Top 10 Worst Movies of 2010

....Once again, according to me:

10. Skyline

9. Pirahna 3D

8. The Last Song

7. Vampires Suck

6. Resident Evil: Afterlife

5. The American

4. Eat Pray Love

3. Sex and the City 2

2. Get Him to the Greek

1. The Kids Are All Right


-Ethan Brehm

Top 25 Movies of 2010

....According to me, of course--because we all know that know one else will agree with me:

25. The Ghost Writer

24. Let Me In

23. The Town

22. Tron: Legacy

21. Devil

20. Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

19. The Fighter

18. She's Out of My League

17. The King's Speech

16. Tangled

15. The Tourist

14. The Sorcerer's Apprentice

13. Salt

12. Dinner For Schmucks

11. Flipped

10. Percy Jackson and the Olympians

9. The Social Network

8. Hereafter

7. Secretariat

6. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Gahoole

5. Shutter Island

4. The Book of Eli

3. Despicable Me

2. How to Train Your Dragon

1. Toy Story 3


-Ethan Brehm

....All Done!

Wow! This year went by so fast! This New Year's resolution of mine wasn't as hard as I thought it might be. Yeah, there were times where I got kinda stressed because there would be like, 8 movies out that I hadn't seen. But, it taught me discipline and that if I put my mind to it, I can accomplish something--even when I didn't have a job for half the year, and even when I did, I was only getting paid minimum wage for 8 hours a week. But it was a good year and I'm glad I did it.

I will probably continue to see most movies this year--except for the horror movies that I wouldn't go see anyway. I haven't decided if I'm going to keep blogging, because I got really behind on it this year and it took me a long time to catch up. We'll just see how it goes.

Throughout my experiences this year, I have learned a lot about myself as a movie critic and about movies in general:

1. I'm not a very good movie critic because I'm too easily entertained. Although, I am a little bit more critical than I was at the beginning of the year.

2. Kid's movies are not judged very fairly by professional critics, and they tend to critique them as if the films are marketed towards them.

3. It shouldn't matter how the film compares to the previous films in the series, because if the movie is good, then it's good.

4. If a movie makes me cry at the end, I am more likely to give it a better review.

5. If a movie is boring, poorly acted, and badly written, but the ending is really good, I will give it a better review (although I'm trying to get better at that).

6. I'm not AS scared when I see scary movies as much as I was at the beginning of this year--although I still get scared.

7. You have to differentiate whether or not you are giving a movie a review based off of how good the movie was versus how much YOU liked the movie. Because, in the end, they are two completely different things. However, the most important of the two is how much you liked the movie, because if the movie is well made, but you didn't like it, then it may prevent you from watching it again. But when BOTH aspects are a positive, then it makes the movie even better!

8. I can never give a film an F grade because they were always some persons vision, and if they accomplished the task of fulfilling that person's vision, then they can never be a failure. Movies are art, it's just that some art is more appealing than others (and some have bad paint brushes).

9. Don't read reviews before you see a movie because it will always give you some sort of preconception of how the movie will be. It will always be in the back of your mind.

10. Everyone should watch bad movies, because without watching bad movies, you don't know what they good ones really look like. (Something I already knew, but thought it was important to share).

So, from now on, every time someone mentions 2010 in film, I can say that I was there and that I saw every movie that year. I will be unstoppable if they make a "Trivial Pursuit 2010 Movies Edition."

It's been a great year and I've learned so much! Thank you to all who read my blog (wherever you are). I'll keep blogging as long as I'm still reading them.


-Ethan Brehm

Gulliver's Travels

Wow! I did it! Last movie of the year!

This film, loosely based on the 18th century novel of the same name by Jonathan Swift, is about Lemuel Gulliver, who tries to be a travel writer to impress a girl (don't we all) and ends up taking an assignment near Bermuda when things go wrong and he winds up on an island called Liliput where he is surprised to see that all of its citizens are the size of his pinky.

If you are looking for a story that would give the original book justice, than be surprised when you watch this. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the film, but wasn't expecting it to be like anything except for a family film. It takes place in modern times and has humor, at times, similar to Monty Python bits. Jack Black is his usual self, and the rest of the actors actually do a great job (Amanda Peet, Emily Blunt, Jason Segel, Billy Connolly, and Chris O'Dowd). The film is full of silly humor which I, personally, was laughing at--however, some may find it childish (which is probably why I enjoyed it).

