Time has come for 2010 saying goodbye and you should have some choices for Best Films of 2010. Below is my year in review:

#10: Unstoppable (IMDB Rating: 7.1/10)

1,000,000 Tons. 100,000 Lives. 100 Minutes. Sounds thrilled? Indeed. At first I thought it’s another Taking back of Pelham 123 but this movie keeps surprising me again and again. Solid storyline with outstanding performance plus the beauty of American autumn one could not resist. I’m so in love with the convincing skill of Denzel Washington. Best thing: this movie is not trying to be great, as simple as it may sound, that crazy train is stoppable but it takes hell lot of courage and time.

#9: Toy Story 3 (IMDB Rating: 8.8/10)

Thank you Tom Hank, Tim Allen, and Joan Cusack! It was your voice that touch me in Toy Story 3, bring back the good old days since .. well, I don’t know, … ever. Pixar did one amazing thing: produce a movie suits all ages, just another 90 perfect minutes. And I should mention the short firm “Day and Night” running right before Toy Story 3, what a fool and funny masterpiece ^^

#8: The Town (IMDB Rating: 7.8/10)

Just when I’m about to forget Ben Affleck, he’s back! He directed the movie, and he’s shinning on his own artwork. Brilliant character development and good emotional content, he made ‘The Town’ is more than just a shooting film with crazy guys run around robbing banks. Congrats Ben Affleck, you’ve earned it!

“I’m proud to be from Charlestown. It ruined my life, literally, but i’m proud.” – Charlestown Man.

#7: The Next Three Days (IMDB Rating: 7.4/10)

Surprisingly excellent movie to me and my friends when we went to see it. And you will be even more surprised to see what people are willing do for love as John, in particular – starring by Russell Crowe – did in just 3 days! No one is born hero, and he’s indeed an ordinary man who having only 1 thing in mind: believe. Little by little, more tense, more pressure, Russell tells you how he started his journey in the honest way you could find. When 2 hours is over, I realized the film is directed by Paul Haggis, father of ‘Crash’ (2005), I just took my hat off. Highly highly recommend to everyone

#6: 3 Idiots (IMDB Rating: 8.3/10)

Was it that special? No. Was it that good? Yes, really really good. I watched this one while catching a flight from Nepal to New Delhi. Flying over the Himalayas and seeing the Pangong Tso lake and Leh Ladakh area filmed in ’3 Idiots’ is amazing feeling, push me to rank this as one of my top favorite movie in year Superb entertaining with hilarious moments, ’3 Idiots’ give you no time to rest but keep laughing and enjoying the scenes. If you are looking for a way to relax and free yourself, you can’t go wrong! All is well!

#5: Shutter Island (IMDB Rating: 8.0/10)

Martin-Leo they go together. From “The Departed” to “Shutter Island”, from good to great! Filled with flashbacks and haunting dream, the film constantly trapped you in a surreal world pending questions “Who is missing?” and “What’s the real world?”. If you are a fan of “The sixth sense”, “Silence of the lambs”, “Identity” or even if you aren’t, this is definitely a must. Just be prepared, it needs energy and serious attention while watching because of complex storyline and unpredictable turnout.

#4: Kick Ass (IMDB Rating: 8.1/10)

“I gotta send a public service message to the people out there that being a superhero is bad for your health.” Now I knew how bad it is after watching “Kick Ass”. The movie gave you the sense of justice via a teenager boy, an insane one! What a great mixture between high school style and Kill Bill style that will kick your ass No power, no training, no problem, there comes no responsibility. Let’s just hope so!

#3: Aftershock (IMDB Rating: 7.5/10)

Rarest Asian movie that may rank up to top you will find this year! A family got separated as a result of the Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976 and reunited after 30 years; how many 30 years one can have in life? This is not a disaster movie; it’s an emotional epic and beautiful movie that perfectly told you how people should have and have lived. Come in the cinema and walk out speechless with tears, I would thank Xiaogang Feng for this heart-rending story. It’s my #3 film.

#2: The Social Network (IMDB Rating: 8.2/10)

We all knew in time, there will be a movie about most popular social network today “Facebook”. We just don’t know it’s that good: a timeless story of friendship, loyalty, and betrayal. The best thing I like about this movie is not those big numbers or hot chicks, it’s the excellent dialogs, smartest ones make you feel engaged and inspired. Thank you David Fincher! I’m your fan since Se7en, Fight Club and now this!

