The year in movies: 2008’s Biggest Surprises and Disappointments

This could be an annual list… we’ll see what you guys think about it… here it is, my list of biggest disappointments (bad) and surprises (good) in movies for 2008.

Biggest Disappointments of 2008:

 5. “Vantage Point”

This was hyped as one of the better movies in the first quarter of the year, but how quickly it was forgotten and tossed aside.

While the story was pretty good and the twists were solid, the device of showing the “event” over and over and over and over from different… “Vantage Point”s… got old… and old… and old.

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 4. Robert DeNiro movies

Sorry Mr. DeNiro, but “Righteous Kill” and “What Just Happened” – were not as good as I hoped they would be, and critics liked them even less than me… I really respect his work, but both movies were missing a little bit of something and had a little bit too much of something else… with DeNiro as the main ingredient these movies were entrees that couldn’t be served at a quality restaurant… and were better served as fast food.

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 3. “Appaloosa” 

Sorry Ed Harris, but I really wanted this movie to do better and be better than it was, I love westerns, but this missed the mark.

I really like the look and feel of the movie and the set pieces and costumes were great, so was Viggo Mortensen and Mr. Harris.. just not good enough to get past the slow editing pace of this movie.

I appreciate the interview though.

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 2. “Star Wars: Clone Wars”

I’ve said it before (My Birthday Wish List), and I’ll say it again… this movie should have been several half-hour tv shows like it was originally designed for… the story was okay, but should have been broken up.  Bottom line: please stop torturing the die-hard Star Wars fans with movies we think we need to see… weren’t the prequels enough ?

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 1. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”

I’m probably safe in saying at this point… without spoiling…. what I didn’t like about this movie… but just in case…. you’ll have to click to read more… (more…)