Sadly like with each year, we have some stinkers. From Piranha to Saw: The Final Chapter there were films pointlessly shown in 3D. Some disappointing showings from Shrek Forever After, Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time, Predators, Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief, The Wolfman, and the re-makes of The A-Team and The Karate Kid starring the very annoying Jaden Smith.
However, there were some enjoyable summer blockbusters. Despite a lot of flack by the critics I really enjoyed the Clash Of The Titans re-make. The big box-office hit was Alice In Wonderland. People were thinking that this was perfect territory for director Tim Burton. I thought it was o.k but it was overshadowed by the amazing special effects and costumes. One of the earlier films in the summer was Ridley Scott's re-make of Robin Hood, which was a decent attempt but nothing spectacular. Back in the spring, the first sequel of the Avengers franchise Iron Man 2 is now seen as probably the weakest of the Marvel films, but it is still enjoyable which shows how strong superhero movies are now.
Towards the end of the year, we had the 3D spectacle that was Tron: Legacy. It was confirmed that this 80's classic was perfect to be released now, but sadly the plot is still nothing extraordinary to distract you from the visuals and the brilliant soundtrack by Daft Punk.
It was a very successful year for animation. We had successes such as Megamind, Despicable Me, Arrietty and three others that are in my top 10 of the year.
As with all top 10 lists, there were some great films that had to miss out. There was The First Grader, film documentary Benda Bilili, cult classic Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, the brilliant Danish-film Troll Hunter, the surprising Remember Me featuring Robert Pattinson, charming British indie film Submarine, the incredibly funny Four Lions, the brilliant 13 Assassins, the thrilling documentary Camerman: The Life And Work Of Jack Cardiff, the smart and funny Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, the emotional Japanese hit Poetry, the surprising Kick-Ass, Japanese psychological thriller Confessions and the excellent Formula 1 documentary Senna which would have made my list if it was a top 12. The best film not to make my top 10 was a low-budgeted sci-fi called Monsters. Directed by Gareth Edwards, who is now moving on to re-make Godzilla, this film amazed as to what can be done with so little. It is a terrific presentation that everyone should watch.
Out the of the films that made the major awards that missed out on my top 10, we have 127 Hours, The Fighter which I found to be over-rated but still very good, The Kids Are All Right, True Grit, Winter's Bone, the brilliant Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1, winner of the Best Foreign Language Film, In A Better World and and the very interesting Beginners.
If this was a top 13, then making the list would have been Buried, The Disappearance Of Haruhi Suzumiya and I Saw The Devil.
Buried, sees a man in a box for 90 mins surely does not sound like a successful film. You thought wrong!
The amazing direction of Rodrigo Cortes has made this feel like a modern Hitchcock thriller.
Ryan Reynolds stars as a man who wakes up and finds himself buried alive. Be prepared for a brilliant thrill ride at six feet under.
The amazing direction of Rodrigo Cortes has made this feel like a modern Hitchcock thriller.
Ryan Reynolds stars as a man who wakes up and finds himself buried alive. Be prepared for a brilliant thrill ride at six feet under.
The Disappearance Of Huruhi Suzumiya is quite the captivating anime. Despite it being a continuation of a TV series, newbies like me can still be highly engaged by this drama that have seen nothing beforehand. It's a gripping mystery adventure that keeps taking you down a path before adding a further twist to dramatically shake things up. Wonderful animation and strong re-watchability.
As for I Saw The Devil, it is a brutal horror thriller from South Korea that sees a secret agent exact revenge on a serial killer.
While the violence is tough to watch and gross at times, the frenetic pace, high-octane tension and wonderful cinematography kept me hooked throughout.
This is highly exciting and thrilling viewing. But like I said, the style of violence is not for the faint hearted.
2010 was a memorable year for film and I'm sure my top 10 will reflect that. Here it is:
10) How To Train Your Dragon - With Pixar still at its peak, and Disney slowing coming back, Dreamworks have come up with something quite spectacular.
With surprisingly good story-telling, this family feast will work with everyone.
The makers have given us a story that takes us back to what animated films used to be. Long may this continue.
9) Catfish - An incredibly odd documentary with a twist that freaked me out to the very end.
When two young filmmakers document their friends online relationship with a young lady, leads to something quite disturbing.
The message is simple but powerful and really shows the power of the online world.
8) Tangled - After a few hints of Disney returning to a high point, Tangled confirmed to all of us that Disney are back.