Anyway, I would watch it again, because it has many clever scenes and it makes me laugh.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

Little Fockers

This is the third in the trilogy following the relationship between Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and his father-in-law, Jack Burns (Robert De Niro)--although the films are about a lot of other things as well, the main storyline revolves around Greg and Jack. In this film, which takes place 6 years after the second film, Greg and his wife, Pam (Teri Polo), have 5-year-old twins--one boy and one girl. Jack and Greg further their relationship as Jack, the family patriarch, appoints Greg as his successor, and then further analyzes him to see if he can live up to this title.

Now, this film may not be as good as the first two, but I still think that it was a good film (partially because I just love all of the characters and could probably watch them in any scenario presented to them). But the reason why this film may not be as good as the first two could be because there is a new director, and half of the screenwriting team did not come back for this one. The jokes in this one were of the same taste, but not AS funny as the first two. Don't get me wrong, I still laughed out loud several times during this one, its just that the jokes weren't as memorable as the first two. If this film never had the first two films to compare it to, it would have been better received by the critics. The thing that I love about these films is that they don't rerun jokes over and over again from the prior films--they all have jokes that are unique to their individual storylines. It cheapens the sequels when films rely on successful jokes from the previous film to ensure an "easy laugh," when all this does is kill the joke. But these films don't step into that territory--they are all well written. I love these films so much and could watch these characters over and over again, as they have so much depth and personality.

As a film, this one was good, but don't say I didn't tell you that the first two are better--just don't think about that if you go see it. Nonetheless, if you are a big fan of the first two films, this one is worth seeing.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

The King's Speech

This film, based on a true story, is about King George VI (Colin Firth) who has a bad stammer when he talks. Geoffrey Rush plays speech therapist, Lionel Logue, who tries to help the King with his problem.

I loved this movie! It's so inspirational and powerful! Both Firth and Rush give amazing performances as the two leads. It keeps your attention the whole time and is never boring, nor is it more serious than it has to be (there are some really funny parts). This movie was brilliant! It was clean, classy, and straight-to-the-point. There was some brief cursing, but that's about it. It has a great message about overcoming your fears. It's not some over-artsy film-snob film, but a film that everyone can enjoy.

Don't judge this film by its synopsis, because it is very interesting and entertaining.

Overall Grade: A+


-Ethan Brehm

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

This is the third film in the Narnia series, and it is the last in the Pevensie children trilogy. It takes place 3 years after the events in the second film and only features the youngest 2 kids (Lucy and Edward) because the oldest kids have gained everything they could from Narnia and can no longer return. In this film, Lucy and Edward are joined by their cousin, Eustace, who is very skeptical and doesn't get along with Lucy and Edward. The three are set out to find the seven lost lords, with the help of Prince Caspian, in order to save Narnia from becoming corrupt. All the characters are tested as they journey to Aslan's country.

This film is on par with the rest of the films in the series. One of the things that I like about these films are that the acting is great--even on the children's part. The character development was fantastic! The story was very well executed in this film. It presented a very darkening feel to Narnia as they get closer to corruption. The effects were great--probably the best so far out of all the films. I think this film--moreso than the second film in the series--has great potential of recruiting new Narnia fans and expanding its audience. People don't necessarily have to see the second film in order to understand this one--it kind of stands on its own. Although, it could help with certain references. This film also will go over well with the Christian fanbase because of some dialogue towards the end of the film.

I love these films and hope they continue the series!

Overall Grade: A+


-Ethan Brehm

The Fighter

This is a film starring Mark Wahlberg as boxer, Mickey Ward, and Christian Bale as Mickey's half-brother, mentor, and former boxer, Dicky Eklund. Growing up in a bad neighborhood, Mickey tries to make a name for himself and get a better life than the one his family has provided for him.

