The Wolfman **

When I saw the trailer for this film and the werewolf makeup on the poster, I was really excited to see this re-imagined classic horror tale. To be fair, the makeup and look of the picture is the best I have seen in a werewolf film. However, I was really let down by most everything else. Let's start with the acting. Anthony Hopkins is going through the motions in this movie. The other actors are okay, although I didn't sense a strong chemistry in the romance part of the story. The screenplay has some really laughable dialogue, with several of these howls (the wrong kind) being delivered by Hopkins himself. The pacing and the use of music and sound is also wrong. It begins way too fast, the werewolf attacks at super-powered speed and the sound and music tell us when to be scared rather than support the natural scares. The technology is also faulty, the obvious CGI werewolf running through the woods looks fake. I could go on, but you get the point. I'm sad that such excellent costumes, sets and makeup were placed in such a bad movie. An early candidate for my least favorite films of the year.

Mystery Team ***

Mystery Team is a fun film written and starring its three leads: D.C Pierson, Donald Glover and Dominic Dierkes. Its basic premise involves three kid detectives dedicated to solving child-sized mysteries. The kids are now teenagers and about to graduate high school. Is it time to finally put their childish mystery gang to rest? That question is more difficult than it initially appears when a little girl asks them to solve a grown up mystery: find out who killed her parents!

I enjoyed this film, its primary strength being its rapid gags and one-liners. For a movie made by young performers just breaking into the industry, this shows a lot of promise. I was also pleased to see Aubrey Plaza in this film, who I also liked in last year's Funny People.

The filmmakers also informed the audience I was with that they believe their debut feature film rises above their short films because it has good character development and an actual story rather than just being a series of gags. While there is evidence the writers desired to produce these things, I don't think that is why the film works. Like films such as Airplane! or even the Ernest P. Worrell movies, we don't go to see them for a breathtaking story and well-rounded characters. It's the gags, the funny parts, not the tacked-on message. While this was only a one-time viewing movie for me, what good fun that time was!

Bob's Predictions for the Top Ten Box Office Grosses of 2010

1. Iron Man 2
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
3. Toy Story 3
4. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
5. Due Date
6. Inception
7. The Green Hornet
8. Shrek Forever After
9. The Karate Kid
10. Yogi Bear

Worst Films of 2009

I often want to change this category to my least favorite films of 2009. The worst films I hopefully avoided, although sadly not all of them. While I thankfully avoided the second Twilight film, All About Steve and several others, here's a few that I unfortunately had the displeasure of viewing:

1. Bruno
By far the worst film of the year and second to only Silent Night Deadly Night as the worst film I have ever seen. I admit I sometimes laugh at sex jokes, but when they are so crude, right in your face and then mix in direct mocking of your Christian faith with oral sex jokes, that crosses a line that makes me plain angry. The director should be ashamed of himself, sometimes laughter is a bad thing when it's at the expense of something, or someone, you love.

2. Land of the Lost
A film with almost no laughs and some extremely bad taste sex jokes for the rating it received. Kids no doubt were in the audience when this film was in theaters. It's a bad influence on them and frankly such a dumb and unfunny story I wouldn't be surprised if customers created a large line for refunds.

3. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
This movie was such a bore I fell asleep on and off throughout the film. I was tired already, but a good film will not only keep me awake, it will re-energize the rest of my day. This did not, it was a sequel that was unnecessary and made way too much money at the box office.

4. In The Loop
Richard Roeper loved this movie. He must enjoy movies about people working in politics and journalism who yell at each other the entire time. Not my idea of a great comedy. Not worth your time.

5. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Another bad movie that did way too much box office business. The first Transformers worked, but this was a letdown. It was loud, overlong and had some incredibly annoying characters. And I wanted more Optimus Prime! Do I have to wait for Transformers 3? Should I bother?

6. Duplicity
Way too confusing of a movie for my taste. Big stars like Julia Roberts and Clive Owen can't save this material, which will take three or four viewings to make sense of it all. But who has that kind of time on their hands?

