Worst Movies of 2010

I was originally going to do a Top 10 best and worst of 2010, but the truth is, I didn't see enough movies in 2010 to do a fair "Top 10 Worst Of" list. (I'll have a "Best Of" list soon, just need to see a couple more movies before I post it.) 2010 had more than its share of trash, but a lot of the movies would truly be the worst of the year, I didn't see. (Again... don't have time to see them all, but I'm working on that.) So I'm going to do this, my Top 5 worst movies plus a few that might be contenders while being a bit too soon to label them as the "worst." Also just so everyone knows, the reason some infamous duds like The Bounty Hunter, The Spy Next Door, or Twilight: Eclipse (ugh!!!) aren't on this list, its because I haven't seen them yet. If I do eventually have the stomach to watch them, I might write a review.

My Top 5 Worst Movies of 2010

5. Alice In Wonderland
Sure, the movie looks great, but the visuals do nothing more than to serve as a reminder of what could have been. Instead, we get one of the worst directorial efforts of Tim Burton's career. Save for a semi-enjoyable performance by Helena Bonham Carter, every actor comes off as lethargic or uncomfortable. Even Johnny Depp looks lost! Who could blame him though, when you're acting in one of the most laughably bad re-imaginings of a classic story. Gaping plot holes, flat characters, and an absurd re-imagining of the classic Wonderland story killed any potential this movie may have had.

4. The Last Airbender
Hey everyone, lets laugh at M. Night Shyamalan! Why not? The guy hasn't made a good movie since Signs... and that was almost 10 years ago. I haven't seen a full episode of the cartoon its based on, but seeing a few clips, not to mention support from a large fan-base, I can assume that the show is miles better than this piece of trash. Some passable effects can't salvage a movie with horrendous writing and laughable performances. Plus, the white washing of the show's mostly-Asian cast isn't giving it any credence either. Honestly M. Night? What happened to you???

3. Cop Out
It pains me to put this film on here, since I am generally a huge fan of Kevin Smith. Worse yet, I have been sticking up for the guy when some of his recent films haven't been up to his usual standards. So when Cop Out turned out to be such a colossal failure, I looked like the idiot. The Smith-directed (but not written) action-comedy, Cop Out, is neither funny nor exciting. Bruce Willis phones in an incredibly bland performance, while Tracy Morgan goes waaaaaaaay over the top with one of the most painfully annoying comedic shticks I've ever seen. Throw in some been-there-done-that action cliches, and you've got a failure on many levels. I hope this is nothing more than just a bump in the road for the usually enjoyable Kevin Smith.

2. Jonah Hex
Rumor has it that the film adaptation of the DC Comic Jonah Hex was an insanely troubled production. After watching the movie... I can see that. Josh Brolin makes a solid effort but unfortunately gets pulled down in this train wreck of a movie. An asinine script, sloppy editing, poor direction, stale acting, and no respect for the subject matter are only a few of Jonah Hex's problems. If I were to list all of the film's issues... well maybe I'll save that for a full review. Bottom line... don't see it.

1. A Nightmare On Elm Street
- Ugh! Sure, take one of my favorite movies and remake it into 90 minutes of boring, bland, and uninventive horror tripe. This movie did something I had originally thought was impossible... make a boring Elm Street movie. It was derivative, predictable, bland, stupid, and so poorly cast. Although, like Jonah Hex, this movie is slightly bolstered by one good performance... Jackie Earl Haley as the new Freddy. He rocks, no doubt about that, but the rest of this movie can go the way of Freddy Krueger and die in a fire.

Not Good... but not quite "Worst Of" bad...

These movies weren't necessarily "Worst of 2010" bad (probably not, maybe when I see more of 2010's tripe, I can reassess their worth) but either they failed to live up to their promise or were just totally mediocre.

Devil
Alright, this movie wasn't as horrible as I expected nor was it the worst of the year. I even gave it 2.5 stars when I wrote a review for it. I probably was being a bit generous when I wrote that review, mainly because I went it with low low low expectations. Nonetheless, I'm not in the habit of changing my scores, and I don't intend to start. After all, it had some passable scares and some good camerawork. Unfortunately, it also had the second most laughable script this year (2nd only to Alice in Wonderland). When you add in stupid characters, laughable lines ("Jelly side up!"), and a predictable outcome, you get a bad movie. Although it does become something of a so-bad-its-good movie, so its at least more entertaining than some of the films released this year. Already its starting to build a cult following... nice!

