The Best (and Worst) of 2009

Welcome one, welcome all. It's time for my favorite blog post of the year, the annual Nunchux Best of "Awards." There are no actual awards, but this post fills my innate desire to order everything, and there are few better ways to do just that than sticking a bunch of things in a list (including runners up for the tougher choices!). People also tend to like to read these yearly posts, so it's kind of like I'm fulfilling two needs with one post.

Anyway, pretend that these are the Emmys, or whatever award show is popular nowadays. The People's Choice Awards, perhaps, except it's my choice instead of yours... It's better that way anyway - I kid, I kid ;-)

Without further ado...

Movies!

Worst Actor

Dennis Quiad

Everything about his performance in G.I. Joe was just plain wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I wanted to throw large, heavy object at the screen every time he was on it. He was the worst part of an already atrocious movie.

Worst Actress

Megan Fox

Yeah, yeah, she's hot. Sometimes she even has acting talent. But I'm curious how she goes from awesome Transformers to horrendous Jennifer's Body. On top of that, her whole publicity stunt faux argument with Michael Bay about his exploiting her body... as she's filming the gratuitously exploitative Jennifer's Body... riiiiiight.

Worst CGI

G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra

What the hell are 80s B-movie CGI graphics doing in a 2009 summer blockbuster? When I can pick out all the green screen moments and I wasn't even looking, there's something seriously wrong. The final straw was Tatum's face cheesily slapped on top of the Halo armor's visor. To think, a whopping five different companies handled the visual effects for this movie and not a single one of them sat back and asked themselves why the CGI effects sucked so much arse. OMGWTFBBQ

Worst Score

G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra

This pitiful movie makes yet another appearance in the "worst of" categories. The soundtrack to this movie was just plain awful. Alan Silvestri's score was not just the worst of the year, but the worst in recent memory. Cliche and worthless cues be damned.

Worst Movie

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Ryan Reynolds couldn't save this abomination. Hugh Jackman couldn't save this catastrophe. Both of them together couldn't save this miserable waste of 2 hours of my life. That's really all that needs to be said.

Runners Up:

Terminator: Salvation

G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra

Biggest Movie WTF Moment

The GIANT "Off" Button - G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra

It's been over 6 months and I still haven't gotten over the ridiculously ginormous button that turned the micro-killing-brain-control bugs off in the newest G.I. Joe movie. WTF were those bad guys thinking? I thought the Cobra folks were supposed to be, you know, smart. Sorry, but if you are idiotic enough to make the one button that will save the world the size of a grapefruit, then you deserve to get your behinds kicked by the brain dead lumps that made up the Joe team.

Best Actor

Sam Worthington

This was an easy one this year. Sam Worthington was the one bright spot in the otherwise dull Terminator pile of junk the worthless McG directed this year. He then went on to star in the highest grossing film of all time in Avatar, which was a great showing of his acting chops. Kudos to Worthington for breaking out in a big, and well-deserved, way this year.

Best Actress

Zoe Saldana

This one was a bit harder. Zoe Saldana comes out on top, though, since she had major roles in both Star Trek and Avatar, two of the best movies to come out this year. Though her Uhura wasn't my favorite, her heartwarming portrayal of Neytiri in Avatar was just wonderful. Hopefully she's got more big things coming our way in 2010.

Best CGI

Avatar

Is there even a contest here? I think not. Cameron's $500 million opus is chock full of beautiful and detailed renderings of this planet they call Pandora. Especially seen in 3D on the big screen, there is something so thoroughly enchanting about Pandora, it's hard to walk out of the theater and accept that Earth will never be quite as awe-inspiring. Say what you will about the story of the film, there is simply no denying Pandora's allure and beauty.

Runners Up:

Star Trek

Watchmen

Best Score

Michael Giacchino - Star Trek

This was another tough one. We were blessed with the abundance of great movie scores this year. Yet, in the end, none were more exciting and enjoyable than Michael Giacchino's score for Star Trek. The new Enterprise theme is great, and his use of evolving themes reminds me of the timeless John Williams. In a year where all my favorite film composers came out with great scores, this is a testament to Giacchino's knack for creating memorable music moments.

