In 2007, I managed to see 32 movies in the theater. This year, I beat that total by one. But, they were heavily concentrated in the summer, where I managed to average a movie a week. I took a break around Celebration Japan / Comic-Con, but made up for it one exhausting day when I caught four in one day to make up for time lost. By year's end, though, a number of deadlines meant I stopped seeing as much as I like. So there's a few holdouts that I intend to see (Frost/Nixon, Milk, Quantum of Solace, for example), but here's what I saw in theaters in '08, in order from best to not-best.

1. The Orphanage -- So the year peaked early, since I only got around to seeing this '07 release in January. Still, nothing managed to top it. Atmospheric, creepy, and powerful. There's a part where the movie basically punches you in the stomach and I can attest, that even in second viewing, that blow is not dulled.
2. Slumdog Millionaire -- The hype was accurate. A curious mix of fantasy and some of the most gut-wrenching reality you're going to find. It's exotic, with panoramas of distressing poverty balanced by some of the spirited child performances you're going to find. The end credits, too, are exhilarated.
3. WALL-E -- Beautiful and gutsy, and only PIXAR could make it happen. A more timeless version of E.T., but this time an unabashed love story.
4. Iron Man -- I'm sure I'm risking some sort of fanboy ire by calling this the best comic book of the year. I'm not saying Dark Knight is bad. I'm saying this is better.
5. Burn After Reading -- Fantastically cynical and mean-spirited. Asks the question of what if really dumb people got caught in a spy thriller. Very funny.
6. There Will Be Blood -- Another 2007 holdover. And the winner of the Father of the Year award is...
7. The Dark Knight -- It's awesome. But it's not the best. Took one too many trips to the crazy well with the whole bombed ferry thing, which didn't add any tension but instead slackened what tension there was. I know I wasn't alone when, after the Joker was taken out, I thought, "oh damn, they still have to resolve the whole Harvey storyline... and I've got places to be."
8. Cloverfield -- This movie is exactly what it promised.
9. The Curious Case of Mr. Benjamin Button -- Definitely worth seeing, but not for the reasons I expected. Fincher (whom I'm a big fan of) strangely disappears in the fairy tale source material, but only after you step away and see its rather grim tones does he surface.
10. The Incredible Hulk -- Underrated. Doesn't take as many risk as the Ang Lee version, sure, but at least this one works.
11. Hellboy II: The Golden Army -- Has unforgettable elements, but the plot kind of gets lost. Still, the tastiest eye-candy of the year.
12. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist -- Cute.
13. JCVD -- The most surprising movie of the year. You think you're gonna go see a joke, but you're actually drawn into it.
14. H&K Escape from Guantanamo -- See it for NPH and the contact high from the audience.
15. Speed Racer -- Unfairly underrated. It's an eye-popping thrill ride that's also a totally worthwhile family movie.
16. Forgetting Sarah Marshall -- Worth many laughs, but not as quotable or memorable as other Atapow comedies.
17. Wanted -- A visceral full on guilty pleasure blast.
18. Tropic Thunder -- You know, I ordinarily don't care for movies about movies, but this one has a lot going for it in its performances.
19. Juno -- A 2007 holdover that, while fine, ultimately feels hollow.
20. Hamlet 2 -- See it if only for the songs.
21. Pineapple Express -- Not as funny as I hoped, but Franco is worth the price of admission.
22. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian -- Not as good as the first one.
23. Star Wars: The Clone Wars -- Plays like a pilot.
24. Doomsday -- Wow. This one has everything. I see this easily becoming a guilty pleasure.
25. Hancock -- Not what I expected, so it gets some points for surprising me, but it's not exactly good.
26. The X-Files: I Want to Believe -- An okay episode, but doesn't seem worth the theatrical effort.
27. Saw V -- A few good gross-out gags, but the series has lost its cleverness.
28. Get Smart -- Not as funny as it should have been.
29. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor -- Some decent eye candy, but none of it hangs together.
30. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street -- Another 2007 holdover. The songs just slow everything down.
31. You Don't Mess with the Zohan -- A few laughs, but overall pretty dumb. The fight scenes are surprisingly good.
32. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -- I end up feeling bad for Harrison, because he can't be faulted. He brought his A-game.
33. Eagle Eye -- Hands down the most insultingly stupid movie of the year. If GLADOS the supercomputer can control Predator drone missiles, why exactly does she need to arrange some chimpmunk-faced kid to be at a certain place with a trumpet?