Via a conversation elsewhere, I’ve come to realize that I can’t even come up with a list of the Top 10 movies I saw that were released in 2010. I am sure that by the time 2011 ends I’ll see some more movies from last year that I would put in the list, but for now… I might as well present the movies in a rough order, with clickable links to my reviews of them.
8. Burning Bright. It’s just your usual direct to DVD movie that revolves around a hot young woman, her autistic brother, a boarded-up house in a hurricane, an evil stepfather, and a killer tiger on the loose in the house… it sounds too ridiculous to enjoy, and yet the movie manages to work. Star Briana Evigan does a great job with the role, and her wearing not a lot of clothing for a good amount of the running time wasn’t something I complained about either. It may be hard to find unless you rent it at a place like Blockbuster or Netflix.
7. Ninja. It’s another direct to DVD movie. It is a simple yet effective tale involving a dojo, the title characters, and a literal warchest that’s the prize everyone is after. It may not sound like it from the review, but it was a movie that-budget limitations aside-is still a satisfying action film that may be more thrilling than many of the big-budget action films you see on the big screen in recent years.
6. The A-Team. Well, this is a big-budget action movie that wasn’t bad, by my estimation, even though it isn’t perfect and it’s a little long in the tooth. I haven’t even watched the longer version on DVD, and it may be best if I don’t. However, what makes it fun (besides the nice action sequences) is the light nature and the great cast that works well with those particular roles.
5. Paranormal Activity 2. It’s a quickly-made sequel to a surprise horror hit and somehow, it managed to be comparable to the first one, and in fact could be argued that it was even better. If you liked the first, see this one. If not… then don’t. I dug the first one, so I was glad this sequel wasn’t a cheap horror sequel that was a mockery of the first movie.
4. Piranha 3D. Here’s a remake of a cult 70’s movie that doesn’t have much to do with the original, but it’s over the top ridiculous and delivers what you would expect of a bikini-filled gorefest, and does so in spades. It’s hardcore gore (I couldn’t believe all of the nasty stuff that appeared in this R-rated film; I later saw the movie Hatchet II on the big screen and if you compare the two… it’s suspicious as the latter was shown unrated.) and there is a plethora of nudity. It’s a LOT of fun if you’re into that sort of thing.
3. Machete. I know this movie wasn’t for everyone and not even all action fans agreed on this, but I dug the vibe that this gave out… and if it isn’t perfect, I’ll just say that it was because it was THAT close of a homage to those trashy 70’s films. Or, at least that’s the excuse that I’ll use. It has an entertaining plot and I wildly enjoyed it.
2. Toy Story 3. It’s Pixar and while I haven’t seen enough of their films, I know that they pretty much always deliver and they did so yet again with this movie. It’s comparable to the first two films in the series, if definitely the darkest Toy Story film. There are many great moments and it’s a must-see. It’s a lot more than “just” a cartoon, if you happen to think that way.
1. The Expendables. Here is a movie that I had been waiting to see for months. It’s an all-star action film that was designed to be old-school, filled with old favorites and some newer dudes. While to my shock some so-called action fans did not like it at all, most thought that it was perfect for them, and I agree. It was everything I expected, with the cheesy dialogue and one-liners, the macho bravado, the simple yet effective plot… oh yeah, and the action. It was glorious. There’s a huge gun known as the Street Sweeper (at least according to the gun nut I saw it with when I recently checked it out on Blu-Ray) that gets used in memorable ways, and things get blown up real good. I was so happy that this delivered and I wasn’t disappointed by it, as I was with some films I saw last year that shall go unnamed.
I realize the list is rather unorthodox, especially compared to the ones you'd find from a typical movie critic. There are more than a few movies I wish I would have seen on the big screen in 2010 but it wasn't meant to be. Plus, I'm a rather unorthodox individual!
I'll be back Friday night with an actual review.
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