Full of the right mix of charm, cleverness and wit, this modern twist on the classic Rapunzel tale will please everyone of all ages. Also, like with of the great Disney classics, there are memorable songs.
7) Black Swan - An amazing presentation of where you go when obsession gets the better of you.
Natalie Portman produces the Oscar winning performance as a ballet dancer who wins the lead role in 'Swan Lake' but is struggling to become the Black Swan.
Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller surprised me, especially as to how scary it truly is. Well deserving of its Best Picture Oscar nomination.
6) Incendies - Denis Villeneuve's brutal mystery drama that sees twins journey back to their mother's home country to uncover a piece of hidden family history.
5) Shutter Island - Master director Martin Scorsese goes slightly off-piste with this mystery thriller.
Two U.S Marshals investigates a hospital island for the criminally insane after one of the patients has escaped.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, this is an amazing thriller with a B-movie feel to it. What made it so successful is the big twist and the epic final line.
4) The King's Speech - Winner of the Best Picture in the Oscars for this year, Colin Firth plays King George VI as he becomes King and Great Britain is on the brink of war with Germany.
Known for his stuttering speeches, the King hires a vocal coach to find confidence in himself and of the country, to show that they are in good hands.
3) The Social Network - A film about Facebook was surely destined to only succeed with its users. Many including myself were sadly mistaken.
Director David Fincher has created a modern masterpiece. It is surprisingly intelligent has brilliant dialogue and is becoming one of the best modern films that gets better with each viewing.
2) Toy Story 3 - Eleven years after its sequel, there were initial worries that it has been too long for any chance of a third installment.
But it seemed it was the perfect decision as Pixar have created another gem that almost emulates the ground-breaking original.
It managed to surpass all expectations by a country mile and it is probably the greatest trilogy of all-time.
1) Inception - Too smart for the summer audience? Wrong answer! Director Christopher Nolan is now at the peak of his powers and has created something that just has everything you want from Nolan.
Set in a world where we have extractors (people that can steal peoples secrets via their dreams), the best skilled extractor is given a task by a major business investor to blackmail his rival by creating the ultimate heist, inception.
It is amazingly complex, but it works as a summer blockbuster. It's perfect.
As for I Saw The Devil, it is a brutal horror thriller from South Korea that sees a secret agent exact revenge on a serial killer.
While the violence is tough to watch and gross at times, the frenetic pace, high-octane tension and wonderful cinematography kept me hooked throughout.
This is highly exciting and thrilling viewing. But like I said, the style of violence is not for the faint hearted.
2010 was a memorable year for film and I'm sure my top 10 will reflect that. Here it is:
With surprisingly good story-telling, this family feast will work with everyone.
The makers have given us a story that takes us back to what animated films used to be. Long may this continue.
9) Catfish - An incredibly odd documentary with a twist that freaked me out to the very end.When two young filmmakers document their friends online relationship with a young lady, leads to something quite disturbing.
The message is simple but powerful and really shows the power of the online world.
Full of the right mix of charm, cleverness and wit, this modern twist on the classic Rapunzel tale will please everyone of all ages. Also, like with of the great Disney classics, there are memorable songs.
Natalie Portman produces the Oscar winning performance as a ballet dancer who wins the lead role in 'Swan Lake' but is struggling to become the Black Swan.
Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller surprised me, especially as to how scary it truly is. Well deserving of its Best Picture Oscar nomination.
It's brilliantly told, with amazing camerawork, a performance by Lubna Azabal of award-winning standards and contains one of the most devastating endings you could possibly imagine.
You won't ever forget the time you saw this for the first time.
Two U.S Marshals investigates a hospital island for the criminally insane after one of the patients has escaped.
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, this is an amazing thriller with a B-movie feel to it. What made it so successful is the big twist and the epic final line.
Known for his stuttering speeches, the King hires a vocal coach to find confidence in himself and of the country, to show that they are in good hands.
Director David Fincher has created a modern masterpiece. It is surprisingly intelligent has brilliant dialogue and is becoming one of the best modern films that gets better with each viewing.
But it seemed it was the perfect decision as Pixar have created another gem that almost emulates the ground-breaking original.
It managed to surpass all expectations by a country mile and it is probably the greatest trilogy of all-time.
Set in a world where we have extractors (people that can steal peoples secrets via their dreams), the best skilled extractor is given a task by a major business investor to blackmail his rival by creating the ultimate heist, inception.
It is amazingly complex, but it works as a summer blockbuster. It's perfect.
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