This is where it gets a little difficult. Everything from here on out (and to be fair, from about #35 on down), I enjoyed. So it gets a little bit like ranking Starburst flavors-all are delicious, and though strawberry is the inferior of the fruity chewables, I would choose it over, say, a handful of jujubees.
I am going to push this next one back to #35. I swear it will be the last time. So now
#34 Adjustment Bureau
#33 Everything Must Go
#32 A Better Life
#31 In Time
#30 Attack the Block
#35 Hesher
Joseph-Gordon-Levitt is a joy to behold as Hesher (known as Metalhead in Japan), the angry loner with the long hair who works his way into the lives of T.J. (Devin Burchu) and his widower father Paul (Rainn Wilson). All we know about Hesher is that he squats at abandoned house and lives in a van, smokes like a chimney, dislikes wearing shirts and often pants, has given himself several tattoos and is novice pyromaniac. T.J., clearly not dealing well with his grief, throws a rock through the window of a house where Hesher is squatting. Hesher gets pissed, so T.J. lets Hesher crash at their house. Paul is far too catatonic to protest, and his grandmother is far too old to. Hesher, smoking cigarettes, farting, walking around in tighty-whities, brings new life into the house, whether they want him to or not. It's sort of unclear most of the time whether he wants to or not either; there are times when he appears to be looking out for T.J.'s best interests and time where he seems to get off on screwing him over. Natalie Portman (who also produced) plays Nicole, the quirky crush with thick librarian glasses that befriends and comes between the unlikely duo. The movie is worth watching for Gordon-Levitt alone, but it was a little disappointing and a little too deceptively serious. The Portman subplot is predictable and kind of unnecessary, and the supporting cast offers little. Hesher's biggest problem is how uneven it is in tone. It's too serious to be comedy and too outrageous to be taken seriously. When Levitt is at his best though-lighting shit on fire, cursing and mumbling, giving deadpan deliveries-the movies tagline rings hilariously true: "Sometimes life gives you the middle finger, sometimes it gives you Hesher."
#29 Thor
With the exceptions of Halle Berry's Catwoman, Ben Affleck's Daredevil, and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, superhero movies have been synonymous with box-office and often critical success. Hollywood put together a smart long-term, buzz-creating plan when they created solo films for individual members of the Avengers over the last few years. Iron Man and the Hulk were joined by Captain America (didn't see it) and Thor as members of team Avenger to get their own blockbuster. Thor, helmed by Shakespeare aficionado Kenneth Branagh, was fun and boisterous, full of intergalactic Scandinavian bravado. Chris Hemsworth made for a perfect hero, a walking piece of sheetrock with long blond hair. On the distant planet Asgard, Thor and his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) both are vying to be heir to Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Together, they wage war against the ruthless frost giants. When Thor gets too aggro for his own good, Odin checks him and sends he and Mjolnir (his hammer, duh) rocketing down to earth for a taste of the common life. There, three scientists (Stellan Skarsgaard, Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings) discover him and take him for observation. Thor of course is bent on getting back his hammer and returning via space portal to Asgard to take back the throne from his scheming brother, but best believe there is plenty of ridiculousness (and punching) along the way as he tries to blend into life on earth. Fun stuff.
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