Well, the votes have all been tabulated, and we’re ready to roll out the collective list of the best and worst 2006 had to offer according to the staff here at MCFTR. Since you’ve all been treated to the formalities already, we won’t waste any more time with them. On to the lists!

MCFTR’S BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR:

1. V for Vendetta
The Wachowski Brothers’ adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel made all of our reviewers’ top lists, despite its differences from the source material. Great action sequences, sleek direction, and memorable performances by Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving sealed the deal.

2. The Departed
This adaptation of the Hong Kong crime movie Infernal Affairs was among the top films of the year for all that saw it. With an awesome cast and Martin Scorcese at the helm, it was pretty much a can’t miss with all of the critics here at MCFTR.

3. Superman Returns
The Man of Steel, despite dozens of directors and actors being attached to it over the last several years, finally made it back to the big screen in 2006, with more than stellar results. Brandon Routh and Kevin Spacey channel the stars of the Richard Donner original perfectly.

4. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
One of the most talked-about films of the year, and the one with the longest name, Borat features everything from naked men wrestling to the kidnapping of a Baywatch babe.

5. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Quite a year for Sascha Baron Cohen, who costars in two top five films. Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Gary Cole, and others round out the cast of this hysterical comedy from the team that brought 2004’s Anchorman to the big screen.

6. Children of Men
This dark thriller was only seen by a couple of our reviewers, but landed high on those lists. Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón brings this story of a bleak future with some of the most innovative and breathtaking cinematography ever seen.

7. Thank You for Smoking
2006 was a great year for comedy, as some of the best films of the year fit the genre. The son of Ivan Reitman directs this adaptation of a book by the son of William F. Buckley, chronicling the life of the most powerful man in the tobacco lobby.

8. The Prestige
Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale star in this thriller from Christopher Nolan as rival magicians trying to pull off the ultimate illusion. Despite only being seen by a couple of MCFTR’s reviewers, it wound up high enough on those lists to rank here.

9. Pan’s Labyrinth
A good year for Mexican directors, with both Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón making the top ten, and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Babel earning a best picture nod. Part fantasy, part European war drama, this film left quite an impression on all that saw it.

10. Little Children
Todd Field brings this tale of suburban monotony to the big screen, and despite comparisons to other films, it still walked out with high marks from MCFTR’s cricics. Kate Winslet turns in yet another teriffic performance in this film.

Other films MCFTR raved about this year:
Apocalypto, Casino Royale, The Good Shepherd, An Inconvenient Truth, Jackass Number Two, The Last Kiss, Little Miss Sunshine, A Scanner Darkly, Stranger than Fiction, United 93.

MCFTR’S WORST FILMS OF THE YEAR:

1. Date Movie
The spoof movie genre simply won’t seem to die, with crap like Epic Movie clogging up theaters now. This bland, unmemorable, and unoriginal supposed comedy drew nary a laugh from the MCFTR staff, and wasted the talents of Alyson Hannigan.

2. Nacho Libre
Jack Black has earned the respect of the MCFTR gang in the past, but in 2006, he starred in this stinker of a family comedy directed by Napoleon Dynamite‘s Jared Hess. Despite a lot of anticipation, this stinker was universally panned.

3. The Omen
This craptastic remake of the 1976 classic somehow managed to suck despite being practically a shot-for-shot clone of the original. Despite its attempt at being a horror movie, this one was met with nothing but laughter.

4. X-Men: The Last Stand
The first two X-Men films turned out to be some of the best comic book stories to be put on film, but after director Bryan Singer jumped ship to direct Superman, hack du jour Brett Ratner stepped in to make the third installment a flaming pile of suck.

5. Click
Adam Sandler once created classic comedies like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, but he crapped out when he decided to try and tell a moral fable. This shallow, unfunny, and uninteresting movie somehow managed to grab an Oscar nomination.

Other films MCFTR shat upon this year:
ATL, Crank, The Da Vinci Code, Poseidon, Ultraviolet.

MCFTR’S MOST DISAGREED-UPON FILM OF THE YEAR:

Clerks 2
Nobody really seemed to completely love it, but a few of the reviewers here at least mildly recommended Kevin Smith’s follow-up to his first film. Unfortunately, at least one reviewer stuck it on their worst list, meaning Kevin Smith once again gets mixed reviews.

Other films that MCFTR was split on this year:
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Scary Movie 4, Snakes on a Plane.

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