The first half of 2009 has come to an end, and it's time to go back and pick my five favorite films of this year so far. While the first months of this year at the movies really disappointed me, I'm happy to announced I did get to see some really great movies recently. Please note I only considered films that opened in theaters in 2009 (I didn't count 2008 flicks expanding earlier this year).

5. THE SOLOIST
Even though Joe Wright's "The Soloist" did not impress me as much as I expected, I still ended up loving it, particularly because of its unforgettable story, gorgeous photography, stellar cast and marvelous soundtrack. As a film about the power of friendship and the struggle for redemption, "The Soloist" worked really well, and what I enjoyed most was Robert Downey Jr.'s honest and heartfelt performance.

4. STAR TREK
"Star Trek" was never really my thing... until now. All I can say is that J.J. Abrams' fantastic reboot just blew me away when I first saw it. Refreshing and immensely suspenseful, this is a sci-fi flick people will be talking about for a long time. There's really nothing I didn't like about it; on the contrary, the pace of the plot, special effects, characters and performances all delivered the goods. This is definitely a film I will have to revisit as soon as it debuts on DVD.

3. ADVENTURELAND
Not many folks headed out to see Greg Mottola's indie comedy "Adventureland," but to me, it was one wonderful big-screen ride. Incredibly engaging and well-acted, this coming-of-age drama about a scared teen's transformation into a responsible young adult is a funny and dramatic experience backed by strong writing and excellent character development. Kudos to Mottola for delivering another great film that made me laugh, think and really appreciate the art of clever, entertaining filmmaking.

2. UP
The best animated family film and one of the best film's of the year so far is Pixar's incredibly entertaining "Up," a marvelous experience that enchants children and adults alike. I mean, here's a film that boasts an emotionally unique story stuffed with memorable characters, plenty of action and a delicious humor that causes many laughs. I highly enjoyed being part of Carl Fredricksen's adventure to South America, and I'm quite confident "Up" will show up again on my list of this year's 10 best.

1. THE HANGOVER
It takes a lot to get me to laugh out loud a whole lot during a movie, but Todd Phillips' comedy "The Hangover" totally delievered the goods and offered me the most entertaining experience I've had so far in a movie theater this year. Brainless and totally over-the-top, this is a comedy that boasts excellent performances, a crazy but wildly intense story line, and countless jokes that work splendidly and cause a gigantic explosion of laughs. I can only repeat it: “The Hangover” is an absurd comedy that is actually 100 percent hilarious.

Almost made the cut: CORALINE, OBSERVE AND REPORT, PUBLIC ENEMIES and I LOVE YOU, MAN. Please share your own top 5 of 2009 so far below.