“If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook.” (Mark Zuckerberg)

#1: Inception (IMDB Rating: 9.0/10)

No one is surprised to see “Inception” rules all the boards in 2010. It’s truly one of a kind that hard to come by. Christopher Nolan had made an incredible movie with his talents. “Inception” has multi-layered plot together with multiple levels of action packed, all are well connected to build a fim that rewards intellect! Leonardo Dicaprio, you’ve outdone yourself by finishing the hardest job: stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state ^^

“Dreams feel real while we’re in them. It’s only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange.” (Cobb)

“What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient… highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed – fully understood – that sticks; right in there somewhere.” (Cobb)

“Don’t you want to take a leap of faith? Or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone!” (Saito)

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The list ends here. Honorable mention: Iron Man 2, Brooklyn’s Finest, Green Zone, Agora, Despicable Me, The Expendables, Daybreakers. Other movies could have joined the list but not seen by me so no comment yet: Tangled, True Grit, Black Swan. So that’s mine, what’s yours?

Part 12 is the collection for upcoming movies and TV shows as you may see: Eat Pray Love, Detective Dee, Splice, Aftershock, Burning Palms, Inception, Despicable Me, The Last Airbender, Last Exorcism, Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Wolfman, The Other Guys, Neighbors from Hell, Jonah Hex, One hundred eighty degrees South, Predators, Pretty Little Liars, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Lost, Gossip Girl, The Tudors, True Blood ^^

(To be continued)

1. IP Man 2 (2010)

Trust everyone still remembers the heroic ending of ‘IP Man’ and the 2nd part of it now returns, airing in Singapore from April 28th 2010 ^^ ‘IP man 2′ picks up the action in 1950 as Ip Man (Diệp Vấn), with young son and heavily pregnant wife (Xiong Dai Lin) in tow, arrives in Hong Kong. Ip establishes his own Wing Chun (Vịnh Xuân) martial arts school but struggles to bring in students, and therefore an income for his impoverished family, until the arrogant, yet inquisitive Wong Leung (Huang Xiaoming) appears. After taking a thrashing, Leung signs up along with a group of his friends and interest finally blossoms for this new fighting style. However, the other martial arts schools (Hồng Quyền), in particular that of Hung Chun Nam (Sammo Hung), are reluctant to let Ip simply set up shop on their turf. When Leung gets into a fight with one of Hung’s students (To Yu Hong) and is subsequently held for ransom, Ip Man is forced to face Hung and barter for his release …

Perhaps the most attractive factor of the movie are those stunning martial arts choreography by Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung and you will not be disappointed! So said Yen: “I believe it will become a classic, surpassing the first IP Man film as well as S.P.L“. Interestingly enough, we also will have a glance on Yip’s most famous student – Bruce Lee – in this sequel, which opens a new direction for ‘IP Man 3′ coming in no time this year

2. Iron Man 2 (2010)
This movie is going hot worldwide by 1st of May 2010. Best way to sum it up: It is one hell of an exciting adventure, but it may not be the adventure you expect!

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster film based on the legendary Marvel Super Hero “Iron Man,” reuniting director Jon Favreau and Robert Downey. In “Iron Man 2,” the world is aware that billionaire inventor Tony Stark (Robert Downey) is the armored Super Hero Iron Man. Under pressure from the government, the press and the public to share his technology with the military, Tony is unwilling to reveal the secrets behind the Iron Man armor because he fears the information will slip into the wrong hands. With Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) at his side, Tony forges new alliances and confronts powerful new forces …

As it’s always been the case: the sequel part is never as good as its predecessor, so was ‘Iron Man 2′. Thanks to Robert Downey’s performance and beautiful action scenes, audiences still thrill to watch ‘Iron Man 2′ on first day of show. In Singapore, you can catch this starting from April 29th, night time ^^

3. Robin Hood (2010)
Russell Crowe stars as the legendary figure known by generations as “Robin Hood” whose exploits have endured in popular mythology and ignited the imagination of those who share his spirit of adventure and righteousness

In 13th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power. And whether thief or hero, one man from humble beginnings will become an eternal symbol of freedom for his people. Upon his master King Richard’s death, Robin travels to Nottingham, a town suffering from the corruption of a despotic sheriff and crippling taxation, where he falls for the spirited widow Lady Marion (Cate Blanchett), a woman skeptical of the identity and motivations of this crusader from the forest. Hoping to earn the hand of Maid Marion and salvage the village, Robin assembles a gang whose lethal mercenary skills are matched only by its appetite for life. Together, they begin preying on the indulgent upper class to correct injustices under the sheriff.