The Expendables
Again, not a God-Awful movie like some of the others, but its on the list for not living up to its potential. I dug the idea of an 80s style action movie starring some of the genre's most revered stars. Aside from a cool opening and decent finale, it failed to live up to the nostalgic premise. The camera was shaking all over the place, the villains were flat, and the great cast wasn't used to their full potential. Might be worth a rental, but nothing more than that.

Hereafter
Another one that's not horrible, but fails to live up to its promising concept. Actually, there's one other reason I'm putting it here... BECAUSE HEREAFTER'S CRAPPY CGI WAS NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR WHILE TRON LEGACY WAS NOT!!! Okay, well that aside, Hereafter just wasn't that good. Matt Damon does his usual good job, and the whole concept with three separate characters with intertwining afterlife-themed storylines was intriguing. Unfortunately, the story rambles on until you realize it had nothing particularly poignant to say about the subject. Also, Clint Eastwood still can't direct young actors, Matt Damon's storyline was considerably more interesting than the other two, and yes... the special effects were either bland, derivative, or fake-looking. Its too bad, because this could have been a really good movie.

So yeah, consider these my bottom films of 2010. Don't bother watching them!

Oscar Nomination Snubs of 2011

Okay, so the Oscar nominations have just been announced, and for the most part, there were no huge surprises. Still, with every year there will be snubs... some expected and some that just piss me off. This year... there are some pretty massive snubs that I just have to address.

Christopher Nolan once again gets cheated out of a Best Director nomination!!!

- This is the biggest WTF in the Oscar list. Not only was Inception one of the most innovative, entertaining, and well directed movies of the year, Nolan has been consistently making one excellent film after the other, and the guy has not received one nomination! Honestly, he is one of the industry's most unique and creative filmmakers. Yet he has been overlooked by the Academy every time he makes a movie. What the Hell Academy???


TRON Legacy gets snubbed out of a Best Visual Effects nod... and a few others

- Just like I thought Christopher Nolan would be a shoe-in for a Best Director nod, I thought TRON Legacy would definitely get a nod for Best Visual FX. In the words of John Belushi... "BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Seriously, the first TRON (one of the greatest pioneers of cgi technology) was snubbed out of the same nomination in 1983 because the Academy considered using computer graphics "cheating." And now, TRON Legacy, one of the year's most visually stimulating movies gets the shaft. Not to mention, it lost in the categories of Art Direction, costumes, and music (more on that next)... but the most glaring snub is definitely the Visual Effecs. And lets look who it lost out too...

Alice in Wonderland: Stupid stupid stupid movie!!! But it did have really good effects, so I guess it earned a nomination for that.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: Actually, this movie was really good... so well earned.

Hereafter: WTF!!! This movie had HORRIBLE special effects! They were just God Awful! What the Hell Academy!!!

Inception: This movie had great FX... actually probably the best of the year, neck and neck with TRON Legacy. Well deserved. I expect this one to win.

Iron Man 2: Well rendered effects in an entertaining movie... yet kind of meh when you get down to it. Doesn't tick me off as much as Hereafter, but I hope it doesn't win.

Well, TRON Legacy did AT LEAST get a nomination for Sound Editing... so that's something.

Daft Punk snubbed for Best Musical Score

- Actually, this one doesn't surprise me at all. The band, Daft Punk, did an all electronic musical score for TRON Legacy. Don't get me wrong, I totally think the movie's score should have been nominated, but the fact that an all electronic musical score wouldn't go down too well with the Academy wasn't unexpected in the slightest. Too bad.


Mila Kunis snubbed for Best Supporting Actress

- Not a huge surprise but a snub worth mentioning nonetheless. Maybe the fact that a girl best known for a goofy 70s themed sitcom or Meg on Family Guy wasn't exactly Oscar's favorite sort of performer had something to do with it. Its a bummer, since she did a really good job in her part, and probably put more heart and soul into such a challenging role than a lot of the nominated actresses this year.

