By J.T. Johnson
Welcome to the first ever Report Card. This is basically a summary of all the films that I’ve seen this year. During the course of the past year, I changed my rating system from a five star system to a grading system that I think helps better represent what I think of an individual film.
That being said, I decided to also retire “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” awards and give a simple report card. Below, you will see a quick summary of all the films I watched this year. The one thing that has stay the same are the four big categories: Biggest Disappointment, Biggest Surprise, Worst Film and Best Film.
This year, I saw 31 films. Some were good, some were bad and some were somewhere in between. At the end of the article, you can also check out my overall grade for the year. Enjoy!
GRADE: B
Usually, it is an old man or woman that has to deal with a potentially fatal disease, so it was refreshing to see a comedy/drama film that sees a young man in his late 20s dealing with cancer. There are some solid comedic and dramatic scenes that bring the story home. The film does tend to drag along in some parts, but overall a great cast and a mostly solid script make this film worth seeing.
GRADE: C
This is your standard alien invasion/military film. The aliens are slightly unique when compared to other sci-fi films of this nature, but it’s not different enough to bring it home. Also, the acting leaves something to be desired besides Aaron Eckhart’s leading performance. Still, it does contain some great action sequences and is ultimately a decent popcorn flick.
GRADE: A
“Captain America” is another addition to the impressive lineup of Marvel films that have set-up a film universe leading towards next year’s “The Avengers.” The movie is not perfect. It does try a little too hard to rush towards its “Avengers” ending, but it is still another strong entry in the Marvel filmverse.
GRADE: F
This is the raunchy version of the “Freaky Friday” formula. Despite having two good comedic actors with Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman, the film does not stray from a tired formula. You might laugh, but it’s only because the filmmakers are trying to throw so many jokes at you that one of them is bound to work. Even that’s not a guarantee.
GRADE: D
Director Steven Soderbergh’s outbreak film deals with an aspect often ignored in these types of movies. The film focuses on the politics and who would get the cure should there ever be one. There are some interesting moments in the film and a talented cast, but ultimately it was just plain boring.
GRADE: C
Here’s a film that has some rather decent Western moments and a stellar cast. Unfortunately, it also has a rather bland script and does nothing original with the alien aspect. It’s not the worst film of the year, but it’s also not director Jon Favreau’s best work.
GRADE: D
With the massive amount of remakes that are made these days, it was only a matter of time before old 1970s made-for-TV movies would get to join the fun. Producer Guillermo del Toro’s latest horror film looks good. The biggest problem is that the story never really goes anywhere interesting and doesn’t do anything to separate the film from other haunted house stories.
GRADE: A+
Taking its inspirational cues from films such as “Bullit” and a kick-ass soundtrack that feels like it was ripped from the ‘80s, “Drive” is an excellent film. Director Nicolas Winding Refn does not hold back on the violence but also takes his time with a stellar screenplay. It is not a “Fast and Furious” action flick. It is solid crime drama with excellent performances such as Ryan Gosling as the Driver.
GRADE: C
Like other remakes, “Fright Night” is nowhere near as good as the original ‘80s classic. Still, Colin Ferrell and David Tennant turn in decent performances and make this one a good addition to the original’s legacy. The action is decent despite horrible 3D shots and is definitely worth a rental from the local Red Box.
GRADE: A+
Just when I thought “Drive” would be the Best Film of the year, David Fincher had to swoop in with his excellent adaptation of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Rooney Mara gives an excellent portrayal as the main character, Lisbeth Salander and Daniel Craig gives a vulnerable twist to the usual male lead. I still haven’t found any complaints yet.
GRADE: D
“Green Lantern” had a lot going for it with director Martin Campbell and star Ryan Reynolds. Unfortunately, the film suffers from a generic superhero origin story. It also suffers from horrible CGI that takes you out of the action and makes it look more like watching a video game that you can never play.
GRADE: C
“The Hangover Part II” has some extremely funny moments and it was good to see Bradley Cooper, Zack Galifianakis and Ed Helms together again. The problem comes from the fact that this is the exact same film that was released in 2009. The only difference is that it’s set in Thailand instead of Vegas.
GRADE: A
Dramatically, the first part in the climactic “Harry Potter” finale is a better film… But only slightly. The second part has plenty of drama to be sure, but it gives the audience a more action-packed conclusion. There are great sequences and a heart-breaking scene by Alan Rickman that make this a film that should not be missed.
GRADE: B
Despite stretching the bounds of reality, “Horrible Bosses” successfully plays on the fact that nearly everyone has had a boss that they wished were six feet under. Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis are great together. In addition to that talent, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Ferrell are excellent as the bosses who don’t know their employees want them out of the way.
GRADE: B
Tom Cruises latest adventure as IMF agent Ethan Hunt is nowhere near as strong as 2006’s “Mission: Impossible III.” Still, it does boast some great action scenes and death-defying stunts. It was also good to see Simon Pegg with a bigger role this time around.
GRADE: C
“Moneyball” could have been the perfect sports movie. It moves along at good pace with decent performances from Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill… Then it keeps going and going and going. By the time the credits appear, the audience was ready to leave twenty minutes ago. Still, it is definitely worth a good rental.
GRADE: F
Here is another comedy that had great actors and comedians but ultimately fails to entertain. Despite the chemistry between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and a decent performance from Jason Bateman, this is mostly an unfunny comedy that can and should be dismissed entirely.
