Super (2010)

What is less well-known is the second "average guy becomes a costumed hero, with plenty of graphic violence, swearing, and an adorable, if psychotic, female sidekick" movie that came out in 2010 - one with less than a tenth of the budget of Kick-Ass and around half of the restraint. There's a slight difference, in that our underdog hero this time is Rainn Wilson's boring and put-upon middle-aged failure, and his motivation is less about being a superhero, and more about saving his disinterested girlfriend from drug dealers. However, it's very unfair to call this a cash-in on Kick-Ass, as this film takes a more realistic approach, glorifying absolutely nothing about our two main characters and, in fact, showing that both of them are really damaged beyond repair. As over-the-top as Kick-Ass seems, Super is actually far more brutal and realistic in terms of violence, eliciting disgust and wincing rather than any kind of admiration, including the heroes' own actions in assaulting criminals with tools. There were multiple points in this film where the violence wasn't just graphic, but actually oddly upsetting, not least in the bittersweet finale. All in all, this is an enjoyable film for those who like very black comedy, and can appreciate the fact that this goes even further with the message that being a superhero is a good way to get hospitalised. Admittedly, the religious subtext is very strange, and all but forgotten after the first half of the movie, but is understated enough to not be intrusive, and offers the bonus of Nathan Fillion as Jesus-themed hero Holy Avenger.

It's only terrorism if you don't wear a brightly-coloured costume.

True Grit (2010)

Jeff Bridges is always an awesome actor, even when he talks like a dog barking, and his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn, the role made famous by Western legend John Wayne is no exception. He's the quintessential grizzled old gun-slinger, and spends the entirety of this film swinging between the poles of "cool as a cucumber" and "laugh-out-loud hilarious", throwing gruff insults at Matt Damon and being blunt to the point of amusement. But there is someone in this film who threatens to steal every last scene from Bridges; young Hailee Steinfeld, who after a series of supporting roles in teen film and TV landed her first major role as Hattie Ross, and has already landed a well-deserved Oscar nomination, all at the tender age of 14. And unlike many Academy choices, this pick could not be more deserved. Indeed, I'll be shocked if she doesn't win, despite the other big names in that category. Steinfeld has to be one to watch, as in every single scene she has a maturity far beyond her years and delivers barbed comments with pinpoint accuracy, reducing most of the adults she meets to quivering piles of insecurity. Her litigious nature can be trying at times, but generally she is completely at ease, despite sharing scenes with a legend like Bridges, and a Hollywood A-lister like Matt Damon. Finally the helmsmen, the Coen Brothers, show once again that they can perfectly balance action, story and comedy within a genre that is generally not know for being funny. But True Grit is cuttingly funny, mostly thanks to stinging comments thrown back and forth between the protagonists. Westerns of old can seem formulaic and stale, but this film breathes new life into the genre and shows the feasibility of making this aged type entertaining still, even without adding extraterrestrials, as with this year's upcoming Cowboys & Aliens.


"The eyepatch is to give y'all a fightin' chance."

Black Swan (2010)

Around the awards season it's not unreasonable to have a fair degree of scepticism about likely nominations being thrown around. In this case, Natalie Portman is being touted as a shoe-in for the Best Actress Oscar, having already won the Golden Globe in the same category, for her role as a veteran ballerina in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. Happily, Portman deserves her nomination for this part, a vulnerable and damaged young woman who discovers many things about herself after being chosen for the dual role of the Swan Queen in a production of Swan Lake. It's implied that Portman's character Nina was always high-strung and obsessive to the point of madness, and we see her begin to break under the pressure of her starring role, struggling to portray the feisty and sensual Black Swan, and fearing that new dancer Lily (Mila Kunis) will steal way her chance for success after years of intensive training. The entire film is slightly unnerving, with the ostentatious displays of Nina's cracking psyche balanced by many tiny, background effects that cause the viewer to wonder if they just imagined the moving picture or distorted face in their peripheral vision. Tchaikovsky dominates the musical score, lending a sense of immense grandeur to the proceedings, and cementing the music of Swan Lake into even the most ballet-phobic male stereotype. The incredibly tense finale is a blend of thunderous music, beautiful dancing, and some truly breath-taking imagery as Nina loses herself in her role and allows her old self to be overcome. The hype is justified and in this case the film is as much a piece of entertainment as a piece of art.


And I'm sure this scene wasn't added to placate hen-pecked boyfriends...

