Killers (2010)

When it's over, Killers killed itself.  This is another cheesy movie about an assasin, played by Ashton Kutcher, who gives up the occupation to establish roots and start a family.  Of course, everything's peachy for a few years until the past catches up with him leaving a path of destruction and havoc in his perfect surburban neighborhood.  Worse, he has to explain to his wife, played by Katherine Heigl, why they're dodging bullets and explosives.  This film did have promise, but half way through, the story fell apart from sheer silliness, and the plot simply didn't seem interesting anymore. 

My rating: 1.5 out of 5

The Mechanic (2011)

When it's over, I can never tire of Jason Statham.  He's one of those actors who tends to play a lot of emotionally undetached characters who ends up waving a lot guns and beating a lot of people up.  He's the hero of  anti-heros and he does such a great job at it.  Statham's back in action as an elite assassin who mentors the son of one of his victims played by the very talented, Ben Foster.  Of course nothing is as it seems in a "revenge" driven film.  Mix lots of gun play, add in some explosions, sprinkle it with stunts, and top it off with Statham and Foster make for an enjoyable no-brainer film.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Last Airbender (2010)

When it's over, I didn't complain.  In fact, I was glad.  The movie didn't appeal to me at all.  I think the idea of bringing this mystical cartoon to live action had great potential, but the execution failed to be entertaining or memorable.  The plot was weak; the love story never took flight; and the friendships never solidified.  The casting didn't help either with the actors giving so-so performances.  This film tells the story about a young successor to a long line of avatars, who must save the Water, Wind, and Air Nations from being enslaved by the Fire Nation.  This is not a simple story to tell, and when I heard M. Night Shyamalan was at the helm, I had great confidence that he would be able to transcend the complex storyline from the cartoon to live action and make it entertaining as well as fantastical.  However, I was wrong and disappointed with the lack of backstory and the lack of development in the main characters. 

My rating: 1 out of 5

The Town (2010)

When it's over, The Town was well adapted from book to screen by Actor/Director, Ben Affleck. Having read the book, I was expecting the Hollywood version to be contorted in all ways, straying from the book. However, Affleck managed not to stray too far from the source while keeping the soul of the story alive. He even changed the ending, which was bold and worked to the film's advantage.  The story's about a criminal, Doug MacRay (Affleck), who grows a conscience and wants out. This is a simple enough desire, but such a desire becomes unattainable when he has to go clean with the mob and even more complicated when he starts falling in love with the key witness of his last robbery.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Girl who Played with Fire - Sweden (2009)

When it's over, I still think Lisbeth Salander is one tough gal. She's a survivor. You never know what to expect from her and that makes the movie all the more interesting. This film continues two years after its predecessor, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. All the cast members return for this sequel along with some new faces and storylines. This time around, it's not about a creepy serial killer or the search of a missing person, but the seedy side of the sex trade. Salander is accused of a mulitple homicide, and Mikael Blomkvist digs deep to try and clear her name. This film isn't as thrilling or as shocking as the first, but worth a look if you've already seen Tattoo and most definitely if you've read the book(s).

My rating: 3.5 out of 5