Best Overall
"District 9"

“District 9” is a human horror film disguised as a documentary social commentary concealed as a modern tragedy. It entertains; it informs; it takes you somewhere so frighteningly original that when the credits hit and you return to reality, you are overwhelmed with a sense of fear and apprehension for the human condition. Oh, and it may be the best combination eye-candy, science-fiction and action-chase-adventure-popcorn-flick in years.

From the mind of Johannesburg-born director Neill Blomkamp and the pocket of epic-filmmaker Peter Jackson, “District 9” was both a critical and box office success. Leave it to foreign eyes to disregard the banalities of Hollywood form: with no superstar actors or flashy advertising assaults, the film got by on its enthralling storytelling chops. “District 9’s” simplistic, viral marketing was the most successful among the many mockumentaries of the year (my friends actually thought early TV spots were completely based in reality) — setting a trend to be followed by lesser imitations “Paranormal Activity” and “The Fourth Kind.”

Truly, the best part of this alien science-fiction masterstroke is, ironically, its terrifying closeness to reality. The parallels ­— from the obvious “illegal aliens” during a South African interglobal apartheid, to the subtle touches on paranoia, privatization and corporate secrecy ­— feel urgent in our still largely xenophobic and segregated global village. Blomkamp’s faux-cinéma vérité mindset provided the perfect angle for grounding the film’s introduction — of course aliens exist, and obviously they must be removed from the public eye — before jumping into the action-packed sensationalism of the latter chase sequences.

“District 9” is a genre-bending romp that serves as both a reminder and a warning. The film is a sociological treat on inhumanity towards otherworldly extraterrestrials that feels wonderfully — and horrifyingly — close to home.

RUNNER UP: “Star Trek”

— By Entertainment Editor Geoff Schorkopf

Best Comedy
"Zombieland"

Never before has an apocalypse seemed so fun. With blood-curdling close-ups of muscle-munching zombies and a charming focus on the daily minutiae of post-apocalyptic life, “Zombieland” is a hilarious and delightfully gruesome joyride — and hopefully a taste of the comedic genius that up-and-coming director Ruben Fleischer has up his Hollywood sleeve. Capitalizing on the lovably awkward appeal of its socially-inept hero, “Zombieland” delivers an outrageous amount of quote-worthy one-liners. Even Woody Harrelson served up an impressive performance as the film’s resident badass, convincingly setting, as the protagonist so eloquently says, “the standard for not-to-be-f----d-with.” Unlike other zombie films, this one isn’t about the outbreak (which is left largely — and happily — unexplained) or the cure (which probably doesn’t exist anyway). “Zombieland,” like life, is about Rule #32: Enjoy the little things.

RUNNER UP: “The Hangover”

— By Entertainment Editor Franchesca Winters

Best Romantic Comedy
“(500) Days of Summer”

The classification “romantic comedy” is a bit of a misnomer for “(500) Days of Summer.” It’s a movie about romance, and it certainly has plenty of comedic moments, but it lacks the level of cheesiness and idealism that has come to be associated with the genre. Rather, the film is an all-too-honest look at the devastating implications of a relationship in which only one party is truly committed. In this particular case, the invested soul is Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”), who falls fast and hard for the emotionally-calloused Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel). She truly seems to think that just because she has convinced herself that she and Tom are nothing but friends, he won’t get attached to her. This, of course, doesn’t happen, and Tom is crestfallen when Summer demands they take a break from each other. As the simple tale unfolds, each scene evokes feelings of both heartbreak and hope, simultaneously highlighting the best and worst of what love has to offer. Something about the movie feels unconventional — perhaps it’s that we’re not used to seeing either a woman act as an emotional puppeteer or an ending that doesn’t feel force into a prescribed mold — but also comfortably familiar and timeless.

RUNNER UP: “Adventureland”

— By Executive Editor Ani Vrabel

Best Action
"Star Trek"

In a summer cinematically memorable mostly for its epic failures (“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” anyone?), leave it to a small-screen mastermind like J.J. Abrams to successfully resurrect a formerly thriving franchise from its sci-fi death bed. Equal parts sexy, smart, action-packed and funny, “Star Trek” did for the U.S.S. Enterprise what “Batman Begins” did for the caped crusader.

With an irresistibly arrogant Captain Kirk, a smoldering Spock, brilliant special effects and a surprisingly interesting storyline, the film redefined Star Trek for a generation mostly acquainted with its mock-worthy cliches. The film also managed a feat hardly even hoped for by its 10 preceding installments: widespread critical acclaim. With a sequel already slated to hit theaters in 2011, “Star Trek” has undeniably ensured that Kirk and company will continue to live long and prosper.

RUNNER UP: “Watchmen”

— By Entertainment Editor Franchesca Winters

Biggest Letdown
"Funny People"

There was something about the ad campaign for “Funny People” that set up the film for tragedy. One TV spot opened with members of the cast laughing and performing stand-up comedy in slow motion, then posing the question: What do these diverse characters have in common? The answer? They’re all funny people.

Give me a break.

If Judd Apatow and his gang chose to tell an audience the people in “Funny People” are truly “funny,” I hoped they would actually back it up with richly comedic dialogue, excellent timing and at least a few well-timed penis jokes that made their previous work on “Knocked Up” or “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” so popular. “Funny People” has none of the above, a film that lumbers around unlikable, stupid characters for its painful two-hour-plus runtime.

Adam Sandler’s sad sack George Simmons — basically a slightly tweaked version of any of his mopey “dramatic” roles over the past decade — packs about as many guffaws as Mr. Deeds on his deathbed. Simmons is crabby and unsympathetic. By the time you realize Sandler’s character may actually live through his terminal illness, you feel a little disappointed.

Maybe we gave the Apatow juggernaut too much credit. Apatow dared to write what he knew — the harsh realities of making it in the funny business. Unfortunately, this business ain’t remotely funny. For a film so reliant on the strength of its actors’ improvisation skills, the cast just wasn’t very talented. Maybe if the film’s title was “Moderately Funny, Mostly Dreadful People,” the film wouldn’t have been such a damn letdown.

RUNNER UP: “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”

— By Entertainment Editor Geoff Schorkopf