11. Zombieland (2009)
I thought this was a Top 10 list?  Much like the college Big Ten has a plus one, I have plus one.  I just had to put this in because of the tremendous storyline of this zombie filled action-comedy.  But it’s really the dysfunctional Butch-Sundance dynamic between zombie slayers Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg that makes this flick so red bloody fun to watch.  The best is the way they slay their common foes: baseball bat, hedge cutters, and a banjo? The Bill Murray cameo alone is worth the price of admission.

10. A Knight’s Tale (2001)
My wife has caught me watching this movie over and over again.  I then realized when I concocted this list that this movie has to be on it.   Combine great 70s/80s rock music, Heath Ledger, the genius that is Alan Tudyk, and a great villain, Rufus Sewel, and you are bound to have an awesome movie.  I think it’s the storyline of always looking to your heart in what you truly want to be in life; it hits close to home.  At the end of this movie, I always seem to leave with a big smile on my face.

9. Hellboy (2004)
Remember that “I am not a comic book collector”, that is a lie in this case.  I LOVE this comic.  And surprise, when you combine the artistic film ability of Guillermo del Toro and the actually comic book writer, you come out with a superb movie.  Who or What is Hellboy? The character is a demon who fights for an international non-governmental agency against dark forces including Nazis, in a series of tales that have their roots in folklore, pulp magazines, vintage adventure, and horror fiction, all of which where wonderfully built in this movie.  Action with a bad-ass main character always leaves me wanting more.

8. V for Vendetta (2005)
The BEST movie that the Wachowski Brothers made.  Period.  Seriously.  Better than the Matrix.  You heard me.  And many of you are asking, what is V for Vendetta?  How did I miss it?  Well, I lot of critics just didn’t get it.  Based on a comic novel in a dystopian 1990’s future United Kingdom, a mysterious anarchist who calls himself “V”, played by Hugo Weaving, works to destroy the totalitarian government in an alternate timeline.  The themes of this movie are quite possibly the best of any on this list and it even prove to me that Natalie Portman was just as hot with a shaved head as she normally is.

7. The Incredibles (2004)
Fantastic Four movies angered me, how can you just screw up a family of superheroes and take away all the kick-ass possibilities?  Did that sound weird to say?  It did in my head.  Well, as a fan of the Iron Giant film, I knew director writer/director Brad Bird can carve amazing stories; and this is the superhero movie that the Fantastic Four wanna be.  I am sure there are animated movies with more artistic credit this decade, but Pixar managed to tell a good story about a family of retired superheroes and great cinematic action/teamwork.  And there hasn’t been a hot amine red head since Mrs. Roger Rabbit.

6. Star Trek (2009)
Star Wars vs Star Trek, what side am I on?  Well, I hate to admit but I love Trek, only because of the wonderful (and better) storylines, ability to re-franchising itself better, and iconic roles; Three words: James Tiberius Kirk.  And as I was one of the skeptical ones revamping the original Trek, it was done masterfully with this version of the familiar crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise.  The retelling of Gene Rodenberry’s universe did not tear apart versions of the Trek world, matter of fact, it helped.  What will a Klingon will look like? Will the Borg be in this world?; we can only wonder.  A word to J.J. Abrams: TO MUCH LENS FLARE!!

5. Gladiator (2000)
My oldest movie on this list, Gladiator in my eyes, started the gorgeous visual historical epics that inspired movies like 300, Troy, and Alexander.  The sepia pantones with emphasized spots of prime colors and light effects made my eyes open as wide as it could just to soak in the paint.  I have not been a fan of Ridley Scott before this (seriously, G.I. Jane?) and I was skeptical about this guy named Russell Crowe, but after his emotions flow through onto the screen, I was not surprised that he received best actor award. This movie played to a formula that I concocted that guaranty it to be one of my favorite movies of all times: a love story, passionate revenge, strong storyline, evil dictator, beautiful well placed color, and kick-ass action.

4. Old School (2003)
Luke Wilson’s dry shtick, Vince Vaughn’s rude behavior, and Will Ferrell’s physical craziness makes this film the best comedy I have seen in this decade.  I am a sucker to relive my best days in college and this movie tugs on those cords.  The tackle scene into the fountain still make loud out of control and Frank the Tank, nuf said. A flaming Dr. Pepper anyone…crap, my hand is on fire.

3. Up (2009)
Ok, if you didn’t cry at least twice during this movie, you have no soul.  A movie about an old man attaching balloons to his house and fly away on an adventure does sound crazy, but I was not prepared for the meltingly tender love story, an unbelievable journey, and the roll-around-on-the-floor humor that glows from this film.  Pixar keeps giving me great reason to go to the theater and this is the best of them period.

2. The Lord of the Rings: Trilogy (2001)
Ok, I am cheating, it’s three movies.  But how can you separate one from the others? Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings, from J.R.R. Tolkien books I read when I was 14, is a blended cinematic piece of artwork that equals in great film production size and scope. With hobbits, wizards, dark lords running around Middle-Earth, it is a movie with laugher, loyalty, action, teamwork, strategy, magic, everything you want in a movie. Although when I was reading the books, Gollum was a little more badass, not the spindly, scary, schizoid, computer-generated villain in the movie.  I liked my version of Gollum better.

1. The Dark Knight (2008)
Who is hell Christopher Nolan?  A brilliant, under the radar, British director gave us two great movies: a low budget thriller Memento and a reboot of an old comic book franchise Batman Begins.  But with his third big budget film, a sequel to Batman Begins, he convinced me with a mental, dramatic, action thriller, that I had no other choice to make it number one.  I mean if I could I would make the music in this movie number 2 on this list as it’s even more a major part of this movie as the actors themselves.  I wasn’t much of a comic book collector but I LOVED the Dark Night comic series, which this movie was based on.  The Joker is such a great cerebral villain in the comic novel; I thought it would be hard to reproduce him on the big screen.  Surprisingly I was pleasantly wrong.  Heath Ledger pulls the villain off so well I was hiding behind the seats in some scenes, but asking for more of his wicked smile.    Sadly, he won’t reprise the role, but on the bright side Maggie Gyllenhaal won’t be back either.