I’m a computer guy, but I’m also a bit of a movie buff.  So I decided I’d have some fun here as the year draws to a close and sum up the best movies of the year that computer geeks like myself can enjoy and appreciate.

Admittedly, 2008 was a pretty horrible year for computer tech-friendly movies. Maybe it’s because  technology is now such an integral part of our culture that it’s become boring. Or maybe all the most compelling tech related stories out there have already been told. Whatever the case, it took some thinking for me to come up with this list.

Though not all of them are true computer geek movies, I based my selections on films that deal heavily with computers, gadgets, hacking, or technology either by the characters or in the story itself.

Without further delay, here are my top 5 movies from 2008 that all computer geeks should see:

5. Get Smart - I’m a big fan of the original Get Smart TV series, which took gadgets to a whole new level with the classic shoe phone, a bullet-proof invisible wall in Smart’s apartment that lowered from the ceiling, and a powerful miniature laser weapon in the button of a sports jacket (the “laser blazer”).  The updated movie is lackluster to say the least, but it does keep the gadget tradition somewhat alive with brief appearances by a two-way tooth radio, exploding dental floss, and a digital “spy fly”. 

4. Eagle Eye - This is one of those “how our own technology can be used against us” kind of films that has been done well in the past with films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Terminator series.  This takes that premise and injects it with a fresh boost of modern adrenaline.  There’s some cool stuff in here for sure, but a lot of it has to do with main plot points so I wont go into too much detail.  However I will mention that as a musician, I thought the creative use of music and technology at the end was very creative. 

3. Quantum of Solace - What’s a bond film without a visit to the gadget guru, Q?  This one.  Yes,  the gadget-weilding character that supplies bond with all of his toys is missing from the two latest Bond incarnations.  Yet if you look closely, cool gadgets are still to be found in the latest Bond installment, though in a much more subdued and realistic manner.  The big wall-sized screens they have at headquarters are pretty sweet, and bond uses some pretty advanced binocular and camera technology to beam pictures back to M at home.  I really appreciate this new approach to technology for Bond.  It’s all very realistic and plausible, but still very cutting edge.  Plus, this movie just kicks butt all around.

2. Iron Man - Now we start getting into some real drool-worthy technology.  Not only does the story of Iron Man revolve around a guy who wears a home-made suit of flying computer armor, but the tools he uses to construct said suit are all top notch geek chic.  I personally love the holographic 3D CAD system that the main character, Tony Stark, can manipulate with his hands.  His little robot-arm side kick gets some laughs and is just realistic enough to not be lame.  You know there were some serious computer geeks working on the design elements of these scenes and it really shows.  I’m buying this movie just so I can look for all the cool little tech things they sprinkle generously throughout.

1. Wall-E - Wall-E is a movie about a robot that becomes a stow away on a futuristic space cruise ship.  It’s a movie with lots of social commentary about the fate of a technology-dependent human race is smart.  And it’s a movie created entirely on computers.   This is a formula for a winner in my book!  Not only is the animation breathtaking (I’m a bit of a computer graphics geek as well), but the story is well written (in true Pixar fashion), and the technology is front and center.  This movie has something for everyone, tech lover or not.  

Since this year was so bad for computer geek cinema, to get you past the disappointment, I’m including a link to a great list of the Top 10 Hacker and Computer Geek Movies Of All Time.  Great gift ideas for those nostalgic geeks on your list.

What movies did I miss in my list?