Ten best Robert DeNiro films

On the occasion of his 70th birthday I've put together a list of what I consider to be the iconic actor's 10 best films. It should be no surprise that most of these come from the first 25 years of his career, before he began to see films mostly as a way to raise captial to invest in Manhattan real estate. In spite of the fact that all the films on this list were released in the previous century the man himself is still here and working furiously and who knows? He might pull one more rabbit out of his hat before he throws in the towel.

1) Raging Bull - 1980 - A frightening, brutal, thrilling portrayal of a life lived in blood.

2) The Godfather Part II - 1974 - Picked up the baton from Brando and nearly matched him stride for stride.

3) The King of Comedy - 1982 - Just f***ing creepy.

4) Heat - 1995 - In spite of having to play off the woefully miscast Amy Brenneman De Niro manages to bring weight and pathos to the role of a big-time thief trying desperately to get out before time overtakes him.

5) Taxi Driver - 1976 - You lookin' at me?

6) Meet The Parents - 2000 - Not just one of De Niro's best but one of the best adult comedies of the past 20 years.

7) Analyze This - 1999 - In which he found the perfect comedic fodder in his own career and the perfect comedic foil in Billy Crystal.

8) Goodfellas - 1990 - De Niro captures the desperate edge of an outsider navigating his way through the belly of the mob beast.

9) Ronin - 1998 - In this much overlooked effort De Niro turns what could have been a paycheck film into a mid-career highlight. One of the few films he carries by strength of presence rather than quality of performance.

10) Brazil - 1985 - An unexpected bit part in this darkest of comedies pointed the way to a future 2-track career, though no one could have guessed it at the time.

That's it. My list of Robert De Niro's 10 best. Happy Birthday Mr D!

The 10 best major motion pictures of 2012

1) "Skyfall" - Sam Mendes, Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem et al create a Bond film for the ages. One that looks itself squarely in the mirror and sees the crow's feet yet still finds plenty to smile about. Skyfall [Blu-ray]

2) "The Avengers" - Uber nerd Joss Whedon generates significant movement in the cargo pants of fanboys the world over with his deft handling of the superhero teamup of the century. Marvel's The Avengers (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging)

3) "The Grey" - Liam Neeson's most heartfelt performance in years. Maybe ever. The Grey (Two-Disc Combo Pack: Blu-ray + DVD)

4) "Lincoln" - Hard for me to pick a movie that has "Important" stamped on it before anyone's even seen it but Spielberg's late career embrace and exploration of history hits what may be it's highpoint with this reverential but riveting film. Lincoln [Blu-ray]

5) "Zero Dark Thirty" - Absolutely no disrepect intented to anyone who had a hand in airing out bin-whats-his-name but I suspect that Kathryn Bigelow could make a gripping movie about taking out the trash. Never has the world of policy wonks and intelligence analysts seemed so damned sexy.

6) "The Woman in Black" - Daniel Radcliffe lands squarely on his post-Potter feet with this, the best horror film of the year. Literally spine-tingling. The Woman in Black (+ UltraViolet Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

7) "Total Recall" - Simultaneously one of the best sci-fi and best action films of the year. The rare badly needed and successful remake. Total Recall (Two Discs: Blu-ray + UltraViolet Digital Copy) [Blu-ray]

8) "Get the Gringo" - Mel Gibson rises from Hollywood purgatory to deliver the snazziest action/comedy in years. "But wait!" you say "How can it be a major motion picture if it went straight to VOD?" Answer: see the part about Mel rising out of purgatory. Get the Gringo [Blu-ray]

9) "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" - Peter Jackson returns to middle earth and, in spite of a few minor missteps, manages to pull a Rhosgobel rabbit out of his hat. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

10) "Prometheus" - It wouldn't have taken much to make this the movie of the year. But it's shortcomings were significant enough that it only gets the last rung on the ladder here. Hopefully Ridley and Co won't be deaf to the criticism and will iron out the wrinkles in the sequel. Prometheus (Blu-ray/ DVD + Digital Copy)

That's it! Farewell 2012, we hardly knew ye.

The best superhero movies of the 21st century (so far)

My personal choices for the best superhero movies of the admittedly young 21st century.

1) Thor
A great film is a great film regardless of genre and Thor is all the proof needed to back up that statement. Director Kenneth Branagh hits all the right notes, the first rate cast never misses a beat and the art direction is nearly flawless. All of that, however, would have been just so much window dressing without Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz and Don Payne's inspired script which effortlessly intertwines the needs and foibles of gods and humans to create a redemptive tale for the ages. Special shoutout goes to Anthony Hopkins who should have won a supporting actor nomination for the combination of fire and nuance he employed in bringing the all-father, Odin, to life.

2) The Avengers
Big, bold, exciting, brilliantly balanced and fun as hell The Avengers may turn out to be a one-off. But man, what a one-off!

3) Batman Begins
For my money its a draw between 'Begins' and Tim Burton's 1989 "Batman" as to which is the best Batman movie ever. It's the one film of Nolan's trilogy where his reach doesn't exceed his creative grasp. It's tight, smart and darkly fascinating and (despite Nolan's protestations to the contrary) doesn't forget that Gotham is a fictional place and Batman a comic book superhero.

4) Watchmen
Superheroes are basically sadistic/masochistic boozers and losers who help people because it kicks their libido into gear. Either that or they're egomaniac geniuses who sacrifice millions of lives to impose their vision of "right" on the world, or flee the scene of the accidents they helped create when the going gets tough. Real-world angst played out in an alternative reality USA beautifully re-created from the graphic novel.

5) The Dark Knight Rises
In spite of my reservations concerning some of Nolan's ongoing creative choices and the fact that I believe he could have cut a good 20 minutes out of the film's middle and had a much better film, TDKR still has enough going for it to warrant inclusion on this list. Strong performances all around, a basically smart story that brings 'Begins' back into the fold and an ending that raises plenty of questions but also ties up the trilogy in an unexpected yet satisfying way.

5 Worst Hit Movies of the 21st Century (so far)

Some movies should never be made. Some should be made by other people. And some should just go to the corner and hang their head in shame.

5) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II - 2011
Confusing, rushed, poorly edited, bad 3D and did I mention confusing? Too bad because as a rabid HP fan I was looking forward to this movie for a long time.

4) The Matrix Revolutions - 2003
The clever story, cyberpunk atmosphere and ground-breaking special effects of the original turned into a community meeting at a Berkeley coffee house and an hour of sentinels swooping this way and that.

3) The Twilight Saga I, II and III - 2008, 2009, 2010
Yawn.

2) The Dark Knight - 2009
Somebody get that man a throat lozenge!

1) Transformers; Dark of the Moon - 2011
Wow! I mean, like, WOW! Michael Bay should have his citizenship revoked, his license pulled, his bank account seized and be jailed immediately, for many years to come, if that's what it takes to keep him out of the director's chair.