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Bridesmaids

Yes.

So, I actually got to see this movie about a month in advance and I absolutely loved it. Then I saw a new trailer for it and there was a scene that I didn't remember from the movie. I figured they made some changes so I kinda wanted to see it again before I reviewed it.

That didn't happen :-(

Based on what I saw, which gave me every impression that it was the final product at the time, I very highly recommend Bridesmaids. Is it the female answer to The Hangover? ... maybe, but it's got too much heart to really call it that. Bridesmaids is really a movie about friendship at it's core and if it wanted to be considered The Hangover's sister, they really needed to lose that. That being said, I'm glad they didn't.

Bridesmaids will have you laughing so hard you can't breathe; it's got everything from raunchy sex jokes to diarrhea and vomit, but it still remains classy and true. Definitely go check out Bridesmaids, but if you do, PLEASE get snacks from the concession stand. That'd be great, thanks!

Priest 3D

No.

I don't quite understand the concept behind the movie. The movie is based on a series of graphic novels, but I'm not sure where the hell those crazy Koreans came up with this mismatched mash-up of genres. Is it a western? Is it Science-Fiction? Is it Horror?

It's actually all of those plus post-apocalyptic adventure. The addition of warrior priests weirds the thing up to completion. Throughout the entire movie I kept thinking to myself, "... what...?"

Paul Bettany is actually kind of a good actor, so I'm thinking it's time he fired his agent. Whoever green lit this shit storm should also be let go. Please don't waste your money on this garbage!

Thor

Yes.

More and more, I dread the thought of a another superhero's origin story. Even having known absolutely nothing about Thor and needing to see where he came from in order to understand his story, I still was entirely disinterested in this movie... Thor is just fluff. It's a puzzle piece and the picture on the box is the poster for The Avengers.

That being said, I kinda enjoyed it. It has moments of simple humor, relatively cool special effects. The main characters are very likable and there's little to no cringe-worthy dialogue.

If you have to see Thor in order to get the full picture prior to the main event next summer, it could have been a lot worse. If it turns out that I didn't need to see Thor to understand The Avengers, I won't necessarily be angry... but I definitely won't be surprised.

Fast Five

Yes.

This series continues to surprise me. I wasn't a huge fan of the original and actually ended up liking the first sequel a little more than it's predecessor (even though I was certain I couldn't possibly like a movie called 2 Fast 2 Furious). I'm pretty sure we can all agree that, while not completely unwatchable, the third in the franchise, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, was kind of a joke. With the original team in place, the fourth installment was fairly successful and possibly better than the first two, and now, Fast Five is definitely the best of the bunch.

Keep in mind that when I endorse some of these movies, it's based entirely on fun factor. There's really no substance to these movies at all. There's rarely ever any doubt that it's going to work out for the main characters in the end, so it's really all just adrenaline pumping action that makes Fast Five the first official popcorn movie of the year.

If you can suspend disbelief and get past the blatant disregard of physics, you'll have a blast watching Fast Five... and probably the next in the series as well. Yes, there will be another movie.

Water for Elephants

No.

Water for Elephants is Titanic at the circus. The movie is set up exactly the same except with an old man reminiscing about the events that led up to a tragic circus accident rather than an old woman reminiscing about the events leading up to...

All of the players are there the poor homeless boy that shouldn't be there to begin with who then impresses a wealthy woman with his unforeseeable talents. The wealthy woman, controlled by an overbearing, tyrannical man who feels that he owns her, is easily seduced by, and falls in love with the poor penniless sitar player and the two must hide their love for fear of societal pressures and the wrath of her husband.

It's animal torture porn for a bit and then we slowly make our way to the "event" that defined this man's life... that changed everything... the event that brings him to tears from the mere sight of a picture of the old circus.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!

Nothing happens. The dangerous animals get loose and scare the crap out of everyone, but as you learn early on, the cats have no teeth. The only person injured in the event is the asshole that was keeping the star-crossed lovers apart. Through narration, we learn that the circus was dismantled as a result and the two lovers have a long fulfilling life together raising children, leading to the eventual death of his wife from natural causes. That's how it ends.

