Below

Aronofsky scripted submarine horror feels like Session 9 set on Ghost Ship.  Greenwood’s outperforms the film while Williams pulls an Osment.  None of the twists are particularly alarming as the ship drifts into clichéd waters.  The only true surprise in non-Event sub-Horizon is the prophetic shade of Galifianakis’ comedic future.

X-Men: First Class

Kick Ass director fixes Origins with series saving reboot. McAvoy and Lawrence hold their own, but Fassbender delivers powerhouse performance followed closely by six superpowers of Kevin Bacon. Inferior to first two films on account of mediocre supporting mutants, sub sized plot holes, and too much shrieking First Class flying.

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Perseus ‘3-D’ Jackson rides a digital horse into an ocean of mangled mythology. He fights with force of great typhoon as he struggles to be a man and sort out differences between Voldemort and Aslan, neither of whom are Titans. Decent effects and action sequences clash with titanic story flaws.

Stardust

The best comedy fantasy since Princess Bride and an outstandingly clever film. A cast of supporting superstars surround a relative unknown as he makes his way through an ingeniously funny fairy-tale land. De Niro and Pfeiffer provide two of the best performances, of the film, and of their recent years.

Kick-Ass

Watchmen’s Zombieland with matching angsty, redundant voiceover. Bright colors and cleverly Layer-Caked transitions add nice touch to poorly paced but generally enjoyable film. Nick Cage perfectly paired with best female superhero yet, and their violence is beautiful to behold. Features hallway fight to rival Oldboy but done by young girl.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Fincher uses a gimmick to make slow-moving mundane story enjoyable to watch, and the result is exquisitely beautiful, both visually and emotionally. Blanchett and Pitt both shine through not quite satisfactory makeup and visual effects. Hurt slightly by occasional moments of excessive screen-writer cleverness and by similarities to Forrest Gump.