You may think that you have seen this film many times before, but you will find that you are wrong. This film was great! It's hard to say that I've seen a better acted film all year, if not in the past few years. Bale's performance may be one of the top 3 acting performances that I have ever seen. His character possessed him and he was perfect. If he doesn't win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor I will be upset and extremely surprised. You don't even recognize him in the role. The film isn't so much about boxing as it is about Ward's escape from his life. It's not an overdramatic melodrama, but a light-hearted movie about life and the relationship between Mickey and his family--especially his brother. It will make you laugh several times throughout and is never too slow. It may be predictable, but as you watch it, you never find yourself trying to guess the ending because you are so enthralled with what is happening on the screen.

Overall Grade: A+


-Ethan Brehm

Black Swan

This film is a darker take on the ballet, Swan Lake. The play requires one dancer to play both the White Swan, who is innocent, and the Black Swan who is more aggresive and sensual. Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina dancer who wants to play the lead, but she is only seeming to fit the White Swan role, however Lily (Mila Kunis) is another dancer who is perfectly fitting to play the Black Swan. Since the role requires only one dancer, Lily must either find her innocent side or Nina must find her darker side.

The concept for this movie is actually really great...and so is the acting. However, I find myself not really being a fan of this film because it is too melodramatic. I feel like I have now seen Natalie Portman cry way more times than I had ever wished to in my lifetime. Though, I cannot deny that this is a good MOVIE, even though I may not like it so much. It is very strong and artistic. The music is perfect for the piece, and so is the cinematography. Everything about it is great except for the movie itself (if that makes sense). So I will take both into consideration.

Overall Grade: B


-Ethan Brehm

True Grit

This Western by the Coen Brothers is a rare film for the genre nowadays. Hailee Steinfeld plays Mattie, a young girl who seeks revenge on her fathers killer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). She asks Deputy US Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) if he would hunt down Chaney for her. Meanwhile, Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) also is attempting to track down and kill Chaney because of another murder he committed in Texas.

The acting and casting is great in this film--especially 14-year-old Steinfeld. I wouldn't be surprised if she recieves an Oscar nod. The character depth is also well thought out and executed, but maybe not the best character development. The writing was great in this adaptation of the book, and the cinematography will also likely get nominated for some awards. It's a very simple film and a good Western. I just wish that I walked away feeling a bit more fulfilled--similar to how I felt after The Hurt Locker, but not as much so. However, this really is a great film that doesn't rely on a "good looking" cast to move it along. It captures the audiences attention the whole time, it just wasn't as moving as I would have hoped--but it IS a Western after all, so I guess that might come with the genre.

Overall Grade: A-


-Ethan Brehm

The Tourist

Now, this is a film in which the critics, I thought, underrated. It's one of the better films that I've seen this year. It stars Johnny Depp as Frank, an American tourist visiting Italy after he loses his wife, and Angelina Jolie as Elise, a woman who is wanted by the Scotland Yard and deliberately introduces herself to Frank and gets him involved in the situation.

This really was a great movie! The acting was superb and so was the writing. The story was not too unbelievable where it would alienate the audience. The film had great character development and did a good job at knowing how the audience thinks so to leave nothing to confusion. It was light on its feet and never took itself too seriously. The chemistry could have been a bit better between the two leads, but it was still one of my favorite films of the year.

Overall Grade: A+

-Ethan Brehm

Yogi Bear

Everyone knows Yogi Bear! Well, this is a live-action feature film based on the cartoon series of the same name. A documentary filmmaker, Rachel (Anna Farris), visits Jellystone Park to work on her new project because she hears that they have two rare talking bears that could help her--Yogi (Dan Aykroyd) and Boo-Boo (Justin Timberlake). Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh) tries to teach Yogi and Boo-Boo to stop stealing picnic baskets from guests because he feels that it is putting the park in jeopardy of being shut down by the ruthless Mayor (Andrew Daly).

This film was actually really funny and I liked it a lot! All the kids in the theater were laughing along with myself. If kids can enjoy it, then it serves its purpose. The fact that adults can laugh at its silly humor is a plus. Its slapstick style of humor hit with me. Like I said, the jokes were silly, and they were stupid in all the right places. It wasn't filled with cheap jokes, but ones coming from good instinct. It was in the heart of the original cartoon, which is how it should be. The storyline was goofy and cartoonish and well thought out. It also did not have a predictable conclusion at all! It is a great kids film with good acting and voice talents. This film had great heart and was funnier than many non-children's films that I've watched this year.

