Tron Legacy
A surprisingly enjoyable sequel with enough ties with the first film to please die-hard fans, and enough special effects whizz-bag to please everybody else. The story is flimsy and CG Jeff Bridges is unconvincingly stiff, but the characters are likable and the action is really well done. It may be little more than a popcorn light show but it never fails to entertain.
8/10
Enchanted
Possibly the biggest surprise I've had recently, Enchanted is a fantastic musical comedy that turns all of Disney's tropes upside down and finds a breakout star in Amy Adams. Everything about this film oozes sweetness but it's all done with tongue firmly planted in cheek. The songs are charming and hilarious, the casting is spot-on, and besides a late-game plot device that I usually hate, it's very cleverly written. I can honestly say I haven't enjoyed a Disney this much in a very long time.
10/10
Speed Racer
Much like Tron, Speed Racer is all about the spectacle, but unlike Tron, Speed Racer just goes completely stupid with it. I can understand the need to try and make this feel like a cartoon but besides the thrilling car races, everything else is cringe inducingly goofy. The characters are annoying, the story is idiotic and the whole thing is way too long. If it weren't for the few entertaining racing scenes, it would be a complete mess.
4/10
13 Assassins
Where did this Takashi Miike come from? The director of such idiotic and gory films as Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins displays an amazing sense of restraint. It's all about build up as the assassins gather to take down an evil lord, and aside from a few gory moments, most of the action is reserved for the end. Although it's a tad difficult to tell them apart due to nearly identical clothes and haircut, you grow attached to the assassins as they hatch a plan and put it to work. The movie works wonderfully until the climax which is so drawn out that it threatens to undo everything that came before it. Thankfully it's packed with enough action set-pieces to make it worthwhile and the whole film ends wonderfully.
8/10
The Losers
I wasn't expecting much from this one, and although it delivered some entertaining characters and a few decent action scenes, for the most part it's an average popcorn flick. The most alarming thing about the Losers is that it really feels like it came straight out of the 80's, and this is a good thing. It has a very light air to it that makes it an easy watch and something everybody can get something out of. It's pretty forgettable in the end, but works well enough while you're along for the ride.
6/10
Fast 5
Now this is more like it. The Fast and Furious movies went downhill really quickly after the first one and I thought they had finally run the series into the ground with the atrocious number 4. It seems like the director felt the same way and opted to change things up for a heist flick. Add to this the presence of Dwayne Johnson (he's finally stopped adding "The Rock" to his name) and some very welcome old faces and you've got the best film in the series to date. What few car chases there are, are exhilarating and the characters are having much more fun now that have nothing left to lose. With a new direction like this, I'm actually looking forward to more F & F.
8/10
A surprisingly enjoyable sequel with enough ties with the first film to please die-hard fans, and enough special effects whizz-bag to please everybody else. The story is flimsy and CG Jeff Bridges is unconvincingly stiff, but the characters are likable and the action is really well done. It may be little more than a popcorn light show but it never fails to entertain.
8/10
Enchanted
Possibly the biggest surprise I've had recently, Enchanted is a fantastic musical comedy that turns all of Disney's tropes upside down and finds a breakout star in Amy Adams. Everything about this film oozes sweetness but it's all done with tongue firmly planted in cheek. The songs are charming and hilarious, the casting is spot-on, and besides a late-game plot device that I usually hate, it's very cleverly written. I can honestly say I haven't enjoyed a Disney this much in a very long time.
10/10
Speed Racer
Much like Tron, Speed Racer is all about the spectacle, but unlike Tron, Speed Racer just goes completely stupid with it. I can understand the need to try and make this feel like a cartoon but besides the thrilling car races, everything else is cringe inducingly goofy. The characters are annoying, the story is idiotic and the whole thing is way too long. If it weren't for the few entertaining racing scenes, it would be a complete mess.
4/10
13 Assassins
Where did this Takashi Miike come from? The director of such idiotic and gory films as Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins displays an amazing sense of restraint. It's all about build up as the assassins gather to take down an evil lord, and aside from a few gory moments, most of the action is reserved for the end. Although it's a tad difficult to tell them apart due to nearly identical clothes and haircut, you grow attached to the assassins as they hatch a plan and put it to work. The movie works wonderfully until the climax which is so drawn out that it threatens to undo everything that came before it. Thankfully it's packed with enough action set-pieces to make it worthwhile and the whole film ends wonderfully.
8/10
The Losers
I wasn't expecting much from this one, and although it delivered some entertaining characters and a few decent action scenes, for the most part it's an average popcorn flick. The most alarming thing about the Losers is that it really feels like it came straight out of the 80's, and this is a good thing. It has a very light air to it that makes it an easy watch and something everybody can get something out of. It's pretty forgettable in the end, but works well enough while you're along for the ride.
6/10
Fast 5
Now this is more like it. The Fast and Furious movies went downhill really quickly after the first one and I thought they had finally run the series into the ground with the atrocious number 4. It seems like the director felt the same way and opted to change things up for a heist flick. Add to this the presence of Dwayne Johnson (he's finally stopped adding "The Rock" to his name) and some very welcome old faces and you've got the best film in the series to date. What few car chases there are, are exhilarating and the characters are having much more fun now that have nothing left to lose. With a new direction like this, I'm actually looking forward to more F & F.
8/10
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