Worst Movies of 2010, well that I saw.

This list is from worst to best, cuz I wanted to. Deal with it.

Keep in mind I don't go see that many movies, and I typically go to movies I think I'll like.

1. The Worst Movie of the Year--Grown Ups.

This was a waste of a good cast. Wait, no it was a waste of a bad cast. There was nothing to waste. Just a horrible movie, only one laugh in the whole thing, and it was like 2 minutes in. A truly miserable experience.

2. The Last Airbender

Predictable? Well it was really bad what can I say? Way to ruin a good show, and I've finally given up on Shyamalan. Took me long enough though, didn't it.

3. Robin Hood

Wow, just wow. What a horrible mis-fire. Everything they could have done to make this a good Robin Hood movie, they did the opposite thing. Just horrible.

4. Tron Legacy

BOOOOOOOOORING! Seriously, the most boring light-show I've ever paid to see. Aside from some cool scenes at the beginning and a nice soundtrack, this is a total waste of time and money.

5. TIME FOR CONTROVERSY!-Iron Man 2

You know it. Had to have a little controversy. Nothing happened in this movie, nothing. Nothing. Nothing. It wasn't boring, but it was meaningless. Such a disappointment after the first movie.



Dis-Honorable Mention: Prince of Persia Sands of Time

Yeah, this should have been #5, but I put Iron Man 2 to be controversial. Sue me.

NEXT TIME: The top 5 Best movies of 2010 (that I saw in 2010.

The Last Airbender

Well, I finally went to see the Last Airbender yesterday...and it took me a while to figure out how I felt about it. I went in expecting total garbage, which the reviews pointed towards...That wasn't quite what I found. The acting was bad, the camera work was uninspired, the action was dull...but it was a coherent story with some great (albeit wasted) special effects. So it wasn't all that bad. I was literally going between a thumbs up and a thumbs down. But then I realized I was thinking of the film in terms of what wasn't bad, not in terms of what was good. There really was nothing about this film that was really good. Thus I have to give it a thumbs down, for horribly wasted potential. And to top it all off, the ending is a total Eragon, hinting at a sequel that will likely never get made (despite a strong first weekend showing for the film). M. Night Shyamalan is getting the blame for the film's quality, and so he should, not because he isn't talented (Heck, I even liked Lady in the Water) but because he just doesn't seem to care. He clearly picked this film to re-invent himself and pull in strong box office. However, it's clear his heart isn't in it and it just comes across as lazy.
As bad as the acting is, there are a few decent performances (or else they just look that way next to the other horrible actors). Dev Patel of Slumdog Millionaire turns in a serviceable, but one-note performance. But a total lack of characterization is what kills this movie. Honestly, it is too short, coming in at just over 100 minutes. Consider it was based on the first season of the tv series, which is over 400 minutes. Even so, parts of the film seem like they could have been cut out, and others desperately need expanded. Ultimately, this is a mess. You might have a little fun with it, and it's not "indescribably bad" as one critic stated, but it really is just a movie with great potential, squandered by lazy film-makers. 1.5 stars out of 4.

4th of July Weekend Box Office Predictions

Next weekend Twilight: Eclipse opens and will doubtless dominate the box office, the real question is how high it will fly, and whether fellow opener "The Last Airbender" will stand up tall beneath the behemoth, a la "Day After Tommorow" in 2004, or crash and burn a la...Jonah Hex. Let's see what I think.

Twilight Eclipse
Opening Size: 4000+ theaters, probably upwards of 7,000 screens
Budget: $65,000,000
Predicted Opening (from June 30-July 4): $165,000,000
Predicted Total Gross: $330,000,000

Yes, I'm predicting it will fly just as high/higher than the last picture. The major difference here is Eclipse's opening on a Wednesday for a 5-day independence day opening, while New Moon opened on the Friday before thanksgiving. New Moon hit brought in nearly $73 million the first day, that's a record. However, for the weekend it came out to $142 million, less than double the opening day. I think Eclipse will hit a similar pattern, upwards of $70 million on Wednesday, with $30-40 for Thursday, $30-40 Friday, $30-40 Saturday and less than $30 Sunday, although with Sunday being independence day it might get a boost. 75+35+35+35+25...actually that comes to $205, which I can't imagine considering that would be the biggest 5-day gross of all time. Expect it to drop off much quicker off of the opening day...but still a ridiculously massive start.

The Last Airbender
Opening Size: 3000+ theaters, as many as 6,000 screens
Budget: $150,000,000
Predicted Opening (July 1-4): $60,000,000
Predicted Total Gross: $200,000,000

The Last Airbender is based on the Nickelodeon anime-like series, which has been very successful. It is directed by M Night Shyamalan, which I don't think will have much sway here one way or another. I think the property will either sell or it won't and Shyamalan may take credit, or blame, but he really won't affect it at all I don't think. I predict solid business, as it has generated a good amount of buzz for this type of picture, and may successfully counter-program Eclipse. All the teenage-tweenage girls will go see Twilight, which will drive the far-less interested male audience to other pictures. Airbender may just fit the bill. I expect the audience to skew heavily male, and also heavily under age 25. (whereas Eclipse will obviously skew female) Airbender, oddly enough opens the day after Eclipse, which I think was a very smart move. The multi-plexes will be overrun with Twilight fans the first day, but in following days it will be much slower for that picture. I think the weekend breakdown will also be more even for Airbender, with less focus on the opening day. But we'll see, won't we.