Hammervision's 10 Best of the Decade: No. 10

Inspired by the weekly rundown of the Top 10 of the Decade on At the Movies with A.O. Scott and Michael Phillips, I've decided to take up the challenge and post my own list. I will count down my picks for the 10 best movies of the decade: 2000 to 2009. I'll do one/two movies a week in the hopes that by the end of '09, you'll have the full list. So, let's get to it.

Coming in at No. 10:

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (2006)

Yes. You read that right. M:I3 is about as perfectly pitched a popcorn flick as you're likely to get and, hands down, the best action movie of the decade. Paced within an inch of its life, and smartly directed by J.J. Abrams - M:I3 moves with lightning precision. It's fresh, funny, exciting, and unpretentious, with awesome action set pieces around every corner. Pitting Cruise against Philip Seymour Hoffman was an inspired choice, and the screenwriters' ability to strip down the story to its most basic, and human, essence ("this time, it's personal") is nothing short of miraculous at a time when most other bloated blockbusters are way too convoluted for their own good (Pirates 2 and 3 anyone?). If the movie were called anything other than M:I3 (say, "Rabbit's Foot"), and didn't come out right after Cruise's couch jumping, I think there'd be a whole lot more people in my camp. As it stands, I feel no shame in admitting that M:I3 has (quickly) become my favorite movie of all time.

So there you have it. Here's the running list:

10. Mission: Impossible III

9.

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2.

1.

- John