There are several movies that I deem a waste of time because they are poorly made or unnecessary remakes. Water for Elephants is a waste of time because nothing happens in the entire 2 hour and 15 minute running time.

Scream 4

Yes.

Let's get something out of the way. Scream is one of my favorite movies of all time. Scream 2 left a lot to be desired and Scream 3 was terrible.

While Scream 4 could never be as good as the original, it's light years better than 2 and 3.

The latest installment is comparable to the original in enjoyability, acting level, direction, and dialogue quality. Where 4 drops the ball is in the "spoofing" aspect of the film. They didn't take the "reboot" theme or the "torture porn" theme far enough to mimic the point of the original film which was really supposed to be mocking the concept while still being a high quality film within the genre.

There were a few missed opportunities that I wish they had given me the opportunity to consult them about, but when all is said and done, Scream 4 is a perfectly acceptable addition to the franchise.

Your Highness

No.

Your Highness probably wouldn't have been as bad as it was if they had left out the pot jokes (and I guess changed the title) and they probably should have left out a few "fuck"s. I'm not against vulgarity... in fact I might actually thrive on it at this point, but if you use it too much, it becomes unfunny.

The movie wore out it's welcome pretty early on. I still laughed a few times, but not enough to keep me awake. That's right... I fell asleep. It was just too nonsensical. I immediately lost half of my interest in the movie when I saw the robot bird sidekick and the rest was gone when they got attacked by ninjas.

This team of film makers (James Franco, Danny McBride, and director David Gordon Green) try too hard. They have good ideas and a strong sense of what's funny, but just as they did with Pineapple Express, they pass the "good" mark and bring the movie all the way to "stupid".

Limitless

Yes.

When I saw the trailer for Limitless, I thought it looked good, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did.

Limitless is one of those stories that plays on your desire. I consider myself to be fairly to very smart. The concept of a drug that would help you to exceed the limits of human intelligence is intriguing to say the least.

Would you take it? I still don't think I would, even though I'd probably consider it long and hard. With the exception trying marijuana twice (the second time only to confirm that it would have little to no effect on me since I felt nothing the first time), I've only ever taken over-the-counter or prescription drugs that were prescribed to me. That doesn't mean that I can't imagine how awesome it would be to have endless knowledge and be able figure anything out. Then again I've seen this movie, so the downside has been made abundantly clear.

Limitless is fun, exciting, energetic, and surprising and you should definitely check it out.

Take Me Home Tonight

No.

It's hard to imagine that upon it's release in, say 1951, a movie that takes place in 1928 would feel as corny as a movie that takes place in 1988 would feel to a viewer in 2011. Between Take Me Home Tonight and Hot Tub Time Machine, we've gotten the nostalgia out of the way; can someone now, please, make a serious period film that takes place in the 80's? Is it even possible?

I'm not 100% convinced it is, actually, but it's hard to believe there isn't a talented director who could get past the hair, clothes and popular music to create a meaningful film that doesn't rely on Max Headroom-esque gags.

Take Me Home Tonight was never intended to be a serious 1980's period film... but then why make it? Is it Topher Grace's quest to take part in a production, saturated with the pop culture and fashion of each specific decade? Did they feel like last year's Hot Tub Time Machine hadn't gotten it right?

There are a lot of unanswered questions in this review and I honestly don't have the answer for any of them. If you wanna see a party movie where a hopeless romantic uses his one last chance to try to get the girl of his dreams, check out Can't Hardly Wait. It's WAY better, PG-13, slightly more realistic, and significantly less corny. I wonder what it would have looked like if it were made in 2019.

Red Riding Hood

No.

Red Riding Hood was just another excuse to have very pretty boys fighting over an average looking girl. Oh, and I forgot to say werewolf.

It is truly amazing how they are able to stay so clean living in the dirt. They all have perfect teeth and skin, even though this takes place in a time when the answer to all of your dental problems was to rip out the tooth and Lubriderm and Oil of Olay weren't consistently stocked in the skincare aisle at CVS. I don't think there was a single ugly person living in the town that Red Riding Hood takes place.

This is trite, rehashed Twilight crap for teenaged girls, and even they aren't buying into it. Don't even bother looking for this on DVD.

Battle: Los Angeles

Yes.

