My Top 100 Movies -- 55-51

55. Real Genius. This hilarious comedy starring Val Kilmer walks a real tightrope act in its humor. It has the sensibilities of a more raunchy 80s comedy, but manages to get there without ever actually showing anything explicit, or using any R-rated language. But it also is full of incredibly intelligent humor, with witty characters instantly turning clever phrases, unexpected sight gags, and more. William Atherton, the you-want-to-kill-him villain of Ghostbusters, is equally horrible-wonderful here, and watching him get his come-uppance is half the fun. And I'll admit, I probably have an extra soft spot for the film because it shows truly geeky, nerdy, social outcasts ruling the roost, having the last word, getting the girl, defeating the bully. Wish fulfillment that I loved when I was younger, and still love today.

54. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I think this is the best of the Harry Potter films. There are so many triumphs here, made all the more extraordinary in that it made a coherent narrative out of the longest of the books (save the final volume, which of course ended up being two movies). There was brilliant casting here in Imelda Staunton as the cloying Professor Umbridge and Helena Bonham Carter as the mad Bellatrix Lestrange. There was the movies' most powerful death at the climax of the film. Composer Nicholas Hooper contributed an amazing score that included the perfect theme for Umbridge, rousing heroism for the training sequence in the Room of Requirement, an explosive anthem for the Weasley twins' prank, and of course, that important death. As Harry would say, "brilliant."

53. Star Trek. The more time that passes since I saw J.J. Abrams' newest Star Trek film, the more I realize how great it is. Really, the worst thing you can say about it is that it has a rather cardboard villain -- and that only stands out because all of the main characters are presented so fully and wonderfully. Recasting the roles that started it all was, on paper, insane, disrespectful, and foolish. But it all worked because it was made with such clear love, and realized with pitch perfect performances from an ensemble that blended elements of the original actors with new nuances of their own. I'm eagerly looking forward to the sequel next year.

52. Finding Neverland. A few months back, I wrote about how much I love this film. Without belaboring the same points again, I'll just praise one more time the clever approach that allows a biopic to become interesting, as well as the wonderful acting from the entire cast.

51. The Abyss. This may be James Cameron's most under-appreciated film. But to be fair, he may have done it to himself. He always ends up cutting scenes from his movies, and is a wise enough director not to let the writer part of him get hung up on preserving certain favorite scenes that aren't helping the story. The problem is, here he cut the point of the story. Skip right on by the theatrical version of this film and watch the special edition, where the message of it all is made clear. But either way, you'll get to enjoy amazing performances by Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and another fun Cameron-directed turn by Michael Biehn. And if that's not enough, you can also be dazzled by some amazing underwater photography that made shooting a grueling nightmare, as well as a CG "pseudopod" effect that was the first of its kind, and the beginning of a revolution in movie-making. (Bonus points for a warts-and-all documentary on the DVD about the making of this film.)