Seriously, compare this year to the last two years here at KJ, especially last year. There have been so many letdowns in big quality movies. Just look at the chart from last year.

[table][row color=#000000][col]Film[col color=#000000]Fresh[col color=#000000]Rotten[col color=#000000]Tomatometer[col color=#000000]COTC Score[col color=#000000]Average Rating[col color=#000000]COTC Rating[col color=#000000]Average Rating[col color=#000000]Metacritic[col color=#000000]100's
[row][col]Brokeback Mountain[col]138[col]19[col]88%[col]89%[col]8.3[col]8.1[col][col] 87[col] 17
[row][col]Capote[col]137[col]13[col]91%[col]100%[col]8.2[col]8.5[col][col] 88[col] 14
[row][col]Cinderella Man[col]150[col]31[col]83%[col]80%[col]7.6[col]7.6[col][col] 69[col] 7
[row][col]The Constant Gardener[col]128[col]29[col]82%[col]91%[col]7.6[col]8.2[col][col] 82[col] 6
[row][col]Crash[col]132[col]39[col]77%[col]76%[col]7.2[col]7.1[col][col] 69[col] 5
[row][col]Good Night, and Good Luck[col]159[col]10[col]94%[col]95% [col]8.2[col]8.2[col][col] 80[col] 8
[row][col]A History of Violence[col]154[col]24[col]86%[col]94%[col]7.9[col]8.4[col][col] 81[col] 6
[row][col]Match Point[col]81[col]20[col]80%[col]89%[col]7.3[col]7.8[col][col] 72[col] 4
[row][col]Munich[col]109[col]32[col]77%[col]59%[col]7.5[col]6.8[col][col] 74[col] 7
[row][col]Pride and Prejudice[col]128[col]21[col]86%[col]86%[col]7.8[col]7.6[col][col] 82[col] 8
[row][col]The Squid and the Whale[col]119[col]7[col]94%[col]100%[col]8.0[col]8.3[col][col] 82[col] 4
[row][col]Syriana[col]108[col]40[col]73%[col]86%[col]7.0[col]7.6[col][col] 76[col] 3
[row][col]Walk the Line[col]146[col]31[col]82%[col]74%[col]7.4[col]7.1[col][col] 72[col] 2[/table]

Just look at how the ratings and scores compare to what is on the map this year. With other films like Flags of Our Fathers, Dreamgirls, The Good German/Shepherd, and Apocalypto still to come. Just look down the rating column on this years list and notice the high number of successes. (even if some are too early to know for sure)

