The Worst Ten Films of 2010 (#1 - #5)

5) LIFE AS WE KNOW IT

Tragedy and comedy collide in the romantic comedy mess LIFE AS WE KNOW IT. Katherine Heigel and Josh Duhamel are de facto surrogate parents after mutual friends die in an auto accident, leaving their young son in the hands of these singles. Even if you buy into the far-fetched set-up, there’s little to accept from these sometimes selfish and often foolish characters.

4) VALENTINE'S DAYThere’s nothing sweet that comes from VALENTINE’S DAY. This bloated, syrupy and ridiculous romantic comedy, mixes several story line and stars, each of which is less compelling then the next. Some things could only happen in the movies, and others could only happen in a Garry Marshall movie. This one is the latter.

3) COP OUT

COP OUT busts in minus any thrills or laughs. Writer-director Kevin Smith hits rock bottom with this so-called, buddy-cop comedy starring Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan and Sean William Scott. Each star is type cast in a role that is equally unfunny and annoying. The only thing less effective than Smith’s by-the-book script, is the half-hearted action sequences pasted in between the ineffective humor. COP OUT lives up to its title.

2) THE WOLFMAN

An Oscar pedigree encompasses the at-times, laugh-out loud, bad thriller and horror film THE WOLFMAN. Past Oscar nominees Anthony Hopkins and Benico Del Toro should have foreseen the unintended laughs in the film’s mono-y-mono finale as fighting wolves. What isn’t unintentionally funny, is extremely crude, following the standard werewolf set-up and payoff. Emily Blunt attempts to bring some levity to this nonsense, but is trumped by horrific and grotesque killings. Seriously, beware of THE WOLFMAN.

1) THE LAST AIRBENDER

The worst film I witnessed in 2010 was the nearly incomprehensible fantasy adventure, THE LAST AIRBENDER. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for writer-director M. NIGHT SHYMALAN, it does, with this tame, lifeless and illogical tale of a magical child with unearthly powers. The Nickelodeon based film offers nothing for adults, and little for anyone else familiar with the animated series. Half-baked special effects, porous 3-D and some of the worst child performances of the year encompass this grand waste of imagination and dollars. Please, bend over backwards to avoid Shylaman’s last gasp of air.

Photos courtesy of Warner Brothers, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures