There's Nothing Wrong With Me: Duncan's Worst Films of 2011

Who wants to wallow in negativity at a time when there's so much to celebrate. I've been so busy with the bustle of catching up with the year's end that I haven't had the time or attention to comment on the films I've seen. If I had, it's only been on twitter, and if you're not following me there then you're sorely missing out. But the truth is that I didn't want to write a "Worst Films of 2011" list because that brings me back to the idea of this as a generally disappointing year, which it was for the greater part of the first nine months, for me anyway. I don't expect you to agree with any of the conclusions I've made in this list, and I don't want you to. You are free to hate me for my opinions, and I'll welcome it, but here what I have to say about the films before you do so.

Summer was a dour exercise I'd rather forget. It's worth mentioning that simple films like "Captain America", "Thor", and even "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" yielded more interest from me than the likes of "Super 8". The more appropriate name for this list would be "Most Disappointing of 2011", as much of what makes some of these films bad is the potential placed on them. Let me say that these are of the films I've seen. I didn't see everything, especially towards the end of the year, when I was especially busy catching up on what I did want to see. Sorry to "Horrible Bosses". You just missed the cut. So without further delay...

Summer 2011 a disappointment?

This is pretty much the last week of the blockbuster season of this Summer that kicked off with Thor, an unassuming and seemingly silly superhero film that many wrote off within the first trailer. Admittedly, I did to. I realize how wrong I was, and in fact Thor is still the most competent blockbuster of this year. Since then things have been hardly keeping themselves afloat, at least in this viewer's opinion. I know many who were more than pleased with Super 8, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and X-Men: First Class, even if I wasn't. Hell, I even found Captain America of all things to be a somewhat welcome and campy reprieve from all the disappointment.

And that's just scraping the surface of what the viewing public critically approved of. How can we forget about all the warranted cynicism surrounding Priest, the blatant distaste of On Stranger Tides, and the unimaginable stupidity of The Hangover: Part II. And I almost forgot to mention Green Lantern, but it managed to disgust even the most hardcore of fanboys. And (dis)honorable mentions are needed for Zookeeper, Cars 2, Bad Teacher, Horrible Bosses, and others I'm too tired to list. All this hatred makes me forget the few real successes of the year.

Remember Kung Fu Panda 2, and how it brought us the greatest supporting actor performance of the year out of the mouth of a peacock? If Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy bottoms out, unlikely as it is, I'd suggest Gary Oldman just be nominated for that. How about Bridesmaids? Absolutely hilarious for almost two straight hours, and surprising depth from Kristen Wiig of all nutty characters. And I know this isn't a common opinion, but Transformers: Dark of the Moon was the most guiltily enjoyable romp of the summer. I feel no shame in admitting my enjoyment of Bay's loud stupidity.

So the season effectively ends this weekend with Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which is about as unassuming as film as Thor was at the start of the year. Fittingly enough, both films look to feature fantastically strong leading performances from unlikely actors. Having seen just seen it now, I can say that it keeps up this summer's streak of being adequate but not at all outstanding. I'll get to that later, but I didn't hate everything about the film. In particular, one thing is truly amazing.

Box Office Update: "Bosses" Rise Against "Moon"

Forgive me if things have been too silent for your liking lately. Balancing my work online and an actual job is a bit of a chore, and some things rightly take a back seat. I promise that things will pick up considerably after the summer, but you can expect things to be slow around this time of year. Obviously the box office is not one of such things, so that's something I'll always comment on. As for this particular weekend, nothing is truly changed or different. Transformers: Dark of the Moon remains the one to beat for the year, though that could certainly change very soon.

Michael Bay's trilogy capper fell a heavy 52% from its giant debut, and it raises a question of how much higher than $300 million it will reach domestically. Still, the film is performing quite admirably given the constant assault of critical backlash. I realize I never did weigh in on the film, so I'll take just a moment to give my thoughts. It's perhaps the worst film of the entire series, but it's also the most enjoyable, stupidly hilarious, and just plain fun films I've seen in a long time. I enjoyed Revenge of the Fallen more than Transformers, and I enjoyed Dark of the Moon even more. Call me insane, but that's my standing on the matter.

In the meantime, comedic films tried to add an inch of levity to the summer, and somewhat successfully if you look at the money charts. Horrible Bosses, which I hear has received a handful of good reviews, would've reigned champion this weekend if it weren't for Bay's machines. Zookeeper, was the weaker of the two, but give it credit for inching just above the $20 million mark this weekend. Cars 2 is taking smaller drops now, but I'd expect it to end below even Ratatouille, one of Pixar's toughest sells. Rounding out the top five is Bad Teacher, which I saw and was somewhat appalled by on Thursday. Still, it's been holding on well, and could make it to $100 million if all continues as it is. Sure, the weekend was down from last year when Despicable Me placed first, but expect an uptick in good time.

1. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Second Weekend; $47 million)

2. Horrible Bosses (First Weekend; $28.1 million)

3. Zookeeper (First Weekend; $21 million)

4. Cars 2 (Third Weekend; $15.2 million)

5. Bad Teacher (Third Weekend; $9 million)

6. Larry Crowne (Second Weekend; $6.3 million)

7. Super 8 (Fifth Weekend; $4.8 million)

8. Monte Carlo (Second Weekend; $3.8 million)

9. Green Lantern (Fourth Weekend; $3.1 million)

10. Mr. Popper's Penguins (Fourth Weekend; $2.9 million)

Box Office Update: Under Light of "Moon"

It seems like the box office is thriving, with another major hit having taken a huge chunk of the earnings this weekend, be it one that we expected. To be honest, I would have expected bigger numbers from Transformers: Dark of the Moon, but I guess the weak(er) start had to do with the general anger towards the second film. As most know, I quite enjoyed the second film, and I quite enjoyed the third film for the same basic reasons. It's big, loud, stupid, hilarious, honest, and quite obviously beautiful. Every artist has a certain style, and Bay's is with the degenerate and flashy. You can't simply watch this film and lump it in with the crowd of failing blockbusters.

Cars 2 took a massive drop from last weekend, by far the largest drop of any Pixar film, but there's no surprise there. Larry Crowne failed on impact, not making a huge dent with the opposite demographic of Transformers. Monte Carlo also didn't make a big impact, but it did well for what was expected of it. That's the main thing you can say about it, is that it did exactly what it was expected to do, and that's fine. In the scheme of total grosses, Bridesmaids passed the $150 million point, which I'm quite happy about. Pirates 4 passed $1 billion worldwide, which I'm not at all happy about. It certainly puts Alice in Wonderland in perspective in terms of quality.

1. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (First Weekend; $116.4 million)

2. Cars 2 (Second Weekend; $32.1 million)

3. Bad Teacher (Second Weekend; $17.6 million)

4. Larry Crowne (First Weekend; $15.7 million)

5. Super 8 (Fourth Weekend; $9.5 million)

6. Monte Carlo (First Wekend; $8.8 million)

7. Green Lantern (Third Weekend; $8 million)

8. Mr. Popper's Penguins (Third Weekend; $6.9 million)

9. Bridesmaids (Eighth Weekend; $4.4 million)

10. Midnight in Paris (Seventh Weekend; $4.3 million)

Box Office Update: "2" Fast. Not Furious.

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with this summer? We've gone on so far without anything being truly exceptional, that I'm honestly playing quite the pessimist. I'm honestly kind of excited for Transformers: Dark of the Moon to lift me out of this rut I've been stuck in. That's not to say that films haven't been mildly successful. Green Lantern looks to be the only unmitigated failure of the blockbuster summer thus far. Things have been on a downward slope for Cars 2 all week, and yet it still displays an honorable total for this weekend.

I'm not surprised, as kids were greatly pleased with Hop a few months back, so why on earth would they not be even more pleased with Cars 2? The film beat low expectations to take the top spot with $8 million more than the previous film's opening. It's still to be determined how well the film plays in the long term, but there isn't much to draw away the kid crowd in the next month, so I'd say the film's prospects are strong. Now, the other new releases would usually be a non-factor, but Bad Teacher put up a fantastic opening north of $30 million, which is spectacular for a comedic venture like that.

Aside from that, there's not much to this weekend's box office. Green Lantern took a nosedive of nearly 65%, and looks like it's going to be a total failure. Super 8 is currently en route to doubling its budget of $50 million. Overall, the weekend was up a good 8% from last year, so things might be taking a turn for the better after Green Lantern's failure.

1. Cars 2 (First Weekend; $68 million)

2. Bad Teacher (First Weekend; $31 million)

3. Green Lantern (Second Weekend; $18.4 million)

4. Super 8 (Third Weekend; $12.1 million)

5. Mr. Popper's Penguins (Second Weekend; $10.3 million)

6. X-Men: First Class (Fourth Weekend; $6.6 million)

7. The Hangover: Part II (Fifth Weekend; $5.9 million)

8. Bridesmaids (Seventh Weekend; $5.4 million)

9. Pirates 4 (Sixth Weekend; $4.7 million)

10. Midnight in Paris (Sixth Weekend; $4.5 million)

Box Office Update: Green Means Stop

Sorry there wasn't any "Weekend Report", but from time to time my actual job tends to come in the way of me getting things up on time. On to the actual news, Green Lantern's opening was a mix of the good and the bad, opening modestly to $21.6 million on Friday only to decline greatly with the next two days. I have absolutely no intention of seeing it and adding to its now depressing total. It still managed to hold onto the top spot, but that's no huge feat going up against the second weekend of Super 8. Talking of which, J.J. Abrams' new film slipped only 40% from last weekend, which is pretty spectacular for a film built on a budget of $50 million.

Then there's the bastard second new release that finds its place lower down the list at number 3, this week being Mr. Popper's Penguins. The film fared less favorably than imagined given its kid friendly premise, but it was expected to land somewhere just below $20 million. Don't expect further kindness with Cars 2 coming in next week to snatch the kid crowd, and Bad Teacher picking up the comedic circuit. X-Men: First Class continued on a downward trend, falling another 50% to fourth place. Filling out the top five was The Hangover: Part II, which is finally bottoming out, and should end its run at about $250 million, far more than it deserves. This weekend ultimately was a gargantuan 23.8% down from last year, but that's understandable against the opening of Toy Story 3.

1. Green Lantern (First Weekend; $52.7 million)

2. Super 8 (Second Weekend; $21.3 million)

3. Mr. Popper's Penguins (First Weekend; $18.2 million)

4. X-Men: First Class (Third Weekend; $11.5 million)

5. The Hangover: Part II (Fourth Weekend; $9.6 million)

6. Kung Fu Panda 2 (Fourth Weekend; $8.7 million)

7. Bridesmaids (Sixth Weekend; $7.5 million)

8. Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (Fifth Weekend; $6.2 million)

9. Midnight in Paris (Fifth Weekend; $5 million)

10. Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer (Second Weekend; $2.2 million)

For Your Anticipation: We're Going to Fly Now

Seriously? What kind of irritating, self-evident line is that? "We're going to fly now?" AHHHHHH!!!!! I'm sorry, but this latest superhero film is just pushing all the needlessly wrong buttons, with visual effects and performances so obvious that it makes me gag. I pray that I don't actually get put in a position to see this film, because I imagine no other outcome than extreme and excruciating pain. So no, I don't care about Green Lantern.

Films to See in 2011: June

I have had a joyfully optimistic entrance into this Summer with May, so it's a rather large disappointment to go from that to the June slate. All of the films that I have been looking forward to in June are coming out in the first two weeks. That leaves a pretty sizable mess of the following two weeks. Jim Carrey is adding yet another pointlessly irritating performance to his repertoire with Mr. Popper's Penguins. Pixar could potentially break their tradition of wonderfully heart filled entertainment with Cars 2. I'm still not sold on Green Lantern, nor do I expect to be so in the following weeks. Luckily, we do have some films waiting to invigorate audiences before this downward slope.

3. Beginners

Directed by Mike Mills

Like most films at this spot, I'm not relentlessly waiting for this film to come out, no pun intended. More can be said of this film than simply saying that it's better than most of what's out there. I'd say that Ewan McGregor, Melanie Laurent, and Christopher Plummer are signs of something great, but everybody has their respective pitfalls. What has me so interested in this film is the witty personal nature of the piece. It's not a broad comedy by any definition, and it focuses on very real and interesting emotions. When you take on a subject such as this, and one that's really never been touched upon, you raise several interesting questions. If director Mike Mills does a good job answering them, he's got something great here.

Dread Locks: June 2011

Another piece that went up in glorious flames during the "Blogger Maintenance Massacre of 2011", as I will call it, I had already gone on about the expected upsets of this coming month. There's always a promise of some sort of substantial failings, either expected or unexpected. And yet, I found myself so strictly confined while figuring out what films to have people vote for this month. The Art of Getting By looks like the most horrible indie flick I've ever heard of, but there's little chance anyone's ever heard of it. At the time, I was halfway committed to slapping Cars 2 in there, and I didn't because of the long-term respect I have for Pixar. After seeing the latest semi-redeeming trailer, I'm glad I made that call.

The most difficult film not to throw in there was Green Lantern, because every scrap of marketing for that film hits me like a brick to the head. There has been such banal optimism towards the film that it makes me sick, because whatever hope there is towards it is reminiscent of Avatar. I'd be a little more faithful if the film looked as good as Avatar and not Fantastic Four. I have every reason to lump this one in the poll, but I know that if I did then absolutely everyone would vote for it. Then it becomes a popularity contest, and I have pretty much secured my place in the theater for a film I really don't want to see.

Theatrical Trailer: Green Lantern

Green Lantern is really shaping up to be the ultimate superhero failure of this summer. I hate how much benign optimism is out there for this film, because there are somehow people who think it looks cool. I've never seen a dumber enterprise in my life, and I was an inch away from putting this film on my Dread Locks poll for the month of June. On the other hand, if I did that then I would most certainly have to see this movie, and I don't want to. Take a look at the trailer below.

Digital 3D in Summer 2011

I feel like the film industry has learned some valuable lessons in terms of using Digital 3D in film. I am, personally, an affable fan of the technique just so long as it is done correctly. It's like really good chocolate, but you can still overdo it. This Summer has found a certain measure of moderation, with X-Men: First Class, Super 8, and Cowboys & Aliens all opting out of Digital 3D. I think it's a worthy rule that if your film isn't just standard popcorn fare that you shouldn't go for 3D. In the meantime, there are some films that you could easily see in 2D without complaint. I'll try to give you a decent idea of which films would be worth the extra three bucks.

May

Thor - Post-conversion, but deals with epic celestial realms. Probably still majestic and preferable in 2D.

Priest - Not in 3D. Not in 2D. Not on DVD. NOT EVER!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides - Promising visuals from Rob Marshall in service of a less than spectacular screenplay. If you see it at all, go for 3D.

Kung Fu Panda 2 - Heartfelt animation from Dreamworks, so definitely worth 3D.

June

Green Lantern - It's practically an animated film, and the superhero was made for 3D. Should attract the same fans as Avatar, so you'll see it in 3D either way.

Cars 2 - If it's not in the sky, it's not worth your time. If you see Pixar's latest, see it in 2D.

July

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Sparks, explosions, clanging metal, and more explosions. Shut your brain off and see it in frantic 3D glory!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 - I'm completing the journey in 2D. You should too.