[table][row color=#000000][col]Film[col color=#000000][col color=#000000][col color=#A52A2A]Tomatometer[col color=#A52A2A]COTC Score[col color=#A52A2A]Average Rating[col color=#A52A2A]COTC Rating[col color=#FF0000]BFCA[col color=#330099]Metacritic[col color=#330099]100's
[row][col color=#E6E6FA]Akeelah and the Bee[col color=#D0D0D0]98[col color=#D0D0D0]18[col color=#D0D0D0]84%[col color=#D0D0D0]81%[col color=#D0D0D0]7.0[col color=#D0D0D0]7.0[col color=#FAEBD7]76[col]72[col] 1
[row][col]Apocalypto[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]Babel[col color=#D0D0D0]9[col color=#D0D0D0]1[col color=#D0D0D0]90%[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0]7.6[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7]94[col][col]
[row][col]The Blood Diamond[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]Bobby[col color=#D0D0D0]4[col color=#D0D0D0]1[col color=#D0D0D0]80%[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0]6.9[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]Breaking and Entering[col color=#D0D0D0]5[col color=#D0D0D0]1[col color=#D0D0D0]83%[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0]6.6[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]Candy[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]Catch a Fire[col color=#D0D0D0]5[col color=#D0D0D0]2[col color=#D0D0D0]71%[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0]6.3[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]Children of Men[col color=#D0D0D0]4[col color=#D0D0D0]1[col color=#D0D0D0]80%[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0]7.1[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]The Departed[col color=#D0D0D0]59[col color=#D0D0D0]3[col color=#D0D0D0]95%[col color=#D0D0D0]95%[col color=#D0D0D0]8.2[col color=#D0D0D0]7.9[col color=#FAEBD7]91[col]89[col]8
[row][col]The Devil Wears Prada[col color=#D0D0D0]121[col color=#D0D0D0]34[col color=#D0D0D0]78%[col color=#D0D0D0]86%[col color=#D0D0D0]6.8[col color=#D0D0D0]7.0[col color=#FAEBD7]83[col]62[col] 0
[row][col]Dreamgirls[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]Factory Girl[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]Flags of Our Fathers[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]The Fountain[col color=#D0D0D0]5[col color=#D0D0D0]5[col color=#D0D0D0]50%[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0]5.7[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]The Good German[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]The Good Shepherd[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]A Good Year[col color=#D0D0D0]4[col color=#D0D0D0]2[col color=#D0D0D0]67%[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0]5.6[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col color=#E6E6FA]Half Nelson[col color=#D0D0D0]92[col color=#D0D0D0]10[col color=#D0D0D0]90%[col color=#D0D0D0]93%[col color=#D0D0D0]7.8[col color=#D0D0D0]8.1[col color=#FAEBD7][col]85[col]4
[row][col]The History Boys[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]The Holiday[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]Hollywoodland[col color=#D0D0D0]99[col color=#D0D0D0]47[col color=#D0D0D0]68%[col color=#D0D0D0]63%[col color=#D0D0D0]6.5[col color=#D0D0D0]6.6[col color=#FAEBD7]81[col]62[col] 1
[row][col]Infamous[col color=#D0D0D0]2[col color=#D0D0D0]5[col color=#D0D0D0]29%[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0]5.3[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col color=#E6E6FA]Inside Man[col color=#D0D0D0]155[col color=#D0D0D0]21[col color=#D0D0D0]88%[col color=#D0D0D0]86%[col color=#D0D0D0]7.4[col color=#D0D0D0]7.5[col color=#FAEBD7]87[col]76[col] 1
[row][col]The Last King of Scotland[col color=#D0D0D0]58[col color=#D0D0D0]7[col color=#D0D0D0]89%[col color=#D0D0D0]88%[col color=#D0D0D0]7.3[col color=#D0D0D0]7.1[col color=#FAEBD7]88[col]76[col]0
[row][col]Letters from Iwo Jima [col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]Little Children[col color=#D0D0D0]26[col color=#D0D0D0]6[col color=#D0D0D0]81%[col color=#D0D0D0]87%[col color=#D0D0D0]7.2[col color=#D0D0D0]7.3[col color=#FAEBD7]95[col]68[col]1
[row][col color=#E6E6FA]Little Miss Sunshine[col color=#D0D0D0]148[col color=#D0D0D0]12[col color=#D0D0D0]93%[col color=#D0D0D0]90%[col color=#D0D0D0]7.8[col color=#D0D0D0]7.5[col color=#FAEBD7]94[col]80[col] 4
[row][col]Marie Antoinette[col color=#D0D0D0]10[col color=#D0D0D0]4[col color=#D0D0D0]71%[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0]6.8[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]Notes on a Scandal[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]The Painted Veil[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]The Prestige[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]The Pursuit of Happyness[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col]The Queen[col color=#D0D0D0]48[col color=#D0D0D0]1[col color=#D0D0D0]98%[col color=#D0D0D0]100%[col color=#D0D0D0]8.2[col color=#D0D0D0]8.3[col color=#FAEBD7]95[col]90[col]6
[row][col]Running with Scissors[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7][col][col]
[row][col color=#E6E6FA]United 93[col color=#D0D0D0]160[col color=#D0D0D0]17[col color=#D0D0D0]90%[col color=#D0D0D0]92%[col color=#D0D0D0]8.2[col color=#D0D0D0]8.1[col color=#FAEBD7]95[col]90[col] 19
[row][col]Volver[col color=#D0D0D0]20[col color=#D0D0D0]2[col color=#D0D0D0]91%[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#D0D0D0]7.4[col color=#D0D0D0][col color=#FAEBD7]91[col][col]
[row][col]World Trade Center[col color=#D0D0D0]136[col color=#D0D0D0]58[col color=#D0D0D0]70%[col color=#D0D0D0]71%[col color=#D0D0D0]6.8[col color=#D0D0D0]7.0[col color=#FAEBD7]88[col]66[col] 0[/table]

Are there going to be some Jarhead/Memoirs of a Geisha/Elizabethtown type disappointments? I think most of us knew All the King's Men wasn't in good shape. Early reviews of Flags suggest it's a Best Picture lock. Apocalypto is said to be strong. That leaves Dreamgirls and The Good films as the only potential major disappoints. It doesn't stand to reason that EVERYTHING will deliver.

Its been great so far - one of the best selection of quality "end of year" films in a long time.

Dreamgirls and Good Shephard stand at most risk - but I think Dreamgirls atleast will get through to major awards noms.

IMO the only major dissapointments (critically) have been The Fountain and All the King's Men. Perhaps Marie Antoinette too, but it doesnt look too bad on the above chart.

Plus we could have some positive surprises from The Holiday, Pursuit of Hapiness, The Prestige and The Blood Diamond.

And who knows....maybe Zodiac too

It really, really is. I still can't believe how many movies last year dissapointed - for awhile there they were dropping like flies, just one after another after another.