GRADE: D
I should state that right off the bat, I wasn’t necessarily waiting for another “Pirates” film to begin with. Still, I was hoping to possibly see another fun adventure with Johnny Depp in his signature role as Captain Jack Sparrow. Alas, it couldn’t even meet those expectations.
GRADE: B
This latest indie-flick from director Kevin Smith is his first (and if he makes good on his plans to retire, his last) horror film. While it is a departure from Smith’s earlier comedic efforts and does suffer from an extremely low budget, it ultimately works. This is mostly because of strong performances by John Goodman and the always interesting Michael Parks as the insane preacher, Abin Cooper.
GRADE: A
I had just seen “The Change-Up” when I decided to go watch “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” With that dreadful movie on my mind and a bad taste that still existed from Tim Burton’s awful 2001 remake, I wasn’t really looking forward to the latest “Apes” flick. Then, not five minutes in, I was hooked on “Rise” and couldn’t take my eyes off an extraordinary film with brilliant action and a lot of heart. This is easily the biggest surprise of the year.
GRADE: B
“Scream 3” was a lackluster sequel that ended the franchise on a sour note. It was a bit of a surprise when Wes Craven announced that he was returning with a fourth entry. There was an even bigger surprise when Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette also announced their return to the series. While it is definitely not the strongest entry, “Scream 4” is ten times better than the third offering and offers some cool satire on the last decade of horror films with the return of original screenwriter Kevin Williamson.
GRADE: A
In 2009, director Guy Richie had already given audiences a stellar interpretation of the classic detective, Sherlock Holmes. “A Game of Shadows” manages to find a way to improve on one of Robert Downey Jr.’s strongest films. Not only is the chemistry between Downey Jr. and Jude Law back, actor Jared Harris turns in a great performance Sherlock’s arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty.
GRADE: D
“The Sitter” is another disappointing comedy from “Pineapple Express” director David Gordon Green. Jonah Hill has already proven that he can bring the laughs with hits like “Superbad” and “Get Him to the Greek.” Unfortunately, even he can’t save what is essentially a raunchier version of “Adventures in Babysitting.”
GRADE: C
Like most of director Zack Snyder’s previous works, “Sucker Punch” is a visual feast. The cast, which includes an awesome turn from veteran Scott Gleen, are strong enough. The problem with the film comes from the lackluster story. Set in main protagonist Baby Doll’s imagination, the story plays out more like levels in a video game or scenes in an anime. The film ultimately works, but it’s far away from being the Best Film of the year.
GRADE: A
From director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg, “Super 8” is the ultimate tribute to Spielberg’s own films such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.” Set in the ‘70s, the decade that saw the rise of director Spielberg himself, the story is an intense sci-fi spectacle yet the movie has a lot of heart as it is ultimately about loss and how to move on for the film’s characters.
GRADE: C
It’s now a fact of life that remakes are a part of the Hollywood system. Simply put, whether you like them or not, remakes make money. That’s why it was surprising to see Universal Pictures taking “The Thing” in a different direction. Instead of remaking John Carpenter’s original classic, they instead made a prequel that tells the story of what happened to the Norwegians that discovered the shape-shifting alien menace. It’s nowhere near as strong as the Carpenter classic, but I was split by the lackluster special-effects and the Carpenter fan inside that was impressed with the filmmaker’s loyalty to its source material.
GRADE: B
“Thor” was another Marvel movie released that helps establish what will be seen in “The Avengers” next year. It is the weakest film Marvel has released, but it is still a highly entertaining entry into the Marvel filmverse. The main reason for the film’s success is Chris Hemsworth portrayal as the god of thunder and a film that never tries to take itself too seriously and just wants to entertain its audience. On this note, it succeeds where plenty of others failed this year.
GRADE: F
I really hope this is the last “Transformers” film for quite some time. Once again, director Michael Bay thinks that all a film needs are loud, insane action sequences and a story that is devoid of any reality whatsoever. What pisses me off even more is Bay’s talent at making me question the logic of a film about cars turning into giant robots.
GRADE: F+
The “Twilight” series has been lucky so far about avoiding the Worst Film category. However, I always knew this series had it in it to make it to the bottom. With a boring wedding sequence, an even worse mating ritual, the first part of “Breaking Dawn” has all the wrong ingredients for a movie. Its Worst Film credentials are also helped by the mouth breather known as Kristen Stewart and Robert “I have no idea how to show emotion” Pattinson.
GRADE: C
To be honest, I was surprised enough to see that there was going to be a sequel to the original “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.” So when it was announced that there would be a Christmas themed sequel, I thought it could be good. While the film is definitely showing some age for the series, it does still contain a few laughs but I would definitely wait for the Red Box release.
GRADE: C
This was a film that I hated when I first saw it and while I’m still not the biggest fan, I have softened up to it a bit. The only thing is that the problems that bugged me before are still there. It feels like it takes too long for Magneto and Professor X to get together and when they do, they quickly rush the story along to reach its inevitable conclusion. Also, the film suffers from bad continuity issues with the previous films for which it serves as a prequel.
THE BIG FOUR
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT – 2010
BIGGEST SURPRISE – 2010
WORST MOVIE – 2010
BEST MOVIE – 2010
2011 OVERALL GRADE: C
2011 was not a great year or a bad year. There were some decent moments with films like “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and “Drive”. But there was plenty of shit such as “Breaking Dawn – Part 1” and “The Change-Up.” Already, 2012 is looking better with amazing trailers for films such as “Prometheus” and highly-anticipated Christopher Nolan film, “The Dark Knight Rises.”
