It's time for a brief look back at 2007 — brief, because my theatergoing is not what it once was. The number of movies I saw in theaters has fluctuated wildly since a decade ago, though it seems relatively constant over the course of this millennium:
| 1995: 22 | 1996: 43 | 1997: 70 | 1998: 53 |
| 1999: 37 | 2000: 30 | 2001: 12 | 2002: 16 |
| 2003: 15 | 2004: 11 | 2005: 9 | 2006: 14 |
This past year was very similar to its predecessor, with me taking in 15 theatrical films. It is not the prohibitive cost that keeps me from seeing more movies: a genetic condition permits me free tickets to any movie, anytime. It's more a matter of the time investment and working around the theater's schedule, whereas I can watch as much of a DVD as I want, whenever I want. Theatergoing also has a more social element than sitting at home in my pajamas, so I'm further limited by other people's geography and availability. Add in the fact that I don't have TV service and thus am not exposed unwillingly to commercials and trailers, and it takes some other rare factor, such as brand recognition, to make me aware and interested enough to warrant seeing a film.
Of the 15 films I saw in 2007, the best were Live Free or Die Hard, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and National Treasure: Book of Secrets. (I'd include Star Trek: The Menagerie as a theatergoing experience, but it technically was not a movie.) All three were rock'em, sock'em good action flicks that may've relied on tried-and-true formulae, but executed with finesse and humor.
This year's most disappointing movies were Spider-Man 3, 300, The Simpsons Movie, and The Golden Compass. And downright loathsome was The Transformers, which I recently saw the RiffTrax version of. Sadly, even Mike Nelson and crew could not improve on The Transformers, as I found it even more tedious on a second runthrough. Again, each of these films was based on an existing property, which perhaps led to high and ultimately unfulfilled expectations.
Which of 2007's films did you enjoy the most or least? Did I miss any you recommend?
I only went to the movie theater twice in 2007, for Spider-Man 3 and Sweeney Todd. I had high expectations going into Sweeney, and the film met or exceeded most of them. I was kind of aghast at the goriness, though. I recommend it for the non-squeamish musical theater fan!
Have you kept track of how many movies you've seen on video each year? I've gotten pickier about movies, so I'm more predisposed to liking the ones I do see in the theater. I've also fallen behind in renting DVDs or ordering movies on demand.
Of this past year's genre crop, I liked Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth, and Ratatouille the most. I was disappointed most by Spider-Man 3, but low expectations may have saved 300, Golden Compass, and Transformers for me.
Hiphopguy23 isn't sure how he missed this post, but he would like to comment before submitting his own best/worst of 2007. Hiphopguy23 has 300 and the Simpsons movies at the TOP of his list for 2007 and Hiphopguy23 actually walked out (technically, drove out) of Live Free and Die Hard, so there is quite a bit of disagreement here! Maybe one has to be a fan of the Battle of Thermopylae or Homer and Marge?