The prime movie season is still in full swing, but it’s time to pick the best 10 movies of the year. What makes a “best” movie, one may ask? Good question. We’re not completely sure ourselves, but here, in no particular order and based only on what we’ve seen so far, these films make our cut this holiday season.

Alex’s picks

1) “Batman Begins”

Quite possibly the best action-hero film to date, “Batman Begins” stars Christian Bale in a steroid-induced addition to the Batman estate. Equally impressive actor Morgan Freeman stars as Bruce Wayne’s comparable Q, supplying him with some of the most high-tech gizmos of the day – including an all-terrain vehicle that would make Evil Knievel wet himself.

The most memorable scene in this movie is when the young and firey Bruce Wayne is training atop a Himilayan mountain in the most secretive dojo in the world.

In order to finish his training, he must unmask his master, who is hidden among a league of shrouded ninjas. These types of scenes really show the development of Wayne as a man becoming a symbol of justice.

2) “Wedding Crashers”

In one of the most surprisingly gut-tearing films of the year, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson create a new kind of odd couple as the two men crash strangers’ weddings to pick up bridesmaids.

The true gem of the movie is the hilarity forged between Vaughn and Wilson. The dialogue-driven comedy pulls no punches and lets all the raunch hang out – a well-deserved break from our uber-PC society.

The most memorable scene is when the odd, reclusive, homosexual son of their host’s family comes in for a late-night visit with Vaughn. “I painted it for you.”

3) “The Devil’s Rejects”

Rob Zombie’s sophomore film is leaps and bounds ahead of where he left off in his semi-cheesy, American Gothica film “House of 1000 Corpses.” In this pseudo-sequel, we see the gory trio – Baby, Otis and Captain Spaulding – run from the law (William Forsythe) after their lair of torture, sadism and death is uncovered.

Zombie’s imagery of death is unforgiving, yet his tale of these three sadistic outlaws becomes oddly sympathetic to the audience. The most beautiful part of this film, however, is the soundtrack. Zombie uses his powers of juxtaposition, such as the trio driving through a barrage of copper gun fire to the melody of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” to capture the true feeling of the American outlaw and to finally push him into the directors’ circle.

4) “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”

The only contender to Vince Vaughn’s witty rants this year was the laughable, sad and a little bit scary story of Andy Stitzer, played by Steve Carell, a 40-year-old whose secret of never having had sex sinks into denial and a pile of action figures.

Carell is undoubtedly one of the funniest men out there, having already proven himself on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” Yet his ability to absorb the eccentric tics and personality traits of a middle-aged man who’ has never gone to Na-Na Land is uncanny.

The supporting cast is funny, as well, but there probably isn’t a funnier scene than when Carell’s Tourette’s Syndrome tendencies come out when he attempts to get his chest hair waxed.

5) “Robots”

The wait for Robin Williams to do one of those nutty, computer-animated films is over. With an impressive list of voices, such as Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry and Jay Leno, the story of Rodney Copperbottom comes to life with space-age computer graphics. Copperbottom is an aspiring inventor intent on meeting Bigweld, the creator of Robot City.

Bigweld, who is voiced by legend Mel Brooks, is thrown out of power by a greedy robot trying to sell his modifications for extremely inflated prices.

Williams is the centerpiece of this light and funny film.

His witty comebacks and amphetamine-driven energy are parallel (only not as explicit) to his younger, classic days of “Good Morning, Vietnam.”

Surrounded by a cast of equally entertaining and unique characters, “Robots” puts a futuristic spin on the classic, trying-to-make-it-big parable and wrenches out fun for the whole family.

Jill’s picks

1) “Crash”

This movie, frankly, is one of the best I have ever seen. It is one of those few films that can deal with a controversial subject without coming off as too opinionated or political. “Crash” manages to convey its message without being either.

With a cast that includes Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Sandra Bullock and Brendan Fraser, “Crash” is a triple threat with its talent, characters and story. It has a great intertwining plot that centers around several stories of racial tension and prejudices. It’s powerful, it’s emotional and it’s simply phenomenal.

2) “Cinderella Man”

The winning team of Ron Howard and Russell Crowe reunite after “A Beautiful Mind” for this underdog story of the year. Crowe plays real-life boxer Jim Braddock who comes off of the breadline to revive a dead career.

Wanting to support his wife (Renee Zellweger) and family, he fights hard and climbs to the heavyweight championship. It is an inspirational movie, but perhaps a little too much of the fighting attitude rubbed off on Crowe (remember the telephone incident?).

3) “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”

OK, was this one of the most high-quality films of the year? Probably not. But it did have the sizzling force of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. As much hype as there was surrounding the film, their onscreen chemistry held its own. Pitt and Jolie play a bored married couple forced to aim big guns at each other and attempt to blow the other one’s head off.

And it was fun. Admit it. It was implausible and fluffy, but it was also funny and a good way to spend a couple of hours on a summer day.

4) “In Her Shoes”

This film surprised me because it far exceeded the expectations I had set for it. At first glance, it may appear to be the biggest chick flick of the year. I admit that I almost cried, but not because it was sappy. It was more because it was true.

Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette play complete-opposite sisters who separate after a rift. Shirley MacLaine, who plays their grandmother, has to help them reunite. Although it has its fair share of estrogen, “In Her Shoes” is really about family complexity and the bond family members share whether they like it or not, and that is something with which everyone can identify.

5) “The Upside of Anger”

Here it is, my “best” pick of the year, and I bet it’s one that most people ignored. Released early in the year, this film saw small audiences despite good reviews.

Kevin Costner and Joan Allen play exasperated yet attracted neighbors who are likable simply because they’re meant to be unlikable. They’re flawed, they’re content with that and that is what makes the film so witty. It is a comedy of manners and it also explores the dark humor that life sometimes has.