Dark Water (2005)

All creeped up with nowhere to go. There's a great mood throughout the film, but the story is worn out and boring. How many versions of this plot are we going to copy from Japan anyway?

Rating: D

Clash of the Titans (2010)

I have faint memories of seeing the original as a kid. They showed a trailer for it at the beginning of the Blu-Ray. Wow does it look terrible. This new version may look like a CGI wet dream gone awry, but it definitely looks a heck of a lot better than its stop motion for-bearer.

I thought mythology was a bunch of boring nonsense when I was in school, and my opinion hasn't changed as an adult. It's hard to get behind such a ridiculous story. If there's one thing Clash of the Titans does well, it's reminding people what a fantastic feat Peter Jackson did with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and how easily it could have been a pile of bloated effects and shallow characters. Case in point: This movie.

Rating: D-

Inception (2010)

A total mindf%#@. It takes the movie Dreamscape from my childhood and twists it into a visually stunning film. Very well made with fine acting. My only complaint is, like dreams, it never felt grounded. The movie takes place in a mostly make-believe world, which doesn't allow the audience to fully invest in the story. All the characters, with the exception of Leonardo, are written very shallow. I liked the movie, but in the end it was just a daydream—something to pass the time.

Rating: C+

The Constant Gardener (2005)

The second film from the director of City of God, a brilliant Brazilian movie. For this reason, I went out of my way to see Constant Gardener on opening day. There's nothing wrong with the film, and I enjoyed watching it, but I still felt disappointed at the end. Maybe it was the depressing subject matter. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe the source material wasn't very good.

I loved loved loved the cinematography of Africa and images he brought to the camera, but the film was just ok.

Rating: C+

Æon Flux (2005)

Stupid previews and their expectation raising trickery. The film wasn't all bad. Some cool special f/x, hot costumes, and creative ideas. It was a weaker version of The Island, sort of. Truthfully, I enjoyed Charlize Theron much more in this season of Arrested Development.

Rating: D+

The Town (2010)

It's a dramatic heist film with above average acting. I'm surprised this is being considered for awards.

Rating: C+