Other Films of 2010

Now that I've finally written my final two reviews of 2010 cinema releases, I thought that I may as well add a quick summary of the various films from last year that I managed to catch up with on DVD/Blu-Ray:

Daybreakers - A stylish and enjoyable vampire film with a twist, albeit one let down by an average script.

Exam - An intriguing, Cube-inspired low-budget British psychological thriller that holds the attention well despite the single-room setting. Unfortunately the ending isn't handled very well. Still worth a look.

The Lovely Bones - Peter Jackson's adaptation of the best-selling novel is visually striking and well acted, but ultimately the story just never seems to go anywhere and the tone seems wildly misjudged at times.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - A very well-made, entertaining thriller that I enjoyed a lot, but perhaps not quite worthy of all the hype that seems to have surrounded the franchise. I actually believe that David Fincher's remake could be just as good if not better.

How to Train Your Dragon - I was genuinely surprised at just how good this film was - funny, exciting, wonderfully animated and genuinely touching, this is my favourite animated film of the year and easily better than the mysteriously overrated Toy Story 3.

The Disappearance of Alice Creed - Excellent performances and a twisty plot keep you interested in this intricate, small-scale kidnap thriller featuring just 3 characters in its entire running time. Gemma Arterton displays genuine acting talent that seems to have vanished from her Hollywood efforts.

Bad Lieutenant - Nicolas Cage gets another chance to play a crazy man, this time as a drug-addicted New Orleans cop on the verge of a psychotic break. His superb performance aside, this bizarre film is perhaps not quite worthy of the high praise it seems to have gotten from the critics.

Black Dynamite - I saw this hilarious film at the EIFF in 2009 (read my review here), but it finally got a cinema release last September.