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World gets no nominations at all

- Its not just the fact that I'm a game geek that I've been supporting this movie... its the fact that its a really good movie. I'm not too surprised that it didn't get any nominations, but I thought it at least stood a chance with some of the technical categories. Between the creative cgi, cinematography, and sound design, there should have been at least some consideration. Plus, it had a good and insightful script and Edgar Wright, a really good director, far better than most of the movies released this year. Can't say I'm surprised it got overlooked, but a bummer nonetheless.

Kick Ass snubbed for Best Costumes

- I guess they weren't the most elaborate costumes, but similar to Watchmen getting snubbed out of this same category, I think Kick Ass should have been nominated. Sure, they were simple, but they fit the film quite well. Does the Academy only think of period piece costumes? They really need to broaden their tastes.

Gotta say, the Oscars left out some heavy hitters this year. Still, there were some good calls. Darren Aronofsky finally got nominated for Best Director. Christian Bale has been long overdue for a nomination, and he finally got it. Natalie Portman will probably win her Oscar! Plus, a lot of the year's best movies did get some well deserved nominations. I'll make my predictions later on another entry, but until then, there's lots to look forward too for the Oscars.

The Fighter - Review

Reviewing a movie like The Fighter can pose a minor dilemma. Namely that its so by-the-numbers Oscar bait that many will dismiss it for adding virtually nothing new or original. On the other hand, you can't deny a quality film, and I always do my best to remain as unbiased as a film critic as I can be. So, without further ado, here's The Fighter.

The Fighter is based on the true story of boxer Mickey Ward. Growing up in a lower income family in Lowell, Massachusetts, Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is a talented fighter living in the shadow of his older half brother and trainer, Dicky Eklund (played by Christian "Better finally get a freakin' Oscar nomination!!!" Bale). Eklund was once a promising boxer who, in his prime, famously beat the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard. While in his heyday, Eklund fell victim to a crack addiction, thoroughly killing his chances of making it to the top. Also accompanying Ward is his loving yet not always thoughtful mother and manager, Alice Ward (Melissa Leo) and his equally loving yet imperfect girlfriend, Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams). All of Mickey's friends and family genuinely love and care for him, but are putting Mickey in the middle of their excessive dysfunction, prejudice, and selfishness.

You can't have an effective drama without compelling performances, and this is where The Fighter shines. While not the best movie of the year, it may very well be the best cast. Mark Wahlberg gives a wonderful understated performance as Ward, caught in a believable dilemma of having to take sides he would rather not choose. Wahlberg's performance is incredibly sympathetic, and even if we haven't been in that particular situation, I think everyone can relate to him in one way or another. Amy Adams performance as Ward's girlfriend Charlene is equally compelling. She's not the most likable character, but you can see where she is coming from. Plus, both Adams and Wahlberg had good chemistry together, creating a believable romance mostly free of cliches.

Of course, what is easily the show-stealing performance has to go to Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund. Bale has been infamous for dramatically changing his physique and weight for a number of his movies, and he does it again for The Fighter. Its always incredible to see him go from his bulked up and massive physique in the Batman movies to a borderline emaciated appearance for this. Bale really sells this role, completely immersing himself into this character and losing himself in it. Some might complain that he is overshadowing Wahlberg, (and he is) but it works with the story. The movie is about a man who has been overshadowed by his older brother his whole life, and how he attempts to find his own identity. The character contrast between Bale and Wahlberg works very well in that context.

Normally, I don't delve into the supporting cast too often unless I feel it is needed, and this is one of those cases. Mickey's mother/manager, Alice, is played by Melissa Leo. In a sea of such stellar lead performances, you would think she would be left in the dirt, but not in this case. She brings a realistically complicated mother/son relationship to her performance. She is a mother who legitimately wants what is best for her sons but at times gets distracted by her own objectives and fails to see what is going on around her. Finally, the rest of Mickey's extended family, while minor characters, are realistic looking characters with believable personalities. Everyone in this movie is superbly cast, there are no characters that have black-and-white good/bad personalities, everyone has issues but all with the best of intentions.

