Perhaps it's the movie theater five blocks away. Maybe it's because I spent a few sick days languishing on the couch. Or the fact that we get an vast number of movies for having only ordered HBO. Regardless of the reason, I felt it was high time I spoke up and made my opinions known; the good, bad, and campy. I usually prefer to future-cast... and there indeed are still a few more newbies worth seeing into the fall (Stardust, Across the Universe, Paris Je T'Aime). But this time I'm ready to be the critic. Well that and I need to record this list before my memory slips away...

Let's start with something fresh on my mind: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix wins for the series' best soundtrack, the sharpest villain yet, and beautifully minimalist closing titles (oh and did I mention that Emma Thompson is my hero?). I finally watched Back to the Future: Part Three, and I'm one step closer to understanding the 80s. Spiderman 3 on IMAX is wicked awesome. A Scanner Darkly is incredibly boring. Little Miss Sunshine is brilliant. And I think I'll be enjoying (and quietly weeping during) The Fountain for years to come.

Ice Age 2 doesn't have the same brand of dry wit as the first... but that might have something to do with all the glaciers melting. Glad I waited to see MI3 on-demand. Cate Blanchett's Elizabeth is stuffy and distant compared to Helen Mirren's royal performance in the HBO film. Cars, Casanova and Chicken Little get funnier each time I see them (yes, I did just mention those three in the same sentence). The Illusionist is a fantastically underrated and remarkable film.

And finally, my top summer pick and animated masterpiece of the year goes to Ratatouille. To paraphrase Anton Ego's exquisite closing monologue: "To say that both the film and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core... I will be returning to Pixar's soon, hungry for more."