40. Iron Man 2- All the elements were there to make this great. The first Iron Man was a big surprise and became a massive hit. Scarlett Johannson and Mickey Rourke were both fine additions to the cast and I salivated at the thought of Rourke being a big time villain. But then when I saw the finished product it just never seemed to all fit together. Everything that made the first one so much fun was tossed aside to make stuff louder, irrelevant, and misguided. Story lines are rushed and nothing seems to be left there enough to matter. Damn shame too.
39. Edge of Darkness- This film is vintage Mel Gibson and should've been the first step of him ascending again in the movie industry. He blew it all a few months later with insane sounding ramblings. That doesn't affect this film though. It's an entertaining conspiracy thriller and Gibson grounds the intensity in some semblance of reality. It gets a little muddled towards the end but it keeps its foot on the gas of conviction until the final credits roll.
38. Unstoppable- The very definition of a popcorn film. Denzel does some great work here elevating a silly premise and Tony Scott finds a way to work in plenty of action movie cliches. Visually the film is stunning though and the cinematographer should be given massive credit for this. About an hour in you'll tire of them always finding a way out of a jam but it brings you back in at the end and has you rooting for the two leads. Plus there is a great supporting character who shows up and his appearances gradually get more inane, and fun.
37. Avatar- Yes the film is wondrous looking and visually it is intensely creative. However, the story is horrible in this film. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this movie needed the 3D gimmick or it would've been one of the worst reviewed films ever. I feel bad for people who only get to see this in 2D at their house. Also, it's hard to watch this film and not feel like Cameron is talking down to you from his ideological perch. It was okay for a first viewing but I can't see it being something I watch over and over and enjoy.
36. Date Night- Everything in this film hinges on the performances of Steve Carell and Tina Fey. Without them this movie would probably be much further down the list. The general feeling I couldn't shake though was that the film sets up a lot of great opportunities but never fully capitalizes on them. Mark Wahlberg's character was ripe for potential and he basically gets turned into a one note joke. The escape from the police station had potential too but it just felt like it moved too quick from it.
35. Get Him to the Greek- This is pretty much designed to be Russell Brand's star making turn and he answers the call for the most part. He probably never adds enough depth to his character but I think that is more the fault of the writer than of Brand. Every time Jonah Hill is on screen though the film sort of grinds to a halt. He is way too reserved and the idea is that Brand's character forces him to confront that but Hill underacts it and never gets to the point the script wants him to get too. There are some funny scenes towards the end that push this forward but it also makes you a little sad that the film took so long to get going.
34. Paranormal Activity 2- it doesn't cover any new ground from the first one but in some ways it is scarier than the first one. For a long time you have a hard time placing this film in the time line of the first one but towards the end it clears that all up and twists how you probably felt about the film up to that point. The one downfall of the film is that they use many of the same beat patterns of the first film so you know the tricks. Once the night vision stuff starts you know stuff will happen. Doesn't make it any less creepy but it means you get annoyed at the parts in between. That kitchen scene though- it got me.
33. The Book of Eli- The film is a little uneven and it does feel like the film's reach exceeds its grasp. However, the Hughes Brothers do inject some style to the film which is welcome because post-apocalyptic films have increased in numbers recently. The movie is engrossing throughout though and when it gets to the end it hits you with a few left turns that make sense and leave you second guessing what you just watched. Enjoyable little film and a pleasant surprise.
32. The Expendables- Sylvester Stallone got together a bunch of his action movie making buddies and created this testosterone filled filled. Some will complain about the directing or the plot but really- you have to know what to expect when you look at a film with all these stars in it. The one odd note is the monologue Mickey Rourke does halfway through as it sort of feels out of place but it does provide a huge piece of the puzzle for this film. It sort of grounds the hyper-drive movie into a place where it actually serves some purpose.
31. Morning Glory- Inconsistent at times but the entire film is lifted by great performances from Ford, Keaton, and most importantly Rachel McAdams. She is entirely endearing throughout the film and by the end it's hard not to root for her character, or be in love with her. The film itself is funny but the dedication with which the three leads attack it transforms the film into something that is just warm to watch. I also appreciated that they resisted the urge to make Ford and McAdams mis-matched lovers. The conflict between them is Ford doesn't see that McAdams is as dedicated to her piece of the television landscape as he is to his. Once that is realized the two develop a camaraderie that works for the show.
Tomorrow comes #30-21
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