Aliens, troubled cowboys and the savior of comedy

Best of 2007 - Movies

1. "Knocked Up" -- The savior of film comedy has come, and his name is Judd Apatow. The director here reminds us of the time when the Bill Murrays, John Belushis and Gene Wilders were kings of R-rated comedy.

2. "No Country for Old Men" -- The Coen brothers serve up a Western without any John Waynes or Clint Eastwoods, where the barren landscape of south Texas is a backdrop for a story about what happens with common men are confronted with an impeccable evil. The cowboys are down on their luck, the bad guy is more disciplined than any of them and there are no sunsets to ride off into.

3. "Hot Fuzz" -- Very few people are capable of making homage films that top the films they honor. Edgar Wright, the director, and Simon Pegg, a frequent partner, are those people. "Hot Fuzz" is a narratively complex, sophisticated horror/detective/action/family/comedy story that's -- most importantly -- very funny.

4. "Grindhouse" -- Pure, visceral movie fun that scared audiences away with its double-feature length. If the ending of "Death Proof" doesn't leave your stomach full of satisfaction pie, the alien grossness of "Planet Terror" will.

5. "Superbad" -- See No. 1. Sillier than "Knocked Up" but shines in different ways. A great man-love movie, buddy film and an instant classic.

6. "The Bourne Ultimatum" -- Not only the best action film of 2007, but probably the last decade or two.

7. "Zodiac" -- David Fincher's best, most ambitious, most accomplished movie.

8. "Hairspray" -- A warm, fuzzy story made even gooey-er by a '60s-inspired soundtrack. Plus, any movie where the fat girl gets the guy and John Travolta sports a bustier gets our approval.

9. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" -- Five films, five successes. Director David Yates underlines the latest installment with the percolating emotions of adolescence and the universal attraction to teenage rebellion.

10. "Ratatouille" -- Somewhere along the line Pixar siphoned off all that animated movie magic that used to be the sole domain of Disney and turned it into a nonstop cavalcade of hit movies.