The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

(By the way, what do you call the "00's"? I mean the 90's are the nineties, easy, so do we call the past decade the naughts? I don't know). Anyway, when a whole decade passes it's fun to reflect on the best and worst, and I like to reflect on the films that made a lasting impression on me.

It's hard to narrow it down to just ten, or put them in order, or pick my #1 favourite. But I tried. And maybe I'll change the list later depending on my mood. I'd like to hear about some of your favourites in the comments section:

10. Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: Say what you want about the first two episodes, this one delivered the goods that Star Wars fans expected. I loved the lightsaber battle finales with Kenobi & Anakin as well as Yoda & Darth Sidious. It gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, the franchise isn't dead just yet.

9. The Departed: Yes I know, not as good as Goodfellas or Raging Bull. So what? Anyone would have a hard time trying to top two of the best movies ever made. Martin Scorsese's crime-gangster drama gets better with repeated viewings.

8. Traffic: A great ensemble cast and story gave director Steve Soderbergh a much deserved Oscar for this drama on the desperate war against drugs.

7. Star Trek: You know it's good when even non-fans talk about how much they enjoyed the franchise reboot with a group of twenty-somethings being put over by a 70 year-old Leonard Nimoy. It will be interesting to see if they can carry the momentum for the inevitable sequel.

6. The Dark Knight: Heath Ledger's Joker is perhaps one of the best movie villains in film history, in what I consider the best comic book movie ever made.

5. United 93: When people talk about director Paul Greenglass, it usually involves the Bourne films, but his real crown jewel is this powerful dramatic interpretation of the final moments of United Airlines Flight 93, whose passengers sacrificed their lives for the greater good of their country on 9/11. It's unfortunate audiences didn't give this one the chance it really deserved, but perhaps they weren't ready for it.

4. Bowling for Columbine: Michael Moore's best movie: hilarious at times, sad in others. His pleas to NRA President Charlton Heston while holding a picture of the four year old girl who was killed by a classmate who brought a gun to school, brings anyone with a heart to tears.

3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: An ingenious idea with unconventional story telling to unravel the tale, Jim Carrey's quest to rekindle his love for his girlfriend who decided to have her memory erased of their romantic relationship, pushes all the right buttons.

2. Memento: A man tattoos himself with clues to avenge the death and rape of his wife. His amnesia does not give him the ability to create new memories, so we see the film in reverse chronological order, and experience Guy Pierce's uncertainty as the film unfolds in powerful fashion.

1. Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King: My favourite of the LOTR trilogy; what can I say except I have a weakness for big blockbusters with mythical themes and characters. Yes, the ending did drag on a bit, but everything else was superb.

Honourable mentions: The Wrestler, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, The Bourne Trilogy, Wall-E, Kill Bill, Fahrenheit 9/11, LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring & The Two Towers, Superbad, City of God, Enron: The Smartest People in the Room, There Will be Blood, Borat, About Schmidt.