Entertainment-wise, 2008 was a unique year in that the highest quality movies were largely not the small-budget indie films that no one saw. Instead, our favorite movies this year were the big-budget, big-hype blockbusters that drew millions to the theaters. There were, in fact, so many good movies this year that we couldn't pick just 10. Maybe the mildly snooty, college-educated film critics would disagree, but here is our list of the top 11 movies of 2008.

11. "Hancock"
Released July 2
Commentary by Revathi Maturi
"Hancock" presents a completely different twist on superhero movies. Appearing more like a homeless man than a superhero, Hancock (Will Smith) doesn't shave, is a heavy drinker, never smiles, and swears at children. Even worse, Hancock tends to leave a lot of destruction behind, from derailed trains to broken sailboats. Ray (Jason Bateman) was once saved by Hancock, and in return he decides to give Hancock a "makeover" and help him improve his public image. Funny, touching, and surprising, "Hancock" is definitely one of a kind.

10. "Yes Man"
Released Dec. 19
Commentary by Lauren Piester
No one expected this movie to be good, and indeed most critics took advantage of a review title that practically wrote itself ("Say No to Yes Man," "A Resounding No for Yes Man," "Yes Man a No No"), but in truth this movie was surprisingly sweet and funny. The life of pessimistic loan officer Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) is falling apart, prompting his friends and family to very nearly disown him. After being dragged to a convention by an old classmate, Carl decides to say yes to every opportunity that comes up, making for some very entertaining situations. Carrey manages to tone down his usual over-the-top antics and facial expressions and ends up with a surprisingly entertaining movie.

9. "City of Ember"
Released Oct. 10
Commentary by Joy Shapley
This surprisingly gritty adaptation of a popular children's book was almost universally panned by critics, but fans of the original book ought to enjoy it. Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway) and Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan) are teenagers living in Ember, a refuge built for humanity after a devastating nuclear war. When the city begins to fall apart around them, it's up to these two to discover a way out. Relatively unknown actors (with the exception of Bill Murray, who plays a corrupt and greedy mayor) and beautiful visuals make this movie a treat for viewers of all ages.

8. "Role Models"
Released Nov. 7
Commentary by Joy Shapley
"Role Models" is the rare modern comedy that relies on absurd situations and witty one-liners for laughs rather than on humiliation or clichéd plotlines. When bitter, angry, energy-drink rep Danny (Paul Rudd) and his immature buddy Wheeler (Seann William Scott) get in trouble with the law, the two of them get involved with a mentoring program to avoid jail, but find themselves struggling to relate to the kids they've been assigned to help. Bobb'e J. Thompson steals the show as the hilariously potty-mouthed kid Ronnie, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin from "Superbad") plays an introverted teen who's obsessed with fantasy role-playing games.

7. "Tropic Thunder"
Released Aug. 13
Commentary by Lauren Piester
Easily the most offensive film of the year, "Tropic Thunder" caused quite a bit of controversy over its treatment of people with intellectual disabilities. Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. appear as movie stars hired to play the leads in a movie about the Vietnam War. When it turns out that they suck, the director (Steve Coogan) decides to release them in the Vietnam jungles for some guerilla filming, and they don't realize it's not part of the movie when everything goes horribly wrong. As a crude farce of Hollywood and the film industry, every moment of this movie seems as if it was meant to offend. But the acting is so excellent, the jokes so funny, that you forget to care.

6. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Released Dec. 25
Commentary by Lauren Piester
If you're a fan of Brad Pitt, this movie may leave you mildly creeped out as he transforms from a 7-year-old 80-year-old to an 80-year-old 7-year-old and everything in between. Benjamin Button (Pitt) is born in 1918 with a curious condition: Physically, he ages backwards. As a baby, he looks like a very small, decrepit old man, and as an old, dying man he looks like a new born baby. The movie tells his life story, from being abandoned by his freaked-out father to being raised in a nursing home to falling in love with the granddaughter of one of the home's residents. Aside from the fact that the amazing special affects are rather chilling sometimes and the fact that it's nearly three hours long, the movie is beautifully made, plus you get to see Brad Pitt (at an attractive age) nearly naked.

5. "Slumdog Millionaire"
Released Dec. 5
Commentary by Rachel Skoza
Jamal, a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?," is accused of cheating when he continues to answer all of the questions correctly and wins an absurd amount of money. The film follows Jamal's life as he recalls each of his experiences as an impoverished youth in the slums of India from which he gained the knowledge to answer the seemingly impossible questions from the game show. As viewers we see intimate details of Jamal's life that open up a whole new mindset of all the possible wonders an individual can experience throughout their lifetime.

4. "Kung Fu Panda"
Released June 6
Commentary by Revathi Maturi
Featuring the voices of Jack Black, Ian McShane, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, and Jackie Chan, "Kung Fu Panda" combines humor and action to create a great family movie. Po (voiced by Black) is an overweight, kung fu-crazed panda who is forced by his father to work in the family's noodle shop. After accidentally falling into a stadium, Po is selected to be the new Dragon Warrior, chosen to help Master Oogway and the Furious Five defeat Tai Lung, an evil former student of Master Shifu.

3. "WALL-E"
Released June 27
Commentary by Revathi Maturi
After many enjoyable, but a little redundant, movies featuring talking animals and objects, Disney-Pixar finally released a completely different movie. Sweet and humorous, "WALL-E" proves that a film doesn't need dialogue to be good. The movie's hero, WALL-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class), is a garbage compressor robot and is the only one remaining on Earth. The humans, who abandoned the planet 700 years ago for luxury starships, are now obese and spend their lives sitting in special chairs with robot assistants. When WALL-E meets EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator), a more advanced, feminine robot sent to Earth to find signs of plant life, he immediately falls in love. When they find a plant, the duo set out together to alert the humans and bring them back to Earth, finding love and friendship along the way.

2. "Iron Man"
Released May 2
Commentary by Deborah Ladd
With a star-studded cast including Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, and Gwyneth Paltrow, "Iron Man" is a movie with lots of humor, action, and a gripping plot line. One of the best superhero movies of all time, "Iron Man" creates a plot around a popular character instead of making the only interesting part of the movie the suit. Tony Stark (Downey) is anything but a superhero. As the movie begins he is sarcastic, crude, and self-absorbed. However, Stark still finds a way to charm everyone with his nonstop humor. After being kidnapped by terrorists, he creates a metal suit and manages to escape. During his time in captivity, he stumbles upon a well-intentioned part of himself and decides to launch a one-man assault on the people who imprisoned him (with a modified suit) so that they can't hurt anyone else.

1. "The Dark Knight"
Released July 18
Commentary by Joy Shapley
The most anticipated movie of the year, by far. "The Dark Knight" illuminated a growing trend in American movies today: Low budget, indie flicks are becoming increasingly stale and tired, while mainstream action movies, even such typically B-class fare as the superhero genre, are asking the hard questions. Not only were the visuals stunning and the story intense, but the actors themselves gave very impressive performances. Heath Ledger's last performance as the psychopathic, anarchic Joker was the most talked about, but Christian Bale brought an intensity (and humanity) to the Batman role.