Runners Up:

Hans Zimmer - Angels & Demons

Steve Jablonsky - Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

James Horner - Avatar

Best Movie

Star Trek

Yet again, this year was a true challenge. I came very close to giving this one straight to Avatar for just being one badass moviegoing experience, but Star Trek wins out just because everything for this movie came together so perfectly. The great cast coupled with a thrilling story and an impeccable score make this my must-see movie of the year. The experience gets even better on BluRay too. Sign me up for the sequel!

Runners Up:

Avatar

TV!

Best Actor

Tim Roth - Dr. Cal Lightman - Lie to Me

This was a tough one for sure. Do I give it to my favorite actor on my favorite TV show? What about the guy that made a dying franchise worth watching again? In the end, it was neither of these two (sorry, Sherry!). Tim Roth takes the cake here, because he is Lie to Me. That show exists because he rocks our faces off, and he gets up every week and shows us new sides of his fascinating character. Couple that with his portrayal of Cal Lightman's quirks and twitches and I would be content to watch the show forever.

Runners Up:

Brain Jacob Smith - Lt. Matthew Scott - Stargate: Universe

Hugh Laurie - Dr. Gregory House - House, M.D.

Robert Knepper - Samuel Sullivan - Heroes

Best Actress

Courtney Cox - Jules Cobb - Cougar Town

Cougar Town is my guilty pleasure. I have been told numerous times that I really shouldn't like that show, but it puts my in stitches every time I watch it. I've long been a Courtney Cox fan - from her work in movies, to Friends, to the fantastically underrated Dirt - Cougar Town just gives me a chance to stand up and proclaim it. 

Runners Up:

Alaina Huffman - Tamara "TJ" Johansen - Stargate Universe

Elyse Levesque - Chloe Armstrong - Stargate Universe

Best Old Show

Big Bang Theory

TV just doesn't get much more hilarious than Big Bang Theory. The show seems custom-tailored to make people like me pee their pants, but it's caught on in a big way with audiences of all types. I blame Sheldon, really. But in all seriousness, this show just keeps getting better and better.

Best Old Show I Just Discovered

Lie to Me

I missed out on the entire first season of this show! WTF?! I'm not sure how a show as mesmerizing as Lie to Me slipped under my radar, but this is the very definition of must-see TV. In fact, it took House's seat as my favorite thing to do on Monday nights. ...Now if Fox would just get around to bringing it back. "Late Spring" is a hard pill to swallow, dammit!

Most Disappointing Show

Heroes

Oh, how I yearn for the good old days. You remember back when Heroes was must watch TV? Back when Tuesday mornings at the water cooler would be devoted to discussing the previous night's happenings? Well, seasons 2 and 3 of the show really dug it into a very, very deep hole. The creative team behind this season has been trying really, really hard, but it seems that hole may be too deep after all, and that is what is so damned disappointing. Heroes should still be the best thing on TV, by all rights. Yet, not even the acting prowess of my favorite bad guy can bring this show back from the dead.

Runners Up:

House, M.D.

Coolest Bad Guy

Robert Knepper - Samuel Sullivan - Heroes

Sorry, Sylar, but bad guys just don't get more badass than those played by Robert Knepper. The man can act, and he proved it yet again with this season of Heroes. He lights up the screen with his charisma and talent, while scenes without him seem dull and uninspired by comparison. The best moments in the show have been his moments, and I don't anticipate that changing until he dies or the show gets canceled.

Most Annoying Show

Glee

That's gonna make me unpopular as hell, but I thought High School Musical (1, 2, and 3) was crap, so what's there to like about the slightly more mature knock off? Not much. The fact that it generates as much hype as Ugly Betty did (before people realized that show sucked) makes me *headdesk*. My boss once showed me a clip of the football team dancing to "All the Single Ladies" and I about vomited all over his desk. Please, please, please stop hyping that show. 

