Everyone waits until the year is over to compile their “Best of whatever year” movie lists. This has become a mundane practice. Time for a bit of a change, kids.
Four very different genres landed all over the place in the latest rankings. Friends with Kids easily cracked the top ten, and could be in consideration to move up even higher as it marinates in the mind of this guy. A Thousand Words, starring Eddie Murphy, nearly took out Wanderlust as the year’s worst, while Silent House and John Carter ended up making camp in the middle of the pack.
The new releases for the respective week will have a capsule review at the end of the column. A new poll comes out every Monday. Here’s how things are shaking up so far in 2012:
1. Chronicle
2. Red Tails
3. The Grey
4. The Secret World of Arrietty
5. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
6. Friends with Kids
7. Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds
8. Big Miracle
9. This Means War
10. Gone
11. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
12. John Carter
13. Underworld: Awakening
14. The Devil Inside
15. Project X
16. Silent House
17. The Woman in Black
18. The Vow
19. Man on a Ledge
20. Contraband
21. Act of Valor
22. Safe House
23. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
24. Kill List
25. Haywire
26. A Thousand Words
27. Joyful Noise
28. Wanderlust
Not Screened: One for the Money (working up to it).
A Thousand Words
Frankly, it is just taking up space in the theaters. The sole reason anyone wants Eddie Murphy in a movie is because of his energetic and funny delivery (though underwhelming in recent years). So having a storyline where he doesn’t talk in the majority of the movie – and let’s just say he doesn’t have the full arsenal of comedic mannerisms as say a Jim Carrey – leads this to be a numbing experience all around. Not to mention, a technical disaster.
Silent House
Even with Elizabeth Olsen giving a worthy performance, the Hollywood remake of a perfectly fine foreign horror flick from 2010 was not needed. Using the gimmick of having one continuous shot – the story is delivered in real-time – was unique, but simply not enough to make this a memorable, and thorough, haunted house movie.
John Carter
If He-Man ever made it to the big screen during modern times, this is what it would look like folks. That said, this couldn’t find the way to tell the rich story from the first acclaimed sci-fi novel from 1912. Looks good; sounds lame. Translation: an average movie-going experience.
Friends with Kids
It’s geared toward people in their mid-twenties and up for starters. Writer/director/star Jennifer Westfeldt created an honest, funny, and provocative social commentary that is well-acted all around. Yes, even Megan Fox. Basically, it’s an intelligent and mature rated-R dramedy about a transitional phase in life many of us deal with.
Releasing this Friday: 21 Jump Street, Jeff Who Lives at Home, Casa De Mi Padre
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