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Last week, we posted our Top 10 Most Redeeming Films of 2008. This week, we present our Critics' Choice Awards for the Top 10 Films of 2008.

What's the difference between the lists? The "redeeming" list speaks for itself—films that included a redemptive element, sometimes blatant, sometimes more subtle, but always there.

Our Critics' Choice list, on the other hand, consists of the 10 films that our panel believes were the most excellent films of 2008, whether they carried a redeeming message or not—though seven of our top 10 choices also appeared on our Most Redeeming list. But all of the movies here are films of excellence, and many are up for various honors at the upcoming Academy Awards.

We also let each of our voters choose "One That Got Away"—a single film they wish had made the final list. Think of those extra films as sort of our "honorable mentions."

For each of the top 10 films, we have included random comments from our critics. To learn more about the film's synopsis, click "Our review" at the end of each summary.

The Dark Knight

1. The Dark Knight
directed by Christopher Nolan
"Elevates the comic book genre with mature storytelling and grand vision." "Few superhero films transcend the conventions of the genre to earn the accolades of great art, but Nolan's film is strikingly relevant to urgent conversations about America's fight against terror." "Nolan transforms a summer blockbuster into an American epic, a mythology that brims with all the emotion and drama of the human experience." "An exploratory film about big, tricky political and moral issues that deftly plays both sides and doesn't allow for easy answers." "Heath Ledger's horrifyingly nihilistic Joker joins Darth Vader and the Wicked Witch of the West among the cinema's greatest embodiments of evil." "Shows that films about a man in a cape can be as artfully crafted, as moving, as deep, as powerful, and as well acted as any other film released in a year." "This movie takes the idea of superhero and plunges it into a dark, terrifying world to discover what happens when good is confronted by true, hateful evil." (Our review.)

Wall·E

2. Wall·E
directed by Andrew Stanton
"Cute, exciting, clever, romantic, and hilarious." "A practically perfect blend of sci-fi and family entertainment, with plenty of thoughtful messages to pull from it." "Standard-setting animation, a robot who ranks among the big screen's most charming and engaging characters, an ambitious work of storytelling that inspires us to reexamine the corrosive effects of consumer culture." "A film with for folks with a brain as big as its beating heart." "Bleeding-edge animation, brilliant storytelling, and an all-too timely message." "A thing of beauty—a true artist's picture that is entertaining, provocative, subtle, sad, and joyful." "A stunning achievement that redefines what family entertainment can be and strive for." "Set aside for a moment the fact that this was one of the most thought-provoking, emotionally-stirring, and sweeping films of the year, it was also arguably the most beautiful in every sense of the word." (Our review.)

Rachel Getting Married

3. Rachel Getting Married
directed by Jonathan Demme
"A surprisingly powerful performance from Anne Hathaway." "A moving drama about the strength and delicate nature of familial bonds, as well as a young woman's pursuit of grace and redemption in her family." "While these characters are badly broken, and their arguments and grudges can make for painfully uncomfortable confrontations, this is a story about hope and reconciliation." "Expertly drawn characters who fight and love and celebrate with refreshing aplomb." "A highly compelling, superbly acted assemblage of intimate, interpersonal moments. It might be my favorite wedding movie ever." "Deeply perceptive depictions of characters and relationships." "You don't really watch Rachel Getting Married. Instead, you attend the wedding. With the technique du jour of the year (handheld camera), the film invites you into the world of Rachel and her sister Kym on the blessed weekend and into all the family turmoil and triumph, awkwardness and comfort, joy and sorrow that you hope to avoid in real life. But it's captured so well, you enjoy the ride." (Our review.)

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Related Elsewhere:

The 10 Most Redeeming Films of 2008	Printer view
What do irresistible robots, racist curmudgeons, and sensitive pachyderms have in common? They're all key characters in the year's best redemptive movies.

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The 2008 Readers' Choice Awards	Printer view
You liked movies about a marriage on the brink, an irresistible robot, a kid from the slums, a Narnian adventure, and more. And your favorite? Read on ...