As far as the script is concerned... there is almost nothing new or original here. Unfortunately, the movie looses points as one of the more predictable movies of the year. When you think of nearly every boxing/sports movie ever made, The Fighter follows that same basic formula and does little to stray away from it. Granted, The Fighter is based on a true story so you can't drift away too much from fact. I don't know how authentic the movie is to what really happened though, so I can't judge it for that quite yet. Despite the movie not being original, its still a compelling and interesting drama with a predictable ending. Expect some Oscar nominations for acting but probably not for screenwriting.

Finally, we come to the visual style. Director David O Russel shoots The Fighter is shot in the sort of gritty, realistic, documentary-style that has become so popular lately. I've never been a huge fan of it, but this time it works quite well. Yes, the camera is mostly hand-held, but its held in a way so that it is not flailing around all over the place. I prefer to see what is happening on screen... nicely done. The fight scenes are shot quite well, with most of the actors actually taking their hits. Most of the locations are, from what I hear, not even sets, but actual locations belonging to the real Mickey Ward. Everything works... its sets up this believable environment that accentuates the mood quite well.

Overall, The Fighter is an incredibly well acted, well shot, and decently written movie. This one will definitely get some Oscar nominations and should stand a good chance at winning a few of them. Go check it out!

My Score: 4.5 out of 5!

True Grit (2010) - Review

Its a new year, and I still haven't posted an entry for my choices for the best and worst films of the year. I'm working on one, but unfortunately there are still a few more films from the year I'm hoping to see before I finish the list. In the meantime, here is a review for the Coen Brothers, newest film, True Grit.

True Grit is a Western based on the 1968 novel of the same name by Charles Portis. The novel's first movie adaptation was released in 1969 and starred John Wayne in his Oscar-winning role. This version bills itself as a more faithful adaptation of the novel and stars Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld.

True Grit centers around Mattie Ross (Steinfeld), an ambitious 14-year-old girl whose father was murdered by an outlaw named Tom Chaney (Brolin). Bent on revenge, Mattie hires brutal bounty hunter Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to find Chaney and bring him to justice. The two set out on their adventure when they are joined by Mr. LaBoeuf (Matt Damon), a Texas Ranger also on the lookout for Chaney.

Joel and Ethan Coen are a talented duo. With an extensive filmography including films like Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou, and my personal favorite, No Country For Old Men, you can generally expect a good movie when they're attached. With that in mind, the Brothers do a solid job adapting the novel. That being said, while True Grit is far from a bad movie, in some ways it seems like an odd choice for the two. Their films are well known for having intricate stories, complete with deep messages, symbolism, and clever twists. True Grit is arguably their most straightforward film yet. There's little depth behind these characters aside from the typical western cliches. The characters and story are enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but the absence of their trademark storytelling is a bit disappointing. Make no mistake, its not a bad script, but don't go in expecting an in-depth storyline.

True Grit's biggest strength lies in its acting. The film is told from the point of view of the young Mattie Ross. Hailee Steinfeld is definitely the breakthrough performance of the year. It looks like she was enjoying herself in the role, delivering some great lines with memorable gusto and charisma. She's really a blast to watch, and I have no doubt she'll have some great roles offered to her very soon. Next is Matt Damon, giving another great performance to add to his list of good roles. There's not a whole lot to say about Damon that hasn't already been about him a million times... he's a great actor and he does his usual good job.

Next up is Jeff Bridges, an actor whose career has taken off recently. With his Oscar victory last year for 2009's Crazy Heart, Bridges has just been dominating with one great role after the other. He does a good job as Cogburn, even though you may not always understand what he's saying due to his slurred speech. Finally, I have to mention Josh Brolin as Tom Chaney. Brolin isn't on screen for long, but he makes a decent impression with the little screen-time he has. I just have to say this... since the guy is clearly capable of playing a character in a Western, you can't blame him for the disastrous results of his previous movie, Jonah Hex.

Honestly, there really isn't much more I can say about True Grit. Its far from original, but has great performances, good direction, and is a generally well shot and well crafted movie. The script may not be up to the same caliber of the Coens' previous works, but its still an enjoyable story. Its a great movie, but kind of a "by-the-numbers" great movie. Solid filmmaking that's worth watching, but will it be remembered years from now as a classic... probably not.

My Score: 4 out of 5!