Predators

Predators (2010) – Adrien Brody is surprisingly effective in this fairly predictable but perfectly adequate (if forgettable) film that relies a bit too heavily on the original. 6

Agora

Agora (2009) – Rachel Weisz does a good job in this otherwise bland “historical” drama that depicts Christians as a bunch of murderous, ignorant fanatics. 4

F/X2

F/X2 (1991) – Again, the story’s pretty thin, but the special effects and non-lethal tricks are neat even if they aren’t all particularly realistic (which I thought was the point) – in the end, it’s entertaining, barely, although it’s hard to imagine the main character wouldn’t be in prison after the first one. 6

F/X

F/X (1986) – This is a nice little action “thriller,” even if the story is fairly weak; holy crap, there’s Gordon from Sesame Street! 6

Despicable Me

Despicable Me (2010) – It follows a worn-out chick-flick formula and most of its jokes are aimed squarely at tiny children, and while it’s occasionally funny, it’s too often annoying; the worst part is it easily could have been much better; Steve Carell’s dodgy accent is all over Europe. 5

Robin Hood

Robin Hood (2010) – It’s decent enough, but the thin, spiritless story is completely unremarkable and not the slightest bit epic; maybe it’s finally time to lower our expectations of Ridley Scott. 6

The A-Team

The A-Team (2010) – It manages to be mostly entertaining while not ever being the slightest bit intelligent; the 80’s sensibilities combined with the modern effects might make this the most ridiculous movie ever that didn’t have Michael Bay’s name on it; Patrick Wilson is a highlight. 5

The Expendables

The Expendables (2010) – The large roster of action stars is impressive (not you, Statham), but the film, in both the action and the “story,” couldn’t be more generic; the undisputed star of the movie is Terry Crews’ magical shotgun. 5

The Other Guys

The Other Guys (2010) – Despite a great cast, this is a shockingly unfunny buddy cop parody; for some inexplicable reason, it also thinks it has something serious to say about investment fraud. 4