1. Inception - 9.5/10 - After some time to process it all... I think i have to knock off a half point. There are problems. But Nolan has still managed to craft a phenomenal sci-fi thriller.
2. Toy Story 3 - 9.5/10 - More thinking has this dropped a half-point, as I slowly came to grips with the fact that I think The Incredibles might still be a stronger Pixar film or at least its equal. I still can't exaggerate the effect this film had on me, and the year still has a LOT of work to do to potentially beat this movie.
3. How To Train Your Dragon - 9/10 - This towers over everything Dreamworks has accomplished before. A phenomenal story on par with most Pixar films. I can't even say how pleased I was to get to see this while it was still playing in theaters.
4. Shutter Island – 9/10 – By far the best film to be released this year, and the only thing on this list likely to make the Oscars next spring... DiCaprio is phenomenal in this beautifully filmed thriller.
5. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World - 8/10 - Scott Pilgrim is Michael Cera. I never thought I would be able to say that without gagging, but he nailed the role right on the head. And Wright nailed the film at large. My problems are minor, and I'll save them for the release of the film in theaters. God Bless San Diego Comic Con.
6. Kick-Ass – 8/10 – High octane fun... Much better than the original comic book series in the way it dropped its aspirations towards reality and embraced the absurdity of ultraviolence in superheroism.
7. Predators - 7.5/10 - Probably my favorite of the Predator franchise thus far... Everything about this movie was awesome. Bits of the CGI didn't work, and it could have used a bit more polish, but as is, its a wholly enjoyable film.
8. Dinner For Schmucks - 7/10 - Much better than I expected, after the film was basically shrugged off by critics and audiences... A sweet movie that made me laugh. Comedy-wise, that's all you really need.
9. Hot Tub Time Machine - 7/10 - A really sweet movie and a great buddy comedy with only a handful of stale jokes. The way they handle the time travel in the film is problematic, but only we geeks would really nit-pick at that.
10. Iron Man 2 – 7/10 – High octane fun as well, but without the story-work that should have been there to make it truly unforgettable. Truly wish I could rank this higher, but regardless, I had one hell of a time watching this movie.
11. The Other Guys - 7/10 - A fun movie... Wahlberg seems a little misplaced, but this is certainly the first time in ages where I've really liked Will Ferrell in a movie. There are plenty of issues, and it could have been much better, but it was ultimately a lot of fun.
12. The Karate Kid - 7/10 - Surprisingly satisfying, and an extremely solid film. It's far from perfect, but it is fun and the fighting is incredible. Definitely worth the ticket price.
13. The A-Team - 7/10 - Okay wow, this probably comes from having had virtually no expectations for this film whatsoever, but even though i was in a bad mood going in, I have to admit the film was extremely fun. Probably the first time I've actually liked Bradley Cooper's character in a movie.
14. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - 6.5/10 - I wish I could hate this movie, but Slade actually does the impossible and makes the abysmal bearable. Cheers to you Mr. Slade. The story is still rubbish, but the film engaged me throughout.
15. Get Him to the Greek - 6.5/10 - Funny but ultimately disappointing. Still love Aldous Snow, the fictional Rock God that he is, but at the end of the day, I was hoping for something closer to the other Apatow efforts in terms of the film's emotional side.
16. The Crazies - 6.5/10 - The better side of mediocre, but not by much. Boring at parts, scary sometimes... I saw it a few weeks ago and have kind of already forgotten most of it.
17. A Nightmare on Elm Street - 6/10 - Really should have been so much better... The world deserves the return of Freddy Kruger, and there's so much potential in a horror monster that lurks in the dreamworld that just probably won't ever happen... Until the round of Threemakes starts up in another 20 years (get ready, everyone). The worst part about these Platinum Dunes films is they haven't figured out that casting the lead female role is ****ing important. For the first 45 minutes, i didn't even know WHICH of the bland girls was supposed to be Nancy.
18. Alice in Wonderland – 5/10 – This should have been infinitely weirder than it ultimately was. What it ended up as was simply a cliched fantasy plot forced into Wonderland... Some good visuals and performances, but by far the least satisfying Burton film in ages.
19. Daybreakers – 5/10 – This movie really could have been good... I loved the world, and Sam Neil made for a great villainous vampire... But in the end, it was just all kind of stupid.
20. Legion – 3/10 – "Ain't got no shark teeth, paw!" made me laugh out loud. A lot of this movie did. I don't think I would have enjoyed it at all without the few beers I drank beforehand.
21. Shrek The Fourth - 1/10 - Having created this film, everyone on the production team should be put in prison forever. In particular the person who voiced Rumplestiltskin. I cannot even remember a less enjoyable film-going experience in recent history. At least Legion was LAUGHABLY terrible. Nobody in the theater laughed at this film. It was dead silent and sad.
22. The Last Airbender - 0.5/10 - There is precisely one character in this film, and he was Zuko's Uncle. I don't know how he survived Shyamalan's directing, but he did it, and that is the only reason this film gets a half-point. There is no flow, no characterization, no compelling action (which is particularly shocking)... It's telling about the quality of the source material that the most frustrating thing about this film is that it SHOULD be good, the world this film fails to depict shines through in the minutest detail. In a strange way, I'm glad I've seen this, because it makes me want to see the animated series more than ever. This film is a failure on virtually every level, its only moments of strength derived from the structure provided by the series this film failed to adapt. I didn't enjoy a minute of this movie, and if you feel compelled to see it, download it. There is no reason to support this film in theaters.
Upcoming Movies to See:
The Expendables, Piranha 3D, Machete, The Adjustment Bureau, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Let Me In, Casino Jack, The Social Network, Tangled, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, Tron Legacy, True Grit
