So far, 2010 has metformin side effects been a lackluster year for movies. Naturally, January to March is pretty slow; you’ll get your surprise hits like Daybreakers and The Crazies mixed with the usual romantic-dramedy fair, Letters to Juliet & The Last Song. But have no fear, because summer is just around the corner to treat your theater-going woes. Except this year, summer movies have sucked.
I can’ t remember metformin hydrochloride and alcohol a worse summer than this one. Prince of Persia was kind of fun, but tanked – hard. Iron Man 2 suffered from Spidey 3 syndrome and couldn’t deliver. Clash of the Titans played on the nostalgia of the masses but inevitably disappointed. I think I’ve been more discouraged and disappointed by movies in this first half of the year than I have in a long time, mostly because there were several that I was really, really looking forward to. So I want to kick this list off be ranting about 3 movies that blew my mind… in the worst way possible.
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Worst 3:
3. Alice in Wonderland
It blows my mind that Alice in Wonderland is sitting sweetly at #6 on the all-time international box office. I can’t fathom enough people being dragged to see this to warrant the money that it made. Visually, it’s creative, but the story is a bloody nightmare. From the nonsensical plot to the horrible realization of that story, Alice in Wonderland never ceases to be boring, bumbling and bewildering. I’m definitely a Tim Burton fan, but he sure does try to strain my devotion at times.
Care to fall further down the rabbit hole? Check out Connor’s review of the film.
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2. Robin Hood
The Robin Hood story that simply isn’t. Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood is the would-be Gladiator-esque prequel of the legend that the entire world is familiar with, the problem is that the action doesn’t start until the last 10 minutes of the 140-minute run time. Actually, come to think of it, the story doesn’t even kick into gear until about halfway through. Most of the movie focuses on Robin chilling in Nottingham doing nothing but dance with the locals and flirt with Marion, played by the always-excellent, but miscast Cate Blanchett. But worst of all, Robin Hood is hands down the most boring film I’ve seen this year, and nothing is more grating than a movie that makes you squirm uncomfortably in your seat, forcing you to check the time, and realizing that you’ve only been sitting for 40 minutes.
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1. Splice
What can I say? Splice is a horrible movie. The depraved genre fans will question my taste, but whatever, Splice has one of the most terribly realized second halves I’ve ever seen. I loved the premise and that fine line of morality that the characters have to walk, but it all falls apart once they take Dren out of the lab, and it never recovers. Please, save the emails, you won’t convince me.
Interested in more of my Splice-hate? Check out my review of the movie.
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While 2010 has been mostly lacking so far, there have been more than a few good movies to grace the silver screen this year, including one remarkable classic that shouldn’t exist to begin with.
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Top 5:
5. Shutter Island
Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island is probably my most controversial pick, because it divided audiences when it hit theaters in February. Some say it’s a story built solely around a gimmick, and others argue that it was never about the twist, but rather, the glimpse – the journey – through the mind of DiCaprio’s character. I fall somewhere in the middle. I know that the second time you watch it, you see the story through new eyes, but the first viewing definitely relies on the twist. I don’t think it matters, though. Shutter Island is a tense thriller that plays with your mind, and locks you up with the rest of the inmates. It’s great to see Marty out of his element, even though it’s hard to tell sometimes that he’s the man behind the lens.
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4. The Karate Kid
I think The Karate Kid has to be the biggest surprise of the year. Who knew that the remake of the cult-classic was actually going to be a great movie. Jaden Smith (accompanied by the facial expresses of his father) is just fantastic as the re-imagined Daniel-san, Dre. But I can’t discredit Jackie Chan’s work here, because his performance is spot on. Need proof? Just look at the scene the two of them share in the car on the anniversary of death of Mr. Han’s family. It’s powerful stuff. The Karate Kid is shockingly good.
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3. How to Train Your Dragon
Dreamworks surprised us a couple of years ago when they unleashed Kung Fu Panda on the world. Now, I can’t argue that How to Train Your Dragon is better than Panda, but there’s no doubt that it isn’t a fantastic story about an outcast exceeding expectations. What I love about Dragon is that it’s consistently good filmmaking. The design of the world and the characters is realized with such care that you’d never guess that Dreamworks swapped directors mid-way through the project. It’s a great movie that’s feel-good, exciting, and heart-warming (Awwww!).
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2. Exit Through the Gift Shop
I caught Exit Through the Gift Shop with Colin (after much insistence and raving) after the second day of the LA Times’ Hero Complex in Hollywood. Gift Shop focuses on a French amateur filmmaker turned faux-documentarian turned (allegedly) professional graffiti artist; all told through the eyes of the notorious, mysterious, and infamous street artist Banksy. Now, whether or not Gift Shop is a legit documentary or a brilliant mockumentary, it’s still an affective social commentary, regardless. So, it doesn’t matter if what you’re seeing is real, because the message remains the same. Simply, Exit Through the Gift Shop is hilarious and ingenious. I hope it’s real, but I think I’d be more impressed if it wasn’t.
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1. Toy Story 3
Finally, and this should be everyone’s #1 movie of the first half of 2010, we have Toy Story 3 – a movie that shouldn’t exist. TS3 was born of the minds of some of the most brilliant animators and creative heads working in Hollywood today. We’ve come to expect the world from Pixar and they’ve deliver amazing movies time and time again (Cars excluded). Personally, I don’t think there’s such thing as a perfect movie, because I believe that art is inherently perfect in its imperfection, but it’s hard to argue that third entry in the Toy Story franchise is anything but nearly perfect. We can split hairs forever, but at the end of the day, we have another phenomenal story to add to our collections.
For more of my thoughts on Toy Story 3 and the artistry of 3D technology, check out my review.
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I hope that the second half of the year is better than the first, and frankly, how could it not be? Here’s to optimism and Inception!
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