Also, there was a good Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner short before the film.

Overall Grade: A

-Ethan Brehm

How Do You Know

This film by James L. Brooks is about a love triangle between Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) who is just cut from the USA softball team, George (Paul Rudd) who is a corporate executive who suddenly finds himself as the target of a criminal investigation for corporate malfeasance, and Matty (Owen Wilson) who is a major league baseball player who likes to party. Jack Nicholson plays Charles--George's father and boss.

The film is well acted and exploits the talents of the four leads very well. It does tend to be very confusing towards the beginning regarding the story of George getting investigated--they don't really explain it very well, and speak in terms that are hard to understand compared to the easily understood rest of the movie. It's just not really clear why the investigation is happening, and when they explain it, it doesn't seem to make much sense until later. However, the characters are all well developed and the dialogue is smart and witty. Rudd broadens his repertoire of characters with this role and helps make the film. The movie moved a bit too slow in the beginning, but after that it picks up pace and is full of laughs. The story is a beautiful and meaningful love story that makes you think. Despite the slowness and confusing dialogue towards the beginning, the rest of the film makes up for it.

Overall Grade: A-


-Ethan Brehm

Tron: Legacy

This film takes place 27 years after the first one ends. If you haven't seen the first one, I recommend seeing it before you see this one. Although, you don't HAVE to see it to understand everything that goes on in this one--though it might help give a greater understanding of the significance of the events in this film. It stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn and Garrett Hedlund as his son Sam Flynn, who hasn't seen his dad in 12 years after his dad disappeared. Kevin was a software engineer and CEO of ENCOM International and created Tron, the popular arcade game. Sam is visited by his dad's old friend, Alan, who tells him that he received a page from his dad's old office at the arcade which hasn't been in use since he disappeared. Sam goes to the office to check it out.

I loved this movie! I saw it at midnight and everyone there was satisfied at the end. It has great acting and great action. It's well written and pleasing to the eye. Usually films take you exactly where you want them to, however this film surprises you with what is to happen next. It is unpredictable, especially the ending. In a film that includes many computer generated characters, you would expect them to have to emotion or humanity--however the actors bring it to the characters much like Tom Hanks brings to Woody in Toy Story. This film doesn't "take off" where you wish is would, but it takes off when you're least expecting it. The ending plays with your emotions a bit. The whole movie brings a sort of mysterious tone much like the first one. The fact that it is a concept so out of the ordinary is what makes it so fun to watch--much like the first time a baby sees fireworks. They either love it because its unlike anything else, or they hate it because its out of their comfort zone. Bridges gives another great performance, and so does the rest of the cast. I also have to give credit to Daft Punk for writing a terrific score that is perfect in the setting of the movie!

Hopefully they will release this film with the original in a set so I can finally have it on DVD. It didn't make me do a whole lot of soul searching, but it did have a great plot and makes people strangely addicted to the concept. There was nothing wrong with this film.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

Faster

When I first saw the trailers for this film I thought it was going to be stupid and unoriginal. However, it turned out to be one that I liked a lot. It's about Driver (Dwayne Johnson) who is released from prison after 10 years and seeks revenge on his brother's murderer and everyone who was associated with the murder. Meanwhile Cop (Billy Bob Thorton) and Cicero (Carla Gugino) attempt to find and stop Driver.

I enjoyed this film. The acting is great, however some of the lines are a little cheap. Johnson does have a tendency to overact, but in this situation, I think the dialogue had something to do with it. Though, as the film moves on, the dialogue gets better. The film has great characters and gives them depth. There is a great ending with a great message attached.

The movie hits hard and is fast paced from start to finish. It makes you want to figure out the big picture behind the whole thing, and it definitely satisfies your want in the end.

Overall Grade: A-

-Ethan Brehm

Love and Other Drugs

This film is about Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is a pharmaceutical sales rep who seems to not be very successful despite his charm with women. His product, Zoloft, keeps being shot down by doctors who want the rival Prozac instead. He meets Maggie (Anne Hathaway) who suffers from early onset Parkinson and they both discover more than they intended to about themselves and each other.

