Thanks to a money-grubbing "Special Edition," "Avatar" was in the running as a 2010 contender for Biggest Waste of Time in Film and Television. Thanks to a director more concerned with visual effects than substance, it also allowed it to be utterly terrible. In fact, given its long run-time and embarrassing writing, this year, it receives "honorable" mention as "Worst in Film and Television."
But no need to dwell on the negatives.
As for the actual winner, the best series of 2010 goes to "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood." This anime - based on the original manga rather than cobbled together like the first series - was utterly amazing. With excellent characters, action and a plot-line that kept you guessing until the very end, it was everything an anime should be. And for non-anime folk, it's at least watchable.
Perhaps most impressive is the fact that it's only sixty-four episodes. This clocks in at about five hundred less than longer-running series like "Bleach," "Naruto" or "Inuyasha." Being able to stay awake through the entire run is a nice bonus.
It did, however, face some stiff competition:
2) "Family Guy: Something Something Something Dark Side" - As a "Star Wars" spoof, this technically qualifies as a nerd program. This was just a step from taking the first place spot. Pretty much one more good Meg joke would have done it.
And yes, "Family Guy: It's a Trap" was pretty good, but like "Return of the Jedi," it just didn't stack up to the second movie.
3) "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" - Yes, I see some eye rolls at this one. Unfortunately, my hands were tied. As the only movie of the year that featured violent vampire wars, it was pretty much guaranteed an award. If you can point out another movie where an undead Civil War officer decapitates evil vampires alongside a pack of werewolves, please point it out.
4) "How to Train Your Dragon" - This one edged in at the last moment, since I went most of the year without seeing it. I was impressed with the continuing ability of animated films to not be overly-cutesy when they need to. Let's hope that in two or three years, there will be nothing in these movies for kids at all.
5) "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" - Overall, this was a pretty good movie - one I definitely recommend seeing. Bafflingly, Nicolas Cage didn't do the usual "Nicolas Cage' thing and muck up the movie. I would absolutely love seeing a sequel someday soon.
You may notice that the two big guns - "Avatar" and "Inception" - are absent from the list. What can I say? "Inception" was over-hyped to the point that it was essentially unwatchable. "Avatar" was under-written to the point where it was unwatchable. (Believe me - I tried.)
What do you think? I wouldn't be surprised if people second-guessed my choices. Then again, given how quickly people stopped talking about "Avatar," I wouldn't be surprised if people didn't.
Up next on Friday is the "Alternative Media Category."
More on Cameron losing - life turns to death...
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm isolated from the media machine, but I missed out on all the hype about Inception. I scream in amazement in its general direction every time I see it. Got the blu ray for Christmas and have watched it twice since then. :D
Avatar, that was overhyped to the level of Jurassic Park, but Avatar gave me pretty things to look at while the movie unspooled before my eyes. It was a snoozer until it hit the fan in the last 45 minutes. Of course we KNEW how it was going to end, so that wasn't a concern, but we got to see some butts being seriously kicked. I have that blu ray too, got it for Christmas I think last year. I think I got it for Christmas. Or was it my birthday? Or did I buy it? Cripes, I don't remember. Anyway, I watched it exactly once.
Haven't seen the other things you mention, so I can't comment. Just the Big Guns. :)
I did enjoy Iron Man 2 though, even if just to see Micky Roark in his Whiplash costume. I really do like that guy. :D
The media did a good job of not hyping up "Inception," actually. My problem was actually my friends. I couldn't see it for the first two weeks it was out while they continually told me it would cure sore throats and tasted better than bacon. Alas, by the time I had the chance to go, there was no movie good enough that it wouldn't have been a huge letdown.
ReplyDeleteI'm not denying "Avatar" was pretty. (My fiancee's parents have this enormous television next door that makes that sort of movie look ridiculous.) But that movie's unwatchability can be summed up in two points.
1) Unobtanium.
2) The aliens wore feathers, but if you look closely, no animals on that planet have feathers.
I'll be the first to admit "Iron Man 2" probably deserved a spot on that list. I actually liked that movie. I've got nothing bad to say about it. But it was only after the list was published online that I remembered it. In hindsight, yes, it was better than most sequels and was a good fit at #4, probably.
"Sherlock Holmes" was also excellent - I blame seeing it too early last year.
I recommend checking out "FMA:Brotherhood," though. Did you know the whole series is free on Hulu? How crazy is that?
It is? I've been going to animetip.com - I think they have pretty much everything there, some of them really high quality. I'll have to look at hulu (again).
ReplyDeleteI know, I hate raving about things I love, 'cause it's always a let down. There is an indie movie called "Brick" that is like a very noir murder mystery set in a high school environment that was very much inspired by Cowboy Bebop (writer/director/producer is a fan). I watched it. Liked it. Told my sister about it. Well, she goes and reads the reviews that RAVED about it, and even said some stuff that I didn't quite agree with. She was totally let down and didn't finish watching it. Sigh.
Bad me, I haven't seen Sherlock Holmes yet (and I adore Robert Downey Jr). Sigh.