Most Underrated Show (still)

Friday Night Lights

Year in and year out, this is one of the best shows on television. Critics love it, it's got a loyal following, but for some reason, this one has just never picked up like it should have. Thankfully DirecTV has been paying to keep the show on the air these last few years, lest another great show get sunk by a unappreciative viewers. It's the fact that people will take crap like Glee over this obviously better show that really just irks me to no end. 

Anyway, to get off my soap box for a moment, take a break from the singing, dancing troupe of Glee and check out Friday Night Lights - you may never want to go back.

Best New Show

Stargate: Universe

Who didn't see this one coming? Anybody? This is far and away the best show to hit the airwaves in some time, and its under-appreciation is downright criminal. For once, Stargate has real story lines backed up by actors who can freaking act. There is nothing I find not to love about the show. The first half of its maiden season gets us prepped for what promises to be an epic second half. And if you've missed my utter adoration of the show, feel free to catch yourself up in this blog's archives. Nothing makes my day quite like realizing that SGU is right around the corner. 

It is, of course, a fantastic show, but I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to the awesome people that have come into my life because of that show: Terry, Sherry, and Karrie in particular - but the rest of the awesome people I've met because of both the show and the HiatusProject chats have really taken life to a whole new level of interesting and fun.

Amazon shipped my copy of SGU season 1.0 on glorious BluRay today, so I should get that soon. I'm virtually wetting myself with anticipation.

Video Games!

Best Sound Design

Modern Warfare 2

Sound is one of the most under-appreciated aspect of video game design, but when a developer puts the effort into making the aural experience great, it's readily obvious. Few developers put the time and care into creating a memorable soundscape quite like Infinity Ward. For whatever other problems MW2 had, its audio, particularly in surround sound, is ridiculously good. Between the chatter of your squad mates, to the staccato rat-a-tat of gunfire, to the explosions that shake the floor, no game this year delivered the sounds quite like MW2.

Runners Up:

Uncharted 2 - Among Thieves

Best Art Style

Uncharted 2: Among Theives

If, as Einstein said, god is in the details, then I have found god. Back in March, I raved about how wonderful Resident Evil 5 looked. I've since raved about how good numerous other games looked, but they all pale in comparison to the visual orgasm that is Among Thieves. If you haven't experienced the sensation of a visual orgasm yet, pick this game up.

Runners Up:

Hahahaha, riiiiiight...

Best Voice Overs

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

This category actually exists just so I can say more happy things about Among Thieves. One of the key components to bringing characters to life in a video game is the voice acting. Far, far too many games ignore this completely or do crappy jobs of implementing it. Naughty Dog is thankfully guilty of neither of these sins, as the talent they hire to do the voice overs for Nathan Drake's newest adventure is top notch. It is just one more way that Naughty Dog shows us that a keen attention to detail truly makes for a great game.

Most Overrated Game

Modern Warfare 2

Ah, let the controversy begin. My email box will be 'splodin' tomorrow. But I'm saying it. Modern Warfare 2 was criminally overrated. The single player campaign was exciting but was stretching things way too thin. The story was ridiculous, and I find myself quickly being desensitized to the "Shock and Awe" moments. Oh, and the campaign was short, I can trounce through it in 4 hours - not worth $60. The multiplayer is cool, but is pretty much the same thing we saw in the first Modern Warfare. Spec Ops is awesome, but Firefight is better (and so, for that matter, is the multiplayer in Uncharted 2). Overall, though I did like my time with MW2, I think it failed to live up to the tidal wave of hype it had built up by its release.

Worst Story

Modern Warfare 2

Aside from the campaign being laughably short, the story was a crock. It stretches the limits of believability to the point where even a conspiracy theorist might laugh. What little shreds of story were present were further diminished by the egregious plot holes - a big no-no in a game that's campaign is supposed to be driven by the story. While the campaign certainly had some cool moments (don't get me wrong, the cool moments were there), the story was just unforgivable.