The movie is alright. It has its ups and downs. It is humorous and keeps you interested, but some scenes seem a little too drawn out. There are many scenes of unnecessary sex and nudity that make you feel like they were thrown in for shock value rather than necessity. The dialogue is nicely written, and the relationship between Jamie and Maggie is more of a realistic interpretation rather than a fairytale one, however, in the end it can't escape its juvenile fate. Though, it does show a good example of true love and sacrifice. There was just a little too much sex and nudity for me, which tarnishes the beauty of the outcome of this film. I would have liked it way more if it wasn't for that.

Oh yeah, it also tells of the beginning of Viagra and the rep who pushed it.

Overall Grade: B


-Ethan Brehm

The Next Three Days

I love movies like this! It's about Laura Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) who is sent to prison for life after being accused of murdering her boss after a fight they had at work. Her husband John (Russell Crowe) refuses to believe that she is guilty and has the idea of breaking her out.

This film is great! It never takes itself too seriously and it doesn't waste the actors' talents. It may not be the most believable plot, but the way it's portrayed in this movie could fool you into believing that it could happen. It's not too violent and never becomes too suspenseful as to give you a heart attack. However, it's fast paced in all the right spots. I don't mind the uneven pace--in fact, it gives the audience a breather (for those who like having one). I mean, I don't mind films that ARE fast paced the whole time, but it's always good to have one or two that slow it down in order to express the character's emotions and make it a little bit MORE realistic than the story would indicate.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

The Warrior's Way

A 19th century warrior named Yang (Jang Dong-gun) has the task to kill the last remaining member of the enemy clan, which is an infant baby. Instead, he flees with the baby without killing it and goes to the American West, where he finds a small town and makes friends there--including Ron (Geoffrey Rush) and Lynne (Kate Bosworth).

This movie did not seem to get much of an audience. However, I thought it was a great film. It had great acting, a great script, and action that you don't see very often. There is a great unique combination of martial arts and Western films. It is beautifully shot and contains great artwork. I love how Yang learns about himself and changes throughout the film. He chooses to save a helpless life instead of killing it like he has to so many other people. This film remains unpredictable the whole way and makes you laugh and smile during the times that it doesn't fill you with suspense. It doesn't dumb down its story line, yet it presents it in a way that isn't confusing or hard to understand. There isn't a slow point in this film that will leave you disinterested.

Overall Grade: A


-Ethan Brehm

Morning Glory

This film stars Rachel McAdams as Becky, a news producer who just got laid off from her job. She gets a chance at DayBreak, a struggling morning show. She attempts to fix up the show and get it to number 1 while trying to hire a new co-host along side of Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton). Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford), journalist legend, is her first choice, yet he is difficult to work with and considered one of the worst people on the planet.

This film was slow at parts, but overall very funny and uplifting. The talent is great and it provides a different kind of humor. The characters have great depth to them along with respective dialogue to go with. I also liked how the film did not center too much around the substory of Becky's relationship with her new boyfriend from work--it doesn't take the film on a predictable cheap substory for the sake of adding unnecessary drama. Like I said, some parts were just a little slow.

I really liked this film, and I would definitely watch it again--maybe even buy it if the price was right.

Overall Grade: B+


-Ethan Brehm

Burlesque

This film stars Cher as a The Burlesque Lounge's owner, Tess, and Christina Aguilera as Ali, a girl from the midwest who moves to Los Angeles to follow her dreams of singing and dancing. She tries her best to make it at the lounge, but there are several things that stand in her way.

Now, I thought I was going to hate this film. It just seemed like a cheap way to make a buck, but it actually had more class than the previews made it out to have. The acting was great, with the exception of Aguilera, however, I can tell the difference between poor acting and "this is her first film, but she'll get better." And since this was her first, I can see the potential. The script lacked in certain parts, and there weren't a whole lot of surprises throughout the film. However, it did a great job of making you root for the leads. The movie stays light on its feet and never gets too melodramatic when it probably could have many times. It's also very beautifully shot.

The best part of this film is the music! It was great! It combined genres of today and the first half of the 20th century.

Cher does a great job, and any fans of her or Aguilera will find this movie more than appealing. The film may not be fantastic or anything, but it's a simple movie that's a lot of fun to watch.

Overall Grade: B


-Ethan Brehm