What movies released in 2007 would you consider the best?  Also, seen any good ones that were released before this year? 

Will be back with my own entries soon!

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I'm not sure when it was released.

Knocked Up *is* the best Judd Apatow film I've seen. Seth Rogen is the man.

(that said, I haven't seen "Walk Hard" yet).

Ramza

The only films that left real impressions on me were "Ratatouille", "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "Knocked Up."

Granted, I have yet to see "Sweeney Todd" (which COULD suck, but it wouldn't be the fault of Sondheim's score, which is brilliant).

My top five films of 2007, some of which are recaps from earlier posts:

5) Live Free Or Die Hard - "4.0" proved to be a totally fun ride.  It makes no pretense of what it is; a tried and true summer popcorn flick, with an adequate framework plot giving way to big, impressive stunts and over-the-top action.  There are few cinematic experiences like seeing John McClane getting his man, each and every one of 'em. (And in this particular one, a woman as well.)  I liked the film even more the second time I saw it, since the Unrated version brought back the explicatives that were sorely missing from the PG-13 theatrical release; crass though it may be to admit, these movies work so much better with the use of the F-bomb.  Live Free gets kudos for bringing back no bars held nitty-gritty action back to theaters.

4) Enchanted - I've seen the trailer all summer, so I was practically brainwashed to go see this.  Luckily, it turned out to be an awfully good film.  The hand-drawn animated parts are beautiful, brief as they are, and the live performances are strong and very well-acted.  Amy Adams plays Giselle so sweetly, and it's enjoyable seeing James "Cyclops" Marsden in such an over-the-top hammy role.  Timothy Spall is at his henchman best, and most importantly, I think I've become a heartthrob fan of Dempsey's.  :)  The film weaves a boatload of Disney homages and slight parodies, yet does so deftly enough as to never intrude on the overarching story.  The story itself is predictably linear, but its telling and presentation are so good that it leaves you feeling emotionally satisfied by the end.  It ain't easy to get me to cry in a film, but more than once had the waterworks turned on for a few genuine leaks.  The music score, too - fun, catchy stuff.  With highly influential orchestral overtones, combined with a few light sprinklings of modern pop elements here and there, Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz have drummed up some pretty excellent thematic material.  The big musical number "That's How You Know" will definitely go down as an instant classic, and Underwood's Ever Ever After has quickly grown on me too.

3) Pirates of The Caribbean: At World's End - Although Pirates doesn't take home the gold this year, there wasn't a film worth as many repeat viewings as this one. At World's End, like its predecessors before it, gives you the most bang for your entertainment buck, with the same series staples of great location shoots, amazing sets, dazzling special effects, and wild swashbuckling stunts.  The Maelstrom Battle is just about one of the greatest fight sequences ever staged, striking a sublime balance of story and character interaction with over-the-top yet exacting fight choreography.  Zimmer's musical score beats out everything this year, with a consistent thematic presence and plenty of new, memorable themes.  As a capper to the trilogy, the story does a credible job, heightening the character drama to unexpected levels, yet adheres to a largely natural course of resolution.  There were a few plot links that left me cold and somewhat unsatisfied, like the resolution of Calypso/Davy Jones, as well as the fates of Pryce's Weatherby Swann and Davenport's Norrington.  And, despite the fact that the film runs a good 169 minutes, there's the feeling that there were some merciless cuts made in a lot of places - cuts that likely would've gone a long way at better explaining the subtext of certain story threads.    

2) The Bourne Ultimatum - I didn't become a Bourne addict until very late in the game, and I probably would have never gotten into the series were it not for the onslaught of glowing reviews for Ultimatum.  After partaking in a quick catch-up session with Identity and Supremacy, with my fondness of the series growing ever more with each film, I finally got to see Ultimatum before the end of its theatrical run.  It basically blew out all my movie-watching sensors; I walked out of the theater brimming with adrenaline, and outwardly raving, "That was some seriously cool shit!"  Here, we get to see Damon's Bourne working his lonewolf best, and his character role has hit the top of his professional game.  Though Supremacy edges out Ultimatum as being my favorite in the trilogy, in regards to story and stronger emotional context (not to mention Powell's better-rounded music score), Ultimatum wins hands-down for breakneck, nonstop action.  You'd be hard-pressed to find a more exhilarating experience this year.