Battle: LA is a pretty straight forward action flick. It's Saving Private Ryan with aliens. Gritty and realistic, the director succeeds in his attempt to merge the modern style shaky cam war footage like in The Hurt Locker with the special effects of an alien invasion.

The acting is not exactly top notch, but it's sort of covered up by the gunfire and explosions. There's really no story to speak of and I would have liked one, but I still didn't hate it.

Battle: LA definitely won't be anywheres near my top 20 at the end of this year, but it's still a fun ride.

Mars Needs Moms

Yes.

I was pleasantly surprised by Mars Needs Moms. I really thought I was going to hate it and I didn't. Knowing that I would probably hate it might have lowered my expectations enough to actually give it a positive review, but that won't help this movie at all since it had the 12th worst opening weekend for a movie released on more than 3000 screens.

Clearly others weren't willing to give it the same chance I did, and with good reason. Other films that were created with the same motion capture animation have been horrible. The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol were filled with soulless, weightless characters; if you look into their eyes, you will see what death is like. The studio seems to be working it's way out of the uncanny valley, slowly but surely, as the characters in Mars Needs Moms are very much less creepy than in earlier films. I'm not sure, however, that Disney will be investing much more of their money into this style of animation.

Mars Needs Moms might already be out of theatres, but if you want a family night with your kids, give it a rent and help Disney make back some of the $150 million budget that it pretty much just flushed down the toilet.

The Adjustment Bureau

Yes and no.

I really liked The Adjustment Bureau. I like the concept, story, the actors... almost everything. I didn't like the director, the screenplay and the end... so, almost everything.

I don't know if The Adjustment Bureau was too long or too short, but it definitely wasn't the right length, and then it just kind of ends. The end of the movie (which I won't give away even though it sucks) is really weak. Given the epic nature of the movie's concept, there should have been way more to it than there was.

I loved the whole idea behind the movie though; that we're all on a set path, but that it's possible to stray from that path in order to fight for something/one that we care about. I completely believed the chemistry between the actors and was rooting for them the whole time.

If the director and writer had done a better job, this would be an instant "must-see" recommendation. Alas, I can only recommend a video rental in a few months :-( .

Rango

Ummmmm, yes.

Rango is a strange movie. I actually walked out of it not knowing if I liked it or not. It's rated PG and is animated, which implies that it's a kids movie, but, while it's definitely kid friendly, it's really geared more for adults.

The animation is outstanding. It's gritty and realistic, yet still quirky and fun to look at. The voice acting is good... the story is fine.

While it's certainly not the best movie of the year, Rango is an entertaining escape for a couple of hours. Kids may not really like it, though and adults probably won't know what to make of it.

Hall Pass

No.

Hall Pass is bad. I rarely laughed and when I did, I was laughing at how ridiculous I felt for watching it. The screenplay isn't funny and the actors, for the most part, were wasted.

Everything about this movie was based on shock humor. The amount of full frontal male nudity is proof enough, but none of the dialogue was genuinely funny either. It was all about making you say "I can't believe they just said that."

I actually like Jason Sudeikis, Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate. I hate Owen Wilson, though. Mostly because of his droll voice and crooked nose. I really don't like looking at him or hearing his voice so his acting talent is pretty moot.

As comedies go, Hall Pass is pretty terrible.

Unknown

No.

The premise of this movie is way too weak to have made a whole movie about it... plus it sort of comes out of nowhere.

To be honest, I don't even remember what the actual plot of the movie is. Not because I saw Unknown last month and it's been so long that I forgot it... I forgot it immediately after the credits began to roll. It has something to do with the use of corn as a fuel source or something... a cheap method of taking advantage of eco-friendly moviegoers. Even the main plot of the film is over shadowed by the whole amnesia/conspiracy aspect of the film which has nothing to do with the "real" main storyline.

The fact that Liam Neeson develops amnesia isn't the driving force behind the action in the movie, nor does it expose any truths that we wouldn't have found out otherwise. He simply develops a conscience as a result of relearning about his past. I always end up comparing the big reveal in a movie to the big reveal in Scream. You could easily guess who the killer in the original Scream movie was if the writer and director hadn't done a brilliant job steering you away from the truth without ever lying to you. The story behind what's happening in Unknown is so convoluted that there is no way anyone could ever have guessed it... which kind of takes all of the fun out of watching it. It's not a good twist if there weren't hidden clues throughout the movie that you missed.

I thought this was going to be Neeson's follow up to his winning formula from Taken. It's not even close to the quality of that movie. Let this movie remain... Unknown.

I am Number Four

Yes.

I Am Number Four isn't great, but it is entertaining enough to recommend.

The whole time I was watching it I kept getting a very "Smallville" vibe from the whole thing. I was not at all shocked to find out at the end of he movie that it was produced by the Smallville team. While I recognize that there are very few original stories left in the world, I can't even give the writers of I Am Number Four credit for trying since most of the plot points seem to be ripped straight out of the world of Superman.

The acting was fine, the writing was fine... I Am Number Four was fine. The special effects were really good... actually, don't bother with this. Wait to see if the sequel gets good reviews. If it does, rent I Am Number Four and then go see the sequel. If the sequel sucks there really no reason to invest any time into this one.

The Roommate

No.

So, I learned a lesson last month (that is to say February as I write this review on March 7th). I seem to have forgotten everything I hated about The Roommate. The lesson is that I really should, at a minimum, jot down some notes so that I can form them into a worthy review in a more timely manner.

Suffice it to say, The Roommate was terrible you you should not see it.

The Rite

Ummm....

Ok, so I know this is a little late, but I'm not gonna waste time with excuses. I'm just gonna say that if I had reviewed this on time I would have said, No, do not waste your money seeing The Rite in theatres. Since there's no chance of that happening, I'm gonna go ahead and say that when it comes out on DVD or cable, there's no reason you shouldn't give it a watch.

The Rite is NOT a good movie... but it's not so terrible, either. In fact, television has gotten so bad that, going forward, many reviews that get a "No" (you should NOT see that), may very well get a YES for home viewing. At this point just about anything scripted is gonna get some kind of positive review with regards to home viewing.

Sanctum 3D

No.

There are two things the producer's of Sanctum should have insisted upon:

1. A PG-13 rating. There have been several times in my life when I got excited because I found out that a movie would be rated R and disappointed to find out that a movie wouldn't be rated R. Specifically in the cases of the film versions of Sweeney Todd and Rent. There's no reason this movie had to be rated R. It's almost as if they purposely added unnecessary gore and vulgarity in order to secure the R rating, which is bizarre behavior to say the least. A PG-13 rating would have drawn in a larger audience and, in this particular case, wouldn't have taken away from the realism of the movie. I never care about vulgarity, but gore is only needed if it's effective. It was effective in 127 Hours. It's not in Sanctum and feels extraneous.

2. A well known actor. I'm all for casting unknowns in major roles, but Sanctum needed someone to invest in and Reed Richards was not that someone. Give me Ed Harris, or a Hemsworth if you feel the need to keep it Australian. I just didn't feel any connection with any of the characters.

I think the ultimate shortfall for Sanctum was the screenplay, though. Just about every other line in the trailer was a cliche and it didn't end with the trailer. The dialogue is extremely trite, predictable and boring that the people delivering it ultimately become less interesting as a result.

Some of the 3D effects were cool, but not enough for me to recommend spending money to see this movie.

The Eagle

No...

... but that's based off of 20 minutes of the movie. In fact, I spent a lot of that time looking around at the audience to see if they had any regret on their faces.

It's probably time to reevaluate your decisions when Channing Tatum isn't the worst part of your movie. It seemed like there was a lot of money put into this production, but the actor's just didn't care. Imagine an average day in your own life, but instead of jeans and a hoodie, everyone (yourself included) is wearing ancient Roman warrior uniforms. That's what the dialogue sounded like; modern Americans on Halloween.

I couldn't bare to stay past the 20 minute mark, and I've stuck it out through some pretty terrible movies, so...

Gnomeo & Juliet

No.

This 84 minute movie is about an hour too long. I'd like to know what the thought process was leading up to the production of Gnomeo and Juliet. This concept is unoriginal, the title is NOT clever, the animation is pretty awful, and the inclusion of an entirely Elton John based score/soundtrack is pretty random and a strange decision. If they had included original Elton John songs, it might have been tolerable, but the whole movie is Rocket Man and Your Song and the score is, seemingly, a deliberate rip off of the score from Moulin Rouge!


At no point was I able to suspend disbelief enough to buy into this world. Why is there a laser security system in the red gnomes' yard? Was it put there by the homeowner? What are the legal ramifications of decapitating a child with a laser security system in your back yard if the kid loses a ball over the fence? Where are all of the bloody squirrel corpses?

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story. I honestly don't care if I give away the ending of Gnomeo and Juliet because I don't believe you should go see it anyway. If you're going to retell a classic tale, do it. You don't sugar coat Shakespeare. I probably sound snobbish, but I really don't care. I am not a Shakespeare scholar and I wouldn't even call myself a Shakespeare fan. I do, however, respect the work and would never bank on it's popularity in order to make a quick buck, and then change the whole story. No one dies in Gnomeo and Juliet. Gnomeo and Juliet has a happy ending. That has to be one of the most ridiculous, disrespectful ideas that has hit the screen as a G rated film. I'm really not surprised that Disney released this under the Touchstone banner; to rake in millions of dollars on a terrible product and not really be associated with it is sort of brilliant. The folks over at Disney are evil masterminds.

Do not take your kids to see Gnomeo and Juliet. Introduce them to Romeo and Juliet instead.

No Strings Attached

Yes...

... although I say that, mostly because I thought it would be terrible and I didn't end up hating it. It's nice to see Portman lighten up a little bit since she tends to take on heavier roles. Kutcher is exactly the same as he always is... just kinda there.

There isn't a whole lot to say about No Strings Attached. It's a good date movie in that women will like it and men won't hate it. If you're looking for something like that, here it is.

The Green Hornet

No.

Once again we have a director making a movie he shouldn't be making with an actor that shouldn't be in the movie. Michel Gondry directed one of my favorite movies of all time, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a beautiful, mind bending science fiction love story with an Oscar nominated performance by Kate Winslet and an Oscar snubbed performance by Jim Carrey. He's had some fun in the past, helming Dave Chapelle's Block Party and episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live and HBO's Flight of the Conchords, but he's known primarily for his quirky sensibilities, taking on projects like The Science of Sleep, Be Kind Rewind, and Eternal Sunshine; all lower budget dramedies. To see him take a step back and jump behind the wheel of this schlock is almost heartbreaking. It raises so many questions, namely, why he would give up on his art. The answer is obviously, money, and that's really, really sad.

The Green Hornet stars Seth Rogen which is also pretty bizarre. Whoever thought casting Rogen as an action hero (bumbling though he may be) was an acceptable alternative to just about anything else, should be shot.

The movie is choppy and all over the place. The movie opens wit a scene in the past in which Rogen's character (as a child) is being berated by his father... only so that Rogen could tell the story later. He could have just told the story; we didn't need to see it first. Later after his father's funeral, he apparently fires his entire household staff, an emotional scene during which we see the character's vulnerability, resentment and mourning... but they didn't show it. They told us it happened by having Rogen ask the only maid left where the staff is. The literally left every ounce of humanity on the cutting room floor, I assume because the cast couldn't act it.

The Green Hornet is solely a money machine and you are supposed to be the cogs. Don't be a cog.

The Dilemma

Uhhh... no.

The Dilemma is sort of a weird film. It's really more of a drama with funny parts than it is a comedy.

The second weekend in January is a weekend of strange marriages between director and material. I thought it was odd from the get go that Ron Howard was attached to direct this movie. I find it hard to believe that, in his right mind, the Academy Award winning director of A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, and Frost/Nixon chose to produce this heaping pile of crud. The Dilemma is Ron Howard's version of a Corvette in the driveway and we're the disillusioned spouse who walk out of the theatre, looks at Ronny and asks, "Who's movie is that in the driveway?"

I don't like Vince Vaughn. Let me just take a minute to go over some movies that Vince Vaughn was actually in. Keep in mind that they aren't necessarily good movies, but the do show that he has a little bit more range than he's limited himself to. Here goes: Domestic Disturbance, Swingers, Return to Paradise, Jurassic Park II, Psycho, Made, The Cell, Clay Pigeons. Then he made Old School, which some people apparently liked, and Vince Vaughn's destiny was set. From that day forward, he's played the same fast talking clown in every movie he's made with the occasional acknowledgement of worthy projects like Thumbsucker and Into the Wild.

Kevin James has fallen into the wrong crowd. I hate that he's best friends with the Sandler clan and it's a little off putting. I loved his stand-up routine, but it's been pretty downhill since. Jennifer Connelly was clearly just doing a favor for the director responsible for her Academy Award and apparently Winona Ryder is on some kind of a comeback tour with small roles in Star Trek and Black Swan. She probably thought she'd found her very own version of John Travolta's Pulp Fiction when she landed a major role in a Ron Howard film. Unfortunately, the joke was on her.

I case you haven't figured it out yet, there's little to nothing that I can say I liked about The Dilemma... but that's just because it's a terrible movie.

Season of the Witch

No.

I think the movie industry is the only group that doesn't believe in "starting the year off right". Season of the Witch is an enormously terrible piece of garbage.

My biggest issue is that Nicholas Cage is NOT the worst part of this movie. My biggest issue is actually with Stephen Graham. Stephen Graham is a british actor who has had roles in Gangs of New York, Snatch, and Public Enemies and most recently has been seen on Martin Scorsese's Boardwalk Empire playing Al Capone. I don't know why, but he uses the worst New York accent throughout the whole movie. I was expecting all of the actors to have British accents, but I guess when they realized that Cage and Ron Perlman couldn't do British accents, the decided it would be easier to have the British actors try to sound more like Cage and Perlman. That being said, I still hate Nicolas Cage. I also really hate Ron Perlman...

Season of the Witch is like a good Uwe Boll movie... and that's not a compliment. Once again, my message to the studio's is this: Stop making these crap movies and  spread out the good ones. People go to the movies all year round. If you make a good movie, they'll go see it no matter what time of year you release it.

2010: The 20 Best Films of the Year

2010 was a year fueled by powerful performances. What ultimately helped me decide which was my favorite movie of the year was the fact the most of the competitors were films that I liked mostly because of the amazing performances by their casts, but not necessarily the full package.


20. The Crazies

The Crazies represents how rational people in a small town might handle a zombie apocalypse. The characters never do anything thats blatantly stupid and any risks they take are necessary ones. This remake got pretty good reviews at the time of it's theatrical release but I was still skeptical and hence was very pleasantly surprised when it was as good as it was.


19. Dinner For Schmucks

Dinner for Schmucks is one of the most unrealistic movies of the year and it's chock full of characters that would never exist in real life. That doesn't mean it isn't one of the funniest movies of the year, though. The chemistry between Rudd and Carell is perfect and there are some scenes in it with the two of them that made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe.


18. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World  is tailor-made for people suffering from attention deficit disorder in that there are no (or very few) scene transitions, it's very colorful and there's always something cool to grab your attention that pops onto the screen every couple of seconds. It's frenetic fun; visually exciting, aurally engrossing and intellectually numbing.


17. The Town

Ben Affleck is doing a great job as a director. This wasn't as good as his directorial debut (Gone Baby Gone), but both of his movies have made my top 20, so I guess that's saying something. It's actually gotten to the point where I kinda can't wait for him to direct another movie.


16. Easy A

Strangely, I actually really liked Easy A. It's seemingly geared towards teenage girls, but was still really entertaining. The writer very cleverly transformed very R-rated material into content that is PG-13 appropriate.


15. True Grit

I really don't enjoy westerns, but True Grit has enough really good portrayals of very interesting characters to keep me interested. That along with some great writing and directing from the Coen brothers puts this western at number 15.


14. The Kids Are Alright


Besides the stellar performances from the entire cast, The Kids Are Alright has an original, quirky storyline, great dialogue, and an intriguing look into the concept of family without ever exploiting its subject matter. As long as you have an open mind, this fresh look at the contemporary family unit has the perfect mixture of wit, charm, intelligence and earnest.


13. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

This is a dark, scary, depressing movie. Due to the nature of the story, it's lost some of it's charm, but from a technical standpoint, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is the best in the series so far.


