with Robert Downey, Jr.'s quirky performance at its center.

6. Taking Woodstock - Ang Lee's exceptional look at the genesis of the cultural event is brought to life by a terrific ensemble and some delightful character vignettes.

5. Star Trek - Perhaps it's my love of in-jokes that caused me to rank this so high, but I don't care. A fine adventure and origin story in one, with a well-chosen cast filling the familiar roles.

4. The Princess and the Frog - Disney makes a welcome return to traditional animation with this variation on the fairy tale. Having an African-American lead (for once) is nice, but it's the story that carries it.

3. The Brothers Bloom - This story of two con artist brothers and their latest mark is one of the most original and engaging films I've seen in a long while. Even more, it's stuffed with superb little details.

2. Up - An old man with a peculiar means of travel meets some interesting characters as he embarks on a great adventure. Pixar's latest winner; touching and enjoyable.

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox - Two captivating stop-motion features in one year? Yeah, weird. Wes Anderson takes a Roald Dahl story and makes it his own, with amusing characters and an off-kilter sense of humor.

Missed it by that much:

Astro Boy - This criminally underrated adaptation of the anime was rich in action, heart and humor.
Cirque Du Freak: the Vampire's Assistant - Universal's accounting ledger was rife with underperforming titles this year (Drag Me to Hell, Land of the Lost, Bruno) but one film of theirs that didn't deserve to fail (one of two; I'll get to the other one soon*) was this exceptional adaptation of the young adult novel. A nice antidote to the silliness of that other vampire youth franchise that will, hopefully, find its audience on DVD.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - A colorful piece of work, with all the quirky humor that one would expect from the creators of "Clone High".
Duplicity - Clive Owen and Julia Roberts make a nice team in this twisty romantic caper film, Universal's other undeserving flop.
G.I. Joe: the Rise of Cobra - To hell with the haters. This was fun. Succeeded where the Transformers films epic failed.
The Great Buck Howard - John Malkovich shines in this story of a mentalist and the aspiring writer who becomes his assistant.
The Informant! - There's more to Matt Damon's whistle-blower than meets the eye in this lighthearted true story, bolstered by a delightful Marvin Hamlisch score and a most unusual supporting cast.
Inglourious Basterds - Tarantino applies his colorful approach to World War II, well-acted and quite compelling. (Note: this would certainly be #11.)
Julie & Julia - Two fine actresses take on two aspiring chefs in this engaging feature.
Monsters vs. Aliens - Dreamworks Animation's latest is an enjoyable and funny mix of monster movie tropes.
A Perfect Getaway - Couples meet in paradise, unaware that one of them are murderers in this twisty thriller.
Pirate Radio - Not much narrative thrust in this Richard Curtis outing. Just a terrific cast and some great music.
Ponyo - Though lacking in story, this - like other Miyazaki works - is worth seeing for the lovely animation and music.
Whip It! - Ellen Page is a girl who finds herself on the roller derby track and Drew Barrymore makes a promising directorial debut.
Zombieland - A riotous mix of horror and comedy. Lots of fun as long as you don't think too hard about it afterwards.

* - One might get the sense that I hated Public Enemies. Not true. Its share of debits (distracting use of digital video, a quite unpleasant scene late in the film with Marion Cotillard's Billie mistreated by an officer) weren't total dealbreakers, but, averaged with the film's good points, put it quite a ways down my list.

Coming soon (but not too soon): My thoughts on the movies of 2009.