The Town (2010)

What guy doesn't love a good heist movie? Even better when it's a great heist movie, like the exciting, yet poorly titled The Town. This movie just adds to Ben Affleck directing resume.

Doug MacRay (Affleck) is part of the Not F--king Around Crew, a group of criminals in Boston's Charlestown neighborhood who specialize in bank robberies and armored car heists. His best friend is Jem (Jeremy Renner) and he is the out-of-control member of the group. The one who keeps his emotions on his sleeve. After a bank robbery where the alarm is triggered, the group takes the bank manager (Rebecca Hall) as a precaution in case the cops show up. After they let her go, it's Doug's job to follow her and see if she's talked to the FBI. While doing that, Doug strikes up a relationship with her and soon starts to fall in love. It's at that point when he realizes that she has talked to the feds. He's battling his feelings from both sides, while also trying to get out Charlestown and out of the bank robbing business. But it's not that easy. He's going to have to work his way out.

This movie proves that when Ben Affleck is really trying, he's not that bad of an actor. This also continues to follow on the steps of Gone Baby Gone and prove he is a terrific director. While I'll always hold a candle for Gone, I really liked this movie. It's tough to tolerate the Boston accent, but it really felt authentic. Also helping was Jeremy Renner, who is continuing his hot streak of great acting roles. I think he's assured a Best Supporting Actor nod for this. Go see it. Grade: A

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

I had a friggin' blast watching this movies. It's a video game/comic geek's dream. Fast-talking, high-flying with unbelievable effects. Just fun times.

Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) is a very poor bass player for Sex Bob-Omb. They have a hard time getting gigs and making any real money. Scott is also coming off a rough break up and begins dating a high-schooler named Knives. Before long though, he sees the literal girl of his dreams in Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). He basically stalks her until she finally agrees to "hang out" with him, leaving Knives in a lurch. Before they've really even started dating, Scott is greeted by Ramona's 1st Evil Ex-Boyfriend. After defeating him, Scott comes find he has 6 other Evil Exes (including Brandon Routh and Jason Schwartzman) to beat before Ramona is all his. The Exes continue to get harder and harder and now he's trying to decide whether it's even worth it at all.

This movie was fun as hell. Be prepared for fast moving action and dialogue that keeps coming and coming. There are also plenty of video game references to go around. You do need to escape reality a bit because they are living in this video game world where people glide around and burst into coins as they die. That being said, the dialogue was a bit weak at times, but that's to be expected from a comic book movie. Cera was perfect for this role but the MVP of this movie was Kieran Culkin as Scott's gay roommate Wallace. Every time he said something I was laughing. Go see this if you want just a great time. Grade: A-

True Grit (2010)

This movie was terrific. It was classic Coen Brothers. Every character was very well developed and, yup you guessed it, authentically gritty. But really, can Jeff Bridges do no wrong?

Fourteen year old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) is on a mission to avenge the death of her father by the coward Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). Since she's a child, she sets out to find help and comes across Rooster Cogburn (Bridges). Cogburn is a fat, drunk, one-eyed Marshall who has a seedy reputation but always tends to get his man...dead or alive. After finally agreeing to Mattie's terms, Texas Ranger La Boeuf (Matt Damon) also joins the manhunt for Chaney. The ranger and Rooster are at odds from the start and Ross is stuck in the middle trying to be the adult of the situation. As they get closer to Chaney, the path gets more treacherous and they take a sneakier approach. But Chaney's now teamed up with a gang of criminals. How are three people going to be able to outsmart that band of misfits? Can they?

Like I said, Jeff Bridges can practically do no wrong. He was terrific in this and I bet is up for another Oscar nod. Damon and Brolin were there usual great selves but I was most impressed by 13 year old Steinfeld. The way she kept her own against all of those seasoned veterans was amazing. She is a sure bet for a nomination. I highly recommend this. Grade: A

Get Him to The Greek (2010)

To put it lightly, this movie was a total disappointment. I love Russell Brand's style of comedy and I don't mind Jonah Hill's, but this just was an unfunny mess.

Ten years after rocker Aldous Snow (Brand) and his band Infant Sorrow rocked The Greek club in LA, he is a solo artist who just produced the "Worst Single of the Decade." Many feel he's lost his edge. Aaron Green (Hill) is a low level talent scout at Pinnacle Records, under the tutelage of Sergio Roma (Sean Combs). He convinces Sergio that an Infant Sorrow reunion show at The Greek is a good idea and so Pinnacle sends him to London to get Aldous out of his binging ways long enough to return to LA. What follows is a mess of run-ins, debacles, drug-mulings and misplaced tomfoolery. The question soon stops being "When," but rather "If?"

