Dan's 2010 Movies in Review


Originally published in Cinema Knife Fight, January 11, 2011

OK, so if Wikipedia‘s list of “Motion Pictures Released in 2010” is to be believed (which is probably not the case, I’m sure a lot of Indies came out that weren’t in there), I saw a lot more 2010 movies than I thought I had. Some I watched in theaters or the drive-in, more so in the latter part of the year. Others, via Netflix or other rentals. Some of the films I chose to watch, others were rented by my kids and I happened to be sitting there and ended up watching. I’ve seen, and reviewed, more than what is listed below, but those weren’t 2010 films and so, alas, do not make the list.

Of the Wiki-listed, naught-tenner science-fiction / horror / fantasy films I’ve seen, I’ve ranked them in order of how much I enjoyed them:

INCEPTION & SHUTTER ISLAND: Have to give these two puppies a tie for “Best 2010 Film I’ve Seen.”  As usual, DiCaprio will be snubbed for his leading role in both, as has become a recent Oscar tradition. He was great – though for the most part he played the same character.  INCEPTION wins for its sheer originality, visual effects, and balls. Not everyone is going to get off on this film, many probably walked out dazed and confused, and not in the good way. Me, I loved it, even if I did have to strain my brain to follow the plot’s details. SHUTTER ISLAND wins for one of the best screen adaptations of one of the best suspense novels I’ve ever read. I loved the book by Denis Lehane years ago, and this film did it perfect justice. Not since THE GREEN MILE has a favorite novel so vividly been brought to life.

HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 1 comes in second. Say what you will of the film, as a stand-alone entity, but it kept loyal to Rowling’s final book – the first half of it at least. A lot of people thought it was too slow, but that’s because the first half of the book was that way. (Wait until PART 2, like the second half of the book, it never lets up). It did drag, but the actors did such a great job with it, that, being a major fan of the books and films, I was more than pleased with the result.


ALICE IN WONDERLAND – I rented this with my kids and was pleasantly surprised. Now, don’t go into this movie with any expectation that the story is based on anything specific written by Lewis Carroll. Some parts were lifted from his Alice books, but this film is original in plot, and stupendous mostly in capturing the dark side of most every character in this beloved series. Johnny Depp was insanely brilliant, as usual, as was Helene Bonham-Carter as the psychotic Queen of Hearts.

ONDINE – I guess everyone’s favorite Irish heartthrob Colin Farrell had disappeared from films for a while to clean himself up, and it must have worked. Farrell’s newest (for me, at least) role as the shy fisherman, Syracuse, in Neil Jordan’s touching love story ONDINE is played with such quiet intensity I found myself a fan again, as I had been years before when he was the only decent actor in (the British TV series BALLYKISSANGEL). ONDINE falls somewhat in the fantasy realm as Farrell’s perfectly-matched co-star Alicja Bachleda is supposedly a seal who shed her coat… well, long story, and one I’ll hopefully share in a review I promised Lauran I’d write soon.

LET ME IN – I thought the original LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008) from Sweden was brilliant, and LET ME IN was a perfect remake. I mean.. perfect… to the frame, and that’s unfortunate. This is my only objection to this movie… if they were going to recreate the film exactly, why bother? If people don’t want to read subtitles watching the original it’s their loss, or they can use the dubbing feature (ick) on the DVD. Same sets, same everything, except the actors. If you’re going to make a US version, make it a US version. Still, if you haven’t seen the original, you’ll dig this, because it is made very nicely and well-acted. Which is why it’s up this high.

Three Animated films I watched and enjoyed in 2010: TOY STORY 3 was the best of the bunch. SHREK FOREVER AFTER wasn’t as bad as SHREK 3, but still far from the first two. DESPICABLE ME was cute, and fun to watch with the kids.

THE WOLFMAN – Overall, a decent werewolf film, but I have an issue with going too overboard with CGI. And stupid martial-arts wire-acrobatics which do not conform to the physical laws of nature. The climactic battle between the two werewolves was so “fake” (yea, I know they weren’t real, but it just LOOKED fake and it shouldn’t) it ruined, for me, what was an otherwise well-done classic horror film.

KICK-ASS – Uber violent but oddly cute. I actually didn’t finish it, not sure why, but will some day. Maybe.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 – Far better than the original, though to understand the ending you need to watch the first. At least this time they used security cameras around the house as a better excuse for the “real” footage.

IRON MAN 2 – Not as good as the original, but still a brilliant Iron Man film, especially with Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow heading the cast. But the film fell way short, unfortunately, because of a sorely miscast Don Cheadle as Rhodey Rhodes and the stupidest ending sequence – I mean, they had Mickey Rourke as this uber cool, tough bad guy Whiplash, and he fights them using remote control robot monsters? The first fight at the race track was far, far better.

THE LAST AIRBENDER – Maybe The Last Avatar Film. I reviewed this here at Cinema Knife Fight recently. Nice Visuals, not enough humor. Stuff like that.

THE TOOTH FAIRY – Starring “The Rock” in the title role.. not as bad as you would expect, I begrudgingly have to admit admit….

THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE & PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS – hard to tell these two apart, both good drive-in films, but likely will not change the world in even the slightest way. Worth watching if you have kids, otherwise give the four bucks’ rental cost to someone on the sidewalk holding out a cup.

DEVIL - Noooooo! M Night, where have you gone? Come back…. come back…

CASE 39 – Reviewed this one as well. No sense rehashing it here… Too painful

Also saw DATE NIGHTDEAR JOHN and LETTERS TO GOD… yes, I have two beautiful daughters and will force myself to watch anything if it makes them happy….