| Anticipated Best to Worst
|
Actual Best to Worst
|
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30)
Let's be totally honest, Twi-Hards: The first two movies in the series were more than a little disappointing, especially after the 10th viewing. With the edgier, darker director David Slade taking the reigns for Eclipse we're optimistic that fans will finally get a movie they deserve. If not, there's always Breaking Dawn to look forward to. (Here are 5 scenes that need to be in that movie.)
|
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30)
In a summer of so-far dismal chick flicks, thank god David Slade didn't disappoint. Stephenie Meyer fans finally got the blockbuster they deserved — and vampire movie fans finally got a Twilight with some bite. Let's hope it's carried over to Breaking Dawn.)
|
The Switch (August 20)
The phrase "Jennifer Aniston rom-com" sends shivers down any movie fan's spine, and it should because she hasn't made a good one since 2002's outstanding sleeper The Good Girl. In this case, however, there's Jason Bateman to help break her losing streak. Plus, a few years ago the directing duo of Josh Gordon and Will Speck made the grossly underrated Blades of Glory.
|
The Switch (August 20)
While some critics are really hating on this movie, it's the best rom-com we've seen all year. That is faint praise, indeed, but the Bateman-Aniston chemistry works, and we'll get to see it again next summer with the July 29, 2011 release of the comedy Horrible Bosses.
|
Step-Up 3-D (August 6)
Step Up 2 the Streets was the rare sequel that was better than the original (Step Up). Now it's in 3-D and as long as director Jon Chu focuses the camera on the ridiculously athletic dancing and not the ridiculously wooden acting, Step Up 3-D might be the first-ever trilogy where each movie is better than the last.
|
Step-Up 3-D (August 6)
Why all the hate for the Step Up series? If you want well-acted drama and rich plot lines, rent a Merchant-Ivory flick. If you want to watch some incredible dancing, see this. As we thought, it's the best pic of the trilogy, thanks to 3-D technology that's used to actually enhance the experience instead of merely enhancing the marketing message.
|
Just Wright (May 14)
Unlike most musicians-turned-actors, both Queen Latifah and Common can actually act. As for music-video-director-turned-feature-film-director Sanaa Hamri, well, the jury is still out after Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. Her lack of experience combined with an especially formulaic plot puts the ceiling on this pic at a 5/10.
|
Going the Distance (September 3)
A completely average rom-com, notable only for the over-the-top sex talk that's trying way too hard for laughs it never delivers. This is one of those movies that by, oh, about Thanksgiving (or Christmas at the very latest) you will have completely forgotten about, to the point that if someone asked, "Have you seen Going the Distance?" you'd tell them you've never heard of it.
|
Eat Pray Love (August 13)
The book spent 158 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list (do the math; that's more than 3 years) and was featured on Oprah for two whole episodes. Could any movie possibly live up to these sky-high expectations? No. While the book's popularity brought in some heavy hitters like Julia Roberts, James Franco, and Javier Bardem, it's directed by Ryan Murphy, who failed pretty spectacularly with 2006's Running with Scissors adaptation.
|
Just Wright (May 14)
So bland and fairy-tale-y, fans left the theater pretty sure they'd already seen the same movie on Lifetime a couple of weeks earlier. Despite the lame script, Latifah and Common were good, and we're adding another point for some highly realistic NBA basketball scenes.
|
Letters to Juliet (May 14)
A romance served up with schmaltz this toxic better have some great-looking leads. However, Amanda Seyfried and Christopher Egan aren't nearly as attractive as the Italian countryside setting, which looks like the most interesting character in the movie. Director Gary Winick's last movie was Bride Wars, which was just plain bad. This letter may be better left unopened.
|
Letters to Juliet (May 14)
The trailer tells no lies in the case of Letters to Juliet. The movie was so syrupy that by the end of its mere 110-minute running time we had three new cavities! On the plus side, it's a real value. Even with the Euro at 5-year lows against the U.S. dollar, the $10 ticket price is a lot cheaper than a trip to Verona.
|
Sex and the City 2 (May 27)
Given the success of its run on HBO, a feature-length movie was definitely deserved and it wasn't bad. But to paraphrase Kenny Rogers, you have to know when to fold 'em, and for SATC we suggest it's when two or more of the stars have gone through menopause. One look at the poster and we get the feeling the series is heading into sci-fi territory.
|
Eat Pray Love (August 13)
Rolling Stone movie critic Peter Travers summed up our thoughts after seeing this pic even better than we could've: "Having not read Elizabeth Gilbert's bestseller about her yearlong journey to Italy, India and Bali to achieve balance and spiritual enlightenment, I can only speak of the torture of watching the movie." As we feared, director Murphy flames out again on the big screen (Running With Scissors), and should stick to the little one (Glee and Nip/Tuck).
|
Going the Distance (September 3)
The late-summer release date doesn't inspire a lot of confidence, and we're wondering if That Guy From The Apple Commercials can pull off playing a lead opposite Drew Barrymore. Director Nanette Burstein has made a couple of good, little-seen documentaries (The Kid Stays in the Picture, American Teen) but the transition to large Hollywood studio rom-com is normally not smooth.
|
Sex and the City 2 (May 27)
It was a sad way to end a franchise. Even worse than anticipated, this grueling 2.5-hour trek was like running a marathon — in Carrie's Manolo Blahnik gladiator sandals! Writer-director Michael Patrick King's knack for cringe-inducing puns is second to none. Yes, the Liza Minnelli cameo was cool, but you can get something similar from a Snickers ad for free (it's a real time-saver, too).
|