Rated ‘PG-13′ for for violence including intense sequences of warfare and some sexual content, ‘Robin Hood’ will be released in Singapore by May 13th. It’s too early to conclude anything just yet, but giving its historical epic trailer and presence of Roman Gladiator Russell, I’m willing to give it a try

4. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
From the team that brought the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy to the big screen, Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films present ‘Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time’, an epic action-adventure set in the mystical lands of Persia. A rogue prince (Jake Gyllenhaal) reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess (Gemma Arterton) and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time – a sandstorm gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world …

This video game adaptation will not air until May 27th, so let’s hope it’s worth the wait ^^ Trailers of all mentioned films can be found in YouTube. Enjoy!

Did not expect these post series come up to Part 11 but well, here’s the list for this time: Climate of Change, Alice in Wonderland (3D), Blood and Bone, Kick Ass, Animal Kingdom, Expendables, Clash of the Titans, Women without Men, Robin Hood, Once A Minute, Tiro En La Cabeza, The Human Experience, La Mission, The Craziest, Les Aventures Extraordinaires Dadele Blancsec ^^

(To be continued)

1. Agora (2009)

Fans of ancient Roman history will absolutely love this piece of art ^^ Agora retold the story of notable female philosopher and atheist Hypatia of Alexandria, Egypt 391 A.D during the rising tide of Christianity. You will witness that imperfect world, the destruction of the Library of Alexandria, the religious fighting, the power struggling, and of course, the pursuit of happiness and love ^^

The movie caught my attention with the starring of Rachel Weisz She’s (again) beautiful and captivating, demonstrated a brilliant performance that undoubtedly is her best recently. Credits should go to Oscar Isaac too as he was torn between the political pressure and his beloved wife. From start to end, Agora is simply a wonder: the insightful costumes, the historical scenes (Alexandria Library, Alexandria Lighthouse, the agora, the street), the science lessons, the intelligent dialogues, its epic symphony …

Agora should be available worldwide now, audience can plan to enjoy that 2-hour treat. Highly recommended!

2. Shutter Island (2010)

Directed by Martin Scorsese, Shutter Island is the story of two U.S. marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), who are summoned to a remote and barren island off the coast of Massachusetts to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from the island’s fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane. It sounds simple, but only when they arrived at the island, they found there’re many many things else …

If you’ve seen those psychological thrillers like Silence Of The Lambs, Fight Club, The Sixth Sense, Identity before, you will love Shutter Island. The story is however complex with headache plots plus bloody and strong violence; but guaranteed excitement once you reached its end, so just watch it carefully

3. Green Zone (2010)

There’s 1 short line to summarize the Paul Greengrass’s Green Zone, “When Bourne meets politics” During the U.S.-led occupation of Baghdad in 2003, Roy Miller (Damon) and his team of Army inspectors were dispatched to find weapons of mass destruction believed to be stockpiled in the Iraqi desert. Rocketing from one booby-trapped and treacherous site to the next, the men search for deadly chemical agents but stumble instead upon an elaborate cover-up that inverts the purpose of their mission. Spun by operatives with intersecting agendas, Miller must hunt through covert and faulty intelligence hidden on foreign soil for answers that will either clear a rogue regime or escalate a war in an unstable region. And at this blistering time and in this combustible place, he will find the most elusive weapon of all is the Truth.

One can argue that it’s too much on the US-Iraq War, and I do agree. But it will never be enough with Matt Damon it’s him, and always him, showing excellent performance in controversial thriller action films. This time, there’s something more inside Miller: the depth of emotions, especially when it comes to political twist and justice!

4. Brooklyn’s Finest (2010)

Rated 7.4/10 on IMDB, Brooklyn’s Finest is another crime film on the forever-hot-topic ‘good cop-bad cop’. In the course of one chaotic week, the lives of three conflicted NewYork City police officers are dramatically transformed by their involvement in a massive drug operation inside the notoriously rough Brownsville section of Brooklyn.

Thanks to the great cast (Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle, Richard Gere, Wesley Snipes), Brooklyn’s Finest stands out as a worth-watching movie, despite its violence throughout, strong sexuality, nudity, prostitute, drug content and pervasive language (as rated) Also don’t expect to see something you haven’t heard of, there’s nothing brilliant about its story line

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All HQ trailers are available in YouTube, just type and hit the search button ^^ Enjoy!