Numbers 56- 35, Good for What They Were, Better Than Expected

This section of films definitely gets better as the numbers increase. Only 2 sections of the list remain! Keep checking back!


Good For What They Were- Better Than Expected


56- 47 Ronin- As I stated on The Geek Agenda recently, “If you go for stupidity, it’s a lot of fun.” Get rid of the first 40 minutes, ignore the too-serious ending, forget about the random mysticism of a dragon and floating hair feeding a prisoner sushi (yes, you read that correctly), a disappearing spider, a random beast in the woods, and a gigantic, unidentified 10 foot tall samurai, then you get a pretty fun middle hour.

55- GI Joe- Retaliation- I almost out this on the “Pure Entertainment” level, but the mountainside fight makes this one slightly superior to that level because it tries something brand new. Nothing great, but that mountainside fight makes it worth it.

54- Mortal Instruments- Even though this is a blatant attempt to cash in on the “Find the new Young Adult novels turned into feature film” craze, I actually liked this one a lot more than the rest of them (ie. Percy Jackson, Beautiful Creatures, Host). It is almost funny how crass of a product this is, but there are several interesting ideas at play (where the “trophy” is hidden), and it goes to a certain area of the romantic triangle that I thought was tricky but that I really liked (until one line near the end tries to wipe away the darkness, but I am going to ignore that line!). Here’s hoping to a sequel!

53- Pain & Gain- Michael Bay Bays it up, but this is still an effectively dark comedy about a real life crime event. To give away any of the twists and turns would spoil it, but, if you want a flashy dark comedy starring Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg, give this one a shot.

52- Don Jon- Although I trust Joseph Gordon Leavitt as an actor, he stars in, wrote, and directed this film about a Brooklyn guy who tries to find the perfect woman while still being addicted to online porn. The cast is fabulous and the film actually comes around from a very creepy opening 20 minutes to a slightly less creepy resolution and shows that JGL is a legitimate triple threat now. Not for all tastes!

51- Warm Bodies- A fun mix of a zombie movie and romantic comedy that actually works. The cast is uniformly good and appealing with some good action and good laughs.

50- The family- While this film about a family in Witness Protection living in France and hiding out from the Mob has massive tonal shifts, I had a great time all the way through. DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tommy Lee Jones all deliver their normal solid performances, Dianna Agron, who has yet to impress me ina film, does a great job as the very mentally unhinged daughter of the family. The jokes and violence don’t quite mix, but it is never boring!

49- Ender’s Game- I am a bad geek and have never read the book so I was pleasantly surprised by the plot of this film and how dark it is. The actors do well and I was drawn into the story. My biggest concern is that the final “twist” was what I had assumed was happening anyway, so it felt very anti-climactic, but still a very good solid sci-fi thriller.

48- Monsters University- Other than the fabulous animation and voice work, I was very disappointed in this G rated version of Animal House- until the heart came hammering back in the last 20 minutes of the film and took it to an interesting way to bring us back to the beginning of the first film. It takes too long to turn around and find its heart, but it finally gets there and is never painful to watch.

47- Instructions Not Included- I heard that this a very amusing Spanish language comedy. Whoever says that should be shot! It is a very effective Spanish language drama with funny moments, but this film treats its subject honestly and delivers a gut punch about every 10 minutes in its last half hour. Very good and emotional film about an illegal Mexican immigrant raising a daughter on his own after the mother walks out.

46- You’re next- This is a weird mix of a dark comedy and home invasion thriller. The film starts with a family gettogether at a remote cabin for an anniversary party and the siblings in the family all bring their significant others. Once the blood starts flowing, the plot twists and turns with some great surprises. Sharni Vinson is a great addition to the group. Watch it and find out why.

45- Byzantium- A very dark, more dramatic version of a vampire film starring Saorise Ronin as a vampiric daughter to vampire Gemma Arterton who helps keep a roof over their heads by being a real “lady of the Night”. When Saorise decides to tell her story to a local boy in their latest small town stop, their lifestyle may be in danger. Neil Jordan, who also directed Interview with the Vampire” directs with a sure but steady hand here as well.

44- Mama- While I initially had some issues with where the story went, I remembered that it started with ‘Once Upon a Time’. It is truly a fairy tale with a horror bent. An almost unrecognizable Jessica Chastain plays a woman who must take care of her boyfriend’s long lost nieces after they are found alone in the woods after being missing for 5 years and after her boyfriend has to go to the hospital for a while. They show the menace a little too much, but still a very effective PG-13 horror/ thriller.

43- White House Down- I preferred the fun, over the top goofiness of this Die Hard in the White House.I feel it is a much more fun action film with bigger and more memorable setpieces. Is it a better film than Olympus Has Fallen? Maybe, maybe not, but it is a lot more fun!

42- Last vegas- While a lot of subplots are conveniently forgotten about or quickly wrapped up, this film works purely through the power of the cast. Kevin Kline, Morgan Freeman, and Robert DeNiro play best friends who go with soon-to-be-married Michael Douglas to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. This shows what a good cast really can do with a pretty generic script. Mary Steenburgen also shines as a lounge singer who gets in with the group.

41- The Heat- Again, a film that just made me laugh. A lot. Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy play mismatched cop partners searching for a drug dealer on the streets. Is there anything that we have not seen before done in numerous other films starring males? No. But Bullock, McCarthy, and the supporting cast really make this work. Could have been a bit shorter, but still enjoyable.

40- Red 2- Expanding on the initial premise and bringing Helen Mirren back to kill Bruce Willis, this sequel starts at the opening scene and never lets up. The cast is obviously having a great time and bring us along for the ride. I have no idea how Willis does not crack at all when Mary Louise Parker is slapping him, but it is a fabulous scene in a very enjoyable film!

39- Thor Dark World- While I didn’t quite like this as well as the original Thor, mainly due to the boring villains, Hemsworth proves that he IS Thor and Hiddleston returns as Loki and matches him step for step. The bouncing through the wormholes, the action, and the fun comedy keep this lively even if the plot is quite nonsensical. Also, props for setting up Avengers 3 (yes, 3!), even before they start filming Avengers 2.

38- Grudge Match- Of the films which came out on Christmas day, this was my favorite. What could have been a cheesy Rocky vs Raging Bull spectacle (and yes, there are jokes based on each of the stars alter egos) the ambitions and shattered dreams of the characters are actually much more front and center than I was expecting. Great acting from the entire cast along with an ending that works makes the film a winner as well.

37- Fast 6- There is nothing more to this than a big, dumb action film, but when it is done this well, who cares? The tank chase and the girl fights with both actresses taking most of their own punches are the highlights here. It is what it is and it works very well. Could have been trimmed by 20 minutes, but it goes from setpiece to setpiece with glee.

36- World War Z- Let me be clear. This is NOT World War Z the Book. But, for a big budget zombie movie starring Brad Pitt, it is a very tense and enjoyable ride. While the wife and family become more plot devices than characters after Pitt goes off to find rthe cause of the outbreak, it keeps the tension going and the menace real.

35- We’re the Millers- The only reason that I saw this was that I had seen everything else and my wife was gone for the evening. I must admit that I laughed very hard all the way through this. Everyone nails the comedic tone and it is gag after gag after gag. It is crude, crass, and frequently hilarious from beginning to end. I definitely have “No Ragrets” after seeing it.