The Best Moments of 2009

2009 had a great many moments. Like every year, there were certain scenes or sequences that were just so awe-inspiring, or so emotional, that they were enough to warrant a second viewing purely on their own merits. This year was no different, in particular, there were five moments that I experienced in movies this year that stood out above the rest. These five moments are all fantastic and are worth the price of admission alone. I wont keep you all waiting, here they are, starting with a few honorable mentions:

The Honorable Mentions
Avemaria Okuri/Change of Seasons, Departures
The Spacediving Sequence, Star Trek
Ponyo Rides the Typhoon, Ponyo
The Destruction of Hometree, Avatar
The Closed Door Conversation, An Education

The Best Moments of the Year
5. The Death of Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - While the funeral was cut, the scene where the entire school gathers around Dumbledore's lifeless body and all lift their wands to the air and make the Dark Mark disappear is so emotional, and so satisfying as a fan of Harry Potter, that I've gotta admit, I nearly shed a tear.

4. Jake Taming his Banshee, Avatar - This one had it all. It was tense when Jake approached the Banshee and tried to make his Halo with it, and then when Jake finally assumes command, the sequence becomes a moment of pure excitement and exhilaration as Jake soars amongst the floating mountains of Pandora. Definitely a classic moment if I've ever seen one.

3. The Best Day Ever, (500) Days of Summer - The funniest moment of the year. When Joseph Gordon-Levitt dances through the streets, with animated birds, marching bands, and reflections of Han Solo, it's just a non-stop parade of hilarity that should please anyone who likes some good comedy.

2. The Beautiful Dead, Departures - Such a moving scene. This is the first time where our hero, Daigo, fully begins to understand the artistry and beauty inherent in his new job as an encofiner, preparing dead bodies for funerals in front of their entire family. If you aren't moved by this scene, then you don't have a heart. A definite moment of catharsis.

1. The Attack on the U.S.S. Kelvin and the Death of George Kirk, Star Trek - Seriously, this was the best moment of the year, in terms of both action and emotion. Not only was this opening sequence probably the most suspenseful and acion-packed moment in the film, but it is also probably the most emotional, witnessing the birth of Captain Kirk and the moving farewell between his father and his mother as his father flies the U.S.S. Kelvin straight into the Narada to allow Kirk and his mother to escape.

Tune in later this week as we continue our countdown of the year's best!