Best Story

Dragon Age: Origins

What? This isn't going to Drake again? Nope. When Bioware pens a video game story, the world damn well better stand up and pay attention. Nobody in the business does it better. Dragon Age's story spans so much territory, its nigh impossible to sum it all up. What I can tell you is that the large impact your decisions have on the story - not to mention the staggering number of possible endings - make this game worth playing over and over and over again.

Runners Up:

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Halo 3: ODST

Best Score

Assassin's Creed 2 - Jesper Kyd

This was another really, really tough one. There were a slew of great scores that came out this year for video games. Everything from Xbox Live content (Shadow Complex anybody?) to the big blockbusters (Halo 3: ODST, Dragon Age: Origins) had some seriously freaking awesome music. Looking back over the year, though, the one that stands out the most is Jesper Kyd's wonderful compositions for Assassin's Creed 2. The music is poignant and beautiful, simple but full of life. It's been a very long time since I've heard a score as gorgeous as this one - it hasn't been out of play rotation on my iPod since I got it.

Runners Up:

Halo 3: ODST - Marty O'Donnell

Dragon Age: Origins - Inon Zur

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - Greg Edmonson

Modern Warfare 2 - Hans Zimmer

Best Sidekick

Alistaire - Dragon Age: Origins

If I wanted to give out the best video game sidekick ever award, Alistaire would win that too. In the history of the many hundreds of video games I've played, never has a secondary character so enthralled me. Between his smart wit, loyal friendship, and his engrossing character developments, I have never had a character on my team that I cared more about. Alistaire is as human as secondary characters get, and Bioware is to be commended for creating such a great sidekick.

Runners Up:

Elena Fisher - Uncharted 2: Drake's Fortune

Morrigan - Dragon Age: Origins

Leonardo da Vinci - Assassin's Creed 2

Ghost - Modern Warfare 2

Best Main Character

Nathan Drake

As I said in my review, I don't believe a better main character exists in the entirety of the video game world. Nathan Drake is at once very intelligent and incredibly dumb, endearing and humorous - he's as real as video game characters get, and that's saying a lot. Give me Nate over any other video game character I've ever controlled.

Runners Up

Desmond Miles - Assassin's Creed 2

Grey Warden - Dragon Age: Origins

Best Developer

Naughty Dog

Not even the mighty Bioware can hold a candle to the unstoppable freight train of awesome that is Naughty Dog. Among Thieves came along and blew most other games in existence out of the water, and there's already talk of a third. Ah, such a blissful thought.

Runners Up:

Bioware

Bungie

Best Xbox 360 Game

Dragon Age: Origins

This was another difficult one to decide. It almost went to Assassin's Creed 2, but the lack of depth in the characters really wouldn't allow me to go that way (sorry, Jason!). Dragon Age has some bugs and the graphics are positively ancient, but it allows you to play in a fleshed out world populated with a great cast of characters and driven by a story that is both epic and poignant. Really, though, it's the characters - so detailed with their side stories and hidden motives, their loyalty and treachery - that sets this game above all the rest I've played on the 360 this year. Graphics be damned, I'll take a great story and an amazing cast of characters any day.

Best PS3 Game

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Easily the best game on the PS3. If you don't have this game yet, what the heck is wrong with you. If you don't own a PS3 yet, this game is all the reason you need to go out and correct that problem.

Best Overall Game

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

I've been pondering this particular blog post for quite a while, as I am prone to doing every year. One category that was never up for debate was this one. Upon turning the game on for the first time, I was hooked like I seldom am in any sort of medium, video game or otherwise. Once the credits started rolling, I was quite sure that I'd never played another game that was as perfect as Among Thieves. I've had a little over a month to ponder that statement, and it still holds as true today as it did as I watched the credits the first time around. Video games just do not get better than the ones depicting the adventures of Nathan Drake.