Here is a quick review of some of the films I felt were generally disappointing or just bad in every way:
10,000 BC - Action is pretty solid, but the story was pretty boring or non-existent at times.
The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor - Nothing like the first two. Different director and replacement for Rachel Weisz's character was the start of this mess. But at the visuals and some action scenes only make it half bad.
The Day The Earth Stood Still - Some things worked as well as the ground-breaking original. Sadly, same crashed and burned like the extremely annoying Jaden Smith.
Journey To The Center Of The Earth - A dumbing-down child-friendly version of the brilliant original. Not even the visuals could save this one.
Hancock - Had a promising first half, then a mad twist to begin the second half and never really regained momentum. The idea was there, but it just reminded of 'My Super Ex-Girlfriend'.
Quantam Of Solace - Two amazing opening scenes and then the so-called plot came into play and a lot of people were just confused and slightly bored by the end of it.
Pineapple Express - Was not really sure what to expect from this, but not what I actually got. I also remember lots of pointless and annoying shouting.
From bad to not as bad as most people thought. Here are some quick reviews of films that I saw something where the majority could not:
The Happening - Like most of M. Night Shyamalan's films, the ideas are interesting but the whole thing just did not work. With this one, some of them did work and intrigued, the rest was just odd or wasted.
Speed Racer - It is a visual master piece as you would expect from the Wachowski's. Also the story is very enjoyable and the style of it is much like the Japanese cartoon, a bit bonkers but you go with it because it's Japanese.
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull - I can see why it got the awful reviews. But I think there is still enough in there to like (just) and I liked the idea of what was the kingdom of the crystal skull. However, there are some awful parts that I happily agree with the general public. These involve a fridge and some monkeys.
Every year, there are always some that end up being much better than expected and they become an enjoyable watch:
Nim's Island - Every about it was surprising. The charm, the laughs and the characters. It is quite an adorable family adventure including a very enjoyable on-screen relationship with Gerard Butler and Jodie Foster who shine throughout this.
Inkheart - Thought it would be pants, but was totally wrong. It has interesting ideas to a story which has been done a few times to instantly not be wanting to see this. But I think it deserves to be due to the ideas and great performances by a surprisingly all-star cast.
Lakeview Terrace - Trailer hooked me and the film entertained me. The ending might not have been the best one, but I think it was still good enough to end what was a film we can all relate to.
The Spiderwick Chronicles - Great fantasy film that has a great blend for everyone to like. One thing I enjoyed was the level violence. It was surprisingly strong, but still enough for it not be too strong for kids.
Vantage Point - A nice idea on a generic action film which it better viewing. It's quite intense especially in frenetic ending.
Step Brothers - Another cult hit by Will Ferrell. Every so often, comedies starring Will Ferrell are either o.k or cult hits. This is another Anchorman-esque success, but not the same scale.
Bolt - One of the very few recent successes from Disney. Usually Disney only get good stuff with Pixar, but this quite good. Good story to work with, nice animation, engaging characters and good humor for all ages.
Bronson - Seemed like the British version of Chopper, but slightly better. Great performance by Tom Hardy.
Definitely, Maybe - One of the few generically looking rom-coms that is actually quite charming.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - Storyline is pretty simple, but there was enough laughs in there to surprise me.
The Bank Job - A great Jason Statham film is hard to find. But this beautifully retro-looking heist movie is up there with Ocean's Eleven.
Goodbye Solo - Quite a nice tense drama that just comes at you from nowhere.
There were a few surprises in the awards this year. Tropic Thunder managed to get a nomination in best supporting actor by Robert Downey Jnr. I thought it was an enjoyable with solid humor and great performances by Downey Jnr. and Tom Cruise, but never expected it to get noticed in the awards. Another awards featured film was Doubt. It was interesting, enough content to like, but did not think it was good enough to be nominated for awards.
However, The Reader managed to intrigue me, it was a well told story with nice twists and good performances. Despite this next one winning Best Picture in 2009, it is officially a 2008 film, so I decided to put The Hurt Locker in this blog. Despite enjoying it, I felt it was a bit over-rated in terms of being a Best Picture winner. But I felt it was very gripping and enjoyed the music choice for the end credits which is always a big plus for me.
