34. The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie (2010, Direct to Video Animated)

34. The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie (2010, Direct-to-Video Animated)

I'm just going to be honest: I'm not a big fan of the raunchy, go-out-of-my-way-to-be-offensive style comedy that the Drawn Together franchise uses. Do I find it genuinely offensive? Not really -- most of the time it's very sarcastic and quite clever, which is definitely more my style. So while the writers are clearly quite capable of a more mature style of comedy, yet for some reason there's a whole bunch of people who prefer all the cerebral junk delivered in a tasty potty humor shell. And I find the gratuitous raunch (raunchiness for raunchiness' sake!) kind of off-putting. But not offensive.

So with that in mind, I decided to check out the movie (I had never seen the series) prepared to roll my eyes a lot.

To my surprise, I actually liked the movie. There was plenty of gratuitous raunch, but it was all just so very, very funny. The story was fast-paced and there were some very well-written barbs in there. I may just have to check out the series now ...

Final Grade: B-

33. The Stepfather (2009, Thriller)

33. The Stepfather (2009, Thriller)

If I had seen this when I was about sixteen (and was thus part of the target audience), I really would have loved it. So, in that sense, this remake was really well done! Just enough blood to be gross and enough crazy to be interesting, but definitely not scary enough to give me nightmares.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the acting. Dylan Walsh and Penn Badgley, in particular, did pretty well with what they were given. The writing of this film was not great ... or even remotely original. It fits every aspect of the Teen Thriller Archetype and was less boring than 2007's Disturbia.



The movie didn't require any brainwork but was still quite a tasty way to pass some time. It was fun and got the pulse racing a few times.

Final Grade: C

32. Sex and the City II (2010, Comedy)

32. Sex and the City II (2010, Comedy)

There's not really a whole lot to say about this one that hasn't been said before (and isn't exactly what you'd expect.

If you're a fan of the series and enjoy(ed) watching the evolution of these characters, then the movie is fairly satisfying as an end to the series. My friend said that it felt much more like a long, extended episode than the first movie did. And I am inclined to agree.

Samantha was on her absolute worst behavior, Charlotte's image of perfection was perfect yet again crumbled and Miranda was as hilarious and neurotic as always! Carrie, of course, continued to spew her same misinformed ideas about healthy relationships. Delicious!

Final Grade: B+

31. Cropsey (2010, Documentary)

31. Cropsey (2010, Documentary)

This movie was about Cropsey, a mythical serial killer in Staten Island. He is the man parents warn their children about in order to keep them from wandering into the woods at night. All of Staten Island assumed Cropsey was just a story until developmentally disabled children began disappearing. Cropsey

It sounds really interesting: dark, mysterious with just a touch of social justice? Meh. It was actually rather dull -- I started nodding off in the theater. Most dull was the fact that the documentary never actually went anywhere. Every time I thought it was leading to somewhere stupendous, I was let down. It was frustrating. And boring.

I was also quite annoyed by how various people (director, narrator) kept going on and on and on about how this documentary (a NINE YEAR PROJECT) raised more questions rather than giving any answers -- like that's a good thing. Yes, inquiry is an important part of learning and yes, all great research initially raises more questions than answers. After nine years, though, wouldn't you think there would be some answers? To brag about the fact that there are no answers rather than address it as an unfortunate reality seems lazy.

The most interesting parts were the parts that examined the investigation and trial of Andre Rand, who was ultimately found guilty of kidnapping and murdering two of the girls. The evidence was circumstantial at best and the whole ordeal really highlighted how great the need to place blame is for some communities. And, truly, at the end of the movie I wasn't sure whether Rand was a scapegoat or a criminal. And if the movie had presented itself as an examination of social justice and trial, that would have been great.

I think the filmmakers were trying to do too much. They had two major projects: 1. examination of how an urban legend is used within a community and 2. examination of social justice and crime in America. And it was just too much for one movie.

Final Grade: C