Catching up with 2010

Apologies for neglecting this for so long. I'm going to do a quick recap of the 2010 movies I've seen so far and then update this regularly!

From best to worst...

Shutter Island - Martin Scorsese doesn't ever disappoint. Shutter Island is full of fantastic performances (DiCaprio, Williams, Mortimer, Clarkson, Von Sydow, Kingsley, Haley, Ruffalo). It remains true to the wonderful book it comes from and manages to be a smart, trippy thriller that will leave you thinking for hours and days after you've seen it. It's mesmerizing and, like the critics say, demands to be watched again and again. Grade - A-

Kick Ass - Look, it's not the most brilliant movie ever or anything but it's a hell of a lot of fun. Chloe Moretz is nothing short of AMAZING as Hit Girl, a foul mouthed 11 year old who will kick your ass. Nicolas Cage is impressive too. It's pretty much the most fun I've had at the movies this year so far. Grade - B

Iron Man 2 - Honestly, it's a little bit of a let down. The first Iron Man was brilliant. This falls short. Not to say it's bad because it's not. It's still a pretty good movie. There is just way too much going on. The script isn't as sharp or funny as the first. Sam Rockwell totally steals the show. Still a good popcorn movie, but I'm not sure it's necessarily a good movie. Grade - C+

Alice in Wonderland - I'm one of the few who doesn't go crazy for all things Tim Burton. I really loved Helena Bonham Carter's take on the Red Queen and some of the imagery was good. Overall, I thought it was just kind of average. Grade - C

The Crazies - Again, just kind of average. It was ok as far as horror movies go. It was a nice throw back to old school horror movies. It kept my attention but I wasn't jumping out of my seat about it. Grade - C

Nightmare on Elm Street - I had this theory that Hollywood could only remake Wes Craven movies well (see also: The Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes). Well, I was wrong. I don't necessarily think this was a bad movie. In fact, there were a couple changes they made that I really prefered. Still, some of the plot holes were substantial and out of the kids, Kyle Gallner was really the only one would could act. Also, I think Jackie Earle Haley was the perfect choice for Freddy but I don't think his role was written particularly well. Grade - C-

Valentine's Day - Just like 98% of other romantic comedies, this is cliche in every sense of the word. There is nothing unique or interesting about it. Except for that fricking cast. Half of the cast I didn't even care about, really, but Jennifer Garner, Eric Dane, Jessica Biel and Bradley Cooper helped me keep my interest. Grade - C-

The Back Up Plan - Thank goodness I got in for free because this was all kinds of awful! Grade - D+

The Book of Eli - Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals and Gary Oldman couldn't save this mess. Grade - D+

Edge of Darkness - Despite being gorier than I anticipated, the script was still awful and complicated and just plain dumb. I love Danny Huston though. Grade - D-

Daybreakers - My love for Ethan Hawke couldn't save this stupid, stupid movie. Stupid premise. Stupid script. Stupid delivery. Just stupid. Grade - F

Legion - I don't even really want to talk about this movie since I have tried to shut it out of my memory. All I will say is that it made absolutely no sense whatsoever. Grade - F