Well 2004 is vastly growing to a close, (as I type it is The Year 2005 minus 29hours and 24 minutes) it is time to list The Official Sparkster.net Top 10 Films of 2004.

1. Shrek 2
I absolutely love this film, now that it has been released on DVD I have seen it several times this year. The animation is fantastic and the humour is just hilarious. Not only is Shrek 2 my best film of the year, but also one of the best sequels I have ever seen – really looking forward to Shrek 3!

2. Collateral
Hard hitting action film starring Tom Cruise playing an untraditional role as the movie villain. His character of a cold blooded hit man is superb, this alongside an excellent supporting cast and storyline makes Collateral one of my top films of 2004.

3. Shaun of the Dead
Very funny film from the creators of TV’s Spaced. Shaun of the Dead has been able to do what so many other films have failed in the past – create a spoof horror films and make it very funny. What makes this movie even better is that it’s a British film. It’s great to see such quality film coming from this side of the pond.

4. Layer Cake
Another film from the creators of Lock, Stock and Snatch (note: not written by Guy Ritchie), this certainly didn’t disappoint. The film focused on the Class A Drugs Scene across Britain. Layer Cake was somewhat darker than Lock, Stock and Snatch although the “British Gangster” theme strongly remained.

5. Football Factory
The third British film in my Top 10 of 2004 and the one I didn’t see at the cinema. The film may well be called “Football Factory” but you don’t actually see a ball throughout the whole movie. The film follows the story of a group of football hooligans and the positives and negatives of their love for violence, drugs and trouble. Based upon the novel by John King, some have criticised the film for not being as good as the written piece. This aside, Football Factory is an extremely good British film.

6. Fahrenheit 9/11
The highly controversial documentary by Michael Moore about George Bush and his affairs (not the type of ‘affair’ associated with Bill Clinton!). The film was really interesting and showed what a lot of us expected – corruption does indeed exist across many parties.

7. Shark Tale
One of many computer animated films released in 2004 (do studios actually make cartoons anymore?). A very enjoyable family comedy which will no doubt appeal to viewers of all ages. The cast which includes Robert De Niro, Jack Black and Will Smith were all superb and the computer animated characters were modelled on them perfectly.

8. The Incredibles
I was kind of disappointed by this title. I first saw the trailer before Shrek 2 in the summer and thought it would be in my Top 5 of 2004. Still, The Incredibles was still a first-class movie, with excellent animation and humour. Just don’t expect another Shrek 2 like I did. Certainly worthy of my Top 10 movies though!

9. Bridget Jones’ Diary 2: The Edge of Reason
More British comedy here in this very funny sequel. Like the original, Bridget Jones 2 was full of cringe-worthy moments and very funny situations. This may be a chick-flick but is unlike most soppy-girl films, just watch the Die Hard Box Set afterwards to make you feel hard again :o)

10. Anchor Man
Now, this wasn’t a very popular film with critics but I thought it was hilarious. For anybody who as seen the Austin Powers movies, the humour is very similar, some people may even call it a rip-off. The jokes were very funny and the humour was both dry and very bizarre. I liked it a lot.

Other films worth mentioning that I liked which didn’t make the list…

Alien vs. Predator – highly underrated
Christmas with the Kranks – nice festive Christmas movie
Super Size Me – I’ll NEVER eat a McDonalds again (KFC & Burger King ok though!)
Bad Santa – Crude, dry & funny… and released in 2003
School of Rock – Technically a 2003 film, I saw it in 2004. Had it been made this year would have made the Top 10.

And two films you should avoid

Taxi (2004 version)
Churchill: The Hollywood Years