Captain America: The First Avenger - Seems to evoke the film I would have died to see in 3D, Star Trek, so go for the glasses.

The Smurfs - Seriously? Don't even bother.

Theatrical Trailer: Green Lantern

I hate it when a trailer like this comes along and almost fools me into loving it. Footage for Green Lantern hit the net a few days before this trailer, and I absolutely hated it almost entirely. It looked like they spliced some Ryan Reynolds comedy into our superhero film. This trailer does a good job of clearing some of that off, and it almost got me to believe in the facade they were fashioning. It ultimately didn't work, because of a few cheesy lines, some obvious and corny CGI, and that guy with the head. I like the logos, and the effects used for the tagline had me remembering the old days of film trailers. However, for the most part, I know what this film will turn out to be, which is probably some half-assed attempt at what Spider-Man had. Take a look and judge for yourselves.

Comic Con 2010: Wrap Up!

Alright, let me just wrap up with my thoughts on Comic Con. I was rather disappointed by how little low quality video captured on people's video cameras made its way online. I was hoping to see more, but was disappointed. That's my general feeling from this Comic Con. There wasn't enough material thrown around this year. Nobody real took full use of Hall H as they could have. There weren't many events that had a huge amount of buzz around them. I'm sad I wasn't there this year, but I feel like it wouldn't have be as exciting as I'd have hoped for.

We got some big events from TRON Legacy, Jon Favreau's Cowboys and Aliens (A photo from which can be found at the top of this article), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Matt Reeves' Let Me In, but there wasn't so much to talk about. Nobody premiered 20 minutes of footage to an eager crowd like James Cameron did last year for Avatar. The film sucked, but at least he took the time to give fans more of what they wanted. It'd have been nice to see the short bits of footage from Thor, Green Lantern, and Captain America, but I'm not as huge a comic book geek as the rest of my family, and I'm really growing tired of the Marvel franchise.

So what can we expect from Comic Con next year? For one thing, you can expect me to be there. It's a long trip across the entire country, and I literally mean the entire country. I live in New Hampshire, so San Diego will be a bit of a long haul, but hopefully I'll be able to make it. As for events, most of the summer will be long gone by the time Comic Con comes around. So what's there to hype about? Will they show an advance screening of Spy Kids 4? I sincerely hope not. There's a chance we'll get a lot more Cowboys and Aliens footage, seeing as the film comes out two weeks later, but there are a few films that come out that fall and the following year that might generate buzz.

Happy Feet 2, Martin Scorcese's Hugo Cabret, Mission Impossible 4, Sherlock Holmes 2, David Fincher's Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Stephen Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn will all be dawning in November and December of next year. Not to mention, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1. I'll give you a few minutes to puke, and then you can finish reading. Also be ready for whatever footage from The Avengers Joss Whedon is sure to unveil at Comic Con, because you know he will. Also look for footage from the summer 2012 pics Battleship, Men and Black 3, the Spiderman reboot, and whatever Christopher Nolan feels good with sharing about his next project, whatever it is (The Dark Knight sequel?). Well for now, I leave you with one more poster. It's the third Let Me In poster from Comic Con, and it instantly overshadows the other two.

Comic Con 2010: Green Lantern, Harry Potter, and Sucker Punch Panels!

So today Warner Bros. finally got around to advertising their top upcoming movies, which this year is narrowed down to three. Those three are Green Lantern, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Sucker Punch. As much as I'd like to point you off to one specific site, I just can't, because I planned to send you to Kristopher Tapley's article detailing it at In Contention. What happened? Kris didn't really go that deep into the Potter footage. I understand that he's become fatigued with the franchise, as quite a few people have, and I respect that. It just means I have to send you off to two different sites. One is the previously mentioned article by In Contention, and the other is ComingSoon.net's breakdown of the footage. You can find the links below, and if any of the footage burrows its way online, I'll let you know.

In Contention
ComingSoon.net