Tron: Legacy (2010)

From the first trailers, we all knew that over 25 years of advancement in computer technology would at least allow for a Tron sequel to dramatically out-shine its predecessor in terms of visuals, and at most would give a much wider range of computer functions for the film to explore. And while Tron: Legacy sadly fails to explore these advances, from social networking to Wikipedia, the visuals are stunning. The landscape is dark, but within the boundaries of the Grid, the digital city resembles a techno-Gotham, aided by the booming and dramatic musical score. Many of the aspects of this film seem more like updates of the original, though it could be argued that the proliferation of video-gaming was the reason for scaling up the disk-battle and light-cycle scenes to spectator sports taking place in a colossal stadium. The story isn't anything ground-breaking, essentially boiling down to another rogue A.I. trying to ruin things, though with the nice twist that it is the original Kevin Flynn's creation serving as the villain, despite appearing as an incredibly unconvincingly de-aged Jeff Bridges. Sadly the film twice attempts to surprise the audience with the revelation of the identity of a masked character, and each time it comes as no surprise at all. That being said, Garrett Hedlund does well as new hero Sam, and my hope for a better female lead is fulfilled by Olivia Wilde's Quorra. Really, this is a very solid science fiction film, with great action, some of the best 3D I've seen, and a kickin' soundtrack. Great for a belated sequel.


It's right there on his frigging chest!

The Infidel (2010)

Carving itself out a niche between the incredibly offensive (and utterly genius) Four Lions and the fond and gentle mocking of Dogma, The Infidel is the story of admittedly moderate Muslim Mahmud, who discovers upon his mothers death that he is adopted, and was really born a Jew by the name of Solly Shimshillewitz. This, naturally, sends him into an existential crisis, as he struggles with both his new-found roots and his sons betrothal to the step-daughter of a radical Muslim cleric, Arshad Al-Masri. So, Mahmud is forced to spend his time sneaking around behind his family's back, learning to be both a better Jew (so as to see his ailing birth father Izzy) and a better Muslim (to impress Al-Masri), leading to the inevitable climactic moment where his heritage comes out and those around him abandon him, shamed by his birth-parents or hurt by his secrecy. Of course, Mahmud triumphs over the sinister Al-Masri in the end, and learns to accept himself as he is, a Jew-by-birth, a Muslim-by-belief, and just another normal husband and father. Omid Djalili is really what holds this film together, as he plays both the comedy and pathos with perfect flair, truly making the audience sympathise with Mahmud's plight. My only real criticism of the movie is an extremely contrived and ridiculous resolution to the problem of Al-Masri's opposition to the marriage of Mahmud's son to his step-daughter. Suffice it to say that Mahmud either winning him over or shaming him with heart-felt words and simple decency would have been infinitely preferable. This may seem like a minimal criticism, but it's enough to sadly knock this film out of the "must-see" category, and into the "recommended", which is no bad thing. It's just disappointing. "Recommended" it is, a heart-warming and funny way to waste an afternoon.


Wait... So Benjamin Disraeli was really a Muslim?

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes (2010)

If you've ever wanted to see a poorly done amalgamation of Pirates of the Caribbean 2, Jurassic Park, Reign of Fire and Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes with awful music and terrible acting across the board, congratulations, you have an undiagnosed mental illness. In fairness, it's only to be expected from fail-merchants at The Asylum and their forays into knockoffsploitation. This has to count among the most painful cinematic experiences I have ever had, outclassing the incredibly boring, the laughably absurd and the painfully drawn-out. It's rare I have to pause a film in order to have a bit of a facepalm and perhaps a bit of a cry. Modern inventions quantum-leap to the 1880s, recognisable actors embarrass themselves (Ianto from Torchwood and Reed from Enterprise make their old shows, flawed as they were, look like veritable masterpieces), and incredibly lazy camera work has modern road markings and "For Sale" signs lining the smoggy streets of Ol' London Town. Thankfully this film only clocks in at 84 minutes, but manages to squeeze every second full of inanity, inaccuracy and sheer incompetance.


Sweet! A house for sale with nearby, clearly-marked parking!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)

As the first part of a film acting as a capstone to nearly ten years of films and over thirteen years of books which have become one of the most pervasive and important fictional phenomena in recent memory, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 has a great deal to live up to. I'm pleased to report that it does indeed live up to expectations, trimming very little from the book and keeping the same dark and epic visual style as the previous films helmed by David Yates. It could be noted that the plot seems to meander and has little direction beyond some vague instructions, but this only serves to highlight how lost the protagonists are, alone and relatively powerless in an extremely hostile and threatening environment. The acting is very strong throughout, especially with the special emphasis on the main three, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who spend most of the film alone and at the fore. The film has very little in the way of comedy beyond the first half hour, but this is only a very small criticism, and the atmosphere wouldn't lend itself to much comic relief in any case. Of course the conclusion is right in the middle of the drama, which is somewhat frustrating, but does everything to whet the appetite for next years' Part 2, which promises to surpass the first. Indeed, this is to be hoped, as Deathly Hallows Part 1 is the strongest entry in the series, and takes full advantage of its extended running time.


And Dobby joins the ranks of the supreme badasses of all time.