Top 10 Films of 2009

10. 'The Hangover'
Directed by Todd Phillips, who also helmed the comedy films 'Road Trip' and 'Old School,' 'Hangover' is a laugh-out-loud film that follows four friends (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha) who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. When they wake up the next morning to find the groom missing and Mike Tyson's tiger in the bathroom, mayhem ensues. The film's $277 million domestic gross made it one of the highest-grossing comedies ever.

9. 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'
Based on the Roald Dahl children's novel of the same name, 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is a delightful animated film that features the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray. The movie, the first stop-motion animated film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, is a return to form after disappointing efforts with 'The Darjeeling Limited' and 'The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou.'

8. 'District 9'
With Peter Jackson ('Lord of the Rings') on board as producer, 'District 9' was released with a lot of hype, and -- unlike so many other fantasy films this year -- it lived up to its expectations. Directed by Neill Blomkamp and starring newcomer Sharlito Copley, 'District' is a film about an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth. After a government agent is exposed to the aliens' biotechnology, he finds a kinship with one of the beings he was sent to investigate. This sci-fi thriller, which grossed more than $115 million, was one of the sleeper hits of the summer.

7. 'An Education'
Since it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Lone Scherfig's 'An Education' has received plenty of critical acclaim, especially for its leading star, Carey Mulligan, who is expected to get an Oscar nomination for best actress. This coming-of-age story, about a teenage girl in 1960s suburban London who meets a playboy nearly twice her age, also stars Emma Thompson, Peter Sarsgaard, Dominic Cooper and Rosamund Pike.

6. 'Inglourious Basterds'
For anyone who thought Quentin Tarantino was lost at sea after his last film -- the double feature 'Grindhouse: Death Proof' -- failed to live up to expectations, the man behind classics such as 'Pulp Fiction,' 'Jackie Brown' and 'Kill Bill' came back with a vengeance with 'Inglourious Basterds.' Starring Brad Pitt and Christopher Waltz as Jewish-American soldiers known as 'The Basterds,' the movie revists Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Waltz, who is nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG award, gives a superb performance in this breakout role.

5. 'Up'
When it comes to a Pixar film, be prepared for a fun experience. Such is the case with 'Up,' a delightful animated movie about 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner), who ties thousands of balloon to his home to fulfill his lifelong dream of seeing the wilds of South America. Just after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey. Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has decided to stowaway on the trip. The film is rumored to be an Oscar nominee.

4. 'Avatar'
It may have taken him more than 10 years to come up with a movie that could live up to his last film, 'Titanic,' but James Cameron proved he was worth the wait with 'Avatar.' Defying new depths in filmmaking, this 3-D picture, which stars Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver and Zoe Saldana, is being hailed as one of the year's best. The film follows a paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission. When he finds himself torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home, he quickly learns what's at stake.

3. 'The Hurt Locker'
Just when moviegoers couldn't watch yet another war film, director Kathryn Bigelow released 'The Hurt Locker.' The film, which stars Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie, follows members of an elite Army bomb squad unit that must come together in an Iraqi city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.

2. 'Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire'
As the only film ever to win the Audience Award from both the Sundance and Toronto film festivals in the same year, Lee Daniels' 'Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire' is already considered a shoo-in for a best picture nomination. With the extra-marketing provided by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, this film, about an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child when she is invited to enroll in an alternative school, proved a box-office success.

1. 'Up In the Air'
Jason Reitman's 'Up in the Air' features extraordinary performances by George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and newcomer Anna Kendrick. This solid adult comedy-drama centers around a corporate downsizer, named Ryan Bingham, and his travels. It follows his isolated life and philosophies, as well as the people he meets along the way. With its sharp and witty script, many critics have called this the best picture of 2009.