While it had some fleeting comedy, the bulk of the movie was such a drag. Brand's usual quick witted sense of humor was lost in a road trip movie. Combs was surprisingly good in his role. He had had smaller roles in other movies (Monster's Ball), but this seemed to fit him. The supporting cast was non-existent despite being the talented Rose Byrne and Elisabeth Moss. All in all, don't see this. Don't waste you're time. Watch the genius that is Forgetting Sarah Marshall again and forget this mess. Grade: C-.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I (2010)

I liked this movie, but I was not thoroughly impressed. I was hoping it would build on the Half Blood Prince, which I thought was the 2nd best of the franchise. It was great to see how dark and subversive the actors can get for a "kids" book.

As Lord Voldemort is gaining power, he is going to use any means necessary to obtain and kill his nemesis, Harry Potter. This means that Harry and his friends must go into hiding. The Dursleys abandon Harry and Hermoine makes it so her parents have no memory of her ever existing. Let the life on the run begin. With the Death Eaters closing in and surrounding the group, the main three decide to run off on their own, disapparating from place to place in an effort to destroy all of the remaining Horcrux. But the effects of the horcrux are beginning to take hold of Harry, Ron and Hermoine. Jealousy and betrayal begin to rear their ugly heads and now they must weather to battle within themselves, as well as surviving a life on the run. All of this is will come to a head in Part II.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have made such strides as actors since this series began that they were more than capable of putting this movie on their shoulders and, with this movie, the standout was Grint. He went through a range of emotions that was both frightening and impressive at the same time. It helped because for long stretches of this, I was bored. The actions and intensity of certain parts made up for it, and I know it's building towards a sequel, but it was still no fun for parts. That being said, I am excited for the conclusion of the franchise. I do recommend this, but heed my previous warnings.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

I'm actually really upset with myself for not seeing this in the theaters. I loved this movie. It was great to see the characters again and it was great to see that they stuck true to the story line. It's been 10 years since the last movie so it's been 10 years for them, too.

Andy is all grown up and getting prepared to head off to college. The things he is leaving behind aren't ready for that kind of separation. Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and the rest of the toys need to get ready for life without Andy. Through some of the usual miscommunication and hi-jinks that occur in movies, the toys are donated to a daycare center where they meet Lotso the teddy bear. The toys are excited until they find out they were mislead by Lotso and put into the toddler section of the daycare where they were abused beyond belief. While Buzz tries to negotiate, Lotso's goons take care of him and turn him against his friends. Woody is their only hope of salvation so they can maybe get back to see Andy again before he leaves for good.

This movie had a lot of comedy and a ton of heart. To go with the heart, this was one of the darker animated movies I've seen. There were a lot of heavy moments for the characters in the movie. I won't go into detail, but just be prepared. Back to the humor, Michael Keaton as Ken killed it in this flick. Him and Barbie were fantastic and provided a lot of the comic relief. I highly recommend this movie and I fully expect it to be nominated for Best Picture.

MacGruber (2010)

There used to be a big stigma with SNL skit based movies being, well, terrible. For the most part, that statement is true. Think of Superstar, The Ladies Man, and It's Pat. This movie isn't quite that bad, but it's not great.

MacGruber (Will Forte) was the best the United States military ever trained. An explosives expert with the skills necessary to rip out a man's throat. But that was 10 years ago. Now, he's the military's only hope against international super terrorist Dieter van Cunth (Val Kilmer), the same man who killed MacGruber fiance during their wedding. He assembles a team which includes his old friend Vicki St. Elmo (Kristen Wiig) and Dixon Piper (Ryan Phillippe), the current best the military's got. Cunth has hijacked the X-5 Missile and is threatening to detonate it in Washington DC during the State of the Union. MacGruber and his team now need stop him before it's too late, but can MacGruber overcome his past demons to make sure this does not become his one defining failure.

I didn't hate this movie, but it was not nearly as funny as I expected it to be. Forte was great at committing to his character, but I was expecting more of his SNL routine to shine through. What was surprising was how good Phillippe was at playing the straight guy to the ridiculousness that Forte and Wiig portrayed around him. There is a fair amount of gross out humor, so be prepared for that,m but I can't recommend this movie unless you are a real MacGruber fan.