Movie Blitz 7/22/10

In addition to being an enormous music fan, I'm an avid moviegoer (and popcorn eater), especially during the busy summer season. So I thought I'd tweak Pop Blitz a bit and talk about the last seven movies I've seen.

Inception
Though I agree with most of the criticisms I've heard, there's no doubt that this is far and away the best action thriller of the summer. It's demanding, creative and visually astounding. I loved it. A

The Last Airbender
Skipped a lot from the original series and was oddly self-serious, but I liked this a lot more than most people seemed to. Add the sorely missed humor, expand the running time by 30-45 minutes, and correct the pronunciations and you've got something that would have been satisfying. B-

Knight & Day
A fun diversion, though little more than that. The stunts were great, and thankfully the pace was kept at a breakneck speed throughout. The slower moments caught me checking my watch, though. C+

Splice
An interesting sci-fi horror hybrid that wasn't particularly scary. Thought-provoking, certainly, and quite unique, but there were a few plot turns that didn't sit well with me. Other than that, it easily held my attention. B

The Sorcerer's Apprentice
The best things about this by far were Jay Baruchel and Nicolas Cage. Other than that, I found little to love (or even hold my interest. Lots of special effects without a plot to tie them to. C-

Toy Story 3
Though I hadn't seen the first two since they were in theaters, this was easy to slide into (like putting on a pair of favorite jeans, to use a cliche). Exciting, sentimental and hilarious at once, this was one of the few animated movies that hit all the right notes. A

Prince Of Persia
Had its moments, for sure, but overall this was extremely forgettable. In fact, I think I forgot it the moment I stepped out of the theater because I can't remember more than a few scenes. It was just sort of stupid, really. C-