12. Iron Man 2

As a stand alone movie it's great. As a sequel? It's less great, but still OK. I feel like instead of Iron Man 2, it should have been called Iron Man Again. As entertaining, well written, acted and directed it was, Iron Man 2 doesn't do anything to move the characters or the story forward. It really didn't need to be made and so as a sequel, it leaves a lot to be desired. That doesn't mean you won't have a blast watching it. Iron Man 2 is highly entertaining.


11. The King's Speech

While The King's Speech may not be for everyone, the story is wonderful and the relationship between Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush is what propels the movie forward. The ability of the film makers to elevate the "buddy cop" genre and make a british period piece is what ultimately lands The King's Speech in my top 20 films of the year.


10. The Fighter

The Fighter is a success because of Christian Bale with really strong support from Amy Adams and Melissa Leo. The movie was well made, but the writing and direction were just average and Mark Wahlberg was only at his best (which isn't necessarily a compliment), but Bale, Adams, and Leo were exceptional.


9. Winter's Bone

Winter's Bone brought me into a world that I'd heard about, but then quickly dismissed as an exaggeration of how it used to be. This is an eye opening film about poverty in our country and it belongs to actors Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes. Lawrence is able to convey hope in a world that seems to have none and Hawkes embodies exactly how I would envision what a mountain man drug dealer would be. Winter's Bone relies almost entirely on the skill of it's cast, and the cast delivers.


8. Unstoppable

I'm just as surprised as you are that Unstoppable made it into my top 10 films of the year. The fact is, I was pleasantly surprised by Unstoppable. The movie is short, which is good. The very opening scene sets the plot in motion (pun intended) and it rolls along (pun intended again) for 98 minutes without ever letting up. Unstoppable is pure popcorn fun. It's easily forgettable, but definitely worth the trip (PUN).


7. Kick-Ass

It's in the title. Kick-Ass is kick-ass... it's just violent, vulgar fun.


6. Toy Story 3

The Toy Story trilogy has had messages ranging from friendship and family, to jealousy, to loss and moving on. Pixar has made family friendly films with mature themes and no pop-culture references. They have never sacrificed the integrity of the characters or the story and for these reasons, the Toy Story films are truly timeless. The end of Toy Story 3 is so overwhelmingly heartwarming, that even the most cynical viewers will be brought to tears. What a perfect way to say goodbye.


5. Black Swan

Black Swan is a horror movie for snobs. It's very slowly paced, but is sufficiently creepy. The entire cast is perfect and Darren Aronofsky's direction is spot on. If dark psychological thrillers that mess with your head as much as it messes with the characters is your thing, do not wait another day to see Black Swan.


4. How To Train Your Dragon 3D

From the first time I saw the trailer for How To Train Your Dragon, I knew I was going to love it. The scene where Hiccup is testing Toothless's boundaries and they become friends was so heartwarming I almost threw up. The animation is beautiful, the story is exciting, and friendship is refreshing.


3. The Social Network

The Social Network is essentially a Rock n Roll movie for a nerds. It's stylish, clever, and well written, directed and acted. The characters are all intelligent fast talking and quirky; thanks to both the talented cast, the amazing writer and director and, presumably the actual people they are based on.


2. 127 Hours

This is my version of a horror movie. Supernatural shit doesn't scare me; it may make me jump, but rarely frightens me to my core. What happens in 127 Hours represents one of my biggest fears. I'm claustrophobic, but there's more to it than just being in a confined space. It's being stuck and being alone. It's hopelessness that scares me. In the hands of such an electric director as Danny Boyle, my fears have come to glorious life.


1. Inception

There are no words to describe the epic nature of Inception, the closest I can get would be with "Brilliant", or "Mind-blowing", or "Astounding". Inception is one of the most extraordinary pieces of film making to hit the screen in... forever(?). The fact that anyone could put something like Inception together in a way that is even remotely coherent, is staggering. The writing and direction are unbelievably good. The acting is stellar all around; there isn't a single weak link in the cast. The visual and sound effects seamlessly bring you in the world of the dreams, and the orchestral score is emotive and exciting. The action sequences will keep you on the edge of your seat and the love story is absolutely heart-breaking.