One film that seemed to be the heavy favorite for quite some time was Milk. Quite a bold and brave story to tell, fronted by a top performance by Sean Penn. Another film where I had the same feeling afterwards was Changeling, a strong leading performance by Angelina Jolie and a gripping and emotional story. The final film that I would like to mention that got featured in the awards was The Wrestler. Not as good as I expected, but still enjoyed it and enjoyed Mickey Rourke's performance.
Outside of the awards, here are some films that narrowly missed out on the top 10:
21 - Such an enjoyable Las Vegas heist movie that I never get tired of.
The Duchess - One of the better recent period dramas witha great on-screen relationship of Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes.
Burn After Reading - One of the better Coen brothers films that I can happily watch more than once. Brad Pitt is a brilliant surprise in his minor role as a half-wit gym trainer.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Great action and fantasy that only director Guillermo Del Toro can do.
Revolutionary Road - Very interesting portrayal of American suburbia where Leo and Kate are back together on the big screen.
Defiance - Remember seeing this at a cinema by accident and managed to really enjoy it. A lot better then some of the generic action/war films.
The Baade Meinhof Complex - Was always going to be a tough subject to watch. But it actually portrays well enough to make entertaining as well as uncomfortable.
Mesrine: Killer Instinct - Part one of the life of notorious French criminal Jacques Mesrine. Brilliantly played by Vincent Cassel, it is a gripping action crime thriller that just never stops.
Mesrine: Public Enemy No.1 - The final part of the history of Mesrine and his constant journey of escaping from the police continues. The tone and pace is no different from the first down and remains highly enjoyable.
Red Cliff - Another terrific war epic from Japan. The level of action, violence and cinematography always pleases me that it is not always America that are breaking grounds in film-making.
Hunger - A terrific feature debut by director Steve McQueen. Tough subject that was perfectly portrayed and was never hesitant in presenting the tough moments.
Kung Fu Panda - A nice surprise from Dreamworks. Good story, solid laughs and looks gorgeous.
Seven Pounds - Highly emotional drama starring Will Smith that dares you not to cry.
Iron Man - A all-round brilliantly done superhero film that begins the Avengers saga. Also a highly enjoyable performance by Robert Downey Jnr. in what will be his most famous role.
Let The Right One In - A Swedish horror film that manages to be quite heart-warming and very emotional.
Ip Man - If you action, watch Japanese films. This tribute to Bruce Lee's trainer just oozes high quality action and a good story-line which is a guaranteed recipe for success.
Australia - Not your typical Baz Luhrmann, but still a highly enjoyable war drama.
Nominated for 5 Oscars including Best Picture, this can not be missed. It is a lot more enjoyable that you would initially think.
It is a great depiction of the time and the way people behave during those times.
Michael Sheen is the star as David Frost and his on-screen relationship with Frank Langella is great to watch.
Director Clint Eastwood plays a grumpy war veteran who teaches his Asain neighbor on being a man after trying to steal his most prized possession, a Gran Torino.
Winners of 3 Oscars including Best Visual Effects, this moving tale about life and not wasting it is a great watch for many people of different ages.
Most people seem to either love it or hate it, but to me I thought it was great and I could watch it more times.
Winner for Best Documentary, this story is one you just have to witness and be amazed by it.
It is a story of tightrope walker Philippe Petit and how he performed the artistic crime of the 20th century.
With what I consider to be the perfect trailer and campaign, this got everyone talking. We knew very little about it which is how a trailer campaign should be.
It's found footage style was perfect and there are lots of hidden goodies for everyone to find out from the start and right up to the end of the credits.
Lead by its brilliant writing and style of humor, this very entertaining film can bring out many different experiences for people.
Starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes, In Bruges does show us what a powerful script can still do compared to the blockbuster relying on its visual effects to bring in the high box-office numbers.
Director Christopher Nolan really cranked it up after Batman Begins in everything. The performance by the late Heath Ledger as The Joker is probably my favorite Best Actor performance of all-time and the scale and pace of the story is a joy to watch.
It quite a intense story being shown from the eyes of a kid. The acting was superb, especially by Asa Butterfield who thankfully has made a career in acting after this.
Also contains one of the saddest and most shocking endings I've seen.
Was he cheating? Was he lucky? Or was it destiny? Boyle takes us on an amazing journey with a gripping ending.
For me, this was very close to perfection in my books. Such gorgeous story-telling which characters you instantly love.
It's wonderful pacing to the story had me producing all the emotions.
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