Overall, I found 2010 to be a pretty disappointing year at the movies.  I skipped many of the summer blockbusters, and those I did see, like Iron Man 2, were underwhelming.  I also skipped several of the major critical darlings for various reasons.  I wasn’t particularly interested in The Social Network; it just wasn’t a story that appealed to me.  I passed on Black Swan basically on principle, since I hated Darren Aronofsky’s last movie, The Wrestler, so much.  So in lieu of a “Top 10 movies of 2010” list, I’ve decided to do something slightly different.  I’ve compiled a list of my 12 favorite things from the movies this year.  They’re mostly what I would call “Movie Moments”, either particular scenes or sequences that stood out to me, and that I really enjoyed.  Sometimes it’s nothing more than a few seconds of film, sometimes it’s an entire scene or sequence of scenes, and in one case it’s an entire film.  Some movies have multiple spots on the list.  So here’s what I liked the most at the movies last year: Continue reading →

5) The Departed
That’s right, an Oscar winner for Best Picture is on my list of worst movies of the decade. This one is mostly a case of being enormously over hyped. A Martin Scorsese film with a cast that includes DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson, Wahlberg, Sheen and Baldwin should never be this bad. A horrible script of uninteresting characters and a cliché mix of good cop undercover with the mob and a bad cop playing traitor to his department make for a waste of film. Worst of all is Jack Nicholson’s mob boss, a character so over the top that he becomes annoying whenever he’s on screen. The plot is full of twists and turns but is always predictable, with the only surprise coming in a manner designed to elicit the loudest screams from the audience. And then ending, so obvious and insulting, is totally pointless. It’s such a shame that such talent was wasted, and even more of a shame that most people don’t even realize it’s a waste. Continue reading →

10) Finding Nemo
It should be no surprise to anyone to find a Pixar film on this list. If the 2000’s belong to anyone, it’s Pixar. John Lasseter’s studio evolved from a technological revolution to the premier movie production studio of the last decade, culminating in Pixar’s purchase by Disney and Lasseter’s positioning as Disney’s Chief Creative Officer. Finding Nemo was the turning point. Pre-Nemo Pixar films were beautiful, technological achievements, with cute, funny and entertaining stories that offered glimpses of what animation could become. Finding Nemo, however, is a work of art. An epic story, full of heart, endearing characters and some of the most gorgeous visuals, all combined to rock the movie world to its core. The fact that computer animation could be used only as a means to tell a story instead of a fun and gimmicky way to entertain kids was incomprehensible to most studios and viewers. But by the end of Finding Nemo, when you’ve forgotten you’re watching talking fish that come from a computer and you’re rejoicing in the reunion of father and son, you’re experiencing the changing of an entire industry. Continue reading →

10) Hulk
In a decade when superhero movies ruled the box office, Hulk was the worst. The really sad part is that Hulk was supposed to be the cure for the modern superhero movie, adding a layer of depth and artistry rarely seen in the genre. It had a respectable, though not spectacular, cast in Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly and Nick Nolte, but where Hulk really stood out was its director. Ang Lee is an Oscar winning director with films like Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, in his resume, and it was quite the coup for Hulk to get someone of his caliber. Even the best director, however, couldn’t have saved this film. The tedious and nonsensical script, the amazingly plastic special effects and the absurd 3^rd act combine to doom this movie despite what I can only assume were the sincere efforts of the cast and crew. From a script standpoint, the hero is boring and uninteresting, the military are ridiculously stupid, and the Nick Nolte character is an absolute mess. The effects, wildly hyped pre-release, are passable during night scenes, but the biggest action sequence takes place in the desert in bright sunlight. The Hulk looks rubbery and toy-like at the best of times, and looks worse the more dirt he gets on him. It’s embarrassing when your star creature looks like something you could find in a Wal-Mart bargain bin. As for the final act, I haven’t a clue what was going on. Nick Nolte turned into a giant electrical monster for no apparent reason, but the Hulk somehow stops him. Yay? What was the point? An expensive mess, it still managed to have a sequel that I mercifully skipped. If that’s not Hollywood, I don’t know what is. Continue reading →