Tron: Legacy
1982’s ‘Tron’ is well regarded as a cult classic of the 80’s
but it took 28 years to make a sequel. However, in the end, I think the sequel
does manage to be as good as the original. The visuals are spectacular, the
film’s techno-based soundtrack by Daft Punk is one of the best film scores in
recent memory, and while the writing may not exactly be great, the acting is
pretty good all around, primarily from Jeff Bridges, Olivia Wilde, and Garrett
Hedlund. Like with this year’s ‘Oblivion’, director Joseph Kosinski does an
excellent job at setting up the universe of ‘The Grid’. However, also like with
‘Oblivion’, he needs better writing.
The Karate Kid
This was a film that, at first, I wasn’t particularly
interested in; maybe because it was a remake of a classic underdog story or
because it didn’t really appeal to me. Thankfully, I was proven wrong as this
movie is one of the rare remakes that are just as good as the original. This
film has incredible cinematography, which is mainly thanks to the film’s
backdrop; China. Both Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan do terrific jobs in the lead
roles and the film does a great job at detailing the relationship between
student and master in which they work together in order to succeed. I have to
give this movie a lot of credit because it truly did catch me off guard.
Unstoppable
Here’s another movie that sort of caught me off guard, but
in the case of this movie, it was in the sense that this film actually got
really good reviews from critics when it was released, which I really wasn’t
expecting from an action movie about a runaway freight train. In the end, this
was a very entertaining popcorn flick. It has you at the edge of your seat from
beginning to end, and Denzel Washington and Chris Pine both do excellent jobs;
the two have great camaraderie. It’s the final film from director Tony Scott,
two years before he tragically committed suicide, but it’s perhaps one of his
best efforts.
Kicking things off at Number 10 is a sequel that, while not
as good as the original or its successor, is still a very entertaining entry in
the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
10. Iron Man 2
From a series standpoint, ‘Iron Man 2’ is the weakest of the
‘Iron Man’ movies. That’s mainly because the filmmakers went a little too far
in ‘upping the ante’ for the sequel. The main problem with the film is that there
are just too many characters in it, meaning that some don’t get the proper
character development they deserve, particularly the main villain Whiplash.
However, despite this, the movie is still very entertaining as a whole and
Robert Downey Jr. is still excellent as always in the role of Tony Stark
(although this film plays up his arrogance just a bit too much). In the end,
while the writing could have been better, this is another entertaining entry in
the Marvel Cinematic Universe and another step towards what would come later
with ‘The Avengers’.
At number 9 is the most underrated film of 2010, as it
performed pretty poorly at the box office despite solid reviews from critics.
It’s a real shame because this is a really creative and entertaining film.
9. Scott Pilgrim vs.
the World
First off, let me just say three things about this film.
Yes, it is incredibly weird. Yes, the first 30 minutes or so are rather slow
and boring. Yes, the main character is rather unlikable because he abandons his
sweet and caring girlfriend for someone else. Despite all of these ‘disadvantages’,
the movie is just awesome. Director Edgar Wright’s slick and kinetic direction
is perfect for this adaptation of the graphic novel series of the same name. As
for the slow opening, once the first of Ramona’s evil Exes appears, the film
picks up the pace and immediately improves as a result of it. The film’s many
references to video games make it one of the best ‘video game’ movies out
there. The irony about this is that it’s not even based off of a video game. Again,
it’s too bad that this movie didn’t perform well at the box office because it’s
another excellent film from the director of some of the best comedies in recent
years; ‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘Hot Fuzz’, and ‘The World’s End’, three films that
could also sort of be called ‘underrated’ because they didn’t really perform
well commercially here in the U.S.
In between ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’,
Christopher Nolan made this awesome movie, which earns the Number 8 spot on
this list.
8. Inception
As a director, Nolan has been known for movies with
complicated plots and storylines and this film is no exception. You really have
to pay attention during the movie; otherwise you’ll get lost pretty quickly.
Thankfully, the movie is incredibly entertaining from beginning to end with
some incredible action sequences, the standout being the scene where Joseph
Gordon Levitt’s character Arthur fights off bad guys in a rotating hallway.
Acting is rock-solid all around and Leonardo DiCaprio is excellent as usual in
the lead role of Dom Cobb. My only real complaint is that at times the movie is
a little slow. It’s only 2 and half hours long but when I saw it in the
theater, it felt like four hours. But in the end, Nolan delivers an exciting
and overall very smart sci-fi film; one of the best of the last decade.
Number 7 is a film where, technically speaking, it mainly
consists of its lead actor being the only one on screen for the majority of the
film. But in the case of this movie, is that really a problem?
7. 127 Hours
‘127 Hours’ is the true story of mountain climber Aron
Ralston’s accident in 2003 when he was trapped by a boulder while traveling
through a canyon in Utah, ultimately having to cut off his arm in order to
survive. That scene in particular is obviously not for the faint of heart, but
the whole movie in general is backed by a terrific performance by James Franco
as Ralston and director Danny Boyle’s top-notch direction.
