The Losers // The Losers was a pleasant surprise for me in 2010. I walked into it knowing nothing about the property and expecting very little but within the first action scene I was treated to a fun movie with great action scenes that still managed to ratchet up a body count. Mere hours after seeing the film, I purchased the graphic novels, which were good – but the film managed to improve upon several aspects. Still a fun film to me.
The Town // There have only been two years when the name Ben Affleck didn’t merit chuckling: 1997 and 2010. With a great turn behind the camera and an equally impressive one in front of it, Affleck helmed a movie that merged family, crime, shoot-outs, Boston accents, and creepy nun masks to great effect.
Middle Men // A little seen, inspired by true events film carried by the charisma of star Luke Wilson. Detailing the rise of internet commerce on the back of a porno inspired idea from a couple of functioning morons, Middle Men mixes boobs with mob violence and plenty of humor. Do yourself a favor and find this sleeper on home video.
The Crazies // Everyone knows I have a soft spot for horror and at least a tolerance for remakes. What I’m not a huge fan of, though, is George Romero. Sue me, most of his work sucks. Taking a middling old film and remaking it with Timothy Olyphant, however, will always get my attention, because I love Olyphant. With a respectable body count, a bunch of scares, and some stellar performances, The Crazies kicked ass on the horror front.
Edge of Darkness // When compiling a year end list, I like to shift my true order around just a touch to highlight some films that might otherwise get ignored. In either unusually strong or weak years, often times most lists are too much the same. While Edge of Darkness might not have blown everyone away, I was pleased with the mature handling of this thriller and the return of Mel Gibson to the big screen. Full of great performances, a smart story, and moments of mind shattering violence, Edge of Darkness felt like a call back to a smarter and more eloquent time period.
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