1. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
Questions war and its' hell, while recognizing the honor and sacrifice of the veterans who preserved freedom. The landing at Omaha Beach, as well as the battle to protect the bridge at the end of the picture are almost poetic in their portrayal of soldiers under fire. Tom Hanks shows why he's the leading actor of the 90s, with a supporting cast that prevents the film from being dull between the action sequences. Spielberg deserves several awards, proving he's the best director since motion pictures began.

2. ELIZABETH
Wonderful period drama telling the rise of Princess Elizabeth, the "bastard" child of a "whore" to Queen Elizabeth I, ushering in the Golden Age. Cate Blanchett deserves to win Best Actress for every awards show, and the supporting cast makes this one a classic.

3. A BUG'S LIFE
A Bug's Life is a movie that made me smile the entire time. Sure, Antz had more realistic ants, but this is Disney, so Flick and his colony were more cuddly and able to be sold in mass quantities at Disney Stores in a mall near you. The sound and shots put you on the bugs' level, such as deadly rain falling or the dung beetle sounding like a helicopter, the bugs flying past an ant on a blade of grass like a copter whizzing by a waving kid in a field. That was my favorite overall shot. Disney just has a way of getting you to feel for the characters. This movie is worth seeing if only for the outtakes in the credits.

4. THE PRINCE OF EGYPT
The animation is almost flawless and many scenes are breathtaking. The sandstorm, plagues and monuments are amazing, but there were three spectacular moments of animation: 1) The dream sequence and song with the hieroglyphs in motion when Moses realizes his Hebrew origins, 2) The breath of God during the Passover and 3) The pillar of fire and parting of the Red Sea. Only downer is the relegation of god to a supporting role as a bitter miracle-worker. The music is also a plus, and the score and soundtrack get even better when listening in my car or at home.

5. THE MASK OF ZORRO
The Mask of Zorro brings back the action/drama swashbuckling adventure, something rarely seen done well. The viewer cannot help but be swept away. Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas make a dynamic duo, and all I can say about Catherine Zeta-Jones is...YOWZA! She's a fox in the truest sense of the demeaning word.

6. DARK CITY
A visual masterpiece that creates a new world for the viewer, constantly questioning their predictions for the film. Good score and strange bad guys make up for Keifer Sutherland's dumb role.

7. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
No matter what critics say about this film being an insult to the Jewish people, this was a touching film that used humor as a weapon. Roberto Benigni, director and star, should be rewarded for both roles.

8. PLEASANTVILLE
Shows the joy of taking a fresh look at things and changing your focus on life, embracing change. Wonderful visualizations and special effects.

9. SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Funny and dramatic, the film does a grand job of creating Shakespeare's own "greatest love story of all time" as he (Joseph Feinnes) and lover Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow) carry their love on stage. Paltrow is a gem of an actress. The bubbliness of her personality carries onto the silver screen, and she dares you to dislike her.

10. OUT OF SIGHT
The coolest movie of 1998, with Clooney, Lopez and Rhames giving Hollywood notice that they'll be major players in the years to come. Clooney proves he's no Caruso, and Lopez is, oh, oh, oh, so sexy. This is my anti-Pulp Fiction(a film I despised), becuase it only uses violence and coarse language when necessary.

HONORABLE MENTION:
Rushmore, The Truman Show, Antz, The Negotiator, Deep Impact

1. 54
Oh, man, this was a bad film. I'm glad I saw it with my sister Stacy her man, Joe, because I would've fallen asleep alone. Ryan Phillipe is such a nothing actor, and even Selma Hayek couldn't help the movie. The music was terrible--there were several good disco songs and NONE of them are in 54.

2. LOST IN SPACE
So much potential, so little substance. The special effects were okay, but underused. All these pretty stars and not a one of them actually acted. The cute CGI alien pet thing was about the dumbest thing since the '98 version of Godzilla, speaking of which...

3. GODZILLA
This deservedly was laughed out of the theaters across America in droves. Yeah, big lizard, decent special effects. But who cares about a 100-foot reptile if the whole city is abandoned and there's no one to step on? The female lead was ungodly awful. The end was Jurassic Park, and the whole project a really bad idea.

4. THE BIG HIT
Oh, dear god, this movie needed help. The action almost saved it, but the acting was oh so bad. Marky Mark actually isn't a bad actor, but the supporting cast (namely Lou Diamond Phillips) was too over-the-top, and Captain Sisko should ask that "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" go for one more year.

5. THE THIN RED LINE
This movie was so disappointing. Only the superb battle scenes made the other 2/3 worthwhile. The narration is so nauseating and the audience was so uneasy that the rush to the door after the three-hour snoozer was almost like a riot at a futbol stadium.

6. CITY OF ANGELS
I like Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan, but not this story of an angel who gives up thousands of years and perfection and harmony with god for a single woman in 1998 america. Yeah, right. Oh, and then kill her off so it's not even a happy story.

7. PSYCHO
I had doubts going into Psycho '98, because trying to re-create a masterpiece is a bad idea. If Jackson Pollack had painted the Mona Lisa, would it be considered art or just a nothing copycat? Same with Psycho, remaking what may be the best known of Hitchcock's work, just doesn't have the same charm and acting quality of the original. If you haven't seen the original, do so NOW before you ever step foot in this remake. If only because Vince Vaughn is nowhere near as good as Norman Bates as Anthony Perkins.

8. SNAKE EYES
We have to work on Cage's choice of films. The plot is trite, and "Lieutenant Dan" has played the good/bad guy one too many times. The tacky clothes worn by Cage makes this a definite Top Ten worst movie.

9. THE SIEGE
Is this movie an action movie or a message movie? Many times it's got great action sequences, then turns on a dime and gives us moral messages of U.S. ideals of freedom and how horrible the military is because they're big meanies who want to take over the country. Personally, I prefer the action; that's what I want paid to see. And insulting the military turns me off real quick.

9. BABE: PIG IN THE CITY
It seems to me that director George Miller made this sequel for the arthouse crowd who loves those weird French black-and-white movies instead of for the pure enjoyment of children and parents alike as was the first Babe. The cinematography was fantastic, with great shots conveying the emotions of the animals and feel of the picture. But I didn't want to be depressed.