Havoc (2005)

This angle was already covered in a slightly better film called Black and White. Havoc felt like an amateurish rip off of it. There were glimmers of quality here and there, but in the end, it was the wrong movie for Anne Hathaway to show her gritty side by getting naked. Her perfect breasts could have gone to much better use in a different film.

Rating: D

She’s Out Of My League (2010)

So this plot has been done a thousand times, but it's always entertaining when done right. There are plenty of genuinely funny lines and scenes. Supporting characters do a good job. The movie is worth seeing for one scene alone—you'll know when you see it.

Rating: C+

Cloverfield (2008)

If you had a hard time watching the shaky camera work in Blair Witch, stay clear of Cloverfield. The entire film is shot amateur style, with plenty of running, climbing, falling, and swinging to make even the toughest fighter pilot feel queasy.

The entire story and character development are pieced together with flashback clips and banter. Tension is created through the unknown. Bad things are happening, but the audience is only given small glimpses. The sudden ending may leave some movie goers feeling unsatisfied.

 I liked the filmmakers attempt to show how events might transpire if something like this happened. The "monster" could just as well have been another terrorist attack on New York. Panic, looting, and chaos inevitably follow. I almost feel this project may have worked better as a television show.

Rating: C

Poseidon (2006)

An ok disaster movie, albeit a little heavy on the CGI side.

Rating: C

The Help (2011)

Watching movies like The Help makes me want to run out and watch Django Unchained again. I love seeing ignorant douchebags get their comeuppance, especially if it takes the form of buckshot to the face.

In The Help, retribution for white injustice comes in a milder form, through a tell-all book from the perspective of the housekeepers. It’s a heartwarming story that gets a bit dramatic at the end, but that can’t be helped when it’s a Hollywood picture.

Rating: C+

Blue Valentine (2010)

The story of unhappiness. Time seems to stand still during uncomfortable scenes. Maybe that’s what they were going for. I loved the child molester joke she told on the bus though. It was a funny oasis in an otherwise serious and depressing wasteland of a film.

Rating: D+