Still All Right

Spring is always a slow time for films. It's where studios burn off shoulda-coulda-woulda Oscar contenders and not-quite-there-yet summer flicks. Instead of recapping all the films that I've neglected to blog about individually, here's a list, from best to worst, of everything I've seen in 2010.

The Kids are All Right - The Sundance darling is still hanging in there as this year's best pic. Previous review here.

Shutter Island - The DiCaprio-Scorsese tandem has yet to misstep. While not as critically beloved as The Departed or The Aviator, Shutter Island is smart, tense, and impeccably made. Grade: A-

How to Train Your Dragon - Depending how critics and audiences react to Toy Story 3 and Tangled (Disney's take on the story of Rapunzel) later this year, a studio other than Disney/Pixar may walk away with the Best Animated Feature Oscar next year. How to Train Your Dragon was everything an animated film should be: imaginative, fun, and fully of whimsy. Grade: B+

Alice in Wonderland - I'm in the minority, but I love when Tim Burton goes "commercial," and Alice was no exception. Grade: B+

Freedom Writers - A solid documentary that not enough people will see. Previous review here.

Date Night - Not even the dream team of Steve Carrell and Tina Fey can save a script that is too unfocused. However the Carrell-Fey combination could make the phone book funny, and in the end, Date Night is worth watching just to see them together. Grade: B

Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil - Hopefully this one catches audiences' attention later in the year because it could be a promising franchise. Previous review here.

Robin Hood - Robin Hood is a mediocre film that doesn't do anything wrong, but it doesn't do anything great either. The entire film feels like a setup for a franchise. We'll see if Universal even gets that far. Grade: B-

Iron Man 2 - Iron Man 2 failed where the first film succeeded. There were too many characters and far too many storylines. Sometimes simpler is better, even for Tony Stark. Grade: B-

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief - Another great concept and story castrated by the limp film-making skills of Chris Columbus (see previous offenses: Rent and the first two Harry Potter films). Grade: B-

Clash of the Titans - The film wasn't terrible, but Percy Jackson made Greek mythology a whole lot more fun. Grade: C

Green Zone - Unlike the DiCaprio-Scorsese tandem the Damon-Greengrass pairing is no longer unblemished. Green Zone was run-of-the-mill and remarkably boring. Damon and Greengrass should stick to the world of Jason Bourne. Grade: C-

The Book of Eli - Sure, the twist ending was good, but everything else about Eli was a post-apocalyptic drag. Grade: D+

Splice - One of the worst movies ever. Period. Previous review here.