From one movie that’s not that easy to watch to another,
Number 6 is ‘a love story’ that is anything but one.
6. Blue Valentine
Let’s be honest; this film is rather tough to watch. It’s
about a married couple whose marriage is in heavy decline. Not exactly the best
film for a romantic ‘date night’, is it? In fact apparently this film is
sometimes put in the ‘romance’ section of video stores; talk about misleading.
Trust me guys, you don’t want to watch this movie with your loved one unless
you want to be sleeping on the couch for the night. But despite that, this
movie is still very good mainly because of the execution. Yes, it’s a movie
that focuses on a declining marriage but director Derek Cianfrance also does a
great job of showing what happened before all of this, when main characters
Dean and Cindy first fell in love. But the best part about this whole film is
the performances from Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as Dean and Cindy.
Because the film was shot in a way so that the two of them can get more
acquainted with each other during shooting, their performances feel even more
real. This is one of the best dramas to come out in recent years though, like I
said, it’s not the best recommendation for ‘date night’.
Starting off the Top 5 is the film that may have come out
more than a decade after its immediate predecessor but nevertheless it was a
fitting conclusion to one of the best trilogies ever.
5. Toy Story 3
It’s rare when the third film in a trilogy manages to be
just as good as the first two films, but ‘Toy Story 3’ succeeds at doing that. The
writing is once again excellent and also very mature at the same time; none of
the emotions that are conveyed in the film feel cheap; they feel very real (and
this is a movie about living toys, for crying out loud). Of course, this film
isn’t afraid to take some dark turns, namely the ‘fake-out’ near the end and
yes the ending of this movie is guaranteed to have you fighting back tears. It
ends the series on a high note and while it’s not really the best in the
series, this is probably the only true trilogy where every entry in it is
fantastic.
As I mentioned earlier, ‘The Karate Kid’ was one of those
rare remakes that managed to be just as good as the original. In the case of
Number 4, dare I say it, this film might actually be better than the original.
4. True Grit
The original ‘True Grit’, starring John Wayne, Glen
Campbell, and Kim Darby, is a classic in the western genre but in a way, the
Coen Brothers’ remake is superior because of the change in overall tone. For
lack of a better term, this version is ‘grittier’, with a more determined
Mattie Ross, a more pathetic but still badass Rooster Cogburn, and an ending
that is far from being a happy one. My only real complaint is that the villains
were rather lackluster compared to their counterparts from the original film, despite
very good performances from both Josh Brolin and Barry Pepper. Still, this
remake succeeds by taking the bold route and not going with a traditional happy
ending.
When it was first announced that the final entry in this
famous series would be split into two movies, I was rather hesitant but in the
end this ended up working in the series’ favor.
3. Harry Potter and
the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
This film is proof that you can split a film into two parts
if you have enough material to work with, unlike other certain films (I’m
looking at you, ‘Breaking Dawn’). Compared
to ‘Part 2’ and the final battle of Hogwarts, ‘Part 1’ may seem rather
uneventful seeing how most of it consists of Harry, Ron, Hermione on their
travels to destroy Voldemort’s Horcruxes. But as a whole, I like that this one
was a change of pace from the previous films where it was always them going to
Hogwarts and then fighting Voldemort and/or his evil forces at the end. This
film also gives leads Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson a chance
to shine in their respective roles, especially seeing how they’re usually the
only ones on screen for the majority of the film. The film serves a great
set-up for the finale and another fantastic entry in the ‘Harry Potter’
franchise.
At Number 2 is the film that proved the following fact; Ben
Affleck’s career was back on track after it was on a severe downturn in 2004.
2. The Town
On the surface, ‘The Town’ is sort of your traditional heist/thriller
film but with Affleck behind the camera as the director, the film holds your
interest from beginning to end. It’s also very well acted; in the lead role,
Affleck proves that he’s improved as an actor by giving a very reserved but
strong performance as career criminal Doug McRay. But the one who steals the
show here would have to be Jeremy Renner as Doug’s ‘loose cannon’ best friend
and co-partner James Coughlin. Thanks to films like this, ‘Gone Baby Gone’, and
‘Argo’, Ben Affleck has become one of the best directors working today.
Finally, at Number 1 we have the film that manages to be
something more than just being about the beginnings of its eponymous creation.
1. The Social Network
The idea of a movie about Facebook seems rather ridiculous,
but director David Fincher succeeds at bringing one to the big screen. How?
Basically, it’s by making a movie that manages to be more than just the story
of how Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook. It’s also the story about how
Zuckerberg made many enemies in the process of becoming the world’s youngest
billionaire, whether it’s ‘stealing’ the idea from the Winklevoss twins or
getting his friend/business partner Eduardo Saverin’s shares in the company diminished.
Add in Fincher’s unique visual style, Aaron Sorkin’s superb writing, and
terrific performances all around and you have yourself a movie that may not be
entirely accurate but is easily one of the best dramas in recent years and my
pick for the best film of 2010.
Check back later this week for the top 10 films of 2011.
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