1) Ratatouille - Seeing Ratatouille thrice in theaters, Disney's won me over on three counts this year and robbed me blind in the process.  As enjoyable as the four films above are, I simply can't say no to a great piece of animation; Ratatouille is a wonderful testament to the medium, showing how far both Pixar and computer graphics have come.  With Brad Bird at the director's helm, there was little worry that the film would turn out anything less than a masterpiece.  We know the visuals are spectacular, but it has to be said again: they're simply incredible.  The details of the characters and their fluidity in movement, the captured look of Paris, the insanely-realistic particle effects, and excellent stage direction and perspective; it's all handled brilliantly, selling the delightful story of a rat who realizes his dream of becoming a renowned chef.  Add the icing that is Giacchino's stylistically-eclectic music score, bake for 110 tasty minutes, and voilá: my 2007 Film of the Year.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS:

The Simpsons Movie teeters a fine line between guilt-free Simpsons fun, and a mite too much spinning on the moral compass.  This one was definitely the most fun to watch in theaters with fans, though. Harry Potter & The Order of The Phoenix got hit by some understandably massive editing cuts and was plagued by a weaksauce music score.  As a standalone film, though, it's pretty entertaining, and I have good feelings for the upcoming Half-Blood Prince now.  Spider-Man 3 took a lot of heat, but I still had a great time with the high-energy battles and emo-Peter skit - all the while having to put up with Dunst's spectacular MJ bitch-fest performance.  Shrek The Third was a massive trainwreck, and makes me fear for the future of the franchise, while Underdog was cute in an overly corny way. (The soundtrack's use of the original cartoon theme was really well done - yay to the Underdog Rap!)   Hairspray and Sweeney Todd were both fantastic musical adaptations, but be forewarned about Sweeney; for all its slick Burton humor and faithfully reproduced Sondheim score, you'll still need a reasonably strong stomach to get through the violence.

For films released before 2007, my favorites include Casino Royale (awesome reboot, looking forward to the sequel), Rocky Balboa (a heartfelt and much more befitting swan song to one of cinema's most recognizable icons), Pan's Labyrinth (a richly-dark and imaginative tale that expertly combines fantasy with war-torn reality - along with an amazing music score by Navarrete), The Bourne Supremacy (my favorite in the trilogy), and The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D (worth experiencing again, especially on a digital projection).  Oh, and Blue Streak with Martin Lawrence was pretty hilarious.  Cuz "It's like that."

I missed out on a number of '07 movies that I'll have to eventually catch on DVD, including Transformers, Ocean's Thirteen, Stardust, Knocked Up, Superbad, 3:10 To Yuma, and The Assassination of Jesse James. I still hope to catch The Golden Compass and I Am Legend before their theatrical runs are over.

I saw "I Am Legend" a few days ago. I loved it until the final third, which dropped the gritty suspense for a more standard action finale. It's worth seeing for Will Smith alone (who is terrific).

Considering the pedigree, I'm surprised that I didn't like "Superbad" much. There were a few LOL moments but for the most part,  I was bored (and wishing that it were better edited).

"Transformers" is another one of those movies (along with Die Hard 4) that knows EXACTLY what it is and makes no apologies for it. It's big, it's dumb and for the most part, it's entertaining as all hell. The biggest liabilities are an even stupider-than-usual finale and a wretched score by Steve "I couldn't be Hans Zimmer if I tried" Jablonsky.

Still pending on "Enchanted" and "The Golden Compass." I'm probably going to wait for the DVDs on both.

As for all the squirting blood in "Sweeney", bring it on!

Yeah, Ratatouille was really good. Angela, you'll REALLY want to check out Knocked Up. I can't believe how much I enjoy it.

Grindhouse was best.  The full mashed together theatrical version, not the separate DVD release nonsense.