7. A Serious Man
The Coen Brothers certainly are unique with every film, but this one just didn't work for me. I didn't hate this film, but it was not one of my favorites.

8. The Proposal
Betty White has some genuinely funny moments in this movie, but the rest is way too formulaic and implausible. It's not cute and romantic to me if I don't believe it. And I didn't.

9. Drag Me to Hell
Sam Raimi has made some great films, and this one has some exciting crazy turns, but had an ending I was not satisfied with. My reaction was, "I endured all that and this was the payoff?!" Sometimes, a happy ending is warranted. I think it was here.

10. Friday The 13th
Another horror franchise given rebirth through a remake. This adds nothing that you haven't seen before. Not awful if that's what you want. Just not scary when it could have been.

Top Ten Films of 2009

1. KNOWING
This film was not beloved by as many viewers and critics as it should have. I think it was great! Knowing is a sci-fi film that's engaging, suspenseful, and a story that's not afraid to ask a very important question: Is the universe and all events that happen in it determined by something or someone or is everything simply the unfolding of random chance? The special effects are terrific and Nicolas Cage stars in his best movie since The Weather Man, and I'd say surpasses it.

2. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
Rarely do I see a film like this where I'm disturbed, engaged with the movie's suspense, and genuinely uneasy even a few hours after the movie's over. Stylewise, it's in the same vein as the Blair Witch Project, with the main character documenting the enfolding events using his own camera. But this movie is creepier than Blair Witch in my opinion. Roger Ebert correctly points out that horror films need not rely on quick cuts to create their desired effect. This movie relies on long shots and no music, definitely separating it from the pack. That's something the new Wolfman movie could have learned from.

3. UP
A strong candidate to win the Oscar for best animated film. On one level, it's consistently entertaining with great characters. It's got some great humor too, I could tell Pixar was not going through the motions with this one. On another level, it teaches us some important lessons about love and friendship. With Wall-E last year and Up this year, Pixar is churning out some timeless tales that combine humor, drama and messages that everyone can appreciate.

4. WE LIVE IN PUBLIC
This film and the next film on my list are about men who avoid close relationships, making their work what drives them instead. We Live In Public is a documentary about Josh Harris, a man ahead of his time who saw the direction the internet and the computers were taking us before most people did. Harris creates several experiments using people and technology that illustrate how technology can easily break down relationships if we use it irresponsibly. If only Harris understood that.

5. UP IN THE AIR
Director Jason Reitman makes yet another film that has made my top ten list. George Clooney's character Ryan Bingham thrives on moving, taking flights all around the country to fire employees for corporations with bosses too scared to do it themselves. When his company decides to conduct their layoffs over the internet instead of in person, Ryan must train a young female hotshot how to do his job right, as he's convinced she knows nothing about firing people. The interactions he has with her and also with a woman he often hooks up with while traveling are fantastic and the ending to this film took me completely by surprise.

6. 500 DAYS OF SUMMER
A great comedic drama about Tom Hansen, a guy going through the emotions of being involved with a girl he absolutely adores, while she doesn't quite feel the same way. Tom's scene of excitement at the beginning of his relationship with Summer is so humorously fantastic, yet very realistic on an emotional level. If you did not see this in theaters, rent it asap.

7. SIN NOMBRE
Sin Nombre deals with two stories, one about Willy aka El Casper, a teenager running away from his gang after avenging the death of his girlfriend. Only problem is the person he killed was the gang leader, so he decides to stow away on a train that his leader originally intended to rob. The other story is about a family determined to cross the border with hundreds of other illegal immigrants on the top of a train. This is the same train Willy and his gang attempt to hijack. This is an excellent film, though not a feel good movie.

8. AN EDUCATION
Jenny Miller is a good student and hopes to attend Oxford University upon graduation. One day she's given a ride home by a middle aged man named David Goldman. Jenny finds David very charming, especially when he uses this charm to persuade Jenny's parents to allow him to take her to concerts, clubs and eventually to Paris. Jenny receives an education outside of the classroom that she will never forget. Whether she decides to abandon her potential inside the classroom I will not reveal here, but there is a twist at the end that Jenny never sees coming. This is a great film that hasn't been seen by that many people, but I encourage you to rent it when you have a chance.

9. THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE
Steven Soderbergh often enjoys making low budget, independent films along with his larger commercial releases. This is another one of his experiments, which I think works very well. Sasha Grey plays Christine, an expensive call girl who will take the part of her client's dream girlfriend, going out to dinner, listening to his small talk and problems and at the end of the evening, a bit more, if he wants. Christine is interviewed by a journalist, who's fascinated by her and also how she can juggle her line of work and maintain a real relationship with her boyfriend. As this film makes clear though, I would never want to be in her boyfriend's shoes. This is a rare look into a profession that brings both excitement and heartache, false relationships and wrecked ones.

10. SITA SINGS THE BLUES
What an original film this is! Put together mostly by one woman on her computer, the film tells two parallel stories. Sita Sings The Blues is very colorful and imaginitive in its animation, as simple as the movements for many of the characters appear. This movie unfortunately did not make it to mainstream theaters due to legal issues involving the music, but it found an audience online and was given a lot of attention at Ebertfest this past April. It's a film that passed under the radar of most viewers but is well worth your time.

HONORABLE MENTION: Brothers, District 9, This Is It, Big Man Japan, The Blind Side, Disney's A Christmas Carol, Funny People, I Love You Man, Julia, Julie & Julia, Moon, Passing Strange, Trucker, Tyson, You The Living, Zombieland.

Reviews in brief

Before I reveal my top ten list this weekend, I wanted to give my brief thoughts on movies I did not get a chance to write a full review on from 2009:

Sugar *** A good film with a realistic look at the experience of what many baseball players go through when they travel from their home country to Minor League Baseball in the United States.

In The Loop ** Some critics thought this was the funniest film of the year. Not this critic. Basically a movie with lot of people working in politics in the U.K. and the U.S. squabbling with each other and having egos way too big for their empty moral lacking characters. The general public didn't see this film and neither should you.

A Serious Man ** The Coen Brothers release another quirky movie about a man trying to find himself as his family is breaking down. This one didn't quite work for me, quirkiness is good, but this one was a bit much.

The Beaches of Agnes *** A unique autobiographical documentary about New Wave director Agnes Varda, which combines scenes Agnes telling her own story with actors reenacting younger versions of herself. I have not seen any films by Varda or her late husband Jacques Demy, but now I might just give them a look.

The Blind Side ***1/2 Basically a Hallmark feel-good movie, but a really good one! Sandra Bullock has one of her best roles (although still not worthy of the Oscar she will win on Sunday) as a southern Christian woman who adopts a homeless black student into her family and gives him the push and the love he needs to succeed in school, on the football field and as a human being.

Crazy Heart *** A once beloved country singer turned alcoholic singing in bowling alleys and dives gets another shot at love and songwriting. Jeff Bridges will likely win the Oscar for best actor and does an excellent job here. We've seen a lot of music biographical drama films like Ray and Walk the Line beloved by the Academy, so I think Bridges is days away from receiving his statue.

Two Lovers ***

Joaquin Phoenix's alleged final film is actually quite good, which is why it was a shame that he was so spaced out while "promoting it" on The Late Show with Dave Letterman. It follows Leonard, a man with emotional problems and suicidal tendencies who moves back in with his parents after his most recent suicide attempt. A lot of Leonard's troubles seem to stem from a breakup with his girlfriend. Leonard still has romantic possibilities on the horizon however. His parents want him to hook up with the daughter of a potential business partner, whose family happens to be coming over for dinner. Leonard, however, is also enamored with his new neighbor Michelle, who is dating a married man and has as many problems as he does. Who will Leonard end up with? He goes back and forth between both of them in this movie, though I suspected I knew the fate of his relationship with one of them. What I didn't see coming was the last scene. It may have been a compromise to Leonard, but I think he ultimately made the right choice and the better one.